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Trip Info
Date: September 27th – October 2nd, 2025
Route: Rock Lake > Galeairy Lake x2 > Pen Lake > Rock Lake
Total Number of Portages: 4
Avg. Number of Portages Per Travel Day: 1.33
Total Length of Portages: 6,750m
Avg. Length of Portages Per Travel Day: 2,250m
Total Travel Time: 8hrs
Avg. Travel Time Per Travel Day: 2.5hrs
Total Distance Covered: 24km
Avg. Distance Covered Per Travel Day: 8km
*The numbers above are based on double-carrying portages, since this is how I travelled. If you plan on single-carrying portages, you’ll want to divide the Portage Length numbers by 3, and subtract the estimated time saved from the Travel Time numbers.
Background
One of my favourite things about camping in the fall is getting to visit places that would otherwise be very busy. During this trip, Pen Lake and Galeairy Lake both had only one or two reservations out of the total 16 and 17 permits issued. You don’t see that every day! I’ve paddled through Pen Lake numerous times before, but I had never stayed overnight. I hadn’t even set foot (or I guess, set paddle?) onto Galeairy Lake. This was the perfect opportunity to visit both of them.
I had two goals for this trip. First, I wanted to document campsites. I hadn’t done much campsite-documenting throughout the 2025 season, and that’s very unlike me. This trip was going to make up for that. This trip wasn’t going to cover a lot of physical distance, but I sure planned on spending a ton of time on the water visiting campsites. Second, I wanted to appreciate the fall colours. Colours were at their peak, and this is undeniably the most beautiful time to be in the park. The forecast looked promising and I wanted to make sure I had enough downtime—between all the campsite-documenting—to sit back with Elo and soak in the beauty of peak fall colours in Algonquin Park.
Little did I know, not only would I succeed with both of those goals, but I’d also have an incredible double-moose encounter and a jaw-dropping northern lights experience. Those both happened near the end of the trip, so make sure you stick around until the end! It’s a long trip report, but believe me, it’s worth it.
Day 1 — Pre-Trip Night at Pog Lake Campground
Command + R.
Command + R.
Command + R.
For those of you without a Mac, or just unaware of that keyboard shortcut, Command + R is how you refresh a page. That’s how I spent the first half of Day 1. I wanted to spend my first night car camping, but every single campground site was fully booked. So, Command + R.
Eventually I found a cancellation at Pog Lake, Section C, Site 433. I quickly packed my gear, loaded my car, and got to the park at 5:45 PM. I went straight to my campsite and quickly pitched my tent while there was still some light in the sky. The campsite was sloped and didn’t have good flat ground for a tent, but other than that, I really enjoyed the site.
My next stop was to take Elo for a walk at the Mew Lake Airfield. It’s her favourite place to poop. I didn’t see a single person in the airfield, which, even for late-September, was pretty shocking. After my walk, I went to visit a friend, Luciano. He was camping at the Mew Lake campground. Luciano is a fellow photographer, and was also travelling solo. He was sitting beside a warm campfire and said I could join him. We both enjoyed our separate dinners and chatted until 9:00 PM.
Reader note: Remember Luciano, he’s going to make a reappearance at the end of this trip report!
Afterwards, I did a few laps around the campground with Elo to get some steps in, and then headed back to my own campsite at the Pog Lake campground.
While leaving the Mew Lake campground, I saw a small fox, just off to the side of the road. It was too dark for photos, but I was very happy to at least see some sort of wildlife on my first day.
Day 2 — Rock Lake to Galeairy Lake
For late-September, it sure was hot out during my first night. I slept in only my underwear. I woke up at 6:00 AM, packed up camp in the dark, and hit the road an hour later. It was time to head into the backcountry.
The Rock Lake access point was completely empty, other than the parking lot which was near its limit. I launched onto the water at 8:45 AM and slowly made my way through the narrow river. The wind picked up as I entered the main body of Rock Lake, but thankfully, it was a tailwind at my back. It was quite windy given how early it was, but that’s not a complaint. I will never complain about a tailwind!
The sun was high in the cloudless sky and I knew the day was going to turn into a scorcher. I had a short travel day into Galeairy Lake, and I was hoping to be at my campsite before the sun was at its peak strength. But first, I made a quick pitstop on Rock Lake. There are only two campsites I haven’t yet documented for my website, and one of them happened to be directly on route. Campsite #10. I was happy to find it vacant, so I quickly pulled ashore to snap some photos and make some notes.
My next stop was the one and only portage for the day. The portage goes across a large manmade dam. The canoe landing on the Rock Lake side wasn’t very great, but the Galeairy Lake side was a much friendlier beach landing. The portage itself was short, flat, and easy.
I met a group at the end of the portage that had just spent the night on Galeairy Lake. The group highly recommended their campsite, which was situated on an eastern point with west-facing views. First, I checked out the island campsite nearby the portage. I wasn’t very impressed with the site, and I was even less impressed with its lack of views. Remember, one of my goals for this trip was to appreciate the fall colours, and that island campsite sure as heck wasn’t going to help me accomplish that goal. So, I kept moving.
Next, I went to visit the campsite that was recommended to me. The canoe landing wasn’t very good and there was nowhere to leave the canoe at the shoreline. There was also a big incline into the main campsite. And the campsite was completely exposed to the elements. But guess what… the views were EPIC. The huge campsite offered unobstructed, breathtaking views onto the northwest region of Galeairy Lake. This northwest region also happened to have the prettiest rolling maple shorelines, displaying the most beautiful display of fall colours on the entire lake. Not to mention, the fire pit was at the top of the elevated campsite, facing those beautiful maple shorelines. If a magic genie appeared and offered me three wishes, I don’t think I could have asked for a more breathtaking view.
I was already getting excited to watch the sunset and then stargaze from my wide-open campsite. But first, I needed to set up camp. I chose a tent spot tucked away behind the campsite, so it wouldn’t be exposed in the sun. I like to take midday naps, and the tent can quickly turn into a sauna on a hot, sunny day like today. Next, I went deeper into the forest to collect firewood. I was surprised to find a ton of deadfall not too far behind the campsite. I was spending two nights at this campsite, the sun was going to set early, and the evenings were going to get cold, so I made sure to collect a ton of firewood.
ps. Did you notice Elo in each of the photos in the slideshow above? She’s so silly.
I made myself dinner and then hung my barrel before setting out for an evening paddle. I already documented one campsite earlier on Rock Lake, but one campsite per day wasn’t going to cut it. I set out at 5:45 PM and visited five nearby campsites. There was one campsite on a narrow peninsula that I really loved, and another island campsite that was also really nice. The rest were somewhere between “meh” and “nope, never camping here”. Based on Elo’s excitement, she’d be happy camping at any of the sites we visited. She loves when we paddle around and visit campsites. And I love how tired it makes her for the rest of the evening!
The entire west half of Galeairy Lake doesn’t have the best shorelines for fall colours, with the exception of the one shoreline across from my campsite. I didn’t realize it at the time of choosing my site, but I really lucked out. For my goal of appreciating the fall colours, I probably got the best campsite on the lake. And for my other goal of documenting campsites, it was a pretty successful day as well.
The paddle back to my campsite was very lovely. It was warm outside, the water was calm, and the sunset colours were very pretty. Life was good.
I made it back to my campsite long after the sun had crossed the shoreline. Which wasn’t even 7:30 PM. Gotta love fall camping. I quickly started a fire while watching the moon continue to set directly in front of my campsite. By 9:30 PM, I was treated to a sky full of stars. Bring me that genie again. I promise he couldn’t give me a better stargazing campsite than this one.
I let the fire burn down to coals, I turned off my headlamp, and I spent the next hour staring at the sky. Without exaggerating, this was one of the best stargazing experiences I’ve ever had directly from a fire pit.
Day 3 — A Rest Day on Galeairy Lake
I got out of the tent at 6:30 AM to chilly single-digit temperatures outside. But I didn’t care about being cold because my mind was completely captivated by the scenery in front of me. The sunrise to the east was visible from the edge of my campsite, but the western shoreline was the highlight of the morning. Literally. The sun was slowly highlighting the fall colours on the western shoreline as the mist gently swept off the lake. The shoreline reflections were immaculate. The entire landscape was profoundly beautiful.
I sat at the shoreline for a long while, enjoying the moment with Elo. My agenda for the day was to go document more campsites, but I was in no rush to get started. I savoured every minute of that morning, while continuing to appreciate how amazing this campsite was for admiring the fall colours.
The water was still as reflective as a mirror when I got into my canoe. Everywhere I looked was so beautiful. It prompted me to do something that I very rarely do on a canoe trip. I put on my earphones for 45 minutes. Yes, I know, nothing beats the sound of nature! Except for Patrick Watson’s new album “Uh Oh” while paddling on a glass-calm Galeairy Lake. In that moment, it did beat the sound of nature.
On my way to the eastern half of Galeairy Lake, I passed an occupied island campsite. The person sitting at the shoreline said “That must be Elo. I recognize her from your videos. Keep it up man”. It was a nice way to start the day.
My campsite tour started with Campsite #11. It was a unique site with some cool ruins, but it wasn’t a site I’d personally want to camp at. I continued following that shoreline to visit Campsite #12, #13, #14, and #15. Campsite #13 didn’t exist, but a different campsite not shown on maps exists between Campsite #11 and Campsite #12. I enjoyed Campsite #15 the best out of the bunch, but it was still a little too close to the town of Whitney for my liking.
It was already 11:30 AM and I had only finished half of the campsites in the eastern region of Galeairy Lake. It was hot outside and I was moving slow. A massive headwind came out of nowhere too. It was going to be a long day.
I paddled towards the next batch of campsites in Farm Bay. There were a few nice campsites in this area, including a big peninsula site, and a big beach campsite equipped with a picnic table. It was a relatively secluded area of the lake, tucked away from the main canoe route and motor boat traffic, and out of sight from the town of Whitney. I wouldn’t mind camping here in the future.
There was another campsite labelling issue in the Farm Bay area of the lake. Campsite #18 didn’t exist, but a different campsite was located just a few metres to the other side of Campsite #17, at the tip of the small peninsula. Interestingly, this “new” campsite (on the tip of the small peninsula) used to exist on the older version of Jeff’s Maps, but it was moved to where Campsite #17 is now located on the newer Maps By Jeff release. In actuality, both campsites exist, the current Campsite #17, and the campsite on the small peninsula that was removed. The only campsite that doesn’t exist in that area is Campsite #18.
If all these numbers are confusing, you can take a look at the individual campsite reports at the bottom of this page. And a friendly reminder, campsite numbers are non-official, so you won’t see them on the original maps. They have only been added on my website as a way to easily reference the campsites.
I finally finished visiting every campsite in the eastern half of Galeairy Lake. It only took me until 1:00 PM, which was the time I originally thought I was going to be back home at my campsite. But I was still a long way from home. I had to paddle the entirety of Galeairy Lake, which would take roughly one hour. And that’s not accounting for the massive headwind I’d be battling the entire time. I was already totally exhausted, but I had no other choice. It’s not like Elo was going to paddle for me.
The wind was especially bad in the big open crossing right after I exited Farm Bay. I was making the slowest progress imaginable. It got a little bit better while paddling north through the narrows, but then it turned into full-blown white caps again after turning the corner and heading west back to my campsite. The entire return journey was 1.5 hours of non-stop, full exertion paddling. It was all the same to Elo though. She was exhausted from the campsite tour and slept in the canoe for most of the way, while I was struggling against the headwind. What a life she lives.
After six hours on the water, under the hot sun, I went straight into my tent for a midday nap with Elo. I spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the shade, processing firewood, and eating lots of food. My exhaustion didn’t stop me from getting back on the water for an evening paddle. It takes a lot more than that to stop me from doing my evening paddle.
I visited one more campsite, but otherwise had a leisurely paddle, watching the sunset from my canoe.
My evening routine was the same as the previous night. I got back to my campsite long after the sun had crossed the shoreline. I watched the moon set in front of my campsite. I sipped on some whiskey while sitting beside a warm fire. And I spent hours with my neck bent at 90-degrees while I watched the stars overhead. I stayed awake until 11:00 PM, enjoying every minute of the evening. Man, did I really love this campsite.
Day 4 — Galeairy Lake to Pen Lake
I was moving campsites today, so I didn’t have the same leniency as the previous day to be lazy at camp all morning. I tried to be strategic. I immediately packed up my tent before the sunrise, so that I could sit with Elo and enjoy the sunrise without any distractions.
The morning of Day 4 was another spectacular one. After all, it was the same campsite with the same jaw-dropping views. It was a few degrees warmer outside too, so that was nice.
I was on the water by 8:45 AM with a gentle northern tailwind pushing me south through Forest Bay. I visited the one lonely campsite in that region of Galeairy Lake. It was a pretty crappy campsite, so I didn’t stay too long before moving towards my first portage of the day.
The first portage was only 80m. It had a mediocre landing and the portage itself was hilly and had some rough terrain. But then again, it was only 80m, so it was still pretty dang easy. The landing at the opposite end had a marshy area, a mucky area, and a sloping rock area. Pick your poison.
Despite the poor landing, I was taken aback by the views onto Night Lake. My expectations were low for a tiny lake that was sandwiched between two portages, but it was super pretty with the fall colours in the distance and the marshy shorelines all around me. I’m sure many moose have visited this lake before. But not today. I only saw geese and a few other birds. But don’t worry Cody, your moose excitement is yet to come, and when it does, it’s going to be amazing (that’s my way of saying that some sweet moose photos are coming up soon).
At 10:00 AM I arrived to my second, much longer portage for the day. It was a 1.7km that started with an exposed beach landing. After the beach area is an overgrown boardwalk that leads through a narrow rocky section. That first 100m made me real nervous for the remaining 1.6km, but it was an unnecessary scare. The portage becomes more “normal” afterwards. It was full of small ups-and-downs, but generally it was quite level and easy. There were tons of boardwalks, most of which were in good condition. There were two canoe resting stops as well, one about one-third of the way in, and another about 5 minutes from the end of the portage.
The end of the portage has a massive beach landing, which was a nice reward. But then I had to walk back and do it all over again with the rest of my gear. After more than 5km of total walking, I finished my double-carry at 11:30 AM.
Next stop… find a campsite on Pen Lake.
The fall colours on the western shoreline of Pen Lake were quite dull, and there was lots of leaf fall. The east shoreline, however, was much better. The colours were more vivid and there was much less leaf fall. It was interesting to see how the weather and wind could impact one shoreline more than the other.
I paddled north on Pen Lake, battling the same wind that was at my back earlier that morning. I was supposed to have Pen Lake all to myself for the evening, so I took advantage of that and headed towards the island campsites. These islands usually get scooped quickly, and there’s typically tons of traffic passing by. I knew I wouldn’t find a better, quieter time than today to stay at one of those sites.
I ended up at Campsite #3. It wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be, but it was good enough. The mediocre tent spots were too close to the fire pit, and there was basically no seating beside the fire pit. The main area was heavily exposed to that northernly wind. The only decent branch to hang food was directly beside the tent spots. And the thunder box was a far walk back into the forest.
But I’ll stop complaining. Let me share some nice things about the campsite. The site had a beautiful rocky shoreline that wrapped around the campsite in all directions. This was easily the highlight of the site. It had very pretty views. It got sun all day. And it was really close to the portage, which was a small convenience for my next day.
I was exhausted from double-carrying the portages and the few hours of paddling, but I still had some gas left in the tank. I set up camp and then got back on the water and visited the two adjacent island campsites. The northern of the two sites wasn’t very great, but the southern campsite was spectacular. It had an impressive shoreline with amazing views down the length of Pen Lake, with a sheltered interior campsite for all functional needs. I almost regretted my decision to take Campsite #3.
A quick side note: On Maps By Jeff it shows the canoe route going in between the two islands. In the current low water levels, the wall of rocks made this path impassable. The safer and faster option would be to go around, east of both islands.
I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing at my campsite. The wind was vicious and blowing directly into my site. I made myself dinner and then got back on the water at 5:30 PM for one more paddle. I went to Campsite #2 on the north shore, in an attempt to hide from the northerly winds. The campsite itself was decent, but holy cow the views out of that campsite caught me totally off guard. It was truly a 10/10. I spent a few extra minutes at the campsite appreciating the view.
Next, I went to the nearby portage leading into Gem Lake. The canoe landing is a huge beach area with fine, soft sand. It’s pretty rare to find soft sand like this in Algonquin. The moment I walked into the trail, the U-shaped smile on my face straightened into a horizontal line. The trail was narrow, uphill, with enclosing trees giving a dark, spooky vibe. Elo kept staring at me with a look of concern on her face. I swear, I’m not making that up. It felt like she sensed something in the area, and was looking at me as if she was trying to tell me “what are we doing here, we need to leave”. I quickly collected some firewood and then left.
I got back to camp at 6:45 PM and it was still incredibly windy. This made it extremely cold after the sun had set. A warm fire was going to be an absolute necessity.
The half-moon was going to be in the sky until midnight, so I didn’t plan on stargazing or doing astrophotography. It was going to be 1-degree overnight, so I put on all of my layers and huddled beside the warm fire for a few hours before getting into my tent.
JUST KIDDING.
I was writing this part of the trip report while sitting beside the fire, and right when I finished writing that last paragraph (about getting into the tent), I noticed the sky looked a little bright between the trees. It was in the direction of the sunset, but it was several hours after the sun had gone down. Wait. Could it be!? I quickly walked to the shoreline to investigate.
I couldn’t believe it. The northern lights were visible to the naked eye and filled the entire sky in front of me. I think I broke a world record for the fastest time anyone has ever switched lenses on their camera, to get my wide landscape lens. And then I literally laughed out loud when I saw the first photos that I took. It was beyond epic.
Almost exactly one year ago on October 10, 2024, I witnessed the most insane northern lights show. I was car camping, so I had cell service. I knew the northern lights were in the forecast that evening. But I remember thinking to myself how crazy it must have been for people in the backcountry—without cell service—to witness the show without knowing it was coming. That was basically me on this day. I had no idea the auroras were in the forecast. Last year might have been the better show, but this year was particularly special because I got to enjoy the show from the backcountry, while I was completely alone on Pen Lake. It was an inexplicable feeling.
The wind still hadn’t died down. I stood at the shoreline with the frigid wind smashing against my face. It was freezing. Why did the northern lights have to be on the windiest night ever? It didn’t matter, enduring the cold was worth every second. Elo was fed up and kept walking to the tent, telling me she wanted to go to bed. I’m sorry Elo, sleep can wait. I wasn’t going anywhere. There’s no going to bed on a night like this.
The campsite had perfect north-facing views. The big dipper was directly in view too. The bright moon was still visible, but it was behind me, so it didn’t impact the northern lights. The moon gave off just enough natural light to illuminate the campsite and the shoreline, only adding to the already incredible atmosphere. Man, was I happy I ended up at this campsite.
I stayed at the shoreline for more than an hour, freezing my butt off while watching the northern lights. My camera was running on autopilot, snapping hundreds of photos continuously so I could stitch them together later as a timelapse. I was walking back-and-forth between my fire (to warm up) and the shoreline (to watch the northern lights).
I had the bright moon visible in one direction. A raging fire behind me. The northern lights in front of me. I was completely alone on an island campsite with no one else on the lake. I have no more words to describe that evening. This was my final (backcountry) trip of the year, and it was an absolutely legendary way to end things off.
Day 5 — A Busy Day on Pen Lake
I had a very busy day planned so I didn’t waste any time getting started. I left my campsite at 8:15 AM as the sun was rising and the mist was sweeping off the lake. The 1-degree morning felt slightly colder with the gentle breeze in the air. But it was gorgeous nonetheless.
I started paddling south on Pen Lake. Wait, hold on… isn’t that the wrong direction? Yes, it is, you’re quite observant! But here was my plan for the day. I was going to paddle south on Pen Lake and document all of the remaining campsites on the lake that I didn’t already have on my website. Then I would come back to my site, pack up camp, and head back to my car.
I don’t think I had ever done something like this before; a long day trip before packing up camp. I had to keep a very close eye on the time, so that I vacated my campsite by the 2:00 PM cut off, and so that I’d make it back to my car before it got dark out. It was now officially October, and sunlight hours were very limited.
Before visiting the first campsite on the list, I was treated to two loons swimming beside my canoe. It was particularly charming watching them among the misty water and colourful fall shorelines. I continued to the nearby Campsite #6. It had a great beach, but the site didn’t live up to the beach hype. I had to use the thunder box (morning duties), which was a far walk back into the forest. With the morning light shining through the trees and the colourful leaves all around me, it was an exceptionally striking landscape. I enjoyed my poop thoroughly.
I continued to the next campsite around the bed. It was another average campsite, but the view from the front shoreline rivalled the 10/10 view I mentioned from the previous evening. I think the view from this campsite was actually better. A mathematically impossible 11/10. In that moment, it felt like the prettiest thing I had ever seen. It’s the third photo in the slideshow above. To top it off, the two young loons came to visit me again. They were flapping across the surface of the lake, learning how to fly.
My campsite tour continued with Campsite #8 and Campsite #9, on the eastern point. The former is a popular beach campsite, but I only learned during this visit that the beach is actually the backside of the campsite. So, if you’re paddling from the south, heading north, and you see the beach empty, it doesn’t mean the campsite is empty! This might get annoying if you’re the occupant of the site, and other people unknowingly land at the beach.
Four campsites down, two more to go.
The gentle breeze from earlier quickly turned into strong gusts. It was still just a few degrees above freezing, too. It was only 10:00 AM, so the sun wasn’t very strong yet either.
I crossed the lake to the western shore to visit Campsite #17 and Campsite #18. The first of the two was easily the worst campsite of the day, and could arguably make the list for “Top 10 Worst Campsites of Algonquin”. The only silver lining was that I saw fresh moose tracks at the shoreline, likely coming from the adjacent marshy area. The next campsite was almost as bad. It was small, enclosed, difficult to locate, and had virtually no appeal to it.
I paddled against a ruthless headwind and arrived back to my own campsite at 11:15 AM. I was already exhausted and my day was just getting started. I took a quick nap and then started packing. I was ready to leave at 1:30 PM, which is by far the latest I had ever left a campsite in the backcountry. It was technically allowed… but it felt weird. It felt wrong.
I stopped by one more campsite on Pen Lake, Campsite #1 beside the falls. Then I did my one and only portage for the day. The water levels were crazy low, with the dock at the portage fully on dry land. The colourful leaf fall made the portage quite attractive. I finished double-carrying and left my gear at the end of the trail, off to the side, and then walked back to visit the waterfalls.
Elo and I had a lot of fun at the falls. We walked to the top, had a snack in the middle of the falls, and then walked back down. It was a nice treat having the area completely to ourselves. The falls can sometimes get busy during the summer months.
At 3:00 PM, we set off for our final paddle onto Rock Lake. But remember, the goal of this trip was to document campsites, and there was one single campsite remaining on Rock Lake that I hadn’t visited yet. So, of course, I made a quick pitstop at Campsite #19. The campsite sucked. It was even worse than the “Top 10 Worst Campsites of Algonquin” from earlier in the day. I’ll just leave it at that. If you want more detail, all campsite reports are linked at the bottom of this page.
As I continued paddling on Rock Lake, I saw two kayakers in the far distance. I saw the same two kayakers when I left the portage, before visiting the campsite, so it made sense that they were further ahead now. They were in a shaded area near the shoreline. I didn’t actually see the kayaks, but I saw the glistening reflection of the sun against their paddles as they took each stroke. What else could it be? It was too much movement for it to be wildlife.
I kept paddling, getting closer to the kayakers, wondering why they weren’t making any progress. Then I noticed splashing. Wait, could it be wildlife? A loon cleaning itself? I was still very far away so I grabbed my camera and zoomed in.
Moose! Two of them! I felt SO silly thinking it was the kayakers. If I had known it was moose I wouldn’t have been paddling so slowly! I paddled hard, hoping I’d make it in time before they went inland.
The two moose were swimming, snacking, and drinking in the water. I kept a safe distance but they clearly saw me and Elo and were unbothered by our presence.
We watched the moose for literally more than an hour. At first, I stayed in the sun like a dummy, then I moved closer to the shoreline to get some shade. I wedged my canoe among some deadfall in the water, to stabilize it and prevent it from drifting (it was still quite windy outside).
The funny thing about this moose encounter is that it almost never happened. I actually had one more night booked on Pen Lake, but the northern lights felt like the proper send-off to my backcountry season. It gave the trip a proper sense of finality. If I had stayed the extra night, I wouldn’t have come across these moose. Everything worked out perfectly.
I spent such a long time watching the moose that I needed a snack break. I started eating cashews and it felt like I was eating popcorn at a movie theatre. Elo was totally chill at the front of the canoe. She loves watching moose just as much as I do. We were there for so long that even Elo eventually lay down in the canoe and fell asleep. She would pop up whenever the moose would shake itself off, then she’d lay back down and fall back asleep. In the photo below you’ll notice dark corners in the bottom left and bottom right of the photo… those are Elo’s ears. A true Elo POV!
Eventually a motor boat came to the area and scared the moose inland. I was upset, but also kind of happy. It was 4:45 PM and I really needed to get back to my car at some point. The sun was already getting low in the sky.
In the boat were two park wardens. I grabbed on to the edge of their boat and spent close to 30 minutes chatting with them about wildlife, the backcountry, park resources, and other stuff. They were both really nice guys. They made a comment about how it’s so much more exciting to see a moose in the backcountry compared to Highway 60. I couldn’t agree more. After a quick joke asking them to Uber me to shore, we parted ways.
I hugged the western shoreline for shade and wind protection. I tried to admire the tall cliffs on Rock Lake, but it was hard to focus on the beautiful landscape when my butt was completely numb and sore from sitting in my canoe for so many hours! I made it back to my car at 6:00 PM and by the time I finished loading my gear, the sun had already crossed the shoreline.
On my way out of the campground, I saw a beaver in the water. I was super tight on time, but I knew I had to pull over. The beaver was hard at work, dragging a branch through the water. It was kind of hilarious watching the beaver continuously switch sides on the branch, as it got tired carrying it from one side.
I had a decision to make now… should I take a quick nap and then drive home in the dark, completely exhausted, or should I stay one more night at a campground and drive home the next day? I had a friend staying at the Pog Lake Campground, so I figured I’d stop by and say hello and then make my decision.
The campsite directly across from my friend was empty, and my friend was fully stocked with firewood, so it was a pretty easy decision to make. I booked the campsite online and quickly pitched my tent in the dark, then joined my friend and his wife beside their fire for the evening.
I got on the water at 8:15 AM and was moving non-stop until 6:30 PM. I was utterly exhausted. Drained. Fatigued. Tired. Worn Out. Depleted. Whatever synonym for “tired” you like best, that’s how I felt. While sitting beside the fire at 11:00 PM I thought to myself “how the f*** am I still awake right now?” and then promptly went to bed.
Day 6 — Leaving Pog Lake Campground
As no surprise at all, I had an amazing sleep after Day 5. It was also the first night of the trip where the temperature dropped below freezing. I didn’t mind the cold morning, especially since I had my warm car.
I immediately hit the road and went searching for wildlife. I went to a popular moose spot, but didn’t have any luck. At least I walked 5k steps before it was even 7:00 AM.
Despite getting a great sleep, my body was really upset with me for how much I exerted myself the previous day. I had a headache, upset stomach, and was yawning quite literally every five seconds. It was the biggest ‘yawn attack’ ever. I clearly needed more sleep.
But first, I went to check one more moose spot. Success! There were two moose—a cow and a bull—in the distance. They weren’t doing anything too exciting, and they were too far away to get good photos, but it was still a nice encounter. I’ll never be disappointed with a moose sighting. And it was a nice cherry on top to end the trip.
I went back to my campsite and packed up camp with a “throw it in the car now, worry later” mentality. I still needed lots of sleep. Lots of electrolytes. And definitely lots of pizza. This was going to be a 48-hour recovery type of trip.
The Aftermath
On paper, this trip may look easy, but it was anything but easy with the amount of time I spent on the water, and dealing with the cold temperatures. I went hard. A little too hard, admittedly. But I was extremely productive. I ended the trip with around 700 GB worth of photos and videos and 31 new campsites documented.
I didn’t expect too much going into this trip, but it became “The Trip of Everything”. I did car camping, paddle-in backcountry, and proper backcountry. I had gorgeous views of the fall colours and spectacular stargazing. I visited waterfalls, and I documented tons of campsites. I saw the classic Canadian wildlife trio of beaver, loon and moose, with the Rock Lake moose encounter being an extremely memorable one. I shared campfires with two different friends at the start and end of the trip, and had one final moose sighting to close things off. What more could I have asked for? Oh yeah, the northern lights! You thought I forgot about that, didn’t you? I’ll never forget that evening. Unexpectedly seeing the northern lights, with the big dipper in front of me, the moon to the side, and the fire raging in the background… it was a top-tier Algonquin memory.
But the trip still had one final surprise for me. Remember Luciano, from the beginning of the trip? When I got home, I had a message from him on Instagram. When I was paddling on Rock Lake, he was coincidentally hiking Booth’s Rock Trail. He was doing panorama photography from the lookout, stitching together several photos to make huge, high-resolution photos roughly 7,000 pixels by 18,000 pixels. Unbeknownst to him at the time, but he captured me and Elo in those photos. We were in the canoe, in the middle of the lake, and from Luciano’s perspective, we were the size of ants. He sent me the photos and… wow… just wow. I needed to heavily compress the photos for my website, so it’s hard to gage the true size and detail in each photo, but believe me the uncompressed photos are incredible. Big thanks to Luciano for these amazing photos of me and Elo. (ps. here’s his Instagram if you want to give him a follow)
