Oops. Fixed!

That grin was well deserved!

Do you have an app with Jeff's Maps on your phone? Can you actually see your location directly on the map when you open it up? 

Yep, what Jdbonney said. 

I've never taken a GPS on a camping trip, and usually I don't even have Jeff's map loaded on my phone. The time of year and the forecast had me especially nervous about this trip, however, so I took more precautions than usual, which turned out to be a really fortunate decision. I had to whip out the phone a few times on this trip, both when paddling my 'accidental rapids', and on portages when the path forward wasn't at all obvious. It's safe to say I'm always going to keep room on my phone for that map from now on. 

Thanks Peek!

Yeah, I think the biggest takeaway for me is to stop stressing over the forecast leading up to a trip. I genuinely enjoyed myself despite the conditions being miserable, and it's not likely I'll ever encounter much worse than that in Algonquin. 

Although I also have a piece of your advice to thank for my trip enjoyment. I'm paraphrasing here, but it went something like "bring lots of alcohol". I had no shortage of whiskey to help pass my tentbound time!

Peek wrote:

By the way. I've wanted to visit Round Island for several years now. Forgetting everything about the weather - would you go back there? 

 

The portages to it out of Booth aren't in great shape. Not just the blowdowns, there were a few times when I just flat-out couldn't determine where the trail was. For a good 100 meters on one of those portages I was bushwacking with no idea if I was going the right way (it was light bush at least). I chatted with Larry Hyett and he had the same experience. He actually commented on my first vid with these words:

We started that series of portages into Round Island from the campsite right at the bottom of the first portage and it was one of the most exhausting days I've ever had. You did that and paddled in from Annie Bay. You must've been totally wiped. We got lost a few times on those portages too. We had to pull out the GPS to figure out which way to go. Lots of animal trails that look like portages.

But the answer is yes, I'll be going back. Despite staying on Round Island for four nights I barely got to see it. I was exhausted when I came in, it was raining or snowing almost the entire time I was there, and it was snowing when I paddled out. 

But I won't be going back this year - need time to forget the pain first!

 

To be fair, they'll be a lot better once someone goes through and clears the blow downs and things dry up a bit. It was the combination of walking over/pulling over/scrambling around blow downs, dealing with flooding, mud and muck, and occasionally not knowing where the path was that made them so rough. I started the 1975m from Booth around 2:15 and didn't reach my Round Island campsite until sometime after 8 PM. I mostly single carry, and I took no breaks of more than a couple minutes in length.

The 650m from Presto to Marshy should probably be identified as two separate portages divided by Presto Creek though. The creek was deep enough that I had to paddle across it - I don't think that's drying out any time soon.

 

Thanks! And yeah, when I read on your part two that you'd portaged out a logging road I was actually laughing. It was just that kind of weekend.

Two cameras went on this trip. The majority of the filming was with a Panasonic Lumix TS5. It's the waterproof camera I have attached with a suction cup mount to my kayak. I'm quite happy with it, although after last summer's inaugural trip with it, I don't entirely trust its "waterproof" claim. The two times I actually put it under the water, a short time later the lens was so fogged up (on the inside mind you) it was practically useless until I gave it time to dry out in the sun. It's more 'water resistant', but a complete dunking won't destroy it. 

The other camera (not waterproof) on this trip was a Sony DSC-RX100 III. It was my experiment with replacing an SLR with a much smaller and lighter camera. I liked it, and it's going to keep coming instead of my SLR, primarily for weight and bulk reasons. 

The video editing software I use is CyberLink PowerDirector 15. I was using something else last year and it had some flaws that were driving me nuts, so I bought PowerDirector on a boxing day sale, and I have to say I'm very happy with it. It seems to go on deep sale regularly, so don't pay its (ridiculous) full price if you're in the market.