My husband and I have been doing canoe trips since the beginning of our relationship. So needless to say we’ve been excited to go on our first canoe trip since having twins 4 years ago. We had booked a backpacking trip in Algonquin Park last year to introduce them to camping but after seeing thunderstorms on the forecast for the whole weekend we called off the trip.
So when our canoe trip weekend rolled around the network app called for rain, rain, and more rain. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed. When we checked the weather for Algonquin park it was potentially 40 – 60% chance of rain in the area so we decided to risk it. After sending up a few prayers to God, we packed up the Jeep and headed out to the park.
I had booked a 3 seater ultralight canoe from Algonquin Outfitters and a food barrel so we picked that up at their Opeongo Lake store. Put everyone into rain gear and packed the canoe. Thankfully, we had booked a camping site on Opeongo Lake so we only had to paddle and set up camp right from the access point (no portaging!). As luck, and God’s blessing would have it, the rain clouds, turned to blue sky about one hour into our paddle and by the time we got to our campsite it was sunny!
We paddled to campsite number 20 and set up camp as quickly as we could in case the rain might come back.
When I checked in at the Opengo Lake site office for our backcountry pass, the ladies behind the counter gave me two activity books. I had crayons in my purse that I threw into the food barrel with the books and this helped pass a little time while Mike and I set up our tent and his hammock.
We set up our camp stoves to boil water for dinner and of course needed some hot chocolate for desert!
Our first meal was Backpacker’s Pantry Beef Pho that we had bought awhile ago from Mountain Equipment Coop. This was the twins first dehydrated meal and it went over pretty well!
By the time we finished our hot chocolate it was time for the twins to head to bed. I slept in the tent with the twins and while we tried to go to bed around their 7:30 pm bedtime, Alora was way too excited so we ended up talking. I was able to catch the sunset before they nodded off to sleep. Mike slept in a hammock, under a tarp right beside our tent. I heard him get up several times to readjust so I don’t think it was the best sleep for him.
It was pretty chilly in the morning so I quickly made eggs and bacon, coffee for me and hot chocolate for the kids while Mike attempted to sleep in. Alora ate breakfast with Mike in the hammock and then we spent the morning hiding from the wind in our tent. Lunch rolled around and we made GOOD2GO Pad Thai and at it in the tent.
We decided to call the trip one day short as Mike and I hadn’t properly packed for the cold. We had packed lots of warm clothes for the kids but forgot about ourselves. We were a little apprehensive that the rain was supposed to get bad on Sunday and we didn’t want to pack up camp in the rain. So we headed back to our car Saturday afternoon on a high note.
It was the perfect one night trip to Algonquin. We’ll be back with the twins next year and were happy that it ended well. The twins have already been asking when we’ll go back!
