Scott Rogers ("Smedley Co.") has 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 2015 .. 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.".

Scott Rogers ("Smedley Co.") has a trip-log online of the same trip already documented by Mike Burns (below) .. February 16 - 20, 2012 Head Lake Winter Camping .. camping at Head Lake and day-hiking to Harness and Pardee Lakes.

"We took turns breaking trail and kept trudging along, it wasn’t really too difficult until we began hitting the boardwalks. Then we would have to go down and around them, the rougher ground making it tricky to pull the sled through without tipping. There was also one spot with a tree across the trail, we had to double up and lift each sled over it. Eventually we came to the end of the portage, with a nice hill to slide down to the surface of Head Lake."

Mike Burns has submitted a triplog of his Winter Trip 2012 - 3 nights on Head Lake in which this February he, Mark Rubino and Scott Rogers hiked from the Cache Lake access point, camped at Head Lake and day-hiked to Harness and Pardee Lakes.

"After breakfast we headed over to see the water falls flowing in from Kenneth Lake. Was a little cold with -10 temps. But, you get warmed up fast snowshoeing. The waterfalls were pretty much frozen-over except for some open water at the very base. Markus and Scott decided to follow the crosscounty ski tracks made the day before. They headed towards the marsh and up towards Kenneth through a valley."

February 24th to 27th of 2011, Mark Rubino and a couple of friends hiked up Lake Opeongo and spent 3 nights camped inland, half way up the west shore. Mark's trip-log describes their hike, stay and daytrips to Opeongo Island and Bates Islands .. Winter Trekking On Opeongo - Feb. 2011

"As we trekked across the open ice, snow squalls overtook us as horizontal snow blew through us. By 3:45 pm we had reached the safety of a campsite on the north side of the bay we were camped on and ten minutes after that we were back at our camp. The snow squalls had subsided and by 5 pm there were breaks in the cloud cover and even the sun came out, the weather seemed to be breaking!"

January 28th to 30th of 2011, Mark Rubino and friends headed out across Canoe Lake and spent 2 nights camped inland, part way to Sam Lake. This trip-log describes their hike, stay and daytrips to Gill and Drummer Lakes .. Across Canoe Lake - Jan. 2011

"While balancing myself with my ski poles, I dug away with one foot at where I heard the cracking, I cleared the snow to find slush that had turned to ice, below that was a pocket and then the the ice layer. It was the thin layer of slush that had frozen and cracked under my weight, not the lake ice itself. Relief flooded through me and I hooked up my sled and carried on."

Markus Rubino has a trip-log on his website a four-day snowshoe trip from Aylen Lake to Wilkins Lake .. take from January 28th to 31st of 2010 .. 2010 Winter Trip to Wilkins Lake.

"It was satisfying to hear the winds howl and the trees creak and branches snap in the wind, all the while inside the tent we didn't feel a drop of wind, just the occasional pressure increase as wind buffeted the tent ... during the night Mike woke up once to load the stove up with firewood, it wasn't enough as by the time Mike woke up in the morning, the stove was stone cold and it was about -10°C in the tent. Neither Jeffrey or myself got up to feed the stove that night, as we were both too comfy in our sleeping bags."

Mike Burns took a 5-day winter hike-in with Markus, Derek (Dogbyte) and Jake R ... 2007 Winter Trip to Whitefish Lake ... February 28 to March 4th. This trip went from the Pog Lake Campground, along the Old Railway Bike Trail to Whitefish Lake. From there, day-tripping took them to the very south end of Rock Lake.

"I went back and grabbed my sleeping bag. "I’m sleeping in here tonight!" Jake was also sleeping in the igloo with me. Derek and Markus dug a cold well from the doorway. Bunks were created on each side. You could stand up straight in the middle. An air hole is at the very top. Cold air drops and is carried out thru the doorway. I put a small tarp down first with a dense foam mat. I slept in a -15°c mummy bag that was in another 0° normal bag. I was very comfy. I made sure to have a hat on as well. Outside was -10°c to -12°c and inside was 0°c."

Mark Rubino has kicked-off the "Winter/Day Hiking" section with a link to his own website's Big Pines Trail & Lookout Trail.

Steve Elms has submitted a selection of captioned winter photos to kick-off the "Winter/Photographs" section. They're available for viewing at Winter Photos by Steve Elms.

Mike Bowers has sent in a winter photo looking south from the north end of Big Bissett Lake, which he took on January 1st of this year. It has the notable honour of serving as the first photo background of this "Winter" section's 'upper-menu'.

With participants of the website forum being increasingly involved in winter activities in the park, the time has come to open a "Winter" section in the website.

While a few winter 'expedition-trips' do occur, winter campers opt to trek to a 'basecamp' and to conduct 'daytrips' from there. Since winter departure points and 'destinations' are less formalized than in the other three seasons, the traditional canoe 'trip-log' format isn't generally appropriate.

Rather, a 'winter journal' format (with photo-illustrated commentary on the vicinity, landscape, observations and experience) is a more inclusive literary 'vehicle' for various winter Algonquin Adventures .. including 'winter-journals' of tent-camping, yurt-camping, day-tripping, hiking, snow-shoeing, X-Country skiing and wildlife viewing adventures.

With the start of a new 'winter section' and the limited participation in its related activities, it is intended to include activities of all sorts .. from day-tripping car visits, to motel-based day-hikers, all the way to full-fledged sledding-expeditions.