June 2016

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 [...]

May 2016

I Say Goodbye, I Say Hello – The road to Port Carling – chapter 1

By |2016-05-17T20:32:03-04:00May 17th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, Campers, camping, Canada, carcamping, Exploring, Hiking, hiking trails, Kayaking, move, moving, Muskoka, Nature, new beginning, new job, Niagara, Ontario, solo trip, St. Catharines, Up north|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My dad provided me with the perfect word to describe the last few weeks, bittersweet.    It seems no matter how good something is, there is almost always something bad that goes along with it. It also depends on if you choose to see it, or just focus on the positive.  When things in your life have been really good and people have been great to you, you can't help but get sad when you [...]

Thermarest vs thermarest

By |2016-05-09T21:04:03-04:00May 9th, 2016|Categories: #thermarest, backcountry, backcountry camping, camp, camping, camping tips, campsite, kayak, Kayaking, mat, matt, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, outdoor products, Outdoors, pad, sleep, sleeping, sleeping matt, sleeping pad, tent, tentcamping, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The week before my last backcountry trip of the year, I went to Outdoors Oriented for a visit. I needed a few things for my trip.  I was also looking for some items to test out for my blog and Jamie, the stores owner, was kind enough to provide me with one of his tester NeoAir Trekker Thermarest mats! I was stoked. It was so tiny and I was curious to see how comfortable it would be [...]

Restoule PP – Spring has sprung!

By |2016-05-02T20:04:50-04:00May 2nd, 2016|Categories: #Restoule, Adventure, animals, beach, bearproof, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, carcamping, cold, Exploring, Fun, glamping, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, kayak, Kayaking, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, Parks, Pottery, Provincial Park, summer tent, tent, tentcamping, Trails, Up north|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last year at this time, I had not winter camped all season. I had not winter camped at all. By April I was dying to get outdoors and into my tent. With May long weekend coming up, I had a chat with mom to see if she'd want to go on a little trip, and then went onto the Ontario Parks site to find somewhere to go! We had never been to Restoule, but I have [...]

April 2016

Camper Christina – A New Chapter Begins!

By |2016-04-19T20:42:38-04:00April 19th, 2016|Categories: #north, Adventure, alone, Exploring, hike, Hiking, hiking trails, inspiration, move, moving, Muskoka, Nature, new beginning, new job, Ontario, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, St. Catharines, Trails, Uncategorized, Up north, yolo|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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Homemade fire starter

By |2016-04-12T07:26:26-04:00April 12th, 2016|Categories: #fire, Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, carcamping, cooking, DIY, fire starter, glamping, homemade, Nature, Ontario, outdoor products, outdoorproducts, Outdoors, tent, tentcamping, tipi, tips, winter, winter camping tips|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

With all the camping I do, I can use all the savings I can find. Even if its just a few dollars here and there!  I always bring firestarter with me on every trip. It is a small item that can sometimes make or break your camping trip.  Sometimes you are in the backcountry and all the good wood has been used up, or, you just arrived after several days of rain.  Sometimes the wood [...]

Frontenac PP- Wilderness First Aid

By |2026-04-05T13:03:18-04:00April 5th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, canadian red cross, clusters, cpr, Exploring, first aid, frontenac, kayak, Kayaking, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, paddle, paddling, Provincial Park, tent, tentcamping, wilderness first aid|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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March 2016

Decew Falls – Historic Hiking in Niagara!

By |2016-03-28T17:42:31-04:00March 28th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, alone, Brock, bruce trail, brucetrail, Canada, day trip, Decew, Decew Falls, Decew House, Exploring, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, icefalls, Lake Gibson, Morningstar Mill, Nature, Niagara, Niagara Bruce Trail, Ontario, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, Parks, solo trip, St. Catharines, Trails, walking, walks, water, waterfalls, waterways, wind, winter|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Decew Falls is named after John DeCou, who purchased the land in about 1788, buying 100 acres with an axe and an indian blanket. In 1812 he purchased the land along the top of the escarpment from his newly built stone house to Decew Falls.  During the war of 1812, DeCou served in the Lincoln Militia and his home served as headquarters by the British where Laura Secord brought news to in June of 1813, of a potential [...]

Yurting at Silent Lake- Mom’s Sled-in

By |2016-03-21T19:09:57-04:00March 21st, 2016|Categories: #snowshoeing, Adventure, bonnies pond, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, carcamping, cold, Exploring, glamping, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, ice, inspiration, Lookout, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, Parks, pull in, silent lake, sledding, Uncategorized, walkling, walks, winter, winter Wonderland, winterglamping, yurt|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While staying in a yurt at Mew Lake with my mom, we met a park ranger who had just come from working at Silent Lake. He told us all about the park and that he highly recommended us paying it a visit.  I had heard a lot about Silent Lake but had never been there so I was appreciative of the information and decided to look into it further when I got home. A few weeks [...]

Hiking to Starling Lookout – Mew -42, Part 3

By |2016-03-01T07:53:09-05:00March 1st, 2016|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, backcountry, camping, Canada, carcamping, Climb, Climbing, cold, day trip, Exploring, family day weekend, hike, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, Lookout, Mew Lake, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, Parks, Provincial Park, Trails, walkling, walks, water, winter camping tips, winterinthewild|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

While camping at Mew Lake during Winter in the Wild, my sitemates and myself decided to go for a hike to Starling Lookout. We packed up our backpacks and ourselves as it was a balmy -22 (better than the -42 we'd been through already) and headed out on the trail. We didn't take our snowshoes as we'd been told all the trails were well packed and they weren't needed. I was bummed but no point [...]

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