Dad, Daughter & Dog Overnight Backcountry Canoe Camping in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

Dad, Daughter & Dog Overnight Backcountry Canoe Camping in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park.

In early May, with temperatures soaring way above average and no rain in the forecast, I just couldn't pass up such an opportunity for the first camping trip of the season, so I booked time off work and reserved a paddle-in campsite on Bottle Lake, in Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park. I was even more stoked when my daughter – fresh off finishing her first year of university studies – said she wanted to come too!

We packed our things, including our new (and as of yet, unused) 16' Prospector canoe, grabbed Jasper, our furry travel companion, and set off on the 3-hr drive from home.

We'd planned for two or three nights on Bottle Lake, but upon arriving at our site, quickly realized that we'd missed the early-May bug-free camping season and were eaten alive by both black flies and mosquitoes! Bug spray did little to fend off the pesky bloodsuckers and with no bug jackets, our only reprieve was in the tent, where the temperature was sweltering. Given the circumstances, we opted to spend just the one night, but we also committed to making the best of things!

By evening, with temperatures dropping and no fire ban in place despite dry conditions, we settled on having a small campfire to lift our spirits, and by morning, still cool out, we got to explore some of our surroundings bug-free. By lunchtime, the bugs were back in full force, but we didn't care – we were packed-up and back on the water, where the slight breeze kept them at bay. This trip was only Jasper's third and fourth times in a canoe and he did great, and we know that with time, he'll only get better too!

All-in-all, despite the bugs, we had a great time getting out and absolutely love our new canoe! We already have our next trip planned, but this time, we'll have bug jackets with us just in case!

We hope you'll enjoy following along!

Eric & Teagan ‪@GreybeardAdventures‬

------ Video Contents ------

00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Setting Out
01:40 - Setting Up at the Campsite
03:46 - Exploring the Area
05:50 - Bugs! Argh!
06:40 - Evening Paddle, Campfire and Sunset
11:58 - Good Morning!
14:23 - Morning Explorations
20:14 - Paddling Out
20:51 - The Road Home

Video soundtrack:

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Tom Comes Alive by Tom the Piano Man
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We Can Fly By by Soundside
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