Embedded some picts taken from a Eustache and Grand Lake area trip from the last week of Sept. Weather was typical of this entire season - wet and cool for the most part. Sadly no bear or wolf spotted/heard but had a grouse cross my path on the Eustache portage and a hawk (Goshawk i think) swoop down to within 10 feet of me on St Andrews. Ditto no pict excuse with a mink along the shoreline, I just watched it scramble around on the rocks. Mid-late fall is my fave tripping time and plan to revisit this area (Smith/Whitson lakes) end of October/early November. The colors in the AP imo are still a week or so away from peak.

Maple colors on Stratton Lake:


Oak leaf catching the light:


Maple awash in red colors:


Exposed driftwood on Stratton Lake:


Deadhead on St. Andrews lake one of many protruding or just hanging beneath the water line.  Note the old 'B' logos hammered in along the cut side indication of Booth logging company property?  Not sure when the last river log drive occurred here but these could be at least 80 years old.


Colorful moss-covered stump on Marie lake:


The campsite on St Andrews lake had a unique and druid-friendly bank of 7 very comfy stone 'chairs' propped up alongside the firepit.


Underside of a fallen maple leaf after one of the many rainshowers.


Jackpine cone:


Eustache lake cliffs if u look closely u can see 2-3 centurions/Spartan helmets in the rockfaces:
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Junco (I think - not the best with bird ID) on St. Andrews lake:


Loon on St. Andrews, one of a pair still inhabiting the lake. 


Four female mergansers on St. Andrews lake:


A very lucky little chippie at the St. Andrews lake campsite. It survived a swooping hawk attack minutes before this picture was taken. Here it is too petrified to move after its close call it stayed prone that way until I took the picture, lol. I witnessed the hawk everyday during my stay it nested nearby and continually scanned the rocky shorelines for rodent meals. 

One of two very persistent white footed mice who came out at dusk in search of scaps around firepit/eating area at the St Andrews lake campsite.


A Meadowhawk dragonfly:


Red Fox hanging out at the Sand Lake gate office.   Likely the same on Markus saw earlier this year, these picts taken at nite.


I had heard about this fox from the attendant at the office they had already relocated it twice earlier this summer (released it @ Traverse) but it continued to come back. Poor little fellow, it was a young male.


School of Fallfish + a few dace swimming in the clear shoreline waters of Eustache lake. 


A small 19 Lake trout from Eustache one of two caught in the evening (the other was released).  This one had to be kept on account of the bleeding gills.  It would be the last charr I caught of the season, which closed Sept 30th in AP.


A look south down St Andrews lake.


View north-west on Eustache lake:


View looking west on Grand lake Sept 30th (out day).   Winds were a steady 20 km/hr with gusts up to 30km/hr in front of driving rain (with some ice pellets) showers.

Great pics. SM. You know your flora and fauna quite well.
We stayed on that site on St. Andrews Lake about 8 years ago. The stone seats were there then and we set up a tarp like you did because of the rains.

Thanks for sharing.
Stainless

Wonderful images. Keep them coming!!!

burkg

Hi Stainless,

That druid-ish site on St. Andrews was something I must admit - eight years ago eh - amazing. One of the end seats had collapsed and was in disrepair but I propped and leveled her up as best I could. Those rocks are dang heavy! The tarp covered 90% of the seating area including 100% of the firepit, so it was very comfy - especially on those cold, wet and windy days.

Behind that site were a handful of pink lady slipper orchids in seed:


but very few mushrooms I could find - likely due to the thin soil and rocky nature of the sight and surrounding forest:


Saw this bullfrog one nite - the largest I've seen this year:


and of course the ubiquitus toad:

Hi SM,

Great pics again. Loved the cliff shot on Eustache Lake. As "burkg" mentioned, keep'em coming!
Cheers



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