The Quetico Experience

The Quetico experience even included a beach

campsite. Didn't expect that!

The first hot shower, a comfy bed or even the first fresh meal is always a treat when you finish a long trip. However, if I could take it all back to continue tripping in Quetico, I would do it all in a heartbeat. I may be a bit biased since I obviously love canoe trips, but hey, this just summarizes my feelings about the 2 weeks I spent in Quetico. The experience was amazing and I can't wait to go back.

I've never seen so many large red and white pines together.

I was in total awe and often found myself tripping

on portages while looking up.

Temagami is one of my most favourite places to paddle in Ontario due to its rugged landscape, old growth and challenging routes. So of course when I heard that Quetico is much like Temagami, I was ecstatic. Part of me was a little reserved to think there was another locale with features that rivaled Temagami, but the other side of me was screaming to go there to find out for myself. The opportunity finally came and I can whole-heartedly say, I love the place. I really did find Temagami's twin!

These weren't new shoes, but the portages in Quetico

definitely finished them off. I actually had

holes in them!

When I think of an operating provincial park, I normally think of a place that is somewhat tamed and groomed. I find most parks have that feeling its been a bit pampered. However, canoe tripping in Quetico was much like what I would experience on a crown land route. Trying to locate portages, rough portages, (including take-outs and put-ins), rugged landscapes that include fire ravaged areas, wild storms, old growth, and oh, even trying to locate campsites! To me, these challenges and circumstances align more closely with what I'd expect to experience in the wilderness untouched my man. Sometimes there is a price to pay for these qualities, but the rewards are simply unmatched. Yes, we all sported bruises, scrapes, and had aches. Yes, we all got stuck in muck, had spills, blurted colourful words. Yes, we were at times exhausted, frustrated, and even miserable. But as one member of my group said after the trip, we all came away with wonderful memories - that was indeed the Quetico experience.

The combination of some great campsites and rest days

meant baking was going full tilt! Scrumptious!

Two weeks in Quetico is enough time to fully immerse yourself in this great park with lots of history. Personally, I would have preferred something more like 4 weeks, but sometimes, experiencing a bit and wanting more is much more gratifying. The route I picked tried to take in some of the highlights of the park, while at the same time trying not to overly task my fellow paddlers. (They may have slightly different opinions on this one.) We covered roughly 240kms in 12 days (with 2 rest days), which I thought was a fair mix of travel and leisure. In any case, I feel I only barely scratched the surface and would love to go back for more. My only issue with Quetico? Its sooooo far! Its a tough swallow to lose 2 days at either end of your vacation to travel there, but honestly, it is definitely worth the drive. Am I going back, definitely! Should you go, absolutely! Bottom line, you just need to go there and experience Quetico yourself. You won't regret it!

Andrea and Jennifer helped me at the Heritage Pavilion

to set me off on my way with the beautiful

Centenary Nova Craft Cronje.

Photo: Anita DeVries

It was a real privilege and honour to paddle the Centenary Nova Craft Cronje in Quetico and take part in the Artist-In-Residence program. The Cronje was a delight to paddle and light on the shoulders while portaging. I tried so hard to keep the pristine canoe from scratches, but within days it started in earnest. Oops! We left Quetico with many scrapes as memories and the canoe was no exception. As my fellow paddlers stated, at least the canoe now has character and has even 'experienced' the park itself! We can't have a 'Quetico canoe', if it hasn't even been on a canoe trip in the park, can we? Many thanks to the great staff at Quetico that helped me on my way when I got there and when I left, particularly Susan Bourne, the park naturist, Jennifer Lukacic, assistant park superintendent, Andrea Allison the park librarian and Robin Reilly, the park superintendent that got the whole ball rolling! It was a pleasure meeting them all and hope to see them again soon.

Not much a fisherman, I was ecstatic to not only catch my

first walleye, but also the biggest one!

Photo: Fred Kodjayan

Later in the year, I will blog on our groups experiences and share some more photos. It was hard to come back to the real world, but there is no time to sulk. In just over a week, I'll be headed back out again. Yup, its my favourite month to paddle and I plan to take full advantage of it!

Hope you've all been out paddling!

Its been a great year for it so far!

Cheers,

tPP

We had lots of time to relax,....oh!, that's the picture below.

Oops, this is Cristof after a portage!

Ok, that's more like it! Taking in the Quetico experience!

Artist-In-Residence at Quetico

I'm posting from a motel near Thunder Bay, as I'm about to embark on a 2 week canoe trip in Quetico Provincial Park tomorrow. I've heard and read many good things about this paddling mecca, which is unique in some ways from other paddling parks in Ontario. For one, unlike Algonquin PP which still allows logging, Quetico has banned logging practice altogether, so within its boundary, what you see is what you get; no facade of unending wilderness. Another practice that is different in Quetico which I think is great, is the omission of signs for campsites and portages that heightens the wilderness experience for paddlers. You can tent anywhere, as long as you practice low impact camping. Not forgetting also that you don't have to book sites at any particular lake, your route is now determined totally by your ability, experience or purpose - no need to follow a pre-determined route. A park with qualities like this, how couldn't I get excited?

Early this year, when I started to plot out my canoe season, I finally decided to take a trip out to Quetico Provincial Park. (As I've never been.) When I attended Canoecopia this year to present, I took the opportunity to visit the Ontario Parks booth to meet the superintendent of Quetico PP, Robin Reilly. We had a nice long chat about the park and its history, which only captivated my curiosity to paddle there even more. As a bonus, in the course of our discussion due to my association with Nova Craft Canoes, Robin even invited me to use their special commemorative centennial edition Cronje they got from Nova Craft, which was in display at their park office. Wow, what an honour and offer! Not only that, he suggested I take part in their Artist-In-Residence program, in which an artist gets to paddle in the park for free, in return by showcasing their artwork and helping to promote the park. Come on, how could I refuse!?

In any case, sometime early tomorrow, I will be portaging the brand new, never-before-paddled commemorative Cronje down to the shores of French Lake, and start a 14 day trip through Quetico Provincial Park. I am really looking forward to this trip, and hope that the route selected allows me to experience the essence of Quetico and capture some of it through my lens. I hope to share my experience in the following year through presentations, my blog and a return visit to Quetico. Be in touch in a couple weeks! Hope you have all got out paddling!

Cheers,

tPP

Premature-'Circumnavigation' of Franklin Island

Franklin Island is not only a treat for paddlers, but

photographers as well, as there are

endless possibilities.

As you all know, I don't do trip reports. No day by day play of when I got up, what I ate, where I buried my 'nuggets', how far I paddled, and where I camped. Could you imagine how much I would have to write, besides the repetitive nature of each day? What I do like to write about is the unique things that happen on trips that may entertain or amuse my readers. Many times it has centered on me, but other times I like to focus the attention on someone else, like Lynne.

There are 2 places to access Franklin Island, either from Snug

Harbour or Dillon. We opted to set off from

the public docks at Dillon.

Lynne is an experienced paddler which I met online. I needed a whitewater partner for a river trip this year and found she had done some decent trips on rivers such as the Esagami in northern Ontario, the Wind in the Yukon, and the Dumoine in Quebec. Ideally, I would have preferred to paddle some whitewater in the spring with her, but was too busy and couldn't get out. So, with the Coulonge River trip coming up, (which she committed to) I wanted to at least get out for a short trip together to size each other up. Ideally, it should have been a river trip, but since it was only us, we decided last minute to just circumnavigate Franklin Island on the recommendation of another paddling friend. I figured with her experience, we would gel pretty quickly.

Lynne made an amazing chicken satay dinner the first night.

And no, the chicken wasn't rehydrated, it was

the real stuff! Yum!

The irony with Lynne is that she is a writer and photographer, like me. Normally she writes about the quirks and whims of other people she has paddled with, including snapping photos of them. Well, the roles reversed on this trip as she was being photographed and scrutinized by moi for interesting subject matter. It was amusing as we both threatened to write about each other, but unfortunately she had a hard time finding anything of interest to write about me. Unlike me, it was like I hit jackpot. I couldn't keep up with the barrage of stuff to write about her! Yes, she moaned a lot when she realized the roles had changed on this trip and for once, she would be the subject.

I'm sure someone was just bored, but I have to say, this thing

really looks odd. Almost Stonehenge-like. (Them aliens!)

Now I have paddled with many people, from the greenest of the green, to those more experienced than I. Everyone including myself have things about them that are odd, peculiar, or just different. Really, what is normal? Also, when you've tripped for many years, you adopt certain habits and routines or do things a certain way to suit your needs, such as Lynne having breakfast the first moment she gets up. For that reason alone, we decided to bring our own breakfast, no problem. (I usually like to have a hot drink first, and then have breakfast later on.) Also, she is like clockwork when it comes to brushing her teeth after every meal, which for the most part is no problem. Except when she pulled out her toothbrush inside the tent after breakfast one morning! Yes, it was pouring outside, but couldn't she just wait, or skip it altogether for once?! She claims she doesn't usually do that,...right! The clincher was when she popped her tooth brush back in its case unrinsed and didn't bother rinsing her mouth out! Yeah, my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets - but that's Lynne.

Franklin Island has lots of sand beaches. It really is a slice

of paradise. Luckily we didn't have to contend

with many weekend campers.

I like to look over a route before heading out on a trip, but since the decision to paddle around Franklin Island was last minute, I didn't have much information on it or a map for that matter. Since Lynne lives close by Toronto's MEC, she graciously offered to get a map for the trip. I decided due to her experience and the fact she said she was "good at navigating", I would for once leave it to someone else. So off we went on that lovely day from the dock at Dillon with Lynne in the stern. We stopped a couple times for short breaks, to take photos, and to explore the numerous beautiful coves and beaches. I asked her unassumingly where we were a couple times when we stopped, just to get a gauge of our location, (This is normal, is it not?) especially since there were islands everywhere and it could get confusing real fast. She would reply vaguely that we were "somewhere on the map". A little bird was twittering loudly in my head, but I decided to just let it go.

As small as Franklin Island is, it was logged too! The loggers

really left no stone unturned. Evidence found both

in the water and on land.

From Dillon, we were to head west across the north end of Franklin Island, then paddle south along its western edge. Somewhere along its western side, we were supposed to set camp for the first night. Then we were supposed to continue to the SW end of the island before turning east along the south end towards Snug Harbour. Lastly, we would then turn back north along the eastern edge of the island and spend our last night close to Dillon. Simple enough, but that wasn't how the trip turned out.

More than a decade of hard use and I never once blackened

my stove,...until now. Lynne apparently has a

track record with white gas stoves!

We spent the first day leisurely exploring the west end of the island as we paddled along at an easy pace. However, when the landscape opened up to the south of us and we started turning east while following the shoreline, I questioned whether we had already paddled the west side of the island. She quickly rebuffed my suggestion and stated we couldn't have finished so soon. She surmised it was probably just a big bay we were seeing in front of us. We were obviously now heading east, (which I confirmed with the compass on my watch) and I again questioned her since I could now easily see the mainland. Her second response was much more muted this time, as she looked intensely at the map trying to locate ourselves. As we drifted, she finally conceded that I could be right. I asked for the map and quickly determined our location and figured we had paddled 2/3's of the island in just over 3 hours! We were both very surprised, but I think I was even more surprised by Lynne's navigational skills. She did state she was good at navigating. (?!?)

We took every opportunity to explore the mesmerizing

shoreline. Lines were leading everywhere!

In the end, there was no harm done, but the incident certainly had me questioning my assumption. We ended up staying 2 nights at the same campsite, which worked out great as a big storm hit us the next morning. The wind and rain, combined with the big rollers coming in was not ideal paddling conditions in an open canoe. As we hunkered down in the shelter of both the tent and bug shelter, we learned a lot more about Franklin Island from the back of the Chrismar map. We quickly found out it was a total of 17 kms to circumnavigate the island - which we could have easily done once each day! we also found out that the scale of the map was much bigger than what Lynne was use to, therefore confusing her. In any case, no big deal as we had fun once the storm broke and we spent the rest of the day exploring the beautiful area. We did manage to find ourselves back at Dillon the next day to finish the trip, as I politely insisted on navigating the rest of the way back!

tPP

This seagull hung around us when we were eating, hoping

to get a morsel. When we didn't oblige, it expressed

its displeasure by 'mooning' us!

Hard Drive Failure!

After many fruitful years together, she has finally decided to

call it quits! Very disappointed, now time to look

for a 'newer, younger model'!

Its amazing how traumatic a hard drive failure on a computer can be! Predictably, people's lives, including mine, are bound more and more to computers, laptops, smartphones, and now tablets. Of course many of the things associated with computers are probably not all that necessary, (eg. games, social media,...well maybe) however, computers definitely make our lives easier and they have become pretty essential nowadays. (I just heard a survey that said computers are replacing pets as companions!) Well, when you lose access to your computer, you can quickly feel disconnected, but more importantly when you lose access to your hard drive, you can lose a lot of important data and personal stuff. Literally, all the things you have accumulated over the years can be lost in a split second. Scary stuff!

Decided to see if I can attempt to recover data from the hard

drive using some techniques I found on the internet,

although, I am not expecting anything.

Well, a few days ago, my computer starting acting up. I had a funny feeling something bad was going to happen. I quickly proceeded to back things up to an external hard drive. I was lucky enough to even get some kind of warning as sometimes it just quits. Anyhow, I was able to get most of my stuff uploaded before the drive finally stopped working. The damage was minimal (I think), but I'm sure I lost some stuff. I'm having to resort at the moment to move things to another computer for the time being until I get things sorted out - not fun. I really do feel somewhat 'disjointed', but do feel lucky too. I regularly back up my photos, but not usually everything else. Guess what's going to change now?! Well, time to assess the damage and get reorganized. Hopefully will have a normal post out soon!

David

Back From Paddling!

Dimitry about to be force-fed water on the Coulonge!

Its been over a month since I've last blogged, wow, time does fly. Lots have been going on since then, namely 4 canoe trips totally 22 days, which could have been 24 if it were not for us finishing the Coulonge River trip early. As you can see, it didn't leave me many days in between to prep for the next trip, including the fact all those non-paddling days were spent at work too, so I apologize that I've haven't been anywhere close to updating my blog. Now that the dust has settled, (a least for now) besides all the housework, yarkwork, bills and other mundane things that need to be done, I will have some time to hopefully post a few blogs.

Fred admiring the scenery from a vantage point

high above the French River

I had a great time during the past month on these trips and almost feel lost not having the urgency to run around like a chicken without a head. Although, I do admit, it does feel great to sit 'on the can' relaxed in an air-conditioned house without having to be attacked by hordes of mosquitoes! There is always so much to write about on my trips - the ideas and subject matter doesn't stop flowing, but its near impossible to write about them all. I'm positive I could write a book if I had the time to sit down and just write,.......right, like that will happen! (Not planning to retire from canoeing anytime soon!) In any case, despite badly slicing my finger just before a canoe trip and risk cancelling it, finding no relief from mosquitoes while sleeping in a cabin, dumping in a rapid and losing my new favourite hat, as well as having my beloved stove blacken for the first time ever, all is good. Kind of like that line of T-shirts that says "Life is Good", it really is, despite it all. Ok, time to get writing! Hope all of you have got out paddling or will be soon! The weather is perfect for it!

Cheers,

tPP

And who else but me, licking my fingers rather

than kneading the bannock mix!

Photo: Anita DeVries

New Toys For My Canoe Trips

Today's society is rife with technology. You can either dismiss

it, or take advantage of it. Occasionally I do the latter

- like GoPro's Hero Video Camera.

I love canoeing, that is pretty obvious. But I also love some of the opportunities that come with being "the crazy canoe guy" - as a work colleague aptly puts it. Sometimes I look for opportunities or things that can benefit me on canoe trips, and other times, fortuitous opportunities or things come my way because of what I do. Either way, it is both enjoyable and rewarding to discover new things, and in return share these things or experiences with my readers.

Much like the Eureka Singlis/Dualis air mattress that I'm trying out this year, I will also be using/testing some other products, one of them being a reflector oven. I'm not much of a baker both in the bush or at home, but I have made bannock bread on previous canoe trips and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Which self-respecting canoeist hasn't? Anyhow, one of my paddling partners this year, Anita, was a baker by trade years ago and of course a light bulb went off in my head. Now of course, glowing coals in a fire pit doesn't exactly equate to a commercial convection oven, but I put the challenge to her. I have to admit, there isn't much equal to freshly baked bread on a trip, so I hope to exploit...(Oops, did I say that?!!)..I MEANT 'utilitze' her skills to see what interesting things we can bake and come up with.

Light and compact (when folded), this reflector oven shouldn't be

much of a burden on trips. Especially considering

the great pay offs it is capable of!

I've owned an Outback Oven for many years and have had some good results, but I've heard even better things from using reflector ovens. A couple years back at the MEC Paddlefest, I was introduced to Rob Stevens, who was showcasing several beautifully handcrafted products, including a cedar canvas canoe. But what I recall was a reflector oven he had that was imported from Sweden. After a quick search (Got to love the Internet!) I found the oven and contacted the owner about whether he was interested in showcasing his product. Surprisingly, I was then contacted by Rob, as he is responsible for distributing the ovens in Canada, and soon found the reflector oven waiting for me at home!

Now that I have it, its time to put it to good use. Anita has got a chance to 'play' with the oven, has already purchased a lightweight baking pan and is presently mixing/testing some secret ingredients together for its first official test. (I have been sworn to secrecy from revealing the ingredients as my life may be in danger - just joking!) Well, during the course of this year, follow along and let's see what interesting things we bake up. I will selflessly volunteer my stomach and subject my body to all those extra calories to let you know how the baked goods taste and share with you our experiences. Guaranteed to have lots of pictures and hopefully some videos to share as well.

I know its a teaser, but that's all I can give for now. You'll have

to wait until I'm given the green light before

I spill the beans!

Secondly, I have gotten an unique opportunity to try/test a prototype paddle that is not on the market yet. Even though I already have a partnership with Bending Branches, in a round about way, Russ Schroeder, who is in charge of advertising at Rapid Media recommended me to the Marketing Director of Bending Branches when he was looking for some avid paddlers to test this new paddle out. So after a few emails, I was sent this pre-production model to field test and provide feedback. I can't give much more details, but this is one sweet paddle. When all is said and done, and this paddle makes its grand entrance into the paddling world, I will for certain provide information and pictures. I'm also looking forward to getting one myself!

Lastly, some of you may recall my blog last fall when I went on a solo trip in Algonquin and missed a great opportunity to get photos of moose. As my camera was dropped off at the end of the portage, I was obviously left without anything to capture the ungulate experience. I vowed not to get myself into that situation again. I am not a big fan of point and shoot cameras, but they do offer some advantages I can't get from my dSLR. The main reason being that they are compact and can be kept with me at all times without getting in the way. So, I finally went out and purchased a couple of them. The first one is a Canon Elph 300 HS, a small 12 mega pixel camera that can also record 1080p high definition video. The second one is the Pentax W90, which like the first is 12 mega pixels, records 720p high def video, and most importantly is waterproof.

One of two compact point & shoot cameras that I will have with

me at all times. No more excuses for missed photos!

Many times I have missed opportunities to take photos in conditions that would guarantee the demise of any dSLR, but not any more. Since I have covered all the grounds now, there really shouldn't be any more excuses to miss those "once in a lifetime" photos (and video). Lastly, to round out these expensive purchases, I also got a GoPro Hero Camera to record video. These are compact waterproof hi-def video recorders that can be placed in the most unusual places to record amazing/unique footages. So with all this extra gear, my trip weight will surely increase, (sigh) but hopefully I will have more to share with all of you!

Ok, so enough babbling. Time to get out paddling and put my

money where my mouth is!

Cheers,

tPP

Black Flies Are Out!

Fred and Maral were all smiles despite the long day in tough

conditions. Of course a hot supper helped!

Wow, boy is it hot today!* I would love to be on the water today so that I could jump in to cool off! On the second trip of the year in mid-May to Massassauga Provincial Park, I was hot then (temp was just above 20C then compared to 35C today) and decided to take a plunge into the cold Georgian Bay waters. It was refreshing to say the least and it didn't feel too cold at all, until I jumped in the second time. This time I screamed like a girl and came out numbed. My friend Fred decided to go for a plunge as well since I told him it wasn't too bad after my first jump. Judging by the fact he didn't emit a single sound from his mouth when he hit the water and crawled out as fast as he could, I knew he didn't agree with my assessment. Oops! (No, he was quite ok with foregoing another plunge!) * This blog was supposed to be posted this past Mon during the heat wave, but was obviously postponed!

Massassauga Provincial Park is accessed at either Three-

Legged Lake or at Pete's Place. Wonder why it's

called Pete's Place?

The canoe trip to Massassauga Provincial Park, like the one to the Kwarthas previously was over shadowed by the forecast of rain all weekend. But like before, we headed out expecting the worse and hoping for the best. My only wish was that the rain would hold off for the first night so that we could enjoy steaks from the grill by the fire, instead of from the frying pan under a tarp. My prayers were answered as we all eagerly devoured not on the steaks, but grilled red peppers and corn. Ummmmmmm, yummy! In the end, we lucked out with the weather too, only getting one day of rain out of the three. Not bad I say!

My mouth waters when I see this picture,.....sigh!

Memories of a delicious meal.

The only issue we had with the rain on day two was that it lasted all day. Throw in some strong headwind and waves and we had quite the battle to do. Luckily we didn't have to cover too much distance that day, but it was enough to worry me in regards to my paddling companions. All have only little experience in regards to canoe tripping and I purposely planned an easy trip to teach them the ropes. That day it was a crash course on paddling into driving rain, wind and waves - fun! Fortunately, they all managed ok and were only worse for wear, but it certainly did push them. In the end, I was really proud of them and impressed at their enthusiasm and determination to keep plodding ahead despite the conditions.

Everyone's spirit was still high despite the constant rain.

I couldn't have asked for better companions!

Photo: Maral Kodjayan

Maral, a work colleague of mine and her husband Fred, joined Anita and I on this trip after inquiring the previous year about canoe tripping together. After all the talking and planning, the only reservation she had was getting cold, especially when she slept. Besides all the advice I gave her on wearing layers and such, the single most important thing I recommended to her was getting a down sleeping bag. It was a fairly big purchase, but I promised her that she would not regret it, especially since she owned a synthetic bag with no loft. The first thing I asked her after she crawled out from under the tent in the morning was, "How did you sleep?" She had the biggest smile on her face and couldn't stop raving about how warm she was. She said the purchase was worth every cent! Another time, during our battle with the wind and rain, we stopped by shore to take a break. I was concerned about her bare hands being cold (as mine were) and offered her my dry neoprene paddling gloves in my pocket. With her characteristic big grin, she told me she was fine and that her hands were warm. I thought for sure she was just playing tough, but when I grabbed her hand, they were actually hot! I couldn't believe it! (She said she actually dipped them in the lake to cool them off while paddling!! ????) I'll take my gloves back thank you! I think it is safe to say she managed fine with the cold on the trip. Phew!

Maral's smile was infectious. You might not be able to

see her eyes, but her smile still shined through!

Like Maral, my paddling partner Anita also managed to surprise me. Although, maybe because there was ulterior motive to avoid portaging, but it showed inquisitiveness, initiative and a bit of adventure from this paddling neophyte. You see, we portaged roughly a kilometer to get to the present campsite at Little Blackstone Lake, but had to head out the same way the next day. While looking at the map, Anita questioned why we couldn't paddle the ribbon of blue that ended at the lake where we were headed. Not noticing this previously, I took her suggestion seriously and agreed that it could be possible, but only if we scouted it first. I wanted to check for rapids and also determine the terrain we would be passing through since the contour lines were compressed along portions of the route. So after pulling the canoes on shore at the head of this waterway, off we went along the river's edge to our intended lake, scouting as we went. Since we didn't know what to expect, we decided to carry some of our gear and drop it off at the end in case we still had to portage.

The rough trail along the river was quite a surprise, helping

us both scout as well as enjoy the scenery.

Unexpectedly, we found a rough trail along the shoreline that was cleared and marked with flagging tape, which made the scouting easier. We surmised that the park was in the process of making a hiking trail, which we agreed was a scenic route. The highlight of this trail was saved for last when we came to a set of cascading falls that tumbles into Blackstone Harbour, which was our intended destination. After a brief break viewing the falls, we headed back knowing we only had to tackle a few shallow C1's at the top, limbo under a felled tree and deal with a couple lift-overs. After a crash course in basic whitewater maneuvers, I ran both canoes through the rapids with Anita and Fred intact. We all got to squeeze and duck under the trunk of the large pine, and luckily, we were both able to force the canoes to slide down two beaver dams. The biggest challenge came when we had to navigate the canoe down a narrow 90 degree channel, but a bit of skill and lots of luck got us through that upright. All that was left was to pull the canoes out before the falls, which we did without incident, and portage to the rocky shoreline.

Running a few shallow C1's rounded out our

adventure to Blackstone Harbour

Photo: Maral Kodjayan

We all agreed that this unplanned excursion was much more enjoyable than portaging back on the same trail. Especially with the falls at the end where we took time to sit back and enjoy the scene. Although, we were not the only ones eager to hang out by the falls. The black flies were now out in numbers and made our time there a bit annoying to say the least. Unfortunately for me,...well, depends on who you ask, the black flies swarmed around my head, and unlike my companions, decided to only bite me! Now how fair is that?! I'd like to espouse the high quality of my blood as being the reason why the black flies targeted me, but I don't think its a quality I was going to tout at the moment. Despite the black flies, I was just happy that my companions gave me the thumbs up in regards to this trip as we all headed home looking forward to the next one!

The "fruits of our labour" was a pretty set of cascading

falls we got to enjoy before heading home!

Hope you've all got out paddling! More trips to come!

Cheers,

tPP