Afternoon folks,

It's been a LOOOONG time since I've been here.  Guess I needed to unplug a bit.  Sorry for the absence, it's been too long.

A friend and I have booked a week long loop out of Opeongo, taking the water taxi to the Happy Isle portage then hitting the following:
-Big trout
-Rest day
-Hogan
-Big Crow
-Lavieille
-Rest Day
-Opeongo East (by way of the Bonfield-Dixon)
-Out

As always, I'm welcoming idea of things to do and places to see along the route.  There's going to be some long days, but we're used to that.  We're also hoping to climb to the fire tower remains on Big Crow if the weather is nice.

We've been warned about the spreading of the algae bloom on Dixon/Hardy Bay into Lavieille.  If it get's too hairy and they shut things down we're going to audible into Burntroot or somewhere.

We're heading out on Saturday June 29 and coming back in on Saturday July 6.  If anyone wants to get in on our water taxi, it's the next thing I'm working on.  If you're going to be in the area, please let me know if you want to come by for a drink and some friendly company.

This is the biggest trip I've done since I was 16, very excited.  Hope everyone else is crowding around their map collection as anxiously as I am!

Ian
PS - Check out what's been keeping me busy here: https://iantendy.wordpress.com/

Hi gang, I'm cross posting this from the Hiking forum because this part is a bit more well-trod.

I'm trying hot tenting for the first time this weekend and I'm wondering if there's anything you wish someone had told you before your first time playing with a stove inside your tent?

Also, our plan is to snowshoe down the Minnesing trail, set up near any moving water we can find (always like a bubbling creek, plus it's easier to grab water than melting it), then probably hike back along our path Sunday.  Is walking clockwise a faux pas on an ungroomed trail or should we struggle up hills with our polks?

Thanks,
Ian

Hi again!

Don't know how many of us were unable to enjoy the weather at the beginning of September, but after many trips under a tarp this year it was glorious to be warm and dry for a change.

Honestly, it's been a long time since I was this excited to get camping.  A real vacation trip.

Video: https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=6M3Qh4HdIA4

Triplog with hi-res photos: https://iantendy.wordpress.com/2016/09/17/booth-lake-labour-day-2016/

Thanks folks, I really enjoy making these videos and it's always nice to hear people other than myself enjoy them.

Barry, you're right on the nose with that assessment.  They had just thrown a rock on their coals and gone.  We didn't get there for at least 2 hours later.  We got it as out as we could, but worried about root systems. 

Rest of the lake really is wonderful, but at that time of year I'd think twice about going through the creek between Welcome and Pen

I use a simple point and shoot camera, a 16.1mp Sony Cybershot with a Carl Ziess lens (built in).  Sometimes I use a small Gorillapod tripod that I wrap around branched and stuff.  I'm pretty happy with it, don't see any reason to upgrade aside from when windnoise overcomes the microphone.

RC - Yeah, there were some big ones, the classic "red stripe" ones I've seen around central Algonquin.  There were also big tadpoles, crayfish by the dozen, and tonnes of baitfish,

No doubt there's fish drawn to the lake, but I'd have to go deep or find moving water to get them.

They were wearing some pretty standard camping gear: cargo pants, denim blend shirts, hiking boots.  They had an interesting assortment of gear.  It was half stuff you don't normally see on experienced campers like large water jugs, big coolers, and expensive running shoes then half high quality drysacks and emergency gear.

Neither Shane nor I saw them go over, but the amount of debris we went and picked up plus whatever may have sank suggested their canoe was both over- and mis-loaded.  A simple miscommunication or un-announced weight shift could have sent them over.