The weather was not cooperative and neither was the moose, but that did not deter more than 40 members and friends from enjoying a great weekend up in Algonquin Provincial Park.. Another 15 brave souls ventured into the park's interior for the weekend, sustained by nothing other than cases of Scotch ( only rumours )!

The weekend started with shooting at the Oxtongue Rapids under a light drizzle on Friday afternoon. Improvisation with plastic bags and umbrellas was the order of the day. It was followed by a wonderful dinner at the Tall Trees restaurant in Huntsville, conveniently located next to the Sunset Inn Motel where most members were staying.

A 20-car procession filled with members and their camera gear drove into the park before sunrise on Saturday morning. There was a brief glimmer of hope ( sunrise ) at Smoke lake, a brief sighting of a moose and a traffic jam when we stopped for an awesome vista of layered hills in morning haze along Hwy 60.

Everyone spread out to look for moose after breakfast and some were luckier than others. The sun also made a cameo appearance as some shot the reflections at Ragged Falls. Evening came with a bang as a violent thunderstorm with hail dashed any hopes for a nice sunset shoot. Dinner was at the highly rated Norsemen restaurant and the delayed gratification ( slow service ...) made us empty our plates in a hurry. Check out the dinner pictures posted here.

We actually get to sleep in till 5.30 on Sunday, and another caravan drove to Lake of Two Rivers for sunrise. At least it did not rain. The misty conditions helped create a moody palette for some great compositions along the Opeongo road afterwards.

Again, I want to thank everyone for making this outing another successful one. Special thanks goes to Harold Doran for making the restaurant arrangements in Huntsville and for filling in as our personal park ranger / guide to Algonquin. Check out the posted images and join us next year for more weekend adventures!

Christopher Siou

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