Reflections

This was an adventure filled with scenic memories I will not forget. We rented a cottage for a week on Oxtongue Lake with friends. Oxtongue Lake (http://www.oxtonguelake.com/) is a community, a river and a lake near Algonquin Park in northern Ontario. The cottage is at the remote far end of the lake where access can only be gained by boat.

John and Linda looked after getting us an aluminum motor boat to use and it was perfectly seasoned and functional for our needs. It was a work horse, able to tow the kayaks and carry our loads of clothes, food etc. to keep us supplied for the week. The trip into the cottage from the small dock near the car park was only 5 or 10 minutes and so beautiful! The Lake is typical of the Algonquin area; calm, black and reflecting the beauty of the surrounding hills, bush and sky. Even 51 steps up to the cottage at the top of the bluff did not dampen my enthusiasm! Well, after several climbs with heavy loads I did waver a bit but it was worth it and we were much lighter on the way out.



This is a kayaker's paradise! We were able to climb into the kayaks easily from the dock or shore and explore the Lake as well as the River and Creeks that flow in and out of it. We kayaked Quiver Creek a couple of times. This was not far from the cottage and we had to "portage" over a couple of Beaver Dams. One dam was keeping the water up about 3 feet! We really felt surrounded by wilderness in here and enjoyed a crowded but delicious and fun picnic on slabs of rock surrounded by reeds.








We expected to see more wildlife but didn't see much except for water birds. One day a poor fawn that had been separated from it's mother swam across the lake. I can only hope the wee thing survived alone but it would be so vulnerable! Nature can be cruel at times. Mosquitoes and deer flies were in abundance but that kind of wildlife is not usually scarce and is part of the northern experience that you just tolerate.







Kayaking the Oxtongue River up to Ragged Falls is gorgeous. A picnic at the top of the falls was a highlight. John and I had canoed up here a few years ago and portaged around these rapids. I could hardly believe it when I got on the trail again this time. It is quite steep and rugged in spots though it is well travelled. This time we left the kayaks at the bottom.












"Dock surfing" was exquisite here. The dock was large, holding muskoka chairs and an umbrella with lots of room to lounge and gather. Swimming off the end was perfect. The dark water may seem intimidating at first but the water is actually clean and clear in a "tea colour" way. Tannins from decomposing leaves and plants is I think the cause of this. The water was warm and inviting. The darkness also enhances the reflections. At times, especially when the water is absolutely calm, the world in the reflection looks more real than the one above it. Mesmerizing!

On a rainy day we motored over to the end of Harris Road where the cars were parked and went into Algonquin Park. We toured the Logging Museum and were amazed by the hardships the men faced in the early years of logging in Northern Ontario. Also amazing is the extent to which the giant white pines were decimated in an incredibly short period of time. What loggers thought was an endless supply soon ran out and changed the landscape and ecology of Algonquin forever. The Algonquin that we know today in all it's beauty is not what it was before logging. Logging is still a major industry in Algonquin but of course it is well managed and sustainable. Near the cottage we did see a white pine, larger than any I have ever seen....I guess they missed it!

The Algonquin Visitor Centre is worthy of a visit to learn the history of the park and see some wonderful exhibits of animals and their habitats. A panoramic view from the back deck is surprising.

I am not sure that I would ever want to own a water access only cottage. I think if I spent most of my vacations there I would feel a bit restricted having to take a boat to land before being able to bike, hike or shop. Bad weather could really throw a wrench into things. A week here made for a wonderful holiday however!

Grand River Kayak, Paris Golf

Thursday July 8, Friday July 9, 2010

Kayaking has added a new and entertaining dimension to our retired life. We had done some canoe trips before we retired and thought we would buy a canoe but once we got looking we decided on kayaks. I love having my own boat and sitting low on the water. You can cover a lot of territory in a kayak and I have no problem keeping up.

We had read about kayaking on the Grand River and found information on line about Grand Experiences, an outfitter that rents equipment, does guided trips and provides shuttles. Since we have our own kayaks we just used them to shuttle. John made the arrangements and booked a B & B for the 4 us in Paris Ontario. We drove to Cambridge very early Thursday morning and unloaded at the designated access point. Seamus and John drove the vehicles down to Paris and were shuttled back by Grand Experiences. We were on the river by 10:15.









It was hot and humid but what better time to be on a river? The river was wide and quite shallow for the most part. There were quite a few swifts especially on the last half. We stopped for lunch half way at the Glen Morris access point. After that swifts were plentiful. These are not really rapids, they are more gentle but quite exciting to navigate and to go fast. There were quite a few rocks but you could get around them and even if you hit one the kayaks are so durable and stable that I was not afraid. None of us tipped. The water was very warm and shallow so even if we had it would not have been too traumatic.

The scenery was mostly bush and as we got closer to Paris there were more hills. We saw a deer in the middle of the river at one point. The trip took a little over 4 hours including the lunch stop. I would definitely do this again or another part of the Grand. Maybe next time from Paris to Brantford.

When we got to Asa Wolverton House, the B & B John had booked in Paris, we were a little worried. It looked like it was under construction. It is actually a restoration project. As it turned out we did not stay in that house but went to River Line and stayed in their "garage" house. Yes, this one looked like a garage so again we were a bit nervous. Once we got inside we couldn't believe how nice it was! Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and kitchen area and many amenities made it a wonderful place to stay. The air conditioning was working well thank goodness since it was one of the hottest days of the year!

The couple that owns these 2 places have made a life of restoring old places and it was a fascinating story. Judy and Rick live a much different life than we do but it seems to be a labour of love and the results are fascinating and attractive. I wouldn't want to do it but admire their efforts.

We walked to the Cobblestone Public House for supper and enjoyed pub food. Paris is a small town and has many old buildings and beautiful scenery along the river. The train bridge is a focal point and trains were frequent.

Friday we had a wonderful breakfast made by Judy at the Asa Wolverton House. We started with fruit and a streudel type pastry. This was followed by blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages. It was raining but we were hoping it would let up so we could play golf and wear some of this off! Judy gave us a tour of parts of the house and explained what they were planning on doing to restore this old Carriage House. What ambition!


The Paris Golf Club is gorgeous. It was still raining at 10:30 when were supposed to tee off but we were anxious to play so sat on the deck and waited it out, keeping an eye on the radar in the pro shop. It started to lighten up so we did head out and were not disappointed. It did rain on us for a couple of holes but not too heavy and it was very warm and bearable. The course is well manicured, hilly and has many interesting holes. I loved the scenery and the greenery. Didn't golf too badly either! Some of the course ran along the river and it was interesting to see the Grand from both perspectives. We had passed the golf course on the kayak trip.

Killbear Provincial Park, June 2010

Killbear is a huge Provincial Park near Parry Sound Ontario that we visited with our pop up camper years ago when Ang was young. Recently we have taken the RV there and re-discovered the beautiful scenery, bike and hiking trails and kayak opportunities.

Sandy and Richard met us there this time and stayed with us in the RV. They have not "camped" much but that is the beauty of the Cedar Creek. You can enjoy the wilderness and forest but still eat and sleep in comfort.

We had electric hook up but no water or sewer. This was not a hardship since the tanks were filled and we had some running water but used it conservatively.

Campsite # 377 in Beaver Dams was superb! I would book that one again since it is large, private and very close to the beach. We even left the kayaks on the beach under a tree making it easy to put them into the Bay whenever we got the urge. It is so serene to paddle around the rocky or sandy shores admiring the spectacular scenery. Sandy and Richard were impressed! They took to kayaking like ducks to water. Of course their sailing experiences have made them comfortable on the water. We paddled every day and once took a picnic and found a great rock to have our meal and relax.

Hiking and biking were also fun and we managed to get a round of golf in at the Parry Sound Country Club. All these activities were fit in between rains. It was amazing that the rain did not interfere with us while we were out and about because there was a quite a bit of it around this week.

We were disappointed that the comfort station in Beaver Dams was closed due to renovation but the regular washrooms were okay to use. We had to go to Georgian or Killcoursie campground to shower. One morning I just jumped in the lake. The Nature Centre was also closed due to training of summer staff.