Steve Elms established his "photo-credentials" on Algonquin Adventures when he won the October 2005 Photo Of The Month contest. As well as continuing to take part in subsequent months' contests, Steve has kicked-off the "Winter" section's photo content with the following five photos of the season.

Barry Bridgeford . . . Feb. 21, 2006.

 1. 
This picture was taken Dec 6, 2005 at the falls close to Mew Lake Campground. The hike is an easy 20 minute hike which leads through the old abandoned airfield and then connects to the Track and Tower Trail, and Highlands Backpacking Trail. There are always lots of animal tracks in the snow along the way, and the walk itself is very peaceful.

 2. 
This photograph was taken from the top of the Lookout Trail. A large snowstorm was brewing and approaching very quickly from the distance. The view went from miles down to nothing with a blink of an eye. A good example of how quickly the weather can change in Algonquin Park. Most of the hiking trails in the Park are easily navigatable in the winter. We often even do night hikes in the winter and have yet to get lost. Keep in mind that progress on winter hikes is much slower depending on the depth of the snow, and whether or not you have skis or snowshoes.

 3. 
This picture was taken off Hiway 60, in February of 2004. It has been my experience in Algonquin in the winter, that it is a bit more difficult to see moose. Although the evidence of moose and other wildlife are always plentiful. There are always tracks visible in the snow from various birds and animals.

 4. 
It always amazes me how quickly the birds locate an occupied campsite in the winter. Within minutes of pulling into Mew Lake we had dozens of chickadees, Whiskeyjacks and Blue Jays hovering around our site. As you can see, they are quite adventurous when it comes to getting a meal!

 5. 
A perfect winter campsite. I like camping at this site in Algonquin in the winter as it has a nice sheltered spot for the tent. Unlike the summer when I like an open site where the wind can blow through and cool me down, I like to get out of the wind in the winter. It can make for some cold nights by the fire with a 15km/hour icy wind blowing at your back. I find I spend a lot of time around the campsite in the winter. This is because the days are much shorter than they are in the summer, and I find I spend more time cooking and boiling water for tea and coffee.