Captain's blog: 2003/07

Posted Friday, July 18, 2003 at 7/18/2003 05:54:51 PM

my huge book recommendations page is finally up.

Posted Friday, July 04, 2003 at 7/4/2003 12:06:54 AM

I'm back and settled from my Algonquin trip this past weekend (just before Canada Day) .

Photo on the right: me smiling in the canoe ( This must be from saturday because I'm wearing the keyhole life vest wrong, only figured it out and wore it properly on the second day canoeing - you're supposed to buckle the long strap securely around your waist)

Now here's a really long, long account of how it went (with pictures so you can skip the text if you want ):

Friday, 6/27/03 . . . (Day 0) . . . The sleepover that wasn't.

I couldn't fall asleep. Fortunately I think some people did fall asleep and get rest, most importantly our driver.

Posted at 7/4/2003 12:05:38 AM

Saturday, 6/28/03 . . . (Day 1) . . . Setup, canoeing and hiking.

Having not slept at all and then having to leave earlier than originally planned (~2:30 AM), I was semi-awake most of the 4 hour drive up North to Algonquin. So I dont really recall what music was blasting away in the minivan for most of the trip but I do remember recognizing some moving, powerful Hans Zimmer music from the movie Gladiator playing around 5- 6 AM just as we were driving past amazing natural scenery of forests, lakes with a beautiful layer of early morning mist over the waters, and huge rock outcroppings of the Canadian Shield - the music was a perfect match for the scenery.

Searched and registered one of those first-come-first-served campsite at Canisbay, which we were a little disappointed with because sites in our area didnt have a lake-front view - it was completely blocked off by trees! but at least we found one, site #100 (after a change request from site #88 ) that was actually big enough for our one minivan, two tents, enough room to gather around a campfire with foldable chairs, and to move comfortably around the picnic table.

We made lunch around 11 . The eggs were delicious. Then we started thinking of something to do.. so we decided to go canoeing! Yes, this is off plan but thats ok it didnt matter. Drove over to the Portage store and did the 4-hour canoe rental, 3 aluminum 15’ canoes so there were 2 people per canoe.

So we went canoeing north from the Portage store for the next 4 hours. We had a marathon mentality, in that we were both thrilled with the novelty of canoeing ( I’d canoed before but that was many years ago at some summer camp) and also too concerned about cramming as much exploring as we could within 4 hours, so that we really were just paddling-paddling-paddling without stopping to really enjoy and take in the scenery. That was a mistake because later our arms were really sore. We were sure now that we enjoy canoeing - no mosquitoes, and a nice breeze that was always there to keep us cool. We’d actually take our time tomorrow to stop, rest, take in the scenery rather than race to cover ground like we did today.

When the canoeing was over we did another crazy thing.

We decided "hey, its only 4 pm, lets do something else.. let’s go hiking!" and Jeff led us to some trail he heard of, which turned out to be a torturous experience through a thick, humid forest, diversely varying terrain going uphill, downhill, zig-zagging left and right, with swarms of mosquitos that tagged along all the way.. it was named something "lookout trail", seemed like it looped around a lake. We didnt follow it all the way, we just reached the lake, looked at the scenery and then ran back as fast as we could to the minivan so we could escape from the mosquitoes and try to dry off our sticky sweat once the car started moving w/ its windows open.

"Quick! drive the car!!"

We arrived back at camp to rest for a while before preparing dinner around 6, taking an hour to make a campfire while at the same time cooking / preparing things. I took care of cooking the potatoes, while a few worked on the camp fire which began to work enough that people started eating marshmallows (cuz the potatoes weren’t ready yet). Sadly, just as the fire was beginning to work after an hour of trying , and just when the potatoes were done and we were all set up to eat on the picnic table, it started to rain!

Posted at 7/4/2003 12:05:21 AM

Saturday, 6/28/03 . . . (Day 1)

Continued

The fire was abandoned - although we probably should have put the fire out and re-used the wood the next day - it did last the whole night despite the rain. Anyway we quickly scrambled together covering whatever needed rain covering, distributed 2 potatoes each amongst our 6 plates, brought in the food like bread, cheese, hot dogs, pre-cut carrots and all 6 of us huddled together into the 5-person tent to eat our dinner. I'm sure if our moms were here they would think it was a cute Kodak moment.

After we were done, we played a few card games but then everyone wanted to doze off to sleep. Despite the canoeing and hiking, falling asleep at 9:00 was not possible for me - I was still wide awake. So I put on my raincoat and decided to do some exploring and sight-seeing (it was still not dark outside). I had this idea that it might be interesting to go see what the surface of the lake looks like during such a downpouring of rain, so I followed a mini canoe trail we had discovered earlier that led to Canisbay Lake from our campgrounds. It actually wasnt much of a sight because it had stopped raining so fiercely, but I did hang around a while, then headed back. It was 10 by then and I was able to fall asleep.

Sunday, 6/29/03 . . . (Day 2) . . . Big canoeing day and stargazing on the beach.

From 9 in the morning to 9 at night we were canoeing! we went South of the Portage Store this time, lugged the heavy canoes over 400 meters on foot over land to get to Smoke Lake (bad idea!! we should have rowed the long way instead) and then explored Smoke Lake. We paddled in our canoes, taking in the scenery, then "docking" our canoes on convenient islands or shore areas along the way so as to rest on land, eat, etc, and this cycle continues throughout the day. Then we headed back a path north-west, through Tea Lake and eventually got to the Portage store by 8, where Vahagn and I did some indepenedent paddling until our time was finally up and we had to return the canoes.

Photo on the right: An example of us taking a break on a rock (this one a mound of rock on the lake shores that we rested on in the morning. See me lying down on the extreme right.

We were also caught right under a huge raincloud sometime around noon (before we ate) while we were near the middle of the lake. It was an interesting sight, the surface of the water suddenly became a spiky mist. I think we scrambled like crazy looking for some shelter despite already having rain gear cuz our canoes were filling with a cm of water.

Posted at 7/4/2003 12:04:58 AM

Sunday, 6/29/03 . . . (Day 2)

Continued

I still remember temporarily landing on a small island in the middle of the lake and taking shelter under a small bush, while seeing Safi drenched in rain, and hazem taking shelter under an umbrella he brought. It was quite funny, wish someone had a waterproof camera.

We eventually emerged from the rain. Photo on the left was taken shortly after the rain, note my blue raincoat and soaked cowboy sun hat.

So after all the fun we came back to camp around 9. Ate some dinner, mostly bread+cheese, and since it was dark Stan brought out his flourescent camp light, while several mosquito-repelling candles also doubled as illumination.

Then, Stan stayed behind to sleep while the rest of us went out stargazing on the beach overlooking Canisbay Lake. Vahagn and Jeff had cameras and tripods to photograph the stars but hopefully also catch some meteors as there was apparently some meteor shower happening.

The only other people here were a Russian-speaking group of people but they all left shortly and so it was safe to set up the cameras. We then had a tablecloth laid out on the beach that we all just layed our backs on it so we could look straight up at the sky - I only saw 2 streaks of light that might have been meteors. Then we got bored and I brought up the idea to have some fun in this pitch-dark environment with cameras and flashlights- leaving the camera on for a few seconds so that it would trace the path of our flashlights as we moved them around, as seen on the photo above. You can’t see me but you do see the path traced by my small pen light, I think I was either trying to spell something or I was trying to give myself angel wings and a halo. =p

We did several photos before heading back to camp for sleep, it was 12 already.

Monday, 6/30/03 . . . (Day 3) . . . Packup, hiking and leaving.

On the last day, we basically packed up everything after breakfast. We went hiking on the pleasant Whiskey Rapids Trail, before heading out of the Algonquin Park.

Right: Photo of us on the Whiskey Rapids Trail. And yes, that IS a g8 global youth summit red and white maple leaf jacket I’m wearing.. I’ve actually not worn that until now when I needed a light-coloured jacket to repel mosquitos..

We drove out of algonquin for a while before stopping at some places to rest for gas, and later for some "lunch" - cookies and the watermelon we brought. We ate this "lunch" in the parking lot of yet another Ontario natural park property, a place called Balsam Lake. Then we drove all the way home to Toronto.

Posted Thursday, July 03, 2003 at 7/3/2003 11:53:28 PM

This was a really fun trip. Not that camping in the Great Canadian Outdoors is anything new for me but it is the first time I’ve gone with a large group of friends as a trip we pulled together and organized ourselves, independent of parents, camping organizations, etc And I’ve never canoed in Algonquin before, so that was new experience for me.

Note to self: must get one of those nice bug jackets next time I go hiking. Bug tents would be great when we’re eating back at the campsite. Bug repellant is only partially effective, it wears off so that mosquitos still return to bite.

And maybe pick a campsite at Tea Lake next time, it has the nice lake front view( because we canoed by Tea Lake and rested on the Tea Lake beach so we saw the sites.. ) and Tea Lake is the closest campsite to the Portage store.

Photo credits go to Vahagn - he also had many other photos of the plants, insects, sunsets, etc scenery there. Thanks goes to Vahagn for taking such beautiful photos !