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  1. #71
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
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    The Minnesing trail is an ungroomed trail for backcountry travel. Its described as easy to difficult. I'm on my phone right now so I can't look to much into it. Anyone have any knowledge of it? Not suggesting any long walks, just what we need to get into the bush.
    http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/visit...-ski-trail.php
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  2. #72
    Chard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by va3rbz View Post
    Well, as quickly as I wanted to go, I now can't Apparently I'm going to Bon Jovi that weekend. Oh well, at least I can guarantee I won't get frostbite!
    That's a drag... Maybe Bon Jovi has an extra pair of snowshoes he'd like to use!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Jayson View Post
    So just found out that the event we were supposed to attend has been canceled. Tracey has given me the nod for this hang. Looks like I am back in.
    Excellent... It'll be good to have you along... You sir, are a snowshoeing and trailbreaking machine!!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Cedar328 View Post
    I have hiked the Whiskey Rapids trail a few times...
    • We may only be able to camp "inside" the loop of the trail so being out of ear shot or even visual range of passersby may be difficult. In addition I believe that without foliage there is nowhere on the trail that you can't hear the highway....
    • I would say that the shorter more scenic trails get more of the winter traffic as well so Whiskey Rapids would definitely be included in that.
    • I had a look on google maps at the area behind Mew lake... looks like a rail trail coming from that area cuts along the river to the back edge of Lake of Two Rivers...that might provide what looks like a short trek to a lakeside/riverside bush area within reasonable distance of the heated washrooms and cars while being isolated enough from passersby to be considered wilderness?
    Quote Originally Posted by Bubba View Post
    Because the back country is open to us, we could always park in the lot and venture to outside of the Whiskey Rapids loop and head as far in as needed.
    Quote Originally Posted by Bubba View Post
    The Minnesing trail is an ungroomed trail for backcountry travel. Anyone have any knowledge of it? Not suggesting any long walks, just what we need to get into the bush.
    Good feedback on possible destinations. My take is that we look at the various winter trails, find a path less travelled and plan to camp a ways off the trail out of sight and earshot of the highway. If one of the trails cricles around an intervening hill, that would be great. Scenic vistas are always nice and being out of the lowlands allows us to avoid the "cold sink" as well as giving us access to hardwoods for our fires. I don't relish the idea of maintaining a serious fire all weekend, as we did last year, with softwoods.

    I'm going to run highway 60 on Google Maps Street View and check out the terrain around some of the shortlisted winter trails and see if there's anything that fits the bill.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cedar328 View Post
    I am more than happy to take a day and go in to the park and explore some potential sites/trails and report back.
    If you're up for it Cedar, a drive along Hwy 60 for some detailed information about the view from the highway would be great as we're likely not to go in too far. See if anything fits the bill. Stop and check out anything that looks promising. Let me tell you, I envy your proximity to the Park.

    Brian/Mongrel, last year two of the winter trekkers we me in Valence said they were going into the park to Source lake. Is that another option. If I recall, it was along a service road.
    Last edited by Chard; 01-28-2013 at 18:55.
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  3. #73
    Senior Member Lofty's Avatar
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    Looks like my son and I are in

    if you'll have us - 'cause we might be tenting - I know I have enough for tenting .....
    I just need to get creative with insulation so we can hang- I know I have enough - just need to figure out who gets what


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    either way - I just want to get out for some cold camping ....

  4. #74
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jayson View Post
    So just found out that the event we were supposed to attend has been canceled. Tracey has given me the nod for this hang. Looks like I am back in.
    Good that you are coming out!

    Quote Originally Posted by Lofty View Post
    Looks like my son and I are in

    if you'll have us - 'cause we might be tenting - I know I have enough for tenting .....
    I just need to get creative with insulation so we can hang- I know I have enough - just need to figure out who gets what


    I have ......
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    either way - I just want to get out for some cold camping ....
    Of course you can join in on the condition you teach me a few magic tricks...

    ...oh and how to juggle as well.
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

  5. #75
    Senior Member BrianWillan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chard View Post

    Brian/Mongrel, last year two of the winter trekkers we me in Valence said they were going into the park to Source lake. Is that another option. If I recall, it was along a service road.
    It is an option. The only draw back being is that the road is not plowed. So they had to dig out a parking spot for 1 vehicle and they shuttled their cars back to Mizzy Lake Trailhead.

    Cheers

    Brian
    Last edited by BrianWillan; 01-30-2013 at 11:57.
    Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment. - Unknown

  6. #76
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    I went into Source Lake by a different route than the wintertrekkers. I parked at the Art Gallery parking lot (it wasn't plowed when I arrived, but the day I left, the plow came in just as I was leaving) and crossed Hwy. 60 to the Source Lake access road at the east end of the lake.

    The road was not plowed but I snowshoed in, hauling my toboggan. It was a hard haul as the road was hilly. Going uphill, I was leaning so far forward my body was parallel to the ground. When I slipped, I'd do a face plant into the snow. Refreshing... but irritating. Going downhill, I'd be trying to outrun my toboggan as it came hurtling behind me (UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene) is slippery!). Try running in 16" X 48" traditional snowshoes! When I tripped, the toboggan would run me over, leaving me flattened into the snow. It was actually a great trip. I camped on Bruce Lake after I crossed Source.

    On the way back, I noticed someone came in after me but turned off the access road towards the east. Later, I checked the map and there's a little unnamed lake not far from Hwy. 60. That might be an option as it is not far off the hwy., but far enough into the bush.

    The only concerns I have are the unknown lake is near enough to the hwy. that you could hear the traffic and crossing Hwy. 60 is dangerous. There's a curve on the hwy, east of the access road and the logging trucks barrel around it without slowing down. I was alright by myself, but a group of people crossing may be an accident waiting to happen.

    If we can find another, safer location, I'd feel better.
    Last edited by quiet; 01-30-2013 at 00:10. Reason: paragraphs

  7. #77
    Senior Member Jayson's Avatar
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    Was looking at a map over supper tonight. What about the Mizzy lake trail. it is only a short walk to parking. I have no problem taking the last car to the lot and walking back. Lots of small lakes to camp at and explore.

    Oh and my buddy is in as well. We will be staying Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

    We really should decide on a place to stay soon and maybe get a head count.

  8. #78
    Senior Member Bubba's Avatar
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    I suggested Mizzy Lake. A consideration Brian put forth was the numerous beaver ponds may limit our water collection to melting snow which is why I suggested Whiskey Rapids. I'm not opposed to relying on snow melting but having a water source does save time and fuel.

    I agree we should finalize a location soon but it would be good to wait and hear from Cedar first after he does his recon. If we were all meeting and going in together it would not be as big a deal since last year we were able to figure logistics after we got to the park. On this trip some are coming a going at different times so communication via mobile, paper notes, and trail markers will need to be used to ensure we can make it to the same location.

    Jayson, since you and your buddy will be there on Friday I guess it will be up to you (and any other early Friday arrivees) to break the trail and find a good area for the rest of us. If you are actually breaking trail, it shouldn't be hard to follow your tracks however if it the weather sees fit to cover your track we need to figure out a way for the path to be marked like some yellow ribbon as your trail markers or something like that. What to you think Jayson?
    Don't let life get in the way of living.

  9. #79
    Chard's Avatar
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    As usual, I'm in agreement with Bubba... From a personal point of view, unless we need to hunker down against extreme cold/weather, I'd prefer to try and find a camping spot higher up that has scenic vistas.

    That being said, Mizzy Lake sounds like an interesting option... Looking at the trail, it looks like it branches very early on.. to the west it winds around some hills, to the east it descends to follow the Mizzy river upstream about 1.5 km to it's source. Let's wait to see if Cedar comes in with some "on the spot" feedback.

    I'm not too worried about melting snow for water as long as we have a good group fire going and everyone is willing to do their best to gather/process firewood. A roaring fire like we had on Swan was wonderful but voracious.

    As far as coordinating the trip for late arrivals goes, maybe if the first ones in tape a quick note on their dashboard with basic directions. We shouldn't be too hard to find. We'll likely even have cell coverage so that'll make it easier. Frugal use of flagging tape at key junctions might be helpful, but could also lead casual snowshoers into our camp by mistake. Maybe one at the carpark, even in the car with the note, to set the colour, another where we pick the east or west spur and a final one where we break off the main trail. That and a safety whistle should take care of locating the group.

    Chard
    Last edited by Chard; 01-30-2013 at 11:41.
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  10. #80
    Senior Member BrianWillan's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chard View Post
    That being said, Mizzy Lake sounds like an interesting option... Looking at the trail, it looks like it branches very early on.. to the west it winds around some hills, to the east it descends to follow the Mizzy river upstream about 1.5 km to it's source. Let's wait to see if Cedar comes in with some "on the spot" feedback.
    Perhaps another option is to use the east branch of the Mizzy lake trail and follow that up past Mizzy lake, bushwack a bit to catch the access road trail to Source Lake and camp where that road meets the rail trail in that area. The pros of this is using the potentially well packed Mizzy Lake trail, all cars can be parked at Mizzy Lake trailhead. No vehicle shuffling needed for those that are coming and leaving at different times. We can get water from Source Lake, instead of melting snow.

    Thoughts? I do agree that we need to get the destination and route nailed down soon.

    Cheers

    Brian
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