You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

3/23/2019 7:51 am  #1


Spring Trips?

Just wondering what people are planning for trips at or just after ice-out? 

On a previous thread I posted my plan for a 9-day tour out of Kiosk that would have me all over the upper west-central portion of the Park. I'm now having second thoughts on doing something so intense right out of the gate. Thinking perhaps my eyes are bigger than my stomach, so to speak. Last year I tried something similar out of Access #2 only to tank after 5 days. You'd think I'd have learned by now, yet 47 years in to my Algonquin tripping life, I still catch spring fever and can't help wanting to see it all at once! Of course, there's a whole paddling season ahead, I must remind myself. Why not ease into it and take the time to enjoy? I'm now thinking to rejig my route, taking a few days out as rest days, and maybe not so much distance on the travel days. 

Can anyone else relate? What are some positive past spring trip experiences you've had? What have you maybe tried that hasn't worked out as planned?

Thanks for the feedback in advance. 

 

3/23/2019 8:22 am  #2


Re: Spring Trips?

Not nearly as much tripping experience here, but my limited experience says to do the ambitious trips in the latter half of June, not May, for four reasons:

1) The longest days of the year mean you can paddle long days and cover great distances under daylight;

2) you’ve already warmed up your muscles and technique and optimized your gear thanks to your spring trips;

3) the black flies mean that life in camp is not that enjoyable anyway (absent a screen house tent); and finally,

4) portages have been cleared by then.

Possible fifth reason is that there is still plenty of water in June to float your boat.

Short distances, pleasant camp life, smaller lakes—-those sound like ingredients for a pleasant spring trip to me.

Last edited by Methye (3/23/2019 8:26 am)

 

3/23/2019 9:26 am  #3


Re: Spring Trips?

My Spring opener tends to be one of my longest (if not the longest) of the year. Much like you, "spring fever" has a lot to do with that. By the time of my first trip I probably haven't been camping in 6 months, and going in for only a few days seems unfathomable. 

The great things about an early spring trip:
No bugs
Few people


The bad things about an early spring trip:
Portages likely haven't been cleared, and may also be flooded and/or still have snow in places
The water is dangerously cold
No swimming - at least not for more than a few seconds!

For me the toughest one is the 'no swimming' part - I love to laze in the water for hours when I can get away with it. But on the whole I love my ice-out trip: few bugs and few people is a tough combo to beat. 

Last Spring it was 7 days, travelling 5 of them (although I did a very long day trip one one of those 'rest' days). This Spring it's 7 days, travelling every day, but I might add a day to the trip to give myself a day to be lazy somewhere in there. 

 

3/23/2019 9:49 am  #4


Re: Spring Trips?

"Eyes are bigger than stomachs", that's for sure! Especially so when gazing at maps during the winter. I've gradually come to the conclusion that one can spend numerous wonderful days out solo tripping and cover very few kilometres. A large part of ice-out trips for me is fishing. That means being generous with planning 2-day layovers in places where I want to make a proper effort to fish and not just troll a shoreline on my way to somewhere else. Why leave one beautiful lake whose treasures I barely glimpsed for another lake 25 k further along? If fishing isn't part of the trip, but the physicality of paddling and portaging is what you're after, you can still engage those muscles in paddling the perimeter of the lake you're camped on, or day-trip up creeks, through marshes, and into small lakes adjacent to your campsite. This approach, though, is an admittedly geezerly one, and is neither advisable, nor true, nor natural for youngsters. Young paddlers should go ahead and indulge their need to expend energy, to compete, and to rack up as many kilometers as they feel like racking up. And why not? But as we "get on" we begin to realize that "in the grand scheme of things" no one, absolutely no one, no parent, no friend, no guiding light, no omniscient author, and later on not even yourself could or even should really give much of a sh--  what distance you paddled on this or that trip. Try doing this: assume that no one is watching or recording or approving of your passage. Is your trip still a redeeming experience in itself? Is it still how you like to spend your time and mental and physical energy? Thinking about tripping in this way__a way that might appear a tad dark to some__ has influenced how I travel as I get older. 
On a less philosophical note, shorter itineraries in the spring offer other advantages:  when the rain turns to snow which turns back into rain again one can hunker down in a comfortable place knowing there's no rush and no need to soak those extra sets of clothing. Or one can more easily just get the hell out there...  
I've noticed that when it comes to planning spring trips the inevitable rain and snow rarely play a large part in my winter months' canoeing fantasies. The visualizations are all of bluebird skies filled with birdsong and gentle breezes. If the reality were only so!
Paddlerunner, hopefully these musings aren't too annoying to read on a fine spring morning and are on track with the theme of your question.

 

3/23/2019 10:11 am  #5


Re: Spring Trips?

After an easy slow trip last spring in Kawartha Lakes, my Friend and I are planning on a more ambitious 5 nighter.  Access 9 down to Welcome, back up to Louisa, head lake, madawaska river, two rivers, back to access 9, with a rest day on Louisa. Love the ice our trips for the solitude, and the lack of bugs. Given there's no swimming, neither of us are particularily inclined to sit around camp all day. Paddle more, see more, do more!


 

 

3/23/2019 10:20 am  #6


Re: Spring Trips?

My Spring trip will be as long as I can go with my bid vacation from work.  Probably a ten day solo again similar to what I did in the fall.  Last year with the delayed ice out it was only a six day as I was due back to work.  I bid my vacation a touch later this year.

Paddlerunner, nothing wrong with a lengthy springtime trip.  Double check your distances and cut it back a bit if the trip length is a worry.   I’m looking forward to spring a nice long trip in an area of the park I’ve not explored yet, and of course some fishing!

 

3/23/2019 10:57 am  #7


Re: Spring Trips?

My spring trip is going to be the longest of the year. That’s partly cabin fever and partly a function of it being easier to get away for an extended period in May than it is later in the summer. I’m going in through kiosk and doing 5 nights in the northwest corner, all new ground for me (well, except kiosk and Maple/Maple Creek the last day. The plan is to travel each day but I’ve got two short ones in the middle that I could combine  if I need a rest day.

Can’t wait!

 

3/23/2019 1:46 pm  #8


Re: Spring Trips?

In my experience early season canoeing is always slower than in summer. Even if one is physically in good shape, which is not always the case in April, cold weather sucks out more energy - it's just physics. Wearing additional layers slows me down and each movement requires a bit of extra effort. Being extra careful because of freezing water, especially at landings, takes both time and energy. In all my trips 3 times I took a dunking and all 3 happened in early spring.

 

3/23/2019 5:52 pm  #9


Re: Spring Trips?

Thank you all for the comments. Really! I was starting to think I was unpopular for either a) changing my handle, or b) being absent for almost a year and then returning out of the blue -- or both. Feel restored now, so again thank you!

@Methye: Excellent observations, though personally I'll plan my longer trips for a little later in the season, thanks. Been driven to distraction by blackflies a few too many times to want to do anything too serious in June LOL. And the 47-year comment was only to reference how easy it is to prolong a habit. In fact, until I got on this forum a few years ago so many of my tripping practices hadn't been re-thought in decades! I've still got much to learn and well do I know it!

@Uppa: Agreed on all fronts--especially the idea of cutting it short when you want to be out there the most!

@martin2007: Far from annoying, your musings are inspiring and SO well written!! Thank you. I'm exactly on the same page with the fishing aspect, which is part of the reason I'm telling myself to slow down for sure. Excellent philosophizing--we need more of that on this forum!

@CampFever: "Paddle more, see more, do more!" Great tagline--I'm tempted to steal it from you Sounds like a great trip. Look forward to hearing about it afterward--hope you'll put out a trip report.

@captainchaos2000: 10 days--Perfect! Where are you thinking you might head? Agreed re. length--I'm happy to be out there for at least nine days for sure. My concern is really the distance I was setting out to cover without stopping to smell the roses. 

@AlgonquinLakes: What's your route and timing? Would love to say hello if we're in the same neck of the woods at the same time. 

@EddyTurn: Again, excellent points. Last year I was blessed with perfect weather but 4 years ago I got into a rainy spell in early May and it grew unpleasant pretty quickly. I was glad to be fairly near the access point for a fast escape. 

     Thread Starter
 

3/23/2019 7:36 pm  #10


Re: Spring Trips?

I’m heading in on May 15 and coming out on the 20th. Doing a loop through Manitou, Fasset, North Tea, Three Mile, Maple. When are you going in?

 

3/24/2019 5:03 am  #11


Re: Spring Trips?

AlgonquinLakes wrote:

I’m heading in on May 15 and coming out on the 20th. Doing a loop through Manitou, Fasset, North Tea, Three Mile, Maple. When are you going in?

Cool! It's looking like in on the 11th for me, out on the 20th. Heading in the opposite direction, so may see you on the way out. I'm paddling a blue 15 Keewaydin. You?

Hey, nice website you've got there. I'm in much the same boat re. having been up in the Park for many years, but not having explored much of it. There's tons of it I should be seeing; problem is I love my favourite parts too much and keep going back to them instead of exploring more! Hoping to start changing that this season as I've broken my vacation up into smaller chunks. Just haven't figured out where I'm going on all of them yet.

Hope to see you out there!

     Thread Starter
 

3/25/2019 10:32 am  #12


Re: Spring Trips?

looks like quite a few of us will be in the North West part of the Park this spring. May 17th to 20th I will be travelling from Kiosk through Erables , Birchcliffe, Biggar , North Tea etc. White Langford canoe! good luck to everyone!

 

3/25/2019 12:07 pm  #13


Re: Spring Trips?

My spring trips are getting shorter each year as I near the age of 70.  My goal this year is Allan Lake, with side trips to North Depot and fishing the North River at the end of North Depot.

May trips now tell me if I am still able, and want to do such a trip the following year.  The want to is always there.  The able to hasn't let me down yet.  I have been doing early spring trips since I was 16 years old.  I couldn't think of a better place to go for a "vacation".  Bring it on!!!!


CAMPING IS WHEN YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO LIVE LIKE A HOMELESS PERSON!
 

3/25/2019 9:38 pm  #14


Re: Spring Trips?

I'm planning a short trip with a mission, just a three day trip for which day 2 will be a side trip to Baden Powell Lake.  It is more about starting off easy than it is the mission after my usual winter exercise regimen (staring out the window hoping for spring).  But I'll still take a pen with me to sign the book....

 

3/25/2019 10:36 pm  #15


Re: Spring Trips?

I'm looking at an easy access paddle-in trip to kick the year off. The only buddy I can get to go camping is still finding his feet in the bush, and a little intimidated about going out in the colder weather. Last year we ended up car camping, but this year I'll take him out to Canisbay, Sunday Lake, Norway or Fork so we can do a little fishing and work on our camping skills. 

 


For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.
 

Board footera

LNT Canada is a national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships.