This past weekend I brought my Pathfinders canoe tripping in Algonquin Park. It was a wonderful weekend & like most weekends like this a big reminder of how much I love it.
The downside of the weekend was that I got our two smallest, weakest paddlers making it a much less relaxing paddle for me.
We lucked out with terrific weather. Very light wind, a lightening storm at night with no rain & warm, sunny days. Perfect.
The water was beautiful for swimming. There wasn't even that gasping moment of "oh my it's cold" when you first got in. Beautiful!
My one complaint about the weekend was my inability to sleep well. This is something that has been plaguing me lately when camping & something I don’t want to admit, but I just struggle to get comfortable outside of my comfortable bed full of pillows. Sigh. One day I’ll find a set up that works & does not require dragging 4 pillows into the back country.
The upside to not sleeping is well is I get to enjoy a beautiful, peaceful morning in Algonquin - something I'd normally sleep through!
We had our own special encounters with wildlife which is always special for the girls. We saw lots of birds, snakes, frogs & mosquitoes! And on our way out of the park a young black bear.
This mama loon was my favourite part of the weekend. We saw her on the way in & on our way out she was still patiently sitting on her nest, keeping her eggs warm. She was very unthreatened by us & seemed to just want a nap but it made me teary how good a mama she was taking care of her little ones. So much harder to gestate your babes in eggs than in your belly!
On our way out of the park we stopped at the Barron Canyon trail to show the girls what we were thinking of for next year. So beautiful! Luckily we made it there about 20 minutes before the busload of scouts so it was a peaceful little hike.
I admit I have not paddled the canyon myself yet & look forward to the scenic route.
And most exciting this was the inaugural trip for my paddle a good friend carved for me.
I spent a lot of time in my slooooow moving canoe admiring my paddle dipping through the water.
I’ve forgotten how many times I’ve paddled the canyon. Love it. If you put in at Achray, keep a close eye on the water for masses of coin-sized fresh-water jellyfish. I kid you not.
Interesting. I’ve put in at Achray several times – I’ll have to keep my eyes a little more open apparently – I’ve never noticed jelly fish!
Beautiful pictures and your words are almost enough to lure me there…I love Algonquin park and all it brings with it, most of all the tranquility, wildlife and sense of exploration… great post!