Into The Wild

So… full disclosure moment: I am not a ‘campy’ gal.   My idea of ‘roughing it’ over the past few years of vacation property rentals has been: no dishwasher.

Though this may incite a few eyes rolls, I know, but when I am taking a break whether for a weekend or week, my preferences did not seek anything mildly challenging when it came to my travel abode.

Truth be told as kids we did expansive family trips growing up. Across the New England coast, down to the south and across the gulf coast… we explored and discovered a lot.

Yup. In the summer heat of coastal southern US, we were in tents (all 6 of us … and eek cats!!). When I reflect back on this I am thankful for the new parts of the country we discovered. .. the Appalachian mountains, New England, the Spanish moss covered south and the rich, colourful bayou.

Now, as a so-called adult and having travelled to 20 countries, I cannot say I ever thought I’d go back to the camping days.

When my sister asked me to join her for a camper van trip in late autumn, in northern Ontario, I had visions of … well.. I don’t know what. At the time I guess cold, wet, cramped and uncomfortable come to mind.

If anything that 2020 has taught me is that things don’t always go to plan and you must be flexible and nimble in thought and pursuit.

Heck…I can do this!   Like Kelly would sing

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”

and I was off to test that theory.

Whether to the lateness in the season (almost all campsites were closed at this point), the increased demands for all outdoor interests that aligned to social distancing or simply sheer luck our camper van rental turned out to be a “delightful domicile on wheels” that took glamping to a whole new level.

Our 30 ft RV came with a fully stocked kitchen: fridge, freezer, stove, oven, microwave and assortment of small kitchen appliances.

The back bedroom with its lush memory foam mattress, ample closets and sliding door was decadent, but the most charming (and appreciated!) element was the bathroom with vanity, toilet and full shower stall.   Roughing it indeed!

Our travels on this expedition took us to beautiful Georgian Bay. The myriad of islands makes up the largest freshwater archipelago in the world. In fact here are so many islands along eastern Georgian Bay it’s known as the Thirty Thousand Islands.

Georgian Bay is an area steeped in history. Long before tourists would come to the Georgian Bay islands, artefacts from as far back as the Middle Archaic period, 7,000 years ago, have been found. The remains of ancient pottery, tools, and hunting tools that have been found on Beausoleil Island have enabled archaeologists to determine that the island was, in all probability, used as a summer camp by early hunting and gathering cultures.

Its rugged and rather stunning terrain was the inspiration for many works by The Group Of Seven 

Our adventure took us to Killbear Provincial Park. Killbear is situated on a peninsula that juts out into Georgian Bay and helps to enclose the bay of Parry Sound. The Anishinabek word for the peninsula is Mko-neyaash or “Bear Point.” Bears can swim well, and the point is a shortcut around Parry Sound. As the story goes Killbear Provincial Park which has been called Killbear Point for over 140 years. For years, stories have been told about a logger killing a bear (or a bear killing a logger) as a log boom was towed around the point on the way to the large sawmills in Parry Sound.

The minor issue with these stories is that the logging era here took place between 1860 and 1920. The local Anishinabek (Ojibway) people called the peninsula Mukwa Nayoshing (which translates into ‘Bear Point’) long before there were any loggers or Europeans in the area.

So why did the First Nations call the point Mukwa Nayoshing? To this day, bears regularly swim back and forth from the tip of the point to Parry Island, where the Wasauksing First Nation is located. Perhaps they named the point in recognition of this natural corridor for bears.

It was glorious to have no morning alarms set and other that determining which of the hiking trails we’d explore that day, no sense of urgency to prattle through a jammed agenda. Waking up to a beautiful view whilst having breakfast will always hold a special place in my heart.

Also, every morning without fail, we had visitors. Beautiful and so inherent to the setting, it was a joy to see a regular group of deer visit our camp site.

One teensy, tiny minor tweak came one morning near the end of our stay.

“Good morning … you up?”

“Yup”

“Is it me, or is it really, really cold in here?”

“Freakin’ freezing”

Alas, we had run out of propane and as such the heat conked out and we had become popsicles overnight. The dilemma was: do we cut short our getaway, or take this big ol bad boy 30 minutes down the highway to the closest town with propane for a refill?

Being the warriors that we are, we naturally we chose to go on the hunt for propane (and accompanying heat). I can’t take credit at all other than being the navigation crew for backing out of the campsite. My sister, who at full height is 5ft 2in, driving the 30ft RV was a champ. (Actually quite the sight to be honest!).

Ahhh…the trails at Killbear. ..

There are four official hiking trails at Killbear offering options with a variety of length and challenge. With the autumn leaves, the naturally rocky terrain, each of these trails were spectacular. Due to the lateness in the season, we seldom came across another soul.

The wildlife was abundant with deer not phased by our presence and endless visits with curious chipmunks every day.

Because we were in KillBEAR park, I must admit that leading up to the trip I had those nagging anxiety dreams where we’d encounter a black bear during our hikes.

Naturally as part of my packing preparation, I went out and got not one but six bear whistles as a precautionary measure. And how many times did we remember to pack the aforementioned bear whistles on our hikes?

Not once!

(and no bears were encountered – thankfully!)

I don’t know whether it was the million years old glacier rock formations we climbed, the autumn colours or the beautiful serenity…it truly felt we were a light years away from the city and the maniacal bustle.

Being far from my urban locale, the full moon seemed so much brighter and the sunrises more spectacular.

On this trip time moved a little slower,  the air so much fresher, and lunchtime picnics so much more delicious!

And I’m not sure whether it was all that fresh air, the gorgeous locale, or wonderful company..but all meals were delectable.  I am ever so thankful I packed my mini Webber BBQ.  The grilled chicken, roasted vegetables and heavenly garlicky homemade bread were all were devoured with great appreciation!

I always enjoy spending time with my sister. Given that she is a 4 hour drive from me, regrettably getting together with any regularity is a challenge.

To have five days catching up, getting a ton of exercise and overcoming the limits of my personal comfort level when it comes to camping, was an absolute treasure and one I will hold dear in my heart forever.

xoxo – Sandra