Canoeing Joe Lake, Algonquin Park - The Silence and the Storm

Perfectly tailored for the average Joe or Joedette, this excursion has all you could ask for in a late Fall Algonquin canoe trip. It even starts at Canoe Lake…

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The Silence and the Storm…is the title to this 1977 book commemorating the centennial of Tom Thomson’s death. The book sits prominently displayed in my library and it’s an apt descriptor for this weekend jaunt. The Silence refers to the fact that no one else will be in the park and we’ll have it to ourselves…The Storm, however, is why we’ll have it to ourselves. Though we’ll relish these single digit temps in a few months, for now, we’ll find it cold as we toughen up for the approaching Winter. The Park staff reminded me that snow is possible from here on out, in Algonquin, so we could wake up to 2” of wet snow Sunday morning. Fair warning…but I’m a “full glass” kind of guy and we could have beautiful 12C days also.

We start at Canoe Lake (see it empty for the first time) and we’ll visit the cairn and memorial totem of Tom Thompson. Thoreau MacDonald (no relation of mine) once said,

“Thomson’s work would be a fine study for a competent critic, but anyone attempting it should be familiar, not only with every phase of his work, but with the country too. He must know the trees, rocks, lakes, rivers, weather; have them in his bones…”

Well that just makes every day in the Canadian Backcountry a noble cause indeed. Time for another weekend of “research” and getting the Backcountry in our bones. If you haven’t already had the pleasure, I hope that at some time, you too, may experience the profound emotion, strength and beauty of the work of this truly great Canadian artist. Between you and I, I’ll admit I’m a bit of a TT fanatic. I have 3 of his prints, 2 books about him, and a copy of his 1914 oil painting, The Canoe, hangs on the wall at the head of my bed.

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There are some other interesting things on Canoe Lake also and then it’s on to what is perhaps the busiest portage in all of Algonquin Park…the 265m to Joe Lake. Since we have the Park to ourselves, and nobody else will be there, it will be like playing hacky sac in the middle of an empty Hwy 401. We'll set a base camp somewhere along Joe Lake then use the rest of the day for pack-free single carry exploration, hiking, keeping warm, savouring the remaining colours and perhaps a little cork too with good company around a campfire…oh, and there may be some canoe ballet too.

This trip is setup to accommodate a desire to explore, with a reduced fear of being blindsided and stranded by unfavourable weather. Hypothermia is the major safety risk on this trip and adventurers must be prepared for unexpected cold temperatures and wet snow conditions.

Join me for a weekend of getting to know the trees, rocks, lakes, rivers and weather…and to get them in our bones…

Happy trails and see you outside,

Tom