Shawn James has completed episode #6 of a magnificent 6-part video series of an epic solo canoe trip he took this spring. He looped 140 kilometers, starting at Magnetawan and heading through Grassy Bay, Burntroot, Catfish and Misty Lakes. You can access the complete series of his six videos on his YouTube channel at Shawn James.

"Surprisingly, I ran into more people than I expected. Just one canoe on the Petawawa itself, but none on many of the lakes. I had Grassy Bay, Misty and Burntroot to myself at night, which did surprise me, and then very few people on the smaller lakes between Misty and Rain (nobody until Jubilee)."

Ian Tendy has just published the trip-log of his recent Ice Out 2016 – Little Eagle Lake trip on his website.

"When we arrived at the scene we didn’t quite know where to go first. There were two people in the water and the other canoe had towed the boats to shore and were getting ready to start their own rescue. We didn’t know whether it was prudent to gather gear with potentially crucial supplies or help get the people to shore. Perhaps sensing our hesitation, one of the people in the water screamed to us 'Please, help us!' I’ve never before heard someone in such distress."

Robert M. (a.k.a. 'Uppa') has just added a new trip-log to his website .. Shall - Booth - Shirley - McKaskill May, 2016 .. his recent 4-day solo ice-out kayak trip.

"A noise much like what it would sound like if a huge rock were dropped into the lake shattered the silence. I froze in place, more than a little freaked out. A pitch black, dead quiet night and something out there was most definitely awake and on the move. Seconds passed as I remained motionless, paying attention to the environment with every sense at my disposal. SPLASH, again, just as loud. Not knowing what to do or how to react I just kept standing there, feet from my tent, camera in hand. SPLASH, a third time, as loud as the others."

As is usually done this time of year, the Algonquin Forestry Authority has released its initial 2016-2017 Schedule of Operations Map (with seasonal distinctions).

Chris Taylor has submitted four new Portage Campsite Inventory campsite reports, of sites he visited last September ...

Mark Rubino, and his pal Mike Burns, took a 4-day late-season canoe trip on November 19th .. to Ragged Lake. Basecamping there, they made day-trip explorations to Parkside Bay and Big Porcupine Lake. Mark has just added the trip-log to his website .. http://www.markinthepark.com/triplogs/triplog130

"I awoke to feeling like someone was sitting on me. What the heck? I tired to roll out of the way, but ended up stuck as something was pushing against me. I opened my eyes to darkness and realized that. “No, it wasn’t a bear sitting on top of me”, but my tent roof and sides had caved in! I pushed the tent walls out and the ceiling too, hearing the snow slide off the tent walls. There was alot of snow!"

Three and a half years after the first of two TedX Algonquin Park events, we can now look back and view videos of the two events' 16 presentations. Randy Mitson of Algonquin Outfitters has shared the link to the videos' YouTube playlist .. www.youtube.com/playlist.

The 2012 speakers were Terri LeRoux, Margaret Penner, Kathryn Lindsay, Jamie McRae, Kirby Whiteduck, Adam Ruzzo, Adam Van Koeverden, and Gene Canning. The 2013 speakers were Kathryn Lindsay, Eric Davies, Jeffrey McMurtrie, Martyn Obbard, Boris Issaev, Lindsey Mask, Preston Ciere, and Kevin Callan.

Robert M. (a.k.a. 'Uppa') has just launched a new website .. kayakcamper.com.

"I created this site out of a love for two things: camping in Algonquin Provincial Park, and kayaking. Taking a kayak into portage country takes a bit more care and attention to detail than you might need with a canoe, but if you love kayaking, and love camping, the reward is worth the effort. My goal with this site is to give anyone who kayak camps, or is thinking about kayak camping, the tools they need to make their experience an incredible one. "

Chris Taylor has submitted five new Portage Campsite Inventory campsite reports, of sites he visited last summer ...

Chris B. has recently added a number of canoe trip-logs to his Algonquin Voyageur blog. The most recent of these triplogs is his 5-day mid-August trip with his dad .. 2015 Kioshkokwi - Maple - Birchcliffe Cabin - One Mile - Manitou - Kioshkokwi .. which included some seriously low-water sections of Maple Creek.

"From the creek there looked like what was a landing for a portage but there was no sign of a trail and no portage marker, just alders and then forest. I knew we were on a low maintenance section of the creek now but this was a little ridiculous. I got out and looked around and bush whacked into the alders and up into the forest but failed to find any sign of a trail."