I was lazy this summer and haven't been as attentive to the blog as in previous years but it was still one to be remembered!
I tore my A2 pulley in June, which made long-form typing painful for a couple of months. On top of that, I had a shift in my professional career; moving to a new company introduced many distractions. As a result, some things had to be pushed to the back burner for a few months. I was, however, blessed to be able to enjoy quite a few awesome adventures this summer, so I will do my best to capture them in this single long mega post. ;)
Tobermory
My first trip of the year was a relaxing one with family! Not every trip has to involve carrying a canoe on my head through the forest; this one was exactly that. We rented a large cottage out on Oliphant Beach.
Oliphant Beach North was unbelievable; Oliphant is heavily sheltered because of a string of islands offshore. The water is calm and warm, which is uncharacteristic of any water from a lake the size of Huron. Oliphant is also special because the water is ridiculously shallow and is on top of perfectly smooth sand for hundreds of meters into the water. (Ironically, the beach itself is rocky) Because of this, you can walk out quite far, and the shallow nature of the water becomes heated when exposed to sunlight. Much warmer than the air temperature, when the sun was out, it felt like walking into a giant hot tub; absurd at any time in Ontario but especially so in May, only a few weeks after the snow melted.
My cousin and I had the excellent idea of setting up a badminton net in the shallow water, which was a ton of fun. If you ever want the wildest leg workout of your life, play badminton in knee-deep water.
In contrast to the warm waters of Oliphant, we also drove north to paddle Lion's Head which is as cold as Oliphant is warm. Lion's head is one of Ontario's most impressive day paddle locations. The water is crystal clear with an aqua tint to it that is reminiscent of the tropics. The paddle can be done in a couple of hours and involves paddling along the spectacular rock formations on the shore.
Finally, we also visited Flower Pot Island, which can be reached via boat shuttle from Tobermory. Flower Pot is known for its unusual rock formations, which are sensational when viewed up close.
The trip was mostly a relaxing one filled with games, merriment, and entirely too much fish and chips! (it is Tobermory, after all!)
Frontenac
The first portage of the year was in Frontenac. I have never managed to get to Frontenac right as the spring bloom first hits. The vibrancy of the green in the foliage was mind-blowing. The portage was a simple out-and-back to Devil Lake, the park's furthest destination. It is a beautiful trip with only one challenging portage and several trivially easy ones.
Massassauga
I had wanted to portage Massassauga for quite a while, but booking a trip there can be difficult because of high demand, but this year I was on the ball and I managed to snag spots for July long weekend.
The park itself is beautiful. It reminds me of Frontenac when you are inland. Plenty of towering rock formations and many trees. Most of the most common route involves navigating the spider lake maze with all of its twists, turns, forks, and dead ends.
The key highlight of the trip is that off the coast, nestled on Frying Pan Island, is Henry's Fish. Henry's Fish is a world-class fish and chips restaurant that usually is only accessible by seaplane or yacht. We opted to tackle the long paddle out Spider Bay and into Georgian Bay to have lunch halfway through a backcountry trip! The other patrons seemed surprised to see a pair of canoes pull up! Some of the best fish and chips I've ever had in my entire life.
Philip Edward Island
Philip Edward Island is one of those places that most have never heard of, but it is also utterly spectacular. It is a series of Islands located at the northern tip of Georgian Bay just south of Killarney.
Paddling out into the area feels like you are leaving Ontario and magically transporting into some rocky coastal paradise. Countless pressure-warped rocky islands suddenly surround you. The most impressive of which are the Foxes where we camped. I intend to return to this area yearly as it is simply magical.
Conclusion
Summer 2022 was a fantastic one filled with adventure and camaraderie. It was something I desperately needed to refuel my spirit coming out of the drudgery that was Covid. It is one for the history books, and I will remember it fondly!
