Aug
5
2011
Algonquin Park: Booth’s Rock Trail
Author: RockyIts Friday, I’d be still in bed if i was in Canada right now, but i could just about go for a Tim Hortons breakfast with a double double right now.. Still, after some of the storms some of us had yesterday, at least here at the moment it seems sunny, and I’d hope the rain showers forecast tomorrow don’t make it a miserable day hm? So, again – we’ll think about things to do outside, and I’ll feature another of Algonquins Trails. Today – Booth’s Rock Trail.
Booth’s rock trail starts one kilometre south of the Rock Lake Campground Office. After skirting two small lakes, it climbs to the top of a large cliff known as Booth’s Rock – where the trail gets it’s name funnily enough, descends the far side of the lookout and loops back to the starting point. The trail is 5.1kilometres long and fairly rigorous but may be easily covered in a couple of hours by an active person. From the cliff top you will have a magnificent view of Rock and Whitefish lakes and several hundred square kilometres of Algonquin Park will lie before you.
The trail guide for this trail tells you many things about how man has once again changed and is – or could change Algonquin Park and some of its hidden treasures. Not always for the worse though. On one side for example, it talks about Rosepond Lake. People have always found Rosepond Lake to be particularly intimate and enchanting. Hidden away from the rest of the planet by its whispering cordon of gaunt and lonely Black Spruce, the little lake lives a life of its own. The delicate orchids and the cool, deep moss near the water’s edge, the basking frogs and the furtive schools of minnows all seem to be as remote and secure from man’s troubled world as they could possibly be…
And yet, the truth is that Rosepond Lake is not nearly so safe as it may appear. The highly industrialised North American societies smelt ores and burn coal and oil in enormous quantities, The trouble is that we try to get rid of the smoke and gasses created – by releasing them up giant chimneys into the atmosphere. The pollutants may indeed travel hundreds of kilometres from their sources but eventually they do come back down to earth. Usually washed out of the sky by rain and snow – which is why, even here in Algonquin Park, the rain is often so acidic that no fish could live in it.
The only thing that has saved the park lakes so far is their ability too neutralize the acid rain that falls into them. The worry is that this ability may eventually be used up and the acidification of the lakes would follow. This danger has reduced thanks to the new U.S. and Canadian air pollution controls but some sensitive lakes can still be overwhelmed, at least temporarily, and damaged by acidic melt water when the snow melts each spring. 48,000 lakes in Ontario, including hundreds in Algonquin Park are sensitive enough that very little would be needed to push them over the edge and down the path to outright acidification. It wouldn’t matter that Rosepond Lake seems to be remote and cut off from the rest of the world. It would die all the same because of man-made pollution originating far away – and are we really ready to say good bye to these beautiful life filled lakes?
The flip side of coarse is how man has altered things for the better through studies and better understanding nature. The trail guide tells of how certain parts of the trail you walk on actually were very very different just a hundred years ago, the trees having been burnt or cut down for logging purposes, and the ground simply littered with more shrubs than trees – conservation having played its part into creating some of the forest that you find yourself in. The leaflet again touches on the plight of wolves. When Algonquin Park was established in 1893, protection was given to most of the Park’s animals. However, wolves were considered vermin, by even most conservationists. The object of ‘wolf management’ at the time was their extermination, and snares were set throughout the Park. Although some 50 to 60 wolves were killed every year, their numbers remained relatively stable. In 1958 the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources began a program of research into the life of the wolf. This, and other recent work, has helped to clear away many of the fantasies told about wolves and to establish that they are a fascinating and natural part of the environment.
This knowledge came too late to save the wolf from extinction in much of the world.. the UK being one such example.. Even today, wolves are only protected in only a handful of places and they are gone or vanishing from most of their former range in Europe, Asia and North America. Today, Algonquin Park is one of the very last accessible places where the wolf can said to be common. Even so, you probably will not see one, but if you are in Algonquin Park this month (August) each year, you may hear a pack. It was descovered in the wolf research program that wolves will howl in answer to human imitations of their voice. Every August Algonquin Park makes a special effort to locate a pack near the highway and then take visitors to see them. The response of Park visitors to these “public wolf howls” leaves little doubt that the wolf itself is converting its deadly enemy – man – into its most appreciative listener.
The trail its self of coarse boasts amazing views, but like almost all of my trail articles – i don’t want to spoil the surprise by putting up photos of it, I’d rather you head over yourself and get your own photos! The views on this trail are so good that people make an annual trip up the trail to marvel at the spectacular view of the Algonquin landscape. Some people have never seen landscape like it and actually assume that the country stretching out to the horizon is ‘primeval wilderness’ though, as the trail guide explains – as pretty and seemingly untouched as it looks now – thanks to the preservation of the Park, even from these views, you can see locations where for example there was once there was a saw mill.
And – as i always say, Remember.. if you’re going to park up anywhere in Algonquin Provincial Park or do any of the trails, you’ll need to pull up at the gates (big buildings just off the side of the road either end of Highway 60) and go in to get a Permit. These are $16.00 currently but the rates do change depending on the time of year, so remember to check out their website (linked at the bottom of the article!)
Make sure you’ve picked up one of the Algonquin park news papers (aka the Information Guide) while you’re getting a permit, they’re free and they’re very .. VERY useful to use the map on the back so you know where you are going!
Before you go on any of these trails, remember to have brought with you, proper walking equipment – for example decent walking shoes with a good degree of tread, and comfortable clothes suitable for what ever the weather may be on the day you go on the trail. Another thing you’ll want to factor in is the bugs! If it’s forecast to be warm, chances are you’ll be up against the Mosquitoes and or Black Fly – so bring your bug repellent! .. When i was there last month the blackfly were swarming – and they can leave a nasty bite, so a deep woods type anti-bug spray is advised.
So that’s the Booth’s Rock Trail and some of the things it tries to show you in the trail guide, as well as of coarse it giving you some amasing views – so like all the trails, if you’re up for a walk – don’t miss this trail! Remember with the views, also come cliffs – so if you take your kids on this trail – try to make sure they dont run off!
For more information about Algonquin park – remember to check out our Algonquin Provincial Park section
And you can also visit Algonquin Park’s official Website.
