I believe the Warbonnet Ridge Runner Bridge Hammock would meet her needs.
It sure exceeds my expectations!
Great trip report.
Thanks for sharing.
I believe the Warbonnet Ridge Runner Bridge Hammock would meet her needs.
It sure exceeds my expectations!
Great trip report.
Thanks for sharing.
Awesome! After being in Algonquin two weeks ago, your report makes me want to go back even more!
Don't let life get in the way of living.
I just got back from Algonquin and, like Bubba said, want to head right back in after reading your trip report!
Originally Posted by Bubba
You guys would never guess what I did two weeks after getting home from this trip....
I really have to finish this TR first though.
It wasn't instantly obvious when we arrived but after venturing out a little further at sunset I discovered that this campsite was indeed on an island. Something that put a huge smile on Lori's face - I mean who doesn't want to have their own island to camp on? I think I got out of the hammock a couple of times for a bathroom break before finally settling in for the night. Probably something to do with the 2+ cups of water that went into the Pad Thai. We both had a fantastic nights sleep otherwise.
In the morning we again made off like a herd of turtles. That is to say we had a relaxing cup of tea & hot chocolate and took time to enjoy the morning not to mention that spectacular view. Our host - the resident chipmunk checked on us early seemingly to ensure we had everything we needed for breakfast but I was on to him. I’m pretty sure he was more interested in seeing if there was anything that could be liberated from our food bag.
The sun teased us with its presence briefly as it revealed itself over the horizon before disappearing behind a very cloudy sky. We were hopeful the forecast we read about a couple of days ago had changed for the better but so far it did not look promising. In fact it started to spit as we paddled towards our first portage on the west side of Sunbeam, a nice little 670m warm up. We had briefly considered heading south into Vanishing pond then Blue Jay lake instead of our planned route mainly because it presented 2 portages totalling 525m vs our original route which adds another kilometre to that. Ultimately we decided against it for a couple of reasons. A little note on the map that read: low water levels can be a problem between Blue Jay L and Vanishing Pond, and the note at the access point office when we arrived advising of low water levels in a couple of spots. While neither one of us could remember the exact areas listed, it was enough motivation to stick to our original plan.
Lori’s arm and hand was still quite sore from the previous days portages, so I thought maybe I should try the whole carrying the canoe on my shoulders bit. After all that’s what the yoke is for right? Feeling pretty energetic I put on my backpack and hoisted the canoe up and over my head. I really didn’t want to double carry any of these portages. “It’s really not that bad,” I said to Lori as we made our way down the root covered and quite rocky path, and it really wasn’t. I wondered why I hadn’t done this earlier. It was definitely much easier to maneuver around the more narrow parts of the trail and easier to walk as I could see where I was walking rather than having a canoe directly in front of my feet blocking my path and view.
We made it about 2/3 of the way before having to put it down. It wasn’t the 30lbs pack or the 33lbs canoe. My arms and shoulders were on fire from working hard at keeping the canoe upright. It was constantly tipping forward and when I overcorrected it did the exact opposite. We were just going to take a short break but within seconds of stopping we were under attack. We had seen relatively few skeeters at camp both nights but stopping in the middle of the forest is another story. “We’re almost there, I’ll just come back for it,” I said as we kept moving. By the second portage I figured out what a significant difference a perfectly balanced canoe makes. Something so simple as having one of the life jackets attached to the wrong spot of the canoe can throw it off balance so easily, making you work that much harder in keeping it on your shoulders.
We were both blown away by the tranquility on the smaller lakes. It was almost surreal.
By portage #3 I was walking with my arms down by my sides, only needing to reach up and help it stay in place on the more difficult terrain. We arrived at the end of our third and very short 130m portage to find a slight wrinkle in our plans. There was no water, or at least the pond had shrunk. What little water remained was complete surrounded by a bog. We could clearly see our next portage 200m straight ahead but we’d have to find another way to get there. Seems Kooy pond was playing coy with us.
Lori spotted some footprints through a less muddy path to our right and we decided to check it out. I walked a little further before stopping for a break and letting Lori walk ahead to make sure we were on the right path. I wondered if maybe a beaver dam had broken emptying this pond into somewhere nearby. Turns out we were on the right track when we met up with some kids and a guide hiking towards us. The rest of their group about 15 or so high school kids we found taking a break on the other side of coy bog where their portage was supposed to end. This was the most people we had seen the entire trip so far. We told them about the detour but kept the fresh bear print Lori noticed in the mud about 50 yards from where they were sitting to ourselves. She thought it might freak them out a little. Let them discover it for themselves.
With the canoe sitting very comfortably on my shoulders I ploughed through the last portage without stopping. The rain had stayed away so far but this would not last. Once on Tom Thomson lake we made a B-line for the only island with camping spots. It turned out to be quite disappointing compared to our previous night. Very dirty and you could smell the privy right in the main camping area. Pass. We looped around the island to check out the other campsite but passed on it without even getting out of the canoe.
A few moments later we heard kind of a rumble that quickly grew into a roar. By the time it arrived it sounded like a freight train. It went from a sprinkle to a monsoon-like downpour in a matter of a few seconds. We didn’t bother trying to get our rain jackets out, it happened so fast. Besides it was still quite warm out. I got out to check on another site but we moved on making our way towards the southeast side of the lake as this would be where we would head tomorrow. Still coming down in buckets, we pulled into a v-shaped cove to check on what would be home for the night. A perfect spot for the hammock and another for the tent.
Better yet there was a large tree we could take cover under until the rain let up just long enough for us to set up. This is one area a hammock with a tarp wins over a tent in a huge way - setting up in the rain.
Once our shelters were set up we changed into some dry clothes. Lori was fine but I was starting to shiver, even at this warm temperature.
We waited out another wave of rain under my tarp, Lori sitting in her chair and me chilling in the hammock. It let up once again perfectly timed for us to make dinner. I wanted some more of that Pad Thai but Lori wasn’t overly hungry so she just snacked. In retrospect we definitely brought too many snacks and too much food.
The sun came out for a brief peek before disappearing for the night.
I learned another valuable lesson when I tried to readjust the bear bag so it was higher. Never use half hitches when attaching the food bag to the line with the PCT method. If you do, make sure they are small. For some reason I wasn’t thinking and made mine large enough that my toggle actually went through the loop and I wasn’t able to pull the bag down again. DOH! At least not until the following morning in daylight. I had visions of having to climb the tree to get our food down but as it turned out it was hung low enough that the handle of the paddle just reached the loop and I could use it to guide the toggle around the loop.
We both didn't sleep as well for some reason. The next morning started out as gloomy as the day before albeit rain-free. Our original plan was to go back to Joe lake for another night but after morning beverages and some food, we decided to call it. Our gear was all wet, we were a 3 hr paddle away from the car and most importantly the weather was not looking promising.
What a fantastic first trip to Algonquin though. We both can't believe we haven't done this before.
A wet ending but any time in Algonquin is good in my books.
Don't let life get in the way of living.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks