In a normal year, my paddling friends and I would have been getting together in March to plan our summer canoe trip. This was not a normal year. In mid-March 2020, Ontario went into quarantine. On March 17, I moved in with my partner. If we were going to hunker down, we wanted to do it together. We lived in Toronto, one of the epicenters of COVID-19 in Canada.
The pandemic meant no group trips, but I did not want to go through a summer with no canoe trip at all. The solution was a solo trip, just me, my canoe, and my fly rod.
I needed to do a circular trip where I ended up back at my car. No passengers, no needing to get a ride back to the put-in with someone else driving. Algonquin Park seemed to be the best choice…and the trout fishing there is great.
The idea of a solo trip was somewhat disconcerting. For me, a big part of canoeing is the social side. I love cooking over a campfire or camp stove. I love the chatter in the evenings. I like being able to share spotting a moose or an eagle. This was going to be different.
I called three canoeing/kayaking friends who had been on solo trips. They all assure me it was wonderful to paddle alone as long as a person was careful. I reminded them that one of our party had broken his leg three years earlier. Still, having talked about it, it was now a question of saving face – despite my anxiety.
From my trip journal:
“Day 1, June 14/20
Only one gas station at Sunridge. I filled up for the trip back. There is no knowing when I’ll get off the lake that day.
Got on Round Lake a little after noon. I paddled hard but the Algonquin Park map did not show a 4 hour paddle to get to the first lake inside the park. And there was a strong east wind in my face. Altogether it was a tough go. My back is sore. I need an ibuprofen to sleep.
No rain. That was good, but the wind was unexpected. Frost predicted tonight. I’m in my Patagonia undershirt and long underwear.
It was a long paddle to get here, but the wind dropped and I wanted to get most of this long lake covered in case there’s more wind tomorrow. I found a good campsite on the south shore of North Tea Lake. It was almost dark when I pulled in. I got a fire going to keep the mosquitoes away and to warm me up. I put a handful of dehydrated turkey and peas in a pot of boiling water with some macaroni while I set up the tent. Not the best supper, but I ate it all.
My new canoe paddled well on her maiden voyage. It’s a prospector design like my cedar strip canoe. With my heavy gear in the bow it paddled very well into the wind.
A long day. My back is hurting. Cold tonight. I’m glad I brought my heavy sleeping bag.”
Is this working? 