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Comments
T@Bit@t 2015 S Max Outback, ‘18 V6 4Runner
TV: 2006 Chevy Avalanche LT Z71 aka: WhiteWolf, or 1972 Chevy Custom10 P/U aka: SnarlingWolf
Spokane, Wa.
Eric aka: Lone Wolf
Pulled by a silver 2017 Chevy Silverado
Leaves on T@bventures from Spokane, WA
Urbana, MD
Another great post! Btw, can I ask your name?
I think you are training for a backpacking trip, but where?!
2023 Tab 400 / 2022 F150 XLT Sport 3.5EB
Traded in - 2018 T@B 320 S/2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5
2023 Tab 400 / 2022 F150 XLT Sport 3.5EB
Traded in - 2018 T@B 320 S/2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5
2020 320S Boondock Lite (silver w/blue)
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium
Looking back at this trip, Erica and I will remember it as one we did not want to end!
The drive to Algonquin was a little slow at times, due to issues on the big city highways. It also included a brief meeting with my lovely sister Danielle, who delivered another piece of borrowed gear, for our upcoming backpacking adventure. I will admit, I am loving the longer daylight hours we get in June, as we approach the summer solstice. Driving in daylight is far more enjoyable for me, so the less blackness, the better. Unless we are talking about coffee, then black is fine by me. A black coffee helped me push through the last black hours of driving, and we arrived at our site, near midnight.
What we found, was an issue we don’t encounter too often; slope. Our waterfront site was, well, sloped toward the water. I backed the T@b into what looked like the most level spot, chocked the wheels, and unhitched from the truck. Due to the slope, I knew I would have to get the tongue down as far as possible, to try and level the trailer. In doing so, I was reminded what the lowest point of the trailer was; the grey water drain. Oops. I don’t think I broke anything, thanks to the flexibility of the pipe. I raised the tongue just a touch, to get the drain off the ground, and that was that. I’m usually pretty anal about getting the trailer level, but it was midnight, and there was not really much else I could do anyway. So, the trailer stayed a bit nose high. Distracted by the fore/aft slope, I did not even check the side to side, before setting the stabilizers. It turns out the door side was a little high too. Whatever, close enough. Bed time.
I woke up, and headed to the water to check the shoreline for wildlife. None was spotted. So, on with some coffee and breakfast hash, which was easily prepared, without gusting winds, like we had at Oastler Lake, the last time I tried to prepare the same meal.
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After breakfast, we set about preparing our borrowed packs for another backpacking training / trial hike. We loaded the packs with not only rock salt and fertilizer, but also the things we would normally carry in our day hike pack, like first aid kit, snacks, and water. And, to round ‘em out, some dog toys, sleeping bags, and whatever else we had handy. These are big bags….
The hike we selected for the day was the Booth’s Rock Trail. The description states: “Booth's Rock Trail is a 5.1 km loop trail that visits two lakes and a spectacular lookout, returning via an abandoned railway.”
Spectacular lookout? Sounds promising.
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We drove down a smooth and dusty gravel road to the trailhead, strapped on our packs, and headed out. The first half of the trail contains quite a bit of climbing. It’s good our legs were fresh. We kept our pace sensible, taking short pauses as needed. Fortunately, the bugs were nowhere near as bad as those we found in the Massasauga a couple weeks ago. But, there were still plenty of bugs.
In addition to testing our packs, we were also reviewing another item, a bug spray. This item was provided to us by my mom, who wanted to know if it works, before she joins us on our next trip into the woods. The spray is concocted from a magic blend of essential hippy oils, including “TerraShield,” lemongrass, geranium, some other stuff, and more witchcraft. Or was that witch-hazel? Anyway, the dominantly lemongrass scent was very pleasant, and it did not leave a gross sticky feel, so I applied it to both my clothes, and my limited amount of exposed skin. Conclusion? It works. It provided the protection needed to enjoy the woods of Algonquin, when tested on a warm day in mid June. I would recommend it to anybody who wants to avoid deet, and does not mind paying more for an essential oil based product.
Anyway, we continued our climb, and before too long, we discovered that the “Spectacular View” was indeed spectacular.
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We spent a long time enjoying it. A few other groups passed through to enjoy the view, and with one young couple in particular, Erica and I laughed about how much their banter and exchanges sounded like our own.
Some laughs were also had at my expense, when I was excited to spot a really cool dragonfly on a tree. I was trying to take some pictures of it, and they were not really turning out. It was sitting still on a branch though, with its somewhat plastic looking wings, blowing in the breeze. Erica then pointed out that the entirety of the dragonfly WAS plastic. Doh! I’d been had. Embarrassed, I deleted the photos. But, Erica was amused by the story, so I pulled one from my trash bin for your amusement.
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Of course, we made sure to take some pictures of each other with the packs, that make us look like we are on some kind of epic adventure. We through in a selfie for good measure.
“For the ‘gram”
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The descent was much more abrupt than the climb, with most of the elevation loss happening on man-made stairs, that Erica and I both agreed would be no fun at all to climb. Once back to the level of Rock Lake, we started the final leg of the trip, down the abandoned rail line. We still had a ways to go, so we continued to contemplate how much we would enjoy the backpacking experience. On a hike like the one we were in the midst of, adding ~25 lb to our backs quite simply made the experience worse. We were getting one of the biggest the negatives of backpacking, the pack weight, but not all of the positives, like spending the night alone in nature, in our own little tent, sufficiently far from cars and the next nearest human. But, we were pleased with our ability to handle the weight, going up and down. We concluded that we would be happy to proceed with our planned trial trip.
We wrapped up our hike without drama, and about 5.8km registered on our track. Afterwards, we arrived back at camp, and crushed some sandwiches for a late lunch.
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We had some time to relax, and then we had our campfire roasted dinner. But we were not done for the day. Erica had another short ~2km hike planned on the lookout trail, to watch the sun set. For that adventure, we each took a small pack, that we agreed felt near weightless, after what we endured earlier that day. The trail itself was also easier than the last time we did it, since we did not have to deal with wet, slippery, and slushy snow on the ground this go-around.
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While the sunset fell far short of the best we’ve seen, it was still a nice experience. I’ll add that we were not the only ones with the same idea that evening. There were numerous other groups with us there as well, which was unsurprising, since the Lookout Trail is one of, if not the, most popular trail in the park. I think a little solitude would have been nice, but that is not always easily found within 1km of a highway. Hmm. With the sun set, we headed to bed. I appreciated the comfort of our little T@b, with its thick foam bed. Zzzz.
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I started the next day, by again checking the lake, and taking the Adventure Mutt for a little stroll around the campground. Still no bear or moose sightings. Erica and I were happy to spend most of the morning relaxing, and enjoying our wonderful site in the pines of the Pog Lake campground.
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Eventually, we got ourselves up, and went for a wonderful bike ride on the Old Railway Trail. As predicted by some heat warnings, it was shaping up to be a warm day. Cycling gives a constant cooling breeze though, so it was a good activity. We covered about 13km, much of it which was nicely shaded.
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We were quickly running out of time on our site. With the 2pm checkout looming, Erica prepared a quick and delicious lunch, and we started to pack up. We certainly were not ready for the fun to end though. So, we towed our T@b to the nearest beach parking lot, and when we arrived, we found it empty, which was not surprising, since the majority of guests at this time of year clear out after 2 on Sunday afternoon. But, our solitude was broken, when another couple arrived right after us. Can’t blame ‘em for wanting to go for a swim on a hot day though. The water was refreshing, and I felt much better after a little time in the water.
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After our swim, it was on to the next item on Erica’s “please don’t let this trip end” schedule. We headed to the Algonquin Art Centre.
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I was very impressed by the experience. They had so many wonderful pieces, inspired by nature.
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We talked about the joy we would get by spending money on art, versus trips and gear. We left with our money in our pockets, but wishing we had an extra $6,000 or so to spend before leaving.
Before leaving the park, we saw a couple cars pulled off to the side of the highway. Surely, they were looking at some sort of wildlife. So, we pulled onto the shoulder as well. Sure enough, we got a real nice treat, a moose sighting, off the side of highway 60! I had not seen a moose in a really long time, and Erica had never seen a wild moose before, so we were both delighted. I was not in position to take a good picture of it, but if I could have, and I had a Canon EOS 6D, with a nice piece of glass mounted, it would have looked a little like this picture I found on the internet.
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Source:
http://buchner.org/photography/
We further delayed our drive home by taking a quick tour of another one of Algonquin’s many campgrounds, picking up a map, and taking a browse of all the cool gear and stuff at Algonquin Outfitters. Eventually though, we had to concede, and headed home. We arrived home after dark, which always makes backing into our narrow driveway a challenge, since I can’t see anything. But, without too much drama, the T@b made it to its resting place. We unpacked the bare minimum, leaving much of the task for another day.
Algonquin is awesome, and we wish we could spend far more time there in the summer. After three trips there together, there is still so much left for us to do there. We will be back soon.
Happy camping.
T@Bit@t 2015 S Max Outback, ‘18 V6 4Runner
2023 Tab 400 / 2022 F150 XLT Sport 3.5EB
Traded in - 2018 T@B 320 S/2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5
Right now, I'm recovering from surgery (again) on my right foot. Removal of hardware. It's a whole lot more painful than when they put it in!!
Just wonderful pictures of you two and the scenery!!! I totally enjoy your "ramblings". I sure hope you are keep these as a log for memories and perhaps revisiting
Keep 'em coming! You're a natural story teller.
2016 NuCamp 320 T@B Max S
T@bbey Road
Appleton, WI
https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/comment/95986/#Comment_95986
I’ll start off by saying, I was really looking forward to this trip, for quite some time, for a few reasons. First, Killarney Provincial Park is awesome. According to Ontario Parks, “This iconic 645 square kilometre wilderness landscape showcases the wild Georgian Bay Coast of pink granite; the La Cloche Mountains’ white quartzite ridges and over 50 exceptionally clear, sapphire lakes set among Jack Pine hills.” I’d say that’s all very accurate. Second, this trip would feature some special guests; my sister and her dog, and my parents. Third, for the duration of this trip, much of Ontario was under a heat warning, with certain areas in Southern Ontario seeing humidex values of 45 or so. Although Killarney was expecting some heat too, many of the forecasted highs were notably lower than in the south.
Erica and I, my sister, and my parents were all scheduled to arrive at different times. Erica and I left Thursday afternoon. We worked to get things packed and organized a little more than our usual on Wednesday night, so we could get on the road as quickly as possible. Due to the long drive, I left work early, and we were on the road by about 4:45. The late sunset meant that I would only have a few hours of driving after dark, which was nice. When the sun did set, my truck charged on through the darkness, killing what seemed like 100 bugs a minute on its windshield and chrome grille. We pulled into the front gate at 11pm, grabbed a park tabloid, and headed to our site.
That’s when things got interesting. The two sites we had booked, were tucked away nicely on a dead end road. Since the rest of my family was not arriving until Friday, other campers were camped on the second site. Unfortunately, their van was parked in a way such that I could not pull past our site, and back our trailer in. That’s the short version of it. The longer version has me trying, trying, and trying again to make it work. I was so close, but just could not do it. I’ve never had that problem before. After numerous efforts to back in, I admitted defeat, and resorted to plan B. I had to unhitch the trailer, manhandle it over the somewhat soft and somewhat sloped road to be facing the right direction, then drive the truck around, hitch it back up, then back the trailer into the site. After adding a new scratch to my truck, and making more noise at 11:30pm than our neighbours were probably hoping for, our T@b was tucked into its resting place.
Friday morning, Erica and I did not get up to much. We had a big canoe / hike lightly penciled into the itinerary, but that got erased, and replaced with a little relaxation, and strolling around the campground. In the early afternoon, my sister Danielle arrived. We greeted her, and before long, took a stroll down to the doggie beach, to let the pups play. Erica and I also set up our screen room, which we began referring to as the “Bug Free Zone,” or BFZ for short. We were glad to have the protection from the mosquitoes, for some relaxation on our glamping loungers.
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Early in the evening, my parents arrived, and we worked to get them all set up, and settled in too. They arrived with their vintage tent trailer, which also had to be manhandled into place. Fortunately, it’s quite light, and easily maneuvered with two men. After a few adjustments, we found a nice spot, and quickly set up the old Rebel. As my grandparents (the previous owners of the trailer) would say “viele Hände macht ein schnelles Ende.” Translated from German, “Many hands makes a quick end.”
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Friday overnight, we got an unexpected thunderstorm, complete with plenty of lightning. I had left our chairs in the screen tent, which is not storm proof, so they got wet. The loungers don’t hold water though, so it was not a big mistake. For the most part, the weather forecasts were not exactly accurate for the trip. Hot, humid weather often brings hard to forecast storms.
On Saturday, we all decided to take on the Lake of the Woods Trail. This trail was my choice, because I not done the trail before. My dad and I completed the other short hikes in Killarney when we were there in 2012. The distance was just right, at a claimed 3.5km. The trail was pretty incredible. It offered a great variety of terrain, complete with great views of Silver Peak, the park’s highest point. There were plenty of steep sections to scoot up and down, but also a few easier steps here and there.
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Things were made more interesting by the weather. There were dark clouds, and rolling thunder at times. We got just a few drops of rain when we were in the woods. The weather also brought a nice breeze. Erica was totally loving the weather, as we worked our way around the trail.
We were not in a rush, so we made sure to stop, and enjoy the views as they came up.
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We completed the trail in the posted 3 hour time frame. After the hike, we refueled, and relaxed a bit.
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Although we did not end up needing the canoe for Bell Lake, to hike the Silver Peak Trail, I still wanted to take a few paddle strokes in the scenic George Lake. So, Erica and I did just that in the afternoon. I proposed going dog free, as that would make things just a little bit easier. But, Erica loves her Adventure Poodle so darn much, that he had to come along too. We very casually paddled into George Lake, to see some of the pink granite and white quartzite the park is famous for.
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On Sunday, we got to enjoy another full day at the park. Extra-long weekends are awesome. For this day, Erica and I decided we would do the famous “Crack” trail. In my humble opinion, this is the most interesting day hike in the park, which gives the best view. I like the view even better than the one gained by hiking to the park’s highest point of Silver Peak. At over 6km, it is a substantial hike, which comes with a lot of elevation gain, as well as a really fun scramble to get to the top.
It was a warm day. Some might have even called it hot. It’s the kind of weather you would trade for in a heartbeat, as you watch February snow fall. We made sure to fill the hydration packs. Due to the challenging rock features on the trail, Erica and I opted to leave the dogs with the rest of my family, who would be spending the day by the lake. We were thankful to have loving hands to leave them in. Though dogs can and do make it to the top, the steep rock faces and boulders can be a hazard. Our dogs tend to think they can climb anything, then loose traction, and slide down, out of control on occasion. As a bonus, we could get away with carrying a little less water.
All geared up with our day packs, we started along the trail, which has a nice gentle start, and continues to get more interesting, the further you go.
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Things were going well, due to us being well prepared. Erica had previously had a few issues with nutrition and headaches on adventures of this sort. So, we made sure to have a good variety of food and snacks, as well as some electrolyte replacements. Extreme Sport Beans by Jelly Belly, and no-sugar-added dried mangoes from Bulk Barn were key players in this adventure.
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The view from the top is definitely worth it. There were plenty of people enjoying the view, but we still managed to snag a shady spot to finish our sandwiches. We also enjoyed the people-watching too. There were some people who appeared to be far less prepared than us, but also made it to the top, despite questionable footwear and clothing choices.
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The hike back down also went well, and we wrapped up the trail, sufficiently tired, and feeling accomplished.
Monday came, and Erica and I still had a pair of hikes to knock off our list, before heading home. Next up, was the Cranberry Bog Trail. While it may not have the massive elevation gain that some of the other trails in the park offer, it is very scenic, not exactly flat, and quite lovely overall.
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After the Cranberry Bog Trail, we headed back to our site to re-fuel with some lunch, and pack up our campsite.
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Though Erica and I were feeling a little fatigued, we were not going to leave without hiking the Granite Ridge Trail. It’s a short 2km trail, which climbs up to offer some nice views.
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With the trail completed, we headed home. On the drive, we got the pleasure of experiencing a construction delay, and witnessing an accident. Two vehicles ahead of us, an F-350 towing a dual axle trailer, with a piece of landscaping equipment on it experienced a serious sway event, which ended up giving the truck some jackknifing damage, landing the trailer stuck in the ditch, and the nose of the truck blocking a lane of highway traffic. The driver tried unsuccessfully to pull the trailer out of the ditch, before unhitching the trailer, to clear the roadway. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved, and nobody was injured. Fun times on the highway.
Travel safe, and happy camping.
Beautiful park and how fun to camp with family and more dogs.
Re your battery, is there any chance you forgot to turn on the battery switch when you were driving?
Nice job on all the hikes and paddling. Hopefully now that you are back at work, you can relax!
Re unprepared hikers...always gets me too. Somehow they manage. Maybe without the packs of food, water, first aid and other precautionary gear, it's easier!
It sounds like you know about hydration/nutrition, but I'll throw out a few points just in case it helps (I used to own a Fleet Feet Sports running store and coached);
Electrolyte and calorie replacement is key. Those Extreme Sport Beans are good as they also have caffeine which gives a boost. The whole packet is only 100 calories though, so eat the whole thing and wash down with water. I also like Honey Stinger Chews, Clif Bloks or Skratch chews (less sweet). Just be sure to look at the serving size and aim for 100 calories, depending on how you feel and how hard you are working, every 30-60 minutes. Supplementing with real food in small doses like you did helps also. There are a few hydration products out there I like. I drink a lot of Nuun. They are tablets that dissolve in water with a little fizz. No calories, no sugar, just the four key electrolytes. It makes a big difference in absorption and sloshy stomach. If you want to drink some of your calories, Skratch is nice as it's real light, made with real sugar and dried fruit. (It comes powdered). Upset stomach or headache could be the start of dehydration. And you probably know not to drink loads of plain water without electrolyte replacement (hyponatremia). Also, if it's real humid and/or you sweat a lot, there are various salt tablets like Hammer Endurolytes that will quickly absorb the sloshing water. That's all that comes to mind. Great you are doing the training hikes to test out various products for the "big event"!
Thank you for sharing your adventures.
2023 Tab 400 / 2022 F150 XLT Sport 3.5EB
Traded in - 2018 T@B 320 S/2019 Toyota 4Runner SR5
OMGosh, I get tired reading your hiking, but absolutely love, love, love the pictures @rkj__ !!! What a wonderful weekend. How did the canvas of the vintage tent trailer hold up in the storm? I had a popup and never had an issue with the canvas for over 13 yrs.
You got to park in the dark twice! I hope you two didn't hurt yourself getting the camper into your campsite.
I love the Adventure Poodle's ever-ready attitude to conquer the world!! I also love that hammock. That's where I would be most of the weekend. hehe.
Thank you for the ramblings. I totally enjoy them!