Winter Warriors Pot Luck Supper at MacGregor Pt. PP

Last evening the MacGregor Point Winter Warriors held a pot luck supper at the Visitor Centre in the Park.  It was well attended and as usual there was plenty of food.  Park Superintendent Keith Early gave a brief address to the group concerning the importance of winter programs in the grand scheme of Ontario Parks, especially at a time when the government is looking for potential cutbacks.

By the time we went to bed last evening the rain had started and continued throughout the night with strong winds and +10 C temperatures.  The snow that fell earlier in the week is now gone.  Aside from the Winter Warriors, there are very few campers in the park so we took the opportunity to run / warm up the diesel engine for a half hour.

We'll be heading back to Waterloo in a couple of hours and don't expect to return until Christmas.  Hopefully there will be snow on the ground when we return and most of the yurts and campsites filled.  Meanwhile, here's wishing a Merry Christmas to everyone and Peace on Earth. 

What's the big joke?



Winter Warriors pot luck supper

Peace on Earth and at Site #61

Snow in our back yard, November 24

Konijn checking our our new Christmas tree

MacGregor Point PP - Where is Everyone?

Where are all the campers?  Aside from a bus load of school children, only 2 or 3 other yurts appear to have been filled.    Less than half a dozen Winter Warriors in the park but the warmer weather appears to have attracted a few "tenters".

Last evening around supper time a pack of coyotes were howling not too far from Birch Boulevard campground.  Good reason for people to keep their dogs on a leash.

The Park staff have placed fresh gravel on the pad where the skating / skiing change house will be situated.  The change house is waiting in the parking lot and by our next arrival will likely be in its winter spot.

Just a reminder that the pot luck dinner for Winter Warriors is now scheduled for December 1 at the visitor centre.

Tents on our loop

Another Winter Warrior arrival this past week

Scene from path through Ash Woods

Change house waiting to be placed on its winter location

Ready for Winter at MacGregor Point

On Friday, November 2 we arrived at MacGregor Point Provincial Park for the 2012-2013 on-site winter camping program.  We were able to erect the usual wooden supports on the roof of our RV and install the protective tarp. This weekend we added a few more ropes to secure the tarp, strung power cords through the trees, and winterized the plumbing system.

On Saturday morning we heard what appeared to be a fire truck coming into the park and it seemed to go into the Ash Woods campground.  Later in the day we learned that a Class C motorhome had burned on site 26 while the occupants were hiking.  Apparently a father and son had arrived late morning in the borrowed motorhome, made themselves some lunch and then left for a hike.  Other campers first noticed smoke coming from the unit and then flames.  Fortunately nobody was injured but while the unit burned there was some concern as to whether anybody was inside. 

Birch Boulevard campground appeared to be full this weekend with "overflow" campers being directed to the Ash Woods campground.  With lots of activity in the park, deer sightings seemed to be fewer than usual. However, we did see a flying squirrel both evenings at our campsite, as well as a grouse this afternoon.

We understand that of the 26 designated on-site winter program campsites, 24 have now been filled.  On Saturday, November 24 the "winter warriors" (i.e., participants in the on-site winter program) are having a potluck dinner at the Visitors' Centre. 

Class C Motorhome remains at site 26 in Ash Woods

Front view of burned out motorhome "shell"



Grouse and Blue Jay sharing a meal

Winter Preparations at MacGregor Point

On Friday afternoon we arrived at MacGregor Point Provincial Park for the beginning of the 2012-2013 on-site winter camping program which runs from November 1, 2012 to April 15, 2013.  Although the weather was a bit cool and sometimes damp, we were able to assemble our protective covering for the RV and to string some bird feeders.

Many of last year's "Winter Warriors" have returned and there are quite a number of newcomers as well.  Earlier in the week we were told that 23 sites had already been booked for this year's program and I believe that at least one more site was booked on the weekend.  We are fortunate to once again be on site 61 which we have occupied for each of the past three winters.  The Birch Boulevard campground appeared to be fully occupied, including the many Yurts.

Now all we need is a "real winter", unlike the one we had last year.

Stringing the bird feeders

It didn't take long for the birds to arrive

Ready for the tarp to be placed

Trailer with "mud room"

They come in all sizes

Baseball game in progress near our site.
Note the 2 x 4 instead of a bat.

Winding Down at Mew Lake

Tomorrow we will be heading for home, so today has been designated for cleaning, checking equipment and just plain relaxing.  The birds are also on their way south as we have seen as many as 50 to 60 Grackles and 15 Blue Jays cleaning up bird seed that has fallen from the feeders.  While eating lunch today we also saw a Pine Marten running through the brush between our campsite and site # 2.

We have really enjoyed our stay at Mew Lake campground in Algonquin Provincial Park.  We prefer to sleep with a bedroom window open and consequently have heard wolves howling on several occasions.  The last couple of days we have been blessed with sunshine which really brings out the fall colours.  Today has been somewhat overcast, to the dismay of visitors that are only here for the weekend.  Tomorrow`s forecast also includes some rain.

Yesterday we drove to Huntsville for lunch and took the opportunity to "scout out" suitable campsites at Arrowhead Provincial Park, sites that would accommodate our 38 ft. RV and also (with a bit of luck), possible access to satellite television with our Bell ExpressVu satellite dish. The campground is very heavily forested with Maple, White Birch and other deciduous trees so there is plenty of shade but few openings in the canopy to enable the use of a TV satellite dish.  However, white tail deer do like the area and it is not uncommon to see them near or on your campsite.  While in the park we did see three full grown deer on a path near Big East River.



Spruce Bog boardwalk



View of Spruce Bog



Algonquin Park Visitor Centre

Ruffled Grouse on access road

More Hiway #60 scenery



Heading eastward on Hwy #60

Tea Lake Dam

View from Hiway #60



View of Mew Lake from campsite #76

Mew Lake Rendezvous

Our plan was to depart from Waterloo at 9 a.m. Monday morning, destination Mew Lake camground in Algonquin Provincial Park.  However, late Sunday afternnoon we discovered a leaky coolant hose on the RV so at 7 a.m. Monday we made an unscheduled visit to Alltruck International in Kitchener who were kind enough to get us in the shop within 20 minutes.  Two hours later we were back on track and enjoyed the four to five hour trip immensely.

We have never camped at Mew Lake so were pleasantly surprised by the size of the campsites and the never ending forest of Pine trees.  Prompting this trip was a plan to rendezvous with thirteen other friends and campers on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the life of a dear friend that passed away on April 26, 2012.  The event concluded with a potluck supper at the East Beach pavillion on Lake of Two Rivers.   

Since this is also a vacation week, we spent today just relaxing and checking out the Mew Lake campground as well as the neighbouring Lake of Two Rivers campground.  Birds are everywhere and they seen to enjoy the feeders that we have placed around the campsite.

By the way, Blackberry phone reception (Bell Mobility) is excellent at Mew Lake and along the Hiway 60 corridor.



Campsite # 4



Beach Road



Relaxation on the Beach



Beach road



Blue Jays waiting their turn at the feeder

Hiway 60 scenery



More Hiway 60 scenery

 

Heading West on Hiway 60




Heading East on Hiway 60

Blue Jay Rendezvous

"Oh what I have to do for a peanut"



Chipmunk stuffing cheeks

One of many red squirrels

Elora Gorge Conservation Area

While it's nice to take extended trips to Northern Ontario, there is much to be enjoyed within a three quarter hour drive from home.  An example of this is the Elora Gorge Park, managed by the Grand River Conservation Area.

Aside from the camping facilities in the Park, the main attraction is "tubing" on the Grand River which runs through the Park.  From the tubing launch area to the low level bridge approximately 2 km down river, the "tubers" have an opportunity to shoot rapids as well as drift through calmer sections of the river, all the while surrounded by the limestone walls of the gorge and never ending cedar trees.

Some people use the big yellow "shuttle bus" to get to the launch area, some walk the distance carrying their tubes, while others get someone from their group to chauffeur them, carrying the tubes on the car roof or trunk, or just hanging onto them through an open car window.  Although tubing is more popular with the younger crowd, some participants had some grey hair.  However, we were content to just be bystanders.

By the way, if you are camping on the opposite (from the main entrance) side of the river and driving / pulling a good sized RV, you'll have to ask the park staff to open the gate for you on Middlebrook Road (at fire address 7295).  Otherwise you are likely to "bottom out" at the approach to the low level bridge.




Our campsite # 422



View from the edge of the gorge



"Tubers" under way

Returning to the tube launch site



Tube launching  area



Shooting the rapids

 


End of the ride



Big yellow shuttle bus