Back and Blue

Just a quick post to let everyone know that I did, indeed survive the winter camping trip to Killarney Provincial Park so please don't call search and rescue. We managed to outrun -24 C temperatures and beat 15 cm of snow home. Along the way I learned some fun facts.

One of my fave Far Side comics immediately came to mind

Fact #1: Snow Fleas

WTF Mother Nature?! The trade off of winter camping, I was told, was that, in exchange for being cold, you didn't have to worry about bears, snakes or bugs. This is a major fallacy. There exists an insipid form of flea that is attracted to disturbed snow i.e. anywhere you are! and they swarm. I have never seen so many fleas in one place, and my family has always owned multiple canines.

Fact #2: Privy Does Not Come From Private

Brochures advertise that there are "Privies" available, even near back country camping sites. I was skeptical as I had not seen any. When I found a wooden box, with a hinged lid that stood maybe 2 feet high, I thought, "awesome, a place to dispose of garbage that animals can't get at". I was sort of right. Lift the lid and there I saw a familiarly shaped hole. This was in fact, the commode. On the trail, in plain view of anyone who might happen to be hiking by. Back country camping, I learned, is not for the deficationally timid.

Fact #3: An Animal Being Taken Down by a Predator Sounds a Lot Like an Hysterical Person Screaming.

In the early morning, around 5:00 am with absolute stillness all around I heard a blood curdling screech and then a howl. The rest was silence. Though we came across a plethora of tracks, mostly deer and some predator, we did not find any blood or carcass. My Guy accused me of hallucinating, but I know what I heard.

Early morning mist (shortly after the hunting hour)

Cliche night shot

Fact #4: The Wrong Size Pack Can Ruin Your Trip

For this trip I used a borrowed, large, men's backpack (unisex is a lie, manufacturers, you aren't fooling anyone). Given the nature of our trip, I had to bring plenty of water (lakes were under several feet of ice), food and warm clothing. My bag weighed about 40 lbs, all of which was either digging into my shoulders or my glutes at any given time. Every step sent cramps through my right hip and hamstrings. If you've ever been to Killarney, you know how hilly the range is. To say the snowshoeing was uncomfortable was an understatement. 

Me and the Bag o' Pain enjoying the view (and the rest)

My Tubbs Flex Alp snowshoes didn't slip an inch

Fact #5: A.Y. Jackson Was One Fit and Rugged Painter

For those who are unfamiliar with the name A.Y. Jackson (shame on you, if you are Canadian), he was one of the very influential Group of Seven painters who not only gave Canadian art its own voice, but also was instrumental in the 645 square km area becoming a wilderness park. Jackson would canoe and portage throughout the area, climbing the peaks of the La Cloche mountains with a wooden paint box, easel, paints, food, and camping equipment! 

Not A.Y. Jackson

Killarney Park is beautiful and though I would like to encourage everyone to visit it, the selfish part of me says, "stay home, you won't like it", so that I can enjoy the beautiful back country undisturbed. I look forward to going back and hiking the entire 80 km La Cloche Silhouette Trail this summer, hopefully with a new Osprey Xena 70 women's xs ruby backpack! Oh, and I came home to discover our maps arrived about 7 hrs after we left.

The Silent FU in Customer Service

We've finally made it past the ugliest month and March is here with all its promises of spring and rebirth. Today feels like a balmy -9, positively glorious compared to the -24 the week started with, time to plan a vacation.

I get exactly 1 week off in March and, because I teach children, that time exactly corresponds to March break. This means that, unless I want to be swarmed by crowds I must choose my venues very carefully. My guy has long been a fan of the cold and especially winter camping, or as I like to put it, all things I oppose. A few weeks ago I finally relented and agreed to head to the astonishingly beautiful in all times of year Killarney Provincial Park for snowshoeing, camping and all things far from the doldrums of the dirty snow and crippling icy sidewalks the city has to offer. Being the person of the two of us designated to "deal with others"; I was charged with the task of ordering some maps of the various trails in the park to ensure proper planning and safety. The "friends of" association that runs the online store claimed orders generally arrive 1-2 weeks after ordering. 2+ weeks on and my order was still labeled as "processing". I took to my email, as a second party's error should not lead to my incurring long distance charges. I pointed out the problem, the time line of my trip and the fact that though they did not process my order, they were certainly quick to process my credit card charges! I never received a follow up email with an apology, an offer the expedite shipping or cancel the order but hey, they took the time to change my order status from processing to shipped. This means that I should return from my trip just in time to receive my maps.

If they really want to promote the park and its use, they may want to offer some customer service. Silence isn't always golden. 

If I am not back by March 15, I am wandering lost somewhere around Georgian Bay - send help, if I haven't already been eaten by wolves.