The Castor’s love to canoe and they talked us into a canoe trip to Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. This is their annual fall trip and they told us we would love it. Lots of wilderness and you can take more gear since you have a canoe. There are only a “few portages” where you have to carry everything including the canoe.
Apparently a few portages is the same as 16! That’s right 16 times I got the pleasure of carrying my pack and a canoe. This was not a canoe trip it was a backpacking trip with a canoe. Leann got the pleasure of carrying her pack, our life vests and the paddles for 16 portages. These people are supposed to be our friends. They did make one really good suggestion, pay more for the Kevlar canoes. They were right about that, the lighter weight really helped WHEN I HAD TO CARRY IT 16 TIMES!
http://www.ontarioparks.com/park/algonquin
Full disclosure: I loved the trip. I don’t know which of the 16 portages this is, I lost track.
Campsites were nice and there were not many people since we went late in the season. This place must be packed in the summer
Typical campsite tucked in the trees by a lake
Not a bad view for dinner
Portage number ???????
Am I happy or just delusional?
I was very grateful to get into this narrow section. We had just crossed a large lake and the wind was howling, we were paddling through white caps. I was not sure we were going to make it. Leann was yelling paddle faster so we can go to the right of the island. I was paddling as fast as I could and yelled back we are not going to make that. Let’s go the left and tuck behind the island for a breather. I also wanted to change my underwear.
Nice to be on a calm section, most of the paddling was like this.
Canoes are called divorce boats, the person in the front of the canoe yells at the person in the back and vice versa. You are both wondering why your spouse can not frigging listen to you and do what you say.
I have to admit the food was better than we have backpacking. It was really nice to have the extra weight of great food while I was carrying the canoe
We had a nice fire but gathering the wood was a challenge for the Whytes. Since we visited late in the season most of the wood by camp was long gone so you get back into the canoe and go find some. We found wood, loaded the canoe and headed back to camp. The wind was picking up but it was manageable until Leann got out of the canoe. All the sudden the front of the boat went up at a 45 degree angle, the wind now had a nice sail and started spinning the canoe and pushing me across the lake. My life was flashing before my eyes and I all I heard was laughter, it was pretty funny.
Still together after 16 portages, our marriage has faced the ultimate challenge
End of the last portage and calm water back to the starting point.
I give my friends a hard time about this trip but I really enjoyed it and hope to go back some day.
HAPPY TRAILS, STEVE