SILENT LAKE Provincial Park, and FERRIS Provincial Park.

Sunday July 5th 2015                              151348

Today we are heading to Silent Lake Provincial Park, near Peterborough area, another park we have not yet been to.

We intended to be on our way by 9 a.m., but our wonderful alarm clock, namely Fuzzy Cat, decided to sleep in past 7 a.m. this morning.   Consequently we didn't wake up and get going as early as we had wished.  10.15 a.m. was the best we could do.  Not that it mattered, we honestly did not have a time frame, just a guide line.

Today the roads were a little more busy than our usual mid week trips.

Some parts of the Kawartha Lakes area were extremely busy.  Which is not surprising. as it is such a picturesque area.

I would have no problem moving to that area.  But we would have to buy a boat then.
Darn it, "Attitude Adjustment" again.

Ok. dreaming over, and back to reality.

Once off the small section of the Trans Canada Highway we had to do the drive became a lot quieter.

About 10 minutes from the Park our GPS Lady told us to turn right, then left.  Ok, well that didn't work.  It was actually someone's driveway.

We continued along the roadway for about 15 km until we found a suitable spot to turn around, then continued back the way we had already come from.  And low and behold, about 20 km along we found the Park.  If we had actually turned left, not right, we would already been set up and eating our lunch.

Silent Lake certainly appeared to be very nice as we drove around to find a suitable site, and there were many of them, all nestled in the trees.  Took # 141. which had a long treed driveway, that opened out around the fire pit and picnic table allowing the sun to shine through.  Perfect site for us.

All set up and finally enjoying our very late lunch by about 4.00 p.m.          151674

The trails were a fair distance from our site, so we decided it was to be a relaxing late afternoon and evening around the camp site.  Which truthfully we both enjoyed.   There were an abundance of Chipmunks playing around and keeping us entertained until the sun went down.  The weather was great, warm and sunny and very comfortable.  So, yes, that made the perfect recipe for a very relaxing situation.  

The campfire was great.   Along with the good Ol' Music we played very softly.

Supper was late, due to a late lunch.  So bedtime arrived late too.  But all in all it had been a very good day, pretty drive, nice site, perfect weather and excellent company.  What else could we ask for?

Looking forward to exploring tomorrow.





Monday July 6th 2015

Another fantastic morning, already warm while cooking breakfast.   Once again, not at an early hour.

Breakfast over and walking plan all mapped out we headed from our camp site to the Lakeshore Hiking Trail.  If completed this trail would be 15 km.  No. I don't think we are ready to do that right now.  We would just do whatever we felt comfortable with.  As it is warned this trail can become quite rugged and is better for the  more     experienced hiker!  Oh well, here goes.  Not sure if we fall into that category.

The trail was quite hilly even at the onset, but also very quiet and peaceful.

 

Once we found a docking area we got our first glimpse of Silent Lake.
 
It was quite a large lake, and the park is on part of the Canadian Shield

The scenery all around the lake was breath taking, along with the size of the rocks.

The trail really did run along the edge of the shore, and each bend we took we saw even more picturesque scenery.

There are two beaches at Silent Lake.  The one I am on was also on rocks of the Canadian Shield.

Further along the trail we came across a few different species of Fungi.

We also found some water lilies growing around the edge of one part of the Lake.

When we got to another area of beach this Butterfly stopped for a well earned rest.

So we did the same for a few minutes.

We walked the trail to the far west boundary of the park, which was approximately 1/3 of the trail.  Then we decided we should consider making our way back to our camp for lunch.




Every where we turned the scenery was amazing. 

We found a part of the trail which was signed "To Granite Ridge Campground".  That was great, that was where we were camped.

A few feet in on the trail we started climbing up hill.  It honestly seemed never ending.  It was a very steep, narrow ascent to the top.  Almost at the top there were a few extremely large rocks.  Thank goodness!  We stopped there for a few minutes to rest and to catch our breath.



From there we were about 20 minutes from our site.  Where we were extremely happy to collapse in our chairs.

So yes, we did decide that trail really was for the experienced hiker, but we enjoyed it and didn't do too bad at it either.  It was a wonderful hike, magnificent breath taking scenery and a heck of a work out!

We really deserved our lunch today, and the relaxing time that followed for a good portion of the nice warm afternoon.

The company was good too.  This little guy really enjoyed our site.

Glutton's for punishment we headed back to the trail about 4 p.m.   This time we headed eastward and took in the Lake Head Loop Trail. 

The huge rocks of the Canadian Shield were very prominent along this part of the trail.

Part of the lake had a few docking areas, and many people were out making good use of the docks and the great weather.

No motors of any type are allowed on Silent Lake.   So now we know why it is called "Silent Lake".

Mind you, the Loons were not at all silent.  In fact, we could even hear them when we returned to our site.

This trail was fairly difficult, but nothing as gruelling as this mornings hike.

It was equally as beautiful though, and we did manage to find a couple of different types of ferns growing here,  It appears there are three or four species around this area, but we only found:




1.                           



                                                                                                                                       2.

No matter which trail or pathway we take to get back to our campsite it involves climbing very large hills.  Luckily enough they were not as large as the one we took back this  morning.

This time when we sank into our chairs to relax it also included a bevvy or two.   Well after such an energetic day, we really didn't need to get dehydrated,  right!

Once again, dinner was a little later than usual, due to our two hour walk this afternoon, which was great fun.

After my Chef worked his magic with dinner and we were relaxing around the fire, something to the left of us caught our eye.

Just about 15 feet from us we saw this deer getting ready to enjoy it's dinner too.

This Deer was not too shy.

Luckily for us, we had the camera at the ready this time.

 The deer had spent around 30 minutes just wandering around the back of our site.

That just made the closing of the day as wonderful as the day itself.

What was left of the evening was spent chatting about the great day we had just had.

We did have an unexpected visit from a very small raccoon.

Apparently, that was an OK thing, as we are in Black Bear Country, and they have been sighted here recently.    So far we didn't see any.

Sleep came easy tonight.  It was a hectic hiking day, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

Off exploring again in the morning.


Tuesday 7th 2015                                                                                     151674

Today we are on the move again.  This time heading to Ferris Provincial Park near Campbellford.

So far the weather is good, very comfortable for traveling. The forecast is for thunderstorms later this afternoon.  Hopefully not too bad.

All ready to leave by 11.30 a.m.

The drive towards Campbellford was really easy and very pretty, with numerous smaller lakes and rivers around every bend in the road.   Many of the lakes were covered in Lilies, like we had seen at Silent Lake.

We took a drive around the park once we had arrived and found several sites that were ideal for us.  We settled on #34 in the Valley View Camp Ground.               151782

It was very well named as several sites there had magnificent views of the valley.   Unfortunately these sites were not available for us in our time frame.   May be next time.

The weather remained good so far, despite the humidity and the grey sky.  When we set up our camp site the temperature was 35c.

And as you can see it was quite hazy over the valley,

After lunch we grabbed the map and headed out on to the trails before the weather changed.

From our site it was not very far to get onto the Meadow Loop Trail, where we found two Osprey Nesting boxes.   Both of which appeared to be, or had been in use quite recently.

Then the trail looped and followed right along the edge of the Trent River.  The River Gorge Trail.  Which was very nice.  As you can tell from the name of the trail "Gorge" we had, once again, descended quite a few steep hills, to get to the river's edge.

With the high humidity we were not looking forward to the climb back.

                            





                                                                                                                                        
  The Trent river was really quite pretty.

                

  


Along the trail there were quite a few information boards which we enjoyed reading, as it is always interesting to learn things about the area we are staying in.

The Chimney Swift was a big surprise.

And we could not believe the Stone Wall Restoration.

Already this has been a fun walk.  However, we do have to consider the start of our ascent to the top of this "mountain", before the dark clouds shower down upon us.   At least that is what it looks like at the foot of the hill.

It was such a steep climb we actually stopped twice to gather more energy to get to the top.


Are we getting old?  No! No! It's just the high humidity -we hope.

We made it back to #34 without any further problems.

Now time to relax for a while before dinner.

We had managed a good hour and a half  hike.  And it was another hike with some steep climbs.  But still very enjoyable.

About 6 p.m. we felt a few rain drops and heard a few rumbles of thunder.  Then the heavens opened up. 

We did have to go inside as the rain was very heavy and the awning was not able to hold all the rain off us.  In fact we had to remain inside all evening.  The rain was not quite so heavy but did not let up enough to go sit outside.

My Chef took the night off, so his "Cheffette" , as Roger always called me, did the cooking this evening.  It all worked out very well and with nice full bellies we settled in for a quiet game of dominoes.  Yes, it has been a while, but I - Moi - did win!

Just after 10 p.m., we were just finishing our night cap, and there was a tap on our door.  Now this has never happened to us in all our camping trips.

Mike called out "Yeah, What do you want?"  Not happy about opening the door, as we knew no one here.

A female voice replied "I need to talk to you.  It's the Camp Warden".  Still not sure about opening the door we peaked out of the drapes., and yes, this person did represent a camp warden.  So we opened the door and apologised for our bluntness, but this day and age you cannot be too sure or too careful about anything.  It was a little concerning as a camp warden would not call at your door unless there was a problem of some sort.

Anyway, the Camp Warden proceeded to tell us that we must stay inside our camper for the remainder of the night, we must not go outside and there is not to be anything laying around our campsite - there had been a BEAR sighting right around this very area.

We thanked her very much,  and she wished us a "good night".    Yeah, right - let's hope!

After that we decided we may as well have another night cap.  Not sure how much sleep we would get tonight.

It rained most of the night.  Well until I feel asleep somewhere after 1.30 a.m.


Wednesday 8th July 2015.

Woke up about 7.30 a.m. to brilliant sunshine, no humidity and no sign of any Bears.  That's a good start to the day.

However,  today we will have to keep eyes and ears working overtime when we hit the trails.  We have a choice of many trails today.

Our goal today is to do The Suspension Bridge over the Trent River, which is off the River Gorge Trail, but not the area of it we were on yesterday.

First we had to descend the steep hill from our campground.

Looking at the trail you could envision bears on the trail, we are just hoping it will not be so today.

Once again The River Gorge Trail held true to it's name, and run the course of the river , with steady climbs incorporating the gorge.

Along with some wonderful scenery.

Before we reached the Suspension Bridge we could see across the far side of the Trent River to where the Locks were situated.

Then we saw The Suspension Bridge.

So far I have had no reason to cross a Suspension Bridge, and today was no exception.

However, the scenery looked too good, so I was doomed to cross this bridge.

Yes - I held onto the handrail!

And no -  I did not like looking beneath my feet to the gushing Trent River, 100 feet below me.

I don't know how I managed to take some of the pictures.

The Trent River rom the bridge.

Looking to the East from the bridge we could see Ranney Falls.  Another really nice area.   Hopefully we can do that area too sometime.

This really was an interesting visit.

From the bridge we made our way to the Locks.

We also saw the single Lane Swing Bridge allowing all the traffic in the area to cross the river.

These locks were much deeper than the area we had seen in Fenelon Falls.

The water level in the locks actually went down 100 feet.

Not nice to look down into the locks.

The park setting around the locks was really nice and so well landscaped.

Surprising what you find in parks these days.

Today at the time we were at the locks there were no boats in sight.  Too bad, that would have been fun to watch.

This really is a relaxing area.

Now the only way back to our campsite was to cross the bridge again.  Which was not a problem this time.  Very good for the eyes, but not so good for the stomach when you look down to the river below your feet.

So time to get on the trail and head back to #34.  We did remain very alert for the signs of any bears.

Naturally we had to climb the steep hills again.   But this time it wasn't so bad.  Guess less humidity was a big help.

It really was a very interesting walk, and thankfully no encounters with Yogi or Rupert.

Back at our camp we sat and relaxed for a while before lunch.   Followed by a lazy afternoon enjoying the sunshine.

We did have a visit from a family of Blue Jays who had one very demanding child.  It was fun to watch.

That was followed by a rather large rabbit who was not into picture taking at all.

It was then time for the "Championship" game of Washer Toss.  Last time we played it was one game each.

OK - I didn't win the Championship, but came a very close second.  Mike 30 - Me 28.
Winner bought the drinks.    So I guess I won anyway.

It had been a relaxing afternoon with the mix of sun and  shade, but just a little too warm for a good walk.

We lit the fire early as we had yesterday's wood to burn along with today's wood.

The fire ring here was really unique.   It was constructed with very large rocks directly from the area, and it made for a really g00d hot fire.

Early evening some clouds  starting building up and it did cool off a little.

After sitting out for a while Mike thought he saw movement in the bush at the back of the fire pit.  After last nights warnings we were constantly on the lookout for the bear.  This time it turned out to be a cougar.  Who had seen us moving for a better look and immediately took off.  Never to be seen again.  Guess that was a good thing.  However a picture would have great.

The rest of the night went without incidents, and so to the end of another very eventful, enjoyable day.

Thursday July 9th 2015                        151782

Very cloudy start to the day.   it was pack up day for us, so not too much of a problem to have a few clouds.   Time to head home.  Why?  We do keep asking ourselves that question.   There is always lots to catch up on when we get home.   Sometimes we wish the summer type weather lasted a little longer as there is always lots to do at home, but this weather is great for our trips away.

Already to leave about 11.15 a.m. 

Our first stop along the way was to visit Church Key Brewery.  When we had our pub we had some of their beer when they were just starting up.  Now we have the time we can actually visit the brewery.

As you can see.  It was originally an old church, hence the name.

The set up was really interesting, and the beer was excellent.

After a good chat and visit we were back on the road.  This time heading towards Peterborough, and the Peterborough Lift Locks.  Which, I am pleased to say were very well sign posted.  So problem at all.

The only problem we had, was trying to tear ourselves away from the area.

There were a few boats docked along the river.

 And more on the way.  














It turned out that The Peterborough Lift Lock was actually 111 years old today, July 9th 2015.  This really was perfect timing.  We had no idea about that.

Here comes a boat ready to enter the lift lock.

Entered and lift started.

Almost half way.

Tough to see it at the top - 100 feet above us.

We did not know until now that there were river cruises in these Paddle Wheeler boats.
And they too go through the locks.  This definitely means a trip back here.   I think this is a MUST DO.

Entering the lock.

Just over half way.   Still tough to get picture of the very top of the lift.

The grounds all around the Locks were magnificent and we spent a lot longer there than we had expected to.

Unfortunately we did have to move on, but may be not quite as soon as we imagined, as we found a perfect spot to sit on a patio and enjoy a nice late lunch.

The Ashburnham Ale House.  Renowned for it's Craft Ales.  Which Mike really enjoyed.  The food was great too.

I think it was about 3 p.m. when we did finally attack the road again.

This time we made it all the way home.  Arriving somewhere near 7 p.m.  Some roads were quite busy through the "rush hour".                   152117

This has been another fabulous, exciting, adventurous trip.  Can't wait to see where we go  or what happens next.  

You will no doubt find out.

   












                                        



      

Balsam Lake Provincial Park

Tuesday June 23rd 2015.                                        150893

Very special day today.  Seven decades of Mike's Life have been and gone.  Yes, he is 70 today.  His birthday wish was to go away camping somewhere we have not been to.   So here we are on our way to Balsam Lake Provincial Park.  This park is in the same area as Earl Rowe and Bass Lake, both of which we have really enjoyed.

The clouds from the storms last night were still quite ominous when we were ready to leave home, and remained that way for most of the trip.

It did clear a little by the time we reached Stayner.

We have nick named Stayner "Flag Town", as the whole of the down town is always, yes all year round, abundant with our Canadian Flags.

It really looks neat.

It was still quite cloudy through Hockley Valley, but very little traffic.  That makes for an easy journey.

Then the Sun God began to battle with Thor, The God Of Thunder, and by the time we reached Balsam Lake Thor was out of the picture.

Today at Balsam Lake the check in was a breeze.  There was a real nice guy working in th office.  We told him the type of site we liked and he suggested 191.  In this park you cannot drive around unless you have a valid permit.  However, you can switch sites, and re-check in should you wish to.

#191 was exactly the type of site we liked, so we set up there.  It was a large site and Mike parked right in the center of it.  Why?  I do not know!

There were approximately 8 sites in this small area of the park, and at this time only one other site was occupied. so very quiet and peaceful.

After lunch we were off walking and exploring.

There was a small trail just one site beyond ours, so it took no time at all to get going.

The trail led us down to Balsam Lake.

The Birthday Boy enjoyed this part of the lake.

It was another very clean and clear lake.

It was a large lake with several bays and numerous very picturesque spots to stop and enjoy.

This really was a pretty area to sit and relax for a minute or two.

When looking across the lake, which was quite a distance, I could see when I zoomed in with the camera, there were quite a few really nice homes.

Yes - I did find a nice home which could be "just me",  may be.

Then we came across a small docking area for both boats and people wishing to fish.

Muskies were the main fish right in this fishing area.

From there we crossed a foot bridge to the trail that was really good and ran along the shore area to the sandy beach.

The beach was excellent, and I took far too many pictures, but I won't bore you with them all.

Ok,  just one more beach picture.

Then back onto the road part of the trail, which took us past some fabulous sites, right on the lake edge.  Now I would have changed sites for one of those, if it was available.  I will try to get some pictures tomorrow.

Guess what.  I am already looking forward to returning here and having one of those sites.

Wandered back to our site and relaxed for a while before having a game of "Washer Toss".

It was a good game and I came close second.  First one to reach 50 was the winner, and I got 47.   Not bad for a mere female.  I will try harder tomorrow.  I wanted the Birthday Boy to win today.  Yeah Right!

Although his birthday, my Chef did not get the night off.  Come to think of it, neither did my Chauffer.

The Chef wished Sirloin Burgers with all the trimmings, so that was done.  Along with Chocolate Birthday cake.   No holding back for this guy.

Fire lit already to settle in and enjoy another
another Toronto Blue Jays "success" on the radio. 

The fire was good which we did need it as the breeze was more like a wind and this evening was quite cool.

However, the "success" was not so good.  The Blue Jay's lost.  Oh well, there is always tomorrow.



And so another day comes to end and a new decade starts for Mike.

He ensured me had a good birthday, and is now looking forward to the next one.

Wednesday June 24h 2015

Wow - beautiful warm, sunny day.   And the daisy's around our site were amazing today.

After breakfast we planned our A.M. walk.  This one to take us to The Lookout Point.

Many flowers, like us, were enjoying the beautiful weather.

The trail leading us to the Lookout Trail was along both the roadway and boardwalk.
It was an interesting trail, complete with hungry mosquitoes.  All due to the very damp undergrowth, being the result of the previous stormy days.

Then onto the Lookout Trail.

This trail was very good and also consisted of boardwalk,

and regular grassy trails.

The climb to Lookout Point was a good one and the trail was very well laid out, helping the climb remain easy going.

Once again Lookout Point was well worth the climb.  This time giving us the view of some real pretty wooded cliffs.

The trail down was equally as easy and gave us many different views of the countryside.

And again, well worth the climb.

From there we made our way back to our site, which was at last another 3/4 hour walk away.

The weather had been great for walking.  No humidity, warm and sunny and just a soft breeze to keep us comfortable.



Once back at our site we sat and enjoyed a nice cool bevvy, before I prepared lunch.

After  lunch we sat in both the sun and the shade to keep comfortable.  Did some reading, writing and listening to the Toronto Blue Jays on the radio.

What a great life!

Better still when the Jay's win 1-0 in the 12th.

Ok.  That was a good afternoon sitting around, now time to walk for a while.

We made our way to the real nice sites on the lake to have pictures for our return visit.  Let's hope one of them will be available then.

Each of these sites had it's own lake side area.

They really were very picturesque.

The weather and the lake was at a perfect stage that afternoon.  We sat and enjoyed every moment of it, before heading to the beach area once again.

Once again I found another wonderful property way across the other side of the lake.   I really liked this one too.

We took a slow stroll back to our campsite, where we settled in for another game of "Washer Toss".

This evening I beat Mike by three points.
So a Championship game is going to be in order very soon.

Some very hungry Grackles joined us for munchies.

After BBQ dinner we did our usual relaxing around the fire.  This time we listened to our own music.

About 1 1/2 hours after lighting the fire something caught my attention, a slight movement right under our table, which was positioned between our two chairs.  I glanced down, jumped up an said quietly to Mike "SKUNK"!!!

Mike made some noise moving his feet and the lovely skunk wandered slowly away.  Mike said "That wasn't too bad was it?"  Apparently not.  But  several minutes later Pepe Le Pew started wandering back towards us.  This time Mike picked up a few pieces of small chopped wood and aimed them at Pepe Le Pew, who took off quickly this time.   Luckily never to be seen again at #191.  That got a little too close for comfort.

The remainder of the evening was quite uneventful, but very enjoyable.

Thursday June 25th 2015.        6 Months to Christmas Day  Folks!            151089

Woke this morning to the sound of Crows having quite the conversation.  Peeped outside and the lovely blue sky had changed to gray.  We're heading home today, so I guess that is not really too bad.

Left the park about 11.30 a.m. and headed to the Kawartha's Trading Post, just a few kilometer's away.  It was fantastic, so much to look at and so much that I could have purchased.  However, I just settled for a couple of "goodies".    A pair of very pretty candles.  It was a tough decision.

From there we made our way to Fenelon Falls.  I had never been there, and believe me I was in no hurry to leave there either.  It was a great place to visit, the falls, the Trent waterway, the stores, it was all well worth it.  I could have spent a very long time there.

The Falls were really pretty, and actually reminded us a little of McGowan Falls at home in Durham.   

    




The Trent waterway, was well worth the visit.

Then came the Locks. 

First the gates were closed, then slightly  
opened slowly to allow the water to reach the correct height.

After which the boat could slowly proceed through the lock/canal area.

Then along the river to where ever the next destination would be.

This is still part of the lock system on the Trent waterway, but a slightly different style .

However, it worked in just the same manner.

I found this "baby" docked on the river, and thought I might just look OK in this.

Mike said he thinks I needed an "Attitude Adjustment" - and go figure, that is just what that "baby' was named.

So may be I do need an Attitude Adjustment - just that very one - what do you think?

We could have spent many hours wandering the locks, the falls and the river, but it was getting to be time for a late lunch before hitting the road again.

We settled for "the Lake House" right on the river, and the weather was good enough to sit on the patio. 

It was a fabulous place and we really enjoy it there.

Fenelon Falls was a great side trip and a perfect way to cap the ending to a real good camping trip, and Birthday celebrations, but we do have get on our way.  Already I cannot wait to return here, and I have not even left yet.

The remainder of the drive home was easy. although there was a fair amount of traffic around.

Pulled into our driveway about 5.30 p.m. Greeted by our little Fuzzy Cat.

As you can see Fuzzy was happy that we were home again, and enjoyed his evening snoozing on the couch.

Mike enjoyed his birthday trip, very much, and come to think of it - so did I!