Canoe Camping, Car Camping and Everything in Between

Inhale........exhale........shall we get started??? Finally after a recent whirlwind of outdoor activities I get a chance to sit still, breathe and collect my thoughts. Some down time to go over our recent trips and highlight some of our great moments and not so great moments. Since the return from our Kawartha Highland canoe trip it has been chaotic to put it lightly. The drying of gear, purchasing new gear, throwing out damaged gear, gear, gear, GEAR! Not to mention the number of times I have vacuumed and cleaned out the van that had collected pine needles, sand, mud, ice cream stains, coffee cups and all other remnants of a well used vehicle. I don't know who is more tired out, me, or my shop vac. Throw a few days of work in here and there plus setting up the Wife and boy for there own adventures before I head off to the 9-5 and you could say my hands were full, and it isn't over yet. Inhale...........exhale.............and it is all worth it. I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy every step of the way. So moving forward.

Our Kawartha Highlands canoe trip was a success followed by a couple beach days at Sandy Beach, Buckhorn where on our second visit we showed Hiker some canoe safety. The following week I was able to pin down my to oldest children for a couple beach days at Lakefield Beach and Sandbanks P.P. for a day trip. Two days later we lose our two oldest to their social lives and work schedules and find ourselves heading to Bon Echo P.P. for some car camping with our boy Hiker and good friends Ivan, Shannon and their boy Noah.

This was no ordinary car camping trip. I was about to go camping with a childhood friend that I have known for 32 years, his Wife and four year old boy. My friend Ivan and I have been close over these years however there never seems to be time for us to camp together. That being said he is not much of a camper (it`s true Ivan) but we were about to change that. It would be a game changing event as it would be the first time Ivan would be camping with his wife and his boy. He was excited, I was excited, our boys were excited, the wives were excited, everyone was buzzing with excitement. We arrived at the park on Saturday at Noon on the August long weekend. Our site was shared as we hosted most of the gear to make their experience more enjoyable in the Hardwood Hills section of the park. Over the weekend we spent time at the beach, small trail hikes, canoeing and visiting different parts of the park. As much as we could cram in over the weekend. The biggest joys came in watching our boys who reminded us exactly of us at that age, their wonder, curiosity, enjoyment, laughs, cries, arguments, makeups all brought us back to our days of youth. I had opportunities to pass on some camping tips and tricks to one of my best buds that I have gained during my experiences outdoors and hopefully passed on a bit of my passion for the outdoors onto him inspiring Ivan to setup that tent a few more times in the year. It was a great weekend with great food and friends and everyone was safe and happy at the end. Success in my books!

The Four Horsemen :)

The Drive to Bon Echo

Our great site in Hardwood Hills

Ivan`s charcoal grill cooking up some steaks

The Mazinaw Rock

Hiker refilling his water gun for another attack

Cloudy beach day

Happy Campers



So now I get a bit of down time to plan some Autumn trips and spend some time around the house ticking off a couple lines of that "Honey Do" list. My Wife and Hiker head up to the Haliburton Scout Reserve for some camping on Lake Kennabi while I work this weekend. I think Hiker has spent more time in a tent this Summer than his own bed. I will highlight his Summer in its entirety in a future blog post. Until then I will continue with the juggling act that keeps me motivated, invigorated and healthy and wait for our next trip. Another car camping trip with another family of friends for five days in Awenda P.P.

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Johnny- Two4adventure

What is your Default Setting?

You set out on your next adventure whatever it may be. You are loaded with gear, looking more like a pack animal then a human. Did I bring enough you ask yourself? Chances are you did, plus excess. Yet you still feel that urge to bring backups for our backups. So I ask you, what is your default setting? Stripped of all the latest gear, left with just few things or nothing at all, do you have the knowledge to get by?

The resources are around us as they have been since the beginning of time, we just have to familiarize ourselves with them. Like Mors Kochanski said "The more you know, the less you carry", and this is very true. Imagine that high tech GPS or compass you brought along accidentally gets dropped of the side of a rock face or swept down a flowing river. Do you have that knowledge to navigate by the sun, stars or other traditional methods? Would you even need this gear in the first place?

This is why educating yourself and building a more prepared default setting is important if you are going to spend your time outdoors. Skill sets that include bushcraft, survival knowledge, wilderness first aid are all key tools to add to your outdoor toolkit. If you are a "gearhead" at least you will have backups for your backups, in the form of knowledge. It is great to know the insides and out of that latest piece of gear but it is also great to know how to get by without it. As for Wayne and myself, we are always gaining knowledge on bushcraft, survival techniques to keep our asses safe. That coupled with good risk management practices before setting out will allow you the confidence to enjoy your adventures, with or without the gear, knowing that you can depend on the knowledge you have if you are stripped of it all. So if this is something you haven't thought of we encourage you to. Join forums, read books, watch documentaries, there is a wealth of information out there. Use it to your advantage, a knowledge based foundation may save your life one day.

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Johnny- Two4adventure

Packing Unusual Gear

There are times when Wayne and myself cannot get together for outings due to different circumstances. During these times I take the opportunity to get outside with my family, or more often, just with my Son Hiker. Today was no different. With the recent heavy snowfall, I found this an opportune time to pull my Pelican Snowtrek 60 and harness out of the gear closet and hit the trails. On this day the gear that would be going in the pulk would be a little different. Instead of my Winter outdoor gear or bushcraft items I would be loading my 3yr old Son into the Pulk. Our destination would be the trails in J.P.

This activity serves two purposes, it allows Hiker to go on extended hikes with me on the trails in the Winter and can also be used as training early in the season for back country outings. I get a darn good workout dragging him through the snow for a few km. Hiker really enjoys these times as he can sit back and take in the scenery while I do all the work. Not to say he is a lazy child, he is quite the opposite, but for anyone who takes there kids outdoors frequently, you have to make the outing less like work and more like fun if you want them invested. There would be times on the trail where Hiker would flip the sled purposely and I would start jogging with him trailing behind, trying to catch the sled to jump in. His laughter could be heard echoing through the woods. Other times I would get a glimpse of how much attention he pays to the outdoors by all the relevant questions he would ask. These are the times I cherish, and our bond continues to grow strong through our love of Nature and the outdoors.

I was a little disappointed in the lack of activity in the park. We passed one cross country skier and a couple people walking their dogs, despite the beauty of the snow covered landscape. On the other hand I felt the Winter solitude that I have come to love. I do enjoy the sounds of the wind tearing through leafless trees, the smell of the crisp fresh air and sometimes just having the trails to myself, or in our case with my Son. This was another great outing for Hiker and myself.

So in future days when the schedules of Wayne and myself do not line up, you can expect some blogposts, pictures or video content that may have me packing or carrying along some unusual gear, my Son Hiker ;)

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Johnny- Two4adventure

Algonquin in a Day

...a shortened November day for that matter.

Plans had only been decided the night before and had not actually been solidified until the vehicle had left the driveway. We knew we wanted to go somewhere to get away from the daily expectations of life. We had two ideas in mind for a day of hiking, the Haliburton Highlands and Algonquin P.P. With reports of Algonquin having snow accumulated, it made for an easy choice, we would head there. Looking at the time and realizing we had a 2+ hour drive ahead of us from Cavan Ontario, we had to make an "on the run" itinerary for when we arrived. Being the month of November the days have grown shorter so time would be working against us today as our weekend was coming to an end.

We arrived at the East gate of Algonquin P.P. at around noon and stopped for permits and a washroom break. I would be joined by my Wife and youngest Son "Hiker" for this day of hiking and taking in the Winter landscapes that made for a fresh change in the park.

Having a 3yr old in tow, our trail selection had to cater to his capabilities and also keep his attention, so we decided our first stop would be the logging museum. Although the indoor facilities were closed the trail was open and we could still visit all the outdoor exhibits along the way. This was a very good choice as the reaction and excitement from Hiker warmed my heart. He spent the next hour and a half asking questions and exploring the exhibits and trail. So parents, if you are taking young ones to the park this is a must.

Next would be a stop at Opeongo Lake. I can never drive highway 60 without making a detour to this lake. You could say it's a magnet for me, whether it is visiting the outfitters or buying snacks, it is a beautiful lake setting and a place I like to go. Paddling to one of it's backcountry sites is on my "to do" list. This day however, the plan was to have a picnic lunch at the vehicle by the lake seeing as the outfitters was closed for the season. This was another activity that Hiker was thrilled about. We had lunch in the vehicle out of the chilling wind, in the parking lot over looking the snow falling on the lake. Thoughts of returning for a Summer/Fall paddle began to surface while eating lunch. We leave the Lake knowing it won't be for long and continue down the highway to the Visitors Center.

Like Lake Opeongo, for me, this is a must stop destination. It offers history of the park right up to modern times. Hiker loved the wildlife exhibits and the talking logger exhibit. Before leaving we grabbed some hot chocolates and walked out the boardwalk to the newer fire tower lookout which was a first for even myself who has been to the park numerous times.
The daylight was starting to come to an end but we estimated we could fit in one more shorter hike. The hike we had in mind was the "Lookout" trail. Around 2km in length it would be short enough to complete in time and had a lookout that would be interesting for the boy. Having completed the trail a couple times before, I was aware it had steep inclines in areas. I knew this would tire out my Son so I hoisted him on my shoulders during these sections to avoid tiring him out half way through the hike. we all enjoyed the snowy view from the Lookout and made sure to take pictures (featured below). We returned to the vehicle well before dark and began to work our way down the highway and out of the West gate of the park. This did not happen however without plans of several returns and destinations for the future, we are an outdoor family and knew we would be visiting soon. So until our next visit, thank you for the memories Algonquin:)

Until next time, adventure awaits!

Johnny- Two4adventure

Tick that experience off

So..... during my morning routine of filing papers in the bathroom I notice a black mark in my upper thigh. After further examination, to my absolute horror, I find a large tick burrowing itself into my skin. The sight of this almost put me into shock. I have heard stories of these little creatures violating people after some time spent in the woods but never in a million years thought it would happen to me. On a very serious note though, it was this complacency that allowed this little bugger to breach my security as I didnt scan my body after exiting the woods next to my house. In case you are wondering, the tick has been removed after some unintelligent poking and pulling and a few tears of pain. So after this incident I decided to educate myself a little more on these little cling-ons and vowed to check every time when I feel I may have been exposed to a tick. By posting this blog I hope to creep you out so you decide to do the same. A tick can carry lime disease and can tranfer it so I encourage you to read up on ticks and take that knowledge with you on your next outing to avoid misfortunes like mine.

http://canlyme.com/lyme-basics/tick-id/

Follow the link to learn more about ticks.

Until next time, Adventure awaits!

Johnny