The ice went out on Kioshkokwi Saturday afternoon. Still snow in the bush in shady areas.

YUP!!!!!!!!!From Algonquin Outfitters on Facebook
May 1st 2016, 6:55pm - we received the official word from our Lake Opeongo crew last night. "ICE IS OUT, ICE IS OUT,ICE IS OUT, ICE IS OUT!!!! Both arms are clear and all portages are accessible. - Aaron and Emily"

Bob wrote:

Anyone know what time the flyover is at today?

My understanding is that Opeongo is generally the last lake to be ice free so is there really a need for a flyover?
 

Bob wrote:

Kind of doubt the park would use a vendors Facebook update to determine the backcountry's opening day. Here's to hoping it opens today.

Yeah, they are not going to make a decision based on a Facebook posting.   However, I'm sure someone from Algonquin Outfitters has been on the phone with park HQ to report the conditions at Opeongo and Cedar Lake.  Park staff themselves can see the condition of lakes along highway 60 which we have been led to believe became clear of ice on the weekend.   Kioskokwi is supposedly clear of ice.   If many of the major access points are known to be clear of ice than does it really matter if they send up a plane and find there is still some ice on more remote northern lakes such as Burntroot?   No one is getting into those lakes on the first day permits are issued and with good daytime temperatures and nighttime temperatures staying above freezing what ice may be left can't last much longer.  
 

Granted, a local outfitter's Facebook post isn't enough to open the backcountry campsites. But you'd think it would be enough for park staff to throw a boat in Opeongo and check for themselves. That, plus satellite imagery that shows all visible lakes to be ice-free (I say all visible lakes because parts of Algonquin were clouded over today).

In past years flyovers have been used to monitor thaw conditions leading up to ice-out, images from the flyovers were posted live on the website and on social media, and when the last ice did go out on Opeongo you'd hear it on the park website first. So I find it strange and frankly disappointing that 24 hours after reliable local reports that Opeongo is ice-free, the park website is still talking about a predicted ice-out May 4 or 6, still referring to last weekend in the future tense in spite of saying "Updated: Monday, May 2, 2016" at the top of the page, still talking only about ice disappearing from small and medium-sized lakes, and not a word about these recent developments. Algonquin Outfitters can brag about beating the park to the news by a whole day, but I bet what they'd like even better than bragging rights is clientele actually allowed to use their services. I kind of wish the park looked as excited for ice-out as they are.

Last edited by DanPM (5/02/2016 5:52 pm)

Very well said Dan and Mandola.

This was posted sometime this evening, http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/news/ice-out.php
All lakes in Algonquin Park are now presumed to be ice free. A flight over Algonquin Park, now rescheduled for May 3, 2016, will be used by Park Staff to confirm this assumption.

Guess ALL the lakes need to be ice free before you can go in
 

Last edited by Bob (5/02/2016 9:07 pm)

I just heard a rumour that someone in parks management just realized that there is ice present on north facing cliff faces sometimes well into June, so now they are considering a July 1st opening.

Moonman.

This is certainly the most oddly handled "late" opening.  The last few years felt like as soon as even some points could be opened they were within reason. I fully understand Brent and Kearney roads being shutdown, no issue there, but the corridor?  Spent Fri - Sun at Rock Lk campground, day trip up to Pen, still snow, ice and mud on the portage, but people lots of day trippers getting through no problem.  No reason Rock/Pen and presumably Clydegale couldn't have been open.

Worse yet, as we were leaving Pen Saturday afternoon, we passed multiple  canoes loaded down with gear so asked "oh did they open up the back country permits?" to get a consistent response of "nope, we're going anyways!"



 

Oops, they actually already have photos up for Louisa and a shot of snow in a conifer forest.