Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Weather: 33 degrees Celsius, sunny
Distance: ~ 10 kms
Dragonflies patrolled overhead as I packed up my tent one more time – my beautiful allies in the battle against the flies and mosquitoes.
Our warmest morning yet meant a sluggish start in camp. But we knew we had miles to cover and we tackled tear down together. After one last sweep of our site, we set out. Water stops were frequent and by the time we hit Lost Child Bend, we all needed a swim to cool off. With cooler, clearer heads we continued on, crossing a busy channel used by cottagers, passing beneath the train tracks, and pulling into the marina.
The marina was busy with people putting their motorboats in. It felt unusual unloading a canoe on a dock but we made quick work of getting gear to shore and pulling the boats out of the water to get out of the way of everyone setting out on their vacations.
We bought ice cream (thank you, Jenny) and water from the marina shop once the canoes were on the trailer and the trucks and cars were loaded up. Before everyone went their separate ways, we stopped at the French River Provincial Park Visitor Center for a picnic lunch and a look around the shop for souvenirs. (The Visitor Center is lovely! I will make a point to stay longer next time and walk through the exhibits.) The afternoon was wearing on though and I still needed to swing by Parry Sound to drop off the borrowed helmets.
I said farewell to our intrepid Wild Women paddlers and headed south, stopping for one more Kawartha’s Dairy ice cream with Gail at the Moose Lake Trading Post (yes! 2 ice creams!), popping in to see James and Dympna at OSKC and return the helmets, and then continuing on home to shower and unpack a fabulous canoe trip.
For the rest of this trip report, click here.
Kate Monahan Outdoors 