Algonquin Provincial Park Road Trip - Part II

Ok! Onto the second part of this fantastic journey of mine...

Friday morning began the same way Thursday morning did. I was gently awakened by my alarm and I took my time getting out of bed. The photographer was outside scraping the ice off his windshield while warming up the car in order to get photos at first light in the park, and the Dutch tourist was slowly waking up in his room.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, I once again grabbed my mat and went upstairs into the lounge and laid the mat down. I immediately got into my practise... I have always loved Sun Salutations and power vinyasas. They give me a sense of power, a sense of self.

Ben and Sue came up while I was practising and after talking shop, Ben moved one of the tables aside and started practising Kung Fu. He does this every morning up in the lounge. Sue offered to take pictures of me in various yoga postures as well. I did this after breakfast because I did not want my camera to potentially distract Ben from his practise. Sue also practises yoga. In fact, she infuses Hatha yoga with Tai Chi. There is definitely something grounded and moving about Wolf's Den. The atmosphere was perfect and the energy is fantastic.

In the video below, you will see some photos that I have taken of the premises, including the lounge where I was practising yoga.

After organising all my stuff and clearing out my room, I grabbed the park permit and headed out for the park after briefing Ben and Sue on the trails that I will on for the day.

Upon arrival in the park, I headed for the West Gate. It was at this place that I took the time to pick up some post cards, as well as a stuffed momento - a beaver. One of the employees there also offered me some pointers for some of the trails I planned to go on while we compared stories from the others. I took the time to get a few photos and enjoy the sunshine and the above normal temperatures before heading off.


The first trail of the day was Track and Tower. This trail has a 7.7km loop with an optional side trail that is 5.5km one way. I opted to do only the 7.7km loop. While I could have completed 18.7km, I wanted to see the other trails with enough time to spare before dusk.

I approached Track and Tower - and all subsequent trails - with a little more respect this time around. It was also a technical trail, one that took me just over an hour and a half to finish (including stops for pictures). While I was overheating in the heavier fleece lined top I wore in some parts, I was glad I carried it because it was cold in some parts under the canopy. With temperatures going down to -5C at night, there was also ice on the trails throughout the park. The view from the top of Track and Tower was no exception from the rest. It was also quite rewarding. After returning to the parking lot, I quickly fuelled up and headed for the next trail...

Bat Lake - this trail is a looped trail of 5.6km. Like all the other trails I've been on, it has a scenic lookout. The difficulty was not as intense as all the trails I've been on although there are a few spots that are technical. There was the lookout, a boardwalk across a vast swamp, and of course, Bat Lake. According to the guide, this lake is acidic. However, one cannot help but be mesmerised by the stillness of the lake. The lake was so still, there was a mirror image of all the trees surrounding the lake. I finished off the run in fine form, returning to my car in less than an hour.

The next trail on my list was the Hemlock Bluff Trail. This trail has a loop measuring 3.5km. While it was rated as a "medium", there was no mistaking the technicality of this trail. There were some rocky and heavily rooted sections that required mindfulness when trekking through. The lookout to Jack Lake was quite rewarding. From the vantage point I was at, it looked like I was staring straight into a pool. The water appeared really blue from the top. Appreciating the view, I continued on my way through the loop. The birds, squirrels and chipmunks were frolicking in the woods as happy as they can be. It was quite a joy to observe this. Even better to hear it without the constraints of an MP3 player. I returned to the car in just under an hour.

With just a little time left before sunset, I decided to finish off the trails with a brisk jog through the Hardwood Lookout Trail. This trail was only 0.8km for the entire loop. After ascending to the highest point, I was treated to a scenic lookout over Smoke Lake which was on the south side of Highway 60. After taking in the scenery for the final time, I finished off the run, and sealed my adventure, with a jog downhill back to the car.

I gave thanks and said goodbye to Algonquin Provincial Park - promising to return - as I crossed the park boundary and drove back to the cabin. Upon my return, I quickly cleaned up, settled up the accommodation costs, and put all my stuff in the car. After saying goodbye to Ben and Sue, and thanking then profusely, I got into the car and headed homeward bound.

On the way home, I stopped in Huntsville to mail out some of the postcards I bought, and grabbed a veggie sub from Subway to eat on the road. I later stopped for gas just outside of Barrie where the price was right.

Upon getting back into the city, I made a couple stops on the way home. The first stop was at a pool hall where the GO Train gang had planned an outing. The first person I ran into was Rick the conductor who was outside having a smoke. It turned out that the crowd was very small - even Connie the organiser did not show. Everyone was amazed that I was pretty much fresh from the woods at the time. After shooting the breeze with the gang and playing a game of pool, I headed out. The next stop was at Power Yoga Canada - Kinndli's new studio. She had planned an open house party that night. The turnout was fantastic and there was lots of food for all. I caught up with Margaret Renée, Kirsten, Parastu, and Kinndli for a bit and hung around with them until the party wrapped up around 23h00.

Upon my arrival at home, I immediately sorted all my food items and put the perishables away in the fridge. I then turned in for the night as I was pretty tired at that point.

As I reflect back on this trip, I can only remember one thing. I remember how relaxed and loose I felt. This is the first time in a long time that I have taken a trip where I was doing things on my own terms. I was not binded by race start times, by people who had their own agenda which forces you into compromise your agenda to make all happy, and by the perceived need to do something. I simply let that all go and let whatever was meant to be, be. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world and I look forward to repeating something like this in the near future.

Hmm... Snowshoes or cross country skiis? Algonquin and Gatineau Park both look promising...

The video below shows highlights from day two on the trails. I thoroughly enjoyed putting this video together for your enjoyment.