Following the success of last year's father-daughter canoe trip, this year's cohort doubled its size: the girls (Zoe, Anaita, Evy, Jane, and Sophie) guided their dads (Reid, Blair, Dan, and Steph) on another four-day paddle through the lakes, rivers, portages, and campsites of the Algonquin backcountry. The photos paint an accurate portrait: despite overcast skies and rain, the girls (and their dads) enjoyed themselves the entire time.

In 2013 we paddled in the northwest of the park, via K-mog, North Tea, and Manitou Lakes. This year we opted for the central Highway 60 corridor along the Canoe Lake / Smoke Lake access points.

See Reid's photos and GPS tracks [links TBA].

The smaller lakes in this part of the park imply more portages. The girls were amazing and never complained. If anything, the frequent portages provided variety, although camping on smaller lakes means fewer options for campsites (which wasn't an issue). We were unexpectedly efficient with portages, managing to complete the majority in a single carry. In fact, on our second-last day we managed to paddle four small lakes and complete four portages in 90 minutes thanks to speedy entrances and exits to the portages by the girls. The ladies would sort out who was taking the pack, paddles, and life jackets before we got to shore and they were headed down the trail before their dads had time to hoist their owns packs and the canoe.

Reid, Dan, Zoe, Evy, and Jane entered the park on August 28. They started at Canoe Lake, and paddled through Joe, Tepee, Fawn, and Littledoe Lakes, where they camped. The next day they paddled to Joe Lake where they spent their second night.

On August 30, Blair, Steph, Anaita, and Zoe joined the group at Canoe Lake. We crossed the "portage" across the highway to Smoke Lake and paddled to Kootchie, Little Island, Sheriff, and Tanamakoon Lakes. We set camp here, enjoyed a swim, and watched the skies darken as the thunder grew louder. The girls played through the rain. Eventually, the rain became heavy, and Dan offered to read to the group in the tent. Meanwhile Blair and Steph moved two of the other tents when what had previously appeared to be high ground was discovered to have become the bottom of a small lake with accumulated rain water.

The next day Dan, Reid, Zoe, Evy, and Jane were heading home. All of us paddled to the access point on Cache Lake to say goodbye. Blair, Anaita, Steph, and Sophie returned for a second night at our campsite on Tanamakoon.

On September 1 we paddled back from Tanamakoon to Sheriff, Little Island, Kootchie, Smoke, and Ragged Lakes. Being the Monday of a long weekend, most people were heading out of the park, and we had our pick of campsites on Ragged Lake. We chose one on a peninsula with a nice sand beach facing west and another rock "balcony" facing east.

Although the girls requested that we stay longer, we packed on September 2 and paddled back to Smoke Lake and the car before heading to Huntsville, Newmarket, and Toronto. Thanks everyone for a wonderful canoe trip! We'll see you next year!