I have been hearing about the great Bon Echo Provincial Park for many years now. I had wanted to explore it and seeing as I had a free weekend in September and a willing and eager camping partner, the time to visit there had come! I did my best to research Bon Echo but other than the Ontario Parks Website and a few posts here and there, I couldn't find a whole lot. I contacted Bon [...]
In 2002, I completed my first backcountry trip in Algonquin Provincial Park. It was awesome and I was immediately hooked! Over the years, I have completed approximately 25 backcountry trips and have loved every single one of them. I have gear to both backpack into the backcountry, or paddle in to sites, however, I much prefer the latter as it is a lot less work! I love the solace of the backcountry but do not need [...]
It's funny the reactions you get from people when you tell them you are going on a solo backcountry trip! I'm not 100% sure if it's because I am female, or just because people don't really understand what spending time in nature does for your soul? From the very first time I went backcountry camping in 2002, I was hooked! On that trip I was in for 5 days and stayed on 4 different lakes. [...]
I woke up around 6:15 and went for my morning walk to the facilities. The washrooms were 10 sites down, one of my poorer decisions I've made when picking a campsite, but otherwise, our site was incredibly awesome! I was practically sleepwalking, I was so tired and could not wait until I could walk the other way, and get back into bed! Eventually, that time came. I was walking down the camp road and was [...]
On Saturday, September 5th, I had plans to visit friends in Woodstock for the evening. Another great opportunity to explore a new section of the Trans Canada Trail! I went on the website and checked the TCT Map. I discovered a really nice section in Brantford, pretty much en route to my final destination, so I packed up my bike, lots of water, as it was going to be very hot today, and headed [...]
Every year I take my mom to the Parkway Cottages & Resort in Dwight, Ontario. I went there in 2001 after my very first backcountry trip in Algonquin Park. Five days of roughing it, followed by 5 days of cottaging. It was a great trip and since then I have been going back occasionally. One year, I decided to take my mom for her birthday and she has wanted to go there every year since. [...]
On Sunday August 23rd, 2015, my mom and I took a spin around Peck Lake Trail in Algonquin Park. We have done it many times and it is one of our favourite trails in the park. It is very scenic and not too difficult for mom, who's about to turn 70 this year! Last year when we were there we saw a humming bird, her first one ever and it was really exciting to see! [...]
Longpoint Provincial Park is the fourth oldest park in Ontario, boasting over 1.5 km's of sandy beach! It is one of my favourite beaches in Ontario and I have been camping at Longpoint for about 8 years straight now. The tradition was started by my friend Cynthia, who used to have a group of her friends join her there annually, and has continued on with our volleyball group, spending a few days of fun in [...]
On Sunday August 9th, I left the TCT in Guelph and headed to do a section of the trail in Cambridge, in a somewhat round about way home. I was a bit tired from the night before, celebrating my friends wedding in Guelph, but had figured since I was already there, why not do some of the Trans Canada Trails out this way? I mapped out a route to do the trail in Guelph, then [...]
On Monday, August 3rd, 2015, I planned to go for a nice bike ride on the Trans Canada Trail with my mom. A few weeks ago we were honoured with the gift of two #woodsexplorer shirts from @woods_canada to thank us for our interest in the Woods Brand and for my involvement in their growing online community. They had asked to give one to my mom and for us to wear the shirts on our next adventure, and today [...]