There is a long tradition of Summer Camps in the park, and a big part of the Algonquin Park experience is canoe tripping. These young men are going out for two week trips covering huge amounts of the park, probably 20- 30 miles a day, paddling and carrying everything they need to live in wilderness. There are both boys and girls groups in the park and one mixed group.

We asked these guys if we could use their campsite to photograph a sunset, and got many pictures of them as well. This is two groups who had arranged to meet 10 days into their trips for a night together. For a night they share company and a campsite. When you meet these guys on the move they aren't always in the best of moods. Understandable in that they are living a physical life that would leave the average person begging for help in some swamp, 10 miles away from their destination. At camp , they are happy, well disciplined and a pleasure to be around.

Dinner is served...

Caught, exhibited and released, a big water snake


A sunset canoeing demo..


Taking in the sunset...




The two groups...

[alan_smithee_photos]

Beautiful shots!

[charliezap]

A very nice story and presentation Norm.--charliezap

[normhead]

Beautiful shots!

Thanks for commenting alan

A very nice story and presentation Norm.--charliezap

Thanks zapper...

Hey you two.... I added another picture I somehow forgot to include....

[jqsk]

Some nice shots here. I love the mood created by the disarray of items in the first one.

[normhead]

Some nice shots here. I love the mood created by the disarray of items in the first one.

I had to take that image... never seen anything like it before....

[lesmore49]

All pictures very nice...but the ...canoe demo at sunset...if that was my son I would love to have that photograph. Exceptional lighting and composition.

[Bruce Clark]

Great to see young people enjoying nature. I have to admit when I saw the preview I thought Oh no! What a mess. But how wrong I was. Well done to you and the young men.

[Jacquot]

I like these a lot, the photos and the experience. Great colors!

[mole]

Great story and great captures. Hope you are able to share these fine photos with the families of the campers.

[normhead]

All pictures very nice...but the ...canoe demo at sunset...if that was my son I would love to have that photograph. Exceptional lighting and composition.

He's one of the camp counsellors who were able to give me their email addresses, all four of them have copies of the images... they'll have to figure out how to get them to the participants. They aren't alloowed to exchange email addies or accept campers as Facebook friends. Isaw them conferring so I think they have a plan.

Great to see young people enjoying nature. I have to admit when I saw the preview I thought Oh no! What a mess. But how wrong I was. Well done to you and the young men.

Next morning when we went by the site was absolutely spotless... they do their best to "leave no trace".

I like these a lot, the photos and the experience. Great colors!

Thanks...

Great story and great captures. Hope you are able to share these fine photos with the families of the campers.

Thanks and, I've done my part to see they all get them. In this day and age, just getting images to kids under 16 is fraught with peril. The counsellors had something in mind, I don't know what.

[leptim]

Nicely shot Norm. Some memories these young'uns will have for a lifetime.

[monochrome]

Norm - these are really great, both as art, and craft, and for the story they tell. I once did one of those 2 week paddle and portage Treks in the Quetico Provincial Park with a group of teens and two college student "Interpreters" as one of two adult "Advisors," meaning I held the credit card and Passports and the teens did literally everything else.

These shots look just exactly like the landscape we covered and the campsites we borrowed every evening - right down to the gear scattered about so it would dry faster. I enjoyed having the memories recalled by your photos.

We crossed trail with a group of fourteen female teens who had already been out three weeks and had three to go. They had scheduled airdrops of freeze-dried food and were to finish up with the (6 mile) Grand Portage into Lake Superior. We were comparatively wimps, but the joint campfire was fun.

[daacon]

Well done Norm that group shot will be special to them for sure.

[normhead]

Well done Norm that group shot will be special to them for sure.

Thanks for commenting Dave... when something like this happens, you feel like a prize just fell into your lap...