October 2016

Turkey Day at McCrae! -Cooking in my new Dutch Oven!

By |2016-10-18T18:43:59-04:00October 18th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear Barrel, Bear vault, bearproof, camp, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, canoe camping, conservatationarea, Conservation areas, conservationarea, cooking, creek, creeks, Exploring, fall, fallcolours, falls, food, Food storage, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hikingtrails, homemade, learning, leaves, Lookout, Nature, Ontario, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, outdoorproducts, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, portage, portaging, sunrise, sunset, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Trails, Uncategorized, water, waterfalls, waterways|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since meeting my friend Jason last year, he has been going on about this place called McCrae Lake.  I had never been there and according to him, it was a gorgeous place to spend a weekend camping, fishing and enjoying nature.  The Thanksgiving long weekend was approaching and as I hadn't had any plans yet, I decided it would be a good weekend to check the place out.  It was also the perfect weekend to [...]

August 2016

Navigating to Snake Island – Paddling Beyond Handrailing!

By |2016-08-09T19:45:08-04:00August 9th, 2016|Categories: Adventure, backcountry, backcountry camping, Bear vault, bearproof, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Canada, Chairs, compass, Exploring, kayak, kayak rack, Kayaking, learning, malone, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, rack system, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Before taking the Level 2 Sea Kayaking course with Ontario Sea Kayak Centre , I would've never attempted to camp out in the middle of Georgian Bay, on crown land, without being with someone who was experienced in doing so.  During my entire history of backcountry camping, I have used a method called handrailing and never knew how to use a compass.  I basically brought the map for the area I was in, and used landmarks, [...]

July 2016

Phillip Edward Island backcountry kayak trip!-Level 2 with OSKC

By |2016-07-12T21:46:56-04:00July 12th, 2016|Categories: animals, backcountry, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, Exploring, fish & chips, Fun, georgian bay, harmony inn, inspiration, instructors, kayak, Kayaking, killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, learning, mapping, Nature, navigating, navigation, Ontario, ontario parks, ontario sea kayak centre, Ontario Trails, outdoorproducts, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, sunrise, sunset, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Last month when I took my level 1 Sea Kayaking Course, I had no intention of taking my level 2.  If you read my Level 1 post, you would've seen that I had an amazing time at that course!  The instructors were full of knowledge and tonnes of fun and I learned so much!  I gained confidence in my skills, refreshed some of them and learned quite a few more. And, I met some extraordinary [...]

June 2016

Paddle Canada Level 1 Sea Kayaking Skills Course with Ontario Sea Kayak Centre

By |2020-05-19T14:47:02-04:00June 14th, 2016|Categories: #sup, alone, Campers, camping, camping tips, campsite, Exploring, glamping, harmony, harmony inn, hike, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, hot tent, instructors, kayak, Kayaking, learning, level 1, mapping, Muskoka, Nature, Ontario, ontario sea kayak centre, Ontario Trails, outdoor products, Outdoors, paddle, paddle canada, paddling, parry sound, River, solo trip, summer tent, sunset, swimming, tarps, tent, tentcamping, Up north, walkling, walks, water, yoga|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I've wanted to retake my kayaking course for some time now. I guess I should say 'retake' lightly as the first course I took in 2004 was not a certificate program through Paddle Canada and was only an 8 hour course, but, I did learn quite a few of the items that were on the list for the Paddle Canada Sea Kayaking Level 1 course. A few weeks ago I began researching a few places [...]

Wilderness Navigation – Getting Lost on purpose Frontenac PP

By |2020-05-19T14:57:12-04:00June 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 2001 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

Killbear – I would never!

By |2016-05-31T19:42:19-04:00May 31st, 2016|Categories: #killbear, animals, beach, camp, Campers, camping, camping tips, Canada, carcamping, Exploring, fish & chips, Fun, georgian bay, glamping, Hikers, Hiking, hiking trails, kayak, Kayaking, Lookout, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Outdoors, paddle, paddling, Provincial Park, summer tent, tent, tentcamping, Trails, Up north|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I have always wanted to go to Killbear Provincial Park.  Last year I tried out 7 new Ontario Parks and loved almost every one of them.  This year, the first on my list to try was Killbear! I went to the Ontario Parks Website  and checked out the campground and found some sites that looked great!  I contacted my friend Steph to see if she was in for doing a May 2-4 trip and she was [...]

July 2015

Not Roughing it in the Backcountry – Killarney PP

By |2015-07-23T12:07:56-04:00July 23rd, 2015|Categories: backcountry, backcountry camping, camping, Climb, Climbing, Exploring, glamping, hike, Hiking, hikingtrails, Joe Perry, killarney, Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, ontario parks, Outdoors, Provincial Park, site 56, summer tent, sunrise, sunset, tarps, tent, tentcamping|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

On saturday July 18th at 4am my friend Steph and I headed up the Trans Canada highway to Killarney Provincial park for a highly anticipated backcountry trip on Carlyle Lake.  En route we saw two deers along the highway and then two moose! So totally exciting and I hoped a sign of things to come! Not by any means the best picture, but I love it anyways! Upon arrival we were greeted by enthusiastic park [...]

Canada Day At Grundy Lake Provincial Park

By |2015-07-07T01:59:31-04:00July 7th, 2015|Categories: Adventure, camp, Campers, camping, campsite, Canada, Exploring, glamping, grundy, grundy lake, Gurd Lake, Gut Lake, hike, Hiking, hiking trails, Nature, Ontario, ontario parks, Ontario Trails, Provincial Park, summer tent, sunrise, sunset, swimming, tarps, tent, Uncategorized|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

At 4am on Canada Day, 2015, on a cloudy drizzly morning,  I headed out, car packed, kayak on top, and mom in the passenger seat, to Grundy Lake Provincial Park in Britt, ON. I was really excited to see this park as I had joined Twitter a few months ago and someone tweeted some photos from their trip there. Once I did some research on it I was convinced it was a park I wanted [...]

Go to Top