EXCURSION: Ontario Provincial Parks - Algonquin/Chutes/Pancake Bay/Lake Superior/Killarney

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CAMP ONE

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Day(s) 01-03 / Sept 08-10 

The Drive: BASECAMP > Algonquin PP, Pog Lake/Kearney Lake Campground 

Site: K119

Pros - We're in the tenting section, a drycamp, overlooks a nearby water access, privacy fair, morning shade & afternoon sun, good solar gain, internet strong, good firepit for cooking and campfires, picnic table.

Cons - Previous campers have been using the bush area behind as a latrine, even though, several nearby outhouses are available.🤔

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01: We've been looking forward to this road-trip, since returning from our June > July EXPEDITION 51° trip; we'll visit a few of our favourite Ontario parks. The colours north of Belleville, were 'just' beginning to blossom and continued to Whitney, gateway to Algonquin. We haven't been here since 2020; we're overdue.

We passed Lake St Peter, along our way (southeast of 'The Park'). This place is memorable for us, because we spent a night of our honeymoon, 52 years ago, in one of their cabins. At that time, bed linens were a $2 upcharge, but once the owners realized it was our honeymoon, we were upgraded - no charge. Our family enjoyed many camping trips to Kearney Lake CG. We began our family adventures in ... small, leaky, canvas wall (parents) & pup (kids) tents and graduated to canvas-sided tent campers. 

Algonquin Provincial Park is CANADA's first provincial park and a Canadian National Historic Site.

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02: Rain began early morning and by 6:30 am was steady. It's cool this morning, the cabin windows are cracked to allow the fresh, aromatic forest air in. Rained most of the day, sometimes heavy; so, we moved indoors😀 to ...

The Algonquin Park Art Centre - wish I could afford some of the works; in particular the oil paintings of David Grieve. 

The Algonquin Park Visitor Centre is hosting a display that features the role of 'Rangers' in the Parks' history.. I worked as a canoe ranger in Algonquin, for four seasons in the early 1970's, and was proud to have been a 'Borrowman Bandit'. 

Borrowman's Bandits

                                                                            I was paired with Gilles MacKay

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03: Some easy walks & hikes today at the Algonquin Park Logging Museum and along the Spruce Boardwalk Trail. We've been on each of these trails many times. We've tried to photograph details at the logging museum we may have missed at other times and in the case of the spruce bog trail we concentrated on some of the flora in their final stages.

Here are some of those photos:

Door hinge

Shanty roof

Hammered iron joinery spike

Inside an Alligator

Sambucus racemosa, a cluster of red and pink ripening berries with smooth, opposite green leaves, is a species of viburnum or red elderberry. (Wikipedia)

 

Eastern Destroying Angel is a stark white, highly toxic mushroom found commonly in Ontario's deciduous and mixed forests. It contains powerful amatoxins that destroy liver and kidney cells. Ingesting even half a cap can be fatal to an adult.(Wikipedia)

Amanita flavoconia, (commonly known as yellow patches, yellow wart, orange amanita, yellow-dust amanita or the American yellow dust amanita,)is a species of mushroom in the family Amanitaceae. It has an orangish-yellow cap with yellowish-orange patches or warts, a yellowish-orange annulus, and a white to orange stem. Common and widespread throughout eastern North America, it grows on the ground in broad-leaved and mixed forests, especially in mycorrhizal association with hemlock. The edibility of this mushroom is unknown.(Wikipedia) 

A member of the Rusulla family, it is probably Rusulla Emetica (also known as the sickener or vomiting rusulla.) The mushroom's common names refer to the gastrointestinal distress which it causes when consumed raw. The flesh is extremely peppery, but this offensive taste, along with its toxicity, can be removed by parboiling or pickling. Although it used to be widely eaten in Russia and eastern European countries, it is generally not recommended for consumption.(Wikipedia) 

Russula brevipes is a species of mushroom commonly known as the short-stemmed russula or the stubby brittlegill. The fruit bodies are white and large, with convex to funnel-shaped caps measuring 7–30 cm (3–12 in) wide set atop a thick stipe up to 8 cm (3 in) long. Although edible, the mushrooms have a bland or bitter flavor.(Wikipedia) 

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CAMP TWO

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Day(s) 04-05 / Sept 11-12 

The Drive: Kearney Lake Campground > Canisbay Lake CG, Algonquin PP

Site: 97

Pros - Tenting area, drycamp, in the hardwoods, partial shade, firepit & table. 

Cons - Privacy is fair only.

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04: Hardwood Lookout & Ragged Falls trails today, both mostly easy, short hiking trails with moderately steep grade sections. The trails begin to get crowded early in the day this time of year; colours are just starting. 

Along the trails ...

Hardwood Lookout

Nurse stump

Last ledge just above Ragged Falls

Climacodon septentrionalis, (commonly known as the northern tooth fungus or the white rot fungus), is a species of shelf fungus in the phylum Basidiomycota.It is white in color and can be found in large clusters on the trunks of trees. This species is a plant pathogen native to North America. (Wikipedia)

Just once, I'd like to catch one of these arseholes 'in the act'! 

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05: Lookout & Whiskey Rapids trails today, both moderate. Lookout has some steep grades at the beginning, smoothes out at the high point then, descendes gradually until near the end when it is moderately steep with loose gravel for several 100 feet. Whiskey Rapids has short sections of rooty, moderately steep grade at beginning and end.

Several quite large glacial erratics along this trail.

Lake of Two Rivers, in the distance.

A milk cap, but you can not tell for sure which one unless you break it and see the milk run. It is either a Golden milk cap, that has white milk which turns slightly yellow. Saffron milk cap - If injured or sliced, it exudes a bright carrot-orange milk that slowly stains dark green over time. Or a false saffron milk cap - Its carrot-orange flesh and milk turn deep green almost immediately when bruised or cut. (Wikipedia)

Hobblebush - a native understory shrub incredibly common throughout Algonquin Provincial Park. It is well known for being among the very first shrubs to signal the start of autumn on the forest floor. During late summer and early autumn, its green foliage transitions into deep, watercolor-like patterns of bronze-red, magenta, and rich purple. The common name "Hobblebush" comes from its low, pendulous branches that droop down and easily take root where they touch the forest floor, acting like a natural tripwire to "hobble" hikers or travelers walking off the trail. (Wikipedia)

A fly-fisher works the rapid.

UPDATE: The following was posted 9/21/2006; 09 days AFTER we left Algonquin ... feeling🙄

Source: Ontario Tourism

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CAMP THREE

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Day o6 / Sept 13

The Drive: Canisbay CG > Chutes Provincial Park, Massey. 

A long drive today (for us 😀); over 400 kms. Good, divided highway; much of the way. Not much traffic. At camp early afternoon. No photos.

Site: 94

Pros - Tenting area, drycamp, radio & dog-free zone, firepit & table.

Cons - Privacy is fair only, neighbours to either side.

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CAMP FOUR

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Day o7 / Sept 14

The Drive: Chutes Provincial Park > Comfort Inn, Sault Sainte Marie

A 200+ km drive, some rig maintenance supply, 1 propane tank filled - almost empty, settled into our room by 3:30 pm, full grooming for our 10 day stay at 2 campgrounds on Lake Superior. No photos.

Site: Room 224

Pros - Drycamp, handy to grocery and most other supply, a favourite restaurant (Giovannis) is nearby.

Cons - Situated along a busy commercial street, hotel is under an extensive renovation.

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CAMP FIVE

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Day(s) o8-10 / Sept 15-17

The Drive: Comfort Inn > Pancake Bay Provincial Park, Batchawana Bay

Stock Photo

Rain overnight and throughout much of the morning and early afternoon. We'll be in this area for 11 nights (3 here, 8 Agawa Bay). Grocery selection is not great so we stocked up with as many essential items as we could, before leaving The Soo.

Site: 467

Pros - Tenting area, a drycamp, an almost waterfront (site is tucked behind a dune), table & firepit, good internet.

Our view in front of the dune.

Cons - This campground is near the highway, so traffic noise can be noticeable. Small site but decent privacy from most neighbouring sites.

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08: A relaxing campfire ... the rain stopped, still a chill in the air, a couple of goblets of wine and an early evening this day.

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09-10: We sorted the Mopeka propane tank sensors; (bonus: useage is given as a %), enjoyed a buncha' 'slowwww - beach walking; (Pancake Bay has 3.2 to 3.5 kms of sandy beach), tasty - grilled cheese (mozza & blue, multi-grain bun) on the campfire one evening. 

 Some of our photos ...

SKY

LAND

WATER

SKY - WATER - LAND

Spotted Knapweed, pretty but NOT GOOD. While its bright purple, thistle-like appearance can look like a striking wild flower alongside the trails of Pancake Bay Provincial Park, it is actually a highly aggressive, non-native invasive species across Ontario. Its root system releases toxins into the soil that actively stunt and kill off surrounding native grasses and vegetation. This allows it to rapidly take over disturbed pathways, sandy beaches, and dunes.

Pearly Everlasting, It is an incredibly tough plant that thrives in full sun and dry, sandy, or gravelly soils. It is commonly found along shorelines, rocky trails, clearings, and roadsides throughout the Algoma District. It serves as a vital host plant for the caterpillars of the American Lady and Painted Lady butterflies.(Wikipedia)

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CAMP SIX

A Favourite Campground

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Day(s) 11-18 / Sept 18-25

The Drive: Pancake Bay PP, Batchawana Bay > Agawa Bay Campground, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Wawa

Cool morning, first day. We re-met the Swiss/UK couple that we first met at St. Marys Harbour in Newfoundland on our EXPEDITION 51° trip earlier this year; they are on their way back to Europe and will sail out of Halifax. We will be on 3 different sites while here.

We've agreed, the only way for us to stay here, would be on a waterfront site; we've also decided there are are only a couple that would not suit us. The sites, along the back rows are just too close to the trans-Canada, are too shaded and seem to be quite noisy; and, campers there have difficult access to the waterfront.

Site(s): 236 (1 night), 235 (6 nights), 344 (1 night)

Site 235

Pros - Site 236 is a drycamp and across from the water and just behind site 235, which we will move to tomorrow. Beautiful waterfront views at 235. Very good internet. Site 344 is also a drycamp, easy drive into, this end of the campground seems to get less traffic, so that 'could?' be a bonus.

Cons - Privacy is poor; our first 2 sites were next to the road, 236 is a small site but 235 is a better size for us, both sites are near a walking path and a shared outhouse. Fair solar gain (236 & 235); shaded sites. Site 344 has poor solar and the least private of the 3 waterfront sites we stayed at this trip. We marked 142 as a preferred site for next trip here.

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Our Stay

Lake Superior Provincial Park, is a Dark Sky Preserve. This is another 3 km beach. We were able to do a fair bit of easy, beach walking and combing ... good variety of stones, driftwood selection not great. 0C one morning; we've been using the furnace a bit and our 300 ah battery dropped down to 59% that 0C morning but built back up to 86% by early evening, thanks to a trip into Wawa for supplies (tanks dumped, fuel, groceries, firewood,  LiCkBO (GPS pron.),  fresh water) and lunch out at Kinniwabi Pines Resort. Agawa Bay also marks the end of the Coastal Backpackingcoastal Trail.

Photo: We witnessed backpackers walking through the campground past the 'formal' trailhead (of the coastal trail (near the visitor center)) and follow a short section of 'unmarked' trail that appears to be an informal ending terminating at a rocky outcrop overlooking another view of Lake Superior.

Just an old nurse log ...

 

Lake Superior rock-hounding ...

Filtered evening light ...

Sunset

Sunrise ... following morning 6:30 am

White-crowned sparrow

Photos (above & below) at the end of the Lake Superior Coastal Backpacking Trail

 

A horned spanworm moth (Nematocampa resistaria), also known as the ancient map moth, resting on textured tree bark. (Wikipedia)

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CAMP SEVEN

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Day 19 / Sept 26

The Drive: Agawa Bay CG, Wawa > Fairfield Mariot Inn, Sault Saint Marie

Relaxing drive, less than 150 kms, good highway, minimal traffic, beautiful views, Autumn colours are reaching 50% in places. No photos.

Site: Room 210

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CAMP EIGHT

A Symphony of Generators!

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Day(s) 20-21 / Sept 27-28

The Drive: Sault Saint Marie > Killarney Provincial Park, Killarney

The Autumn colours are definitely at 50% plus. The 60+ km drive in off the highway, is on an ashphalt road in quite poor condition and dead ends another 20 kms past the park at the village of Killarney. The return trip is 160+ kms if you visit the townsite. No photos.

Site: 151

Pros - Drycamp

Cons - Small site, located near a busy road intersection (no speed limit observed), very poor privacy, noisy, poor solar

We were here most recently in 2021. We did stay here years ago (1992) and canoe tripped then. I backpacked the La Cloche-Silhouette Trail. (see link to that 2002 adventure). The actual campground has changed quite a bit in terms of noise levels allowed and their does appear to be a 'new' generation of car campers with a different camping etiquette. We probably won't return.

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CAMP NINE

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Day 22 / Sept 29

The Drive: Killarney > Casino Rama, Rama 

Site: We're drycamped in the casino parking lot. It's permitted by casino rules, quiet, supervised area. No photos.

Nice drive today, good roads, moderate traffic.

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BASECAMP

Day 23 / Sept 30

The Drive: Rama > BASECAMP

We had great weather this trip. Only one day with moderate rainfall while we were in Algonquin, warm days and cool nights. 

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LOAF

"Driven spiritedly and Parked in good condition."

FUEL 

Used: 626.9 litres

Fills: Not tracked

Low/Average/High: Not tracked

ECONOMY

Lifetime: 188052.8 kms = 23.8 litres / 100 kms

This Trip: 2622.6 kms = 23.9 litres / 100 kms

Difference: +0.1 litres / 100 kms

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GLOSSARY

BACKCOUNTRY: Used as a post label.

boondocking: refers to camping off-grid in remote or undeveloped areas without access to utility hookups (electricity, running water, or sewer). Also known as dispersed camping, it relies entirely on your vehicle’s onboard resources.

dry parking: No services, a designated parking spot or in a formal lot, probably near a road (or highway) or in a town, could be paved, usually noisy. Not very different than moochdocking other than you haven't met who owns the parking spot you're in. Some may call this dry camping; it's not.

erratic: in geology, an erratic is a piece of rock that differs significantly from the native bedrock of the area in which it is found. Transported and deposited by ancient glaciers, they range from small pebbles to massive boulders and help geologists map prehistoric ice-flow paths and glacier retreats.

DOWN UNDER: Used as a post label.

EXCURSION: Used as a post label. A short road trip or journey.

EXPEDITION: Used as a post label. An extended, self-sustained road trip lasting 6 to 8 weeks or more, is most accurately called an overlanding expedition or an extended overlanding trip.

extreme points: in geography, it refers to the location or region extending furthest outward on a map, such as the northernmost, southernmost, easternmost, or westernmost points of land on Earth.

moochdocking: Moochdocking is RV slang for parking your recreational vehicle on a friend or family member's property—usually a driveway or yard—and staying for free.

OLD CONTINENT: Used as a post label.

POLAR: Used as a post label.

portal axle: a portal axle is an off-road drivetrain and suspension technology where the axle tube is positioned above the center of the wheel hub. Power is transferred to each wheel through a drop-gear assembly, significantly increasing ground clearance and providing built-in gear reduction.

toad: an RV toad (short for "towed" vehicle) is a car towed behind a motorhome. It provides local transportation once you reach a destination, offering freedom from the campsite without packing up your RV. Towing methods include flat towing (all four wheels down) or using a dolly/trailer.

TROPICAL: Used as a post label.

tuckamore: is a Newfoundland term for stunted, deformed evergreen trees (mostly spruce) that grow almost sideways, clinging close to the ground to survive severe coastal winds. (photos above & below)

wet weight/fully-loaded: wet weight, refers to the vehicle's total mass including standard equipment, permanently mounted accessories, and all essential operational fluids (such as engine oil, coolant, and a full tank of fuel). It is essentially the vehicle's "driveable" weight. Adding passengers and cargo is considered, 'fully-loaded'.

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" Travel will be Enriching and Joyful; we promise. "

We're  LOAFin Around ... you're welcome to follow along.

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