Jul
15
2011
Algonquin Park: The Lookout Trail
Author: RockyFriday once again, and although the UK may be forecast a poor weekend of weather, we’ll once again look positively towards the rest of summer, and Algonquin park, where – this weekend, unlike the gales and cold weather we have coming, there it’ll be sunny with a few clouds, and temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius – So on that note, today’s article is on Algonquin Park’s Lookout Trail.
The Lookout Trail, situated 39.7 kilometres from the West Gate, is a 2.1 Kilometre loop which climbs up through a young Algonquin forest to the top of a high cliff, follows the cliff brow for 100 metres, and then descends back down to the parking lot.
In addition to the spectacular view from the cliff top, the trail affords several good opportunities to observe a variety of Algonquin Park’s geological features.
As you walk along the trail, you are surrounded by life. There are trees and shrubs and then, down in the dead leaves and decaying wood on the forest floor, millions of microscopic plants and animals create the organic soil which sustains the forest. It is only on the trail path itself that we can even glimpse the underpinnings of this great living system; thousands of hikers have worn away the soil and exposed jumbled assortments of rocks, sand, and gravel.
Rocks and gravel may not seem particularly awe-inspiring to most, but when you stop and think about it, everything we come in contact with, even our oceans and lakes – is ultimately sitting on such mundane stuff. What’s more, rocks, sand and gravel go to make up the living layer of soil which supports all life, including our own. There is, in fact, hardly anything more fundamental in our world and all its life, than the rocks we normally take so much for granted – and lets face it – these exposed rocks – have seen much of the park’s history, from the first peoples that inhabited the area until today – when you get to add yourself to the rock’s history. This trail asks questions such as “How were the rocks formed..?” “Why exactly are there boulders and gravel strewn along the trail anyway?” and “How was the lookout created?.. in the middle of a forest?”
This trail takes us back in time, just over 11,000 years – to explain exactly how the landscape was shaped. As the guidebook explains, ‘four times in the last one million years, the Earth’s climate has undergone major cooling trends’, each followed by a warmer – tropical period. It has been suggested that contrary to popular belief, since we have – in geological terms, just come out of a glacial period, that the Global Warming that is so wildly reported as being purely a result of human activity – is actually simply the natural cycle of the warming after the cold glacial period. Still, When the cooling trends occurred, there were places in Canada where the summers were so short and cool that the snow from the previous winters never completely melted before the snow began to fall again. The result was that snow piled up, year after year until it was thousands of metres thick. By this time, the stupendous weight of the accumulation had transformed the snow to ice – just like when you pack a snowball until it becomes like a rock.. only imagine the force being millions of times stronger. With the snow packed into ice, it began to ‘flow’ outwards from the centres of heavy snowfall. Over thousands of years, several of these slowly moving ice sheets or glaciers joined and continued to spread until almost all of Canada and much of the northern U.S.A. were deeply covered by ice. The fourth and last ice sheet here in Algonquin – melted back from the highway 60 area of Algonquin just 11,000 years ago. Before that, as much as three km of glacial ice, towering into the clouds crushed the very trail you walk on. The forces slowly carving into the landscape as they moved, and all the debris that it calved off of the landscape – is what you are now walking on – the gravel, pebbles, sand – - and even the boulders you’ll see – all dropped when that glacier melted back – and some of it could have been carried many kilometers in its journey until being dropped, buried, exposed and stepped on by you – walking this trail.
As you can imagine – with a title like The Lookout – this trail has a spectacular view – so as you’re walking this trail, appreciating nature, learning about how the landscape was sculpted – you’ll come across the cliff – giving you large panoramic views over the hills, forests and lakes.
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 Lookout Trail, remember to keep kids close as the cliff doesn’t have safety rails – but if its a nice day, like its forecast to be tomorrow, it’d provide you with some amazing photo opportunities.. Remember to let me see them if you do!!
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.
