I undertook several solo adventures in various provincial parks of Ontario and in local conservation areas and ravine trails in response to Explore magazine’s Live the Adventure Club Spring challenge of 2023.
This season was different in the way that I went solo (camping and hiking) for most of the time during the season.
1. I read history of my destinations
Explore Magazine’s Spring 2023 issue “Go here” (page 8) illuminates an area rich with stories.
I like reading history of the destinations I visit and Spring 2023 was no exception. In any case, June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada, an opportunity to learn about the unique cultures, traditions and experiences of First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Parks Canada encouraged all Canadians to take time to learn more about Indigenous Peoples and to explore our collective past.
All lands within Canada have deep history. For example, Point Pelee National Park, established in 1918, which I visited in late April 2023 (read my blog here), is located on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Miami peoples. Archeological evidence indicates that First Nations had summertime settlements around Point Pelee’s marsh as early as 600 CE.
The marsh’s aquatic life and wild rice provided them with food, as did the deer in the forest and the nuts from the black walnut and butternut trees. Early French voyageurs and missionaries first began exploring Leamington and Mersea Township in the 17th Century. Point Pelee was a prominent landfall for these early travelers.
Schooners back then may have anchored where a lake liner had anchored at the calmer bay area of the park during my visit there.
2. I carried my emergency and essential kit
Explore Magazine’s Spring 2023 issue detailed on page 13 Apple’s new Emergency SOS.
I took a stock of my emergency and essential kit and carried the following items received from Explore Magazine’s Live the Adventure Club from time to time with me to overnight camping trips:
- Hard-case First-Aid kit
- Avventura outdoors LED head lamp
- Aventura Outdoors solar LED lantern
- Mosquito zapper lantern
- Battery operated lantern lying under # 3 above
- Survival Frog Tact Bivvy
- LED safety beacon
- Survival Frog Tough Tesla lighter
- Solar charging panel
- Emergency Tourniquet
3. I carried the gear I find comfort in
I am not a into “Maximalist Camping”, as covered in the article on page 16 of Explore Magazine’s Spring 2023 issue. However, I do carry things with me to camping that offer what many people think is luxury. As shown in the pictures below, these include, my everyday pillow, quilt, mosquito zapper lantern that you can see hanging on the left hand side of my tent in the second photograph, the tent illuminated by Aventura Outdoors solar LED lantern, Explore’s multi-use camping tarp laid in front of the entrance to my tent, and my favorite camping cookware with kettle.
4. I undertook solo camping, hiking, and photography trips
A person like me who suffers from asthma, recurring pain due to arthritis in the right foot, and recurring backpain, has to plan solo camping trips and hiking adventures thoughtfully. Due to my health-related issues, I have realized that solo camping out away from civilization is no longer a possibility for me. However, what is possible is that I continue going solo.
For spring 2023, I went for solo camping, hiking and wildlife and landscape photography trips to the following parks:
- Point Pelee National Park (read my blog here);
- Presqu’ile Provincial Park (read my blog here);
- Rondeau Provincial Park (read my blog here); and
- Earl Rowe Provincial Parks
On all occasions, I put up my tent that looked shabby under sun, but cool in early evening when fully constructed. Please see below:
And yes, my ‘MHO Dehydrated Eggs’, although not made to perfection, still made my mornings rock.
5. I observed and recorded spring greens
Well, not only greens, but also trees with leaf buds and new leaves. The following are my favorites from spring of 2023: Picture # (1) leaf buds on Norway maple, (2) leaf buds on black spruce, (3) leaf buds on red maple, (4) leaf buds on sugar maple, (5) sleeping willow, and (6) violets, which are the first plants and flowers to sprout in my neighbourhood in Mississauga, Ontario.
6. I had my near-rapids kayak adventure
My family and I love canoeing and kayaking. I went for a kayaking trip with the next generation kids of my family and cousins. It was drizzling. Since I was taking shots, I could see young kayakers overtake me one by one (pictures below).
7. i picked garbage from 3 local trails
Although I usually pick trash from local trails, inspired by the story of Jensen on page 21 of the spring issue of Explore magazine, I made it a point to go out hiking in good weather and bad for photography and for picking up trash on three local trails.
Trail # 1 – lots of trash
This trail is narrow and leads to a beautiful spot by a creek. I always anticipate finding trash there and this day was no different. It was a warm day and the plastic bottles and paper were deep inside the undergrowth. I was sweating profusely.
Trail # 2 – no trash, but then...
This trail starts from an open area where wildflowers bloom and then leads to another heavily wooded area. On this trail, I had found trash in one hotspot long time ago, but never again. This time I hiked under a drizzle. This trail did not disappoint me both in terms of photographic opportunities and cleanliness. However, as soon as I exited the trail in another neighbourhood, I saw an emptied smoothie cup discarded by a sidewalk. See some pictures below:
Trail # 3 – no trash
I hiked through a busy conservation area near my home and on to a trail on Sunday, June 18 in search of trash. However, I did not find any trash. I was able to capture some good images though.
8. incorporating regenerative rules
Trail troubles
Parks Canada, and respective provincial parks and conservation areas management authorities used to encourage people to visit our national parks, provincial parks, and conservation areas. However, starting from the summer of COVID-19 pandemic, the crowds at several of those parks broke all kinds of records. Even neighbourhood green corridors were not spared. Please read here for seeing how crowds adversely impacted our neighbourhood ravine system.
Wildlife photographers flock to Point Pelee National Park (left) and children playing over fragile coastal sand dunes of Sandbanks Provincial Park (right)
In early June 2023, I was fortunate enough to educate two young lads on a dirt track motorbike in our ravine system on its adverse impact to our delicate ecosystem. Hopefully, they understood. The pictures below are from previous years when I was able to talk to those guys about environmental issues.
9. old heritage tree
Explore Magazine’s managing editor went in search of dinosaurs (page 36 of spring issue). However, having no such site in Ontario, I did the next big thing I could possibly do. I visited 76 Coral Gables Drive in North York to observe 250-year-old, red oak, heritage tree on private property at this site.
In October 2021, the City of Toronto was given the green light on the purchase of this property to preserve the tree.
10. i explored keeping explore magazine with me
I always pack the most recent issue of Explore magazine with me during my outdoorsy adventures. See pictures below: (1) Worn out after a grueling hike, I am holding it at Sandbanks Provincial Park and (2) it is lying on my sleeping mattress and quilt at Rondeau Provincial Park ready for reading before calling it a day.
final words
Until our next blog, au revoir! Be outdoorsy, embrace diversity, and support causes for the conservation of nature!
K2, the Kuvasz, and me 