TOURduPARK
Sunset looking out across the North Arm of Lake Opeongo
I'd say this should do the trick!
We needed some firewood so while Angela took care of dinner, I went off to harvest a few dead trees. I found a really great tree that was standing on a 50 degree angle and was well seasoned. I took the saw to it then cut it into two big chunks for transport back to the site. Once there I cut it into 1 foot lengths and bucked it into quarters. I managed to get a great pile in less than 45 minutes. I lit the fire and Angela served up a delicious dinner of chili with fresh-baked bannock. A perfect meal to end a full work day. We sat around the fire to enjoy dinner, in an effort to keep the bugs away – it worked for the most part. Once dinner was over it was time to break out the real drinks – more vodka and 7up with ice! Man there are some real advantages to camping on an access point lake, such as a cooler, but I wouldn’t do it often.
Hailstorm Bay to Hailstorm Creek & Back
tr 60: OPEONGO - HAILSTORM CREEK
Even more Hailstorm Marsh Scenery
The Ostrich I thought I saw
Different view from the campsite in Hailstorm Marsh
Once back at the campsite, Angela worked on breakfast while I secured the loose items around camp and cleaned up for our daytrip. Breakfast was a classic – BLT’s on bagels. It’s so easy, so satisfying and I never get bored of it. Sometimes I use fresh bacon, sometimes I use the pre-cooked stuff – both give great results. We wolfed down two BLT’s each to gain as much energy as possible for our outing today – I planned to paddle Hailstorm Creek as far as possible, which is 10km, one way. With breakfast in our bellies, we burned off the paper plates and other garbage then secured our food from the animals. With the campsite clean & organized, we decided to get started with our daytrip.
After passing the dam we came across a couple travelling in two kayaks. We passed by and exchanged greetings, then I asked how the wildlife viewing went. They both replied they were skunked for wildlife – maybe a duck or two. It was disappointing news but perhaps our experience would be different. We hooked around through some narrows and once again found ourselves in this massive marsh – how could there be no wildlife here? As time progressed, so did we and the only creatures we found along the way were a couple of mallards and mergansers, nothing else. By 2pm we reached the 7.5km mark and decided not to push on any further. I wanted to, but we had already come so far and now had to make our way back. We were both hungry and decided to have a quick lunch – snacks, mostly. I looked for a decent place in the marsh to park the canoe when something caught my eye. It was a stack of logs but stacked in a way that suggested it was a cabin or building. I paddled over and couldn’t believe my eyes – it was definitely a cabin! Right on the edge of the marsh, clearly when this cabin was built the water levels were much different. It was a really cool find and funny that we decided to stop here, only to find this!
Lilly-covered entrance to Hailstorm Creek
Turned out to be a Sandhill Crane - still cool though
The 'Dam' along Hailstorm Creek
Some Hailstorm Marsh scenery
Continuing up Hailstorm Creek
We hung out at the cabin for a half hour or so while chatting and snacking, then the bugs found us. I was surprised at how bug-free the marsh had been so far, but that luck didn’t last and the deer flies began to swarm. It was time to leave – so we shoved off and made our way back to Opeongo. Our luck with wildlife would change for the journey back, though. Not ten minutes after pushing off from the cabin, we could hear a very loud rustling off behind the tree line of the marsh. Sure enough, a giant bull moose popped his head out between the trees and kept walking. He zigged and zagged his way through the tree line, which was about 100m away from us and made it difficult to get a good shot. Eventually we captured a few photos and moved on. The sky had changed from sunny to overcast but there didn’t seem to be a threat of rain. As we continued down the creek, I saw something funny off in the distance. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me because if I didn’t know any better I swear I just saw an ostrich. I went quiet while I observed this strange creature and eventually asked Angela if she could see what I could see. She confirmed and couldn’t figured it out either – what the heck was this giant-ostrich like bird doing in the marsh? When we got home I did some research and learned this was a Sandhill Crane – and a very large one at that. It was a really cool sighting because I’ve never seen a Sandhill Crane in Algonquin Park before – sure dozens of Blue Herons, but never a crane.
It's like 'Where's Waldo?' but with a bull moose
Clearly the water levels were much different when this cabin was constructed
We sat around the fire enjoying a few more drink than we should have – but it was our last night and the trip seemed like it was ending just as soon as it began. The sunset tonight was beautiful and looked different from all angles around the campsite – I really loved the site we were on – great spot if you have to stay on Opeongo! By 11pm we were both tired and decided to hit the sack to get some good rest for tomorrow. As I mentioned, I was worried our luck would run out tomorrow and we would be faced with a very windy exit down Opeongo – so I wanted to get a very early start to our day.
Photo: Angela Peek
Sunset looking toward the Happy Isle Portage
More Hailstorm Marsh Scenery
Did I mention I really like this campsite?
Parked at the mystery landing
Old/Illegal campsite in Hailstorm Marsh
Calm waters make for a great day trip
A calm morning in Hailstorm Bay on Lake Opeongo
Momma moose and baby moose!
Morning sun shining through the trees at my campsite
Beautiful view from the campsite in Hailstorm Marsh
Day 2: Hailstorm Bay to Hailstorm Creek & Back
I had a great sleep last night and even managed to sleep in much till much later than usual. I got out of the tent around 8am and the sky was patchy with clouds. Sunlight was peeking through the clouds here and there but overall it looks as though it may at some point rain today. I put a kettle of water on for coffee then roamed the campsite taking photos. I really like this site – very large, many levels, rocks, features, its on a point, swimming – just great for everything! The kettle was bubbling so I put my camera away, made a quick cup of coffee then sat down by the water. The lake was calm and way off in the distance I could hear a taxi buzzing by – some lucky group is about to begin their adventure. With my coffee finished I decided to take a few minutes and hang the tarp. I strung it up over the kitchen area and with so many trees around, the chore wasn’t difficult. I put a second kettle of water on the stove and I enjoyed a cup of coffee and the morning silence down by the rocks. It was after 9am and still very quiet on the lake. I decided to explore the surrounding area. I followed one of the main trails leading away from the site and back into the woods then stumbled on to a clearing. It was probably for a cabin or two, as this was a relatively large clearing. It faced north overlooking the little bay behind the campsite. I scoured the area looking for ruins, relics or foundations – there were a lot of prickly plants and It was difficult to see through them, so I didn’t put a ton of effort into it. The bugs were coming out so I walked back to the campsite to get breakfast in order.
Photo: Angela Peek
I documented the location for future use and we both went back down to the boat to move on. The rest of the paddle back to Opeongo was uneventful but beautiful – if you ever get a chance to paddle this marsh you should take it! By 5pm we were approaching our campsite when we spied two moose feeding in the bay behind the site. We paddled over as quietly as possible and realized it was a momma and baby moose! Baby moose are so cute its unreal – kind of like a small, fuzzy forest donkey. We watched them eat for a few minutes before leaving them to do their thing in peace. Once back at the campsite it was time for dinner and drinks. We just finished a relatively long daytrip of nearly 16km and we were both very hungry and thirsty!
One of the two large clearings behind the campsite
Cabin remains
It was shortly after 11am when we shoved off from our campsite and made the 1.5km paddle to the mouth of Hailstorm Creek. Opeongo was oddly calm for the second day in the row – which was great for us but I worried that our luck would run out tomorrow. As we approached the creek, I was becoming really excited – this was an area of Algonquin I have wanted to explore for some time now, but I don’t like camping on access point lakes so I never had the opportunity. This is a wildlife hotspot and I had high hopes for moose, deer, you name it! As we entered the first marshy area we came across an island with something thrashing around all over it. It didn’t sound like a bear or moose, but it wasn’t a squirrel or chipmunk either. Definitely a medium-sized ground animal. We parked off shore and listened as the thrashing continued for a minute or two. It stopped as quickly as it started and we moved on, both puzzled at what just happened. We continued our paddle and arrived at the ‘dam’ by 12:30pm. It’s clear from looking at the shoreline that there was a dam here at one point, but it was so long ago there is nothing left of it and no obstruction in this part of the creek – except the local beaver who seems to be trying to rebuild the dam.
About an hour after the moose and crane encounter, we came across a spit of land near some narrows. This spit of land had a well-worn path and canoe landing – it had me curious. Considering we had been sitting in a boat for the last 4 hours we decided to get out to explore and stretch our legs. I walked up the path leading into the trees and instantly loved what I saw – a former campsite with a spectacular view of the marsh. There was a fire pit and two clearings for tents. This must have been a former campsite when the canoe route came through here many years ago – or it’s an illegal one. Either way I would absolutely love to camp here, the view and the prospect of wildlife sightings were right off the charts!