June 10, 2003

"Wildlife Viewing On Basin Depot Road" (Basin Depot Road)

MAP

See http://toporama.cits.rncan.gc.ca/images/b50k/03/031f12.gif.

PICTURES

Turtle At Basin Depot Creek
Historical Building At Basin Depot
Moose At Night
Moose At Night Enhanced

TRIP REPORT

We decided to take advantage of our park permit we had purchased to walk the Barron Canyon trail by taking a sunset drive up Basin Depot Road (also in Algonquin Park, but south of Barron Canyon) which is known to be underused even in the height of tourist season, despite offering some of the best opportunities for the viewing of wildlife.

We headed out a few hours before sunset, a peak time for many species, and we were not to be disappointed. At kilometre five Julie spotted a yearling moose on the edge of the water on a small peninsula in a swamp. We stopped and watched him, and he stopped and watched us. After taking a drink he sauntered back into the woods.

At another pond further up the road we stopped for a few moments to watch a pair of beavers doing some construction work. We were just approaching the point Michael Runtz describes as a "moose hotspot" when a bull and cow appeared right in the middle of the road! They looked back at us, and then trotted up an embankment into the woods.

Before crossing the little bridge over Basin Creek, we had to stop for two wood turtles who were taking their time moving from one side to the other. Since there was nothing else to do, we got out and watched them until they made it across. They didn't seem the least bit concerned about our presence.

We then drove right to the end of the road to the area known as the "Hydro Line" for obvious reasons, and came across a pair of white-tailed dear. They were not very far away. We exchanged stares for several minutes, until they withdrew towards the woods. This area is quite eerie, due to the clear-cutting that was done in order to put in the towers and lines. We spotted a truck just beyond the Do Not Enter sign that marks the end of the road and the beginning of what is known as the "Cart Track," which can be hiked or biked some distance north or south to connect to various lakes.

On the way back we really got lucky when Keenan spotted a black bear sitting in some light brush on the north side of the road near kilometre thirty. He stared right at the van for a few seconds and then quickly retreated, although his dark form was still visible in the woods for a few minutes. Although it is estimated that there are about 2000 black bears in Algonquin Park, sightings are actually quite rare.

Some more deer were spotted on the way back, but it was getting too dark to spot much of anything. We tried to check out Basin Lake as a future paddling option, but a large tree was across the road (necessitating a neck-wrenching drive in reverse for more than a kilometre) so after taking a snapshot of the historic building, we headed back to the cottage.

This successful impromptu adventures further demonstrate that the area has a great deal to offer. We hope some others will come and enjoy it. But not too many!