The past two summers our very good friend from highschool has come to join us in Bragg Creek with some or all of his family. We have had some wonderful visits with them, exploring our part of the country (see here, and here). Before they left last year the Phillips family extended a very generous offer for us to come visit them in Ontario and spend some time at their family cottage on Cache Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park. This would be a coming home of sorts for me as I had spent a week at Mike's cottage thirty-some years ago in grade 10 or 11. My memory of that visit and the location, was one of a very special place, somewhat rustic accomodations, but extremely untouched and peaceful.
As life does, we were thrown a couple of curveballs at the last minute which would cause Amanda to head home a couple of days before me, and Mike's wife Krista and youngest son Oli to stay home in Ottawa due to a last minute surgery. Despite missing some of the group we ended up having a truly fantastic time and are so thankful to the Phillips clan for allowing us to be a part of their slice of paradise for a few days! 😊
Day 1 - We started the day heading over to Mike and Krista's for a last-minute gear check and final pack-up. Mike's "little" brother Steve and his wife and toddler popped in for a visit before we hit the road. I hadn't seen Steve since he was maybe 10-years old so this was a very nice surprise. We caught up on thirty-plus years of life in a very short amount of time, and it was really nice. After a quick group photo we hit the road at about 13:00.
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| Pre-Trip Sendoff At Phillips Manor (Mandy And I Are The Two Short Ones 😂) |
Amanda and I really enjoyed the three-hour drive west from Ottawa along Highway 60, going through some of the picturesque rural towns from our past - Arnprior, Renfrew, Eganville, Golden Lake, Killaloe (birthplace of the Beaver Tail!!!), and Barry's Bay. We stopped in Wilno, Canada's first Polish settlement, for a delicious late lunch at the Wilno Tavern Restaurant. Mandy had the pierogies, and I went all in with the Hearty Platter - one pierogie, one cabbage roll, and one polish sausage on a bed of grilled sauerkraut. Yummy!!!!
We got to Cache Lake an hour or so later and started the process of getting our gear to the Phillips cottage. The property is on an Island so a boat is required. Evan made the first run on his own, dropped a load off, and came back for the rest of the gear and us three seniors. One of the unique and best things about Algonquin park is the desire to preserve as much of the original feel of the area and so there are no boat motors larger than 5-10 HP allowed - therefore no waterskiing, wake boarding, or jet-skiing. Mike's family has invested in a small whisper-quiet electric motor for their aluminum boat. There is a huge canoe culture in the area and you are more likely to see people canoeing than anything else. This makes for a very quiet and peaceful experience which you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. We truly appreciated this philosophy, and enjoyed every minute of it.
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| First Night Cache Lake Boat Tour |
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| Mike And Evan - Our Two Fantastic Guides/Hosts |
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| Looking For A Good Fishing Hole - Mandy Caught A Nice Bass! |
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| Cache Lake Dusk |
Day 2 - The weather all week was typical hot and humid Ontario weather. We probably jumped in the lake more than ten times a day to cool down which felt so amazing!! Day 2 started with a delicious egg, bacon, and fruit breakfast, followed by some dock time. I tried stand-up paddle boarding for my first time and had a blast. After lunch we headed out by boat across the North-East corner of the lake to the Track and Tower Trail for a hike. From the internet: This 7.7 km loop follows an old railway bed, passes waterfalls, and climbs to a breathtaking panoramic view over Cache Lake. This one’s for the serious hikers—Track and Tower Trail packs in history, waterfalls, and one of the best lookouts in the park. We had a great time hiking up to the lookout, continuing our thirty-plus years of catching up the whole way. Before we knew it we were at the top taking in the spectacular views!!
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| En-Route To The Track And Tower Trail |
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| Bridge Over The Madawaska River |
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| Beautiful Madawaska River Falls |
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| View Of Cache Lake From The Lookout |
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| Mike Preparing To Hand Out Our Essential Wine Gum Nourishment |
We played a fun game of who can make a wine gum last the longest on the way down and were back at the boat in no time. Back at the cottage we resumed our jump in the lake, talk on the dock routine, along with all of the required re-hydration and nourishment of course! After another delicious meal we headed out for our first paddle of the trip around Big Island. Lucky for us Evan and Mike are accomplished canoeists who could compensate for Amanda and I thrashing away with our paddles at the front of the canoes! As with everything else here it was such a peaceful and enjoyable experience which we truly appreciated.
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| Mandy And Her Topless Guide 😁 |
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| Two Old Buddies Out For A Paddle |
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| Evening Dock Picture |
Day 3 - Sadly, today would be the day Amanda would head home. We decided to have an easy morning enjoying the cottage and the lake as she would be heading out around noon. Once we were back from dropping her off we got one of the canoes ready to head over to a neighbouring lake (Hillard Lake) for an afternoon of fishing. Evan and I paddled over, Evan carried the canoe over the portage (thank you, Evan!!), and Mike was our trawling "motor" and my instructor for the fishing.
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| Getting Ready On Banks Of Hillard Lake |
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| Two Fishermen |
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| Trawling Motor 😂 |
Mike and Evan must have done a great job instructing, because I was able to reel in a beautiful "Splake" - part speckled trout, part lake trout. What an amazing moment that I won't forget!
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| Catch Of The Day (We Released Him After A Couple Quick Photos) |
This could have been the end of a perfect day, but Mike had another unforgettable experience planned for the evening - dinner at Bartlett Lodge. Imagine a 5-star meal beside one of the most rustic and untouched lakes in Ontario, and you will be thinking about Bartlett Lodge. After getting home from the fishing expedition we had a quick swim, and got cleaned up for dinner. Mike and Evan really rolled out the red carpet, shuttling us over to the lodge by canoe in time for our reservation. Dinner is a four-course gourmet meal including charcuterie platter, appetizer, main, and dessert. I cannot over-exaggerate how yummy everything was, and how enjoyable the whole experience was. Once we were done dinner, Mike and Evan toured me around the lodge, and then put me back in the canoe for another peaceful paddle back to the cottage.
What a day!!!!
Day 4 - Day 4 was going to be our canoe trip day. After much debate, none of which I understood, Mike and Evan came up with a plan which was sure to end up in another wonderful day full of unforgettable experiences. It would involve a number of portages, a backcountry trail hiking section, relaxing snack break by the beautiful Provoking Falls, another hiking section, a fun paddle along Head Creek back to Head Lake, and a final long final portage back to Cache Lake, passing the place where Sue and Peter Phillips (Mike's parents) met all those years ago! As with yesterday, Evan did the bulk of the work, carrying the canoe on all of our portages today. Thanks so much, Evan!! If it wasn't for you Mike and I would probably still be out there!!!
Unfortunately, I didn't take any photos, only this short video clip. I think it is a testament to how much I enjoyed the day. Not only was it beautiful and slightly adventurous, but the conversations were so interesting and engaging that the day just got away from us!
Day 5 - After a nice relaxing evening, including an unexpected visit from Mike's cousin and some other friends from the nearby canoe camp where mike spent a number of summers as a paddle guide, today was sadly pack up and head back home.
Even so, Mike had some plans to make it just as fun as the other days. After cleaning and buttoning up the cabins we headed back to the boat landing on the mainland to start our trek back to civilization. I again enjoyed all of the beautiful scenery and the reminiscing about the good old days when we were kids and teenagers. We stopped in at Odi's Kingburger Drive-In for burgers and chip-wagon-style fries. Yummy!! If you ever get the chance it is highly recommended!! Next stop was back at Mike and Krista's place for a very quick unpack, shower, and visit with Krista. With about an hour and a half left before I had to be at the airport for my return flight, Mike did not want to waste any time so we headed to Stella Luna Gelato Cafe (also highly recommended) with Evan, Oli, and Grace. Yay!!! After a super-delicious gelato we still had about fifteen minutes to spare, so Mike offered to stop in so I could have a quick ten minute visit with Sue and Peter. What a great treat, and a fun way to top off the trip. I had not seen Mike's parents in a few decades and they were exactly as I remembered them. As mentioned in previous posts, Peter has had a huge influence on my life as he provided me and Mike with my first experience in the mountains, camping in the back country. I will never forget that first trip to Jasper and Mount Robson, and being in the mountains for the first time. After that it was off to the airport and back to reality for me. 😭
This was such a fun and special trip for me. The only thing that could have made it better was if Krista, Oli, and Grace could have been with us too. Mike and Evan - thank you so much for sharing your bit of paradise with us, and making it so unforgettable. It was the perfect mix of fun, history, relaxation, and activity. We couldn't have asked for kinder or more generous hosts. Thank you!!!!!
Some Algonquin Provincial Park Facts:
- Algonquin Provincial Park is the oldest provincial park in Canada, established in 1893
- There are over 2,400 lakes, and 1,200 km of streams and rivers inside the park boundaries
- Algonquin Park was established in 1893, and is the oldest provincial park in Canada (132 years old!)
- The park was named a National Historic Site in 1992
- It is the only provincial park in Ontario to allow industrial logging within its borders
- The park is divided into different zones;
- Nature Reserve and Historic (5.7% of land area), Wilderness (12%), Development (4.3%) and Recreation-Utilization (78%)
