Gut Lake Trail...

 We had gorgeous weather again today, and the rain held off until we were finished our hike. This one felt a little more ambitious than the other ones we've done while here. Going by my GPS walking app on my iphone, it was closer to a 5 km hike than 2.5. 

 We saw this group of canoes and kayaks ahile we were walking. I don't think there is anything that says outdoors in Canada as much as this. All of the lake in this area are surrounded by these types of rocks. It never fails to amaze me how a full sized tree can grow seemingly out of the side of a huge rock.

 The tree on the end of this point looks like it would only take the smallest breath to blow it over.

This was taken at the end of the lake where it narrows down into the smallest stream. It opens up again into a marshy wetlands area. Now, I have to say that I love this country and I love this area, and all of the beauty found in it. However...... the bugs...... it wasn't mosquitoes this time that were the issue, but the flies that kept circling around our heads, trying to bite, and flying into our glasses and ears. Highly annoying..... the price one pays for being outdoors, rather than watching it all on a screen. What I often wonder, is how did the initial settlers and explorers manage without bug spray with Deet in it? I did some research before we left to come up here on bug repellants, without using the Deet stuff. I found all kinds of sources that said that mosquitoes hate citronella and basil, and that using those essential oils, and a few other ingredients, you could make a good repellant. Somebody forgot to tell the bugs up here that they don't like those things. They didn't work, and we ended up having to resort to the Deet stuff just to preserve our sanity.

I thought this was an interesting passageway type area we found along the way. This was towards the end of the hike, and I was awfully glad we didn't have to climb up that rocky area. I think this is going to be the last of our hikes this time round. The last one is around a beaver dam, and is listed as longer than all the others. If the pattern continues, it would be double the length that the maps says it is, so it will have to wait for another time.
The rest of this evening is going to be quiet time, with either a book or my knitting, or maybe both.

On my Needles, July 11, 2014

 We're still here at our campsite, but decided that today was a stick around the campsite and campground and not do too much requiring energy day. Yesterday's hike to the falls, found here, really tired us out. If the weather is good tomorrow, we'll do another hike. Every time we come to a campground, we like to do a walk around to scope out any good sites for further reference, so that was the extent of our exercise today. That meant there was lots of time for sitting and knitting. The body and the hood for my Flyaway Hoodie are done. While sitting down by the lake earlier today I did the boring chore of sewing in the ends I've created so far. Then, when we got back to the campsite, I found a patch of sun, and sat out and picked up the stitches for one of the sleeves.

 And in between working on the hoodie, when my hands needed something to do, but my brain didn't, I've been working on these socks. The instep decreases are done, and I'm on the home stretch for the foot.

This is a picture of our lovely campsite. I am standing in the far corner to take this picture. The site is huge! There is a pull through area where the trailer is, and then there is a sitting area off to the side where the fire pit and the picnic table are. It could easily fit a couple more tents or, if we had remembered it, the screened shelter. In our stroll around the campground, we didn't find any sites that were nicer than the ones in this area. All of them are like this, large and very well wooded and private. I am so enjoying our time away. I'm not going to want to go home. I'm linking up to Judy's On the Needles, and then I'm going to see if I can wrap my head around the instructions for the sleeves. I have to do wrap and turns for the top part of the sleeves, as well as remembering to do the right section of the cable that goes down the arm. This has been a fun and challenging knit.

Recollet Falls Hike

 It was a fabulous day out today, sunshine and cool breezes, the perfect day for a hike. We decided to go down the highway a bit and check out part of the French River Provincial Park. There isn't any camping available at this area. It's a protected space in the province, full of history. I've left the photo of the description board full sized so you can enlarge it to read it, if you wish.

 This is Scott, waiting so very patiently for me, as I get my camera and other assorted stuff straightened out and ready to go.

 They weren't kidding when they described it as rugged. There was a fair bit of clambering to do. But we took our time, and didn't find it too hard. There are blue dots on the trees marking the trail. I have a new best friend to help me on these trials...... an old cane that used to belong to Scott's dad, now acts as my walking stick. It is a huge help, far more than I ever thought it would be. When Scott first grabbed it, I thought he was going a bit nuts, but when I tried it out, turns out I'm the one that was nuts not using one for all these years.

 This was the plaque that was in place at the end of the hike, describing some of the history of the place. I've left this one biggie sized too, for easier reading.

And this is what we came to see...... absolutely glorious!! It was worth the walk to get here. The sign at the beginning of the trail said that it was 1.5 km. I think that must have been measured as the crow flies, because my GPS walking tracker said it was 2.5 km, one way. It was a great work out, and now we are both completely tuckered out. Supper was the old campers stand by of weiners and beans. And there just might be a campfire this evening, provided the mosquitoes don't carry us away. LOL!

Swan Lake Trail

 The weather cleared up enough today that we were able to get out onto one of the park's trails. We decided to go with the shortest of the trails today, just to get ourselves used to it. It's listed as 1.5 km, and gently goes up and over the large rocks around the lake, along with a boardwalk to get across the neck of the lake.

 This is the lake the trail is named for. The trail goes all the way around it, and we ended up on the rocks that you can see in this picture. There is something about the shapes and the colours that are found in the rocks in this part of Ontario that I find to be totally magical.

 We found this little flower growing out of one of the rocks. I have no idea what it is, though. It almost looks like a water lily, except that is was growing in rock, not water.

 This shot is taken from the end of the hike where there was a boardwalk rest area. It was a short trail, but with all the stops for picture taking and admiring the view and listening to the wind in the trees and the birds, it took us about 2 1/2 hours to do a relatively short and easy trail. If the weather turns out as promised tomorrow, we'll do one of the longer trails. As for now, and the rest of the evening, it's time to make some supper, and then some knitting to keep me occupied. It's a little too chilly this evening for sitting outside around a fire, and even if we could, the mosquitoes will pick us up and carry us away. They are vicious!!  If it's warmer tomorrow evening, we'll break out the citronella candles and see if that might help keep them away.