Feature 2 - It's a Family Thing

Fam and friends

I'm not sure how old I was when I first went camping, but I know my sister and I were small enough to sit side by side in the middle of the canoe. When I think back, I can't imagine how we had room for all our gear. Sure, we were smaller, but any time I've planned a trip the canoe was too full to add a child, let alone two. I think this speaks to how organized and experienced my parents were by then. On the other hand, they traveled light compared to me and my friends, with all our bells and whistles.

We used to go camping in Algonquin Park at least once every year, sometimes twice. We often went with a couple other families, the Todds and the Farmers. All together we were 6 adults and 8 children... sounds like a lot of work. On a few other occasions we brought friends or family members with us which was a nice change. We usually stayed two nights on Stratton Lake, spending one day at the nearby High Falls and leaving the next.

Me in squirt form

We did explore other lakes. I have vague memories of paddling trough areas with long grass sticking out of the water and hiking on trails somewhere. The first time I saw anybody place a coin on train tracks to be flattened was on one of those trips. Later on that hike we came across a strange looking object. Before anybody realized what it was, one of the girls picked it up. Turned out to me a moose hoof or something like that. Needless to say, she dropped it in a hurry.

My parents had been camping for many years before that and have been all over Algonquin Park. My trip 7 (to come), was the first where I visited a lake they haven't been on. Aside from having more years experience, they also have more interesting stories to tell. Some of which I hope to cover in future features. Keep an eye open.

Go Jump off a Rock!

Amateur portaging

When we were kids, we spent most of our time swimming and exploring. One year, we weren't able to get a campsite on Stratton Lake, so we camped on a super tiny lake off to the side. I'm not sure, but I suspect it was Marie Lake. To get there we had to do a 770 meter portage, up and over the mountain, which was the longest and hardest portage I had done at that point. We only carried over one canoe and used it as a fairy to the campsite. Once there, it was totally worth the effort. There were only two campsites on the tiny lake, and no one was using the other site. It was like our own private spot. After we got settled, me and two of the other kids paddled across the lake to check out a 20 foot high rock on the shore. The water bellow was nice and deep so we took full advantage. We each jumped off the rock a bunch of times before heading back to camp.

Amateur canoeing

However, the most memorable activity was going to High Falls. The falls near Stratton Lake make for a really amazing swimming hole. It basically consists of a large pool carved out of the rock by years of flowing water. A small water fall, about 6 meters wide, pours down one of the sides of the pool creating a natural water slide. On the opposite end of the pool, a stream winds its way down to a typical water fall. Bellow the falls is a very calm and deep lake which is a great spot for swimming.

The Taste of Memories, and Memories of Steak

I don't remember everything about our usual menu, but some things I won't forget. For example, when we arrived at Algonquin Park every year, we always had a light lunch before shipping out. The lunch we usually brought and I eventually grew to love were cheese and tomato sandwiches. Then, when we went to High Falls we always had trail mix, fruit and sandwiches made from canned ham. I remember we often had jiffy pop one night, which is always fun, but I don't think we ever did smores or even marshmallows for that matter. Maybe the parents thought is was too messy.

Washing dishes

Often included on our dinner menu were Lipton Sidekicks, which are super convenient and easy for camping. I only really remember one main course we had, and it was later in years, when I was in college. Camping with the immediate family plus a friend of my parents who knows how to identify edible wild mushrooms (Don't try this on your own, it can be very dangerous). We collected enough for dinner one night and sauteed them to eat with some grilled steak. That was probably my favourite camping dinner ever!

For breakfast, we might have had bacon and eggs sometimes, but I don't really remember. Sadly, I do remember having oatmeal packets for breakfast, which, as convenient as they are, they're not what I call a satisfying breakfast. Thankfully, we usually had oatmeal on the last day and afterwards we always stopped at Harvey's, so that made up for the disappointing breakfast.

Pictures

Me sliding at High Falls

It took me a long time to finish this post because I kept going through my parents photo collection and never finding the pictures I really wanted. I've included a few random pics, one from when I was just a little squirt and the rest from a trip where my sister and I invited some friends.

Well, that's a little background on me. I hope you enjoyed.

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