Pardee Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park - Fantastic!

Description

Pardee Lake, Algonquin Provincial Park

http://myselfreliance.com/pardee-lake-algonquin-park/

Pardee lake immediately caught my interest while pouring over Jeff’s Map looking for a small lake with a south-facing campsite on a point. I was looking for remoteness, decent trout fishing and an unusual or notable feature and Pardee appeared to meet these criteria. Three portages and two lakes separate Pardee Lake from the nearest access point, Cache Lake, providing seclusion late in the paddling season and a waterfall at the north end provides a point of interest. It harbours Lake Trout and I’m sure I can find them on such a small lake if I put some time and effort into it.

As soon as I see Pardee from the Lawrence Lake portage, I can see that the campsite I picked out on the map is going to be everything I hoped for. It’s at the far end of the lake, past the first campsite on the right.

The lake is small and well protected from the strengthening south wind, and I’m hoping the cloud cover stays thin enough to enjoy the full moon and the full lunar eclipse forecasted for tonight. Passing the campsite at the southeast corner of the lake near the portage, I’m glad I have the lake to myself and therefore the choice of campsites – this one is not great.

Reaching the peninsula campsite, I’m immediately impressed. The site is large, open to the east, south and west with several good tent sites, a private thunderbox and a great fire pit. My favourite forest tree is Hemlock and this section of Algonquin Provincial Park is covered in them. The thunderbox is set amongst a mature stand of Hemlock.

Preparing my bed on the east side of the site so I can enjoy the early morning sun next to the water is one of the first things I do when setting up camp, immediately after starting a fire to boil some water. With my sleeping arrangements prepared, I can turn my attention to exploration and not have to worry about stumbling around in the dark looking for a flat place to lay my tired body.

Instead of fishing, I’ve decided to relax around the campsite, cooking a hearty meal of lasagna over the open fire. As usual, I have to rearrange the rocks to create a proper cooking area with the grill low enough to cook by coals rather than just open flame.

Despite wishful thinking, none of my objectives for this trip are met today – no moose sightings (a few bull grunts from the surrounding hills is all), a less than stellar sunset, no fish and the lunar eclipse I was anticipating is now concealed by thick cloud cover rolling in just as the eclipse is starting.

Day 3: Leaving Pardee Lake for home

Waking up early Monday morning, I’m feeling contemplative and nostalgic. I slowly pack up, but before I push-off for the day, my last day, I film a short soliloquy, describing my time here on Pardee Lake and the unexpected urge to slow down and settle into the moment.

Heading north to the falls, which lead out of Pardee and not into it like I was thinking for some reason, not checking the elevations on the map in advance, I approach the portage landing and am pleased to see it well maintained and free of obstruction. The bridge across the falls is a gentle reminder that I’m getting closer to civilization and I would not be surprised to see other canoeists on Harness Lake ahead, despite the time of year and the day of the week (Monday).

Tags: iMovie,canoeing,canoetrip,camping,algonquin park,self reliance,my self reliance,ontario,canada

Video Transcription

it's the landing for the south side on Purdy lake kind of another Bush site too impressive what she were stuck not certainly not unusable and it would have a nice sunset however there is the one I was planning on state which looks like it's quite nice from here you can see sunset moonrise sunrise and the portage is just up there and through there there's a waterfall there so I'll go set up camp here and then go check that waterfall out after dinner for a paddle around the lake you

this is what I would call a destination campsite somewhere worth traveling to suspend a few nights or a week or something here that would be beautiful another week when the colors of changement look at the site bare rock big pine trees every exposure that's roughly south west and east for the Morning Sun hate big fire and cooking area have lots of fetches and tabletops and everything this is perfect let's launch over there can you launch next let something walk around see what I can find for firewood a massive tent pad another big one there small one there you find a flat spot the ground certainly accommodate soft and here's the thunderbox true open it locks