By Harlan Schwartz

Rain.  The dictionary defines it as “a fall of such water; a rainstorm”.  When you’re packing 50 lbs of gear up a ridge in Algonquin Park in early November, a few other words come to mind!

Algonquin can be beautiful in the fall.  The greens of summer give way to the majestic glow of red, yellow and orange.  A well planned backpacking trip during the peak of this season can be one of the most rewarding outings of the year. 

Unfortunately my trip into the interior of Algonquin took place the first week of November; a few weeks late to see the park in full bloom.  Instead, most trees had already shed their colors and were preparing for a long, cold winter. 

The forecast had called for a chance of rain and mild over the weekend.  Not bad for November so off I went.  I planned a fairly aggressive 3 day trip.  I was to access the Western Uplands Backpacking Trail from Hwy 60.  The trailhead lies just 3 Km from the west gate of the park.  With 35 Km to cover, I knew I’d be pressing hard.

 Driving through intermittent rain on the drive from Toronto, I arrived at the trailhead at 9:30 am.  A few last minute adjustments to my gear and by 10:00 I was crossing the Oxtongue River and heading off. 

The first two Km is a steady climb through a mainly decidous forest.  There is a couple of creek crossings where the hard packed trail surface gives way to slippery, rocky footing.  Pressing hard, I arrived at Maple Leaf lake within 45 minutes.  A pretty little lake, Maple Leaf offers a few well maintained campsites. 

After a short rest, I continued my trek.  The trail was in good condition and except for a few small climbs, the walk was fairly level.  The next major lake on my trip was Little Hardy.  As the trial approaches the lake, you descend 200 feet fairly rapidly.  After a few hours on the trail it’s a welcome feeling.  Little Hardy has a beautiful creek feeding it and the trail follows it for a while until you reach the water. 

The sky was turning from mixed clouds to overcast and I was getting concerned.  The air temperature seemed like it dropped a few degrees and I was certain rain would fall soon.  I pumped some water from the river and kept plugging down the trail. 

I kept a quick pace as I climbed towards the next lake on my route.  It became increasingly clear that I had bitten off more than I could chew.  It was almost 3:00 when I reached Steeprise lake.  Steeprise is a beautiful, pine studded lake.  Sheer cliffs surround most of the lake.  It has a very secluded feeling to it. 

I decided to press on to Maggie Lake a Km or so up the trail.  By now a steady drizzle was falling and thunder could be heard in the distance. 

Within 20 minutes I reached Maggie lake, where I decided to grab a campsite for the night.  Camp was setup in minutes and soon dinner was on.  I hadn’t stopped for a meal all day, save for some power bars and nuts along the way.  Needless to say, I was starving and a generous helping of dehydrated Alfredo Primavera was in order.  After dinner I cleaned up camp and hung my food for the night.  I had yet to see any wildlife on the trip, and didn’t want any unexpected visitors. 

Evening comes early in the fall.  By 5:15 it was completely dark.  I retired to my tent, and not a moment to soon.  Soon the sky opened up and the onslaught of rain began.  Usually raindrops falling on my tent fly have a soothing sound.  Not this trip.  This storm was one of the strongest and longest lasting I have been through while camping.  It ended up lasting all through the night.  Over 10 hours of thunder, lightening and tree downing winds. 

The ultimate insult came when I woke up to find the bottom half of my sleeping bag in a large puddle of water.  Years of camping and I’d never had a tent leak.  Now I had a small pond in my tent.  I was cold, miserable and facing another day of wind and rain.  At this point I decided to break camp at first light and hump it back to the trailhead.  With the weather coming in and a leaky tent and wet sleeping bag, I was in no condition to be spending another night in the park. 

Camp was packed up in steady rain.  Shaking my head, I began to retrace my steps of the previous day.  The steady rain over the night had left it’s mark on the trail.  The packed earth was now one continuous puddle 4 inches deep.  Blowdowns were everywhere and small creeks were now swollen.  Moving steady but cautiously, I negotiated the trail amid pounding thunder and brilliant lightening. 

After 5 exhausting hours, I was within sight of the trailhead, and a warm, dry set of clothes.  I felt a sense of relief to be off the trail given the conditions I was faced with. 

While venturing into the park during the fall can be a great experience, caution must be stressed.  Weather can change quickly and unforeseen variables can make a seemingly positive outing into a soggy, miserable trek.