Almost Algonquin

September 7th and 8th:

Joel and I decided that we would get to Algonquin for a few days (a long weekend) at least once this year. We were unsure of whether we could do an overnight canoe trip, so in the end decided to rent a canoe for one day of canoeing (without camping), followed by a day of biking. That way, we didn’t need to get the canoe on the car, and we could easily put the bikes on.

So we started off north on the day after Labour Day, with me picking Joel up, and then driving to our usual hotel in Huntsville. Traffic was easy going north, so we made good time. Got to Huntsville for a late lunch, charged the car, and checked into the hotel. They remembered us, and gave us our preferred room, which was big enough to keep the bikes inside at night. A good supper was had at Tall Pines restaurant, and then to bed. The next day, we decided, would be the canoeing day. I was really looking forward to it.

Wednesday began cool and sunny. Our breakfast spot was closed, so we went to what had been Louis’ Too for a usual meat and eggs meal, before heading out of town to the Algonquin Outfitters store at Oxtongue Lake. 

Here we were going to rent a cedar-strip, canvas-covered canoe much like the one we own. And, I must say, Algonquin Outfitters was great. They were having a quieter day, so they helped us by taking the canoe down to the dock, putting our gear into it, then helping us get in. What a beautiful canoe! But, unlike ours, this one did not have a keel, so it was tippy. And we had no heavy packs in the bottom to give it ballast. I was in stern, and was anxious. But we were both pleased to be back on the water, and headed off on our way around the point to Ragged Falls (about an hour’s paddle). Fortunately for us, the lake was pretty calm, so the paddling was fairly easy. We went under the highway bridge, around the point with many cottages on it, and up the river to where the falls are situated. 

Like the rest of Southern Ontario, this area has been very dry this summer, and the falls were just a trickle (which barely shows up in the picture). But it was good to get to that point. I was tired—much more then I thought I would be—and we had decided to have our lunch near there. About 100 metres back from the falls was a portage, so we stopped there to eat. Fortunately for us, there was another couple there, who helped us to land the canoe and get out; we were both tired and awkward.

This couple was an older (ie, in their 60’s) couple who had been canoeing for most of their adult lives, and had been all over the place. We had a wonderful conversation with them, comparing notes and ideas. Lunch went quickly.

But then we had to get back in the canoe, which we did with their help, and slowly. It was not long before I began to realize that I was in trouble. I was tired, and found that I was losing my balance as well—not good in a tippy canoe. We had to stop at two or three docks along the way to rest a bit before getting back to the Outfitter’s dock. I had trouble getting out of the canoe, but finally got onto the dock, and with a great effort, got myself  up, and went to get help getting us and the gear out of the canoe and back to the car. The return trip to the outfitter’s was a scary expeience, and a lesson to me that I was not going to be going on a canoe trip anytime soon.

So in the end, we were out in the canoe a grand total of about two and a half hours. So we had some time left in the day, and decided to use it to find and visit Albert Maw, who built our canoe. We Knew he was up Highway 11 in Novar, on a road appropriately named Maws Road. So we drove there, and found the area. There was a workshop, but no one was in it. There were canoes in various stages of repair and building, so it was clearly being used. But no one was present. We went up to the house, and knocked a few times on his door. Eventually, this old man came out and said that he was, in fact, Albert Maw. 

Turns out that he was still working, at the grand age of 87! He talked about building 200 canoes a year when he was in his shop in Huntsville, and that it would take him 60 hours to build each one. He worked six days a week, about 10 hours a day. But, he admitted, he couldn’t do that now. He is asked, and does, repair canoes for one of the camps in the area. He looked hale, and spoke well. I can only hope to be as good if or when I get to 87! It was a short, but lovely visit. 

Then back to Huntsville for a mediocre supper at That Place in town.

And the next day, we were to bike. Where I had not expected problems canoeing, I did expect trouble with the biking. I was wrong on both accounts. We headed to Smoke Lake for the start of the trail, and started in good time (for us). This was a trail described as “easy”, and “suitable for children”. And the trail began innocently enough, but after a few kilometres began to get rough with tree roots and stones in the middle of the trail, bumping and pushing us around. We both had some trouble with this, but Joel had more with his narrower tires. So we decided to truncate the route. Instead of doing the full 18 kms, we stopped at the Lake of Two Rivers to eat our lunches (this was about 13 km along). While we were having lunch, we learned that Queen Elizabeth had died, so there was som sadness (at least on my part).

With the roughness of the riding, we also took longer than expected. So it was good we abbreviated out trip. It still took while a while to get back to our car, and then to Huntsville. A rest, before heading out to our favourite restaurant in town: the Artisan House. We had a very good meal there, went off to the hotel, shared a split of champagne, and went nicely to bed.

The following day was only the ride home, along with a stop for mandatory blueberries.

A good and enlightening trip. 

Perth and Back, Day 3

August 3

We got up in good time, had our breakfast, and went back to the room to pack up. We had decided, with consultation from Richard, to go home entirely on roads, and avoid the rail trail. We were a little worried about the leaving of Perth, going out on Route 6 (the Christie Lake Road), which might be busy and didn’t have a good shoulder.

But, in the end, we felt that was the best route, so headed out. And the traffic cooperated so that we felt safe after all. Lots of time on this road, then onto Althorpe Road (which it turns into) for another few kilometres. So far it was pretty level, and the going was okay. We were feeling pretty good about it. After a while, we turned onto Hannah Road, which seemed to us to be a better and shorter route to the cottage. We even stopped for a lunch which we had bought at the Perth Metro the previous day. We sat on a log at Camp Opemikon (which seemed to be deserted).

Then on along Hanna road to Bolingbroke Road. And here is where we made a mistake. We (I, really) had not looked carefully enough at the map, and Bolingbroke Road actually was what became of Hanna Road. I turned onto the road going in another direction. After taking this over hill and dale for about five kilometres, we came to the rail trail crossing, and we realized we were on the wrong part of the road. So back again to the junction, and we had wiped out our distance advantage.

However, that got us to Crow Lake Road, and the part the Richard had warned us was hilly and under construction. The good news was that the construction was finished. The bad news was that Richard was correct about the hills.

But we did those final, tough, ten kilometres, and finally turned off onto Alf Patterson Road with a great relief. The final kilometre or so into the cottage was, after all the previous, pretty nice. And the cottage was as we had left it. A good meal (complete with bubbly), some reading, and to bed. We were off home the next morning. Today’s trip was 54 km.

Perth and Back, Day 2

August 2

This was out rest day, and what a wonderful day it turned out to be. When we awoke, it was cloudy and a bit cool. But by the time we had had our breakfast, it had warmed to a pleasant temperature. We walked the three blocks to the grocery store to get some provisions for the trip back, the visited a few other stores, before stopping for lunch at a little diner in the main business area.

After that, we had a very pleasant afternoon sitting in Stewart Park, by the Tay River. We read, and after a while, I went for a walk about the park and a bit into town. The sky was a lovely blue, the air was just the right temperature, and life couldn’t have been much better.

Joel and I actually had a swim in their pool. It was really a nice way to cap our day’s adventures. There was also a hot tub, and I enjoyed that.

Dinner was at the hotel, and also quite satisfactory. And an early bed-time, so we could get an early start in the morning.

To Perth and Back

August 1

Our canoe trip this year turned out to be a bike trip. Joel and I felt that, since I have had back pain from spinal stenosis, my lifting/carrying was seriously affected, and I could not be relied on to do the kind of work we both need for canoe camping. And since I can bike without much pain, we felt that a bike trip would work.

Richard was good enough to allow us to use his cottage as a base. We had looked at the K-P trail that goes along the side of highway 38, from Kingston to Sharbot Lake, as a possibility. But it would have involved a trip of about 80 km, and we both felt that was too ambitious for us. We decided on another trail—the Tay Valley trail, which goes from Sharbot Lake to Perth. We would bike from the cottage, go north from Crow Lake via Cross Road, and pick up the trail east of Sharbot Lake. Sounds simple, eh? We were all set: a day’s bike to Perth, a day in Perth, and a day to return.

Of course, it didn’t work out as planned. 

We got a good start though. Up by 8, and ready to go by 9:30. Biked out to Crow Lake Road, only to remember that we had left our water bottles back at the cabin. And it was going to be a hot day. So we turned around, and went the 1.6 km back to the cabin, got the water bottles and headed off again. This time for sure!

Our first trial was getting out of the town of Crow Lake, via Cross Road. It is a hard climb up to the rail tracks on a dirt road. I walked the bike up part of it. But this was an omen. Lots of up and down to follow for the ten Kms to Armstrong Road. The on that to Mill Road and up to the Tay Valley trail. We were given a very active accompaniment by the local deer fly delegation, only too happy to take advantage of our inability to swat them. There were a few words spoken about the overall situation: heat, bugs, hills. But we suffered through, stopping more times than usual for a breather (particularly Bob).

Eventually, we found the Tay Valley trail that we were looking for. It was identified for us by a group of motorcyclists who were coming along the trail! We had known that the trail was a snowmobile trail in the wintertime, as well as a trail for ATVs and such in the summer. We met a number of people in their ATVs, and they were very polite and got out of our way. And the terrain was mostly quite pretty, going through rock cuts, and by lakes and bogs. And the sky was clear. We stopped for a brief lunch on some rocks by the snide of the trail, before pushing on. Unfortunately it was also hot, and the bugs were bad. Plus the trail bed was better suited to ATVs than to bikes. So it was not a pleasant ride, and long. In fact, the last five kilometres was alongside Highway 7, and ended in the rough gravel at the side of railway tracks. We couldn’t ride the bikes but had to walk them the last fifty meters or so. From there it was on road—mercifully smooth and mostly downhill—all the way to Perth. We were sore and tired, but oh, so glad to get to the hotel. We had done 53 km of pretty tough country. And out aging bodies felt it.

They had kindly given us access to an unused room for our bikes. We checked in and went upstairs to our room. While Joel had a shower, I lay down on the bed and promptly fell asleep for and hour. Joel also slept for a while, when I got up and had a shower. We then went down for a delightful supper al fresco in the fine weather. Bed was calling and I was asleep by 9:30; slept soundly through the night.