Swift Fifteen wrote:

Thankfully I don't have to give up any secret brook trout fishing holes.
 

That's fine, as long as your prediction is right I'll try and go find my own Brookie holes lol 🤞

On the plus side, once you get past the snow tomorrow (!?) the seven day forecast looks pretty good.

  Feeling Very bummed. Had this weekend booked on the south side as well. Hey andrew0520. Depends on what your looking for. The furthest site west on the south side is nice. No traffic. 100% hearing a moose, 99% seeing one. Maple creek runs right beside the site. Otters too. If your there for fishing grab the big rock site on the east shore. Considered south I think thou. Soon as you descend into the lake follow the board walk north. 2 sites there. 1 at swampy inlet and the rock site. Chances are greatly increased here. Probably the best site on the lake. Lots of lake access beaut view, awesome sunset, but from time to time you'll hear travelers hiking by during the day. My 2 cents.......

Splakin wrote:

... but from time to time you'll hear travelers hiking by during the day. My 2 cents.......

I've only traveled the hiking trail once but I was disappointed by just how close most of the sites were to the trail. Not good for solitude nor for my dog-hating (and not too fond of strangers) dog.
 

 
Thanks! I'm gonna aim for that western site then, as I enjoy the solitude and have been trying to get a glimpse of a moose the last few years!

Yes, the western site is a beauty. We were hoping to stay there a couple years back but a tent was pitched when we arrived. I found out later that the same tent had been pitched for quite some time and someone was likely leaving it there as a permanent reservation/squatter spot. Not cool. I'm sure it's long gone now!
Cheers.

Last edited by hiker72 (5/02/2019 5:59 am)

@Hiker72, the same thing happened to me like 6 years ago. I believe it was the first time the park issued the delay opening. I took a chance arrived the Friday morning. Permit at 7am. Asked if anyone was in there, nope. I was at the Provoking lake in an hour. I wanted the northern rock peninsula site. Absolute awesome site. But there was a tent there to my dismay. There was no one there ALL week-end.
  I got the chance a couple of years later to stay there! Let me tell ya thou, as much as it's a wicked site. Water access, view and very spacious. It is by far the worst site ever. People strolling thru all day. I actually had some think they could camp right there with me. It was terrible. Never again................
   And yes the corridor lakes should be good to go this week-end. Going by the sat pics over the last couple of days you see open water on lakes. Park, Victory and hobo lakes looked open on the 28th. Lake of bays southern part opened up on the 30th, wasn't on the 28th. I was hoping to get a week-end in before I embark on a 6 day trip starting May 13th....oh well

yes,, very much so.

Lots of photos just posted on the Friends website. Lots of ice, but it looks like the quick meltin' kind... I hope!

"Despite a long list of current closures, good news for anglers and backcountry canoe trippers is on the horizon. A slight warming trendstarting on May 3, 2019 is expected to increase the melting of Algonquin Park's remaining lake ice. Recent heavy rain, wind, and temperatures hovering just above freezing point helped to remove ice from beaver ponds and small lakes. Beaver ponds are mostly open, while some small lakes are only partially ice covered. Many lakes are expected to be ice free by mid-next week. With some larger lakes, especially those at higher elevations, potentially persisting into the double digits of May."

Paddlerunner wrote:

Well, I've got to say I'm really starting to feel optimistic for my start on the 11th. The latest update on FOAP shows a very ice-free Park Lake yesterday. It sure didn't look like that a week ago when I went through. 

Sec Lake is ice free as of yesterday afternoon.
Guaranteed The whole East end will follow suite today.  (lower elevation)

Lake Nipissing in North Bay is Ice free at least a couple of KM out from town. Nipissing always sheds a week later than APP so thats a good sign. After today's sunshine there wont be much left. ;-)

Last edited by ATVenture (5/05/2019 5:51 am)