Hi Sally, sorry to hear that you couldn't make it out to Algonquin. I was surprised how much it's still booked up given Covid restrictions have lessened. I did a solo trip this past May but did not bring a camera, so no pics. I remember it quite well though, so here goes...

Saturday, May 15
I arrive at Kearney and check in mid-morning. The day is mostly sunny and quite hot and humid. My plan is to do loops 3 and 2 of the Western Uplands trail from the Rain Lake access point. I arrive at Rain Lake to an overflowing parking lot. Fortunately, my compact car fits into a tight spot so no precarious road parking is needed. I set out, noticing how busy Rain Lake is with canoes and a small motor boat. I also encounter a substantial number of hikers on the trail - the busiest I have ever seen. The first flat section following Rain Lake goes quickly and is relatively dry given the time of year. I make a rest/snack stop at the Railway bridge remains at Islet Lake. Apparently, the black flies had started to bite within the past couple of days, but I don't find them overly aggravating as I am prepared for them. I make a lunch stop at the first site on Brown Lake and take it easy for a while as the heat and humidity have started to wear on me a bit. Upon feeling refreshed, I make the final leg of my first day's journey to West Otterpaw Lake. I pass by another solo hiker setting up camp at the second Brown Lake site, and do not encounter anyone else on the trail until after I arrive at my site. I take a quick breather at the Brown's Creek crossing bench and continue non-stop after that to West Otterpaw. I have the western site booked there, and it's a decent enough spot with a nice view of the lake and a level tent area. Another solo hiker passes by the site as I relax there, and the rest of the time is completely quiet. I don't believe anyone else is camped on the lake or nearby Gervais Lake for the night, and I am thankful for the solitude. After some KD and sausage I have a small fire, take in the starry evening, and turn in early having hiked 19 km this day.

May 16
The overnight remains dry and uneventful, and I have a relaxing breakfast of oatmeal and coffee before packing up to go. The humidity is still high, but it's a little cooler today and I welcome the slight reprieve. As I am travelling further from the trail head, I encounter only a handful of other backpackers throughout the day. I stop at the decommissioned site at Rainbow Lake for lunch and water refill, and prepare for the second part of the day's journey to Panther Lake. I have never stayed at this lake and am curious about it. I stop at the (now unmarked) lookout point on Susan Lake for lunch and a longer rest, drinking in the surrounding beauty. As I trek past Red Wing Lake, I hit a tiny creek that has a school of small trout swimming within it. I watch them for several minutes before making my way again. I make one last rest stop at beautiful Thunder Lake, and encounter a pair of backpackers shortly after recommencing my trek. I have the second (northern) site booked at Panther and arrive mid to late afternoon after about 17 km of hiking. Panther is a small, shallow lake. It's not a bad spot at all, but I wouldn't put it on my list of places to return to. While completing camp chores (setup, firewood collecting etc.) I hear a couple of other backpackers hitting the other site on Panther. There's enough tree cover for visual privacy, but sounds are another matter. They party it up a little, but thankfully nothing too crazy. The sky is cloudier this day, more so as evening descends. Tomorrow's plan is to stay at Clara Lake, one of my favourite spots on the trail...

May 17
I awake to an ominous sky, and quickly dismantle camp before the rain sets in. It's a little cooler again today, but still warm for the time of year. I am no sooner on the trail when it begins to spit. I soon encounter a group of four backpackers and see no one else until much later in the day. The section past Norah to the junction north of Maggie Lake goes quickly, but the rainfall is steadily growing. Aside from some points where it lessens to a drizzle, the rain does not let up and I end up wet from head to toe. I make a lunch stop at the Big East River bridge knowing the section between Big East River and Clara Lake is a demanding one, especially with wet footing. I arrive at Clara Lake mid-afternoon with the rain still coming down. I have the eastern site on Clara booked, but stop at the one by the trail to consider my options while I snack. I am wet and a little bit miserable after hiking nearly 15 km in the rain (mostly). There are pools of water surrounding me and the rain hasn't let up. It's about 24 km back to the car... My logical self says 'don't even think about it', but my emotional self overrides this with 'forget it, try and push it back to the car!'. Having hiked this trail a number of times, I know what to expect, especially the climbs and descents in the Stammer Lake section. I pick up a more determined pace and start grinding through. I make another rest stop at Stutter Lake and a very quick break at the peak by Stutter Lake, trying my best to stay nourished and hydrated. The rain has mercifully stopped by now, and I arrive at the first (and now decommissioned) site at Islet Lake where I refill my water and weigh my options. I do not have a watch with me, but I can get a sense of where the sun is in the clouds and know that it is at minimum quite late in the afternoon. Should I just camp here? Of course, my stubbornness gets the better of me and I keep forging on. I encounter a camper at another site on Islet and ask what time it is. He thinks it's around 5'ish (but as I find out from someone else shortly after, it's actually closer to 6). With about 11+ km to go, I am now racing against the daylight. I really don't want to have to finish any last bit with a head lamp, so I pick up the pace even more, despite my body developing a serious hate-on for me. I arrive back to the car a bit before 9 just as dusk is setting in, tired and relieved. I have a fair drive back to my home west of Toronto, but I am wired and make it back just fine by around 12:30. Today was the longest distance I had ever backpacked, and likely ever will.

All in all, a decent trek although the last day's slog was a bit taxing. Looking forward to more trekking in '23!
Cheers,
Rich
 

Last edited by hiker72 (9/10/2022 8:03 pm)

The other site on panther lake is nicer. Neither of them are great though. Panther used to just have a single site when they first opened it up. A couple of friends and I were among the first to ever use it as part of a backpacking trip many years ago. I remember checking in and the guy printing the permit at the west gate was so confused as he didn’t even know it was for backpacking. The canoe route map at the time showed it as a portage trail still.

Anyway, great hike. It’s too bad they closed that section that used to go to loft lake. Not sure if you would have chosen that instead but it was always nice to have more choice. So strange they would not look to reopen that section given how busy the trail has been since 2020. I guess they figure people will lose interest as international travel opens up again.

Thanks for sharing, love reading about the backpacking trips, there aren’t a lot of hikers on here.

Oh, and impressive last day. That would have been tough for sure.

What a great idea for an extension on the 3rd loop. Have you ever submitted it to the park as feedback for the future? With the rapidly growing popularity of backpacking I would think they should be considering something like that. With a birdseye view you could hike all the way down to rainbow lake on the old rail line. I’m sure ground level it’s not quite so easy but what an amazing extension that could be.

Thanks Jdbonney, this post is the first time I have shared my thought with anyone - I think I will submit the idea! I too am curious of the state of the old railway line...
Andrewr0520, I was contacted by a park ranger after expressing my closure concerns and was told that this section of trail was the least used and that they were excited to see the area be reintroduced back to nature. My hunch is that a cost/benefit analysis was also done on maintaining nearly 8 km of trail for 3 lesser used sites (of which the 2 at Loft Lake were redesignated as paddle-in sites). I don't think there is any correlation to the lost girls incident as I heard that this happened south of Rainbow Lake.
Again, thanks for your replies!
Rich
 

Last edited by hiker72 (9/07/2022 7:34 pm)

@MartinG
Thanks for the link! This is a very interesting and informative read.


 

Have a great time!

Ok, fast forward to like a year later - fall 2023. I have not been for a while so here's a few questions

- I am interested in transportation. Ride share programs? I doubt I can score a driving license any time soon My bad luck!

- has anyone tried park bus dot ca ? I'm thinking maybe I could take the bus one day, and stay at a lodge for one or two nights, and then bus back?
- any comments about motels in the area?
- it's been a while since I've taken a cab in from Huntsville; I assume that type of service is still available
- I will look up what the local BTC is up to. Ditto Craigslist

Thanks for any and all replies.

Last edited by Roman_K2 (9/12/2023 8:51 pm)