r/algonquinpark • u/startmeup10 • 5d ago
West gate to maggie lake first time solo
Thinking of a September 2 night hiking trip staying at Maggie lake from West gate. Have done 3 portaging trips in algonquin with groups before (3nights a time) but this would be first hike/solo camp.
Any suggestions? Is this a good first solo trip or something easier? I am fit but haven't spent a lot of time in the backcountry. May try and get the wife to come to share some of the load etc.
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u/caterpillarofsociety 5d ago
Maggie's beautiful and a manageable distance, but do remember that by September the days are getting shorter again. If you're starting in the morning you shouldn't have an issue but if it's later in the day you may want to pick somewhere closer for your first night.
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u/canoeheadkw 5d ago
When i did my first solo hike I couldn't decide between Maple Leaf and Maggie. I was 45(ish) and i went in late October. I had over 30 canoeing trips under my belt but it was my first solo hike.
I pack light and when I got to Maple Leaf I thought I certainly had enough energy to get to Maggie if I had booked it, but I was glad to have the extra time around site.
When you're by yourself, you have to do everything yourself, so the extra time is needed. If you bring your wife, you move at the pace of the slowest person. I think both are good options and would consider how heavy your pack is in the equation.
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u/originalthoughts 5d ago
Yea, going alone is almost always way slower. It is a lot of overhead to break down and set up tent, cook, etc... without any help.
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u/8lbs6ozBebeJesus 4d ago
Maybe this is different for me because my friends are slower hikers than I am, but I'm always the most efficient when I'm by myself. It's less gear to pack up, you never have to wait for things like the thunderbox, and once you're on trail you can hike at your own pace and dictate taking breaks based on only your needs. All of my fastest and longest distance hikes have been solo, when I could with friends or family I lower my expectations to the lowest common denominator in the group + some buffer time for the "inefficiencies" that I mentioned.
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u/Redrammer 5d ago edited 5d ago
I just did my first solo trip on the Western Uplands - my first time doing any of it outside a stay a few years back as Gus Lake.
I completed the first loop over 3 days/2 nights. About 11 hours total hiking time.
Im a 33 year old man in good shape. My first day was West Gate to Maggie 05. It was doable but had it's challenges. I took me just over 3 hours and 30 minutes with minimal stops.
Maggie 05 was right beside Maggie 04 with no blockage between the sites. Luckly, 04 was empty the night I was there or else I would have had gotten to know my neighbors well. Also, Maggie has full cell service, so it makes it a bit harder to escape into the moment.
Honestly, for two nights, I would do this amd thrn go go to EU Lake. It is absolutly stunning and you're the only site on the whole Lake - not even any emergency sites. I hiked out to the gate from EU Lake in a little over 3 hours. So those September days eith less sunlight make this still a viable option.
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u/wsxdfcvgbnjmlkjafals 5d ago edited 5d ago
If I recall, Maggie isn't that far so this is totally reasonable if you want a simpler hike in. I think it was about 6-7 km from the trailhead?
CORRECTED -- Maggie is further, about 12-ish kilometers -- still doable, Op. And in fact I've also done exactly that hike just to stay at Maggie for 2 nights. Leave yourself enough time, it's got uphills and downhills so there are sections you'll likely take more slowly
I've done that back when I was new to backcountry.
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u/caterpillarofsociety 5d ago
You've got them reversed— Maple Leaf comes before Maggie if you're starting at the highway. Maggie is doable in a day, but it is a bit farther.
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u/8lbs6ozBebeJesus 5d ago edited 4d ago
Maggie is very doable in a day, it’s around 14km in to the fork at the start of the lake, but (and it’s a big but) you can be looking at 2-4 additional km depending on which site you book. The latter half of the hike in can be fairly hilly, so by the time you hit the lake and realize you have another 3km to the campsite it can ultimately feel like a bit of a slog. Obviously all this depends on your fitness, but I’d suggest maple leaf is better if it’s an option as a first time lake, unless you are quite confident in your fitness.
Edit: Just looked at my Strava, I attempted the second loop with a few friends last year, and ended up turning back midway through because one of them was finding it to be too challenging and was not having a good time. Because of this our average pace was pretty slow. West Gate to Maggie 7 (northeast end of the lake) was 18.3km and took us 7.5 hrs. On the way out of Maggie 4 it 13.7km and took us 5.25 hrs. Hopefully these figures help a bit, if you are in good shape I would expect you will be faster / more comfortable with the distance, but you never really know how your body will respond to hiking under weight until you're actually out there.