Algonquin Park Canoe Camping

 I live vicariously. Our Ottawa kids were canoe camping in Algonquin Park on Sunday. They rented a canoe, and had it dropped off at their launching point. Then they canoed along the lake, portaged, canoodled down another lake and found their camp site. 

You can buy fabulous maps: Maps by jeff.com  Caitlin tells me they are wonderful. All the things NOT on regular maps: hiking trails, warnings of poison ivy, locations of easy, medium and hard hikes, etc. 

Loaded up, and on their way! 

Isn't it beautiful?! You can see the kayaker down in the water.

"A quick stop at Barron Canyon Lookout trail before we get to the canoe launch site."

JL took a video:

They paddled and portaged, and made it to the camp site. Next they had to create their camp.

The living room!

Fire pit and cooking station

Hammock tents for Jo and Aster

A panoramic of the whole camp site:

This is the path from the camp up to the thunder box.

This is the thunder box! Caitlin saw a bear amble by it, but it was a good bear, didn't smell any food, and off it went. Caitlin wrote that she thought the wind and rainstorm kept it home.

Morning coffee in the kitchen! The blue barrel holds their food and toiletries that the critters like.

They forecast a storm Tuesday/Wednesday. Algonquin Park is near Huntsville, just in case you aren't familiar. It is an iconic park. Natural, and wild, with no cell phone coverage! Caitlin told me, just before they left, that she was looking forward to turning off electronics. It was cold overnight, colder than anticipated. 

 

After packing up Wednesday, canoodling and portaging back to the car (2 1/2 hour adventure), they had fast food in Renfrew and arrived home in the dark. Showers all around and then to bed.

Muskoka Trip – Part 8 home sweet home

We decided on going through Algonquin park on the way home. I wasn't thrilled, as we would be late in the morning to see moose. The bugs are bad, too. However, JB wanted to do this.

Gravenhurst

What was the train station is now the bus station. I think!


Our kids were camping in Algonquin this week, at the other end of the park (Achray). They came home early because the bugs were so bad.

There were no moose, of course, not with this construction.
Algonquin Park construction from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

We saw moose back in 2010.




We saw the park plane.

A pit stop at the park office.


Back on the road...



This is the problem in summer, lots of trailer traffic.


I guess I'll read about this in the local paper! An OPP car, and van.

Muskoka Road Trip 2019

• Our vacay – a road trip Part 1
• Trip to Muskoka Part 2 – the turtles
• Trip to Muskoka – Part 3
• Muskoka Trip – Part 4 Bala
• Trip to Muskoka – Part 5 Bala Falls dam update #52...
• Trip to Muskoka – Part 6 Gravenhurst Hotel & Marke...
• Muskoka Trip – Part 7 Bala => Port Carling => Ross...

Wolf Howl in Algonquin Park!

If you've never been, you ought to go! It is a hit and miss thing, as the wolves can be uncooperative!

Summer Interpretive Program
One of the best ways to get to know Algonquin Provincial Park (or any park!) is through the Park’s well-known interpretive program. The interpretive program runs daily during July and August and on some fall weekends and includes the popular Public Wolf Howl program.

Our provincial parks have terrific educational programs. Staff work hard to educate the public. I learn something new every time I talk to them.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome found in Yosemite

And a new virus, borne by rodents: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (Wiki). 

[PDF] Hantavirus factsheet 06

www.gov.mb.ca/health/publichealth/cdc/fs/Hantavirusfs.pdf

4 more cases of hantavirus confirmed among Yosemite visitors - CNN

www.cnn.com/2012/08/30/...yosemite-hantavirus/index.html

Around 1700 people who visited Yosemite National Park from mid-June to August are being advised to seek medical attention if they exhibit 

Flying Squirrel

Formerly known as Korean Hemorrhagic Fever, it is now called Hantavirus.

It sounds much like Q-fever:
Laurentian University issued a press release to say that this bacterium was found in 6/7 species of wild rodents in Algonquin Park. 

Here is a good place for research. How does this affect people and how do we react to the bacteria?

Rodents in the park include red squirrels, flying squirrels and deer mice. It was also found in flying squirrels in the Peterborough area, indicating that the bacteria may be widespread among these animal populations in Ontario.  This is an important reason to keep clean, to not feed rodents, and seal those cracks! 

Q-Fever In The Netherlands - Avian Flu Diary
They think we might get it from inhaling air-borne feces. In 2007 this happened in the Netherlands, where more than 2,000 people were infected. 

Black Squirrel

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) website states, “In Ontario, Q-fever has occasionally been diagnosed as a cause of abortion in sheep and goats. Reported human cases have been associated with exposure to abortions in sheep and goats, and drinking unpasteurised goat's milk. Exposure to placenta and contaminated materials from cats has been a common source of human Q fever infection in Nova Scotia.

Like Lyme Disease, Treatment, according to OMAFRA, is antibiotics for animals, but some humans experience chronic conditions. Education and awareness is important. 



From Medscape:

Sadie and her mouse

C burnetii infects various hosts, including humans, ruminants (cattle, sheep, goats), and pets—and, in rare cases, reptiles, birds, and ticks. This bacterium is excreted in urine, milk, feces, and birth products. These products, especially the latter, contain large numbers of bacteria that become aerosolized after drying. C burnetii is highly infectious, and only a few organisms can cause disease.



Our cats are doing their part.



Infected rodents widespread

Researchers are now trying to determine how the bacteria is maintained and spread in the natural environment. C. Burnetii is usually found on farms and infection of humans generally occurs through contact with sheep, goats or cattle.


Farm virus

Deer mouse

 A team of Laurentian University biology researchers, led by Canada Research Chair Dr. Albrecht Schulte-Hostedde have found evidence of the spread of the zoonotic bacterium Coxiella bernetii in wildlife in the park and say their findings suggest that some visitors to the park could be at risk of infection. 

Caitlin and a chipmunk

somebody caught a mole

Red Squirrel

Sadie and her prey

Felix and his first mole

Chipmunk