Ten Years to Misty: Part One
In 2015, seven friends set out from the no.4 access point on the western edge of Algonquin Park for a five day camping trip. We were mostly all in our late thirties and had known each other since high school, and some as early as grade school. This trip wasn’t particularly special by any measure. There had been trips like this before - in different areas of the park and with different casts of friends. Camping into Algonquin is something we had been doing since our early twenties. And this trip was born like all the rest - “Anyone interested. It's looking like around August 15th or 16th. It will be something light, like Misty, and probably 4-5 days if that works.” Chris Tozer emailed to a group of potential campers.
From left, Chris Cooper, Sava Diankantois, Mike Seal, Ryan Lewenza, Pete Costard, Dax Melmer, and Chris Tozer.
After dates and emails were exchanged, permissions received, and vacation days granted, the final group had been settled.
Chris Tozer, the camping lead since his days organizing Hugh Beaton basketball games in High School, is loved by everyone who knows him. He’s organized many of these trips over the years and has a sharp adolescent wit with a natural skill in bringing friends together. At his side was Chris Cooper, the number two who handled all the food and cooking. And despite being the subject of complaints during long portages thanks to the extra gear he would voluntarily bring, Cooper loved fireside chats and always had a story to tell. He was often the first one up to watch the sunrise with a cigarette hanging from his lips.
Then there’s Sava Diakantonis, the ageless Greek who moved to the suburbs of Detroit but never lost touch; his distinctive laugh and enthusiasm for a good time made his presence unforgettable. Ryan Lewenza, the big-city banker who moved to Toronto after university, wasn’t always a regular but brought unmatched energy (and the usual ball-busting) when he joined—especially when in a good mood, lighting up the campsite with his storytelling. Mike Seal, who grew up cottaging not far from the access point, is the father of these Algonquin trips. And while he may have stepped back from organizing, he was always watching out as a stopgap to catastrophe. He was often found with a whisky, a map, and a fishing rod in the canoe catching the last hour of sunshine. I, Dax Melmer, the unofficial record keeper for the trip, hadn’t camped since 2001 but I was thrilled to be back—even when soaked in a leaky tent or enduring a brutal paddle on a windy Butt Lake. When I wasn’t swimming or collecting wood, I’d be off exploring with my camera, just grateful to be with back with my friends on a great adventure.
And lastly, Pete Costard. The man everyone felt close to. He was the real humour on the trip. The humour that infects you while you stand next to him just listening to him talk. He was a dedicated family man who was excited to be on the trip but you could tell he was equally excited to leave a day early in order to get back to his family at a nearby cottage. He got extremely drunk on Bud Lights on the first day and is the source for many of this trip’s great laughs. Sadly, this would be his last camping trip. Five years later, in March of 2020, Pete died after surgery failed to remove an aggressive brain tumour. He was 43.
It is that devastating loss in the lives of all who loved him that propels me on this journey.
Pete looking out over Misty Lake on our third night in the park.
Those close to me know this year has been pivotal. What began as painful has expanded into a year that I will never forget. I’ve had to reinvent my relationship with myself and rediscover what drives me towards purpose in life.
So last month, as my summer plans began to take shape, and the anniversary approached, it became more obvious that I’d be retracing the trek back to Misty for the 10-year anniversary. Obvious is perhaps overstating it. To more experienced outdoor enthusiasts, this isn’t much. But to me, it’s a somewhat challenging solo venture - 9 lakes heading east from the western boundary and 7620 metres of portaging in 3 days. But like I said, this is a pivotal year.
My two-day route to Misty Lake.
My plan is to stay at the Ranger Cabin at the Rain Lake access point when I arrive Tuesday evening. In the morning I’ll pack up and with an early start canoe the long and narrow Rain Lake, Sawyer, Jubilee, Juan, and Moccasin Lakes to Bandit Lake, where I will set up camp for the first night in the backcountry.
The next morning I’ll canoe Wenona and Muslim Lakes before hiking the longest portage of the trip, a 1050m trek to Misty Lake where I’ll camp for my final night. I’ll arrive at Misty Lake on the morning of August 14th, ten years to the day the seven us hiked the same portage in a proper downpour before miraculously grabbing the first site to the left of the portage route where we set up camp in the rain. It is my plan to get this same site, just hopefully under sunnier skies.
On my last day, I’ll depart as early as I can to paddle and portage the entire way back to the access point - estimated to be 6 or 7 hours depending on the weather - where I’ll then begin my drive back to Windsor.
While i’m filled with sorrow wishing it was the seven of us heading back to Misty again, I'm excited to be back on a great outdoor adventure. Wish me luck!
*Below is gallery of photos from our 2015 trip.
