Good morning everyone,

This is my first time posting on this forum and I hope someone can give me some good advice. I am planning a two week trip to Algonquin sometime after May or 2009 and I will be hiking the entire time. I have camped my whole life and have done a few four day hiking trips through Algonquin.

If anyone has done anything like this I would really appreciate some advice and guidance.
When is the best time to go? (I know May must be heavy black flie season but is it so bad it's unenjoyable?)
Do I have to move camp everyday or can I stay in some spots more then one night?
Are dehydrated foods my best choice for this length of time?
Anything else you would reccommend?

Thanks for your help,

Paul

Well, this spring when I did my 31 day trip we didn't have any bugs until the start of June, but I've been told that's late. In terms of the bugs... I find mosquitos worse than blackflies, but regardless, when you're essentially portaging all day you won't get a whole lot of opportunities to get away from them. I could imagine that if you go in prime bug season you'd be a little pissed by the end, but that's just a guess. It's all about weighing your urge for solitude vs. your temper for bugs.

I wouldn't move every day, but that's just me....

Freeze dried foods are great for trips like these; that's almost all I use. Do realize though that the tastiness of freeze-dried food depends on the brand.

Jeff

I can't imagine two weeks of nothing but portaging. LOL

If you dehydrate your own food, that would logically be the best way to go. You're going to be carrying it around a lot.

I don't think there is any requirement to move every day, when it comes to the backpacking trails in Algonquin. What you would do with your time for more than one day without a canoe, I have no idea.

You have the Backpacking Map?
http://store.algonquinpark.on.ca/cgi/algonquinpark/00023.html

There are some backpacking trip reports linked to here on AA, under the "Trails" tab, on the left side "interior".

Can you really spend two weeks backpacking in Algonquin? Would this involve hiking all 3 trails?
http://www.algonquinpark.on.ca/mustrails/backpack.html

As for bugs, it depends on which ones bother you the most. For me, it's the blackflies. I swell up something fierce when I've been chewed by them. And the deerflies...argh, painful.

Headnets? For the entire time you're hiking, I would imagine that would be rather tiresome.

But if you go early enough, before the bugs come out, it's really kinda neat. You can see a lot farther, because there are no leaves on trees or shrubbery to block your view. Lots more little streams are more easily discovered.



Barbara

Are there 2 weeks worth of interior trails in APP? I haven't looked at the hiking trails there in years. Last I saw there were 2 or 3 loops one could do.

My suggestion is to go to Frontenac. I think they have a better network of trails for a long trip.

2 weeks! Sounds like 20# of dehydrated food. Plus you'll want to account for the increased potential for something to go wrong. Extra gear/clothing.

Why hike? 2 weeks can get you across the park at a leisurely pace in a canoe.

Paul,

I cannot speak to the amount of hiking or the regulations regarding multiple nights on a single site but I would expect that if layovers are permitted, you could easily occupy yourself with plenty of activity and minimize the physical impact such a long trip would have.

As far as bugs go, we've been interior tripping in the central portion of the park for many years in May and find the bugs generally non-existent until the third week. Sometimes you'll hit a pocket of conditions ripe for bugs and they'll come out a little early in certain areas but usually they're intermittent at worst during this time. After the third week you'll start to see more and by early June they begin to come out with more focus on feeding. I would certainly include repellant, a headnet and your clothing requirements will have to include preparations for conditions below freezing so the only real exposed area will likely be your hands and face. If the bugs are bad in the morning or evening we usually just toss some damp wood on the fire to make it a little more smoky to keep the bugs at bay and it works like a charm.

If you fish, I would strongly recommend you pack a small, ultralight fishing rod, spinners and worms since you'll be able to find some pristine speckled trout fishing in some of the small streams and lakes you'll run into. This will also allow you to lighten your load by a meal or two, assuming you're successful.

I am envious of your ability to fit in a trip like this and will have to wait until my kids are off to college to do something like this...let's see...that's another six or seven years and I'll be 47. Man, that's old! Best of luck to you and enjoy!

Barbara: I hear you Barbara; me and Andrew did 8 days on the backpacking trail a few years back.. never again! Canoeing all the way.

Preacher: The amount of trail needed for 14 days varies based on how much one wants to travel and how much they want to explore.

PaPaddler: The rules are the same as they are for canoeing; 16 days max per site, 24 days per trip.

Jeffrey

The last time I looked at the hiking maps there weren't many options. Just a few loops. Didn't look like any exploring trails, you're just on the loop or bushwacking. Has this changed?

Sure there are lots of day-hike options, but if you're on a hiking loop you'd have to pack out and get back to the car?

I more meant bushwacking/exploring...