I found this website and thought it was most interesting. Three swimmers, aided by five experienced backcountry support crew, will be the first to swim across Algonquin Park, covering 25 lakes in 7 days, and over 60 kilometers of wild backcountry to support Toronto Wildlife Centre. Starting July 25th.

http://swimforthewild.com/

I will admit, I was enjoying a few frosty brews tonight. I wondered if anyone had ever swam across the park. I looked it up and this was the first hit on google.

Hope they bring lots of salt.

It would be nice if they indicated their route, and the lakes they planned to swim.

Agreed. It said they will start at the most westerly end of Hwy 60 and end in Whitney. Hopefully they will not try to swim the Whiskey Rapids.

Cool. I hope they bring lots of salt.

It took more than a few minutes for me to get the salt reference. At first, my weak brain banged against the seeming non sequitur, so I gave up and looked at the link. I wondered what a trip like that might be like, and thought back to some of the lakes I have enjoyed in the park. I remember getting a coupla leeches between my toes on Shall Lake, and thought, jeez, those leeches are nasty. They better bring lots of...

OK, I think I get it now.

my weak brain thought that he meant salt in order to replenish the swimmers bodies from sweating, but I think that the leaches make more sense

Jim from Niagara

Hi

The swim is a good gesture and will really help out the centre but more has to be done and we have to all spread the word. I have been joining groups on Facebook and telling people. It's not much but if everybody took 5 minutes out of their day to email the web site link to friends and family, we can turn this into a huge success.

My Park BEEFS !!!!

I have been on two trips to Algonquin this spring and everybody we saw at the portages had cans of beer. That has to stop. You can buy beer in plastic bottles. Two year ago I filled 2 large garbage bags with bottles, cans and junk. It was 50 pounds of garbage just from two campsites on Opeongo Island. Please, if you can, try to pick up and pack out garbage that other people have left if you can. This year we did find a few cans and emty propane bottles. July and August is usually when I collect the most garbage.

We need to ban steel wire fishing line. Every year myself and my fishing buddies pull up 1000's of feet of steel wire off the bottom of the lakes or it's left on the shore in front of the campsites. Fish, diving birds and animals get caught in it and die. They ban steel cans, why not wire. I did contact park biologist. The park biologist does not spend half the summer fishing 50 to 70 feet deep like I do so they never see the big coils of wire thus they ignored me. This is stainless steel lead-core line. It puts lead into the water and can sit on bottom for over 30 years without any rust. Using steel wire is a terribe way to fish for trout anyway.

We also need to ban barbs on hooks. I catch too many trout with their faces ripped apart from people not properly holding the fish or using mesh nets when they attempt to take the hooks out. I think Ontario and Quebec are the only provinces that allow barbs. I think special consideration should be made for the parks in Ontario. If you are fishing for food, let un-injured fish go and eat the injured ones.

Finally, next time you buy a stove or lamp etc..etc.. please buy one that uses Naptha fuel. Naptha burns hotter, cooks your food 3 times faster and the lights are much brighter. A small can of Naptha can last weeks. The green propane bottles have to stop coming into the park. You would have to go through 40 bottles of propane for the same energy as 1 can of Naptha. Too many people are throwing the bottles in the bush because the park does not recyle them anymore.

Thanks for listening
Gary

To confirm Stainless steel line and lead core are two separate things.

Not that it has anything to do with swimming the lakes - however...
I don't see many people fishing with steel or lead core line. I expect that the majority of that snagged and found has been there for some time. It really doesnt decay so once it is there it will stay untill somebody packs it out.

bingo

Hi,

I've just found this thread, and, as the founder and one of the swimmers in Swim for the Wild, wanted to thank you all for your kind words about the event, and try to answer some of your questions and concerns.

As for the route- We'll be starting at that little unmaintained portage that connects the 60 to teeny Park Lake. I won't list all 25 lakes, but our nighttime stopovers, if you wanted a sense of what this will be shaped like are: Hilly Lake, Ragged Lake, Big Porcupine, North Grace Lake, Lake Louisa, Galeairy. We'll be coming out of Galeairy at Whitney (Access point 13 on the canoe map).

While the south is pretty mucky, I chose this route as it's surprisingly difficult to find a route across the park in the Central part of the park, and the northern crossing would have been beyond the number of days we had to do it...

As for salt, we're bringing tonnes! My tripping partner developed sepsis last fall after a leech removal went wrong, and ended up in the Huntsville hospital for 4 days on an IV drip, so we aren't taking any chances!

Again, it's nice to see this kind of interest out there. If you guys could take a minute and forward this on to folks you think might also be interested, it would be greatly appreciated. We are doing all of this for a great cause, too, so please consider sponsoring us. Or, if you know of a business or company that might be interested, pass the info on to them! Algonquin Outfitters has very kindly offered gear and logistical support, already!

As well, since you all seem to be paddlers, we are still in need of one support boat. If you have a few days to spare this summer, please contact me!

Thanks again,

Kim Valenta

Hello Kim,

I am an avid swimmer and triathlete (doing my first Iron man this September in fact). I have always been looking for a way to add an endurance element to my Algonquin trips and your Swim for the wild
really hits me where I live. What a great idea.

I may be interested in taking part, but first, I have some questions if you don't mind.


-Will the swimmers be taking turns or both doing the full distance?
-Are you wearing a wetsuit?
-How many support staff are you bringing and do any of them have medical training?

Thanks for your time and I look forward to your response.


Jim

http://www.algonquintrips.blogspot.com

Hi Jim,
Thanks for the interest! I've gone ahead and sent you an email with the details...
Kim

The swim starts tomorrow. Good luck!!!!