September 2017

Kayaking with Kevin Callan – Herb Lake, Haliburton Water Trails

By |2017-09-12T19:33:35-04:00September 12th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, algonquin highlands, backcountry, backcountry camping, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, cooking, education, enthusiasm, Exploring, food, inspiration, kayak, kayak camping, kayak portaging, Kayaking, learning, Nature, navigating, Ontario, ontarios highlands, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, scenery, scenic, sightseeing, sunrise, sunset, tangii, teach, teaching, training|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ever since my first trip with Kevin Callan, The Happy Camper, in June of this year, there has been a challenge set forth for Kevin the (mostly) canoeist to go on a kayaking trip with me.  Our second trip over the Canada 150 long weekend, brought us canoeing once again, but I was promised a kayaking trip at some point and I was going to make sure it happened, no matter how short or the location. [...]

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 [...]

The French River – 4 Day Solo Kayak Trip – Worst Site, Best Site- Post 1 of 2

By |2022-03-31T10:13:10-04:00August 15th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bugs, camp, camping, campsite, Canada, Exploring, Fun, georgian bay, kayak, kayak camping, Kayaking, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, Provincial Park, Rapids, scenery, scenic, solo trip, tangii, tent, tentcamping, yolo|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

As long as I can remember, I've always wanted to visit the French River.  I had no idea where to go, where to access, what to see, etc and so the trip kept getting delayed.  Finding myself suddenly available on the August long weekend and dying to do a 4 day solo, I decided the French River was where I would go. My awesome friend Kevin Callan had been there and had written about the [...]

The French – 4 day solo kayak trip – Bye Bye Go Pro Hello Fish! 2 of 2

By |2017-08-14T10:45:09-04:00August 14th, 2017|Categories: #adventure, #badweather, #blacksky, #camping, Adventure, alone, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, camp, camping, campsite, Canada, compass, creek, creeks, enthusiasm, Exploring, fish, fishing, food, French River, georgian bay, inspiration, kayak, kayak camping, Kayaking, mapping, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, Provincial Park, scenery, scenic, solo trip, storm, sunset, swimming, tangii, waterfalls, waterways, women|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In my last post, part 1 of 2, Worst Site, Best Site, I had just said goodnight on a beautiful campsite on Georgian Bay.  The weather had been gloomy the last 2 days and I was hoping to rise early to some sunshine.  Let's see if my wish came true? It was Sunday morning, day 3 of my 4 day, 3 night solo kayak trip on the French River and I woke to a very [...]

July 2017

Solo Camping Tips with Michelle -THE VIDEO 1 of 2 – Wow Auction Winner – McCrae Lake

By |2017-07-27T08:53:14-04:00July 27th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, camping, Canada, Exploring, inspiration, kayak, kayak camping, kayak portaging, Kayaking, loons, McCrae Lake, Nature, Ontario, ontario sea kayak centre, outdoor products, outdoorproducts, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, sunset, tangii, training, Uncategorized, women|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

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 [...]

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 [...]

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