For the second year in a row, a couple of friends and I canoed into Kejimkujik National Park to spend four days in the wilderness of the park. It was a little more special this year as Parks Canada is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Congratulations! So on a chilly Friday we set out in our canoes toward backcountry site 26, on a small peninsula between Mountain and Cobrielle Lakes. It’s a great spot, we had a pair of loons to keep us company, but that was about it. We only saw a couple of other people the whole four days.
The first afternoon was quite calm, so the lake was still, with only the ripples of passing loons to disturb the surface.
It was cloudy all weekend, making the light flat. It was still a beautiful setting.
On the second day, the wind started to come up, it was not nice. It wasn’t bad during the day, but the evening got quite cold. Thankfully we had a fire to keep us warm and some tarps to block some of the wind.
Instead of hanging out at the campsite, we decided to paddle to the other end of the lake, hike up the portage and then up the fire road to the fire tower and warden’s cabin. It was a fun little trip, and we got to warm up in the cabin as it had started to rain, again. It’s been raining a lot in Nova Scotia this spring. It’s nice to have a chair and a roof out in the woods.
The wind continued, maybe even stronger, on the third day. Even though we had planned on exploring some of the smaller lakes to the south, the lake was too windy and cold, so we decided to explore the surrounding area. Tall beautiful trees, lots of photo opportunities.
Before we knew it, the fourth day arrived and it was time to pack up the campsite and head back to civilization. I have to admit it was a good feeling to be heading back to the warmth of the car and a hot shower a couple of hours away. With any luck, I’ll be back again next year.
If you get the chance and are up for a challenge, give the backcountry of Kejimkujik National Park a visit. You won’t regret it, even if it’s cold!
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