24
|
ESCARPMENT
®
FEATURE
|
REFLECTIONS
It seems likeevery trip leads tonewdiscoveries.Re-
centlywebegan fishing,and thathas takenour trips
inanentirelynewdirection. It has slowedourpace
downabit,andhasbeenaconstant learningexpe-
rience.At firstwewere surface trollingwithno suc-
cess so, every time we crossed paths with other
people fishing,wewouldpick their brainsandask
foradvice. I evenapproachedguys I know locally
whobragabout fishing inAlgonquin.Always reluc-
tant about givingupany secrets, goodadvicewas
hard to come by. Eventually though we learned
abouta few triedand tested techniques,andwhere
to find someof thebest lakes for fishing. This lead
tomoresuccess,wellmaybenot forme,butmygirl-
friendHailyhasbecomequite theangler.
It’s hard to pack delicious foods that won’t spoil
without refrigeration.Whenyou’re in thebush fora
week, youdon’twant to subsistononlypeanutbut-
ter and jam. Luckily I haveapartnerwho is an ex-
cellent cook. Together we’ve researched many
camping recipes.Evengoingso faras tobuycamp-
ing specific cookbooks. Combinedwith the occa-
sional fresh fish,we’vemanaged tocreatehealthy,
wholesomeanddeliciousmeals.
One of the best tripswe’ve donewas in late Sep-
tember. Itwas the first time IhadexperiencedAlgo-
nquin in the fall, andwehit thepeakof theautumn
colours. The weather was warm, hitting highs of
over25degreesduring theday.At night thingsgot
chilly, but therewerenobugs,whichallowedus to
stargazeunhindered. Itwas likeviewing theMilky
Way inhighdefinition.
Asaphotographer,AlgonquinParkoffersaunique,
but challengingvenue. The inkyblackwaters reflect
the skyand tree line stunningly, but therein lies the
problem—manyofmyphotos looked too similar. In
the fall however, everything just pops. Thebrilliant
colours make it almost impossible to take a bad
photograph. And to top it off, at the endof oneof
ourportageswecameacrossamoosecowandher
calf. Careful to keepour distance, the two let me
snapphotos for almost anhour before theygently
retreated into thewoods. It’samazinghowanani-
mal so largecandisappear inamatterof seconds.
For me, Algonquin Park has become a bit of a
refuge.My soul always feelsat peacewhen I’m in
thedeepbackcountry.
They saywe are electrical beings, and through a
chemical process our brains and nervous system
produceelectricalpulses. Thehumanheart creates
a large enough electromagnetic field that even at
a fewmeters away, it is detectableby scientific in-
struments.
Whenever I travel north, and as soon as I hit the
CanadianShield, I feel adifferent energy. It might
just bemy excitement, but I believe it’s something
more than that.
Maybe I’m feeling thedifferentmagnetic fieldgen-
eratedby the granite, or maybe I’m just happy to
getaway frommy responsibilities forawhile. Idon’t
know,but I’ve read thatcamping faraway fromany
manmade electromagnetic radiation, suchas cell
phones or Wi-Fi, helps reset the body’s internal
clock.Eitherway,when I’m in thepark I feel relaxed
andat ease.
Algonquin Park is aworld-renowneddestination,
and it’s right inour backyard. If youhaven’t expe-
rienced its beauty, you really owe it to yourself to
make thevisit. If the ruggedchallengeofcanoe trip-
ping doesn’t appeal to you, there are alsomany
high-end resorts thatwill cater toany taste.Youcan
stay inabeautifulandcozycabinon thewater,and
enjoy all the scenerywhile still sleeping in a com-
fortable bed.Who knows, maybe that’s the next
evolutionofmycampingexperience?
|E|
