My apologies for this trip report being from just outside of Algonquin Park but I hope it's of interest to some of you fellow AA winter campers. We tripped in the Haliburton Highlands Water Trails, which is not far from Algonquin.

This trip marks our 2nd in as many weeks. We came back to the same lake as our last trip but camped and explored a different portion of the lake. The lake crossing proved to be a completely different experience than our last trip due to the recent meltdown and massive rainfall this area received just a few days before we began our trip. We traveled nearly 2x-3x faster on the lake surface than our previous crossing. Overall, the trip would become one of our more memorable ones due to the amazing lake conditions and weather that we had. Daytime highs were in the -5Cs to -6Cs and the nighttime lows were in the high teens, with the coldest dipping to -20Cs.

Here are some pics:
Lake surface conditions have become icy and hard-packed since our last trip in this area. The 3ft of snow and slush that was present during our last trip has all melted and the slush bonded (frozen) to the lake ice.
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Ice cleats/studs are a must as we were walking on skating rink like conditions for more than half of the lake crossing. These STABLicers are the best ice-cleats on the market right now, providing sticky traction under the entire sole.
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Here's a cheap $5 solution to walking on ice. Emphasis on favoring the forestep is necessary to ensure constant traction.
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Here's one of two bass caught during our trip. These guys are off-season until June. We were actually targeting splake but didn't manage to find them. Anyway, this bass has to be the largest bass that I've ever set a hook onto.
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The silent bell hoping to be rung by splake trout known in this area.
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Here's our camp after setting up. A cold well was dug around the stove and walkway. Snowshoes were used as "flooring" where the snow gets unstable and icy from repeated traffic.
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My safe method of splitting wood using a hatchet. I use a hammer log to drive my hatchet, which is positioned so that the hatchet's handle parallels my body. With this splitting method, I avoid hacking myself (legs especially), which happened during a trip last summer.
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Our next day was spent fishing an interior lake. Action was very light but we didn't leave empty handed.
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The only catch of the day...a nice brook trout which was served up for dinner.
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The view that keeps you coming back.
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Tent interior candle lit.
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View of the stove's inside through the draft opening. One cannot appreciate enough the heat that you get from these red hot coals during a cold winter night.
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Hauling sleds on a bright sunny day!!! What more can you ask for.
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The rest of the pics are here: http://life-outside.smugmug.com/gallery/7395161_wYzNC/1

Thanks for looking and rid the winter blues by getting out there.

Hey Jake,
beauty pixs!

BUT ............................ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I really need to see some pictures of the Caribbean buddy!!!!


LOL!

Joan

Great report thanks for sharing! Quick question for ya....What kind of sleds are you using there? I bought a Canadian Tire sled last year that looks like those ones (I think its H20 or something like that...). Looks like you added some stability and stuff to yours. Can you share what you did and how the sleds worked for you?

Thanks!

Joan, -5Cs on a sunny day is like a day in the Carribean I'm sure (well with a few more layers).

Steve, we were using the H20 sleds (05 version). The only mods I did were:
* Adding eyebolts along the side for lashing on my gear and then running rope through the eyebolts along the length of the sled. I used some scrap wood pieces laid underneath the rim of the sled and washer screws to have something to screw the eyebold into rather than just the plastic.
* Adding anchor points at the front for hooking on a rope for your towing line.
* Towing line - start off w/ using ropes and see how you like it. I made a rigid towing set-up using 1" pvc water pipes with a rope running through it, which i find works well for us especially on hills so you don't get run over by your sled.

I can email u some detailed pics if you want. I lost your email tho.

That would be great! My email is: caselms@cogeco.ca


Thanks Jake! That's the exact sled I have and I've been thinking of ways to make it a bit more rigid around the edges and to make some lash-points

That photo taken at dusk is outstanding.

Hey Jake ....

Thanks for sharing. As always, great photos and practical info along with a nice story to boot.

2 trips in as many weeks, wow, how lucky.

Jeff P
http://algonquincanoeing.blogspot.com/

Great photos once again Jake!
Wish I had the time and money to get out more during the winter.




Mark Rubino
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler - Blog
Mark's Algonquin Park Sampler

http://www.ABRweb.ca .. Algonquin Backcountry Recreationalists - Caring for Algonquin's Backcountry

Thanks. Vacation time is not to be taken forgranted for sure.

It's funny having to explain to my colleagues a week of winter camping is actually a vacation retreat. While most people go South to find sun and sand, we head north looking for snow and ice :P

Steve, I'll send u some pics of my sled tonite.

Thanks for sharing Jkr. I've got to get out there winter camping! Nice brookie too!

SBA

Cool dood!
Thanks again Jake for getting my blood hot wanting more winter camping!

your wife is a keeper! Great that she love to winter camp with ya.

Yes that is one nice bass!

Cheers
Mike