Sunday,
July 22nd 2001
Guided Hike to the High Falls in the Algonquin
Provincial Park
with "Outdoor
Adventures"
The hike we did yesterday was quit straight forward and self explanatory, so we did it our selves. A kind of DIY hike... This tour we "found" in one of the little brochures you can get in every hotel lobby. "Outdoor Adventures" is a small start up company from Shannon and Rob Reckzin. They deliver all kind of guided tours in the Algonquin park, hiking or by Canoe. We decided to do the guided tour to the High Falls. Not a wrong decision as the day would proof!
Early that morning, together with Shannon and Rob, we arrived at the beginning of an old trail used by the loggers during the old days a lot of timber was cut in this area. Luckily we just beat a thunderstorm, so we stayed dry, but the rain and high temperature in combination with the high humidity, waked up huge amounts of bugs, so we were fresh meat / breakfast for the horseflies and other nasty UFO's.
Beside the fact, that the trail lead us through wonderful forest and among beautiful lakes, we had the pleasure of getting informed on almost every thinkable detail of our surrounding environment by Shannon and Rob, who proved to be very knowledgeable guides!
Finally we arrived at the location of the falls and could get some relieve from the bugs.... this almost "unreal" looking piece of nature, did let us forget quickly all the bites we suffered from during the walk. This was more than worth it!
Besides being good guides, Rob and
Shannon turned out be good hosts as well when a nice lunch was presented out of the
bagpacks.... We quietly enjoyed the food and drinks under the hypnotizing sound and rumble
of the waterfall in front of us.
Here a view from the side of the waterfalls. Not
exactly Niagara, but a definitively much less touristic !!
Our friendly guides had huge knowledge of the wildlife surrounding us as well and we were pointed at several kind of animals and when the animals themselves were not "on hand", we saw the the signs / marks of there presence. The day was already to far advanced to see moose or deer, but we did encountered water turtles, a yellow snake, lots of chipmunks, frogs etc.
That we did not encountered the local bears, was not considered
by us as a great "loss". It might have been adventurous, but we were
impressed enough with all the marks on the trail, proving their existence... (see the
fresh claw marks at the tree, showing their territory). Also you could see at the side of
the trail, that rocks were turned over to find bugs.... the beaver dam at the end of the
hike was not less impressive. We learned that beavers are quit an active kind of mammal.
They cut in average 200 trees per year, no wonder their teeth never stop growing: the
need them !
Again, what a day of new experiences! Shannon and Rob, Thanks !