Algonquin deep in snow !

Our winter guide team  were out  at the heated wall tent last week.   Snow conditions were fantastic ! Here is a shot of the team as they arrive back at the Algonquin Log Cabin.

 

Algonquin Park Camping in Winter

With the popularity of Les Stroud aka Survivor man and others, the wilderness is often portrayed as a foreboding place where one can test oneself.    This is especially true in winter where many people head into Algonquin Park and other wilderness areas to  “survive “ the weekend by building  Quinzees (snow shelters) or  cold camping  in tents. While I applaud the adventure  and  skills to survive in the  winter wild, I  would prefer the focus to be on how “comfortable “   nature and life in the wilderness can be. Come to  Algonquin or other wilderness  to slow down, relax, be at peace,  have fun, enjoy. Stripped down to the essentials, living simply need not be harsh or equated to  “surviving”. Just the opposite.  Many  like me and my adventure friends  refer  to  our time in nature  as “living the good life “.

Many people can understand this “good life” when they  are camping  in Algonquin Park in the summer.  Swimming in clear lakes, fishing, travelling by canoe , sleeping under the stars. All perfect.  But what about winter.  The image changes and people think danger and survival.    I challenge those of you who think  of the wilderness in a survival sense to come visit Voyageur Quest  this winter at Algonquin Park’s north west corner.    

Voyageur Quest operates several Algonquin  winter trips  including  “off the grid” Log Cabin adventures featuring dog sledding, backcountry skiing and snowshoeing.  Accommodation and meals take place at in a heated cozy cabin. Finish off the day with a sauna and a drink in front of the fireplace.   Our guides teach all skills , provide all equipment and ensure you are  having fun.   Life is good remember?!

If you want more adventure – snowshoe  down  Surprise Lake to experience winter camping in a “hot tent”. These canvas tents have a wood stove that can  heat  the inside to the tune of 20 degrees c or 65 Fahrenheit. Sleep on pine boughs that give the air a sweet  hint of the forest that surrounds the tent. Enjoy  hot drinks ,  a bowl of  chile and fresh baked corn bread in front of the wood stove. Walk outside the tent and look up to  a night sky that  is filled with more stars than you have ever seen before.  Spend the next day exploring the highland hills by snowshoe. Follow the  wolf tracks, moose tracks  and  otter slides.  Feel the warmth of the sun on your face. Breath in the fresh air.  Peaceful. Quiet  and fun.

This is the winter I know and  an experience I hope to share with you.

Algonquin Island Cabin for Couples Only

If you are looking for a private island or an Algonquin Cabin for a romantic vacation, consider the Algonquin Island Retreat. Tiny, "off the grid" and with extraordinary lakeside views in all directions, the island Cabin is very comfortable and has all the amenities you need for the ultimate Algonquin couples only getaway. Solar power translates to running hot water and lights, a wood stove , a stunning second floor walk out bedroom deck, fully stocked kitchen, cosy living and storm room and yes a hot shower! Given the location at Algonquin Park access point # 1, these amenities are really first class! To see more pictures of the Algonquin Island Retreat, click here.
You begin your couples only vacation by arriving at the Algonquin Canoe Outpost where you rendezvous with a Voyageur Quest staff who helps unload your bags and pack your canoe. Don't worry about canoe experience. If you have never been in a canoe or need a few tips , the friendly staff take you through a comprehensive canoe lesson and in no time you are ready for the 15 minute paddle to the island.

The canoeing on Kawawaymog lake is fantastic. Explore the lake's many islands or paddle down the the Amable du Fond river. Rest tired bones in the floating sauna.
The 3 decks and two docks of the private island are wonderful places to read, relax, sip a drink and photograph or paint. From this vantage, the sunsets, sunrises and night skies are unforgettable.

September is the best time to see Algonquin Park Fall colours.

If you like the fall colours, September is the time to come to Algonquin Park. With cool nights and clear days, the Algonquin forests starts to change as early as the last week of August and are filled with colour by September 20. I love to come in the middle of the change - typically between September 15 to 25 where you see a dramatic change every day. The days are summer like and the water still warm enough for a dip. The morning mist is heavy providing living paintings every morning. Peak colour changes every year but the last 10 days of September are always incredible. This year , the colours appear to be peaking September 27 to 30.

Our three uniquque Algonquin properties offer warm and cozy retreats and ideal bases to catch the colour show. The Algonquin Island Retreat for couples is an extraordinary location to photogrpah or paint as the colours and water surround the cabin. The Algonquin Log Cabin is a good choice for those looking for a fall colour guided adventure filled with fun and interesting excursions and tasty harvest meals. The soloar powered Algonquin Cottage Outpost is another great choice for a private cabin or cottage to base your weekend fall colour adventure.

From Shanghai to Algonquin

Martin, age 10 , travelled all the way from China with his mom this week to take part in our Algonquin Log Cabin 3 day adventure!

Canoe in the silver water

I love the late afternoon sun and flashes of silver on the water. This is a shot of Nick paddling over to the Island Retreat.

Take a float plane to Algonquin and start your adventure in style!

Last week, we had two groups arrive via float planes. From Toronto, the flight time is one hour making it a speedy and exciting way to start your trip. Our Ottawa group timed the flight with the sunrise for a majical start to their Algonquin canoe trip adventure.

Bass are biting at the Cottage Outpost !

The bass fishing has been fantastic on Kawawaymog lake this July. Here are a few from last week.

Matt Volpe with a 4 pounder



Cody with a 3 1/2 pound



John with a 4 - 5 pounder !

Breakfast at the Algonquin Island Retreat

Gorgeous weather this morning for breakfast on the bedroom deck. The fish are jumping everywhere!

July Misty mornings at Algonquin Park Access point # 1

Algonquin sunrise on Kawawaymog at Algonquin park access # 1


Another beautiful sunrise as seen from the bedroom deck this morning from the Algonquin Island retreat looking east at the Amable du fond river. If you are a fair weather adventure type who loves to experience the great outdoors with sun and heat- come to Algonquin in early July! The past few weeks are a great example of classic early summer weather. Day time temperatures are in mid to high twenties, sunny blue bird days and clean fresh water lake to dive into and cool off. Beyond the warm sunny days, early July is also great for seeing wildlife and the bass fishing is superb!

Behind the Scenes with our 2011 Guide Team - John, Ben & Ana

5:01pm with John, Ben and Ana out for a sail on Round Lake.

Behind the Scenes with our 2011 Guide Team - 5:01pm with Roddy and the Toronto Island Team

Roddy towing the Voyageur canoes after a great teambuilding event on the Toronto Islands.

Behind the Scenes with our 2011 Guide Team - Nick

Nick wowed our team with his amazing creation!

This delicious dish features grilled chicken, asparagus, blue cheese, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, white mushrooms, onions, portabello mushrooms, fresh basil, garlic, and cayenne.

No need for dessert after this meal!

Behind the scenes with our 2011 Guide Team - Becky

Becky with a cold one and a fishing pole

Behind the scenes with our 2011 Guide Team - Mark

5:01pm with Mark...
a newspaper and a cold one at the Log Cabin dock.

Please join us in congratulating the 2010 Photo Contest winners, who each receive a free 3-day Algonquin Canoe or Log Cabin adventure with Voyageur Quest!

Category: Algonquin Canoe Trips
Submitted by: Bob Dowson, Canada
Moose Photography Workshop

June 2010

Category: Algonquin Log Cabin Adventures
Submitted by: Uwe Pusch, Germany
Algonquin Log Cabin
July 2010

Category: Algonquin Cottage Outpost Adventures
Submitted by: Lisa Simmons, United Kingdom
Algonquin Family Trip
August 2010

Click here to check out a selection of the almost 300 entries we received!

Please continue to send in your photos for the 2011 Photo Contest in the categories of Algonquin Canoe, Algonquin Log Cabin and Algonquin Cottage Outpost.

We have also added a new video category for the 2011 contest. Send us your favourite trip video which includes footage of you telling us why you loved the trip!

Teambuilding at the Algonquin Log Cabin

Spring training started last Sunday with a great week canoeing, hiking, cooking and bonding at the Log Cabin. The weather in May is beautiful and the Log cabin is a great venue to build relationships while exploring the outdoors.

Island Cabin ready for Couples!

Kawawaymog Lake water levels were really high as we paddled out to open up the Algonquin island Retreat. We have created a series of new adventures for the island including "following the trail of Tom Thomson" who was a frequent guest at the island between 1913 and 1916.

Algonquin Trout Fishing with Frank

The invincible Mr. Kuiack was back last week to lead our gang into Algonquin for some “trout fishin”. The weather was excellent and the company could not be better but the bite was not on. With the ice just out, the fish were down deep avoiding the arctic like water on top. Despite the lack of trout, Anne pulled in a nice whitefish and all enjoyed a classic Kuiack fish dinner.

Floating sauna and icy spring dips!

The floating sauna is primed and ready to go for spring Eco Adventures at the Algonquin Cottage Outpost. Heat up, rest tired bones and take a leap into the icy water to cool off. A wonderful way to cleanse body and soul!

Maple Syrup run and Spring Skiing

April could not be more different than last year. On April 1, 2010, we were canoeing on Kawawaymog Lake and taking "bergy" bits of ice to cool our drinks in a hot 25c heat wave. This past April 2 wekeend , there is still over 2 feet of ice and knee deep snow in the bush. Indeed it looks like we are back to a more seasonal spring with a ice out day still weeks away.

If you still have an itch for some spring skiing or snowshoeing , get here soon ! Conditions were amazing this past wekeend with day time highs of 8 C and perfect snow for lake skiing. The sap is running and maple syrup days are here.

Helicopter visit to the Algonquin Log Cabin

Fun to have a helicopter "drop in" to see us last weekend. Our friends from Toronto flew up for lunch at the log cabin , a snowshoe and to tap some maple trees. Conditions are still amazing for snowshoeing, skiing and dog sledding. The sap should be running soon!

Duke of Edinburgh March Break Winter Expedition

March Break was cold and clear this year making perfect winter travel and camping conditions for our Duke of Edinburgh Winter Gold Expedition. The Lake still has over 30 inches of ice and we were slush free! All of our our Duke of EdinburghAlgonquin expeditions are customized to fit the plan of the students who must plan their route, menu , equipment and gear. This gang was very focused and wanted a mix of winter travel methods so we were able to snowshoe, back country ski and dogsled while winter camping in three different shelters.

Backcountry ski Algonquin

The conditions have been great for back country sking and we've been having lots of fun with groups over the past few weeks at the Algonquin Log Cabin & Algonquin Cottage Outpost. Check out these great photos from our guide, Kim!

Family Day Weekend at the Algonquin Outpost

This past Family Day Weekend was amazing for skating at Algonquin's north west corner. The thaw of last Thursday/ Friday was followed by a deep freeze creating a perfect layer of ice for skating! You could skate through the islands from one end of the lake to the other. Ben loves to make rinks and he created a nice figure 8 track just outside the Algonquin Cottage Outpost which you can watch a short video of him skating around.

Stew and Brew - a stag to remember

The Log Cabin played host to a quality group of guys who mixed snowshoeing, backcountry skiing with craft beers and stews to match. The Stew and Brew is listed as a refined stag and this gang was bang on for both outdoor exploration and the brew/ stew tasting.As a hockey die hard, I was especially excited to see Justin, Jonathan and the boys arrive with sticks and skates. On top of enjoying a good beer, these boys share my passion for rink maintenance and all weekend took a lead role in shoveling , flooding and tweaking the surface to get a good game of shinny. A truly wonderful weekend with a great group of men.

Winter Outdoor Education at Algonquin Park

We love when students come to visit and these past few weeks have been a ton of fun working with the College groups from Sir Sandford Flemming. It is so rewarding to work with students who bring such enthusiasm to learning and embrace all things winter. Our groups had a chance to dogsled, back country ski, snowshoe and sleep in three different styles of winter accommodation. Thanks Ric and Val and look forward to seeing you back up here again soon.

Traditional Winter Camping

Over the last few weeks, we have been out on the trail with some Flemming College Outdoor Ed. students. Part of our program focuses on traditional winter travel by snowshoe and winter camping using canvas prospector tents which are heated by wood stoves. The heat and comfort of the tents with wood stoves really make winter camping enjoyable !

Sundogs and Winter Rainbows over Kawawaymog Lake

I walked out the door this cold January morning to see sundogs appearing as rainbows floating over Kawawaymog Lake. Sun dogs on each side of the rising sun are caused by ice crystals in the sky on a very cold morning. Dispersion of light in the ice crystals also produces the rainbows. Since there are ice crystals in the air between the island and the camera, the rainbow is also visible in front of the jerry's cabin.

Lot's of snow for a white Christmas

Snow conditions are fantastic this December ! Here we are December 9 and we have a good 40cm on the ground. For those of you looking to get away for a special Christmas, we still have space on our Log Cabin Christmas which runs from December 24 to december 27. Come by yourself or bring a friend and live the ultimate Christmas dream .