It has taken five long years for the kids and I to get back out into the canoe and go camping. A major change in life (moving to Bancroft and building a house) had left us with little time for canoe trips. The last weekend in September was unusually warm and perfect for a fall …
Backcountry Camping
The Bridge Community Church (Bancroft) Men’s Canoe Trip, 2019
We were warned that this trail was not for novice hikers. The beauty of this landscape is possibly only equalled by its ruggedness. I suppose that’s part of the reason why it is so spectacular – because of how rugged and remote it is. It had been 17 years since the first time I witnessed …
I was asked to participate in a canoe trip this past Summer (2017) with a group of guys I mostly had never met before, in a place I had never been before and had no problem saying “yes!” The opportunity to experience something new in a familiar situation was all too enticing. The itinerary was …
“This is so the best day ever” my daughter exclaimed as she watched the popcorn kernels explode into their white, fluffy glory. The handle for the Jiffy Pop was much too short and I had to set it on the fire. I should have known better. She paid no attention to my apology for burning …
There is no such island in Killarney, but in my daughter’s mind we were on Mosquito Island for the duration of our shortest canoe trip to date. We drove up to the park for the weekend to host a film screening of Wilderness Trails at the park amphitheatre. Scott (co-creator of the film) and his …
We got a bit of weather extremes during this weekend paddle up to Tom Thomson Lake and back. Here is a time lapse to illustrate the difference that weather can play on the mood of a canoe trip.
“There’s a place, a garden for the young To laugh and dance in safety among The shimmering light in the shade of the trees” (Josh Garells / Morning Light) For the past eight consecutive years, I have taken my kids on a canoe trip in Killarney Provincial Park. This place is truly “a garden for …
I know – the title of the film sounds a little presumptuous and all encompassing. Another option, ‘My Wilderness Portrait’ (to me anyways) sounded too juvenile. I usually spend way too much time oscillating between titles until I get frustrated and (in this case) just go with my first instinct. This film is made from …
This was my daughter’s third canoe trip. This one was a little different – just the two of us – father and daughter. She loves camping – in fact she often tells me that, “Daddy … I love camping!” She’s my little helper. She volunteers to help gather firewood, chop firewood, set up the tent, …