MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018 ML BLUE 55 FULL DAY TRIPS The prevailing winds that blow along the St. Lawrence travel from west to east. The river flows the same direction. This combination, plus the presence of huge ships plying the St. Lawrence Seaway, can make for challenging and potentially dangerous paddling conditions — unless you really know what you’re doing, in which case, a one-way downwinder with a car or boat shuttle can be a hell of a lot of fun. For a more moderate adventure on the St. Lawrence, the Admiralty Islands, just southwest of the easygoing town of Gananoque, and the much larger Howe Island farther west, provide a playground of sheltered bays and channels that take the edge off a stand-up paddleboard daytrip or overnight outing. Gananoque, in fact, is the gateway to Thousand Islands National Park—think: granite islands, windswept pines and birdsong. Several of the islands, including McDonald, Beaurivage and Aubrey, offer river-view tenting sites and/ or canvas-roofed glamping oTENTiks. The islands typically have short hiking trails, beaches and rocky outcrops for watching the sunset or stargazing—or for jumping into the cold refreshing water. And Gananoque is crammed with amenities for visitors, such as the town’s namesake brewery, ideal for stocking up on campfire beverages, and outfitters like 1000 Islands Kayaking, who run a power boat shuttle service to the islands for people or gear. For a much more mellow SUP experience in the area, or if you’re jonesing to get onto the water on a stormy day, try the Gananoque River, which flows through town before emptying into the St. Lawrence. Once the spring freshet has subsided, there’s not much current, so an upstream paddle makes for a pleasant day trip—although with portages, one can travel nearly 50 kilometres upstream, so this can also be an intense workout. The first section north of the St. Lawrence borders the Gananoque Provincial Wildlife Area, and you’ll pass through a series of marshes, swamps and wetland woods, prime habitat for the muskrat, mink and weasels that you may spot on the river’s edge, not to mention a tremendous range of snake, frog and turtle species. —Dan Rubinstein DIY: the Frontenac Arch Biosphere Network has detailed info about this water trail: frontenacarchbiosphere.ca. ThousandIslandsNationalPark :pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/on/1000. And the above trips are of course just as suitable for kayaking. Check out Thousand Islands Kayaking: 1000islandskayaking.com FULL DAY TRIPS 28 COURTESY BRAND CANADA LIBRARY Thousand Islands SUP