Eastern Great Lakes Hang - Winter 2012: Feb 18-20 - Snowshoes across Algonquin

[Chard]

Guys - looking at your routes - they look great but I would strongly recommend staying OFF the ice - even if there is snow on the ice. It is far too dangerous this year. So any water crossings even if its looks like 15-20 yards across - its not safe. I really would love to hang with you in the Spring :-) so please stay off the ice... Source Lake - if I recall correctly that is a high ridge along the shoreline marker 2 to your camp marker so you may have to bush whack up ontop of the ridge and then down to your site.

Thanks for the excellent advice. To paraphrase Tolkien, 'If you bring a Ranger with you, it is well to pay attention to him, especially if the Ranger is Aragorn (or in our case Dead_eye)".

So just a quick point in terms of Swan.

As always, safety first.

Given what Dead_Eye just said instead of the route involving ice-crossing on the map by marker #2, we may want to either continue south along the west shore until we hit a good spot or we could divert off of the Swan road just below marker #1 and skirt around the base of the big hill to the east of the narrow bay. More trail breaking!!!

If we have time and conditions permit, I may still punch a hole in Tea Lake while we wait to check the thickness. I was speaking with an outfitter and he was saying that people are already out on the lakes fishing on the west side outside of the park, so given that Algonquin is a fair bit higher in elevation, I can only guess that the ice might be thicker. Nonetheless, we should take Dead_Eye's advice to heart and not risk it. Let's play it by ear and if we listen carefully, the Park will let us know where to camp. She always has in the past.

Parking in Algonquin in the winter - check with the park office when you check in - even though they dont have any big snow coming - they do seriously manage the parking during the winter months and they will tow....

You're dang right we'll check with the Park Rangers!! It would be a real drag to come over the last hill and see nothing but an empty parking spot and the tire tracks of a tow truck.