I didn't recognize it, and yet I took a picture at that same spot just last Spring. The water level difference is amazing. Here's that same view on May 9th last year: 



 

Where's he posting from? I've seen issues with captcha from countries that restrict internet access (like China) because they're blocking access to the location trying to serve up that captcha in the first place. Not sure when the captcha is kicking in for him since I've never seen one on this site, but if it's happening because of his attempted file upload (using the "Upload" link in this board) then tell him to try uploading the image elsewhere and then linking to it instead. A site like imgur.com makes that easy to do (but there are many). 

 

Lavieille was never shut down to my knowledge. The bloom extended into Hardy's Bay at the south end of Lavieille, but the rest of the lake was fine. I actually had a couple of nights booked on Lavieille for last September but wasn't able to go due to an injury. 

Nice route!

Downstream is of course always preferable, but you won't encounter any significant current, aside from where the portages around rapids exist of course. 

I haven't paddled Loughrin Creek but I imagine in May you'd be fine. If a route isn't passable due to water levels in May, then it's never passable. 

Mink Lake is just a boring stretch of nothing, whereas Maple and Erables (and Mouse and Club!) are nice. But then you're suggesting skipping 1 km worth of portages to tack on 8+, so I guess it depends on where you're spending your nights. Certainly the route through Maple and Erables will have fewer people around and have better campsites (Mink campsites are also pretty lousy).

I'd say you've picked the right direction for the loop, yeah. 

 

Heart Attack Hill.

@swedish_pimple it wouldn't surprise me if she was half blind, yep. But I was sitting on the edge of the beach next to a tree, so I might have been hard to spot. I moved only enough to move the camera. 

@Steve E: Yep, it was pretty cool. Doubt I'll ever have something quite like that happen again. 

@dontgroandaddy: I hear you. I once climbed into my kayak in a tiny little creek at the end of a portage only to spot a calf a few feet away on one side. Then I looked to my other side, and there was mom. I thought I was in deep trouble, but she didn't seem to care. 

@Blobsquatch: I think the camera was the reason. I was looking through the lens so it wasn't really happening, or something like that. If I'd been just sitting there watching her walk up to me I'd probably have been seriously spooked, but as it was it honestly never occurred to me to be nervous. 

Great read Peek - thanks for posting. The baby loon thing was awesome. 

Also, just how much whiskey are you carrying with you?

This happened on my August trip last year. I was on the beach site on Merchant's Lake, sitting down by the water with my coffee and (fortunately) my camera, and this beauty just came strolling down the water's edge until she parked herself right in front of me. 

I posted some of this video on an Algonquin facebook group not long after the trip, and it was also in my video trip report so it may not be new to some of you, but I thought it'd be worth posting. 

My apologies that it's slightly out of focus. This particular camera has a problem with auto-focus on videos.



 

@trippythings makes perfect sense to me, but until I unload my kayak I've got no room to collect anything ;)