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

Portaging a kayak to Scorch Lake – Algonquin PART 2 & Re-Hydrating eggs

By |2016-09-27T17:09:21-04:00September 27th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, Exploring, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, homemade, kayak, kayak portaging, kayak rack, Kayaking, loons, malone, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, Parks, portage, portaging, Provincial Park, River, scorch, scorch lake, sleep, sleeping bag, sleeping matt, sleeping pad, sunrise, swimming, tent, tentcamping, Uncategorized, walking, water, waterfalls|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A CONTINUATION POST FROM Portaging a kayak-3x2 at Scorch Lake - Algonquin Park PART 1, PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE THAT POST! It had been a very long day yesterday,  starting at 5am for me and earlier for Joyce. We had spent yesterday taking 9.5 hours to portage and paddle to get to our site on Scorch Lake, one that was clearly the worst site on the lake, even the privy was [...]

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 [...]

Huckleberry Rock Trail – a gem in Muskoka

By |2016-09-07T06:57:04-04:00September 7th, 2016|Categories: Canada, Exploring, garbage, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, huckleberry rock, Lake Joseph, lake muskoka, lake rousseau, litter, Lookout, Muskoka, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, Port carling, sightseeing, solo trip, tourism, tourists, Trails, Uncategorized, Up north, walking, walks, water|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since moving to Muskoka and making the drive to Bracebridge for groceries and supplies, etc, I have noticed a sign along highway 118 that says Huckleberry Rock Trail, but until today, I had not investigated it.  I was really glad I did because it's a pretty nice place! It was the day of the Tragically Hip concert, their farewell show in Kingston. I had originally had plans to go camping with some friends but things [...]

July 2016

Hardy Lake – The 8km loop

By |2016-07-19T06:48:47-04:00July 19th, 2016|Categories: Canada, day trip, Fun, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, inspiration, Muskoka, muskoka trails, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, ontario sea kayak centre, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, swimming, Uncategorized, Up north, walkling, walks, women|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I woke up to a gorgeous day Saturday and headed out to Mactier to do an address change on my drivers License.  When I got back to my place in Port Carling, I asked my roomates what they had planned for the day?  I had decided to do the bigger loop at Hardy Lake as I'd done the smaller one when I'd first arrived and loved it there.  Both Molly and Debra were in, so we [...]

June 2016

Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayaking Skills Course with Ontario Sea Kayak Centre

By |2020-05-19T14:47:02-04:00June 14th, 2016|Categories: #sup, alone, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Exploring, glamping, harmony, harmony inn, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hot tent, instructors, kayak, Kayaking, learning, level 1, mapping, Muskoka, Nature, Ontario, ontario sea kayak centre, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, parry sound, River, solo trip, summer tent, sunset, swimming, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Up north, walkling, walks, water, yoga|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've wanted to retake my kayaking course for some time now. I guess I should say 'retake' lightly as the first course I took in 2004 was not a certificate program through Paddle Canada and was only an 8 hour course, but, I did learn quite a few of the items that were on the list for the Paddle Canada Sea Kayaking Level 1 course. A few weeks ago I began researching a few places [...]

Wilderness Navigation – Getting Lost on purpose Frontenac PP

By |2026-04-05T13:19:07-04:00June 6th, 2016|Categories: #lost, #map, Adventure, alone, backcountry, backcountry camping, bruce trail, camping, Canada, compass, day trip, declination, Exploring, frontenac, grid, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, learning, legend, mapping, Muskoka, muskoka trails, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, rose, solo trip, true north, walkling, walks, wildernessnavigation|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since my very first backcountry trip in 2002 I have been carrying a compass in my backpack on every single trip I go on.  You would think that would make me smart, but the reality is, I have never learned how to use a compass. I was never in girl guides or scouts or brownies or participated in any type of class or course to show me how to use this amazing instrument. I have [...]

Go to Top