BALSAM LAKE

Monday October 3rd 2016                                                              159511

On the road right now, with a destination of Balsam Lake Provincial Park.  We wanted to get there before  they close for the season.

It was a damp, cool start to the day, with a fair bit of rain.   However, we left the rain behind us after about on hour on the road.  Although it did remain quite cloudy.

With Fall well under way the leaves are now beginning to turn to the brilliant yellow. golds, orange and reds.  
We do not have many colours at home at this point, but they are looking quite good here.  It has been stated that the fall colours are approximately two weeks behind schedule this year, due to the fantastic southern like summer we have been experiencing.  We have been lucky enough to make the most of it, and we intend to keep going until Mother Nature lets us know otherwise.

It was an extremely interesting and enjoyable drive to Balsam Lake.  We do enjoy travelling through the Kawarthas.

We arrived about 12 p.m. and even managed to get our favorite site #191.   At this time there was no one at all camped in this area, so extremely quiet.  Except for the Blue Jays and Crows who welcomed us with open wings.

Setting up was a little different this time as we have purchased a dining tent, which we have managed to "winterize".   In theory it will be far more cozy than our homemade "add-a-room" we have used on previous fall trips.  The dining tent (which now has covering over the mesh for the fall) is actually attached to the ground all the way around.  Unlike our room last year which had 20 feet completely unable to be closed to the elements of the cool, or cold evenings and mornings.   This is the pilot test for our new "room".

Once set up, partially under the awning, it warmed up very quickly.   So far so good.

Next was lunch.  Most clouds had gone by now so we enjoyed just relaxing outside with our lunch.

That over, it was time to explore, so we headed along the trails towards the beach.

We saw some guys out on the lake, hoping to return with supper.

After a while the clouds began to form over the lake, and it cooled off a little.  Hopefully the clouds will move away for this area.

The trail leading down to the beach was really quite picturesque.

The beach, itself, was completely deserted except for a "colony" of seagulls and a "gaggle of Canada Geese.

From the dock area near the beach the scenery changed quite a bit and became far more rugged. Once again very interesting to look at.

From the beach and dock areas we just wandered the trail, which was mainly around the Lake .  Then took a leisurely walk back to our site.  

We really enjoyed this walk, and it was so good to recall all the great views there are in this part of the park.

It was a little cooler by the time we returned to #191, so we relaxed in the dining tent- now very cozy warm - until it was time to light the campfire.


Cooking supper was a little experimental in the tent.   Although the door side of the dining tent were completely pulled back and open there was still a fair bit of smoke.   Something we will have to work on.   Regardless my Chef did a great job again.

And so, back to the fire.

Little did we know we were going to be entertained this evening.  There were a couple of musicians a way over from our camp site, who were either relaxing playing their music, or rehearsing their music.  Either way, if I still had my "little Pub" I would have hunted them down and signed them up for a Friday Night - they were so good.

And so our first day at Balsam came to a close - what a fun day it had been.   Everything worked out really well.

Tuesday October 4th 2016.

Today we woke to sunshine, although a little cool to start.   Breakfast worked out very well in the cozy dining tent - this is going to be fun!

It appears  it is going to be another good "fall" day.  So we got the usual chores out of the way quickly and planned the exciting stuff.

Decision made, so we were on our way to the Look Out Trail.  The actual Look Out Trail is a loop of 1.7 km.  Then we have approximately 2 km from our site to the trail.  So this hike we be some where around 5.7 km.  when all completed.  I really should get another pedometer one of these days. Luckily the weather seems to be perfect for a walk like this.

The trail that leads to The Look Out Trail was really good and an easy walk.

Once on the Look Out Trail there were a series of information boards.

One indicated that many of the "Woodpecker" bird families enjoy the vegetation in this area.   We could see where many woodpeckers had enjoyed the trees.

Although, not a common bird to this area, the Piliated Woodpecker does reside around these trees.

Not too far along that part of the trail we did see a Piliated Woodpecker.  By far the biggest woodpecker we have seen to date.   This one was easily as large as a crow.    Had a very slim neck and a brilliant red head.  It was similar to the Red Headed, but very much larger.   Too bad it was in such a hurry - no pictures!

The actual Look Out was fantastic.  The Fall colours in full array.


The Look Out Point is on a 15km high Kame.  The Kame being a steep sided mound of sand and gravel that accumulated on a retreating ice glacier.  They tend to slope down valley with gradients similar to the glacier they were formed on.

There are many Kames in the area, but this one is the largest.



                                     






On the decent from the Point we entered an area where The Staghorn Sunac grows in abundance, giving the whole section a firey deep red glow.

Some parts of the decent were quite steep, which we had not encounted on the gentle climb to the peak - very clever planning.  It certainly made for an easy walk.

It was really a great morning and we enjoyed the whole walk. 

Now time to make our way back to #191 and enjoy a late lunch.

After lunch we sat around the site relaxing in the sushine for a while.  Then it was time to go off walking again.

With some of the clouds out of the way today it was good to wander the beach.  Balsam Lake is a good sized lake, and the home of some magnificent "cottages".

Also a good place for Sea Gulls to relax, and geese to enjoy a leisurely swim.

It was still a nice warm "summer" day, great for a goos walk on the beach.

Then back to our site.   Time to get the campfire ready, prepare dinner and set up the radio to listen to Toronto Blue Jays play Baltimore in the AL East Wild Card game.
Do or die night again.

The fire was perfect, dinner magnifient, and as it turned out,   in the 11th innings The Blue Jays were just what we needed t hear. Another big W.

What a super way to end a wonderful day.

Tomorrow we are on our travels, going towards Bancroft, and staying at Silent Lake.