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travel / great places / cg recommends / algonquin
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Adventure in Algonquin Park
... what a manner of a place is Algonquin
Park. I can only say. Words cannot describe it, come and see.
~J.A. Duff, 1901
I
had had enough. The busy city filled with busy people, the traffic
and the endless pressure of places to be and people to see had
finally awoken the primal instinct that lay within me -- the need
for escape. So with my pack loaded down with every necessary camping
item imaginable, I set off to experience the great Canadian provincial
park. I had been camping before. Likewise, I had been to Provincial
parks. From the few I had visited, my impression was this: crowded
campsites, overly curious wardens, civilization only minutes away
and the feeling that I was camping not in the wilderness, but
in my own backyard. Although I enjoyed these camping experiences,
shared with friends and family over summer weekends, none of these
excursions could have prepared me for the majestic beauty of Ontario's
Algonquin Park.
From
the moment we arrived, I could sense the monstrosity of the place.
It seemed to have a life of its own. As we drove down the highway
corridor, which runs for 56 kilometres, I could feel my adrenaline
beginning to pump. I was excited to be free from my daily routine
and was up for a challenge. I hadn't been real camping since a
visit to New Zealand several years ago, and was reminiscing when
we finally reached our first stop.
The Algonquin Park Portage Store provided us with everything
we would need for the true Algonquin experience. Our canoe ( the
only way to access the park, other than on foot) was expertly
fastened to our car, registration was quick, easy and informative
and the friendliness of the store owners eased my anxiousness.
The next stop was campground registration, where we were informed
of the parks rules, given a garbage bag and told of the unusually
high number of bear sightings this year. After a brief panic attack
we were finally off, free to explore Algonquin.
Comprised
of 7,600 square kilometres of forests, streams and lakes, Algonquin
offers campers and hikers endless possibilities to rediscover
nature. From the rounded hills, hardwood forests and clear blue
lakes of the west side to the rocky gorges and whitewater rivers
of the eastern portion, Algonquin has something to offer for everyone.
My trip lasted three days. We decided to take in the breathtaking
Barron Canyon first and were awed by its towering cliffs and the
still water below. Next, we camped in the Cascades and at High
Falls -- locations that were both quiet and unpopulated.
It was a relaxing but challenging weekend holiday,
full of extreme portaging, swimming in crystal clear lakes and
waterfalls and occasionally spotting a glimpse of Algonquin wildlife.
The evenings hold memories of eating like ancient kings over campfire,
reading by lantern and the indescribable peace that comes from
the silence of nature. I had been looking for escape and found
it in the park.
Driving out of Algonquin, music on and wind drying my lake-drenched
hair, I realized what was behind my desire to escape city life.
In our concrete jungle we are often too preoccupied to appreciate
the simple beauty that exists all around us. I couldn't help but
be grounded by the park's pristine, awe-inspiring landscapes.
I can only hope that this beauty, and the beauty of all of our
provincial parks, will remain intact for future generations to
rediscover nature and themselves.
Melissa Larkin, CG student volunteer
For more on the magic of Algonquin Provincial Park:
NON-FICTION:
- Algonquin by Roderick MacKay and William Reynolds,
1993, Stoddart Publishing
- Algonquin by William Reynolds and Ted Dyke, 1983,
Oxford University Press
- Along the trail in Algonquin Park by Ralph Bice, 1993, Natural History
Heritage Inc.
- Glimpses of Algonquin compiled by G.D. Garland, 1989,
The Friends of Algonquin Park
LINKS:
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