Karma Moose and the Redemption Trout

I’ve been on other trips with these two fine fellas to these particular lakes in the quest for the elusive brook trout.

Two friends on a canoe/fishing quest in Algonquin Park for this slippery prey. Creamy!

ParkBus

Grabbed an Adventura magazine a few days ago and two articles got me excited. 

If like me, you don’t own a car, getting to more remote areas to camp, canoe, snowshoe, etc., etc. can be problematic. It turns out there is now a bus that will take you from downtown Toronto to Algonquin Park (yay!). Last year was its first season, and it took 321 people up to Algonquin, dropping them off at one of five stops. A round trip costs $72 plus tax, which is very reasonable. An initiative of the Ontario Parks, Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Mountain Equipment Co-op, and a bunch of private outfitters and tour operators in and around Algonquin Park.

There is also a first come, first serve opportunity to bring bikes up to the park.

It appears there are plans for other routes to different parks in the future, including Killarney (yay!) and also up the Bruce Peninsula to Tobermory (yay!).

For more info: www.parkbus.ca

And read the article here.

A forum post with a bunch more info.

This has me super excited.

Hammock – Algonquin

I had used another hammock once before on a canoe trip to Algonquin and absolutely loved the concept. I was aware of Hennessy Hammocks and knew I wanted to get one. (Now I’m aware of several more, one or two of which I’m tempted to get, and now also understand how to make them, which I’m even more tempted to do.)

While at the (at the time) newly opened Lee Valley on King Street in Toronto, and browsing through their tables of one-offs, remainders, sale stuff, etc., I noticed a Hennessy Hammock, an Expedition Asym. I knew they’d never carried it, so I found that curious. The price was right though, only a hundred dollars. What the hell. I got it. I suspected that it wouldn’t fit me, but I figured I could always flip it. Opening the stuff sack, from the way it was wrapped, I could see that it had probably never been used. I set it up, looked it over, got in and saw that it wouldn’t fit me.

My pal Jay expressed an interest, so I sold it to him for the price I got it for, and put that money towards an Explorer Deluxe A-sym. It fits my galootish frame just fine.

Hammocking has become a really big thing for me. No matter how tough the slog, no matter the weather conditions, knowing that at the end of the day I’ll be comfortably ensconced in it, is a huge morale booster.

Photos taken in various spots in Algonquin Provincial Park.

Here you can see the tarp wrapped up in the SnakeSkins. In nice weather you can keep the tarp furled to enjoy the night sky.

View of the front and back on Pen Lake. Sorry about the mess in my temporary home. Busy repacking as the pics were snapped.

(Photos by Jason Irwin.)