Thanks to ABR Low Impact Committee for "sweetening the pot" of the Photo Contest's 3rd place prize, with a "Global Warming Mug".

The mug is covered with a map of the world. When you pour in a hot beverage, the mug shows what happens when the oceans begin to rise, with the land mass disappearing. Unfortunately, due to it's being pottery, Iit won't be mailed out. Rather, the winner will have to pick it up.

The current Algonquin Adventures Photo Contest is running through to the end of March, so there's still time to get your entry in!

This past weekend, Margaret (Kean) Black's resurrected Margaret's Algonquin Park Page was rediscovered by the older trippers amongst us. It resides as part of Margaret's larger Margaret's Place in Cyberspace. Margaret posted the following on our website forum ...

"I'm SO GLAD Barry Bridgeford found my new website and contacted me this week! Since I was last involved with the online Algonquin Park community, back in 1999, my life has taken many twists and turns. I got married, had a baby, lost my husband of 2 1/2 years in a motor vehicle accident, completed teacher's college, became an Elementary School teacher and started doing volunteer work for two local wildlife centres and a local conservation group. "

Mark Rubino has posted a trip-log on his website of his 4 day Pinetree Lake Sep. 3 - 6, 2004 solo trip out of Access Point #12.

"I sat back, got a fire going, and enjoyed every minute of this fantastic weather on this fantastic lake. By 8:00 pm, I could see clouds building in from the West, but it never did rain, I did manage to see a few shooting stars, one a spectacular one...with a bit of a shimmering dusty tail. My campsite was excellent for watching stars, with the exposed rock for lying down on, near the shore."

Mark Rubino has posted a trip-log on his website of his 4 day Magnatewan to Ralph Bice Lake and Back 2004 solo trip out of Access Point #3, including a day-trip to Mubwayaka Lake.

"It was a beautiful morning, not a cloud in the sky and a light breeze. After I had breakfast(most likely oatmeal & coffee), I observed the wind and waves again picking up strength on Ralph Bice Lake. Although the wind and waves weren't as strong as the day before, I was reserved about heading out in the canoe solo, so I grabbed my camera and headed into the forest."

William Ashton has submitted a trip-log of his 3 day The Nip: No Matter What, We’ll Get There! 1996 trip out of Kiosk to the upper reaches of the Nipissing River. Under-fed and over-extended, the trip was a lesson in reaching one's "limits".

"Soldiering on, disappointment was evident for both of us when we arrived and saw how little water was in Loughrin Creek. Completely filled in with heavy weeds, it felt like paddling through pea soup, made worse by never ending meanders to the point where we didn’t know if we were making progress or not. Later in Loughrin Creek, the weeds were interrupted by innumerable beaver dams, none of which we were able to paddle over. Following the beaver dams, the water came up too shallow to paddle and we both hopped out and walked the river. Three endless hours later, we were off the creek and back on the portage trail."

Rob Waywell has added a trip-log of his 4 day June 2005 Petawawa River, Lake Travers to Lake McManus canoe trip to his Loon Island Outdoors website.

"Scott did his best, leaning way out over the bow of the canoe as the dove straight down the drop and buried the nose of the canoe in the first standing wave. Scott and Dave swam into the eddy on river left while I rescued the canoe from the river on eddy right. Oh well, it had been a couple of days since anyone had showered, a little swim wasn't a bad idea."

Jennifer Kerr started her Algonquin Park blog A Walk In Algonquin Park last summer .. . It's quite obvious that she loves the park, from her numerous blog entries over the past months. .. http://algonquinblog.wordpress.com

"I’m sick of people throwing their garbage on the portages, people bringing cans and bottles into the interior and leaving them there for others to clean up, people driving everywhere within a campsite when you can bike or walk. The threat on Algonquin is all too real and we need to protect it. We as the campers are as much responsible as the park staff and conservation officers. "

David Pile (aka "Jester") has just submitted a trip-log of his seven-day Sept. 2007 - Canoe Lake to Big Trout Lake and Return trip.

"We slid through a partially broken beaver dam and then studied the next beaver dam that was several hundred feet downstream . After Czar and Jester bullied their way over the dam, Jester called out, "Hey, could we have missed a portage?" We were staring at some interesting rocks which were close enough together and large enough that we would have to get out and track the canoes. The decision was reached to push on and not turn around."

Ray Peppler has sent in his Big Trout Lake Trip - May 2007 9-day trip-log (text).

"We decided that this was the morning we'd all go over to the rapids and see what specs we could catch there. We went with the same partners that we had going in. Here we had a second problem develop. One of our canoes went too far into the rapids. It stopped in an eddy to fish and the current caught them with both their paddles out of the water and they went over. We got to them in lots of time so there was no trouble, except for the lost fishing gear."