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Algonquin 2006 2

This year marks my 3rd year of the Annual 5-day Algonquin canoeing and portaging trip. This year’s trip was more like a vacation than previous trips, since we did less canoeing and portaging. We typically switch campsites every 1-2 days, but this year we only slept on 2 different lakes and 3 different campsites on our 5-day trip. It was very relaxing and there was plenty of time to connect with nature and reflect on life. Algonquin Park is one of the few places I have been where you can literally experience silence with only sounds of nature in the background. It’s great to get out of the city sometimes and experience this.

Every year I come back with a story. In 2004 we had the flying chipmunk story, in 2005 I had the story about my dog Mojo almost getting killed by a falling tree.

On this year’s trip I proposed the idea to the boys that there should be a floating tent available on the market. It would float on the water and feel like a “water bed”. It would be very comfortable, but not very practical. On our last night of camping, I found a rock with a small patch of grass on it directly beside the water and I decided to setup my tent on this rock. It would bring me as close to the water as I could possibly be. The water would literally be only 2 feet from me while sleeping. So I started setting up my tent on this rock with fairly high winds making it more difficult for me. After tying down my tent in about a dozen different places I was confident that my tent was secured enough that it won’t blow away, or worse yet fall into the water while I’m sleeping. After I was done setting up my tent, I couldn’t find my sleeping bag. I went to the guys and asked them if they had seen it. I had remembered using it to hold my tarp down while setting up my tent so that the wind didn’t blow it away, but it was nowhere to be found. After an extensive 2 minute search by a few of us, we located my sleeping bag on the shore of the lake about 20 feet from where I setup my tent, completely submerged in the water. My sleeping bag was soaked and I only had a few hours before sun-down to dry it off. Luckily, my sleeping bag didn’t float downstream, and as it turns out my sleeping bag dries very well and I was able to sleep with a dry sleeping bag that night. See the picture below of my tent on the edge of the water.

I have hand picked my favourite 12 pictures from the trip for your viewing pleasure.

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2 thoughts on “Algonquin 2006

  1. Anonymous Aug 11,2006 12:52 pm

    barry says,
    Great pictures Jim.Nature is beautiful.It must have been wonderful watching the sunset and not caring about all the troubles in the world today.

  2. Mungo Jul 15,2007 11:36 pm

    Terrific photos – just came across your blog. I was in Algonquin last week myself – had a great time: http://mungobah.blogspot.com/
    All the best,
    Mungo

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