MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2018

SUMMER 2018 ML BLUE 71 While only 3.5 hours from Toronto, the French River is an incredible place for adventure. The section from Pine Cove to the French River Supply Post & Marina is an easy four-day trip. The whitewater is pretty low- consequence (depending on water levels). If you’re not feeling up to it, there are easy portage trails at every set. And if you want to give the rapids a go but aren’t sure, you can portage your gear and paddle the rapids in an empty canoe. Over the next days we go fishing, eat incredible food, and get to know one another. But watching the kids is the real treat; kids come to life in nature. For four days we don’t hear anything about screens. We don’t hear about the latest fidget spinner, video game, TV show, or movie. The kids are simply happy. For my family and me, this is our second time down this stretch of the French River. And I have absolutely no doubt we’ll be doing it again; it’s tradition. —Colin Field DIY: ontarioparks.com/park/frenchriver an d blackfeather.com 39 WEEKEND TRIPS For four days we don’t hear anything about screens. We don’t hear about the latest fidget spinner, video game, TV show, or movie. The kids are simply happy. Canoe camping is a family favourite of ours. But to do it right, you usually need at least a three-night stay. There’s a lot of gear to pack and portage, and by the time you set up camp, you might as well make it a multi-night stay to reap the rewards of your hard work. There is, however, an exception to this rule. On the Saugeen River, just upstream of Paisley, the Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority maintains a small free campground at McBeath Conservation Area. This paddle in/paddle out site is first-come, first-served and has campsites with picnic tables, firepits and pit privies. It’s like car camping for paddlers. If you put in at the nearest concession, it’s just a one-hour max paddle to the campground and a few more hours the next morning to return to the village of Paisley downstream. How unique is this spot? Well, I’m still raving on about this quick canoe getaway, despite the fact that one year we paddled into Paisley in the pouring rain on Mother’s Day, flips-flops floating in the canoe, and children covered in tarps. I’m not sure I’d plan to visit this campsite on a long weekend, but as a quick midweek or shoulder season getaway, it’s a hidden gem for sure. —Allison Kennedy Davies DIY: Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority: svca.on.ca You might as well make it a multi-night stay to reap the rewards of your hard work. ALLISON KENNEDY DAVIES Saugeen River Mini-Vacay ALL PHOTOS BY COLIN FIELD