Although there is still some tripping weather left this year the majority of us are back to school/work and done our Algonquin trips for the year. I thought it would be neet to have a "most memorable moments - 2009" thread.

For me it was a quadruple header - my first ever. In July we portaged into a lake for the day and became wind bound for most of the day. Evening was approaching and the wind started to die down enough to get started across the lake to portage back to our campsite. We wanted to put out the rods since we had been shore bound due to the wind for the entire day. With my wife, 2 kids (5&8 yrs old)and 7 month old pup we had a full canoe load. We stacked 2 rods on the down rigger and put out 2 rods on dipsy divers then road the white caps with the wind toward the portage. Just as I was about to call it a troll all 4 rods got strikes within a 10 second period. This meant that all hands were reeling in fish as I played the one on my rod with my knees keeping the canoe with the wind and riding the waves.
All 4 fish were boated without once feeling that the boat was unstable - A tribute to the sea legs of all involved. Even the dog cooperated and didn't rock the boat. Three nice trout and a good sized bass. The odd thing was that the bass was on the deepest rod on the downrigger.

While not an interior trip

The introduction of a friend and his wife to
the park (Lake of Two Rivers) allowed us to see
the most beautiful sky at Mews Lake full of
all 3000 visible stars will remain in my memory forever

That as well as the star cluster and rings of Jupiter viewed through
that monster telescope was fantastic!!





*Rac n*

That is impressive Chemist! On the other side.....as I was attempting to do some serious fishing on Harry lake in september....the line in my reel got so snarled up I had to start slashing and pulling to get it un snarled....by the time I got done, there was only enough line to fish shallow water....I however caught no fish...................................Most memorable was....the portage from
Florence lake to Louisa lake....as my wife and I were carrying our packs.....
as we started down the hill toward the gravel road.....a white tail buck came charging down the hill directly toward me with head down.....my wife who was behind me yelled "honey look out!" at that instant the deer did a 180 and ran back up the hill.....we just stood there looking at each other thinking...what just almost happened!

Just some buddies around a fire.

My most memorable event would be a negative one that ended OK. In the first week in May we were crossing the Bay on proulx lake from the Opeongo portage. When we left the portage the wind was calm but it soon became very gusty. I did not like the wind so I headed off to the left towards shore to go around the shore.The other 2 canoes stayed out in the middle.One canoe which was a new one and first time used went over. The other canoe took 5 minuits to get there and picked up 1 person and it took me 15 miuits to get there.By this time the wind was so bad that the person in the water had to hang on to the left side of the canoe just so that we could stear towards the point. On the lucky side 2 motor boats came along and picked up the person in the water from us and also the floating gear and get them to shore.We only lost 1 hat 1 rain coat and a set of wheels but if the motor boat had not come along I do not know if the person in thewater would have been able to hold on as after the motor boat picked up our swimmer it took us 10 minuits to get to shore. As it was the person was in the water for at least 25 min.It just proves that you always take the safest option if you can and do not take chances.

On the way back from the park in February my brother and I had a 100kph encounter with a deer.

He was driving and the deer was launched into orbit... The car behind us stopped to see if we were ok we gave the thumbs up.

The car wasn't, the rad popped and $5000 in damage later the car was fixed.

Walked 2 km to the top of a hill for cell service, called CAA they showed up 2 hours later. CAA driver called OPP because of the amount of damage. OPP from Haliburton showed up but had a drunk in the back seat (drunk was causing trouble at dogsled races in Haliburton). The officer was going to give him a ride home. One hour later OPP officer reappears and lets us go on our way.

Tow truck driver had to drive to Minden to switch the car from a lift truck to a flat bed for the long drive home.

Once on the flatbed we were on our way!

The car was to be dropped off at the Acura dealer in St. Catherines. 3KM before the off ramp the flatbed started skidding all over the QEW. Kudos to the flat bed driver for getting us to the shoulder safely. He contacted "CAA Niagara" who told him they would not tow us the rest of the way on my brothers membership because he was towed to Niagara by a non "CAA Niagara" truck.

Fortunately, I had a card and got us towed the rest of the way.

The new CAA truck showed up and hooked up the car.

*****I must add I felt bad for our original driver. He was very nice, polite, respectful, courteous. While we were at the side of the highway, he was trying to arrange for a replacement tire and rim but none of the local companies would accept cash during non business hours. I hope he didn't have to spend the night.. Cheap plug for 'Highland Towing' from Minden CAA contractor******

Anyway back to the story...

CAA Niagara truck comes, It is apparent immediately that the driver just finished smoking a reefer in the cab prior to picking us up. I am not against that sort of thing but not when you will be driving....

We get dropped off at the dealer and wait for our parent to pick us up..

Nine and a half hours later I am back home... Good thing the bar up the street is still open I need a beer!

My group of 3 (me, my good buddy, and my cousin) shared Nadine Lake with a family of loons, no one else, for a night and morning. Man, was that peaceful.

I love that photo Bryce, it turned out really well.

Being in the canoe with my friend when he caught a 5.5lb smallie in a Lake that will go unmentioned

Unforgettable!!

My most memorable event of the 2009 season was going on a canoe trip with just my wife and I. Also the first time I carried the canoe on every portage myself.

First, the entire 2009 season was the most memorable season for me. I spent a total of 22 nights in the Park which is a record in my canoeing career. I completed my first solo canoe trip which was a great experience and definitely has me committed to making it an annual event. I took my three sons on their first 'just boys' trip with their Dad, which proved to be an awesome experience and a wonderful trip. I took my boys and their cousin (a first timer) on a grand expedition down the Tim R. Sadly, it was the first summer in many that I did not spend a night in the Park with my wife, which also makes it memorable. We also set records for the number of moose we visited with.

If I had to choose from among those experiences I would have to choose the boys trip with my sons one of whom remarked just yesterday what a great summer he had had. Glad I was part of it.. truly memorable.

Far and away, my most memorable 2009 AP experience was the sight of Marcus, J-Wolf, Jeff P. and Jeffrey M. setting out from their campsite to rescue our wayward canoe as it drifted across Craig Lake. Then, the good cheer that evening gathered around the campfire with so many stalwart AA veterans, followed by a glorious sunny day with brother John on a Jeffrey M. inspired bushwack up BoPeep Creek.











Mark S.

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

Going for an inadvertent swim in Happy Isle Lake on May 2nd. Got ahead of ourselves and headed out into the water without really thinking things through, then got caught in cross-chop with wind squalls up to 70 kph.

For anyone who was in the park that early, it was the day that 6 foot swells turned Opeongo into a death trap.

Suffice to say, after performing an open-water "T-rescue", we got to shoreline, and with the help of friends I changed into warm clothing.

The next morning at first light, after performing a cursory trial of all digits and appendages, I bolted out of the tent screaming "I'm aliiiiiive!"

After 15 years and hundreds of nights out camping, that experience was a first. Hopefully, never again.

Going for an inadvertent swim in Happy Isle Lake on May 2nd. Got ahead of ourselves and headed out into the water without really thinking things through, then got caught in cross-chop with wind squalls up to 70 kph.

For anyone who was in the park that early, it was the day that 6 foot swells turned Opeongo into a death trap.

Suffice to say, after performing an open-water "T-rescue", we got to shoreline, and with the help of friends I changed into warm clothing.

The next morning at first light, after performing a cursory trial of all digits and appendages, I bolted out of the tent screaming "I'm aliiiiiive!" My camping buddies were not impressed. We continued on for a 7 day loop, and now I'm the butt of too many jokes about my canoeing prowess.

After 15 years and hundreds of nights out camping, that experience was a first. Hopefully, never again.

Of course, the most momentous memorable event of all in 2009 was the release of Jeffrey M.'s latest Algonquin map. An honest and true Canadian voyageur, Jeffrey is bushwacking his way through cyberspace, applying for the first time the extraoridnary potential of that new world to inform and enrich our understanding and experience of one the very special places on earth.



Mark S.

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

16 canoeing days
Solo 5 days

woke up in the night with some animal sounds in the camp. would here it a couple of time ...started to think it was a bear. got out of my hammock and made some noise and a chorus of howling like I never heard before all surrounding me. soon the howling ws at a distant and then a repeat at a further distant. Never been that close to a pack of wolves

That sounds awesome Chowdog!
I've been close to wolves once as well, the chill up my spine was fantastic. I never did see them.
I like the title Chemist has picked, "...events", 'cause I have more than one of them;

Meeting the Scarlett Brothers.
Winter trip to Fork Lake w/Mike B, Jeffrey M & Jeff P. Sean of Ajax dropped by and we got to meet Shawn of North Bay as well.
Shawn of North Bay's dehydrating threads was another cool event(Here on AA).
The release of Version two of both Jeffrey's online map and also the map in book form(again here on AA).
As a matter of fact every trip I had into APP is a 'memorable event'.
Can't say I had any bad trips this year, the closest I came was way WAY too much rain on a 10 day trip in June.

So although not all of the cool events(for me) didn't all happen in The Park, they were directly related to The Park.
Hoping to still do one more trip





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

Early fall lunch and a drink at WhitePartridge with my brother and sister
in memory of a recently departed brother who introduced both BoKnows and Racoon
to AlgonquinPark




Hoping Bo may again consider a spring WP Express trip
as he did fondly view the lake he so much has enjoyed in the past
when we wagoned in for farewell lunch/drink the past Sept 2009




Rac n

They were overrturned by a what they said was a meter-high wave while exploring the lake. We spotted them about 100 meters from shore with no canoe - I was overturned and barely breaking the surface of the water - with the rolling waves we couldn't see it. Towed the two guys in with their canoe, checked on their health status, recommendeded that they walk the canoe back to their campsite and proceeded on our way.

Getting to spend my 33rd with my gf Jen in early June and getting to share in her first moose sightings. 2010 though will be even better, a solo trip in the works for June and my honeymoon being a 3 day trip with Jen and then a stay at one of the lodges!

Raccoon/Bo - sorry to hear about your brother and I hope u fulfill your desire to reach WP in 2010.

• I'd have to say for me it would be witnessing my friend's first ever brookie (16" out of Merchant L), then his first ever fish (another brookie) on the fly, this one from the Pet River. He had a touch'n go battle with pneumonia that March and didn't know whether he'd see open water again - so it was good to be with him.
• Fun and games with the kids during our first trip to the Waterslides (between Stratton/High Falls lake)
• Heart-felt meeting with a fellow from Detroit on Magnetawan Lake and hearing his sad tale of luck with the law/life and his passion for the outdoors.
• Being caught in the kayak out in the middle of Big Crow Lake fighting 50-60 km/hr gusts and 5' swells from multiple directions in white-out conditions.

Hopefully 2010 season will be just as enjoyable.

2009 marked a number of Algonquin firsts for our family. It was our first extended back-country canoe trip without Big Red, our vintage 17' cedar-canvas prospector. Instead I rented a lightweight Kevlar. It didn't paddle as nice, but it sure was a lot easier to carry. Perhaps a purchase is in our future??

It was also the first time our boys, aged 5 & 7, carried their own packs containing sleeping bags and summer weight clothes. One portage was 3km and not a single complaint was uttered! This allowed us to once-through which is a key turning point. It makes the entire park open for future trip consideration. In the past, penetrating the deep interior (Hogan, Lavieille, Dickson) was only possible using the cart paths.

It was also the first time my sons trolled for, caught, and landed their own daily limits of lake trout without any assistance. Well, OK - I did paddle the canoe, manned the landing net, and cleaned the catch! Even my buddy Andy, who joined us from Ottawa, bagged his own first limit of trout. And for those reading this thinking "those folks are a bunch of fish killers", don't worry - take the number of fish you see in these pictures, multiply it by 4 and that's the number that were carefully released (we're teaching conservation too).

Yes indeed, 2009 was a very fine year in Algonquin!

Steve
Hamilton, ON

Bringing my youngest daughter and son, aged 9 and 7, to their first ever portaging trip into Algonquin. They enjoyed every minute and especialy the marshmallows and campfire.