Canoe trip at Algonquin Park, again

Victoria Day long weekend, we went to Algonquin Park to do another canoe trip.

The window between ice out and the coming back of black flies is very narrow, only 2 to 3 weeks really. So if you are prone to insects, this period of time is one of the best to enjoy the park. We actually booked a backpacking trip at Highland Backpacking trail in Algonquin Park for the weekend of May 3, but the park delayed its opening of back country camping for one week due to weather and ice condition. So this Victoria Day long weekend was literally the first weekend for spring back country camping this year.

Since first Canoe trip last year, peanut butter sandwiches, with either bagels or bread became our typical and regular lunch whenever we go hiking. They are easy and filling and tasty. 

We woke up at 5:30 and were in our car at 6:30 to catch up the 11:00 water taxi which would shuttle us across Opeongo Lake to our portage point. We stopped at a park store on the way to have a washroom break, and then I bought a set of pink disposable rain suit, funny brand name of Frogg Toggs. It’s not in good quality, but it’s kind of funny, and I liked it.

my Frogg Toggs. Quality was pretty bad, but cute, right?

Water taxi took us and our canoe across Opeongo Lake in 15 minutes which would take us 5-6 hours if we paddled. Feng put canoe on his back and I backpack. It’s a 2.1km trail. This was the longest portage trail we had ever encountered. After 3 or 4 rests, 1 hour and 20 minutes, we were facing Happy Isle Lake. We had our quick lunch here, whole wheat bread with hazelnut spread and some smoked beef, and on the water again. After about 30 minutes paddling on HI lake, we did the second portage, an easy 340m trail, and then we were at our destination Merchant Lake.

After the first canoe trip last year, can we say that we are experienced canoeists?

Next thing was the most important thing of the day. It was to find us a good campsite. There were total seven of them on Merchant. We started from the left side, and then paddled along the lake shore clockwise. The first two sites were nothing special to mention except that there were plenty of flying bugs around us so we thought it was probably buggy at the sites too. We didn’t look at them twice and paddled away. The third one was nice, but taken. So was the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and the last one. What? That’s both upsetting and unbelievable. We were pretty early that day, and we thought we had the whole area to choose from. They must have been there the day before or even earlier. And everybody seemed to have the same sense not to take the first two sites.

And we were back to square one and took the first site, after toured the lake for a whole round. There were three little islands in the centre of Merchant Lake. Husband named them bird islands, because there were lots of birds on them. There were gulls of course. There were at least a dozen of big black birds on a single pine tree on one of the islands. They scattered on the branches and the whole scene looked sacred. There were loons in the lake and they were loud and noisy day and night.

one of the three bird islands. it was cloudy, and the reflection was beautiful and peaceful. When you were surrounded by trees and their reflection, it felt unreal and dizzy. I couldn't see my phone screen clearly because of the brightness, so the pics were like cut half.

This is the sacred tree and scene. I tried hard to check what birds they might be, and got nothing. It was such a holly feeling and moment with these birds on this small pine tree on a tiny island.

We set up tent and cooked instant noodles for dinner. The bedroom and kitchen area were quite apart, with tent on an open low cliff, right beside lake, not a perfect spot, and fire pit deep in the woods. We had Costco chicken and roasted beef and instant noodles, a big dinner.

Cloudy, so no sunset. It was pretty chili, so we went to sleep right after dinner and to get prepared for the big day tomorrow.