Thanksgiving Bike Ride

A sunny Thanksgiving weekend was the perfect opportunity for a bike ride. We started down to the river:

Prince of Wales Bridge across the Ottawa River

Houses of Parliament

Nepean Point and the National Gallery

And then turned up the Rideau Canal

Bytown Museum and locks

Alexandra Bridge and locks on the canal

Rideau Canal

And finally into the Experimental Farm:

Hay ride in the farm

Patio Panorama

360 degree view from our rooftop patio.

Algonquin Park 2012 - Day Three

On our third day we would have liked to repeat a loop that Andrea and I did once before; unfortunately the low water levels had made part of the route impassable ('Vanishing Pond' had lived up to its name!). So we did a there-and-back trip to Sunbeam Lake for lunch.

The island in Tom Thomson Lake

Leaving Tom Thomson Lake towards Bartlett Lake

Going through the creek into Bartlett Lake

Paddling into Bartlett Lake

Typical lake shoreline

Heading across Kooy Pond

A typical portage trail

Shallows at the end of Willow Lake

Arrived at the Sunbeam Lake end of the portage and trying to work out our next move

We pulled the canoes out on an island on Sunbeam Lake and stopped for lunch

Alexei took off for a doggy paddle around the island

Stopping to show off his swimwear!

Soaking up the sun

These are Pickerelweed flowers

Tired paddlers on the way back to camp

Crescent moon

Our last day on the lake dawned quietly, but by the time we were paddling back to the highway the wind was in our face and whipping up the waves. We made it to the car just as the torrential downpour began!

Calm before the storm

Algonquin Park 2012 - Day Two

On our first day waking up in the park interior we had grand plans to do a big loop through Potter Lake, Brule Lake, McIntosh Lake, and back to Tom Thomson Lake. However, when we worked out that it added up to 20 kilometres, we were more cautious, and decided that we would probably set out, then turn back at an appropriate time - to make sure that we were back in time for supper!

Heading out of Tom Thomson Lake on the west side

Andrea trying her hand at portaging

The portage sign - not always so easy to spot from halfway across a lake!

Our trusty vessel

The shoreline of Potter's Lake at the put in

Paddling up Potter Lake

Alexei and Natasha walk their canoe through the channel

To a small beaver pond at the top end of Potter Lake

We decided that this would be the far end of out trip

On the return journey through Long Pond

Algonquin Park 2012 - Day One

Last week Andrea and I - along with a couple of friends - took a long weekend for a canoe-camping trip in Algonquin Park. On day one we set off from the Portage Store on Canoe Lake headed for Tom Thomson Lake; via Joe Lake, Teepee Lake, the Little Oxtongue River, and Littledoe Lake - altogether about 12 km.

The happy paddlers about to set off onto Canoe Lake

Leaving from the docks at the Portage Store

Paddling beneath an old rail bridge

A family of loons on Teepee Lake

A moose at the entrance to Tom Thomson Lake

The same moose, giving me a look

Paddling into Tom Thomson Lake

The view along the shore from our campsite on Tom Thomson Lake

The rocks along the shore of our campsite - perfect steps for getting into the water!

Drying things off in the evening sun

 

A paddle at dusk

An ancient treestump at one end of Tom Thomson Lake

Tree stump texture