There are a couple of new Portage Campsite Inventory submissions from Ken Gower.

Ken has submitted descriptions of campsites on Maple and Manitou Lakes .. Maple Lake Campsite #4   and   Manitou Lake Campsite #11.

Marko Mrkobrada has submitted a trip-log of his recent 3-day ski-sled trip to the west side of Canisbay Lake, with extensive day-tripping beyond the north end end of the lake .. Cannisbay Lake Winter Camp.

"The stove kept things nice and comfortable overnight. I only used my 0C-rated quilt and was quite warm. Waking up in the morning, we started to break camp. The rain on Feb 20 was followed by the -20C, and it turned the snow around the tent into ice. We had to use the back of the axe to hammer out the deadman stakes."

A few weeks ago, Kyra P. and her friend headed out on the Highland Backpacking Trail for a four-day camping trip, with their basecamp near Provoking Lake. The trip-log Winter Backcountry 4-day Snowshoe Adventure is recorded on Kyra's website "Kyra On The Go", along with the link to a photo album of the trip.

"Normally we tie a rope around a rock and throw that over a tree branch to hang the bear bag, but with small rocks buried under the snow, we spotted a cooking pot that someone had left behind, and I threw that over the tree branch!" ... "We gathered wood, chopped more of our kindling, started our chili, and built a fire. Despite a whipping wind and snow blowing horizontally in the afternoon, the evening improved and we managed to last until about 8:30 PM before we headed for the tent with our hot water bottles!"

Last week, Shawn O'Reilly took two days to backpack solo from the trailhead of the Western Uplands Backpacking Trail at the Oxtongue River Picnic Ground to Ramona Lake and back. He has posted a photo-rich account of his trip on his website at www.myselfreliance.com .

"Arriving back at the trail at the west end of the lake without finding a suitable spot, I headed back east to a little sheltered valley near the Namakootchie Lake portage. A large Eastern Hemlock tree had fallen over near a small rock outcrop and it made a suitable campsite once I dug out the three feet of snow that had accumulated there. My gear is well suited for solo trekking, and I wouldn’t recommend a trip like this alone unless you are sure you have suitable gear and bush skills for cold temperatures and isolation."

The judging of the Algonquin Adventures 2015 Paddling Trip-log Contest is now complete!

The winners and links to all of the contest's trip-logs are located on the Contest Results page.

Danger of Mixing Alcohol And Outdoor Winter Activities ... Serious caution should be exercised when considering the partaking of alcohol while camping, specially during wintery cold temperatures.

"While alcohol may seem like the perfect cold-weather beverage because it creates a sensation of warmth, it actually decreases core body temperature — regardless of the temperature outside — and increases the risk of hypothermia." (The New York Times)   ...   For details, refer to linked articles at www.nytimes.com and www.discovery.com.

Mike Last has photographed some great galleries of Algonquin Park pictures. He's been canoe tripping since the age of seven and has been pursuing photography since 2002.

Mike's Algonquin Park galleries can be found at his website .. www.mikelastphoto.com .. with topics including the Barron Canyon, the Canoe Lake Area and Dayhike Trails.

Check out his online Algonquin Park Photo Galleries here.

Scott Rogers ("Smedley Co.") has just added a trip-log to his website www.smedleyco.com, describing his four-night winter camping trip with friends to Pinetree Lake in February of last year .. February 12 - 16, 2015 Pinetree Lake

"It took about an hour and a half to reach the dog leg just before Pinetree Lake. Along the trail we had decided to have a look at the little pond just before Pinetree for protected camping spots out of the prevailing winds. It was expected to be a very cold weekend and we knew from our previous trip that suitable winter camp sites on Pinetree Lake can be difficult to find.".

The theme for the Algonquin Outfitters 2015 Photo Contest was 'Outdoor Activities in Algonquin Park, Haliburton Highlands & Muskoka'. It drew 581 entries, more than any past photo Algonquin Outfitters photo contest.

The four judges (of which Algonquin Adventures operator Barry Bridgeford was one) had the task of picking just a few winners from all of the photos entered. Narrowing them all down to the winners was quite a process. Checkout the winners at 2015 Photo Contest.

The upcoming 5th Annual Kitchener Waterloo Canoe Symposium has just announced its roster of presenters. Of particular interest for Algonquinites, is David LeGros .. the Natural Heritage Education Specialist for Algonquin Park, leading the team of talented naturalists who deliver educational programs for the park. David will be speaking at the symposium about "The Wolves of Algonquin Park ".

"David has led a number of wolf howls for groups in Algonquin Park, and has observed their behavior in the wild. In 2012, David completed his MSc. in amphibian conservation at Laurentian University, and has published several peer-reviewed articles."