Algonquin Provincial Park-Day III
Trip Start
Feb 21, 2007
1
32
47
Trip End
Ongoing
Algonquin Provincial Park,
Ontario,
Canada
Sunday, September 23, 2007
I was dying to see a moose, at least one, sometime during the weekend, and I think you all know what it's like to wish too hard for something. It doesn't happen! There were moose droppings all over our campsite
Moose Tracks
. It's situated along a marshy coast which moose love. They usually forage for food in the early morning and evening. The best time to see them is the evening. If you take a quiet canoe ride through the marshy areas you can sometimes see them chowing down on marshy foliage. On the last trip Mike and Barb took, they were just canoeing along, minding their own business having a lovely evening when all of a sudden there was a HUGE snorting sound and a moose lifted its massive head up right beside their canoe!!! Barb said it scared the crap out of her! She also said it was a pretty amazing site. So after that story, I was raring to see one. No go. Nothing. Nada. I even got up before dawn one morning, wandered down to the bog and sat an a log, quiet as a mouse, waiting..... but no dice. We found numerous moose tracks along the portage route, especially to Ralph Bice Lake, but no moose.
We saw several loons along the different routes too. They're really lovely and a typical Canadian site, especially on the northern lakes. The water birds have a haunting call and are most often seen in pairs. They symbolize solitude and wilderness. There are five species, the most common being appropriately called the Common Loon. Their bodies are longer than a ducks and their bills are sharply pointed. They dive great depths and can hold their breath for a really long time. They're pretty neat and their colors are unique.
The fall colors were just starting to show
Paddling Dry Land!
. The trees were orange, yellow and vermillion where it seems like someone has splattered the landscape with the most brilliant of palate of colors. The trees on the shorelines of each lake had tips of vibrant color just starting to show. It's really no wonder Fall, or Autumn, is the favorite season for many. The weather is cooler at night and the days tend to still be fairly warm without the beating heat of summer. Yes, it does get really hot during Canadian summer! Outside of urban areas is the best place to witness the beauty of Fall but even in the city the colors turn and brighten everything. The only downer of the weekend came Sunday afternoon. Mike had set up his little radio onto CBC radio , a Canadian classic. Mike and I were hanging out and all of a sudden it was announced that Ken Danby, a famous Canadian artist, had died the day before. In Algonquin Park!!!!!! Whoa! We were sort of blown away as we had just been talking about him. The coincidence was kind of eerie. He was born in Sault Ste. Marie but been a resident of Guelph, our hometown, since I can remember. I went to school with one of his sons. The story was, we found out later on, that he was on an artist's retreat in Algonquin some 70 Kms away from us, and had a heart attack while paddling. He was with his wife and they tired to call for help but once help arrived, it was already too late. He's the second famous Canadian artist to die in the park. Tom Thompson, the famous Group of Seven artist, died mysteriously in the park many years ago now. Check out some of Ken's terrific paintings.
