So it begins

So it ends

Published Date : April 1, 2012

We had already docked in Fort Lauderdale when I woke up this morning.  Just like that, the cruise is over.  I met my parents in the dining room for breakfast one last time.  Due to my flight time, I was in one of the first groups to disembark, so after eating we swung by my cabin to pick up my bag before heading to the gangway.

After saying our goodbyes, I left the Westerdam behind.  It was a quick process finding my luggage and going through port security.  After finally finding the right bus, we had a short wait before leaving for the airport.  Airport check-in was quick and painless.  Security was long and painful, as I always opt-out of the full body scans – yeah, I’m one of those people :p

Once on the plane, our departure time came and went.  Half an hour late, we finally left the terminal.  Apparently the baggage handlers had decided to go for lunch mid-way through loading our plane – classy move.  The flight itself was uneventful and I landed in Toronto three hours later.

So what did I think of my first cruising experience?  Mixed feelings.  As with any package holiday, you sacrifice freedom for convenience.  I would have preferred more time in port and a chance to see those places without the hordes of cruise ship passengers present.   However, having the opportunity to see 4 very different places in only a week while being pampered and dining in luxury is great.   Overall, I can definitely say that I enjoyed it and will probably do one again, although perhaps not in the near future. 

Until the next journey!

A-camping I will go

Published Date : June 29, 2012

I did most of my packing last night, but I still had some last minute things to do this morning.  Up at 6am, I threw some clothes in a duffel bag, filled the cooler with food and loaded everything into my car.  I had been expecting a full car, but surprisingly I had room to spare.  I didn’t even need to lower the back seats either.  Bonus!

Making a last sweep for things I may have forgotten, I double checked that I had left enough food and water for the cat then headed out the door.  After making a quick stop at the ATM and the gas station, I was off.  After living in Ontario for nearly two years, I’m about to check off one of my major “must-see” places:  Algonquin Provincial Park!!

Algonquin is the oldest provincial park in Canada and, thanks to its proximity to Ottawa and Toronto, also one of the most popular provincial parks in Canada.  Apart from the main parkway (Hwy 60) that crosses through the south of the park, the majority of it is accessible only by canoe or foot.  Since this is my first visit to Algonquin, I decided to stick to a car accessible campground on this trip.

The drive north was beautiful.  I had timed my drive to beat the crowds leaving Toronto for the long weekend, so I had the roads almost to myself.  Winding my way past lakes, farms and wooded escarpments, I stopped briefly just past Minden to stretch my legs and grab some fresh air.  I couldn’t have picked a better weekend to seek out some wilderness.  There was clear blue sky in all directions and a calm but steady breeze to keep a lid on the climbing temperature.

It didn’t take as long as I had been expecting to make my journey.  Before I knew it I was passing the sign welcoming me to Algonquin.   I stopped off at the info centre just inside the West Gate to find out which campgrounds still had sites available.   Since I decided to make this journey at the last minute, I couldn’t reserve a spot and had to take my chances on finding a first come first serve site – another reason for my early start this morning!

According to the friendly woman at the info centre, I was in luck.  Tea Lake Campground still had a couple of sites available.  Back into the car, I continued my drive deeper into the park, passing lakes and crossing rivers with regularity.  I knew that I would be finding a lot of lakes and waterways here, but I was not expecting so many!

Tea Lake Campground

It was just past noon by the time I had signed in and set up my tent.  After making myself a quick lunch of a peanut butter and jam sandwich and an apple, I went for a wander through the campground to orient myself.  My site was set back from Tea Lake closer to the highway, but with a thick enough wood to muffle much of the vehicle noise.  I found the one block of vault toilets and discovered there were no shower facilities at this campground.  I also discovered that a boil water advisory had been enacted, so there was no drinking water available.

With much of the day left before me, I decided to enjoy a hike.  Looking over the park info booklet, I settled on Track & Tower, a 7.5km hike that passed by Cache Lake and Grant Lake.  Back into my car, I headed east.  I stopped first at the Portage Store to check out the facilities and rental options for a canoe or kayak for tomorrow.  I also picked up a jug of drinking water to top up my supply for the weekend.

Beaver pond on Track & Tower Trail

I pulled into the parking area at the trailhead to find only one other car there.  Excellent!  I had the trail almost entirely to myself.  I took a few minutes to prepare my pack for the hike, loading up on water and snacks as well as a first aid kit, warm clothes, bug spray and sunscreen.  For easy access, bear spray, a mini air-horn and my knife and camera were clipped to my belt.   There are over 2000 black bears resident in Algonquin, and while they are generally docile and quite shy of people, it is not unheard of for them to attack humans.  My odds of seeing one on this hike are slim, but not impossible, especially when there are so few other people on the trail.   The bigger concern for this hike is moose.   At this time of year the bulls are not a threat, but cows defending their calves could pose a potential problem.

Geared up and ready to go, I started off down the trail.  I followed the windy, root and rock strewn path down into the woods.  In the shadow of the towering hardwoods, the air was still and humid and full of the calls of vireos and wrens.  After about 1km the trail levelled off and opened up next to a swamp and a beautiful meadow.  I stopped to enjoy the view and check the mud next to the water for tracks.  Apart from several humans, the only tracks I found were from a lone coyote that had passed through earlier that day.

The trail continued along the banks of a small creek before reaching the shores of Cache Lake.   Enjoying the breeze out in the open, I could see the remnants of an old railway trestle crossing the lake in the distance.  Now just over 2km into the hike, I reflected that in Algonquin, when they rank a trail as “difficult” they actually mean it.  The weekly hikes I had enjoyed in Vancouver were what I had missed the most since moving to Ontario, so a technical hike was a pleasant surprise after a year and a half of mostly flat nature trails.

Cache Lake – Track & Tower Trail

Continuing on, the trail meandered through another meadow before crossing another creek and delving deeper into the woods.  Crossing old logging roads and portage trails, my path continued on to the base of a steep escarpment.  Here the trail branched with an optional trek to the top of the cliff to a viewpoint.  Feeling my lack of fitness at this stage, I debated whether or not to bypass the side loop, but eventually decided to go for it.  Tiredness be damned!  Turning steeply uphill, the trail was soon replaced by a wooden staircase.  Trudging up the 100+ stairs, the trail continued to climb sharply before finally levelling off.  The trees ended abruptly at a rocky outcropping that marked the top of a sheer cliff.

Stretched out before me was a hilly expanse of thick woodlands dotted with lakes.  I parked myself on a natural rocky seat just back from the edge of the cliff and took in the stunning view.  Topping up my energy levels with some food and water, I watched as a couple of turkey vultures circled below me and an osprey hunted in the distance.   I would have liked to stay longer, but the wind had been picking up all afternoon.  It was blowing with such strength by then that it was becoming dangerous so close to the edge of the cliff.

Moose tracks – Track & Tower Trail

Retracing my steps back to the main trail, I continued on my trek to the shores of Grant Lake.  The hardwoods gave way to towering pine trees here, covering the trail in needles and filling the air with their scent.   The trail turned back towards the starting point, crossing through a muddy bog filled with moose tracks, but none of the animals were nearby.

After returning to my car, I had planned on heading back to the campground to cook some dinner, but when I stopped at the Portage Store for a shower, the call of their restaurant was too strong.  I enjoyed an extremely satisfying beer and burger on the edge of Canoe Lake, sheltered from the now raging wind.  The crowds from the city had started to arrive and I watched as many of them loaded up their canoes to paddle in to their backcountry campsites for the weekend.  Lucky them, they had the fun task of paddling against the wind to reach their destinations.

Sunset over Lake Opeongo

I headed back to my campsite for a couple of hours waiting for sunset: the moosing hour!  Back onto the highway, my first stop was a nearby beaver meadow.  While it was beautiful in the evening light, the only wildlife to be seen was a turtle that quickly ducked into the water when I arrived.  Returning to my car, I decided to make Opeongo Lake on the east side of the park my destination.  I wanted to check out the kayak rentals there and look for moose along the way.  Scanning for reflecting eyes in the ditches and meadows along the highway, I had not seen so much as a groundhog by the time I reached the turnoff for the lake.   I sat on the edge of the lake watching a couple of campers in canoes battle the wind and dark as the last of the light faded from the sky.

On the drive back to the highway I was met with an incredible sight.  On either side of the narrow and winding road the reeds and bushes sparkled with the blinking of thousands of lightning bugs.  I also encountered a white-tailed deer fleeing into the bushes and a red fox scurrying across the pavement.  Back on the highway, I saw another red fox darting across the road.  Alas, no moose for me tonight!