Monday, September 05, 2005

Fall is here!

Well, it is Labour Day Monday, the unofficial last day of summer. Signs of fall are popping up everywhere: tinges of red and yellow in the maples, cooler nights and some nice displays of Northern Lights. There are lots of canoes out in Algonquin Park somewhere, carrying people back from what might be their last trip of the season. It doesn't have to be that way, though. Anyone with time off in September should be planning an Algonquin Park canoe trip.

In my mind, fall is the best time to go on canoe trip in Algonquin Park. After the Labor Day weekend the number of park visitors drops dramatically. You'll find spectacular fall colors (usually peaking around the third week), no bugs, higher water levels and, if you're lucky, glorious weather. Early October can still offer nice canoeing weather, then again, it could snow. Die-hard canoe trippers will go on trips right up until the lakes freeze in November. Remember that as fall progresses, the days get shorter and you have to put a considerable amount of effort into simply staying warm.

Fall is probably the best time to enjoy Algonquin Park's day hiking and backpacking trails. The cooler weather is ideal for hiking and the fall colors make every step a scenic view. I'm looking forward to our annual fall hike on the Centennial Ridges trail. It is my personal favourite day hike in the park, with outstanding views, a variety of forest environments and is just a really great walk.

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