Algonquin Adventures / Tom Thomson with the family

**Posted by AlgonquinLakes** 8/01/2021 9:47 am

Hope everyone is having a good long weekend. We did another family trip a couple weeks back, this time to Tom Thomson for two nights. I got a chance to paddle around Tom, Little Doe and Bartlett, which was fun. Checked out a few campsites and got visited by the biggest turtle I've seen in the Park so far.

I'm heading out via Rain Lake in a couple of days for a longer solo and looking forward to that, but in the meantime, here's the report on the Tom Thomson trip if you're looking for something to pass the time on this beautiful mid September day (man, it's cold today).

Tom Thomson Lake – All of Algonquin

Drew

**Posted by GordK** 8/09/2021 10:20 am

Great write up Drew! I like the family posts as they provide me with some "been there done that" reflections. I had a larger group up in Killarney over the July/August weekend and we were back a few lakes (Ruth Roy). I found I spent a lot of time concerned. About the attractants, about the thunder storm, about the 2 huge Neolithic snappers we were sharing our site with, about the potential slip and fall a few hours from an access point. I was thinking back to camping trips in Kawartha Highlands when I was 18 and might fall asleep by the fire with a bag of Doritos for company without a care in the world. I guess it is the price I pay for encouraging a large group trip or perhaps I need to chill more.

**Posted by oldboyscout** 8/09/2021 1:33 pm

"somewhere between fine and meh on the official All of Algonquin One Syllable Site Rating Meter."
One of your best lines to date!!!
Glad to see you enjoying all there is to enjoy with your family involved

**Posted by AlgonquinLakes** 8/10/2021 4:58 pm

Thanks guys. Gord, I’m with you. I find I spend a large amount of time on family trips worrying about things I wouldn’t think twice about solo. The bigger the group, the more I worry. Of course, when I’m solo I wouldn’t decide climbing up the side of a small cliff on a slippery downed tree was a good idea, but my 6 year old has no problem with it.

**Posted by MooseWhizzer Dave** 8/11/2021 10:42 pm

Drew, that was a fun writeup. I shared a few tidbits with my wife, you might be slowly developing a new fan. She enjoyed your concerns over the trees at the campsite you were afraid might come to life and eat you. I was pleased to see you enjoyed your aerial tent, because that's on my list of I-know-darn-well-I'm-going-to-cave-but-I-keep-telling-myself-I'm-just-thinking-about-it.

Relative to your comment above about worrying on things....I've had a handful of trips where I was in the tour coordinator position. You can't control the weather, or when somebody makes a mistep, or even when somebody doesn't allow their dehydrated dinner to rehydrate all the way, or how well somebody sleeps, yet it all weighs on you somehow. Your enjoyment is found in their enjoyment of the trip. On one trip we brought our daughter's best friend with us, when the girls were 16 or 17. My trip report was a called "A River Runs Through it" because the portages were ridiculous that way. There was a lot of misery on that trip, but some great moments as well. At the time I could only feel the misery the others must have felt. At the end of the trip, I asked my daughters' friend if she enjoyed the trip, and she said "10 out of 10, would recommend." That really pumped my tires, and helped me start reflecting positively on our trip, which really was a great one. but those portages....

**Posted by AlgonquinLakes** 8/17/2021 7:08 am

Thanks Dave,

The Aerial tent really is pretty great. So far I haven’t come across any serious design flaws. I wish it was shorter end to end when it’s packed up, but that’s not a deal breaker.

Last edited by AlgonquinLakes (8/17/2021 7:09 am)

**Posted by solos** 8/19/2021 11:21 pm

MooseWhizzer Dave wrote:
... You can't control the weather, or when somebody makes a mistep, or ... At the time I could only feel the misery the others must have felt. At the end of the trip, I asked my daughters' friend if she enjoyed the trip, and she said "10 out of 10, would recommend." That really pumped my tires, and helped me start reflecting positively on our trip, which really was a great one. but those portages....

I've been pleasantly surprised by the positive feelings that some of my fellow canoe trippers have felt regarding the hardships that were encountered. Sounds like daughter's friend belongs in the tough outdoor appreciation category.
I was surprised when my wife, who's latest definition of hell was to be standing at the end of a portage, backpack straped on back, baby strapped on front, holding daughter's hand with other hand holding daughter's backpack, trapped and nowhere to go as she feels the needle like mosquitos piercing her skin. And now my wife says she is open to doing another trip this summer. I think I picked a good one!