After struggling with the lawn tractor yesterday afternoon (the lyric: "One wheel's off and the axle's broken" came to mind) we decided we should end the day with a relaxing picnic and paddle. We packed up the gear, some food and the kids and we were off.
We headed to the park and made our way to the boat launch where there was a picnic table right by the water. It was a perfect spot for a BBQ then to launch the canoe for a paddle. Once every thing was set up I turned on the propane and heard hissing coming out of the tank. It turns out the O-ring on the hose was missing. Luckily I had some bits of lumber in the van. We made our way to a nearby campsite and cooked up some wieners and s'mores. It was a great night for a picnic. Watching an osprey feed it's young while we were eating was certainly a highlight.
It was while we were eating that I pulled out the camera and realized that the memory card was in the computer at home. I had also left my phone at home on purpose since the only thing I could imagine needing it for was taking pictures. Who needs an old camera phone when you've got a DSLR right?
Approaching the suspension bridge from the south
After eating and playing at the park for a bit we made our way down to the water and put the canoe in the water. It was a perfect night for a paddle. We paddled upstream toward the suspension bridge. The current was unnoticeable at first but as we approached the generating station it was clear that we had to work a little harder. It was still very manageable. It was cool seeing the bridge from below. The picture would have been great. We paddled under the bridge and made our way up to the falls.
Ranney Falls
We paddled under the overhanging rock where the falls would be raging in the spring and got close enough to the portion that is flowing to get sprayed.
Under the Overhang
Time for a Shower
It was a hoot. We saw a lot of small fish swimming in the rocky waters just below the falls. The paddle back was leisurely with the current pushing towards our destination.
The kids loved playing at the park while we packed everything up and got the canoe tied on the van.
We will certainly go back and get all of the pictures we missed so that we can post them here.
Edit: We went back the next day for more fun and some photos this time. We also had time to cross the bridge.
My wife hates dealing with the bugs when we go camping. As a result I don't push for any kind of camping trip before July. Imagine my surprise when on the Wednesday before the Victoria Day weekend I got an email from her saying "What do you think about camping at Charleston Lake this weekend? We can test out the new screen house". She was referring to the screen house that I had purchased over the winter since the bugs were so bad last year when we camped in July. It seemed like a great idea to me except for the fact that we didn't get around to booking a site until Thursday night. How many sites would actually still be available ? The fact that we would only be able to camp for the Sunday night probably worked in our favour. We saw on the reservation website that there was a spot available about as close to the beach as you could get. No wonder I leave these sorts of things to the last minute. We booked it and a couple of days later we packed up all of our belongings and we were off.
Charleston Lake Provincial Park is a fantastic park for families. It has just about everything you could want while camping. They have great beaches, canoeing, hiking trails and if you bring the bikes everything is within reasonable biking distance. They offer great educational programs and have a neat Discovery Centre. The Discovery Centre is what used to be called the Visitor Centre. It has undergone some changes and promises to be more hands-on. We didn't get a chance to check it out this time but we will be back.
Upon arriving at the park we setup our site then paddled out to Whitefish Island for lunch. It was a beautiful day for a paddle and a picnic.
After lunch we paddled back to the beach so that our youngest daughter could have a nap. I took the two older kids out to do some fishing around Whitefish Island during nap time. We caught a lot of sunfish which they were happy with. Fishing at Charleston Lake has never been disappointing for the kids.
When we were done fishing we joined the others at the beach. The water was quite cold but that didn't stop the kids from wading, splashing and even swimming.
The kids played on the beach for hours. I snapped some photos while they were playing.
We had some family members join us for some great kabobs done over the fire. Once we were full and things were cleaned up we put the kids to bed. I headed out to take some more pictures from the beach then headed out for a night paddle. There's nothing quite like being on a lake in the dark all by yourself.
Monday morning was a beautiful calm day and our son wanted to do some fishing. So off we went. He was keen to try the same spot as yesterday. He got a few then wanted to head back to the beach. We joined the rest of the crew on the beach where the kids played while I packed up. We had lunch on the site then headed to the boardwalk for a quick hike.
What a great way to start the camping season. It was good to get out again, even if it was just for a short trip. The best part about it is that there were hardly any bugs at all. We could have gotten away without the screen room! We can't wait to go back.
Not all adventures end well. Having said that, not all failed adventures are bad. Over the course of the winter I grew more excited for a winter camping trip. Given the ages of our kids (7, 5 and 1) I knew that a full on winter camping trip was unrealistic. Doing anything in the cold with a not-yet-two-year-old can be tricky. She doesn't yet know how to tell us she is getting cold. She'll let us know when she is to the point of not being comfortable anymore, but we'd like a little more warning. In any case I pitched the idea of sleeping in the back yard in a quinzee to the older kids and they were really excited. Our five year old was keen to give it a try "as long as it isn't going to be cold". I'm not entirely sure what she meant by that, but one day I'm sure I'll find out.
Our backyard 'expedition' had to meet a number of conditions. The first was that it had to happen on a Friday or Saturday night. If the night out was going to be a horrible experience we didn't need the kids to be grumpy at school the next day. The second condition we had is that it couldn't be ridiculously cold out. I'm not exactly sure what we meant by 'ridiculously cold', but given how cold it was until recently, I'm not sure it really mattered. Don't get me wrong. I'd love to camp out no matter what the temperature, but we don't have the proper gear and I want this to be an experience that we repeat.
The ideal conditions finally materialized the first weekend in March and everyone was healthy. After school on Friday we started building the quinzee. We took a break for dinner and allowed the quinzee to settle before digging it out. I went back out once we had finished and started digging. Unfortunately, it was dark out. This meant that in my haste I accidentally dug right through the wall. Our quinzee now had a sky light. It probably would have been fine had I left it. Instead I decided to put some snow on it from the outside so we didn't lose our warm air. That was a mistake. The hole only got bigger. I gave up on the idea of sleeping outside that night and started building the mound again. Perhaps the following night would work.
The next night one of our family members was not feeling well so we had to postpone. Perhaps the following weekend would work. Unfortunately, the rest of us got sick and the temperature warmed up. Our pile of snow began to shrink quite quickly. Clearly camping out in the winter was not meant to be. However, all was not lost. The kids are now super excited to camp out next winter. Hopefully, they will be asking me next year rather than me asking them.
Ferris Provincial Parks is a small park located just outside the town of Campbellford. We visit quite frequently since it is so close to home. I spend a lot of time skiing at Ferris and regularly try to convince the kids that they should come along. Last weekend we decided that we would take the entire family along for some adventure.
The parks offers 5 km of cross country ski trails and snowshoeing trails (officially, though I have skied quite a bit more than 5 km at a time). The trails proceed mostly along camp roads but there are a few sections that wander though the woods. One of my favourites is the Milkweed Trail (take the first possible left after leaving the gatehouse). It's a narrow trail through the woods with some nice up hills as you make your way to the top of a drumlin.
Milkweed Trail
This trip was meant to be fun for the kids so we skipped the Milkweed trail. Instead we followed the trail up to the junction to the Valley View Campground, where we stopped for a break.
Trailhead
On Our Way
By the time we had stopped our youngest daughter was fast asleep in the pulk so I decided to do a loop of the Valley View Campground. After a short rest our son decided that he wanted to come as well so he caught up to us. We did the loop and made our way back to the rest of the group who were on their way to find us. We proceeded to the first campsite and had a snack.
Picnic Time?
Unfortunately, we stopped for a little too long and the girls started getting cold. Other than that we had an amazing day. The sun was out, the snow was perfect and it seemed like we had the park to ourselves since we didn't seen anyone else. It's a small park but when you're travelling with young kids, you don't need huge tracts of wilderness. Take the kids out on short outings to local parks and conservation areas. The memories and experiences will not likely be forgotten for a long time.
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of visiting Frontenac Provincial Park. One of the things that I like most about Frontenac Park is that it's a wilderness park that isn't too far a drive from many locations in Eastern Ontario. Don't let the term 'wilderness park' scare you off. It simply means that you need to use your own power to get to where your going. They have short hiking trails and campsites that are a short paddle from the access points. The park also offers great opportunities for longer trips.
In winter the park office is open so you can use the facilities, get changed or sit by the fire and have a bite to eat. The Friends of Frontenac Park even offer free hot chocolate on the weekends (They also offer some great Skills Training Program).The park has 10 kilometres of groomed and well maintained trails, which offer some incredible scenery. While there we skied a portion of the Corridor Trail which was narrow and curvy. Having said that our seven year old, who went the furthest, had no troubles with the trail. It was very peaceful and we felt as if we were in the middle of nowhere.
Corridor Trail
If you're looking for something a little on the easier side try the Big Salmon Lake Road trail, which essentially runs parallel to the Corridor Trail (Trail Map). It's quite a bit wider with two sets of ski tracks and a path for snowshoeing. There are some ups and downs but nothing too wild.
Big Salmon Lake Road Trail 2013
Although on this trip we skied, two years ago we snowshoed a portion of the Big Salmon Lake Road Trail. It was great. Our kids were too young to do the entire trail, but we still had so much fun. We snowshoed until the kids were tired then we plopped down in the snow next to the trail for a snack and some hot chocolate. The trail was wide enough that had anyone come by they could have still passed easily. There are many other options for snowshoeing. See the trail guide for details.
Snowshoeing Big Salmon Lake Road Trail 2103
Although we have been to Frontenac Park a couple of times there is still a lot to explore. You can snowshoe on any of the hiking trails and they offer winter camping. We will definitely be taking advantage of this opportunity at some point in the future. I get very excited every time I think of camping in such a beautiful winter wonderland. If you're feeling adventurous why not try their Camping Challenge where the goal is to spend at least one night per month camping in the park.
Boardwalk on the Doe Lake Trail
Overall, we always have a great time when we visit Frontenac Park. It is stunning any time of year, but there's something about the fresh undisturbed snow that makes it so especially appealing in the winter. We will certainly be back (in all seasons).
After our most recent trip we decided to start a blog to share some of our adventures.
Our most recent trip was to Arrowhead Provincial Park. We have wanted to visit the park for the past couple of winters and we had an open weekend so we went ahead. We were certainly not disappointed. Arrowhead is a winter wonderland for anyone who enjoys being outside in the winter (and quite possibly for those who don't enjoy it).
We arrived early Saturday morning and planned on cross country skiing. The trails were impeccably groomed with tons of snow, a far cry from the ice covered grass back home. The entire family (plus the inlaws) left the Arrowhead Warm Up Shelter and skied the 3.2 kilometres around the Roe trail (trail map). Despite the fact that the trail was an easy ski with few ups and downs the scenery was just stunning. Our son who is seven had no troubles with the distance. He would have been happy to go at least a little further. Our daughter who is five did get a little tired and was towed for a short while. After a bit of a rest (for her) she was happy to finish the under her own steam. I was very impressed. On our way back to the warmup cabin we skied past a pile of lessons for the young and old. If you live in the area this would be a great way to learn or improve you skills.
Skiing the Roe Trail
Once the Roe trail was done the rest of the gang headed to the warmup shelter while my father-in-law and I completed the Arrowhead Lake trail. It was a beautiful 5.3 km loop around the lake. We didn't do the Beaver Meadow extension but it will be a must for next time. There are so many trails to explore. We'll certainly have to come back to check them out.
Once the skiing was finished we headed over the the tubing hill. What a riot. The ride was long and fast. Many adults were content to do one run and call it quits (it's a long walk back up), but kids just want to keep going.
Saturday night we gave the skating trail a try for their Fire and Ice night. On Saturdays they light a tiki torches around the trail. Talk about a magical experience. Imagine skating through the woods in the dark. It was a very popular event. The camp fires were going at the trailhead and we brought some marshmallows along to toast. We returned on Sunday to skate in the daylight. It was a picture perfect day. The sun was shinning, there was snow on the trees and the temperature was in the minus twenties.
Along the Skating Trail
The Muskoka Loppet was taking place on the Sunday so most of the ski trails were closed to the public in the morning. We decided to do some snowshoeing. Another great experience. The trails made their way through the beautiful forest. It was so picturesque. At one point our son said "I wish we could live in Huntsville".
Mayflower Lake Trail
We had a great time and will certainly will be back. We stayed at one of the inns just outside of the park which was very convenient. The park was very busy Saturday afternoon. We were there early but as we were leaving the line of cars waiting to get into the park stretched for hundreds of metres. In the future we will look at staying in one of the cabins located within the park.
We applaud Ontario Parks, and specifically Arrowhead, for making the outdoors more appealing to more people during the winter months.
