Exploring the Edge
Now, on to my next adventure! When I started planning to write this blog I made a list of all the places I wanted to explore in the Nipigon area during the summer. There are so many amazing places to choose from, but recently I’ve seen a lot of posts about the Mazukama Falls Trail, so I decided to take another hike!
Another week, another adventure! This week’s journey took us on the Nipigon River Recreation Trail, which is actually part of the Trans Canada Trail. I’ve done this hike a few years back and could remember it being a challenge, but well worth it! The second time around proved to be the same situation.
I’ve been doing a lot of hiking, so this week I decided to do something a little different. I have had a lot of locals tell me that the blueberries are ready, so I got the idea to partake in some blueberry picking.
This week’s adventure brought me to the Nipigon Marina for some kayaking. With the Celebration on The Great Trail coming up this Saturday, it was the perfect opportunity to explore our portion of the Trans Canada Water Trail.
Did that go in? I wasn’t watching, did it go in? I didn’t see it, could you tell me if it went in? … Golfing, that’s where my adventure took place this week. My only memories of golfing are going out to the course with my dad as a kid and riding along in the cart. It was very rare that I would grab a club and play myself, so this was a first-time experience.
Fishing time! With it being prime salmon fishing season, I figured it would make perfect sense to add a trip to the Nipigon River to the exploration schedule for the week. I personally am not big on fishing (something to do with patience) but I do enjoy going out a few times during the summer. This adventure started EARLY on the Nipigon River, a short drive up Highway 527 (off 11/17 at the Petro). We launched the boat at Alexander Dam (once again, the boys launched the boat, while I watched) and then it was fishing time. We spent an hour and a half trolling up the river towards the buoys in front of the dam itself, then back to where we started.
As long as I can remember my favorite summer activity has always been swimming. I was that kid that asked to take more then one session of swimming lessons during the summer, stayed in the lake for hours, and eventually worked my way into lifeguarding as a summer job.
WELCOME SUMMER! Summer, the smell of fresh-cut grass blowing through the air, the sound of dogs barking, or the sound of kids screaming, laughing, and jumping into the pool on a hot summer day. There’s not a hot summer day you can’t find something to do here in Nipigon, and if you’re like me either stuck at work or school, you are wishing you were outside enjoying the beautiful weather. The options are endless when the weather is beautiful with the sun out, the perfect atmosphere to do outdoor activities.
What does everyone around here get excited to do when the snow disappears? Gardening? No, too cold for that. Baseball? Brrrrrr. No, I’ll give you a hint. You have to stay up really late (for me anyway), use a flashlight, and wear rubber boots. You guessed it. Smelting! It’s a hugely popular family outing here in Northwestern Ontario, but it is something rarely experienced by people from the south. Smelts are small fish that “run” when Lake Superior’s tributaries warm to between 42 to 45 degrees, which usually happens around late April. However, depending on snow and temperature, it can vary from year to year. In mid-April, the talk around town and on local social media is usually around the same topic – are the smelts running yet?
I cannot believe that one year ago we came up with the idea to start a blog to showcase all the wonderful activities there are to do in Nipigon and the surrounding area. In honor of our one-year anniversary, I figured we would look down memory lane at my TOP 5 FAVOURITE ADVENTURES over the past year.
ITS FINALLY SPRING! Spring marks the end of winter and the transitional period to our summer (which in the past usually lasts a week). In many places, the season brings milder temperatures, so the onset means you can finally ditch the heavy winter layers and still be comfortable. Spring also acts as the end of the hibernation period for those people who don’t like to leave their house during the winter. Its no surprise that spring here in Northwestern Ontario is a little different than most places, we don’t have the flowers blooming, birds chirping, and warm weather that’s painted in the typical spring picture right away. It takes some time, but eventually, the ice starts to melt, the snow disappears, leaves bud – and day by day that picture starts to become a reality once again.
For most people, getting up close and personal with ice throughout the winter months is a common occurrence here in Northwestern Ontario. But how many people have had the opportunity to spend hours with their faces flat against the side of a glacier or frozen waterfall, using picks and ropes to scale its slick, textured and treacherous surface. I had that exact opportunity.
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PO Box 160
Nipigon, ON
P0T 2J0
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