Mike Burns has sent in an entertaining "Trip-log" of sorts entitled The Whole Burns Family Algonquin Experience. Being that it includes a heavy dose of "Drive-in Campground", it may eventually get placed in both the Resources/Commentary and Photos sections. You can either read the trip-log along with its photos ... or you can simply view the photos in gallery/slide-show mode.

"We finally found the waterfall. It’s water from Kenneth Lake, dropping about 11 meters down to Head Lake. What a beauty. I’m glad we made the trek to find it. The water was supper warm from the shallow bay. We sat under it and let the water drop on us. We sat on some rock ledges looking on Head Lake."

Here's a heads-up that Bob & Diana McElroy have added another "vintage" triplog .. Brent / Maple Lake / Catfish Lake Loop (August 11 to 21, 1975) to their Bush Log website.

"... portaging over to Luckless Lake. This was not a pleasant portage. Not only was the footing poor, it was out in the open, and therefore oppressively hot, plus you could see the trail winding off into the distance. There was no deluding yourself that the lake was just around the next corner.

In addition, Bob has added his record of a recent orchid-hunting trip to Ooze Lake .. Ooze Lake.

Bob & Diana McElroy have added Little Bonnechere River from Stringer Lake to Sligo (May 11/07) to their Bush Log website.

"On Friday, 2007 May 11, Bob, Ric and Richard explored the (Little) Bonnechere River, straddling the southeastern boundary of Algonquin Park. We launched our canoes at Stringer Lake, made our way over to Couchain Lake, paddled upstream on the Bonnechere River until lunch time, and then returned." ...

With this interesting day-trip on the Bonnechere River, Bob and Diana have added to their earlier exploits in the Bonnechere River Valley ... Egg Rock and the Bonnechere River Valley and High Falls on the Bonnechere River.

In July of last year, Jeff Wilson and his buddy Luc headed for Three Nights on Little Trout Lake, for a relaxing and well-fed stay. As it turned out, they had encounters with intense rain during their stay and with heavy winds during their return across Ralph Bice Lake.

"Somewhere around 2:30 PM, it finally started to rain. And did it EVER rain - almost harder than it had on the day we arrived. This rain brought with it cooler temperatures so we hunkered in under our fire-pit tarp once again to ride out the storm." ...

... "When we hit Ralph Bice Lake the waves were so high we considered walking the perimeter of the lake and dragging the canoe. We knew, of course, that this would not work – so we dug in, and pointed ourselves directly into the waves."

In April of 2005, the Minister of Natural Resources asked the Ontario Parks Board of Directors to provide advice on how to lighten the ecological footprint of logging in Algonquin Provincial Park. The Board of Directors gathered input, advice and technical support from the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Algonquin Forestry Authority.

The board's combined report and recommendations were released to the public on May 2nd, 2007 and was entitled: Recommendations of the Ontario Parks Board - Lightening The Ecological Footprint of Logging in Algonquin Provincial Park. Access this website's new Algonquin's Future page for further information on the report and how you can express your support for its recommendations.

Al LeBlanc has submitted a Loop Through Cedar, Nadine and the Nip trip-log of a five-day journey he and his buddy took early this month .. from Brent, through the Cauchon Lakes, south through Mouse, Erables and Skuce Lakes .. then downstream on the Nipissing River and back to Cedar Lake.

"There were many portages that had major blockages. It wasn’t until we got to the area of the Nipissing River that blockages became minimal. At the portage below Erables (P660) I counted fifty-three downed trees. Five of these were major blockages of one large tree or a group of trees. Approximately ten other blockages were of single smaller trees or groups of small trees that were difficult to step over and the rest were small trees that were easy to step over. Also, at the end of Erables it looked like a microburst had hit the ground in a couple of areas because there were large areas where all the trees were blown down."

There are substantial changes in the April/May Photo Contest's winner-selection process. The intent is to crank-up the contest's "seriousness-level". The last contest of the "off-season" is an ideal opportunity to try these changes out.

Submissions for a contest will be received right up to 9 pm of May 31st. Results will be announced by June 15th. The selection of the winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd places) of this April / May contest, will be done by Barry Bridgeford (operator of the Algonquin Adventures website and a professionally trained photographer). Judging will be based both on technical and aesthetic qualities.

Also, actual prizes are being provided by Algonquin Outfitters. In addition, opportunities to win will be spread-out by "sitting-out" 1st place winners from competing during the balance of that particular "off-season's" contests. This will give other photographers a chance to win. Past winning photos in this "off-season" were taken by ... Darren Dare and Tom Bennett.