Fall in Algonuquin - Ragged Lake

We don't get to do much fall camping. Once school starts the kids get busy with their extra curricular activities, I get busy with work...excuse, excuses. We've often talked about how great it would be to get out during the week in the fall. There wouldn't be many people or bugs and there could be some really nice weather. I decided to book some time off and we booked a site on Ragged Lake in Algonquin. It was a bit of an odd trip. I had nothing to do with the planning. Sarah and the kids looked at the map, chose a section of the park, then chose a lake and booked it. It different kind of trip for us since we booked four days on a single lake. As it turns out we chose one the nicest four days of the summer. It was also the only camping we did all year where we didn't get rained on.

We arrived at Canoe Lake at noon and picked up our permit then headed across the highway to Smoke Lake. We had lunch on the dock (in the shade) on a very hot day. As we were having lunch two CC-130 Hercules flew across the lake and directly overhead. They were flying so low it looked like they were just above the trees. It was like I'd never left Trenton.

 We finished lunch, loaded up the canoes and hit the water. The weather was perfect. The sun was shining, the temperature was north of 25ºC and there wasn't much wind. Shortly after leaving dock we saw the park float plane take off right behind us. It disappeared for a while then came back, landed and docked. Next up in the Smoke Lake Air Show was helicopter dragging some long cables behind it. We had seen the same helicopter, as we drove in, hauling a very large piece of lumber.

After the Air Show we had a beautiful paddle across the lake. We saw a couple of small motor boats go by and a group of about seven canoes headed back to the access point but other than that it was very quiet.

On Our Way

We made it to the portage to Ragged a little quicker than expected. As we arrived there was a couple coming in the other direction. They had spent the night on Ragged and said the site they stayed at was very nice. They showed us where it was on the map. We easily managed the 240m portage. We got onto Ragged Lake and started negotiating which site would be our home for the next few days. I was pushing for the small island site in West Bay. One of the kids (possibly two) just wanted to grab the first site that we saw. They were hot and excited to do some swimming. Once we reached the big island in the middle of the lake they realized how quick it was to paddle across the lake so we made our way to West Bay. We didn't see anyone else on the lake. It was, after all, only Thursday. We rounded the corner so that the island was in site was in view and sure enough there was a canoe there. What were the chances that the only people on the entire lake were within a few hundred metres of each other? We opted for the site just north of the island which was fantastic. It had a great beach and was located on a point. Our middle daughter was very upset that we weren't on the island but after being there for a while she admitted that we had a great site. The kids spent most of the time that we were on the site at the sand beach or in the water.

We've Arrived

The Beach

Moose Bones on the Beach

Once we arrived at our site it was time for a swim. We were all really hot and the lake just seemed so inviting.

Time for a Swim

The kids stayed in the water while Sarah and I setup camp.

The Sun Goes Down Early This Late in the Year

Our son loves cooking dinner over the hobo stove so he got the fire going then looked after it while cooking for us. It was the last day of summer but it sure felt like it could have been the middle of summer.

It was quite late by the time we finished eating, got cleaned up and hung the food. We piled into the tent and went to sleep. I had hoped to go out and take pictures of the stars but I was tired enough that I fell asleep and didn't feel like getting up at any point in the night.

The next morning we awoke to a perfectly calm day. There was no wind and the lake was as flat as could be.

Sunrise

More Sunrise

Fall Colours

The air was so still that we could hear the faint sound of logging operations off in the distance. It wasn't until the next day that I looked at the map and noticed how close we were to the edge of the park and a logging camp to the south.

After breakfast we paddled over to Archer Bay to check out the long beach we had seen the day before. The girls swam for a bit while the rest of us explored and took pictures.

Checking Out the Geese At Archer Bay

Beach at Archer Bay

Looking Into Archer Bay

After a while we decided to head back to our site for some lunch. We had lunch then Sarah took our youngest daughter for a nap. She'd had a very restless night the night before and could use a little more sleep. The rest of us spent our time swimming and playing with rocks. The kids discovered that some rocks were harder than others and that one type of rock turned to sand easily if you rubbed it or banged against other rocks. We figured it was sandstone. They had such a blast identifying rocks and making sand. It was quite fitting given that our daughter was studying soil, erosion, etc. at school. Experiential learning at it's best!

Playing with Rocks

After hours of playing in the water we decided it was time to start thinking about cooking up some dinner. We started a fire and cooked up some delicious pizza. After dinner the girls hung out around the fire while my son and I went fishing. We both caught a fish on our third cast and had a few other bites. It was great to be on the water as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

The next morning was almost as calm as the first morning. It was a bit cool but once the sun came over the horizon things started to heat up pretty quickly. We took out some eggs and discovered we hadn't brought any fat to fry them in. The good news was that we had some Ready Crisp bacon. We fried it up which gave us enough grease to be able to fry the eggs. It was a delicious breakfast. For whatever reason this was the first time in a long time that we brought eggs with us. It certainly won't be the last.

Breakfast

After breakfast we hopped in the canoes and headed for Parkside Bay. We were just looking to explore and see what was around the corner. Our son fished while I paddled and Sarah paddled as the girls played in the front of the canoe. Somehow we'll need to get the kids to paddle more on our trips (not that it mattered for this trip). As we paddled our son caught a nice smallmouth bass. He was pretty excited. This was the first time he'd caught a fish big enough to eat.

Heading to Parkside Bay 

Beautiful Day

Mountain Behind Our Site

We paddled for a bit but it was getting hot so we headed back to our site. On our way back we could really notice Ball Mountain behind our site. I wondered if there were any lookouts on the mountain. I imagined that the views of the lake might be great.

We headed back to the site. I dropped our son off then went to clean the fish. The rest of the crew started a fire and when I came back we cooked the fish and had a delicious lunch. You could say that our son was hooked on fishing at this point. He was really excited to be able to catch our lunch.

Big Catch

In the afternoon we hung around the site and did some swimming and relaxing in the hammocks.

Hanging Around

While the kids were relaxing I decided to head up to the top of Ball Mountain to see what I could find. There were no trails beyond a certain point but I managed to meander to the top. Once I made it to the top it was pretty clear that there was no lookout but there was a gorgeous meadow of maple saplings. It wasn't at all what I expected but it was super rewarding none the less. 

Maple Saplings 

I made my way back down and we had dinner. After dinner we did some fishing but didn't catch anything. It was another beautiful night on the water.

Beautiful Night on the Lake

The next morning we woke up to a really humid morning. The forecast was for a maximum temperature around 30ºC feeling more like 40ºC. We had breakfast, packed up our stuff and headed out. It was a hot, hot day. Hard to believe that these were the first days of fall. We were hoping to stop somewhere for lunch and a swim but we were not covering ground very quickly so we ate in the canoes and pressed on. 

On the Way Back - Captured by the Four Year Old

Smoke Lake

It was very busy heading to the access point. It was amazing to see how many people must have been in the park over the weekend. We were all sweaty and smelly when we got to the access point so almost all of us opted for a swim. It was so refreshing. I couldn't believe how much cooler I felt after being in the water.

We had a great four days in Algonquin in the fall. We will certainly be back for more fall trips in the future.

Do you have a favourite fall destination?

Canoe Trip from Achray to Opalescent

Usually we book our tips last minute. Partly to make sure the kids are healthy and the weather is good, but mostly because we're not usually that organized. This time we booked a trip to the eastern part of Algonquin (Achray) well in advance. As our departure date approached we could see that there was some rain in the forecast. We weren't worried about it but we kept an eye on it (Though I'm not sure why. It's not like keeping an eye on the weather actually changes anything). The day we left the forecast was calling for lots of rain with some rainfall warnings in nearby Pembroke and Petawawa. As we drove north we were hopeful. There were some showers, but mostly it was just cloudy, that is until we were about 30 minutes away. Then the rain started and didn't stop until sometime overnight.

At Achray we donned our rain gear and headed out. Everyone was in great spirits, so it didn't really matter that it was raining. We loaded the boats and headed off on Grand Lake. It was so peaceful. We were the only ones on the lake. In fact we only saw one other boat all day.

The Lake to Ourselves

We blasted through the 50m portage into Stratton Lake and began the long paddle to the other end of the lake. By the time we got to the portage leading into St. Andrews we had been paddling in the rain for about two and a half hours. This kids were soaked to the bone (time for some new rain gear) and were chilled. We hurried through the portage and made our way to the first site on the lake. It was empty so we decided this would be our home for the next two nights.

I don't mind camping in the rain, but it's really difficult to setup in the rain when you're already soaking wet. We setup a tarp and started unloading some gear (tents and dry clothes for the kids) but found it difficult not to get everything wet. Fortunately, the rain let up a bit as we were ready to setup the tents. While we were setting up the tents our son thought he'd try to get the stick stove going. Everything was so wet that it was going to be a challenge getting any kind of fire going. It's a skill we should practice more someday, but late in the day with a bunch of cold bodies didn't seem like the right time. We fired up the stove, cooked some pasta, cleaned up then got into the tents to get away from the bugs. It was quite late by the time we got into the tents. This has a lot to do with the fact that this was our first trip with two boats. We move a lot slower with one adult paddling in each boat than with two in a single boat. I'm sure we'll get faster with practice.

It was an amazing feeling to waken to the sun streaming into the tent on the second day. What a relief. We would be able to hang all of our wet gear out to dry. The morning was a little cool but the sun was quickly warming things up. We slowly had some breakfast and cleaned up. The plan for the day was to head to the 'water slide' to play in the water. We packed a lunch and headed off. We retraced our steps into Stratton Lake and started paddling towards High Falls.

Off to the Water Slide

As we got close there was no question about where to land to get to the water slide. There were about ten boats on the shore. We found a place to squeeze into and followed the trail and the sound of water. We had some lunch then played in the water. I went down the water slide first to see what it would be like for the kids. It was a blast. I sat on a solid, smooth mass of Canadian Shield with water pushing at my back. I pushed off and let the water take me down the slide. At the bottom I hit the wall of water and disappeared under the water, not quite sure when I would resurface. Sure enough I popped up a few seconds later. Our son is a confident enough swimmer that I knew he would feel comfortable and both of our daughters were wearing their PFDs so they would be fine. I waited at the bottom as the two older kids had a turn. The smiles on their faces were priceless. Our youngest daughter wanted to go but was a little frightened. Eventually she was ready so she went down with Sarah. She was so excited when she resurfaced at the bottom. I didn't get any pictures of the water slide but I did get some video that I will post soon.

After sliding for a bit the kids wanted to swim in the lagoon upstream from the slide. I took this opportunity to head down stream to see High Falls. There were far fewer people downstream but High Falls was spectacular. If you visit the area do yourself a favour and hike the extra couple of hundred metres to see the falls.

High Falls

Further Down Stream

Heading Back to the Campsite

We had a lovely paddle back to our site. We decided to skip the portage and run the rapids back into St. Andrews Lake. We made it through and only bumped a couple of rocks on the way down. By the time we made it back to our site it was getting late. We cooked up some pizza (on the fire). What a great day.

Back on St. Andrews Lake

Our Campsite

On the third day we woke up to sun and lots of wind. Thankfully the wind would be in our favour. We had some breakfast and packed up and headed out. The paddle down St. Andrews was a breeze, thanks to the wind. Then came the first long portage of the trip (the first of three for the day). It was a 595m portage into High Falls lake. The kids did great on the portage and we were rewarded with a beautiful water fall near the end of the portage. The very end of the portage was a very steep and rocky decent to the water. Watch your footing!

Waterfall Along the Portage

I was curious to see what High Falls Lake looked like. There had been a fire there a couple of summers ago. I wondered how quickly things had regrown. We had some lunch as we drifted (assisted by the wind) down the lake. We could see where the fire had been. I imagine it would have been a scary place to be during the fire. We could see some signs of damage at the south end of the lake but the damage was much more obvious at the north end near the portage into Ooze Lake.

Burnt Tree Overhanging the Water

North End of High Falls Lake

After lunch we finished paddling High Falls Lake and completed the 330m portage into Ooze Lake. The portage was uneventful and Ooze Lake looks much like you might expect it. It was a short paddle across Ooze to the 640m portage into Opalescent (our destination). The 640m portage was a tough one for us. It was late in the day and we were getting tired. At the beginning of the portage our 4 year old broke down in tears. She didn't want to go any further. When I asked if she was tired she replied "No...My feet are tired". Given how well she had done and that we needed to get going, I piggybacked her halfway across the portage. I set her down where she had a rest with the other kids while I went back to get the canoe. By the time I made it back to the halfway point the kids were still there resting. I stopped and chatted with them, then went back for our packs. Thankfully they had moved on when I got back. The portage was long but we made it through. The kids seemed to be enjoying themselves when I finally made it to the end. It started to sprinkle as we finished the portage. We got into the canoes and began searching for a site. We chose the site on the south end of the lake. It was a really nice site. The only drawback was that there was another site (not marked on the map) less than 20m away. We speculated that perhaps the other site had been decommissioned but the sign hadn't been removed(?). We thought this because we were unable to locate the thunderbox.

Setting up in the rain was a little easier this time. It had only been raining lightly and we weren't completely soaked.

Opalescent Lake

Looking South On Opalescent

We cooked up some rice, vegetables and cheese for dinner and had a delicious grasshopper pie for dessert. By the time we finished eating the rain had stopped so we did a little fishing. Our son caught a couple of small bass. We were all tired so we headed for bed early. This was a tough day for us but everyone was in good spirits by the end of the day.

The plan for day four was to do a day trip to the Barron Canyon. The girls, however, were insistent on staying put for the day. Sarah said that she would be happy to stay with them if our son and I wanted to go to the canyon. Our son thought long and hard about what he wanted to do and eventually decided to stay at the site. It was probably a good decision by all, given that the following day we would need to retrace our steps all the way back to the access point.

Breakfast

Swim Time

While the others hung around the site, I decided that I would head to the Barron Canyon. I battled a tough head wind to get to the 750m portage into Brigham Lake. It was such a peaceful portage. I was in the woods all by myself. I paddled across the lake to the 100m portage. I thought the rapids might be runnable, but figured it was probably faster to portage than to scout the rapids then run them. Next came a 440m portage, the first part of which was not runnable. The second part looked doable. There was even a spot where people obviously put their canoes in. I decided to finish up the portage instead. I figured taking unnecessary risks when you're by yourself, in the middle of nowhere wasn't worth it.

Once I completed the portage I was leisurely moving along the Barron River taking in the amazing sights of the canyon. Unfortunately, the battery for one of my cameras died and the other was giving communication errors between the lens and the body. I didn't get as many pictures as I had hoped but did manage to get some.

The Barron River

As I paddled along I could hear water rushing. There was a waterfall flowing into the canyon. I made for the shore, pulled the canoe up and realized I was thigh high in poison ivy. Thankfully I was wearing pants. I should have landed about 30m upstream to avoid the poison ivy.

Waterfall into the Barron Canyon

The canyon was quite busy, but it was hard to notice because of the sheer size and beauty of it all. Mother Nature sure is a beautiful artist.

After paddling through the canyon I figured I should turn around and make my way back to the rest of the family. Upon my arrival the girls were lying in a hammock while Sarah read a book out loud. They had a good restful day.

Hangin' Around

S'mores

Our final day was all about retracing our path back to the access point at Achray. We left our site a little after 9:00. We had the three long portages to do, but everyone had fresh legs so we blasted through them. We had lunch in the canoe on St. Andrews Lake with the wind pushing us in the right direction.

St. Andrews Lake

With the three big portages out of the way, the rest of the trip should be fine. The girls spent much of the time playing and making up games and stories as I paddled along. They were happy, as was I. Stratton Lake is a long lake and it took us a long time to paddle it, but eventually we made it to the portage.

Stratton Lake

We completed the portage and before we had finished paddling the small creek that leads to Grand Lake we knew that the strong wind would be in our faces. We paddled and paddled against the head wind. The wind was strong enough that as we neared the end we didn't hear that a float plane had landed behind us and was making its way to the dock we were headed for. The plane dropped of a crew (of what I assume were maintenance workers) and a canoe, then headed out again.

Grand Lake

Float Plane

It was an incredible trip. We had a great time connecting with nature and to each other. The rain on the first day was a bit of a downer but the rest of the trip was great. The only other negative part of the trip were the bugs. They were really bad. At one point we counted 39 bug bites on our youngest daughter. Everything else more than made up for these two negatives. 

If we were to do the trip again I would add an extra day so that there could be a rest day at Opalescent Lake as well as a trip to the Barron Canyon or I would pay the $55 to have our car shuttled from Achray to Squirrel Rapids. This would allow us to paddle the Barron River on our way out of the park.

Rather than scratching the itch to get out there, this trip has only made the itch worse. I wonder when we can sneak in another trip?

Video:

Algonquin: Canoe Lake To Burnt Island

We figured we, as a family, were ready for our first back country trip where we didn't just setup camp on one lake and stay there. Canoe Lake in Algonquin seemed like a good place to start. It was meant to be a four day trip but our oldest daughter was sick the day before we were set to leave and the day we were to leave. We shortened the trip by a day but kept the root the same, which meant our first day would be a long one.

We put in at Canoe Lake which was extremely busy on a Saturday afternoon. We had lunch at the access point and I couldn't get over the number of canoes in the water. While we ate, there were never fewer than a dozen canoes visible on the water at once. At one point we were able to count eighteen canoes in the water. There was a time I might have been discouraged by such a large crowd. I might have liked to enjoy the peace and quiet that would come with an empty lake. In recent years my perspective has changed a great deal. I was ecstatic to see so many people. It means that people (and lots of them) are getting out there doing the things that I love doing. We saw young families, university students, couples, seniors all out in canoes and kayaks. Some were out for the first time, others were bringing friends and family out for the first time and still others were on their way to much quieter lakes. Rather than being frustrated at the crowds, I had a huge smile on my face the entire time. I hope more people take some time to explore this great park.

Ready to Launch From Canoe Lake

After packing away our lunch we headed off. We knew that we'd have to work hard to make up for not arriving on the Friday. but I was really hoping to see the Tom Thomson Cairn since I had never seen it. I knew we were pressed for time but decided to stop anyway. The Cairn was easy to locate due to the totem pole at the site. The kids were able to pick it out from a distance. We stopped and I had a quick peek while the others waited in the canoe.

Tom Thomson Cairn

We continued north towards the portage. As we neared the portage we could see a traffic jam of canoes. We took our time gliding into the portage and by the time we landed the others were on their way. We blasted through the 260m portage without issue. Upon arriving at the other end of the portage we saw more boats and people than we had when we arrived. While many of the others took their time and lingered at the portage, we were quick to get back on the water.

Off He Goes! Looks Like the Girls Are at a Parade.

We enjoyed a beautiful paddle through Joe and Little Joe Lakes. The sun was out, there was a bit of a breeze and there were lots of people enjoying their sites. We skipped the 120m portage along the creek at the north end of the lake. There were a few shallow rocks at the beginning but they were easy enough to avoid.

We made very good time in our paddling. We managed to pass a few groups also headed to Burnt Island Lake. This would prove beneficial later as all the sites on the lake were booked that night and it was getting late. Getting ahead of a few groups would make it easier to find a site.

Along the portage from Little Joe Lake to Baby Joe Lake we met a couple with adult children who were on their first canoe trip. Great to see!

After arriving on Burnt Island Lake we spent some time paddling in and out of different bays looking for a site that was available. We eventually found a vacant site which turned out to be great. It had a nice spot for landing the canoe, a good swimming spot and was quite flat. The only downside is that there was another site very close by. It started drizzling shortly after we arrived so we set up the tent and the rain stopped. After a tough day of paddling we were all very hungry which made our simple pita pizzas seem extra delicious. The kids had a great time playing on the spacious site. As we settled in for the night it began to rain a little. The pitter patter of rain drop on the tent made for a great sound track to fall asleep to.

Home For the Night

Favourite Camp 'Chore': Tending the Stick Stove

Playing Outside

The next day was a little cool and quite windy. We had a leisurely breakfast and took our time getting ready to go. As we were leaving our site the kids noticed a very small island with what looked like a single tree. They wondered if this small island was in fact Burnt Island, that had burned at one time leaving a lone dead tree. They wanted to check it out so our first order of business was to paddle the short distance to the island.

Little Island on Burnt Island Lake

We had a quick peek then turned around started paddling into a very strong headwind. It was at this point in the trip that I appreciated the fact that we had travelled in one canoe rather than two. On our way to the portage to Little Doe Lake we noticed about 10 canoes heading in the same direction. The portage was quite busy, but everyone else seemed to be going to the Joe Lakes, leaving us on our own to get to Little Doe. We covered the 1340m portage much quicker than I though we would. A good sign for future trips. As we loaded up the canoe on Little Doe it was a little misty. We thought it might rain but before long it started clearing up. We paddled past a couple of sites that looked okay and thought we could come back to them if we didn't find anything else. Before long we came upon what looked like a great site. It was a little tough to get the canoe out of the water but other than that the site was great.

We setup our site, went for a swim, did some paddling as well as some relaxing. It was a great day.

Touring Around

Campsite on Little Doe Lake

The soundtrack that we fell asleep to on this night consisted of barred owls hooting back and forth to one another.

Looking Out Over Little Doe

I was hoping to go for a swim on our last day before leaving the site but it was quite cool in the morning. The swim would have to wait. We had breakfast and packed up. We decided it would be fun to paddle into Tom Thomson Lake just to see it. We paddled up the short creek from Little Doe to Tom Thomson. We hoped we might see a moose, but we did not. Tom Thomson was a beautiful lake. It would be a good lake to camp on for a future trip.

Lots of Lily Pads

Beaver Dam En Route to Tom Thomson

Friendly Loon

Eventually we decided we should start making our way back to Canoe Lake. We paddled down the Little Oxtongue River to Teepee Lake. We noticed that we seemed to be paddling slower today than we had on the other days. Were we just tired and suffering from sore muscles? Perhaps. Is it possible we were subconsciously paddling slowly in order to extend our stay in the park? Perhaps. Either way it was a great paddle. As we paddled we noticed that the wind had died entirely. We decided to find a campsite on Joe Lake where we could stop for lunch. We found a vacant site across from Joe Island and unloaded our lunch. The site had a ton of garbage in the fire pit. I was pleased to hear the kids ask "Why would anyone leave all this garbage here". We had bagels for lunch. I finished quickly and went for a swim while the kids were finishing their lunch. They decided that they didn't want to swim so we cleaned up the site and pressed on.

The paddle across Canoe Lake was interesting. There still wasn't any wind and the lake was as flat as glass. It was beautiful and there were far fewer boats on the water than when we had left. What a great way to end the trip. When we arrived at the access point we discovered that it was 4:30, which was much later than we had anticipated. We loaded our stuff up and headed for home. Before we got to Highway 60 the kids were asking if we could come back. A good sign that we had a successful trip.