October 2017

Killarney – Solo Canoe Trip – Part 1/2- Paddle Paddle Muck Wind

By |2017-10-17T19:00:55-04:00October 17th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, alone, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, camp, camping, campsite, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, canoeing, Exploring, fall, fallcolours, falls, killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, Moon, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, scenery, scenic, solo trip, storm, sunrise, sunset, swamp, tent, waterfalls, waterways, wind|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

With another long weekend fast approaching, it was time to devise a new plan. A 5 day solo canoe trip was in order and I wanted it to be as awesome as my Algonquin trip had been.  It would be hard to surpass but I believed I had the groundwork for another epic journey! After many nights of planning and consulting a few people who knew the area, making revisions and calculating kilometers and portage [...]

Mike Ranta – Hanging out in Killarney with a Modern Day Voyageur!

By |2017-10-11T09:30:22-04:00October 11th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, alone, camping, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, canoeing, enthusiasm, Exploring, inspiration, killarney, legend, Mike Ranta, Nature, Ontario, Outdoor Adventure Show, Outdoors, paddling, solo trip, Spitzii, water, waterways, winter camping|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I first met Mike Ranta at the 2017 Toronto outdoor show I didn't really know that much about him. All I knew was that I had just heard him present and I had never heard someone speak so passionately about something.   Mike Ranta speaks from his heart and he is so passionate about what he does that it gave me chills.   I was inspired instantly. This year him and his amazing canine Spitzii [...]

Georgian Bay – Solo Kayak Camp – Conquering Fears !

By |2017-10-03T18:46:19-04:00October 3rd, 2017|Categories: Adventure, camp, camping, campsite, Canada, crownland camping, enthusiasm, Exploring, georgian bay, kayak, kayak camping, Kayaking, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, scenery, scenic, solo trip, sunrise, sunset, tangii, women, yolo|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have always loved the beauty of Georgian Bay.  You see, I have a thing for rocks. I just love them and Georgian Bay is full of them, in all different shapes, sizes and colors.  Then there's the water... it is this deep deep blue color... so pretty!   I spent some time on Georgian Bay during my Level 2 Sea Kayaking Course and I have wanted to go back ever since.  The problem was, like [...]

September 2017

Algonquin Kiosk Loop – 5 Day Solo Canoe Trip – Part 2 of 2

By |2023-11-10T20:07:32-05:00September 20th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, alone, backcountry camping, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, canoe camping, canoeing, enthusiasm, Exploring, inspiration, kiosk, Ontario, ontario parks, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, Solitaire, solo trip, sunrise, sunset, tangii|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Part 1 of this trip can be found here.   This is the continuation of that post starting from the afternoon of Day 3 at my site on Big Thunder Lake. I had just arrived, set up my small footprint tarp and was sitting under it enjoying some lunch...... While eating my lunch on day 3 on Big Thunder Lake, I realized I would have to move the small footprint tarp I was using and [...]

Algonquin Kiosk Loop – 5 Day Solo Canoe Trip – Part 1

By |2022-03-31T10:08:43-04:00September 13th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Algonquin, Algonquin Park, Algonquin Provincial Park, alone, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bearproof, camping, campsite, Canada, canoe, canoe camping, canoeing, creek, creeks, Exploring, inspiration, Kioshkokwi, kioshkokwi lake, kiosk, lakes, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, Provincial Park, scenery, scenic, solo trip, sunrise, sunset|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

In 2002, I went on my very first backcountry trip. Five days, four nights and for someone who'd barely canoed, a huge challenge.  It was a loop full of portages and lots of tests and I had thought about doing it solo for quite some time now.  After a great deal of thought, I came to the conclusion that doing that loop solo, just wasn't realistic or feasible, and so I put it out of [...]

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. [...]

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 [...]

Paddling with Paddling Adventures Radio – QEII Too Much Fun!

By |2017-08-08T18:09:55-04:00August 8th, 2017|Categories: Adventure, Canada, canoe, canoeing, Exploring, fish, fishing, Nature, Ontario, Outdoors, paddle, paddling|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I had planned to do nothing last weekend... the key word there is planned. LOL.  I have been out doing something  every weekend for as long as I can remember and have not slept in my own bed on a weekend in , well, I can't actually remember.  I had decided to spend the day Saturday fishing with my dad.  He was going to drive up to my place and then we would head to [...]

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