Nothing Like a Weekend Away to Refresh Oneself

There is nothing quite like the Canadian wilderness to rejuvenate the soul. These last few weeks, I have been feeling quite out of sorts; the long dragging winter here in Cobalt lowering my spirits. Depression, rather light and not at all a genuine cause for concern had reared it ugly head none the less, and I was missing both friends and family badly, feeling as though I were trapped in a rut, as sometimes happens when I have not been on the move much.
Of course, the “urge to go” has been strong lately, as it always in when winter begins to loosen its iron grip. When the birds start to fly, I wish to join them apparently. Travel at this time was not an option, however, and I was not responding well to this sense of stasis. I needed to recharge my batteries in the worst way. Luckily, that is exactly what long weekends are made for, and none is better than Easter, thanks to the Ludkin family tradition of backpacking during this time. The tradition had staggered, and was in danger of dying out itself these past few years. Just like Jesus, however, the tradition was resurrected, and few friends and I made the jaunt to Algonquin Provincial Park.
Algonquin is a strange beast – it is absolutely glorious, and nature just explodes in your face, radiant and harsh, unforgiving and compromising. It is a gateway for many, many Canadians from the south, as well as people from around the world, to get out and experience the “North”, which is a good thing. It is great that so many people want to get out and experience this wilderness. Conversely however, its own popularity has served to kill it in a sense. During high season, along the hwy 60 corridor, the park literally swarms with tourists, which turns this rugged wilderness into a sort of extension of civilization. Even during Easter, which in Algonquin was still very cool (indeed, even seasoned backcountry campers like ourselves were hit hard by the cold at night, which plummeted from about 5 degrees during the day to -20 at night), the park was busy. All the campgrounds were closed except for Mew Lake, and the backcountry hiking trails were closed due to flooding and washout. Not to be dissuaded, we booked ourselves into Mew Lake. We drove in and the camp was busy, crawling with tourists, not exactly what we had in mind. So we set up, and then went on a walk about the camp, and lo! Found a section of the camp that was sealed off due to snow and fallen trees, but as we had 4 wheel drive vehicles, we wasted no time in relocating, as this newly discovered corner of the camp was isolated, without a soul within half a kilometre. - much more ideal.
Having found a satisfactory camp, we then set out daily on hikes, using the day hiking trails which dot the highway: Track and Tower, Bat Lake, and Hemlock Bluff. Not exactly what we used to do for the Easter trek, but a nice little getaway all the same and we were able to avoid the growing crowds, which offered a nice escape. I feel refreshed now, and at ease, able to continue on here for another spell of time, possibly enough to get me through to the summer. It was great to see my brother and a few of my friends, and share some real quality time. A few beers around the fire, stories of yesteryears, laughs, and some genuinely stunning vistas; just what the soul needs to preserve itself over time. I look forward to the next weekend excursion. The weather here seems to be turning at last. If spring is on the way, exploration is the call of the day.