Algonquin Park March 2017

So this was a cold weekend !  We left at o’dark thirty Friday morning arriving at our motel at 9 a.m.  Checked in and headed to the Park !  Of course we had to stop and purchase our passes for today and Saturday.  Did our usual drive throughout the park stopping here and there.  It was a cold day !

While we were standing and watching a pine marten, we met up with some friends.  One of them had only been to Algonquin years ago so was excited to spend some winter time in the Park.  The three of us walked down to the Cascades which is beautiful at any time of the year.

Throughout our weekend, we saw the pine marten and also  an otter and lots of  Grosbeaks.  They are a very prehistoric looking bird !  They almost wear a little mask on their faces.  Cute.

So we spent a lot of time photographing all the birds, lots of grey jays, blue jays, chickadees and pine siskins.  I really like the grey jays, they are one of my favourites.

When we come up in the winter, we always stay at the Eastgate Motel in Whitney.  I like it, it has a homey feel and the owners are very nice and accommodating. You can tell from the picture I am very happy. So obviously this is not me lol, its Trum.  Too cold for him to stay in the truck, so he says…………I think he just wanted that wine.  We had breakfast at the motel the morning we left and it was quite good.  Thanks so much !

We walked around Kearny Campground and ended up at the bridge.  There was still open water on the river for such a cold weekend.  Friday afternoon, we met up with a group of young people who were going to camp outside for Friday and Saturday nights.  They were actually heading down to the Cascades area around the Highland Backpacking Trail to set up.  And when I mean outside, there is no hydro or heat source of any kind.  We saw them returning Saturday, one night short.  They said it was too cold to stay their second night and they could not even keep a fire going.  I admire them for staying one night in a tent.

I believe it was about -30 Celsius (with windchill) when we got up and headed out on Saturday morning.  Yup we picked the coldest weekend of the year to head up here ! lol

This is the type of weather that we wear our winter Beko Gear.  Which might look funny on us but we don’t care.   So Beko Gear is face and/or nose covers that you wear to keep warm and shield your face/nose from sun and wind.   Read about it on my Page “Stuff We Like” !

It is beautiful up here in the winter and you can snowshoe, cross-country ski, ice skate, hike.  We took our snowshoes; I would like to have taken our skis but we both have temporary knee and/or foot issues !   Next year for sure.  I also brought my ice skates but didn’t go skating, I should have.  You know how you don’t do something as it doesnt’ seem important?  and then later you think Darn it I should have done that !

We left Sunday morning to come home.  We always keep our cameras in the front seat with us and thankfully we did this day.  Or at least thankfully for my husband, as you will soon read.  We were driving near the Hay Bay Lake area and I saw a fox run across the road so we turned down the side road that he had run down.  Clint stopped the truck and the fox was right there at the side of the road with a rabbit in his mouth.  He got some terrific photos.  I got out of the truck but by the time I got to where I could even see the fox, he had taken off.  We followed this side road down a ways and the fox dropped his rabbit in the snow.  We knew he would come back for it so we turned the truck off and waited.  Sure enough he  came back and snatched up his breakfast and off he went again.  Right place, right time.  So here is Clint’s photo, pays to drive the truck I guess lol  But what a shot !