July 2017

My 1st Solo Canoe Trip – Haliburton Highlands Water Trails

By |2017-07-11T14:35:06-04:00July 11th, 2017|Categories: #solo, Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, camping, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, enthusiasm, Exploring, fish, fishing, loons, morel, morels, Nature, Ontario, ontarios highlands, outdoor products, Outdoors, owl, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, training, Uncategorized, waterways|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

My first solo backcountry trip was 2 years ago at the Massasauga Provincial Park.  It was by kayak and since then I've done many solo kayaking trips and a few solo winter camping trips both by tipi and by tent.  I had never gone on a solo canoe trip, however, until this past weekend. At the 150 for 150 event on Canoe Lake the weekend before Canada Day, Jon from Backcountry Custom Canoes answered my [...]

June 2017

Canoe Camping with The Happy Camper -Bugs, Banter & Boney M

By |2017-06-06T17:19:40-04:00June 6th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, algonquin highlands, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bearproof, birds, blog, bugs, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, canoe camping, cooking, enthusiasm, Exploring, gear, learning, morel, morels, Ontario, ontarios highlands, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, recipes, scenery, scenic, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Have you every wondered what it'd be like to camp with the famous Happy Camper, Kevin Callan?  I did too, so I decided to find out! I had chatted with Kevin Callan a few times online at the start of 2017, as he had picked me to do a blurb on my tipi for his winter camping book. When we met at the Outdoor Adventure Show this spring in person, we shared a few stories [...]

May 2017

Bentshoe Lake – 1st kayak camping trip of 2017

By |2017-05-02T16:07:22-04:00May 2nd, 2017|Categories: #drysuit, #kokatat, Bear vault, bearproof, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, Exploring, gear, kayak, kayak camping, kayak portaging, Kayaking, loons, Ontario, outdoor products, Outdoors, owl, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, scenery, scenic, tangii, tent, tentcamping, water, waterways|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had plans to head over and visit my kayaking coach for some training in preparation of my Level  1 Sea Kayak Instructor Course, but as sometimes plans do, they were moved to another day during the week.  This put me at 8am on a Saturday morning, kayak on car all ready to go, and no plans for the weekend. Guess I could start my kayak camping season after all?  You didn't have to twist [...]

February 2017

The Outdoor Adventure Show! -So Many Awesome People in One Place!

By |2017-02-28T18:24:38-05:00February 28th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, animals, booths, Campers, camping, camping tips, Canada, canoe camping, carcamping, Chairs, day trip, Exploring, Fun, kayak, Kayaking, Ontario, ontarios highlands, Outdoor Adventure Show, outdoor products, Outdoors, outdoors show, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, portage, portaging, pot set, Presentation, Provincial Park, tent, tentcamping, trade show, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had an amazing time this past weekend at the Outdoor Adventure Show in Toronto .  I applied to get a bloggers pass and blog about the event and I was picked! I spent two days at the show this year and it was awesome!!!  Last year I was only at the event for one day and felt far too rushed. This year I was able to see all the booths I wanted to, talk [...]

1st Cold Camping Trip! – Solo Backcountry on St. Nora Lake

By |2017-02-14T15:16:15-05:00February 14th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, algonquin highlands, alone, backcountry, backcountry camping, camp, camping, campsite, Canada, cold, cold camp, cold camping, Exploring, falls, frozen waterfalls, gloves, hike, Hiking, hiking trails, ice, icefalls, inspiration, learning, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, ontarios highlands, outdoor products, Outdoors, Parks, portage, portaging, pull in, sledding, solo trip, summer tent, tent, tentcamping, texting gloves, toboggan, Uncategorized, walking, water, waterfalls, waterways, winter, winter camping, yolo|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

 It was Thanksgiving weekend, 2001 and I did a backcountry trip backpacking in to Bucholtz Lake on the Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail in Algonquin Park. I had a -5 sleeping bag and I remember I was laying there wearing all the clothes I had brought in,  including my jacket, in my sleeping bag and I was frozen solid.  All I wanted to do was be warm but there was no way I was walking  out [...]

January 2017

Limberlost – Snowshoeing in an Enchanted Forest with Lovely Ladies

By |2017-01-17T16:44:23-05:00January 17th, 2017|Categories: #snow, #snowing, #snowshoe, #snowshoeing, Adventure, algonquin highlands, bridge, cold, creek, creeks, day trip, Exploring, frozen waterfalls, Fun, girls, hike, Hiking, hiking trails, Huntsville, Muskoka, muskoka trails, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, ontarios highlands, Outdoors, shoe, Solitaire, Trails, Uncategorized, Up north, walking, walks, water, waterfalls, waterways, winter, winter Wonderland, women|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have heard of Limberlost but only vaguely and had never been there.  A new friend from Port Carling asked me if I'd like to go snowshoeing there and I was totally up for it!   I had just camped for a few days at Mew Lake in the Tipi and headed straight to Limberlost Forest and Nature Reserve from Algonquin Park. The roads were a bit crazy and snow covered but we were going [...]

December 2016

The Sounds of Silence – Exploring Silent Lake

By |2016-12-20T20:28:08-05:00December 20th, 2016|Categories: algonquin highlands, alone, animals, beach, bonnies pond, Campers, camping, campsite, convienience, cooking, Exploring, falls, frozen waterfalls, glamping, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, hot tent, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Parks, Provincial Park, silent lake, solo trip, sunrise, texting gloves, Uncategorized, walking, walks, waterfalls, wind, winter, winterglamping, yurt|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's hard to believe that only 9 months ago, I had my first visit to Silent Lake!  It was a wonderful experience and I was hoping for more of the same this trip.   I had planned on going for just one night when I discovered yurt #5, the same one I stayed in, in March, was open, but there is a two night minimum for booking yurts, so I took it for two. I [...]

Paddling on Big East Lake – Living Life With No Regrets

By |2016-12-13T18:56:59-05:00December 13th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, algonquin highlands, alone, animals, backcountry, backcountry camping, camp, camping, campsite, Canada, Exploring, gloves, ice, Ice trail, inspiration, kayak, kayak portaging, Kayaking, moosehunting, Muskoka, Ontario, Ontario Trails, ontarios highlands, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, solo trip, sunrise, sunset, tangii, tent, tentcamping, texting gloves, Uncategorized, Up north, water, waterways, winter|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It is a time of year when one must be really careful going out on the water.  I often receive comments of concern, people calling me brave,  and others blatantly stating I am unsafe, careless and should not be doing what I'm doing.   What if you fall out of your kayak?  You will freeze instantly!!! I have been kayaking for over 15 years of my life.  In that time, I have never, not once, [...]

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