The Outhouse Daily News Presents

Canoe Lake Ice-Out

Spring 2003 Edition

Buffalo Point - 
		Painting by Georges Haroutiun
Buffalo Point     Vahram Haroutiun, 2000

 News & Updates

The ice is going out right now!   [Wednesday, April 23rd at 3:00 PM]

It's all but gone. Yes, we got here just in time again this year. When we arrived at the P-Store at about noon there was significant ice coverage on the lake, but also a strong north wind blowing. We were able to get across to the cottage in the boat and by the time we got over and unloaded the lake was clearly opening up fast. Now it's well beyond the 50% open required to call the official ice out date as today.

Congratulations to Jan Richmond and Al Clare of Canoe Lake (and Florida) who are this year's winners. (Nice to keep it in the 'family' :-)

Here are a couple of pics taken today--a very cold and bleak one up here. I'll post more tonight--right now we're going out to tour the lake and watch the last of the ice go.

Ice going out Ice gone out
Here we go...   [Sunday, April 20th at 10:00 PM]

Well, it looks like ice-out has begun. Libby has sent some new photos taken today and the Oxtongue River between Tea and Bonita lakes is starting to open up for real. This is our route up to Canoe Lake and I'd say it will be completely open in another couple of days. After that, Canoe Lake could take anywhere from a day or two up to four or five days depending on the weather.

So at this point I'd say we're going to see the ice go out between April 24th and April 30th. Here are Libby's latest photos...

Beach North Beach South
P-store Smoke Lake
Annual ice-out poem from Murray Wolff   [Wednesday, April 16th at 11:30 AM]

It wouldn't be ice-out time without a poem from Murray... here's this year's:

This winters been long
With snow and cold
The months have made me
Feeble and old

Unlike the spring in 1953
When the ice was out early,
There was no deep freeze.

On April 14th, that glorious year,
When paddles were dipped,
In water so clear.

Another good event,
Happened that year,
I was born in August
This is my 50th year.

The latest date
Has been May the 8th.
The way things are going
We might surpass that date

We hope it rains,
And the wind blowing fast,
To melt the mess
That is seeming to last.

My prediction this year,
That's a long shot for sure
Is May the first,
But who the heck knows.


- Murray Wolff

The deadline has passed...   [Tuesday, April 15th at 9:30 AM]

The deadline for submitting a date passed at midnight last night and we have stopped accepting new dates, or changes to current choices. And we are now seriously underway with today's high in Toronto forcast at 28°C!

Only 2 ½ hours left to get your date   [Monday, April 14th at 9:30 PM]

The deadline for submitting a date is only 2 ½ hours away--at midnight tonight we will stop accepting new dates, or changes to current choices.

Right from the source   [Monday, April 14th at 8:30 PM]

We have an on-site correspondent this year... Libby and Ric von Neumann live year-round on the Oxtongue between Tea and Bonita and Libby has sent some digital photos of the area taken this Saturday. Many thanks!

"Here are a few shots for you...hope they are what you're looking for.  Hopefully tomorrow we'll take a ride to the P-store and see what's up over there... maybe get some shots of Smoke too. I heard a nasty rumor that we're supposed to get more snow on Monday!  Winter just doesn't want to leave this year!  We just had 3 gorgeous days in a row with temps above 12 and crystal clear, but freezing every night...the saga continues!"

Oxtongue - Bonita Tea Lake
Ragged Falls Tea Lake Campground
42 and counting   [Thursday, April 10th at 11:45 AM]

We've heard from 42 people so far, and almost 25% of them think the ice will go out in the three days from April 29 - May 1. Only five more days until the deadline so get your date while you can.

Temperatures seem to be inching up closer to normal values in Toronto which for this time of year is still pretty cool ranging from a low of -1°C to a high of only 9°C. Consistent above-zero temperatures and some rain should get things started, but probably not soon enough for Ric and Libby von Neumann who picked today as their ice out date :-)

Another mention   [Wednesday, April 9th at 6:45 PM]

Looks like this site has been mentioned on another board. Check out this thread on the Canadian Canoe Routes website.

Word is out...   [Monday, April 7th at 6:45 PM]

I think this is the first year I have received date selections from people I don't know. Most of them seem to have come as a result of this posting on Barry Bridgeford's Algonquin Adventures message boards.

Votes are pouring in!   [Friday, April 4th at 3:30 PM]

I have already received almost 30 votes for dates ranging from April 10th to May 10th. Keep them coming, and good luck to everyone.

For those of you who think the ice will be going out next week--yes, there are some--here is what it looks like outside my window right now in Toronto...

Snow in Toronto

Welcome to this year's ice-out page   [Saturday, March 29th at 10:30 PM]

It's been a long winter--no question. But I think we are finally seeing the end of it. I hope you will all accept my apologies for such a late start to this year's poll. I usually like to have something posted by mid-March and I'm a couple of weeks late this year.

I made a trip up to Canoe Lake on the weekend of March 14-16 with Debbie, my Mom, and our niece Brittany (Larkin's daughter). We had a great time with wonderful weather and a visit from Dave Sharp and Roy Stewart.

There was more snow this year than in recent memory, and the ice was as thick as ever. Here are a couple of shots to give you an idea...

    Snow     Snow

With temperatures in Toronto hovering around normal for this time of year (which is lower than you might think, ranging from a low of -2°C to a high of only 7°C), and a lot more snow insulating the ice, I'm predicting an average-to-late ice out this year. At this stage I'd guess some time between April 26th and May 2nd.

 Current Weather for the Canoe Lake Area

Click the links below to see current five-day forecasts for Algonquin Park and Huntsville
from Environment Canada, and some long term predictions:

 Predictions for Spring 2003

Multiple people on the same date are listed in the order in which their choices were received
at the worldwide headquarters of the Outhouse Daily News.

(The previous year's ice-out date is marked with an asterix.)

April 10 (Thu) Ric & Libby von Neumann
April 11 (Fri)  
April 12 (Sat)  
April 13 (Sun)  
April 14 (Mon)  
April 15 (Tue) Scott Murray
April 16 (Wed) Ray VanKleef
April 17 (Thu) Willi Powell
April 18 (Fri) James Bonney
April 19 (Sat)* The Ottawa Grays; Karin Martindale; Scott Simmie
April 20 (Sun) Brian Parkinson
April 21 (Mon) Bryan Fullerton
April 22 (Tue) Cal Chapman
April 23 (Wed) Jan Richmond & Al Clare
.................... ....................
April 24 (Thu) Peter Matthews
April 25 (Fri) John Rose; James Kempf
April 26 (Sat) Carolyn & David Fink
April 27 (Sun) Debbie Ridpath Ohi; Jim & Catherine Brackley; Clark Matthews
April 28 (Mon) Jefferson Ridpath; Kaarel Truuvert; Charles Plant
April 29 (Tue) Virginia Ridpath; Arline Mann (New York City)
April 30 (Wed) John Ridpath; Tony Anderson; Dick Erickson;
Paul Weaver; Bill St. Arnaud; Russ Matthews; Steve Baker
May 1 (Thu) Sandra Matthews; Doug Gardner; Ken Born;
Hugh Statten; Murray Wolff
May 2 (Fri) Craig White
May 3 (Sat) Helen Waters (London, England); Holly Stewart; Jill Matthews
May 4 (Sun) Karen Yule; Dean Purcell
May 5 (Mon) Dave Sharp; Sarah Matthews
May 6 (Tue) Missy Sharp
May 7 (Wed) Barry Bridgeford; Nick Boland; Mark Steele;
Andrew Gullen; David DeMara
May 8 (Thu) Gay Matthews
May 9 (Fri) Chris Day (Cache Lake)
May 10 (Sat) Harry Binswanger (New York City)

 Past Ice-Out Dates

1953! April 14th Graph
1989 May 4th
1990 April 29th
1991 April 28th
1992 May 8th
1993 April 26th
1994 April 27th
1995 April 15th
1996 May 8th
1997 May 8th
1998 April 17th
1999 April 20th
2000 April 26th
2001 April 23rd
2002 April 19th
2003
2004
2005
Earliest recorded ice-out date: April 14th in 1953.
Latest recorded ice-out date: May 8th in 1992, 1996, and 1997.

 The Rules

  1. All entries must be received by midnight, Monday, April 14th, 2003.
    (Entries may be submitted by email to Jeff)
  2. If you know of someone who should be included in this poll but does not have email access, feel free to send in their prediction for them.
  3. Entry must include your name and date of your prediction.
  4. You *can* duplicate another person's prediction (see below for a list of predictions so far)
    if you really want to be a joiner, but the first one to pick a date gets all the gloating rights.
  5. You *can* change your prediction up to the deadline.
  6. Ice-out is defined as follows: "At least 50% of the lake is clear of ice, by a majority vote
    of those present."
  7. Winner is the person whose prediction is the closest.
  8. Prize: being able to lord your superior knowledge of the lake over others for
    the rest of the year.

 Previous year's ice-out pages

Ice-out 2002

Ice-out 2001

Ice-out 2000

Ice-out 1999





[Updated: 2003-04-23 3:10 PM EDT]

Jeff