Blogs from Quetico Provincial Park, Atikokan, Ontario, Canada, North America

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North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park August 11th 2007

I'm heading back to civilization in an hour! It's about 10:15 and we are heading back to our pickup point at 11:00-11:30 or so. We have a 1:00 pickup scheduled, and as much as I have enjoyed this trip, I can't wait to get back. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the last portage back up to the parking lot from Pickerel Lake. It's amazing how much I think I've grown in during this trip. I feel like I did often push myself and did things that I may not have done if I were on a regular hike through the woods. But now I know I can do it, and that's an awesome feeling to have after a trip like this. It's very empowering. It is also nice to look back and ... read more
Hauling the canoe back up the last portage
When the vacation is almost over, rest is needed
See you later, and thanks Quetico!

North America » Canada » Ontario » Atikokan » Quetico Provincial Park August 10th 2007

Woke up today in a whirlwind and only had time to down a cold cup of instant coffee before we were on the lake trying to beat the rain (which we didn't) and the wind (which we didn't) as we made our way back to the Quetico Park entrance. Yep, we're on our way back home. In the rain. The rain did eventually ease up right around the time that we were shooting some rapids (which was real thrilling, actually) so all looked good... UNTIL we hit the Deux Rivieres. At first it felt like we were in Egypt, canoeing through papyrus plants on the Nile, but then it was like we were in Vietnam—we had to get out of the canoe and trudge through the mud while someone strung the canoe down the leech infested ... read more
Paddling through Egypt?
Hannah posing
Looking good


We took a day trip to Chatterton Falls today from our campsite at Blueberry Island. I won't lie, the Falls were a little disappointing. I guess I have in it my head that waterfalls or something described as falls are a bit more intense. Chatterton Falls are pretty awesome, just in a less obvious ways. They were rushing and very beautiful, but you had to walk a way in order to see the whole falls. They were almost tiered... when you first got to the Falls, there was a medium sized waterfall. After docking, you walk up alongside the water and see a few more falls. When you walk a little bit more up, you see more, and so on and so on. Which was nice in a way because it really promoted a day of ... read more
Though not large, Chatterton is still quite powerful
Everybody paddling to Chatterton
Another view of the paddlers


Oh! My! Gosh! There were killer flies today... swarms over every part of everywhere we went and every part of our body. There were so many of these little biting flies I was close to tears several times during the day. It felt like an epidemic, an apocolypse almost. At times, it felt like a sci-fi movie where something so trivial and harmless in the everyday sense as flies could be so life threatening. There weren't that many when I woke up. In fact, the morning was fairly nice. I missed the mist on the water early in the morning, but getting to sleep in was much needed. After having a delicious breakfast of oatmeal and instant coffee, Hannah, my dad, and I did some fishing and then realized that Blueberry Island was vacated. We were ... read more
Hannah and me ready to set out and fish
Dad and one of his catches
Hannah and Mom hiding in the tent


There are some things in life where the harder something is, the better you feel about it in the end. It's the feeling of accomplishment, the rush of trying something new, or knowing that you went outside your comfort zone that does it for you. After finishing a rocky, mile-plus long portage twice over--once with an 80-pound pack and then my own personal pack--I coudn't help but feel very good about myself despite how much I hated it while doing trying to climp up a rock with the food pack on my back. I wouldn't necessarily want to do it again right then; nevertheless, it seemed like something I could be proud of, knowing that I pushed myself on only the second day of our trip. It really got me thinking "what couldn't I do" if ... read more
Shooting the "rapids"
Dad looking out at Lake Olifant before we head into the rough
Abby and Hannah cooking up some food


Wow we covered a lot of ground... err... water today. That of course means... we're in Quetico! It's just about as I expected it would be, minus a few things here and there?the first being the actual distance we travel and the second being the actual length of time it takes to travel said distance. Those minutiae aside, it's not half bad. The worst thing, if anything, was the 5:30 wake-up call and the fact that I was carrying an 80 pound food pack on my back for three quarters of a mile at 8:30 AM... which really happens to be about the time I'd wake up each morning. Quite a change of pace for me. Before we even set foot in a canoe, I could tell this was not going to be your average vacation... ... read more
Some more falls around another portage!
Blueberries... mmmm...
My sisters, dad, and me!




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