We planned a 4 day/3 night trip for Little Trout Lake in Algonquin Park. We set the alarm early in order to drive through Toronto before it became too busy and we arrived in Kearney around 9 am. After picking up our permit and our rental canoe, we headed off to access point #3 Magnetawan Lake.
While loading the canoe and getting our dog Shadow out of the water and into the canoe, a group of returning canoeists told us that the winds and waves were up on Ralph Bice. There was some sun shinning on us now with the occasional cloud cover, but a thunderstorm was in the forecast. We got onto the water quickly as the winds usually pick up in intensity as the day progresses.
We were at our first portage in a matter of minutes and two passes later down the 135m portage, we were quickly onto Hambone Lake. Not long after that we were at the 295m portage to Ralph Bice Lake. We were pleased to see that the lake was quite calm, by its standards. The portage entrance/exit to Bice was mucky as usual.
Ralph Bice was a pleasant paddle. It was the first time that I have seen the popular first site on the north side vacant. Actually, there were very few occupied sites on this day. As we reached the end of Bice, the weather was starting to change. The sun was gone and it felt like it could rain at any moment.
The 435m portage to Little Trout Lake is also an easy portage. Very little elevation change and a decent pathway. At the entrance to Little Trout, we came upon a group of gentlemen and I asked if they had any site recommendations as this was a new lake to us. They told us that they were on the very last site (most eastern) and liked that the lake bottom was all sand for the first 25 feet from shore. It was forecast to be hot these next few days, so we thought this would be a nice choice.
We were on site around 1:30 and decided to make it ours for the next 3 nights. Originally, I had planned on a site on the northern shore that another member had recommended in his trip log. Besides the sandy water area, the site itself had a different feel from sites we have been on before. It was much bushier and felt more closed in. This also meant less breeze and forced us to use bug repellent most days, when we normally can get away without using any. See photo below.
Shadow surveyed his new domain and then spent hours licking the ash off the rocks in the fire pit. Apparently, something tasty got left behind.
However, this site was a definite winner because of wildlife visitors! We had finished supper and cleaned the dishes when we heard crashing noises coming towards our site. We couldn't see anything with the thick underbrush, but whatever it was, it was large and it was heading our way. Hoping for a moose but knowing it could potentially be a bear, we strained our eyes and kept quiet, trying to get a glimpse of our guest. Shadow was tired from the busy day and we silently laughed that our dog had no idea that a large animal was approaching us.
Still searching for a glimpse of the animal, we heard it enter the water with a large splashing sound. We crept silently to the water, the shoreline also thick with brush except for our entrance, and were delighted and amazed to see a cow moose and her calf munching on the aquatic vegetation. We watched them feed for 15 minutes or so, then left them alone to finish eating. They fed for about 45 minutes before going back into the bush and spending the night nearby the shore and us.
After an early start and a busy and eventful day, we probably went to bed shortly after 9 pm.
Tuesday August 11
We spent the day at our site. We collected enough firewood to last us the rest of the trip and enjoyed some good meals. It was warm and sunny and we got into the water a few times. We had some mergansers visit and try their luck at fishing. Notice the teamwork.
However, the whole day we kept wondering if the moose would return again for an evening snack. They didn't disappoint, coming through our site this time to reach the lake. However, they didn't stay- just walked the water's edge and went back into the bush on the opposite side.
The sound of them splashing gives you an idea how close to us they were. The little guy was so cute, looking back every now and then at us. That night we enjoyed a nice fire and I took a few shots of the skyline.
A funny thing happened to us after we retired to bed. We had put a small tarp (actually an emergency blanket - tarp with a silver reflective sheet glued to it) on the ground next to the tent. We used it as a floor for changing to keep our feet and change of clothes off the ground. As we lay in our sleeping bags we heard a grouse or some other bird walk over it, stop halfway after realizing it was making a lot of noise walking on this tarp, and then run the rest of the way across the blanket. It was enough to make both of us break into laughter simultaneously.
Wednesday August 12
Today was another bright and warm day. We decided to go for a paddle and do a little exploring. First we went to Queer Lake and paddled around the entire lake. There was one site in particular that looked great from the water, with a large rock outcrop that the occupants were sunbathing on. Then we went to Tim River, leaving our canoe at Queer and just walking the 1330m portage and the remaining 410m portage, which the first one intersects. I was surprised how difficult the portage was. There were constant elevation changes and the path was muddy and slippery in many sections. You could see skid marks where people had lost their footing and slid a few feet down many of the descents. I wouldn't want to carry a canoe over this route. At the end of the portage was an unofficial site that has been used from time to time - a small cutout for tent and a fire pit.
Back at the site we also had a loon visit us and stay for about 15 minutes.
Thursday August 13
Today was another warm and sunny day. After breakfast, we packed up and made our way back to Magnetawan Lake. We faced some headwinds back, adding about a half an hour to our total time as compared to the way in. It was very sunny and I got a burn on my legs, more specifically the top part of my thighs. We had to unload our canoe at the end of the dock at access point #3 because an older party had their canoes on both sides of the dock and were loading them at a snail's pace. I thought about saying something, but kept quiet. They were still occupying both sides of the dock after we had loaded the canoe onto the car and I had gone back to let the dog get one final drink of water.
We returned our canoe to Canoe Algonquin and stopped in for an ice cream at the building across from the permit office in Kearney to top off another great trip.
Pat
