Day 18 Blue Lake Provincial Park

Leaving Quetico today was a little disappointing. The park was such a tranquil spot that I could have
happily stayed longer. Admittedly the mosquitos were vicious, and some of the trails were in need of grooming, but the park felt like an untouched piece of wilderness and the peaceful solitude was good for the soul. Our trip to Blue Lake Provincial Park was uneventful. The roads were a bit rough, but the fact that, for the most part, we had them to ourselves, allowed us to travel stress free.

In an interesting little twist, we met up with Jenna’s Aunt and Uncle in a parking lot in Dryden. They are travelling from their home in Hanover to visit their son in Alberta, and Dryden is where our paths met. Linda and Brian are lovely, and it broke up the travel to stop for a little visit along the way. Arriving in Blue Lake to a very humid 29° admittedly did not get me off on the right foot but a poorly organized entry (they couldn’t find Jonathan’s site on their map – because it’s wrong!!), to discover that our sites were not great, and the park was full didn’t help the mood. We set up in aforementioned heat, and the soil was so sandy that by the time we unhooked, the trailer had sunk and fallen off its support blocks. We had to hook the trailer back up, adjust the supports and start again. Did I mention it was stinky hot? Now there are not many problems campers can’t solve, but by the time we were done, WE WERE DONE!

We stayed here once before, many years ago. I remembered it as a lovely park. This time I have to say it is overcrowded, poorly maintained and rather shoddy. Quetico was a rustic park, and there were no complaints. There is a difference between rustic and rundown! A good night’s sleep and we will find the happy tomorrow! As the temperatures cooled we wandered the campground then spent the evening playing games. A nice ending to our day.

My attempt at panorama. Quite a long beach.

Storms clouds moving across the lake at sunset! See the rain in the bottom right?

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