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Algonquin Park: Booth’s Rock Trail

Rocky — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 08:10:59 +0000

Its 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.

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Algonquin Park: The Lookout Trail

Rocky — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:10:35 +0000

Friday 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.

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.

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Algonquin Park: Centennial Ridges Trail

Rocky — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:19:29 +0000

Well i hope those of you who visited the Canada Day event in London had a great time! But it’s once again Friday, so it’s time for another article, and yes, I’m going to be featuring Algonquin Park once more, bulking out our coverage further of this amazing Provincial Park.

Today’s featured trail is the Centennial Ridges Trail.

The Centennial Ridges Trail is a 10 kilometre loop which takes you along two high, parallel ridge systems and features some of the park’s most outstanding scenery. It is a very demanding trail that visits five separate cliffs and involves much climbing. At the highest point you will be 170 metres (560 feet) above the parking lot, but because the trail has several major rises and descents, the total vertical distance you will have to climb during your outing is approximately 360 metres (1,200 feet). It’s not advised to head out on this trail unless you are in good health and good physical condition. And with this Trail its absolutely essential that you wear sturdy, ankle-supporting boots, and give it six hours to take on this challenge!… And of coarse, if you do happen to have kids who are as adventurous as you – the cliffs are not fenced, so keep them close to you at all times.

The trail was opened in 1993 as part of Algonquin’s centennial celebrations and, at its various lookouts and scenic viewpoints, it honours 11 representative historic people who have helped shape the present day park and make it so famous as a place to understand and appreciate the natural world.

At one of the posts along the route, you learn that the first person to propose a 20 to 30 township sized reserve in the area now occupied by the park was Robert W Phipps, Clerk of the forestry in the Ontario government’s Department of Agriculture and Arts. Strongly influenced by growing concerns in North America’s agricultural and forestry’s experts that the continent’s wood supply and climate were being endangered by the rapid, wholesale clearing of forests, Phipps insisted that it was crucial to stop agricultural settlement and land clearing in this part of Ontario. “When covered with extensive woods”, he wrote “the principle heights of land form reservoirs which supply the sources of numerous rivers, give moisture to the numerous small lakes and watercourses.. below them, and preserve throughout the whole country a fertility, invariably much impaired when the forests are removed.” Powerful lumbermen of the day were quick to support the idea of a forest reserve as well. From experience elsewhere, they knew only too well that the encroachment of settlers meant loss of forest through clearing and increased forest fires, so they readily agreed with Phipps’ believe that the land in question “in forest forever should remain”.

Of coarse, the history isn’t the main thing you’d be doing this trail for.. the views and challenge are of coarse the main attraction – and there really are some spectacular views – landscapes of forests, rivers, hills all able to be viewed in the six hours you’ll spend on this trail – but as ive said it’s not a trail for the light hearted..

Click on the image above to see a full panoramic of one of the marshes along this trail

And that’s Centennial Ridges. Or at least the briefest glimpse into this large winding trail. I don’t want to get into too much detail with it – simply due to the fact that you really have to see this tail for yourself to be able to appreciate it fully – which is one reason I’ve not included any of the epic views in this article! I’ll leave taking pictures of those – up to you!

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.

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Algonquin Park: Beaver Pond Trail

Rocky — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:15:03 +0000

Well, it’s been a pretty hot weekend, the weather, other than the odd thunderstorm has managed to keep its act together for us, which makes a nice change to the cold wet snap we had earlier in the month – so since it’s a great time to be outdoors, i thought we’d have a look at another Algonquin Provincial Park trail – The Beaver Pond Trail.

The Beaver Pond Trail winds two kilometres through rugged Algonquin terrain, offering excellent opportunities to observe the roll of the beaver in the park environment. You may or may not actually see beavers during your walk, but everywhere about you will see signs, informing the observant hiker of their presence, activities and influence.

The Beaver is considered one of Canada’s national symbols, up there with the moose, the maple leaf and ice hockey – so this Trail is perfect if you want to enjoy a hike through the Algonquin landscape, while learning more about these special creatures. The trail takes you round in a circuit, visiting ponds, lakes, rivers, dams and meadows – and these features were not necessarily there all the time, As the trail guide explains to you, Beavers have had a significant impact on the landscape they live in.. an impact so significant that their effect on the environment is second only to humans as far as tailoring the landscape to their own needs.

At post two on the trail you visit a typical beaver pond – one of thousands in Algonquin Park. It is such a common place sight in fact, that we sometimes forget what an extraordinary thing it is. By damming the stream,. the beavers have actually changed the environment to suit their own needs – from a forest with a stream trickling through it, to a wide open pond, one or two meters deep.

In summer, the pond provides the beaver with a safe refuge from predators, since it is much more at home in water than on land. In winter, the advantages conferred by the pond are even more vital. Because the water in the pond is a metre or more, it does not freeze to the bottom and the beaver can swim under the ice to get sticks from the food pile accumulated the previous autumn, return to the feeding chamber of the lodge and leisurely eat the food, all in perfect safety from predators.
Because beaver ponds (especially small ones like the one at post two) are not continuously occupied, the lodge may or may not be in use at the time of your visit. If abandoned the lodge will appear as a collapsed, grassy knoll projecting from the water. An occupied lodge can usually be told by its greater height, the fresh mud and sticks plastered on the outside and the absence of grass.
Occupied or not, the lodge began as a large mound of sticks and mud piled up by the beavers. When the pile was about one metre above the water the beavers cut a tunnel from well below the surface of the water, up through the pile, to the waterline. There the beavers rounded out a feeding platform a few centimetres above the water and formed a higher sleeping platform floored with shredded wood to make a soft bed. Except for the very top of the lodge, the entire outer surface is plastered with mud – so when the winter arrives the dome becomes a thick, hard frozen layer of insulation against the cold and predators – complete with a breathing hole at the top.

I’m not going to go into much more detail about the other features you will see on the trail, as it’s much better for you to pick up the guide book and actually walk this trail yourself to get the full benefit of it – and of coarse, seeing it with your own eyes as you will the lodge i have talked about above – is significantly better than just having someone on a blog telling you about it right?

As on almost all the trails, the guidebook is $0.50 which you can pay for at the pipe immediately where you pick up the booklets at the start of the trail.

So, that’s Algonquin Park’s Beaver Pond Trail – take it steady and see what more you can find out about these industrious creatures while 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.

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Algonquin Park: Two Rivers Trail

Rocky — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 08:10:06 +0000

It’s another Monday article – and since we still have a few more Algonquin Park Trail articles to do, i thought I’d continue the chain to feature the Two Rivers Trail today.

The Two Rivers Trial at Algonquin Provincial Park is subtitled as ‘Changes in the Algonquin Forests’. The Two Rivers Trail is a 2 kilometre loop featuring a pleasant walk through a young Algonquin forest and leading to a clifftop overlooking the North Madawaka River. The trail should be good for all the family as far as difficulty is concerned – but remember with the trail visiting a cliff – you will need to keep a very close eye on children to make sure they don’t go running off up the trail.

As the subtitle to the trail says – this trail, as you’ll find from the trail guide is about seeing the changes that have occurred in the park over the last two hundred years. Many visitors to Algonquin automatically assume that the Park forests are thousands of years old and that they have been untouched by man. The truth is that these forests are no different from the ones outside the park. All have been profoundly affected by man over the last 150 years and, often, what we see today are completely new stands that have grown up after the original destruction of the original forest by logging and fires.

Along this trail you can still see rotting pine stumps – that remind us of how these changes began. In the early years of the last century, a market developed in Britain for the huge Red and White pines growing in eastern Canada. Each winter more and more men pushed farther into the wilderness felling the giant trees by axe during the day and retreating to primitive, isolated camps at night. When spring came they floated the great timbers down the rivers to the outside world and then, the following winter they would return and push even farther upstream. They reached the area this trail is in – the Lake of Two Rivers area if of the Madawaska River system, for example, sometime in the late 1870s, twenty years before Algonquin was declared a Park. The technology of these early loggers was primitive but their impact was enormous all the same.

Hundreds of thousands of trees were removed and, even more important, fires ignited in the pine slash left by the loggers burned large areas of the timber that remained. As you will see as you go further around the trail, the resulting changes in the forests and wildlife of Algonquin were enormous.
The forest you stand in while walking this trail – may be interesting and full of life, but it certainly isn’t the original forest greeted by those workers less than 200 years before you arrived.

While on this trail, you’ll see how humans were not the only destructive force that acted in Algonquin Park. Even creatures that we would consider a big problem in our back garden have a place in the large scheme of things. Before humans came to the forest insects played a huge part in constantly changing the landscape that greeted any visitors to the area. One such insect being the Spruce Budworm which mine their way into the tree’s needles – voraciously feeding. Since spruce and balsam keep their needles for three to four years, a severe budworm attack lasting that long will completely defoliate — and so kill the tree. But as people have come to realise – Everything has its place in nature, and as devastating as outbreaks can be – the park has survived.

As on almost all the trails, the guidebook is $0.50 which you can pay for at the pipe immediately where you pick up the booklets at the start of the trail.

And that’s Two Rivers Trail – a fairly easy pleasant walk on fairly easy ground!

If you’re looking for more history, if you’re thinking about selecting an easy trail with history associated with it — We will be featuring another trail at some point within the next month on the Logging Museum which is towards the Eastern side of the park along Highway 60 – so keep on the lookout for that!

If you’re looking to head out to visit the park, remember the nearest airports are Toronto (landing there and heading north on the 400, then taking the 11 and then joining the 60 at Huntsville) and Ottawa (landing there and heading west on the 417, then joining the 17 to keep heading West until you reach Highway 60.) The cheapest flights you will find to both of these destinations are with Canadian Affair. For example i just had a quick search and if you fly from Heathrow you can get a return journey to Toronto for £328 (More information about that trip and others on the Canadian Affair Round Trip Special Offers page. ) There are a number of places you can think about staying if you are planning on going to the park for a vacation. One of these being Huntsville and the hotels and hostels which are situated along Highway 60 going into the park from the West – But we will be featuring Huntsville and the various places here in future articles!

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.

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Algonquin Park: Bat Lake Trail

Rocky — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 08:26:05 +0000

It’s Friday, and I’ve got a nice weekend set up, so I’m hoping the weather will behave for once.. Unfortunately its not a weekend in Canada – as cheap as i can get flights from Canadian Affair — £330 ish – return is a little much for a quick weekend.. not to mention the travel time involved! So – Today’s article is once again in Algonquin Provincial Park – looking at the Bat Lake Trail.

The Bat Lake Trail is a 5-kilometre loop which takes you through a variety of Algonquin forest types and includes a lookout, a bog and a lake. The trail will take you into an Algonquin forest and, especially if you are new to such places, it may strike you as endless and overpowering .. and though this may sound slightly over the top if it is your first trail or first venture into this park? This isn’t an over-the-top description.
It really does cover a huge area, but in another important way, the forest here is almost insignificant. After all, it reaches from only a metre or two down in the soil below your feet and up no farther than to the treetops. This distance hardly ever exceeds 30 metres (100ft) and, as such, represents a mere 23 millionths of one percent of the earth’s diameter. The forest, and all the life it contains, is therefore confined to an almost unimaginably wispy film on the surface of our planet. Seen in this light, the forest should be thought of as highly delicate.
Among other things, we should expect it to be extremely sensitive to any variations in the structure and the chemistry of the rocks below and the air above. On this note, as you progress on this trail.

For example, as you walk through the forest, you’ll find yourself walking through almost exclusively white pine, balsam fir and white spruce. Not one single maple tree up to at least post 2. That’s pretty unusual in a park where most of the ground, at least on Algonquin’s west side, is covered by enormous stands of Sugar Maple. But.. why? you’ll have find out in the guide book to the trail!

As on almost all the trails, the guidebook is $0.50 which you can pay for at the pipe immediately where you pick up the booklets at the start of the trail.

So there you have it! Algonquin Park’s Bat Lake Trail .. and yep – I’ve not mentioned the visit to Bat Lake it’s self, i’m leaving that for you to find out all about when you go on the trail!

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.

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Algonquin Park: Track and Tower Trail

Rocky — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 08:10:48 +0000

Its Monday, and yeah, Saturday ended up being a big disappointment, at least for the north of England as far as weather was concerned — but – lets forget about that and talk about another one of Algonquin Provincial Park’s trails – The Track and Tower Trail.

I always state the same basic information on all of these trails: 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!)

The Track and Tower Trail, beginning at km 25 on Highway 60, offers two major opportunities for the more abitious hiker wishing to see some outstanding examples of Algonquin Park scenery and history.
The main loop trail, including a visit to the old Skymount fire tower location and view out over cache lake, is a 7.5 kilometres long round trip. There is also an additional 5.5 kilometre side trail off the main loop leading east down the old railway bed to the Highland Backpacking Trail, the old Two Rivers airfield, and the Mew Lake Campground. The most efficient way to do this part of the trail is to leave a vehicle at one of the east-end parking possibilities and arrange to be dropped off at the Track and Tower trail entrance to start your hike.
In addition to these two major choices, the trail joins and leaves canoe route portages and a bush road in several places and it has two short-cuts, making it important to refer to the trail map and to carefully consider the distance and time

On this trail, when you’ve walked to the first trail post you will have walked almost one kilometre into the Algonquin Park forest. you will have seen big stands of hardwoods, pretty little creeks with moss-covered rocks, and now you’ll be standing by a quiet beaver meadow tucked away between the hills. All are typical of Algonquin and they are so beautiful, peaceful, and natural-looking that you would be forgiven for thinking that the park is a pristine wilderness, untouched by the hand of man.

There is no denying that Algonquin is pretty and peaceful, but you may be surprised to learn just how much major human activity has taken place here. Parts of this trail in fact, were once the scenes of some of Canada’s greatest engineering feets and industrial activity. And yet today, after just a few short decades, the forest has almost completely reclaimed these scenes – to the point where the unpracticed eye might never suspect that anything of note had ever taken place here. Remember, you should – without a doubt be carrying the trail guide on this trail – you will need it so as to not get lost – and this will be one of the only things which, through its artists reconstructions and archival photos, will give you an important insight into some of the most important and forgotten chapters of Algonquin’s history.

One thing i haven’t mentioned in previous articles – if you’re going on the trails in Algonquin early in the year – some of the trails haven’t been cleared from the fallen trees that had been subjected to the winter storms which blow over the park every year, so remember to take care when you find fallen trees across the trails – such as the one we found on this trail – as photoed above.

So that’s Track and tower trail – a trail which once again takes in a large variety of landscapes – and works into it the historical human achievements which have taken place along the trail

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.

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Algonquin Park: Hemlock Bluff Trail

Rocky — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:15:48 +0000

Monday and back to normality again. During the last couple of weeks we visiting Algonquin Provincial Park a few times, visiting all the trails on the map of the Information guide you pick up at either East or West Gate – so expect to see a lot of the trails in the coming weeks! So on that note its probably fitting to start the new articles off with one of these trails: Algonquin park’s Hemlock Bluff Trail.
Should you be reading this as the first article you’ve seen about this Provincial Park, do not underestimate the size and sheer number of things to do in this place. The first time i went to Algonquin Park was in 2009 and we expected (having not done much research) the park to be similar to a UK national park such as the peak district.. but we were very wrong!
The park has many places of interest on the main route in the south, highway 60, especially trails you can go on. 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!)

The Hemlock Bluff Trail is a 3.5km loop taking you through a typical west side Algonquin forest. The trail features fine stands of hemlock and an amazing view of Jack Lake. The trail is a Medium difficulty, so you will have to be feeling pretty fit to do this trail over an estimated time of about 2 hours, and the terrain can be fairly rough in places. The trail can be found just past kilometer post 27 (27.2 to be exact)

Remember to pick up one of the trail guides that you will find in the initial sign at the start of the trail. If you know you wish to keep the trail guide as a souvenir then put $0.50 into the pipe that is located right below it. Alternatively, you can always do this when you’ve completed your walk (or deposit the guide back in the small ‘letter boxes’ under the sign.) The numbered sections in the guide on this trail touch on some of the important findings gained through the many research programs that have been carried out in Algonquin Provincial Park.

This trail focuses heavily on the things that have been done – the research projects and scientific investigations – within Algonquin Provincial park. Some of which were some of the first of their kind. For example studies into wolves. Until these studies were done between 1958 and 1965 little was actually known about wolves.. Wolves were simply considered to be “bad” it was passed down from generation to generation and no one had bothered to study them. It was only when studies were finally done – like the ones here in Algonquin, that information came to light on how wolves do hold a place in the greater ecology within the areas they inhabit – and its through these studies that we found out how special the wolf truely was, and how it had been greatly misunderstood for so long. These studies ultimately lead to the removal of a provincial policy that until 1972 had paid anyone who killed a wolf $25 – simply based on the thought that wolves were bad.

If you are taking your family on this trail, remember to keep your kids close while walking this. The trail leads to a very high cliff with no safety railings – so it is essential to keep them close by and to the trail. Alternatively there are plenty of trails without cliffs – so you could take a different trail. The car park for this trail is on the other side of the highway to which you park, so remember to take care when crossing the road. Other than that though this trail is very diverse and brings you closer to a lot of different species that live and grow in the park.

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.

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Science North, Sudbury, ON

Rocky — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:10:31 +0000

When i was a kid, i loved science. I remember one birthday my parents took me to Eureka in the UK, and i still remember it fondly! One of the things special about Eureka is that it’s a Science Museum which allows kids to learn through play, and the place I’m looking at today; Science North, looks at things in the same way.

Science North is an interactive science museum in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The complex, which is Northern Ontario’s most popular tourist attraction, consists of two snowflake-shaped buildings on the southwestern shore of Lake Ramsey, just south of the city’s downtown core, as well as a former ice hockey arena which includes the complex’s entrance and an IMAX theatre. The snowflake buildings are connected by a rock tunnel, which passes through a billion-year-old geologic fault. This fault line was not known to be under the complex during the construction of the building in the early 1980s. Where the walkway reaches the larger snowflake, the Inco Cavern auditorium is frequently used for temporary exhibits, as well as for press conferences and other gala events.

Inside the main building, a 20-metre fin whale skeleton recovered from Anticosti Island hangs from the ceiling.

The complex also features a boat tour, the Cortina, which offers touring cruises of the scenic Lake Ramsey. The Jim Gordon Boardwalk also extends from the facility to the city’s Bell Park along the western shore of the lake.

A common thing that everyone agrees with when they have been is that there is so much to do, and fantastic for families – kids simply love the place! On Trip Advisor it also comes up with 4.5/5 for recommendations and through reviews, actually beats the Ontario Science Centre for satisfaction as well as quality and upkeep of the exhibits. One of the reviews from last summer giving it 5/5 says:

We spent a Sunday afternoon at Science North but I wish we’d planned for the whole day because there was so much to see and do. Ongoing films, live demonstrations, animal feedings, interactive displays, workshops, just a really great variety of fun and learning for the whole family. This attraction is just as much fun for the grown-ups as it is for the kids. My daughter is 3 years old and her favourites were: 1) the build and race your own race-car tracks, 2) the animals (porcupine and skunk especially), 3) toddler treehouse play area, 4) the animatronic dinosaur exhibit, and 5) the nature exchange. In addition to watching her have a great time, I also enjoyed the genetics exhibits and the sports interactive displays (clock your slapshot, etc.) for my own curiosity. Tip: have you ever been curious what it feels like to lie on a bed of nails? You can try it out here!

So, what exactly is there here? Well.. simply put.. a lot. If you go, you’re really best setting a day aside for this place as an afternoon simply wont give you enough time to see everything there is to offer!

First Level

* IMAX 3D – Science North has a 3D IMAX theatre. The theatre originally opened in 1994, and was converted to 3D in February 2009.
* Planetarium – In June 2009 Science North added a planetarium. It has an 8 metre dome and 36 seats.
* 4-D Inco Cavern – a 4-D Bush Plane Adventure Ride that soars through the Arctic archipelago.

* TD Canada Trust Toddler’s Treehouse – a children’s educational play area

Second Level

* Nature Exchange – visitors collect and research natural items from the wild and are swapped for points in a database. The points can be used to “purchase” other natural artifacts from around the world (i.e.: Rocks, sea shells, fossils, etc.)
* Lapidary Lab – Visitors learn how to cut, grind and polish rocks to turn them from ordinary stones into works of art.
* F. Jean MacLeod Butterfly Gallery – This glass-enclosed gallery is home to more than 400 butterflys from 30 different tropical species.

Third Level

NOTE – The third level is currently undergoing a complete renewal and is scheduled to reopen in March 2011. All the animals normally featured on third floor can be visited in the special exhibits hall near the Whizards gift shop.

The exhibits on the third floor are divided into four main areas:

* Northern Forests – In this area you learn and see animals who live in northern forests. Animales include two owls, a porcupine (Quillan), a skunk (Rosy), flying squirrels, bats, mice, and snakes.
* Rivers and Lakes – In this area animals that live in rivers and lakes are featured. This includes a beaver (Drifter), and many different types of fish.
* Wetlands – In the wetlands area visitors meet frogs, snakes, and learn about the complex wetlands ecosystems.
* Discovery Theatre – The discovery theatre is in the centre of the third and fourth levels of Science North. Here staff (Bluecoats) perform live science shows on different topics for visitors.

The popular stream table is also found on the third floor.

Fourth Level

* BodyZone – In BodyZone you learn about DNA and how it makes you unique, and now our body works. There are also many exhibits allowing you to measure your performance, such as the race track. The Club Genome object theatre entrance is also in BodyZone.
* Racetrack – Build a race car and run it on the figure 8 track. This area also features a K’Nex table, a LEGO play area, and the ball wall.
* FedNor CyberZone – The focus of CyberZone is on computer and communications technology. You can mix your own music at the DJ station, play with green screen technology, and create stop-motion animation movies.
* Space Place – This lab focuses on astronomy and space exploration. Exhibits include a 6-foot (1.8 m) gravity well, a microgravity drop tower, exhibits on SNOLAB, and information on Canadian space exploration. The entrance to the “Between the Stars” object theatre is also found in Space Place. This show explores the topic of dark matter – why we know it exists, and how we are trying to detect it. Between the Stars opened in June 2010 and is designed to appeal to all age ranges with a cartoon character named String Man narrating the story of a topic that is quite complex.
* TechLab – Technology and engineering area where you can create your own circuits, take apart old electronics, and play with pulleys and gears.

Object Theatres

Special film and video exhibits which change over time; current exhibits include

* The Climate Change Show — narrated by Rick Mercer and talks about the change in climate. This show is currently being updated and will reopen in March 2011.
* Club Genome — talks about DNA
* Legends of the Great Lakes — This 16 minute show focuses on the bald eagle, the sturgeon, and the woodland caribou. The information is presented as a story that a father tells his daughter before they go to sleep while camping on the shores of Lake Superior.
* Between the Stars — This show is on the science of dark matter. It lasts 16 minutes and features holographic technology, creating a 3-D effect. The main themes on the show are an exploration of the evidence for dark matter, what it might be, and how scientists are trying to detect it at SNOLAB.

Outdoor Grounds

* Polaris Boulevard – is a line which reaches from a large sundial right up the side of the building which points directly at Polaris (the north star).
* Terra – You’re literally on top of the world when you stand on this one-millionth scale world model, outdoors near Science North’s main entrance. At sunset and sunrise, you can watch the Earth’s shadow move across Canada. The benchmark at the centre of Terra is: 46° 28′ 12.00″ N and 80° 59′ 45.70″ W.
* a sculpture honouring local bush plane pilot Rusty Blakey.
* Lily Creek – a marsh located opposite to the centre, Lily Creek is home to many species of creatures.
* The Northern Forest – This outdoor exhibit features many of the tree species grown in northern Ontario that Domtar relies on for its sawmills and for the manufacture of pulp and paper at the Espanola mill.

Science North is only 1 hour 45 minutes from North Bay if you happened to be staying there to see Algonquin, Muskoka and the surrounding area. So with so much to offer – Science North is certainly not something you will want to miss on a family holiday to Northern Ontario!

For more information about Science North, admission prices and how to get there, take a look at their website

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Gravenhurst, ON – Revisited

Rocky — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 09:10:42 +0000

While i was over this October i decided to once again shine a light on Gravenhurst.. mainly since i knew my photos didn’t really do it justice. We went on a pretty miserable day which didn’t show exactly what the place truly was like.. So – we headed back on a glorious sunny Autumn day to have a wander round the lake and have some lunch at the Sunset Grill. We were also lucky enough this time to go on a day where the Muskoka steam ships were running! Unlike the previous visit!

As you can see, its quite a contrast to the grey-sky photos on my previous Gravenhurst article!
The Sunset Grill was as good as last time, and this time i made sure to have the peameal Bacon sandwich – along with a coffee. It was the first time I’d gone to Gravenhurst with my partner in crime – and although i did mention that the coffees were free-refill he had a hot chocolate – that although very nice – my free refills did make him jealous! Where as i had my sandwich with the trademark chunky veggies (raw carrot and cucumber sticks with a dip) – he had a toasted bagel as something lighter.

It was an absolutely beautiful day, with not a single cloud marking the brilliant blue sky – and with it set as the background to the vivid colours of the leaves – reds, oranges and yellows standing out of the regular dark greens from round the shores of the lake. And although there was a chill to the wind, the sunshine still had a nice warmth to it.

Gravenhurst really can be what you want to make of it. If you want to have a relaxing walk or sit by the lake – its got the benches all set up for you – in some really nice spots – that seem to be designed to give you a little privacy but plenty of exposure to the lake’s beauty. If you want to enjoy its attractions however – there are plenty to visit! And if you’re staying in Gravenhurst, Muskoka has attractions all over – and you’re only an hour away from Algonquin Provincial Park!

Of coarse, if you’re staying in this town, why not have a look at some of the other places we’ve already featured such as the Sunset Grill and the Muskoka Boat Heritage Centre

The hotel we’d recommend would be the Marriot which is located right by the Muskoka Boat Heritage Centre, but you can have a look for other hotels and the best prices at www.ebookers.com and searching for Gravenhurst, ON

Your closest airport would be Toronto, so remember to check out the latest offers from Canadian Affair since they’re always the cheapest carrier over to Canada (and I’ve flown 14 times with them now!) Have a look what I’ve had to say about them in our Canadian Affair Review for 2010

So there you have it! A superbly pretty place, full of attractions, places to eat, see and the perfect base to head further afield!

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