Trip report and photos - hiking Algonquin Park Uplands

[Mentor]

Hi all!

Well, I’m back from a backpacking trek through the Uplands section of Algonquin Park. I was able to pick my camera up tonight, so I thought I would upload a few pictures and some thoughts on the trip. I will try not to be too long-winded!

The trip:

Three of us set out from the trailhead just after noon. We delayed our departure for a few hours in order to let a major rainstorm pass. It was coming down hard, and the forest was barely visible through the mist. We had packed full rain gear, and we were just about to hit the trail in our ponchos / jackets (which would have been ridiculously hot) when the storm abated, leaving a clear sky and a muddy, puddle-filled trail.

The first day’s hike took us 12 km into the park. I decided to hike the loop in ‘reverse’ (for some reason, just about everybody takes the west trail in and the east trail out), as it is always nice to pass other groups and get news on the path and campsites ahead. The trail was well marked and clear, save for the puddles and muck left by the storm.

By the end of the day, our boots (and legs) were a right mess.

Getting the campfire going was a treat. I showed my cousin how to make a fuzz-stick (with a Grohmann belt knife), and how to collect and build a proper fire (which, incidentally, I think is a neglected skill in some survival manuals, which focus on starting methods). He lit it up with a PJCB sprinkled with magnesium shavings, sparked with a ferro-rod. You guys should have seen his smile.

Gathering wood was a bit of a challenge, as the place was still water-logged. JK Hudson Bay knife and some quick batoning to the rescue! I sectioned a few fallen branches, split through them, and we had a pile of comparatively dry kindling tucked under a tarp in no time. I really enjoyed taking the HB out for a serious spin in the woods. It was my belt knife around camp - my JK AK in my Spec-Ops sheath was my trail knife, and I was able to carry it while wearing my full pack without worrying about it getting in the way of my waistband. To be perfectly honest, though, IF I hadn’t needed to chop damp wood, I think I could have had a perfectly successful trip with just my little EDC scandi, which handled everything I asked of it.

For years, my ritual upon setting up at a new campsite has been to sit down, swap my boots for sandals, and whittle a few chopsticks for my evening meal. This saves me from having to pack a fork (ultralighters take note!). With the exception of soup, everything I pack for food can be eaten with chopsticks anyway, and it’s a fun way to unwind. I was impressed at how easily my Hudson Bay could handle this kind of fine work, though I preferred using my scandi, as it weighs less and is a bit lighter on the wrist after a long day on the trail.

We broke camp between 8 and 9 each morning, spent the entire day on the trail, and arrived at our next destination (always a lake) in mid-to-late afternoon. It was a pretty serious pace, to be honest. In hindsight, I should have planned for at least one day spent around camp, fishing, lounging, and resting. Oh well - I’ll know that for next time! For his first trip out, my cousin had an amazing attitude. He was self-sufficient, rarely needed to be shown anything twice, didn’t complain (much), didn’t get spooked (except by raccoons) and was generally fun to have around. I have camped with many guys my age or older who are more of a burden on the trails, so this was a very pleasant surprise. We will certainly plan some outings together in the future.

The trails were varied, with wide straightaways, lots of up-and-down too small to show up on the topo-map, some steeper climbs and descents, singletrack through the woods, and so on. We were (unsurprisingly) surrounded by forest all day, with the occasional stream, marshy area, or view of a lake. Since we went in right after a storm, I did spend some time clearing the trail of debris. This actually worked out for the best, as I seem to be unable to keep pace with a slow group - I would range ahead, take some photos, cut up some fallen branches, look for critters and tracks, and wait for my companions to catch up. It gave them some incentive to increase their pace, and allowed me to take a few shots to share with you guys.

For example:

More to follow!

 

[Mentor]

Algonquin Park is a mix of upland trails, dense forest, and LAKES. I usually spend my time in the park in a canoe, so this hiking trip was a bit of a switch. Still, with each campsite located at the side of a lake, there were plenty of opportunities to enjoy some beautiful views, which came in a variety of flavours:

Early morning:

Cloudy sky:

Clear sky:

Late afternoon:

Dusk:

We have been in the middle of a heat wave for the last week or so, and Algonquin was no exception. While it wasn’t unbearable, it made good hydration and the occasional rest stop necessary. We went over the signs of dehydration and overheating, and made sure that we filtered enough water to fill our canteens and dromedary bags as soon as we made it to camp. It worked out nicely. The temperature also provided plenty of incentive to go swimming and ensured that my unprecedented streak of fishing failure continued unabated. Alas, I cannot report a single call of “fish on!”, despite much effort. The ‘splake’, which are stocked in several lakes we stayed at, opted to ride out the sun in deeper waters, and no amount of shore casting could convince them to pay us a visit. To add insult to injury, loons patrolled just outside my casting range, diving for their dinner. Out in the deeper water, gorgeous 3-4 pound fish jumped just to taunt me. Sigh.

While the fish weren’t cooperating, wildlife was generally abundant. The highlight, as is so often the case for me, was the sounds heard as opposed to the sights seen. One particularly memorable night involved loon calls at sundown, an owl after dark, and wolves howling in the night. Brilliant.

Some critters did make an appearance, though. There was an abundance of frogs and toads along the trail. One tenacious little guy even kept trying to get into my tent one night.

Evidence of wolf activity was plentiful, especially on the trail on the last day. Here’s a shot of a paw print next to my EDC. This was one of the larger prints we came across.

We were lucky enough to come across a bull moose wading through a wetland area one day, though I wasn’t able to get an unobstructed shot of it. You should be able to make it out in the picture below. He was not yet full-sized, but he was big enough and making enough noise as he moved that my companions actually thought they were hearing me falling down an embankment, as opposed to a moose walking. Thankfully, I stayed upright.

We stayed on a nice peninsula one night. It had tall trees, a bed of pine needles, and enough exposure to an offshore breeze that the bugs were kept at bay. Unfortunately, the area was inhabited by a pack of utterly fearless and hungry raccoons, which we didn’t find out until it was too late to break camp and move elsewhere. I swear the damn things were keen on walking away with anything that wasn’t nailed down. This was the only time that I have ever decided to sleep with the bear bag of food in my tent, rather than treeing it. I wasn’t happy with the decision, but I was absolutely certain that even the most elaborate tree rigging would result in nighttime shenanigans. The largest of the group was pretty big - you could hear him padding across the ground from across the campsite. I’m sure that if I had brought my lab, Ruby, she would have spent the night chasing raccoons. Anyway, I didn’t take any photos of them, and I was heard to mutter ‘wish I had brought a gun ...’ on more than one occasion.

I want to close with some skills- and gear-related content, just to generate some discussion.

First, a question: what do you do if the leather sheath for your carbon steel knife gets wet when you are out on a multi-day excursion? Clearly, prevention is the best approach, but let’s assume your sheath has gone for a dunk or been exposed to rain. A thick-gauge leather sheath can take time to dry under the best of conditions. Water also loosens a leather sheath, and storing a carbon steel blade in a damp sheath is a surefire recipe for rust. This situation arose at one point during my trip, and I was reminded of why I like to carry stainless in a synthetic sheath when I expect to be getting damp and messy. I was able to resolve things by drying the sheath out near (but not too near) a fire, and ‘oiling’ the blade with a PJCB during storage. A few rust spots formed, and I dealt with them after the trip with a bit of steel wool. Still, I would be interested in hearing others’ opinions on how to handle this sort of thing.

Second, a comment on a nice item of gear: I recently purchased a Leatherman Monarch 300 LED flashlight. This thing is tiny, comes standard with a lanyard loop and belt clip, has a metal casing, and throws a terrific beam of light. I had originally intended to plunk one of these in my PSK, and I think I will still do so - but this one found its way to my sheath pouch, where it fits perfectly beside my Wave. It turned out to be an enormously-useful item of gear to have around, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a compact flashlight for PSK or EDC use.

Third, a quick comment on my Koster W&SS forum knife, which came along in my PSK and saw some use. This is a neat little knife, and I really like the profile and grip ergos. The sheath retention is superb. I have yet to give it a handle or wrapping, as the current slim profile makes it a compact addition to my PSK (it replaced my venerable Becker Necker on this trip, just for kicks). The blade edge and grind were a little uneven when I received it, but after some time with my water stones and strop, it sharpened up nicely and it holds an excellent edge. It did a great job with fuzz sticks and food prep, and while I prefer the thinness and grind of my EDC scandi (more a matter of familiarity than anything else), this knife feels nice and sturdy in-hand - it cuts well and seems like it could handle some prying and rough use. Good work, Dan! This one’s a keeper.

All for now. Thanks for looking! I’ll post some additional thoughts in the thread I started about my new PSK a bit later.

Cheers,

- Mike

 

[Mentor]

One more pic, for the road!

Raspberries were abundant around this marsh area. Definitely a refresing treat after a day on the trail.

All the best,

- Mike

 

[DOC-CANADA]

Excellent pictures, Mentor, thanks for sharing.

Doc

 

[mtnfolk mike]

wow.. cool pics...:thumbup: that place looks amazing...

 

[GhostWolf]

Great pics. But we need more of the scandi EDC. I like the looks of that hudson bay too. Beautiful grain on the handle.

 

[mymindisamob]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

 

[JK Knives]

Looks like you had a great trip, thanks for sharing.

 

[WILLIAM.M]

Great photos and write up as well

Thanks for posting

 

[kycolonel]

Beautiful pics. Despite the uncooperative fish, I think I could stand at that lake all day and cast if given the opportunity.

On the leather sheath question, check out the EEP sheaths by Sharpshooter (carried by KSF). They are converted leather that they claim are virtually weatherproof and hold zero water. I'm ordering one soon to try out.

 

[j williams]

Mentor....That looks amazing. I really need to get away for awhile....

Great pics, and great steel!!!!

 

[Mentor]

Thanks for the comments, guys. This trip was much-needed for me, and I returned to work this week feeling rested and ready to go. Still, I think I could sit on a rock and stare at Algonquin sunsets forever without getting tired of it.

kycolonel, I hear you re: the lake! There was one campsite we hiked to on the north shore of Maple Leaf Lake that was located at a narrows between the mainland and an island. It looked shallow enough to wade out and cast for hours while standing in the cool water, looking at the scenery. With reeds near the banks, deeper water in the middle, and some fallen trees providing cover, it seemed like an ideal fishing spot. Unfortunately, the same features that made it attractive from an angling perspective made it less appealing as a general campsite, so we wound up moving on. Next time, though ...

All the best,

- Mike

 

[TheGame]

As for the leather sheath, that sucks. However, when going to get wet, I always take something in a kydex sheath and some type of oil to put on the blades if it is more than 2-3 days. Any shorter, I will be able to clean it when I get home.

Also, awesome pics! Thanks for sharing.

 

[sasha]

I love your pics and the report was great... But the one pic i like the most is the one with the mushroom... I wont mind seeing a few more of the pics from that area..

Sasha

 

[C Bryant]

Beautiful, great pics. Thanks

 

[kgd]

Great trip log Mike. Sounds like a great time and good time spend with your younger cousin. It is always good to do that with family, even when extended family. You will be remembered long after doing it.

Regarding the leather. It really is a good idea to use a heavy dose of boot wax or oil on them and rub them well on the inside. When I store my blades, I always put excess mineral oil in hopes that some of its transfers to the inside of the sheath. I would have told you to do the exact thing you did - rub some vaseline from your pybj on the blade after the sheath became wet. It should have helped.

Still, all that aside, the little bits of rust that form over a week are not going to be all that damaging. A little bit of 1000 grit sandpaper will usually pull them out along with some flitz polish once you get back. I've never had any real pitting form over such short time periods and anything I've ever seen develop over a week were taken care of within about 5 min. of sanding.

 

[mckrob]

Great photos! I've been lucky enough to travel alot and my job takes me to some of the most remote places on the planet, I've hiked all over the world, but one place I always long for is Algonquin. Maybe I'm a bit biased as I'll always consider it home (I grew up in Bracebridge).

Just curious.. did you meet anyone one the trail? I always enjoyed it more in October/November just before the snow flies, the leaves have changed colours, and the tourists have all gone home.

As far as the sheath goes, in my experience, kydex or a nylon/kydex sheath is the only way to go if you are expecting it to be wet. I've stretched a good-many leather sheaths by wearing them on my belt while wet, they take forever to dry, and they never return to the same shape. I was fortunate enough to be on Jeff Randall's Jungle Survival course in Peru in December, my leather BATAC sheath was wet the entire time and the belt loop will never be the same. I wouldn't worry about any oxidation on the blade, it's only cosmetic, you can always clean that up later.

 

[Daniel Koster]

Last time I had a leather sheath on my belt in a rainstorm the @%@^% dye bled outta the sheath and ruined my pants!



Great pics, Mentor!!!


Glad to see that W&SS necker is working out for you - I like your suggestion that it be a PSK knife. Makes perfect sense.

:thumbup:

DAn

 

[iBlade]

In this country its often damp, when its not raining, or blisteringly hot...
But I digress, re: your sheath, on mine when its particularly wet and I do not want to put it in my pack, I flip it upside down. I try and make sure that all my sheath can be multi angled for carry, and when its this way it tends to stay dryer, also i have a small drain hole in it, but maybe because its a combo leather and kydex it retains its shape better?
The other option is to stick a plastic bag over it - serous, that way its handy but stays dry - not fashion police on the trail...

 

[Mentor]

Thanks much for the comments on the sheath. I'm pleased to say that it's doing just fine - it has been re-wet-formed and hit with a few coats of neatsfoot oil. I will look into some of your suggestions re: more intensive waterproofing. For the record, I love patinas and blade wear, and I'm not worried about a little oxidization. I was just curious to hear some opinions on leather warping.

Sasha, I'm afraid I didn't take many more mushroom shots, and of those I did, only a few turned out. Here's one:

There were mushrooms everywhere on this trip - bright little red ones, orange ones, brown ones, etc. - not to mention loads of tree fungus. I'll remember to take additional pictures next time.

mcrob, it sounds like you are in an amazing line of work! Algonquin has a real special place in my heart, too, and Fall is by far my favourite time to be there; I prefer the cool weather, and the colder water is a reasonable trade-off for the autumn colours. Now that you mention it, though, there were a few trees already starting to turn when I was up north.

We did pass a few people - couples and groups - going in the opposite direction. There were two larger groups of kids (13-18, I would say), probably affiliated with Scouts or youth groups. They seemed to be having a good time, though the range of gear and preparedness was interesting to see - I recall one girl with one of those string-around-the-shoulders-I-shop-at-the-Gap backpacks, trudging along and carrying her tent in her arms. We briefly shared our campfire with some uni students from kgd's neck of the woods, who had wandered around the lake looking for other campers. I suspect they were looking to share a bottle and hang out, but with my young cousin around, I was on a strict cigar-only diet.

I really don't understand why everyone seems to hike the Algonquin loop trails in the same direction. The Uplands trail forms a large figure-8 (plus side trails), allowing for plenty of different approaches. The trail is blazed in both directions, with the only difference being that the 'correct' direction has a little picture of a hiker on top of the blaze. Going 'backwards' allowed me to stop and chat with everyone we passed, and ask about good campsites, fishing spots, and trail conditions ahead. This worked to our advantage big time, but I couldn't help but wonder why we were the only group who switched things up.

Dan, I got a chuckle out of your sheath-pants story. I have never had that happen, but I do recall one wet outing where the weight of my BK-9 sheath stretched the heck out of a nice Italian leather belt that I was given as a gift. It went from size 30 to size 50 over the course of a week!

The W&SS forum knife does make a top-notch PSK knife. I think it has the best size : cutting ability ratio of any knife in my collection, when you take thickness into consideration. My cousin noted that it looks like a "kick-ass throwing knife". Kids.

All the best,

- Mike