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1/18/2021 4:36 pm  #1


Backcountry Winter Options

Hi Everyone,
I’ve been backcountry hot tenting from the Mew Lake access point, the last 2 years. Looking for some alternative 2-4 day trips in the park. Any suggestions?

 

1/19/2021 9:47 am  #2


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Hi GrahamLine, this year the Park has restricted access to the back country to a short list of predefined access points.  No longer can you venture anywhere you want in the back country.  Off the top of my head the access points are: teh two backpacking trails, Minnessing Trail, Source Lake, Mew Lake Airfield (those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head)...The Park website has more details so you'd be best to check that out.  

 

1/19/2021 10:08 am  #3


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

i believe the parking lot at the Algonquin Art Centre is also one of the spots you can park, launch from. not sure of the bushwacking routes out of there, but an option as well. unfortunate. Crown land or QEWII are options also but i know that's blasphemy for me mentioning that in this forum...

 

1/19/2021 10:22 am  #4


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

For whatever it's worth, I chatted with a guy on MyCCR. He camped away from Hwy 60 this year, and just wrote in his access point.

Last couple of years, I accessed the park through Kmog (access 1). This is crown land, there are lots of cottages and it's definitely plowed in the winter. there is logging activity too... 2018, we camped on Wet Lake. There are snowmobile trails (not used heavily) and we actually daytripped all the way to NTL.

2019 we went Kmog along south side of Amable all the way to NTL. Deep powder, fine with large Trad snowshoes, but definitely not MSR shoes or XC skiis. There is one tricky crossing of Amable - it's at the dam, on the west side of the portage. Rivers are always tricky. be careful.

Kmog, wet Lake and Amable to NTL are crown land, so even if there was an outright ban on winter camping in APP, these would still be fine.

This year, I'm gonna go to Kiosk for 5 days in Feb and probably a week in March. if the rail trail is accessible, I will try and do an East-West traverse in 2022.

Cheers!
Marko 

Last edited by Marko_Mrko (1/19/2021 10:23 am)

 

1/19/2021 10:31 am  #5


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Map of Kmog trips:



Camp along Amable:

Last edited by Marko_Mrko (1/19/2021 10:36 am)

 

1/19/2021 11:47 am  #6


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Just to be clear, we went right along Amable, not 50 yards away. The banks are very clear, with a good clear path. More pics:

Crossing Kmog, bit of a blizzard:




Mouth of the Amable - you can see where the open water starts, due to the current. Just stay on the south (right side on the picture), the ice was fine. Also, remember Kmog is a very shallow lake, the ice forms quickly in the absence of the current. 



The first part of the Amable was the trickiest, as we had MRS shoes on, not the trad shoes. Once we switched to the trad shoes, it was reasonable. Still 3' of powder and the front person had to do a bit of work. But reasonable. 

Here's flotation with trad shoes: 


Versus the largest MSR snowshoe:


Crossing the dam before the portage:


NTL is well worth it:




 

 

1/19/2021 12:35 pm  #7


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Nice!

 

1/19/2021 12:58 pm  #8


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Marko_Mrko wrote:

For whatever it's worth, I chatted with a guy on MyCCR. He camped away from Hwy 60 this year, and just wrote in his access point.

Wrote in his access point where? There isn't a spot in the online reservation system to add an alternate access point. I called in to the east gate over the Christmas holidays to inquire about getting a permit the old fashioned way.They told me they couldn't issue the permit. It had to be done through the reservation system.
 
My plan was to just get a reservation for the airfield or wherever then go up to Kiosk and leave my reservation number and planned destination on my dash board.

Now, with the lockdown, I have no plans

 

1/19/2021 1:36 pm  #9


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

MartinG wrote:

My plan was to just get a reservation for the airfield or wherever then go up to Kiosk and leave my reservation number and planned destination on my dash board.

Martin, I'm going to get an online reservation, print it out and write in pen that I've left from Kiosk. And will leave on the dashboard. 

M
 

 

1/19/2021 5:58 pm  #10


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Steve E wrote:

Hi GrahamLine, this year the Park has restricted access to the back country to a short list of predefined access points.  No longer can you venture anywhere you want in the back country.  Off the top of my head the access points are: teh two backpacking trails, Minnessing Trail, Source Lake, Mew Lake Airfield (those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head)...The Park website has more details so you'd be best to check that out.  

 
Thanks Steve. Getting lots of good input from the post. I’ll let everyone know where I decided to venture.

     Thread Starter
 

1/19/2021 6:03 pm  #11


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Marko_Mrko wrote:

Just to be clear, we went right along Amable, not 50 yards away. The banks are very clear, with a good clear path. More pics:

Crossing Kmog, bit of a blizzard:




Mouth of the Amable - you can see where the open water starts, due to the current. Just stay on the south (right side on the picture), the ice was fine. Also, remember Kmog is a very shallow lake, the ice forms quickly in the absence of the current. 



The first part of the Amable was the trickiest, as we had MRS shoes on, not the trad shoes. Once we switched to the trad shoes, it was reasonable. Still 3' of powder and the front person had to do a bit of work. But reasonable. 

Here's flotation with trad shoes: 


Versus the largest MSR snowshoe:


Crossing the dam before the portage:


NTL is well worth it:




 

 
Thanks Marko! This looks fantastic! Going to dig into your information tonight and plan. Appreciate the input.

     Thread Starter
 

1/19/2021 6:10 pm  #12


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

MartinG wrote:

Marko_Mrko wrote:

For whatever it's worth, I chatted with a guy on MyCCR. He camped away from Hwy 60 this year, and just wrote in his access point.

Wrote in his access point where? There isn't a spot in the online reservation system to add an alternate access point. I called in to the east gate over the Christmas holidays to inquire about getting a permit the old fashioned way.They told me they couldn't issue the permit. It had to be done through the reservation system.
 
My plan was to just get a reservation for the airfield or wherever then go up to Kiosk and leave my reservation number and planned destination on my dash board.

Now, with the lockdown, I have no plans

 
Thanks Martin.

     Thread Starter
 

1/19/2021 6:37 pm  #13


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

My plan was not meant as advice from the park. It's just what I personally planned to do inspite of the new process. A frustrated reaction to this ridiculous bureacracy.

 

1/19/2021 7:03 pm  #14


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

MartinG wrote:

My plan was not meant as advice from the park. It's just what I personally planned to do inspite of the new process. A frustrated reaction to this ridiculous bureacracy.

 
Martin, that's the most sensible thing to do.

I suspect the lockdown will be over Feb 11. just in time for my Feb 13-17 trip... On Kiosk. With my modified reservation.

Cheers!
M

 

1/20/2021 8:31 am  #15


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

Marko_Mrko wrote:

This year, I'm gonna go to Kiosk for 5 days in Feb and probably a week in March. if the rail trail is accessible, I will try and do an East-West traverse in 2022.

Cheers!
Marko 

Amazing info in this post! I might be sending you a PM.. 
I have recently been to Kiosk access and the rail line going east is well packed via snowmobile, the logging road to the west just before the campground is very heavily used this winter so you may hear logging depending how far in you go.
As per your reservation - when you reserve online there will be a field you can fill in with your tent color etc, here you could just put something like "Kiosk Access"..

Last edited by ATVenture (1/20/2021 8:35 am)

 

1/20/2021 10:57 am  #16


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

great pics, suggestions and ideas awesome!  If Kiosk is not officially open though- is the road plowed there to the parking lot?   funny the mention of the Kiosk rail trail- i recently watched a video of some folks who did it via fatbike and my first thought was....this is a winter trip route i need to do.  here's the link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O23Qyonzf8&t=939s

 

1/20/2021 11:11 am  #17


Re: Backcountry Winter Options

ya the road to Kiosk is plowed, as is the parking lot.

I'm just talking with a guy who attempted to cross APP from Kmog to Archray in 2018, but ran into issues with free-flowing Amable at the end of Manitou. He did get to Kiosk, but was too far behind schedule to finish.

Im gonna spend 5 days on Kiosk this February, and will scout both east and west paths.

Will do a crossing of APP next year, I think it's very doable over 10-14 days...

M

 

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