September 2017

Algonquin Kiosk Loop – 5 Day Solo Canoe Trip – Part 1

By |2022-03-31T10:08:43-04:00September 13th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, alone, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bearproof, camping, campsite, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, canoeing, creek, creeks, Exploring, inspiration, Kioshkokwi, kioshkokwi lake, kiosk, lakes, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, Provincial Park, scenery, scenic, solo trip, sunrise, sunset|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In 2002, I went on my very first backcountry trip. Five days, four nights and for someone who'd barely canoed, a huge challenge.  It was a loop full of portages and lots of tests and I had thought about doing it solo for quite some time now.  After a great deal of thought, I came to the conclusion that doing that loop solo, just wasn't realistic or feasible, and so I put it out of [...]

July 2017

Opeongo Backcountry Camping by Water Taxi- w Maryann & Randy

By |2017-07-18T19:03:00-04:00July 18th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, backcountry camping, Bear Barrel, Bear vault, bearproof, camp, camping, camping tips, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, Exploring, glamping, kayak, kayak camping, Kayaking, loons, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, Provincial Park, scenic, swimming, tangii, tips, water taxi|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since my Level 1 and Level 2 Sea Kayaking courses, I've been wanting to do a trip with my friends,  Maryann and Randy, that I met through the courses at OSKC. This weekend was finally it and I was so excited to be camping with them after all this time! They had advised me of a cool way they sometimes camp in the backcountry, or should I say glamp?  And that is to go by [...]

June 2017

Canoe Camping with The Happy Camper -Bugs, Banter & Boney M

By |2017-06-06T17:19:40-04:00June 6th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, algonquin highlands, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bearproof, birds, blog, bugs, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, canoe camping, cooking, enthusiasm, Exploring, gear, learning, morel, morels, Ontario, ontarios highlands, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, recipes, scenery, scenic, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Have you every wondered what it'd be like to camp with the famous Happy Camper, Kevin Callan?  I did too, so I decided to find out! I had chatted with Kevin Callan a few times online at the start of 2017, as he had picked me to do a blurb on my tipi for his winter camping book. When we met at the Outdoor Adventure Show this spring in person, we shared a few stories [...]

May 2017

Bentshoe Lake – 1st kayak camping trip of 2017

By |2017-05-02T16:07:22-04:00May 2nd, 2017|Categories: #drysuit, #kokatat, Bear vault, bearproof, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, Exploring, gear, kayak, kayak camping, kayak portaging, Kayaking, loons, Ontario, outdoor products, Outdoors, owl, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, scenery, scenic, tangii, tent, tentcamping, water, waterways|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had plans to head over and visit my kayaking coach for some training in preparation of my Level  1 Sea Kayak Instructor Course, but as sometimes plans do, they were moved to another day during the week.  This put me at 8am on a Saturday morning, kayak on car all ready to go, and no plans for the weekend. Guess I could start my kayak camping season after all?  You didn't have to twist [...]

October 2016

Turkey Day at McCrae! -Cooking in my new Dutch Oven!

By |2016-10-18T18:43:59-04:00October 18th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear Barrel, Bear vault, bearproof, camp, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, canoe camping, conservatationarea, Conservation areas, conservationarea, cooking, creek, creeks, Exploring, fall, fallcolours, falls, food, Food storage, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, homemade, learning, leaves, Lookout, Nature, Ontario, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, outdoorproducts, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, sunrise, sunset, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Trails, Uncategorized, water, waterfalls, waterways|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since meeting my friend Jason last year, he has been going on about this place called McCrae Lake.  I had never been there and according to him, it was a gorgeous place to spend a weekend camping, fishing and enjoying nature.  The Thanksgiving long weekend was approaching and as I hadn't had any plans yet, I decided it would be a good weekend to check the place out.  It was also the perfect weekend to [...]

Camping in Killarney on Kakakise in a Konigshaus Kanoe

By |2016-10-12T16:31:00-04:00October 12th, 2016|Categories: #canoe, #trip, #tripping, Algonquin, backcountry, backcountry camping, Barrel, Bear Barrel, Bear vault, bearproof, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, canoe camping, Carlyle, Climb, Climbing, Exploring, fall, fallcolours, falls, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, homemade, Kakakise, killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, konigshaus, konigshauskanoe, leaves, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, Parks, portage, portaging, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Uncategorized, Up north, walking, walks, water, waterfalls, waterways|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had been wanting to adventure in Killarney all summer but every time I had a free weekend, the park was booked up.  When I checked a few weeks ago, I finally saw a few openings.  They were all with portages but after carrying my lil kayak over 3km's in Algonquin each way a few weeks ago I figured a kilometer was totally doable and something I wouldn't have an issue with. Since booking my site on [...]

Grundy Backcountry solo trip – Do not put hot rocks in tent!

By |2016-10-04T18:49:54-04:00October 4th, 2016|Categories: Bear vault, bearproof, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Chairs, day trip, Exploring, fall, fallcolours, falls, grundy, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, homemade, inspiration, kayak, kayak portaging, Kayaking, leaves, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, pots, Provincial Park, River, rivers, solo trip, Uncategorized, water, waterfalls|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My very first blog post was after Canada Day weekend 2015 where I spent an amazing 4 days at Grundy Lake Provincial Park. I loved the park and had vowed to return and check out the backcountry soon!  It had taken a while but this weekend I was on my way and I couldn't wait! Grundy Lake PP is only about an hour and a half drive from my new home in Port Carling.  I [...]

September 2016

Brent Campground – Relaxing W/E…Well… til I hit a deer

By |2016-09-14T06:53:02-04:00September 14th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, alone, beach, Bear vault, bearproof, brent, brent campground, camp, campchairs, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, carcamping, cedar lake, clean up our parks, creek, creeks, Exploring, glamping, hike, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, kayak, Kayaking, loons, malone, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, Provincial Park, solo trip, summer tent, swimming, tangii, tent, tentcamping, Uncategorized, Up north, walking, walks, water|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have always wanted to get up to Brent in Algonquin but it was always way to far for me to go. Now that I live in Muskoka, the drive is the same as what I used to drive to get from Niagara to Hwy. 60 in Algonquin, 3.5 hours, so I figured it was time for a visit.  I had made some plans to go camping with a friend that weekend but she got [...]

August 2016

Navigating to Snake Island – Paddling Beyond Handrailing!

By |2016-08-09T19:45:08-04:00August 9th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bearproof, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, Chairs, compass, Exploring, kayak, kayak rack, Kayaking, learning, malone, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, rack system, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Before taking the Level 2 Sea Kayaking course with Ontario Sea Kayak Centre , I would've never attempted to camp out in the middle of Georgian Bay, on crown land, without being with someone who was experienced in doing so.  During my entire history of backcountry camping, I have used a method called handrailing and never knew how to use a compass.  I basically brought the map for the area I was in, and used landmarks, [...]

June 2016

Massasauga solo – Feeling ill in the backcountry

By |2016-06-28T21:37:47-04:00June 28th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, alone, backcountry, backcountry camping, beach, Bear Barrel, Bear vault, bearproof, brucetrail, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, clean up our parks, Exploring, Food storage, gear, georgian bay, harmony, kayak, Kayaking, Massassauga, Muskoka, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, Parks, Provincial Park, sleeping bag, sleeping matt, sleeping pad, solo trip, sunrise, sunset, swimming, tent, Uncategorized, water, waterways, wind|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last year I went on my first solo trip in the backcountry. It was at The Massasauga and it was awesome and I have been wanting to go back. I had every intention of spending last weekend at home.  Well my new home in Port Carling, but on Friday around 1pm, I was advised I could go home early.  So at 3pm, I decided to call it a day and packed up my camping gear. [...]

Go to Top