Dragonfly Dreams

A month after warning you about the mosquito, they are here! Did you know that besides being an annoying pest at the campground, the mosquito is also a lunchtime treat for one of my favorite insects, the dragonfly!

If you embark on a canoe trip in Quetico, you are likely to meet a dragonfly! They are usually found around marshes, lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands… all of which you can find in Quetico.

 

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Is it Spring yet?

Spring 2014 is taking its sweet time… the days are getting longer, but those snowflakes continue to tease us.

With those first signs of Spring, comes daydreams of a canoe trip in Quetico. Despite ice on the lakes, and occasional snowfall warnings, glimpses of new growth provide enough  incentive to plan for a canoe trip!

Now is the time to take stock, repair your gear and plan your menus. Before you know it, it will be time to put in your canoe.

Or a Tent?

Under the watchful eyes of the forest, and the “fun guys” who make the woods their home, it’s so nice to have a cozy tent waiting for you at the end of your wanderings in the Park.

When I canoe, I like to have a tent that accommodates twice the recommended capacity. When there are two of us, I always lobby for a four-man tent! There’s nothing like having the space to sit up, hang the lantern, and play a game of cards when the rain is falling outside.

How about a yurt?

Lily pads are wonderful neighbours along the shore. Look carefully and you will find the fish you were trying to catch, cleverly hiding in the jungle of flora that will undoubtedly leave your line in a tangled mess!

At the end of the day, consider a luxurious night in a yurt! They are available year-round and come equipped with heat and electricity.. a great alternative when it’s time to hang up the canoe and bring out the cross-country skis.

And a cabin… and a playground…

The Artist’s Studio at French Lake is amazing, and time spent there makes one long for their own little cabin on the lake. Add a playground to the mix, and you have a pretty awesome getaway!

Tiny homes like this are increasingly popular. Once considered a small and simple vacation spot, you can find examples of year-round homes with less than 500 square feet of living space. If your New Year’s Resolution involves leading a simple life, take a look at these little jewel boxes.

All I want for Christmas is a Canoe!

There’s a very cool cedar canoe right off the shores of French Lake. Imagine a canoe like this under your tree tomorrow morning!

Now that the days will begin to lengthen, we can all start dreaming about our next epic canoe trip in 2014. If you can’t make up your mind where to paddle, make Quetico your next destination!

 

And Berries!

Northern Ontario is a wonderful paradise of blueberries. Every time I visit, I seek out a patch. Locals have their secret blueberry patches, and will not reveal the location under any circumstance. I have visited the Shield Country enough times that I now have a secret patch too! Wild blueberries are quite small, but really tasty.

According to my search, bunch berries are also edible, but not as sweet. Rather than snacking on them, I just love how the red berries brighten up the forest floor.

The trail between…

There’s an engaging trail between the Trapper Cabin and the Artist’s Studio. It hugs the shore of French Lake and provides a pretty nice transition between the work of the studio and the comfort of the sleeping bag.

I love the lichen and mushroom “bling” of the forest. Every time I walked the path, something always caught my eye. From a distance a forest can appear to be pretty still, but up close it’s teaming with life!

Stay in a Trapper’s Tent

The artist residency at Quetico comes with an opportunity to stay in a Trapper’s Tent just down the trail from the studio. It’s a traditional canvas tent, complete with a cot for those who don’t like to sleep on the ground.

This style of tent has been around since the fur trade. More recently it has been embraced by the “glamping” crowd (glamour camping), as it has the roominess and versatility to create a pretty decadent camping experience.

Check out that studio

There’s a jewel box of a studio along the shores of French Lake. The Quetico Foundation led a highly successful campaign to cover the costs of renovating an old pumphouse so that an artist residency could be established at the Park.

It’s a warm and cozy space, and provides a wonderful entry point for inspiration and adventure at Quetico Provincial Park.

For details on this residency, go to  www.queticofoundation.com.