About a month ago, an idea came to my head... I needed to get away from it all... Motivated by the great service that I received at the Backpackers Hostel in Ottawa back in September, I went on their website and discovered that there are two hostels around Algonquin Provincial Park. The wheels were in motion as I started planning...
I chose to take this trip on Remembrance Day. I figured that I had the day off anyway, and I was able to get the other two days off from the daily grind. I contacted the hostel where I planned to stay - The Wolf's Den Hostel and Retreats - and arranged to arrive on the Wednesday evening. From that point on, I started planning and ensured that my car was in good condition for the drive. This included replacing the front brakes and rotors which is really a good idea when you're headed to an area where you are likely to encounter Bambi and Bullwinkle on the roads in the dark.
Wednesday morning, I woke up and had a lazy morning as I slowly prepared to head out. Before I did anything, I made it a point to watch the Remembrance Day ceremony on television to recognise the troops, past and present, who sacrificed their lives and livelihood to help shape Canada the way it stands right now - A True North Strong and Free...
Later on in the afternoon, satisfied that I had taken care of everything I needed to do, I hit the road. I made a stop in Barrie and Orillia in order to pick up some stuff that I would be needing including food, windshield washer fluid, a bear bell, and a Fox-40 whistle. I also stopped at the Ontario Travel and Tourism Centre in Barrie to get a guide to the park, as well as some updated maps.
The rest of the drive up north was uneventful. For one thing, it was dark for much of the trip as the lighting is limited on parts of the highway heading north. For another thing, my tape deck was busted and I couldn't hook my MP3 player to the adapter which was stuck in the deck so I was radio station surfing. The MOOSE, and CBC Radio 2 provided me with much of the entertainment between Orillia and my final destination. I knew what timeline I had to deal with and I was right on target so I was not too worried.
I arrived at the Wolf's Den and was greeted by the proprietor, Ben, and his dog Niko. After a brief tour of the premises and arranging where I would be staying, I proceeded to unload the car and get settled in. The atmosphere was quite pleasant. Ben had the radio set to CBC Radio 2 and after the live concert series was complete, we were treated to jazz and blues. After eating the dinner I brought up with me from Barrie, I settled upstairs in the loft which served as the lounge and chatted with Sue - the girl who works with Ben - over camomile tea before heading downstairs to prepare my gear before getting some sleep.
I was awake at the crack of dawn. I took my time and got out of bed. A photographer, who was also staying at the hostel, was already on his way out. I listened as he scraped the frost off his car while it was warming up. After taking a shower and changing into my clothes for the day, I took my yoga mat upstairs to the loft and started doing Sun Salutations. Before I knew it, an hour went by and I had completed a power yoga sequence. I felt really proud and so relaxed too.
After the practise was over, I wandered into the kitchen where I prepared my breakfast and food for the day's quest. Over a large bowl of oatmeal with almonds, I started planning the day at the park.
Before I set off, Sue provided me with a Provincial Parks permit for my car and inquired about my activities in the park. I was appreciative of the fact that she took the time to do this, especially since this trip was a solo effort on my part.
I set off soon after. I felt really excited as I neared the park boundary and when I saw the marker for the park.
I had decided to take on the trails from east to west over the two days I was there for so I drove over to the East Gate where I tagged it and used the washroom before driving west again.
The first stop on the way was the Algonquin Logging Museum. It was an easy 1.3km loop trail that outlined the history of logging in the region. This trail was an informative warm up for me.
After completing the loop through the logging museum, I took a look at the information guide and realised that by the time I covered the shorter trails in addition to the two longer trails I had planned, daylight would fall and I would be caught in the middle of one of the trails. I modified my plans and decided to tackle the two longer trails before calling it a day. In my mind, I was saying to myself that I know what a beaver pond looks like, and what pine forests look like... bring on more excitement!
The first stop was at Booth's Rock. The total distance for this trail was marked as 5.1km. Finish it within an hour? Sure...
Well, I was in for quite a shock... I totally forgot how technical Algonquin Park's trails are. Not only will the hills set off the alarm of any unsuspecting heart rate monitor - if you can hear it because your heart beats so hard, you can't hear anything but the heart beat - but the trails offered a lot of rock and roots covered by the fallen leaves. While some sections were runnable, there were other sections where I had to really march it out and hike because of the terrain. I was rewarded when I got to the highest point of the trail by a stunning view of one of the lakes along with the landscape. After hanging around cliffside and taking photos, I started the decent down the trail. Part of the decent was taken down several flights of stairs. I then proceeded to jog down a straight stretch before arriving at the parking lot where my car was. Total time on that trail, including pictures, was an hour and a half.
After eating a light snack, I proceeded back on the highway and headed for Centennial Ridges Trail. The trail distance was 10km. I started this trail at 14h30 with hopes of being off it by 16h00. I did not take my lights with me because I was confident that I would be off before dark.
Again, I made the mistake of underestimating this beautiful trail loop. The rocks, roots, and hills were quite unrelenting but the scenery was quite rewarding at the same time. I was in love with it all. As I was hiking along - running where possible - I could not help but think of my ultra running friends who would have thoroughly enjoyed this. My phone was with me at all times and occasionally, when I got to a high ridge where cell coverage was excellent, I would send the occasional picture, text message, or Facebook update. I did not overdo it because I was mindful of the fact that my location was known only to a few close friends and family. As I was moving on, my bear bell rang along to the beat of my feet. Normally this would annoy me but being alone, it was also quite welcoming. I was startled once by a bird (was it a partridge or wild turkey?) camouflaged in the woods as it burst out in retreat from beneath the leaves as I neared it. As I was trying to get a picture of it, I somehow managed to leave the trail and travel in the wrong direction for about 15 minutes before catching my mistake and retracing my steps back to the trail and back on track. The trail seemed to on and on forever as it was getting later and later. When I finally got to the junction of the trail, I realised I was very close to the parking log and made a run for it. It was getting dark under the canopy and I wanted off. The temperature was also starting to fall. Note to self - lights are required no matter what time of day it is up there. With a sense of relief, I made it back to my car and had a snack and some protein before driving off. Total time, including photos, was just over two hours...
I initially thought of doing a shorter 2km loop with my lights to bring down my heartrate. However, as I was driving along, I realised that night was coming a lot faster than I thought. Besides, I was quite content with covering 16.4km of technical trails for the day. After taking pictures of the Lake of Two Rivers at sunset, I headed out of the park and into town to get some more gas in the car in order to survive the drive in the park and part of the way home for the next day before returning to the cabin.
Upon my return, I immediately grabbed my towel and headed outside for the sauna where I stayed for a good while and just relaxed. There was no real space in there to do anything but sit so I couldn't execute any ideas of hot yoga in there. Still, the muscles welcomed the heat.
After leaving the sauna, I took a few minutes to stand outside and watch the cloudless sky and all the stars that brightened it. This was the same view I got when I stepped out of my car the previous night and it was equally beautiful that night.
After showering and changing, I cooked myself a quick dinner and ate it in the dining area before heading upstairs to the loft to do some reading before heading off to bed to get some rest...
This video highlights the two major trails I challenged myself to on day one. Highlights from day two are to follow...
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