With my coffee finished, it was time to head back to camp and pack up. I debated staying another day, but after thoroughly exploring Basin Lake yesterday, there wasn’t much left to see and there was more to explore elsewhere. I was completely packed up and back at the car by 11am. The plan was to spend the day exploring Basin Depot road – beginning, of course, with the oldest standing building in Algonquin Park.
When I arrived at the hydro line, I was greeted by the most basic of basic campsites and was left wondering why anyone would ever choose to stay here. It was a pile of rocks disguised as a fire pit and that’s it. I parked at the trailhead for the McIntyre clearing trail and made my way down. The trail was easy to follow, but without some maintenance I could see it disappearing within a few years. Not much to see other than a clearing. No relics, no visible foundations. But a beautiful view none the less.
Back at the car and off to Buck Lake. Normally, I wouldn’t camp right next to a road but given that it was a Thursday and no logging activity was scheduled, I decided to cross this one off the list. Buck has a decent campsite and the water is surprisingly clear.
But not before taking a moment to appreciate this wonderful depiction of a Basin Lake Pike
Day 3: Basin to Buck + McIntyre clearing trail
Awake at 6:15am and I was surprised to see the lake covered in a very thick fog – and the moon was still out! By 7am the fog had started to lift and oh wow – I was in for another beautiful day.
The oldest standing structure in Algonquin Park, built in 1892 (Click here to see & learn more)
Yeah, this photo right here perfectly sums up why I go camping
Small creek on the east shore of Basin Lake
I spent the afternoon relaxing by the water with my shoes off and enjoying the peace & quiet. I didn’t bother to take the canoe off the car, or put up a tarp – the latter decision I will later regret. Evening came and I made a mountain house pasta primavera for dinner. As it was rehydrating, I collected a bunch of firewood – I wanted to have a nice fire for my final night. Unfortunately, just as I finished cleaning up, it started to spit, then it started to rain, then it started to POUR. It was dark so I didn’t notice the clouds coming in. I had a decision to make – run for the tent or run for the car. It was only 7:30pm and I didn’t feel like hiding in a tent. So, screw it – I jumped in the car and listened to tunes while it rained. I thought it was funny to see a little blue dot in the middle of nowhere on my car’s navigation screen. The rain didn’t stop and after a couple of hours sitting in the car, I was ready for bed. I made a quick dash to the tent and promptly passed out.
I couldn’t just stand there – I had to go for a morning paddle. I made a cup of coffee to take with me and I was on the water by 7:20am. This morning paddle will stick out in my mind for a long, long time. I can’t quite put my finger on it as to why, I’ve had plenty of beautiful mornings in Algonquin before – but this one really felt special. The sun was blasting and there was plenty of dew covering the grass. I found one section of grass that had hundreds of spider webs strung up between the blades – the way the sun was hitting the dew-covered webs just added to the experience.
I can't help it - if I see a creek, I must explore it - even when I know it probably ends very soon
'Trail' to the McIntyre clearing
Moon over Basin Lake
This red squirrel was not impressed with me being on the island
As does this photo
Then suddenly, it wasn't a foggy morning anymore - you know what that means!
TOURduPARK
Time for a paddle
The 'campsite' at the hydro line
Freshwater spring approx halfway up Basin Depot Road
The McIntyre clearing (Looking south)
Leaving Basin and headed to Buck
tr 102: Basin & Buck
When you're a tiny blue dot in a giant sea of green
Oh my!
A very foggy morning
The McIntyre clearing (Looking west)
Trailhead for the McIntyre clearing (where it branches off from the road)
Not many 'backcountry' campsites come with a parking spot!
My tour of Basin Lake Road
A bit hard to see but there were hundred of dew-covered spider webs in the grass
Packed up and ready to go
Campsite on Buck Lake
I continued up the road and my first stop was the trailhead for the High Falls Trail. I debated it, but knowing it would take a good chunk of my day (It’s a bit of a long one) I decided I would save that for another time. Continuing along, I stopped at the freshwater spring. Marked it on the GPS, snapped a few pics and moved on. As I reached Foys Lake road, I pulled over and got out to check it out. Seemed decent but at 4.5km, this was another trail that would take most of my day, so once again I saved it for another time and moved on. in the boat and time to move on.
Buck Lake; small but scenic
Turn off for Foys Lake
Guaranteed this desk has a bunch of stories to tell