Algonquin Outfitters

Algonquin Ice Out April 2018

A delay in Algonquin Park’s Ice Out

First things first, let us remind you that our 2018 Ice Out Contest was extended until Friday April 20th to give you some more time to submit your guess to win prizes like a $100 AO Gift Card and more. With this Ice Out Report we mark the last day of our contest submission period and remind you to submit your vote before it’s too late.

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Back on March 22nd we started our annual Algonquin Park Ice Out count down, but no matter how many days we counted spring in Algonquin Park didn’t seem to want to co-operate. In fact it’s really felt like spring has been all but absent in Algonquin this year. Someone forgot to give Mother Nature the memo it seems, or maybe she’s still hyphenating with the black bears. Either way it’s felt more like winter in Algonquin Park than spring thus far.

On April 13th, Ontario Parks announced the delayed opening for Algonquin Park, pushing back the opening date until May 4th.

Part of the reasons we haven’t done another Ice Out report is the fact that there’s been no real progress to report on. The ice has remained on nearly all of the lakes in Algonquin Park and in some cases more ice has even been made with nearly all over night temperatures staying well below freezing, and many day temperatures also remaining below the freezing point. There’s been few days where any ice has seem the sun enough to melt, where it wasn’t just turned back into ice again over night.

April 24th 2018 Photo Gallery

Algonquin Outfitters Lake Opeongo Store April 24th

Lake Opeongo – April 24th 2018

Algonquin Outfitters Lake Opeongo Store boardwalk – April 24th 2018

Ice on Lake Opeongo in front of the Algonquin Outfitters Opeongo Store – April 24th 2018

Algonquin Outfitters Lake Opeongo Store, getting ready for opening day – April 24th 2018

Algonquin Outfitters Opeongo Store canoe racks – April 24th 2018

Algonquin Outfitters Opeongo Store water (ice) front – April 24th 2018

Algonquin Outfitters canoe racks – April 24th 2018

Algonquin Outfitters canoe racks & fish hut – April 24th 2018

Lake of Two Rivers – April 24 2018

Lake Opeongo – April 24 2018

Opeongo Store – April 24 2018

Lake Opeongo – April 24 2018

Opeongo Store – April 24 2018

Opeongo Store Canoe Racks – April 24 2018

Costello Creek / Turtle Rock – April 24 2018

Canoe Lake – April 24 2018

The Modis Satellite imagery

Even the eye in the sky doesn’t want to see what the ice out conditions are like in Algonquin Park this year. Below you can see the last two weeks of satellite imagery where it’s pretty obvious that not a lot of warming sun rays have made it to the surface of Algonquin Park. You can see current MODIS Satellite Imagery here.

[UPDATE: April 20-23rd Modis Satellite Imagery shows positive progress]

April 18th Lake Opeongo Ice Depth

On Wednesday, Nate Smith (Huntsville Store Manager) and Gavin Marr (Camping & Footwear Buyer), took a little road trip to visit Lake Opeongo for the specific purpose of taking an actual measurement of the ice depth on Algonquin Park’s Lake Opeongo. After traversing the Opeongo Road to find our store still buried under a good foot of snow they navigated out onto Lake Opeongo to start drilling a hole. Finding that there was still nearly a foot of snow on top of the ice, they then were able to drill with a hand auger through the twenty-three inches of solid ice to reach the lake water.

Now the good news

The weather forecast starting Monday is basically calling for double digit positive daily temperatures nearly every day for the next two weeks, with most over night temperatures also being above freezing. This should help wake up Mother Nature from her long winter nap and move along spring, hopefully fairly quickly so Algonquin Park will open on their new scheduled date of May 4th. Although backcountry campsites, ranger cabins, portages and backcountry access points, including Western Uplands Backpacking Trail, Highland Backpacking Trail, and Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail remain closed along with; Achray Campground, Brent Campground, Kiosk Campground, Rock Lake Campground, Tea Lake Campground, and Whitefish Group Campground.

Mew Lake Campground, The Visitor Centre and our Oxtongue Lake store as well as our Huntsville, Haliburton and Bracebridge stores are open if you still want to have a winter/spring Algonquin Park experience before the park is planned to open on May 4th 2018.

Because of the delayed opening our Lake of Two Rivers Store & Cafe and our Lake Opeongo Stores are both scheduled to open on May 4th now.

After much delay we are planning to start up our Lake Opeongo Weather Cam again next week (hopefully) so you’ll be able to see the ice go out on the bay in front of our Lake Opeongo Store.