Source Lake: 3 days of winter camping

Like winter camping? Wanna do it longer and your way?

One of my favorite trips in the past has been the trails in the Minnesign Area but with the construction happening this year we will be try something new, starting on Source lake.

The trip will largely happen on frozen lakes and portages. I did most of this route solo about 10 years ago and and it was quite doable then.
Since this trip aims to stick to gentle slopes and frozen lakes it is accessible by snowshoes and skies. You can decide if you want to pull a pulk and use a backpack. We will go how fast I’m traveling. I will hike on snowshoes at a modest pulk/backpacker pace, it shouldn’t be hard to keep up.

As this is the first time I have run a trip from this trailhead I am not 100% sure how far we are going to make it, I estimate we will stop somewhere in the Bruce Lake - Owl Lake area. On the day 2 hike, we should be able to access some of the trail at the top of the Minnesign trails.
We are meeting at the west gate permit station at 9:30AM. I recommend spending Friday night in a Huntsville hotel to make for an easier start on Saturday. The early start ensures we can make it to a good camp before the early sunset.

By signing up you are asserting you are in good condition. If you have never carried a full pack 5KM on snowshoes and spent the night, you should consider yourself not to be in good condition. Winter often makes everything much harder.

Everyone is expected to be fully self-sufficient (own gear and food) unless you have made other arrangements.

The weather conditions are hard to predict. At this point I advise preparing for a temperature range of -30 - +5 C. I also recommend being ready for a foot of fresh snow and/or freezing rain. When I send out the logistics email the week before we leave I should know much more about the conditions and we can all adjust as needed.

Logistics:
You must update the following spreadsheet with your details. Failure to do may result in removal from the trip and a loss of your spot without notice.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ltp7_Lt61GMo7Ogu1qSApOWgS2zTU3X7jKmTSKErm-s/edit?usp=sharing

Costs:
Permits are $12.43 a day or $24.86 per person. PayPal charges $1.41 which means I require $26.27 for a reservation. Every car will also need to purchase a parking pass for each day ($14.13)
Cars should split the fuel and parking costs evenly among all of the passengers and drivers. You may also want some cash for food along the way.

Itinerary:
Saturday
9:30 AM Meet at Algonquin West Gate permit station to register.
10 AM, leave for the Algonquin Arts Center parking lot
10:30 Start hiking towards Source lake via the closed road across the highway
4:30 PM Make camp
5:58 Sunset

Sunday
Day hike towards towards Burnt Island Lake and back.

Monday
Hike out and head home.

Final note:
Winter conditions increase risk for all participants. Persons who are under-prepared not only risk harming themselves but also risk harm others through the extra demands they place on them. For that reason, based on my judgement, I may ask those who I am concerned are not adequately prepared to not to come along at any time, even at the trailhead. If you are concerned about your level of preparation please consider the Introduction to winter course (class and trip). I also welcome questions, the earlier the better, and will do my best to help ensure you are adequately prepared. Let all make this a challenging, fun, and most importantly, safe trip.