Wow .... What a difference 20 degrees Celsius can make. I've been examining images from NOAA Coast Watch and while Rock Lake is not YET ice free, the trends in the phots I've seen over the last two days look Great!

If you check out my blog at http://algonquincanoeing.blogspot.com/ you will find the most recent image, on which I have pointed out some of the major lakes in the Algonquin area (with a big arrow on Rose island of course). When you consider the image, and look at the FANTASTIC weather coming our way, all I can say is my money is on paddling to Rose Island, rather then driving to a camp site at Rock Lake campground!

But don't worry.

It's unlikely you'd be able to paddle past Rose
Island without some Yahoo trying to either hit you with a snowball
or running interdiction if their beer supply was running low


But I don't see water yet in the vicinity


Rac n

I can finally see Lake Simcoe on one of these satellite images!

And I really wanted to see it, because I thought it would show a fair amount of open water....maybe I should take a better look, up-close and personal, tomorrow.



Barbara

Ok, the arrows a weeeeee bit off, but the water is a coming!

Snowballs, or beer runs; either way we're gonna get there !

Jeff

North Tea Lake, Manitou and Kiosk are showing obvious colour changes. Even Lake Nippising is changing.

Markus
Etobicoke, Onterry-airy-airy-Ohhh!

The live cam in Haliburton is showing a very big change in the ice condition in the lake there.
Previous to and including yesterday, the ice was bright white. It is now quite dark, so it's very slushy/waterlogged and will go out in a day or two I think.

I'm still not confident for the big lakes like Opeongo, but the smaller ones in the park should be open by the end of next week.

http://www.halcom.ca/haliburton.php

Hoping that the ice out goes your way but
in the event that its only Partially clear

( I saw huge 30' x 30' flat ice squares floating down the Ottawa)

Remember

Even the Titantic sunk when ramming a Iceberg so your canoe
might not fare out much better

In that event, Like those NewFoundlanders that had to abandon
boat and take refuge on the ice, You likely won't need the Beacon
for Rescue as the worse that would happen is you will end up at the Rock/Galaeiry Dam and then you just walk out. If the God Lord
is smiling on you your ice float might just drift by Rose Island and then all will be find

Salut/Adios/Have a go one

Rac n

If you go to the original image and get the most recent one from the 16th (as opposed to the 15th), then it looks even more promising:



AND with the higher resolution of the original image, you can see black which suggests open water at the south end of Rock in the channel leading to Pen and further south you can also see open water on Clydegale where the South Madawaska is flowing into it.

My updated estimate is that the key lakes will be open water by Monday.

___________________________
No your other left!
www.loonislandoutdoors.com

out of curiousity, how often are the google earth images update?


Jim from Niagara

Every few years at best I think

More colour changes on todays satellite pass. Joe Lake, Burnt island Lake, Big Trout Lake, Opeongo, Catfish, Lavieille, all showing obvious signs of ice melt...woohoo!



If nothing happens with the above url, hit 'refresh' on your browser, and the image will start downloading

Markus
Etobicoke, Onterry-airy-airy-Ohhh!

How about I just post a clip from the actual image...



Markus
Etobicoke, Onterry-airy-airy-Ohhh!

Relax!!! I refer you again to one of my posts.

My "spritual friends" (and not alcohol ones, but rather the supernatural ones), have guaranteed me the ice will be out on Rock Lake come April 25th.
AND THEY ARE NEVER WRONG FOR THEY DO KNOW SUCH THINGS!!!

Don't break the karma and get them upset at you and me.


Bo

Ya, its a fantastic site indeed!

I spoke with the guys at Langford this afternoon, and they told me they were able to paddle in portions of the perimeters of Lake of Bays (n areas around the west end of the park), and that parts of Cedar and Opeongo Lakes have given way to some good sized holes in the ice! Mostly ice still mind you, but less and less every day!!!!!

The Ottawa River in Petawawa is wide open! Although Pembroke still has ice on the river.

Col. HooT JVFS
www.jvfs.net

I just updated my blog (what can I say, the sun has set, and I don't have much else to do) and put some more information about the ice conditions in it.

Just for Barbara, I included Lake Simcoe, and was wondering how your visit to the lake was today?

My blog is at http://algonquincanoeing.blogspot.com/

Jeff

See? I told you guys there was no need to worry. LOL

Hyup, Lake Simcoe (Cooks Bay anyway) was OPEN WATER yesterday. I could see a pan of ice floating off in the distance. It's always interesting...the prevailing wind from the west usually carries the remaining ice over to the Keswick side, and you can often see it piled up on the shore over there.

The last, stubborn remnants of snow have finally melted. Took quite a while this year.

Thanks for including Lake Simcoe, Jeff.



Barbara

You're right, us "guys" shouldn't worry. So tell us, why are you not joining us for the opener? Sure web links are "high tech", but in my books always a source of great conversation!

FYI, Simcoe is now 75% ice free, and my father in, who has a sail boat in Pefawa (I know I'm spelling it wrong) is planning on putting his boat in his slip in in two weeks.

As for Algonquin, the ice is looking mighty grey, and areas along the perimeters of most lakes have opened up a fair amount. I don't know if this is late in terms of the season, but for the 25th, its fine by me.

Hope to see you in the park some time; I'd love to talk shop!

Jeff