Summers End

On Sunday, 6 of us headed out on a tripper trip back to the same route I had done the week before, to Chiniguchi, near Sudbury. We stopped on Wolf Lake the first night which offers some awesome views and huge quartzite rocks.









Again, sick waterfalls are everywhere in this area. Group shot.














We decided to go on a hike the second day to a fire watch tower on the next lake over. After the portage we discovered no one had brought either a compass or map... bad idea. We could see the tower from the lake so we had a general idea of where it was. Docking our boats around the next bend left us without a view of the tower and so we had to just go on a guess as to which direction to hike. We bushwacked for 3 hours and after climbing many trees to orient ourselves, jumping on a bees nest and Luke recieving over 20 stings we arrived at our destination.










The top was windy, offered a great view and showed us just how far we had to go to get back to our canoes.... However, getting back only took an hour. A late dinner followed.
The next morning included a dip in the freezing cold Paradise Lagoon pictured above. It was a short but sweet trip and an ideal way to close the summer.

Chiniguchi Paradise

This past week I went out on a Ranger trip to Chiniguchi Lake for four days. The scenery was the most beautiful I have ever seen anywhere. The lakes were cotton candy blue and crystal clear to about 40 feet. Waterfalls were between each lake and made for amazing swiming holes. It was truly incredible.


Everything I saw was so beautiful I had to paddle with one hand and snap pictures with the other. Here are some of the highlights.



























A beautiful 3lbs 13oz. smallmouth bass awaited me on Chiniguchi Lake. Yes! We didn't eat him though.

The view from the top of a quartzite peak looking onto Wolf Lake. The 40 minute hike through a swamp, up a cliff and a rock slide was worth it.

French River with an old friend

This past weekend I was lucky enough to score an LIT (Leaders in training) trip. Besides having two anaphylactics and two non-swimmers on the trip, the kids were great and I was able to do it with an old friend; Paul. He had been my LIT leader when I was 13 so we go way back.

The route was nothing special but the company was great and the wind and weather cooperated!




The trip gave me a bit of a breather from what otherwise has been a pretty hectic summer. The kids did most of the work as each day there were different leaders of the day and whatnot. It was exciting to see the next wave of Pioneer leaders.

Ralph Bice Lake Loop in Algonquin

This was a nice four day trip where it rained everyday... bummer.. But the scenery was excellent and no death storms hit near us. This shot is everyone standing on water in the middle of Little Trout Lake.


This is a nice one I snapped while I was pumping water through the filter which I swear is broken.


There were some great rapids along the way to swim in.





All the rain the night before somehow created this cool stream through the forest which I swear wasn't there the day before.

All in all it was a good trip with rain for everyone! Uneventful = great, after the last trip.