After much deliberation in several Algonquin Adventures Forums, it was decided that for the comfort, ease of travel, varying experience levels, and desire for the event to be fun, safe and rewarding to all participants the Spring Venue be moved from Galeairy Lake to Rose Island on Rock Lake.While I was excited to visit Galeairy Lake we got several warnings of strong currents out of the narrows of Rock Lake that lead into Galeairy Lake making the paddle into camp difficult from either direction. In addition with the numbers of people joining the Opener, at last count there were 14, the number of sites was just not sufficient. To ease everyone's minds, and to also have the best chances of an ice free lake, Rock Lake was chosen, as it is traditionally one of the first lakes to fully melt, and hence be able to paddle in, in late April in Algonquin Park.
I have wanted to go to Rose Island since last fall when I first learned it had excellent "Kid Friendly" sites; especially the south-west one, which offers a nice sandy and shallow beach. In addition to that though, with five sites on Rose Island, in close proximity to each other, and another 3 on the adjacent "Third Island", the locations offered participants ample sites to choose from.
What I'm really excited about though is that Rose Island is very central to a number of feeder lakes that I want to explore during my opener weekend trip; sort of research if you will.You see for my first trip into the interior with my kids one of my considerations is a Rock Lake>Pen Lake>Rock Lake>Out trip with my boys and so I hope to specifically check out the "Rock Lake/Pen Lake Falls" at their connecting 375 Portage, as well as the numerous sites along the east shore of Pen Lake. I figure that should offer me a nice solo mid day trip, and a bit of time to reconnect with a park that has preoccupied my thoughts for much of the last 2 months.
My plan is still to travel to the family cottage in Novar Thursday evening, and pick up my canoe at Langford by 10:00 Friday morning. This way I should be at Access Point #9 around noon, and get to Rose Island early enough to get the North West Site I am aiming for, as I am hoping for nice sunsets.
It's also nice to see that so many Algonquin Adventure's folk will be attending the event, as I have engaged in several forums with many of them, and so it will be nice to put faces to people; I only hope some one brings name tags. :)
All I can do now is hope that the weather will cooperate, and that the ice that is covering that lake will hurry up and melt. It's been predicted that the water will be ice free, but that being currently under 3 feet of snow, we might be having snowball fights at camp.
I've been monitoring the ice at Flash Earth as the little x in the middle of the screen represents Rose Island, on Rock Lake. For all those interested, Rose Island is located at:
Latitude: 45 degrees, 30 minutes, 4 seconds North
Longitude: 78 degrees, 23 minutes, 56 seconds West.
If anyone has been to Rose Island, and reads this blog, I would appreciate your feedback on the island sites, as well as Pine Lake in general. If you had any picures that could be included or links to such that would also be appreaciated.
Until then, though, all I can do is wait. Historically the water is open in late April, and the weather lately has been fantastic, but with a weekend of only plus 2 degrees coming up, well one never know.
Here's hoping for sunny skies, warm winds, or even rain in the next few weeks, anything to rid the lake of that ice!
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