Some people might be wondering why our resident blogger, and many other people, get all worked up about when the ice goes off the lakes in Algonquin Park. If you plan your annual visit to Algonquin Park, Muskoka or Haliburton for some time in the summer, iced over lakes will be the last thing on your mind, if it is there at all.
But for some of us, the annual observation of the ice-out event borders on obsession. From the point of view of the hard-core paddler, ice-out defines the start of the canoe-tripping season, and for certain city-bound Algonquin-o-philes suffering from a deadly combination of winter blahs and cabin fever, it can't come too soon. Algonquin Park cottager Jefferson Ridpath, author of the Canoe Lake Ice-Out site, describes it as the "one true rite of spring." For him and many other water-access cottagers both in and outside of Algonquin Park, the event defines the beginning of the cottage season.
Probably the most fervent of ice-out watchers are the spring trout anglers. Many believe that they MUST be on the water with a wetted line the day the ice is off their secret lake, awaiting the voracious appetite of a lake trout or brook trout. Others believe that it is better to arrive some time shortly after ice-out, when the fishing is more predictable. Who is right? Some years they catch fish, some years they don't.
Then there are those of us whose livelihood revolves around the ice-out. Outfitters, campground operators, permit office staff, park staff, accommodation providers, gas station owners, marinas and many other local businesses depend on that first wave of visitors for some early season cash flow. The later it comes, the more anxious they get. Some summer students may find that the start date of their summer job depends on when the ice goes out. No water - no boating, whether it is a canoe or a cabin cruiser.
If you are fortunate enough to live on the water, watching the phenomenon of ice-out is incredible. Every day brings change, sometimes forward, sometimes backwards. Little events like the opening of a crack along the shoreline, or the arrival of the first duck, take on huge significance. Sometimes there is music, usually at night: creaking, cracking, groaning, tinkling. Then there is the day you might tentatively put a canoe in the water, keenly aware of the deadly consequences of falling in.
If you are not a fan of ice-out, become one. Humour those of us obsessed by this fantastic annual event. Join us in a collective cheer on the day we can put a canoe in the water and go for paddle up the lake.
Links to ice out resources:
Canoe Lake Ice-Out Contest
Algonquin Outfitters blog
Algonquin Park Ice Out Conditions Report
Friends of Algonquin Park Facebook Page (lots of pictures, updated regularly)
A history of AO ice-out, 2005-2012, complete with pictures, philosophy, poetry, book reviews and more.
