THE MEANEST LINK

“The Meanest Link” A Bikepacking Expedition. Self propelled by bike for 9 days and over 400 km. 

More information: https://algonquinoutfitters.com/map/m…

Facebook Group:   / themeanestlink  

This is Algonquin Provincial Park and the surrounding area. In 2004, a route was dreamed up to connect the 4 Algonquin Outfitters stores throughout the park – Hunstville, Brent, Opeongo, and Oxtongue. That summer, The Meanest Link was officially invented, and it is a canoe route created to honour the memory of Bill Swift Sr., one of the founders of Algonquin Outfitters. It linked the lakes, rivers, and portages between the 4 Algonquin Outfitters stores, and has traditionally been done by canoe…until now. Self propelled by bike for nearly 9 days and 400 km, I would overlay and stitch together a land route consisting of crown land, atv trails, logging roads, abandoned railways, rural backroads and highways to achieve the same general path throughout and around Algonquin, connecting the original stores together into one bikepacking expedition. This version of the Meanest Link will be an expedition level trip requiring off trail, remote, extreme navigation skills, and individuals on this trip will have to be self supported for the entire duration. The route takes the traditional water path and converts it to a land route, utilizing logging roads, old rail beds, and the famous highway 60, linking the Algonquin Outfitters stores in Huntsville, Brent, Opeongo and Oxtongue before returning to the start. Participants must be prepared to encounter logging work, bears, wolves, and moose. The days will be long and painful, often disorienting with the various trails leading in numerous directions. Successful completion of the route will mean you have earned the great accomplishment of such a trip, and go down in history as the only ones able to sustain the agony of such an expedition. If the route does not break you, there will be little in life that will.

Just kidding, it’s not that bad…well, it sort of is…whatever, just go do it.