My niece and her nanna.
With my heart rate returning to a normal rate and the site of forests becoming more abundant I was starting to feel myself again. I spent time by the lake with my little niece, sister and step mom playing in the water and enjoying a quiet stroll.
me and my niece Tai.
People wave and smile as you pass them and strangers don't hesitate to hold the door for you, what a treat.
My next adventure brought me to Georgian Bay, just outside of Parry Sound near Killbear Park. The plan was for my cousin Bill and I to paddle 18-foot sea kayaks to Franklin Island, part of the Littoral Biosphere Reserve. The 21 km. Paddle took us just over 4 hours and the wind was at our backs.
The start of our journey.
I trailed a fishing line and caught a nice 2lb small mouth bass, which we enjoyed for dinner that night. My dad wanted to check the island out so he offered to bring our gear in his fishing boat.
Kayak trip with boat support.
Not that we were keeping score but as far as the fishing went, kayak fishing 1, motor boat fishing 0. Our kayaks were light and fast so we took our time getting there with lots of stops for fishing and just talking it all in. The camp was perfect! I ended up sleeping on a picnic table with a tarp canopy while my cousin braved the stormy night in his hammock. It was much too dark for my dad to ride back so he camped with us for the first time in years. We spent all night stoking the fire and trading stories under the ceiling of stars masked by moving clouds.
enjoying a breakfast of oatmeal and trail mix with dad.
The next day my dad left earlier fearing a nasty windstorm coming in, we stayed behind to explore the island. That late afternoon we stocked the kayaks with our gear and set out into the storm for a paddle. The rain was continuous and the wind was pushing us all over the place. Bill dropped his rudder while I kept mine up and enjoyed surfing the odd swell. The charts my dad left us were the only chance we had of getting home, constantly checking for markers and navigating the coast. I decided not to trail line in the interest of getting back before dark. We arrived just before nightfall to a pot of fresh coffee and a blazing fire. The experience I had with my family was nothing short of magical I was beaming all night. The next day we woke with a feeling of accomplishment so instead of leaving like we had planned we decided to spend the day swimming, chopping wood, and fishing.
Bill at Snug harbour
That night we enjoyed a good amount of beer by the fire and talked about old times. The next day we were poised to leave but something kept drawing us back so we started work on cleaning up the land around the cottage. After a good day of work I shuttled Bill back to his car by boat and we returned the kayaks. My dad and I stayed another day and returned the following morning. It was tough to leave such a wonderful spot, it was no wonder we had extended the stay an extra three days. I left the cottage feeling satisfied with my Ontario adventure. I swam day and night, I caught a fish, and I even went on a kayaking trip with loved ones. Thanks northern Ontario for the good times, thanks to my family. I had learned an important lesson on the trip- There is beauty in all parts of Canada you just have to search out and find it, the harder you search the better the reward. In my case I had explored my childhood stomping grounds and found new lands to experience. My connection with nature was strong and I realized this connection is one of the most important aspects of my life; it is the fuel that keeps the fire inside stoked.
Me and the moon by motor boat.
See you on the water,
Chris
For more information on Franklin Island visit:
For kayak rentals on Georgian bay visit The Detour Store and talk to Chris for an excellent selection of Boreal Design Kayaks, camping supplies and gifts:
No comments:
Post a Comment