Hike at Crests of Kennisis Trail

Well, today could not be missed! No rain, beautiful sun but not too hot! John and I took advantage of the day and decided to go for a hike. We headed out to the historic log chute between Hall's Lake and Hawk Lake (see winter photos in a previous blog), and had lunch at a picnic table. The water levels in the area this year are astoundingly low, and the Kennisis River between the lakes - which is usually fast moving, loud and beautiful, was rocks and mud in a lot of places. It was truly quite sad - no kids are tubing into Hall's Lake this year! After lunch we crossed the dam and headed along the "Crests of Kennisis Trail" - a 5km trail (up hill both ways - or so it seemed!) that leads you up and along a ridge high above the Kennisis River. As it was our first hike of the season, and we are not seasoned hikers, we didn't make it all the way, but we did make it to the first viewing point, past the beaver pond. It was spectacular and took about 45 minutes to get there. We then swung our exhausted bodies around and headed back. Lots of mosquitoes, lots of sunshine and an incredibly peaceful, beautiful forest. Sometimes we had to just stop and listen to the silence - an extraordinary day! I wonder what trail we shall try next????

Friends of Rail Trail AGM

This Sunday evening I attended the first ever AGM for Friends of the Rail Trail. It was well-attended and held in our Chairpersons home, Pamela Marsales. Pamela reported on the past year's activities, including Sunday Rambles, education, access, nature and history. One key factor this year is the group's impact on local business. The report listed how many local businesses and organizations were affected by post-walk luncheons, visits by participants to art studios, farms, and non-profit locations. It was an impressive list and membership with FoRT is also growing substantially, with $5.00 per person being the deal of a life time! There are some great upcoming events, including a canoe trip/lunch along the Burnt River (July 13th) - FREE! I will post a complete list of upcoming events within the next few days.

Wild About Nature Gala

Friday, May 28 I got to go to my first ever Gala! The Haliburton Highlands Land Trust held it's annual Gala - a fundraising event to support the Trust, and an opportunity to celebrate Haliburton County's "Enviro-Heroes". The evening was titled "Wild About Nature". Money was raised through silent auctions, raffles and a loonie auction and the Minden Community Centre was packed! There was a fabulous buffet catered by Bonnie View Inn and The Wild Orchid. There were five awards given. Under the section of Business - The Haliburton Highlands Water Trails was recognized for "developing a set of far-reaching education, outreach and stewardship initiatives". Under Education, the Haliburton-Muskoka Children's Water Festival and Friends of Ecological and Environmental Learning were rewarded. In Stewardship, Jerry Walker, a well-known Haliburton County man and business man was noted for his extensive work with Ducks Unlimited and tireless efforts mapping and identifying wetlands in Haliburton County. In the section of Arts, Mary Anne Barkhouse and Michael Belmore, local yet far known multi-disciplinary artists were awarded. Their work has been and is being displayed in museums such as The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Toronto Sculpture Garden, University of Western Ontario and The Smithsonian's National Museum of the America Indian. For the division of Health, Sue Shikaze won for her vision and dedication to projects such as Share the Road, and the cycling coalition. Sue's vision for a healthy and active community is pushing us forward!

It was a great evening and I wish I had attended before! Good music, good food - great people! It was very inspiring to get to meet even more of Haliburton County's extraordinary human resources!

Red Pine Lake

The long weekend was incredible! On Monday we went on our next excursion. With over 600 lakes in Haliburton County, there are not a lot I haven't been to yet, but Red Pine Lake was one! As a water-access only lake, the opportunity to see the lake is limited, so Christine and I loaded up our friends' canoe and off we went. North West of Kennisis Lake, it took 40 minutes from West Guilford by car, with the road ending at a boat launch at the dam between Kennisis Lake and the river. Lots of room for parking as there are several water-access cottages on the lake. We met a lady at the dock who said the lake has a fabulous sand beach for swimming, so we hoped to discover it! The river was surprising - there were several areas that were narrow and shallow, lots of driftwood, and you could see the bass swimming under the canoe. But there were also lots of quite wide spots with very deep water. The river was quite calm, so it was easy paddling. Once in a while we headed close to shore as weekend cottagers passed in their boats, heading home for the week. There is a sand bar as you get close to the lake which prevents boat travel in early spring and late fall, but the water is higher now and we had no problem. Arriving at the lake, we were taken back by how large the lake is. There are several small islands, a lot of beautiful rock outcroppings and downright stunning. By the time we got up the river, our time was running low (we should have left way earlier in the day!), so we headed for an island, rolled up our pants and enjoyed the water. It was so relaxing it was very hard to leave! Red Pine Lake is one of several hidden gems in the County....we are so lucky to have such fabulous lakes that provide the best canoeing and kayaking one could ask for. We didn't make it around the lake, it was too large, we were too tired, and the day was running short, but have vowed to make a full day of it. There are a few campsites on the lake for the public - as long as you purchase a permit, and we may attempt an overnight stay so we can find the beach and explore all the nooks and crannies the lake has to offer! I found out today from a colleague that the beach is on the far side, where most of the cottages are located so next time we bring our bathing suits!!

I am catching up on blogs - so many things to talk about as the Long Weekend approaches! Town is humming, there are already lots of extra people on the streets, and in real estate - we are working day and night! I love the excitement of the first long weekend of the season - promise of boating, canoeing, hiking, fairs, craft sales, and special events! I am getting excited to attend my first Haliburton Highlands Land Trust Gala on May 28 - I even bought a new dress! This amazing group of volunteers work to preserve our natural areas through donations of land and awareness programmes. At the Gala they award Enviro Heroes each year for their outstanding efforts in protecting our environment. And as a proud Haliburtonian, I love that there seems to be a large list of people to choose from each year for the award!

The Sunday Rambles on different parts of our Rail Trail continue to be a huge success this year! Last Sunday they had a special event after the walk in Donald, with a lunch held at Camp Wanakita, and a presentation prepared by Ute Wright of Friends of the Rail Trail. Ute provided an interesting history of the community of Donald - one of many of our small communities that was once a "hub" of activity with a very rich beginning. I could not make it but have heard nothing but great kudo for the lunch and Ute's presentation. Great job! I hope we can target another community next year such as Gelert or Tory Hill.  The upcoming walk on the long weekend will be in Kinmount (May 23 - 11:00). The walk will start at the Kinmount Railway Station and heads out to Joe's Black Rock. Check out the model railway station while you are there, and if you'd like, join other walkers with a bag lunch afterward at the Kinmount Community Hall above the Artisan's Marketplace.

Well, a broken finger has slowed down my blogging - it is an akward experience, but a flyer in the mail has inspired me to push through! While I sit with my morning coffee, I notice an adorable little catalogue that was in the Echo newspaper this week called "menu". The full title is The Highlands Menu - so I got really excited. We have some fantastic places to eat, and they are spread out all over the County! The booklet is beautifully produced, great graphics and lovely design, but alas, I was disappointed. It truly is a Haliburton restaurant book, not a Highlands book - the name is very deceiving. The only restaurant highlighted outside of the main town of Haliburton is Rhubarb - we have soooooo much more to offer! There is the Algonquin Cookhouse in Harcourt - a bit of a drive to the eastern townships, but a real treat. There is The Peppermill on Hwy. 35 near Carnarvon, Grill on the Gull - a great bistro in Minden, and the list goes on! How about a fabulous meal at BonnieView Inn on their outdoor patio? Sir Sam's Inn? The Chamber of Commerce has a list of restaurants that visitors can pick up, either at the Information Centre on Hwy. 35 in Minden, or in Haliburton, but so many do not think to stop there. Here is a challenge for someone - create a great brochure of every eatery in the County! Complete with a map - link it with some local parks, rivers, places to see, so people can make a lunch or dinner jaunt! There is so much to explore!

Changes in Tourism

I was quite interested reading an article in The Haliburton County Echo this week regarding how tourism is changing and how the County needs to recognize this. Are we adapting? You bet! We are very lucky that we live in a County that is made for active tourists. The article spoke of tourists wanting activities when at the cottage and how we need to brag more about what we have to offer. Wow - can we brag! Another article on page 32 of The Echo (a short article at the top of the page) notes how Sunday Ramblers have doubled this year from last. As a member of the Friends of the Rail Trail I know exactly why this is happening. It is not one single reason. 1. The committee has some great volunteers determined to get the word out and promote these free Sunday events; 2. We were able to secure some funding and received assistance from a local printer to create great brochures - placed everywhere in the County; 3. People love something free to do; 4. People are simply more active than they used to be! Walking, hiking, cycling, canoeing, kayaking is now for everyone - every age, every fitness level, every level of pocket book. The change in the air is electric and Haliburton County has loads to offer! From organized Outdoor Adventure tours for a bigger challenge to meandering rivers, to lovely trails for the whole family. I LOVE IT. Being a person of "significant size" (code word for overweight) myself, and a lover of nature and the outdoors, I am first-hand proof that everyone wants in to this new life style. I agree with the writeup in The Echo this week - this is a new way of life that people are embracing - not just in tourism, but for residents and The County has an opportunity to put our County in the forefront of a new way of living that is here to stay.