October 2017

Mike Ranta – Hanging out in Killarney with a Modern Day Voyageur!

By |2017-10-11T09:30:22-04:00October 11th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, alone, camping, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, canoeing, enthusiasm, Exploring, inspiration, killarney, legend, Mike Ranta, Nature, Ontario, Outdoor Adventure Show, Outdoors, paddling, solo trip, Spitzii, water, waterways, winter camping|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I first met Mike Ranta at the 2017 Toronto outdoor show I didn't really know that much about him. All I knew was that I had just heard him present and I had never heard someone speak so passionately about something.   Mike Ranta speaks from his heart and he is so passionate about what he does that it gave me chills.   I was inspired instantly. This year him and his amazing canine Spitzii [...]

September 2017

Algonquin Kiosk Loop – 5 Day Solo Canoe Trip – Part 2 of 2

By |2023-11-10T20:07:32-05:00September 20th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, alone, backcountry camping, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, canoe camping, canoeing, enthusiasm, Exploring, inspiration, kiosk, Ontario, ontario parks, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, Solitaire, solo trip, sunrise, sunset, tangii|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Part 1 of this trip can be found here.   This is the continuation of that post starting from the afternoon of Day 3 at my site on Big Thunder Lake. I had just arrived, set up my small footprint tarp and was sitting under it enjoying some lunch...... While eating my lunch on day 3 on Big Thunder Lake, I realized I would have to move the small footprint tarp I was using and [...]

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 [...]

Killarney Days 3 & 4 – Magic Mountain to Silver Peak!

By |2017-09-05T17:00:24-04:00September 5th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear Barrel, camp, camping, Canada, canoe camping, canoeing, day trip, enthusiasm, Exploring, Fun, gear, girls, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, inspiration, killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, morel, morels, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, Provincial Park, swimming, women|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had been waiting for this trip since last year and was so glad I was finally here.  In the last post, Killarney Days 1 and 2, Rainy Plains to The Magical Mountains, I left off at the end of day 2.  We are staying on an amazing campsite on David Lake where we have a view of Silver Peak and on Day 3, the plan is to hike to the top of it.  I'd [...]

August 2017

Killarney Days 1 & 2 – The Rainy Plains to the Magical Mountains

By |2017-08-29T16:52:31-04:00August 29th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear Barrel, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, canoeing, Climb, Climbing, enthusiasm, Exploring, fishing, girls, Hiking, hiking trails, killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, loons, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, Provincial Park, sunset|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had been to Killarney a few times and loved it there.   The only issue I ever have with Killarney in the summer, is that you have to book a site 5 months in advance to get the sites on the lakes you want.  This trip is actually the only one I reserved this entire year, 5 months in advance with Ontario Parks.  That might help explain how important it was for me to [...]

Paddling with Paddling Adventures Radio – QEII Too Much Fun!

By |2017-08-08T18:09:55-04:00August 8th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Canada, canoe, canoeing, Exploring, fish, fishing, Nature, Ontario, Outdoors, paddle, paddling|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had planned to do nothing last weekend... the key word there is planned. LOL.  I have been out doing something  every weekend for as long as I can remember and have not slept in my own bed on a weekend in , well, I can't actually remember.  I had decided to spend the day Saturday fishing with my dad.  He was going to drive up to my place and then we would head to [...]

July 2017

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

150 for 150 – Day 2 – The Main Event!

By |2017-06-28T06:50:42-04:00June 28th, 2017|Categories: Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada, canada day, canoe, canoe day, canoe event, canoe lake, canoeing, Ontario, ontario parks, paddle, paddling, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was an epic weekend. One I will never forget and one I will cherish.  It started off with a vision of one person and grew with the passion of others.  It displayed our love of  the canoe and the honor we all feel to be Canadians, living in this great country.  This weeks post will be two videos of the event.  Day one, featuring the opening ceremonies, some interviews with a few of the [...]

150 for 150 – Day 1 -Opening Ceremonies, Canoes & Olympics!

By |2017-06-27T17:31:42-04:00June 27th, 2017|Categories: #150for150, Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada, canada day, canoe, canoe day, canoe event, canoe lake, canoe olympics, canoeing, Exploring, inspiration, national anthem, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, Provincial Park|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It was an epic weekend. One I will never forget and one I will cherish.  It started off with a vision of one person and grew with the passion of others.  It displayed our  love of  the canoe and the honor we all feel to be Canadians, living in this great country.  This weeks post will be two videos of the event.  Day one, featuring the opening ceremonies, some interviews with a few of the [...]

Women on Water Paddling Festival – It’s called WOW for a reason!

By |2020-05-18T14:02:11-04:00June 20th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, camp, Campers, Canada, canoe, canoeing, cottage, cottaging, education, enthusiasm, Fun, georgian bay, glamping, inspiration, instructors, kayak, Kayaking, learning, learning centre, level 1, level 1 instructor, meditation, Muskoka, Nature, Ontario, ontario sea kayak centre, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, Presentation, scenic, sunrise, sunset, sup, tangii, teach, teaching, training, Uncategorized, water, waterways, wild women expeditions, women, womens event, yoga|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Before taking my Level 1 Sea Kayak Instructor Course with Ontario Sea Kayak Centre, my coach Dympna had asked me to attend the Women on Water Paddling Festival.  I had no idea what this festival was all about and had not heard of it until she'd mentioned it. I did a bit of research and it looked like a really cool weekend that had been created by Wild Women Expeditions and Ontario Sea Kayak Center, [...]

Go to Top