August Long Weekend in Algonquin Provincial Park
We're HIKING in Algonquin Provincial Park. The weather in August settles into beautiful conditions to enjoy the trails.
We will backpack on the Western Uplands Trail in Algonquin Provincial Park, starting out from the Rain Lake Access point.
The plan will be to arrive Friday evening and hike the first 2 kms to our campsite on Rain Lake. On Saturday morning we'll break camp and complete the remaining 6km of rail trail, then drop into the woods to hike about 13 kms to Pincher Lake. We'll have lunch on the way and enjoy the shade of the large tree canopy over our heads. There are some rugged elevation changes in the last 4 kms leading into Pincher Lake, so we will feel very rewarded by the solitude and blue waters when we arrive at our destination.
Sunday morning enjoy a lazy breakfast, catch yourself some down time till about noon, sling a hammock, bring a book to read. We then hike back to Islet lake, some 9 kms that we passed the day before.
From our campsite on Islet Lake, Monday morning, we will only have a 3 - 4 hour hike back to our cars, so we will all be home before too late.
Although there is nothing very difficult about this hike, the following challenges do still exist:
During this trip we will be many hours from the nearest assistance and hiking a full day on Saturday.
The overall distance being covered is about 42 kms (round trip).
All participants should be in good physical condition and breaking camp early on Saturday morning ensures we can cover our longest leg (19 kms) without having to push ourselves very hard.
Carpools and gear sharing will be arranged on the following spreadsheet. The backpacking community is pretty reliable when it comes to lending and/or sharing gear resources, so just ask.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P9vomJeuceP8K5ma8apq0sYaR05J8H-o5imem50wO9Q/edit?usp=sharing
Please enter your driving information even if you are not carpooling so everyone knows you don't need a ride.
Itinerary:
Meet Friday night at the Rain Lake Access point (sometime between 9 ~ 11pm). We will wait in the parking area and leave together as a group. The hike to the first campsite takes about 1 hour (from previous experience).
Monday mid - afternoon we will drive home greatly refreshed and possibly a bit dirty. Showers are available to use at Arrowhead Provincial Park (exit north of Huntsville).
Money:
$12.43 X 3 = $37.29: Backcountry site fee
$11.00: Park internet reservation surcharge. To be split evenly between participants. This amount assumes 9 participants.
$1.46: Goes to PayPal fees
Total: $39.97
In addition you will need need cash for:
Food for the drive
Fuel for the drive (Gas split evenly between drivers and their passengers)
Driving Directions:
The following Google Map shows how to get to the trail head where we will set off Friday night.
Photos
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