Headwaters and Moose

 

I headed into the Park today, hoping to track the high water to its headwaters.  Forlorn hope. While Hwy 60 is high, dry and clear, almost all of the trails and side roads are closed due to conditions.

At the Tea Lake Dam I met one of the Park Staff. I asked if he had been able to get in to take a photo of the dam.  "Nope. You'd need hipwaders" was the reply.

 

Hipwaders and fast running cold water are very low on my list of fun things to do.

I did get a shot at the Oxtongue River picnic area, where the Uplands trail starts out. The bridge starts out... then vanishes into the floodwaters.  

The water is deceptive -- it looks to be very calm and still, but if you get closer, you can see the current running very fast and deep.

I drove up to Killarney Lodge -- they are experiencing flooding, and hopefully the cabins will be fine.

The water levels have come down a bit since the very cold weather earlier this week - you can see how much very easily, since the ice is still clinging in sheets to trees and shrubs, with empty air beneath.

 This created large areas of 'broken glass' in the forest, catching the light and really quite pretty.

The fact that the water level is down is good news. Huntsville and Bracebridge have both declared flood emergencies. Plenty of people have been forced to evacuate their homes and businesses, power is shut off, roads are washed out.  Roads are washed out in the Park as well -- Costello Creek, to name just one, but the main highway is fine.


There is plenty of meltwater to come, however.  This is Lake of Two Rivers. It has barely begun to open up along the shoreline.

A drive into the Canoe Lake store reveals that there is not only plenty of ice on the lakes, but no shortage of ice in the woods!



Along the roadside, the rock-cut "glaciers" are still hanging on, as well. All sources of water that will work its way down the system through the

Oxtongue River and into our Lake of Bays and eventually to Georgian Bay.




But what is a drive through the Park in April without a moose?  Practically impossible, that's what.

These two were happily munching along the edge of the road. The cow was quite interested in one of the cars that had stopped to admire her.







Her yearling calf was across the road -- I had to take his photo through the windscreen of the car, because it seemed inadvisable to lower the window on Taffy's side of the car...  For those who don't know, moose consider all dogs to be wolves.  A cow will protect herself and her calf by attacking that wolf with her massive front hooves. They aren't fooling around.

 It is just plain stupid to allow dogs anywhere near wild moose.  So Taffy, on leash and in the car with the window up and a promise not to bark, watched them through the window.

I, on the other hand, hung out my window (with her leash firmly grasped so she couldn't scoot past me) and camera in hand!

Moose don't give a moose's hoot about the high water levels.