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ahubbs wrote:
The only placed you can camp are the car camping sites.
The way I read the update, the Highway 60 backpacking trails are open to camping.
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Yes sorry, I think you are right. Too focused on my own agenda I guess, they did say the hiking trails were open I didn't realize there were sites associated with them.
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Well in theory, if you wanted to be a canoe tripping renegade and you were confident that certain lakes are passable, you could book a backpacking site on a lake that's also on a canoe route, and get to it by canoe. Like Provoking, Head, Harness, or any of a bunch of obscure little lakes along the Western Uplands.
I mean the kind of renegade that doesn't actually break any rules but likes loopholes and risky conditions.
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It almost feels like they cancelled this weekend prematurely. Yesterday's satellite image really makes it look like ice-out could happen today or tomorrow easily. 
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I think the problem is that they won't rely on satellite imagery the will only open once the flyover is done, it's scheduled for the 2nd. I agree though I bet the ice will be gone by Saturday if not sooner.
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Today's satellite image:
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Lots of ice on Opeongo still and from the Friends of Algonquin pictures on Facebook from today the same is still true for Smoke, Cache, Lake of Two Rivers, Canoe, etc.
There was an interesting contrast between the 2 pictures yesterday. The 'crisper' picture looked like a lot more lakes were open, but the contrast in the 'fuzzier' picture showed that there was a lot more ice left. By this point I think there is a decent chance that official ice out by either the Canoe Lake or the Opeongo standard won't happen until May 1st or later.
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Kiosk Lake, April 28
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A few photos from this morning of Smoke and Canoe Lake.
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Gidday
I just listened to a voice mail telling me that my Reservation for May 4th is not valid as it is not opening until May 6th. I wonder if it is because I was supposed to be heading in at cedar and beyond? I just saw a picture of the Brent Rd....still snow covered!
71
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I called Killarney today and they said ice is for sure off Bell Lake and George was assumed to be out early this morning and definitely is by now. She said no matter what they issue permits the day of ice out. Killarney here we come for four days on Sunday!
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Gidday
I just listened to a voice mail telling me that my Reservation for May 4th is not valid as it is not opening until May 6th. I wonder if it is because I was supposed to be heading in at cedar and beyond? I just saw a picture of the Brent Rd....still snow covered!
71
Yeah it's because of Cedar... They just put up an update. The other backcountry access points are still the same Tentative dates...
Cross your fingers!!
Last edited by MatteoP (4/29/2016 1:55 pm)
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Anyone at the park today? This sun must be doing some damage
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My brother and I are headed to Kawartha Highlands tomorrow very early. We will be coming out on Wednesday. I will then be leaving on either Thursday or Friday for Algonquin for a few nights starting on cache lake.
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Today's satellite image shows the park pretty much ice free, with Opeongo and Cedar being a bit more stubborn. I suspect official "ice out", based on Opeongo, will be declared tomorrow or Monday at the latest.
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New photos from the 27th and 28th:
Updated: Saturday, April 30, 2016
Algonquin Park Ice Conditions
Ontario Parks is reporting that the 2016 opening dates for some areas of Algonquin Park will be delayed until May 4 or 6, 2016 (subject to change) due to winter conditions, ice covered lakes, and inaccessible snow covered roads.
Strong spring sunshine is melting Algonquin Park's ice cover. Limited open water is expected in some areas of Algonquin Park for the weekend of April 30 - May 1, 2016, but ice on some lakes could persist into the final days of April or early May depending upon geographic location and the weather conditions over the next several days.
Ice is disappearing from small lakes and medium-sized lakes. With help from the strong sunshine and the wind, partially ice-covered conditions are becoming increasingly common in some areas of Algonquin Park, but conditions vary greatly.
Large lakes are expected to hold their ice cover longer, as well as some "problem lakes" in the Park's backcountry (ones at higher elevations or not exposed to windy conditions or having limited inflow/outflow). Park staff will be checking on these during an ice flight to assess overall ice conditions in Algonquin Park scheduled for May 2, 2016.
Snow-covered gravel roads with muddy sections continue to prevent travel to backcountry access points. As a result, they are currently closed to public travel, with many gated or barricaded to prevent infrastructure damage. Many facilities in Algonquin Park remain closed, including some campgrounds, backcountry access points, snow covered and/or muddy roads, plus several inaccessible trails.
The timing of Algonquin Park’s ice out varies because of a number of factors, including the volume of the lake, its elevation above sea level, the current flow into or out of the lake, and the shape of the lake as exposed to wind.
The latest satellite imagery is showing deteriorating ice quality and limited open water in Algonquin Park. Satellite imagery provides assistance in determining ice out in Algonquin Park, but what is observed in various satellite images is often different that what Park staff see on the ground. Black-coloured lakes in satellite images may still be ice covered enough to impede travel by canoeists and anglers.
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Just got home from a few nights at Rock Lake. All the lakes you see along highway 60 are ice free from what we could see. Saturday was beautiful and probably took care of a lot of ice that may have lingered on bigger lakes. There was a few patches of snow on Rock Lake road, and apparently a lot of hiking trails are still very snowy. We hiked Two River's Trail and there was a lot of ice for the first 3/4 of it…very slippery. I can see how someone managed to break their leg on a hiking trail last weekend.
I hope the fly over goes as planned tomorrow and they open it up even if it's limited to the lakes with snow free roads. I'm itching to read more trip reports!
