So it begins

On the water

Published Date : June 30, 2012

 

I awoke this morning to the beautiful sound of loons calling on Tea Lake.  Welcome to the wilderness.  After a simple breakfast of cereal and bread, I jumped in the car and started my day.  My destination:  Opeongo Lake for some much anticipated kayaking!

My first stop was the beaver meadow from last night.  Once again, the only wildlife to be seen were a couple of turtles sunning themselves on a log.

Cow moose with calf

A couple of kilometres further down the highway, I came across a dozen cars parked on the side of the road.  Knowing that could mean only one thing, I stomped on the brakes and quickly pulled off as well.  Enjoying the salty water in a swamp only 10m off the road was a cow moose and her young calf!  The calf looked to be only a month or two old and was very nervous with all the people around.  While the cow kept a watchful eye on the proceedings, the calf found the attention to be too much and started to retreat to the safety of the woods.   As the cow lumbered back to the treeline with her calf, I was struck as always by the power and grace of the huge animals.

I arrived at Opeongo Lake to find the wind was kicking up again.  That hadn’t deterred the crowds though as the only parking left was at the far end of the upper lot.  Loading my critical supplies into a dry bag, everything else went into my backpack.  I made the trek down the hill to the rental hut to discover I had left my wallet in the car.  Doh!  Back up the hill once more, I noted that it was going to be a very warm day.  Perhaps the wind won’t be such a bad thing after all.

Seeing that the only way to enter the water was from a dock, I seriously considered opting for a canoe rather than a kayak.  Dock entries and kayaks are never simple or graceful; however, in the end the practicality of the kayak won out.  They’re just easier to manoeuvre on your own, especially in the wind.   Quickly filling out the necessary rental paperwork, I hauled my boat down to the shore.  Dry bag stowed in the storage compartment and backpack fastened behind my seat, I slithered my way into the boat.  Considering it had been more than 5 years since I had last attempted a dock entry I was impressed with myself.  The boat stayed upright and my only battle wound was a baseball sized bruise on my thigh!

Loon with baby – Lake Opeongo

With the wind blowing strongly from the north-west, I decided to cross over to the western shore of the lake in the hopes that it would be slightly more sheltered.  It was a brutal struggle into the headwind and I was wishing for a spray skirt by the time I got there, but it proved to be the right choice.  I spent the morning paddling leisurely in and out of the coves as I made my way north, sighting several loons with young along the way.  I stopped for lunch at an unused backcountry campsite and enjoyed the scent of the pines and the singing of the birds around me.  Being out in nature like this always rejuvenates me, no matter how physically demanding it may be.

By the time I finished lunch, the wind was picking up again, so I decided to start the journey back.  It was here that I made a serious miscalculation.  Rather than retracing my path down the western shore of the lake, I decided to cross over and make the return journey down the eastern shore.  I had expected the going to be easy with the wind at my back, but the wind had shifted and was now coming directly out of the west.  With no shelter on this part of the lake, the waves were kicking up close to 1m in some places and I was being pushed relentlessly towards the rocky shoreline.  I was soon soaked to the bone and exhausted, but I had no choice but to continue on.  I considered crossing back to the other side, but decided it would use more energy to paddle into the wind than it was taking to paddle side on to it.  When I finally reached Sproule Bay and the final stretch I could relax a bit.  The wind was now fully at my back and pushing me the direction I wanted to go.

Spruce Bog Trail

While the struggle back to the dock put a bit of a damper on the day, I was still very glad that I had decided to go out.  Not only did I have a (mostly) enjoyable day on the water, I gained a good understanding of the backcountry camping available around the lake for the next time I visit Algonquin.

After returning my rental equipment and making the trek back up to my car, I took some time to change into some dry clothes.  Looking into my options for the afternoon, I decided to do two more shorter hikes on my way back to the campground.

My first stop was the Spruce Bog boardwalk, an easy 1.5km loop through some bogs and stands of spruce trees.  It was mid-afternoon by the time I arrived and under the trees the air was hot, heavy and still.   The walk was pleasant, but I was glad to return to my air-conditioned car.

About 5km further down the highway, my next stop was the Lookout trail.    Only 2km long, the trail up to the cliff was steep and sweltering.  Again, under the canopy of the trees, there was little breeze.  Emerging suddenly from the trees, the wind slammed into me, but it was a welcome relief despite the force of it.  There were a couple of groups already at the cliff top lookout, enjoying the scenery and the respite from the heat.

Back at my car and blessed air-conditioning, I continued back in the direction of camp.  Once again I came across a dozen or so cars parked on the side of the road.  About 1km from where I had seen them this morning, there stood the same two moose in a shady swamp.  I stopped to watch them for several minutes until they returned to the shelter of the woods.

As with last night, I decided to take the easy way out and stopped for dinner at the Portage Store.  Tonight it was fish and chips to go with that beer.  Delicious!