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May 17 - Day 10 - Ohhh, the rain!
Dawn on North Tea Lake
I was up and outside my tent at 5:19 am the next morning, It was partially overcast and I knew that North Tea Lake can be a terrible lake to paddle out of when the winds wake up. So we ate and packed up extra early, and were on the water just before 7:00 am. North Tea Lake was good to us that morning. There was very little sun, as the sky became overcast, but the water was like glass, there was no wind, no one else was on the water either. It was a lovely paddle out with a few fish jumping in the waters near to our canoe. It started to sprinkle rain as we got about halfway across, but other than that the crossing was great. By the time we hit the last portage, the skies opened up. It started to rain, and by the time we almost reached Kawawaymog Lake, it was pouring rain non-stop, canoes filled with students start to appear, in one canoe I saw a girl with a tiny dog in the bow, hiding under her seat shivering in the cold spring rain.
Mike eats a quick breakfast as the rising sun
colours the trees like autumn
Mike & I were both soaked by the time we came onto the access lake proper, the rain gear couldn't handle this kind of deluge. As we paddled out onto the lake, I could see an armada of canoes coming, and we counted over 25 of them, as wave after wave of students paddled by us in the ever increasingly dangerous waters. The rain had lessened somewhat, but it felt like we were paddling Lake Superior, the waves were two feet, with a few random ones being even larger. The waves were mainly large rollers, with only a few whitecaps here and there, the wind and waves were coming both at odd angles to each other and the canoe. This made for a very challenging paddle, something I don't like to do in freezing cold waters. As we approached the dock of the outfitter, we could see huge waves crashing over the dock, it really was like paddling a Great Lake. We both got soaked again as we unloaded the canoe, with waves crashing over the canoe and the dock. That done, we made it, we were safe and the trip was over. Shivering, Mike & I both loaded up the car, changed into spare dry clothing and found an extra 2 litre plastic bottle of beer in my trunk. Doh!
With Kawawaymog Lake finished, our trip was over
Mike & I look back as this as being one of the best trips we have done. The area is obviously lightly travelled, and we saw no one for a week, more than that we didn't hear or see any unexpected noises such as logging equipment or trespassers in vehicles. The wildlife opportunities were numerous and the day-trips were very fulfilling. The cabin itself was also a joy to inhabit for the week long stay. This was my first time staying at an Algonquin Backcountry cabin, and I think it was worth every penny. I talked to the outfitter as we prepared to depart, he asked us if we fished and where. "Birchcliffe? There's no fish in there, waste of time". Didn't matter to us really, we still wouldn't have altered our itinerary. I would love to return to the area again one day, truly a beautiful and solitude filled section of Algonquin Park.