Frontenac Provincial Park

July 27 - 29, 2004

Trip Reports

Frontenac Provincial Park

Trip Preparation
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
What worked well
Lessons Learned

Algonquin Spring Fishing 2005

Petawawa River

Day 1

We started the day from Loon Island, paddled across the lake to the mainland and portaged up to the truck. It was a pretty leisurely start to the day and we probably didn't have the truck loaded up and ready to head out until about 10am.

We got to the park around noon, stopped at the park office to get our permit and then headed to the put in. We saw our first deer of the trip on our way down the road from the park office to the put in on Big Salmon Lake. Of course we had to stop and take a picture, you can't pass up a chance like that.

We stopped for lunch before loading up the canoe, and probably didn't get on the water until about 1:30pm. From the dock at the put in on Big Salmon Lake you can see across to the first portage to Little Salmon Lake. That portage is only 974 meters, but by the time you get to the end you've walked at least twice as far as you got to paddle so far. We made it in 2 trips, our older son carried his pack including his clothes, sleeping bag and tent. I'd counted on him carrying his clothes and sleeping bag but I had not expected him to carry the tent.

It was raining now and it was cool just like the rest of the summer had been. We could see the campsites from the portage, it was starting to become clear just how tiny most of the lakes in Frontenac are. It was nice and quiet as we paddled across Little Salmon lake to the campsites. We got set up in the rain, and were thankfrul to have included a tarp, especially when our younger son (who loves wearing his rain coat), decided that since it was pouring rain and he was shivering he didn't really need a rain coat. At 3 years old, he really didn't understand the importance of staying dry. Dinner was rehydrated chili which was really easy to make up and everyone gobbled it up.

We got to bed fairly early this night, there wasn't a whole lot to do in the rain and everyone was getting cold, so turning in early made sense. This was the night when we found out that the tent pads were really small for 2 tents and that this one at least was set up right in line for the water running down the hill to funnel straight across the tent pad. Oh well, we made it through the night nice and dry even if I did wake up several times to check if there was water running over the floor of the tent.

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