My pulk harness is waist belt from my dry bag, rope and pvc pipe. All in including sled about $40. Works good enough for us.

No idea about big pines lot. Sorry.

Thank you both! Glad to see that a simple sled set up can work.

Shayne- why the pvc pipe? I gather there must be an advantage to having the ropes remain more or less rigic?

Yes. The pipe keeps the sled in place on decents so it doesn't run you over. Crossing the pipe as they are helps keep the sled tracking straight while on route.

Thanks you Rob! Very handy. John I was wrong, although it has been in the past, Big Pines is not currently plowed  This is probably a result of active logging on the Sunday Lake road and moving the Dog Sled Trail access to the Sanitation Station parking lot.

Rob wrote:

You may want to give the Park a call and confirm it is plowed this year.
This is a cut and paste from The F.O.A.P. website.Ontario Parks Plowed and Unplowed AreasAs snow accumulates and is not plowed by Ontario Parks, some park facilities become impassible and thus closed to vehicular traffic. This snowplowing list contains plowed and unplowed areas along Highway 60 from west to east as of December 23, 2020. Check back for updates as winter's snow deepens.

• West Gate - plowed
• Western Uplands Backpacking Trail (at km 3 of Highway 60) - plowed
• Whiskey Rapids Trail - trail closed, gate closed at Highway 60
• Tea Lake Dam Picnic Area - plowed, but closed at Highway 60 with barricades
• Tea Lake Campground - not plowed
• Hardwood Lookout Trail - not plowed
• Canoe Lake Access Point - plowed
• Smoke Lake Access Point - plowed
• Arowhon Road - plowed to Mizzy Lake Trail parking lot, but road closed to public travel at the winter gate just north of Highway 60
• Peck Lake Trail - not plowed
• Algonquin Art Centre - plowed
• Source Lake Road - not plowed, closed at Highway 60 with barricades
• Minnesing Ski Trail - plowed
• Canisbay Lake Campground - closed at Highway 60 with barricades
• Cache Lake Access Point - plowed
• Track and Tower Trail - plowed
• Hemlock Bluff Trail - plowed
• Highland Backpacking Trail - plowed
• Bat Lake Trail - plowed
• Mew Lake Campground - plowed
• Two Rivers Trail - plowed
• Lake of Two Rivers Campground - closed at Highway 60 with barricades
• Lake of Two Rivers Picnic Ground and Beach - plowed
• East Beach Picnic Ground and Beach - not plowed
• Trailer Sanitary Station (at km 35.6 of Highway 60) - plowed [RV flushing activities not available in winter]
• Kearney Lake Campground - plowed to campground gate
• Pog Lake Campground - plowed to campground gate
• Lookout Trail - not plowed
• Big Pines Trail - not plowed
• Rock Lake Road - not plowed
• Spruce Bog Boardwalk Trail - plowed
• Visitor Centre - plowed
• Beaver Pond Trail - not plowed
• Opeongo Road - plowed to winter gate at Cameron Lake Road
• Leaf Lake Ski Trail - plowed
• Algonquin Logging Museum - plowed
• East Gate - plowed

That's probably your best bet. You could go down the Kearney-Whitefish portage directly to Whitefish Lake then trek across the ice toward Rock. A bit shorter than following the campground path over the dam to the rail trail.  

for years I've used a regular wood, well waxed 6' toboggan with a tank and bungees! a quick, expedient brake is simply a piece of rope  tied with a dozen or so overhand knots and left long enough to reach from the back to the front + a couple of extra feet. You let it drag behind so it can bunch up under the sled if it slips back, or you can pull it under the sled and tie it to your haul line for descending slippery slopes 

I called the Park and they asked me to drop my gear at Pog, but then park at Kearney (which is plowed).

Annoying, but seems like I'll only need to hike along 60 for about 1 km?

Steve E wrote:

I really hope this is a covid related thing and that in the future we can continue to use the entire back country for winter and not be restricted to a handful of places that will soon be overrun.

I have had a little back and forth communication with the Park about this and although they have not said this is permanent, they have not said in any way that this is a temporary measure.

Right now I am waiting to hear back from the Park Superintendent but expect to go much higher up the chain before I get a straight answer. I have also asked when the public consultation was on this policy change.

All I can suggest is  to write the Park Superintendent and your Member of Parliament expressing your displeasure about the current policies. 

Below is a copy and paste of what started it all from The Parks official FaceBook page
I had posted
How do we get a permit for the areas not listed and for those areas not along Highway 60?"
Thier reply.
"Hi Rob,
Thanks for checking. Currently, that is the complete list of winter access points, all of which are located along highway 60. We are taking all feedback into consideration as we move forward. Keep an eye out for additional backcountry camping opportunities in the future.
Thanks!"
I replied with the following.
Is winter camping accessing Algonquin Park from a location not on the above list currently allowed?"
Thier reply
The listed access points are the only currently permitted points of entry in winter. We welcome feedback if there is another point of entry you would like to see considered in the future. Thanks!

Next week when things are back to whaever normal is in the workplace right now and people are back at thier desks I will pick this up and see what happens.
 

Last edited by Rob (12/30/2020 6:30 pm)