Headed back to last year’s discovery, Rock Lake in Algonquin Park, for the better part a week. This year we avoided the sardine can section, and reserved in the non-electrical area a little further down the lake.
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| this is what perfect looks like |
Our site is right on the water, with partial shade and a ton of solar potential. Right across from us was Ian & Karen and their Alto 1713. A water view is hard to beat and with the weather hot and humid, being steps away from the water was a fabulous way to refresh and perk ourselves up again. After setting up we had a simple corn chowder and pan roll dinner, with mini blueberry pies and ice cream finishing the meal. Afterwards we loaded up the Solo Stove and got a nice fire going.
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| fabulous moonlight...and shadowy mallards |
Monday was full of activity. We went for a nice paddle down to the big rock, then island hopped across the lake and made our way back along our side of the shoreline.
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| nice calm day to get up close to the rock wall |
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| Ian, Karen and me |
Beached the kayaks right at our site and immediately went in for a swim. It does not get better than that!
Chris & Jen, fellow Alto owners, were camping a short distance away at Lake of Two Rivers, so it was a given that they come over for a visit and dinner. The six of us had a great time, with lots of laughs and chatter. Pizza on the Q with caesar salad kept our hunger at bay. A perfect setting for a very mini Alto get together. A big day, so sleep came early and fast.
Another beautiful day Tuesday, so the boats once again went on a voyage, this time north through the connecting river into Whitefish Lake.
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| Whitefish Lake...classic pine |
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| got surprisingly close to this guy |
We circled almost the entire lake, and on the way back, stopped at the sandy edge of the old railway bridge to have a cooling swim, energizing us for the final stretch home.
A bunch of teenagers were all lined up on the trestle bridge, taking turns jumping into the river below. Classic summer fun. A fabulous paddle, and another refreshing swim before a cold beer cooled the insides.
It was cool Wednesday morning, heavy overcast clouds hanging low over the water. After a few hot humid days, this was a welcome change. Short lived though, as by 10:00am the clouds disappeared and another hot sunny day was starting up again. Not wanting another day on the water, we headed out on our foldy bikes to ride the Old Railway Bike Trail that runs from Rock Lake up to Cache Lake. The trail runs over the railway bridge, along the edge of Whitefish Lake, and then connects to Pog Lake, Lake of Two Rivers, Mew Lake, and then Cache Lake. The entire trail is 16 klm long, and is good for biking, with only a few rocky and sandy areas to negotiate. On a foldy, which skitters on the best days, trail quality is important. It was a nice ride, and gave us the opportunity to check out the campsites at Pog Lake.
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| not much left of an old rail trestle |
At our site we got lot of afternoon sun, and being a non-electrical site, our new portable solar panels once again came in handy. During setting up we positioned our Alto in as much shade as we could, and were relying on the portable panels to do most of the recharging. I’ve become a huge convert to the supplemental efficiencies of portable panels. They can vastly expand the solar gathering abilities of the Alto, and gives more options to position the camper in some shade.
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| super handy to have |
A relaxing day Thursday…a bit of a bike ride and a couple of swims was about the sum of it. Later in the afternoon we started to pack away a few things as we were heading home on Friday. Karen made a tasty dinner of curry chicken with rice and salad, and to top it off, we devoured more of her yummy rice crispy squares and date squares for dessert.
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| chillin' |
We watched the stars appear in the darkening sky while enjoying another nice fire.
Broke camp in the morning, and on the way out of the park we stopped at the Visitor Centre which is situated on a ridge overlooking a vast swath of parkland. The Centre has all sorts of displays explaining the history of the park, along with all the flora and fauna to be discovered. It also has a well stocked bookstore, with gift items and maps…an excellent resource for campers in Algonquin Park.
We had great week of camping, with lots of exploration, laughs and conversation. At times the weather was hot and humid but it inspired us to go in for more swims, which is always a good thing.
We’ll be back for sure.
Louise and I rode that railway trail a few times while we were there last year. Just about 25Km round trip. It was a great way to ride without cars. It sounds like you also had fun. Louise had to stop at the Lake of Two rivers shop and get a huge ice cream cone to thank herself for finishing!
ReplyDeleteAn ice cream cone would be a well deserved reward after a long peddle.
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