July 2017

Solo Camping Tips with Michelle – Wow Auction Winner – McCrae Lake

By |2017-07-25T21:24:12-04:00July 25th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bugs, camp, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, conservatationarea, Conservation areas, conservationarea, enthusiasm, Exploring, food, Food storage, girls, inspiration, kayak, kayak camping, kayak portaging, Kayaking, loons, McCrae Lake, Nature, Ontario, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, swimming, tangii, teach, teaching, Uncategorized, water filter|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When my kayaking coach Dympna from Ontario Sea Kayak Centre, asked me to consider auctioning off a weekend of camping with me, for the Women on Water Paddling Festival silent auction, I thought she was off her rocker. The auction was very successful and proceeds went to the Georgian Bay Biosphere, a great organization that takes care of a place I love to play in and it is a good cause.  I agreed to proceed, [...]

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 [...]

My 1st Solo Canoe Trip – Haliburton Highlands Water Trails

By |2017-07-11T14:35:06-04:00July 11th, 2017|Categories: #solo, Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, camping, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, enthusiasm, Exploring, fish, fishing, loons, morel, morels, Nature, Ontario, ontarios highlands, outdoor products, Outdoors, owl, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, training, Uncategorized, waterways|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My first solo backcountry trip was 2 years ago at the Massasauga Provincial Park.  It was by kayak and since then I've done many solo kayaking trips and a few solo winter camping trips both by tipi and by tent.  I had never gone on a solo canoe trip, however, until this past weekend. At the 150 for 150 event on Canoe Lake the weekend before Canada Day, Jon from Backcountry Custom Canoes answered my [...]

The All Canada Weekend – On Smokey Lake With The Happy Camper

By |2020-05-18T14:00:08-04:00July 5th, 2017|Categories: #fish, Adventure, animals, backcountry, backcountry camping, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, canada day, canoe camping, canoeing, Conservation areas, conservationarea, cooking, creek, creeks, day trip, education, enthusiasm, Exploring, fishing, Fun, Nature, Ontario, outdoor products, outdoorproducts, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, sunset, swimming, tourism, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I camped with The Happy Camper last month, I had no idea we would be heading out on another trip so soon.  We had discussed the big 150th birthday this year and I had mentioned I wanted to do something awesome, but hadn't made plans yet. Kevin had originally had something booked, but it was cancelled, so,  it left us both open for the long weekend and  it being such a big deal, we [...]

June 2017

My Instructor Sea Kayaking Course at OSKC – Am I An Instructor Now?

By |2020-05-19T16:18:13-04:00June 13th, 2017|Categories: #course, Campers, camping, Canada, certification, education, enthusiasm, glamping, harmony, harmony inn, inspiration, instructors, kayak, Kayaking, learning, level 1, level 1 instructor, Muskoka, Ontario, ontario sea kayak centre, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, sunrise, teach, teaching, tent, tentcamping, training, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I actually had decided going into my Level 1 Sea Kayak Instructor Course, that I wasn't going to blog about it.  I had things to learn and too much to do and needed to be serious and focused on learning as much as possible. Studying while kayak camping weeks before the course No time for pictures, (HAHAHA, yeah, well, I always get a few pics!!) But I think you get the drift of [...]

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 [...]

April 2017

The 6th Annual KW Canoe Symposium- My 1st Presentation!

By |2017-04-11T14:49:03-04:00April 11th, 2017|Categories: #canoe, #canoeists, #speakers, #speech, Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, backcountry, backcountry camping, camping, camping tips, campsite, canoe camping, canoeing, enthusiasm, kw canoe symposium, Presentation, speeches, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The day before the Outdoor Adventure Show, I received an email from David Bain.  David, runs the KW Canoe Symposium and he had asked me if I might be interested in possibly speaking at next years event?  I was incredibly flattered, and honoured, and,  after establishing that I am mainly a kayaker, and finding out  that this fact seemed irrelevant as I do also love to canoe, I said I would think about it.  I [...]

February 2017

The Outdoor Adventure Show! -So Many Awesome People in One Place!

By |2017-02-28T18:24:38-05:00February 28th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, animals, booths, Campers, camping, camping tips, Canada, canoe camping, carcamping, Chairs, day trip, Exploring, Fun, kayak, Kayaking, Ontario, ontarios highlands, Outdoor Adventure Show, outdoor products, Outdoors, outdoors show, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, portage, portaging, pot set, Presentation, Provincial Park, tent, tentcamping, trade show, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had an amazing time this past weekend at the Outdoor Adventure Show in Toronto .  I applied to get a bloggers pass and blog about the event and I was picked! I spent two days at the show this year and it was awesome!!!  Last year I was only at the event for one day and felt far too rushed. This year I was able to see all the booths I wanted to, talk [...]

Winter in the Wild -2017-Featuring-Different Ways People Winter Camp!

By |2017-02-23T06:50:28-05:00February 23rd, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, alone, birds, camp, campchairs, camping, campsite, Canada, carcamping, Chairs, cold camping, day trip, Exploring, falls, family day weekend, food, Fun, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, homemade, hot tent, ice skates, ice skating, kyra on the go, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, ontarios highlands, outdoor products, Outdoors, Parks, Provincial Park, skating, skiing, sleep, snowshoe trails, tarps, teepee, tent, tentcamping, timriver, tipi, tourism, tourists, Trails, Uncategorized, walking, walks, waterfalls, winter, winter camping, winter Wonderland, winterglamping, winterinthewild, yurt|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was a great day to head to Algonquin Park for the Winter in the Wild Festival. I was pretty excited to be a demo this year with my hot tent and also get to see all the other great ways people camp in the winter! There are so many ways you can do it. This year, my plan was to capture a few of each type and post about them. (see green link partway [...]

Go to Top