ABOUT ME... (I do this for tips and giggles)
I was born in Toronto but I was raised in the bush!! I am so fortunate, and blessed. I currently live in Toronto and work a desk job that I love and appreciate. But part time I am up north at my very tiny home that I call the Princess Cabin in Atikokan, Ontario. I call it that because when I am there I feel like Snow White. You know when she was out in the woods surrounded by wildlife, birds and hard working honest folk. Literally every day sitting on my front step I get to enjoy the blessing that is having my domestic pets and outside my other furbabies like bears, deer, moose, wolves, foxes, partridge. You name it they visit right at my front door. How can I not love that, right?
When I was growing up we lived in places like Longlac and Terrace Bay, north end of Lake Superior but in the summers we were in Muskoka sharing a very nice beach and frog pond with our cousins and friends who also had a place on our little Three Mile Lake. The joys of catching frogs, trying not to get bit by snapping turtles and sliced up feet from clams! How could I possibly have not enjoyed being outside. At the cottage, our neigbhours had a canoe, and one of my favourite things to do was get up really early in the morning when the lake was like glass and take that little tin canoe out for a paddle on the still waters of our bay! Blue Heron, turtles, you know things are different that early in the morning... Up north in Lake Superior country we camped at Neys or MacLeod or by the dam. It was all sort of like back country. Car camping but in some pretty great wilderness! :)
As I grew up I missed all that. It's unfortunate but it's not many people's cup of tea!
One afternoon in 2018 me and my youngest daughter borrowed a friend's canoe on Eye Lake near Atikokan. As we paddled away in that wilderness, I swore at that moment, i would be doing a lot more of that, because I missed it so much!
The rest of the next year I got ready to make that happen! I read Mike Ranta's book "Mike and Spitzii's Great Canadian Adventure" check Amazon for it. The book was inspiring because reading his book gave me the confidence to know that growing up where I did, half the battle of wilderness experience was already won for me. And he himself is such a great person and advocate for adventure too. He keeps it simple when asked for advice. He doesn't offer up fancy gear names or intimidating talk of expensive requirements to be outside. He knows how to help you use what you have on hand for the most part.
I also took a paddle course with Nature Alive out of Barrhead, Alberta! It was my first moving water course on the Athabasca River near Fort Assiniboine. Before that course, I thought I knew how to paddle. I paddled at the cottage, you know! That course taught me I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PADDLE! My first advice, if you are going on a paddle trip - take a course if you haven't! As a side note armed with that great training, I eventually did a real trip on the Athabasca River - Blue Ridge to Fort Assiniboine in Alberta, and I will do that one again - Five Mile Island beaches, sigh... So lovely. Oh and there was the Badlands trip too!
Empowered by a paddling course, inspiration from a book and a friend's recommendation that his sister guide us, my 13 year old daughter and I took off an a 3 night trip in Quetico Provincial Park. Canoe Canada Outfitters in Atikokan supplied our canoe and answered all our questions!
I am forever insatiable now, and I have been on several more trips since and have several booked for this year! I will blog about those later.
What I want to do for you for tips and giggles is share my experiences, encourage you and help you plan a trip suited to your interests and location preferences. Here in Canada God has blessed us with the most magnificent backyard. Never mind 5 star hotels and swimming pools. We got billion stars and some internationally acclaimed night skies - Quetico, among others. Also our sand beaches are way bigger than any resort pool, and quite refreshing... and if there is nobody around you might find swimsuits are optional!
I have invested in the maps, and I watch all the videos, plus I have a pretty good network of friends and knowledge of some great outfitters and service providers that can help support your goals for an adventure, at your pace and your skill level.
How can I help inspire you to get out? Call or email to book a consult. I will meet you in person if it's possible, or we can use a zoom call or whatever works to chat!
There is no charge for my services, I will do it for the love of sharing my passion and helping others get out there. That said tips and giggles are appreciated if the service helps you!
Blessings from the Princess Cabin,
Alice... :)
When I was growing up we lived in places like Longlac and Terrace Bay, north end of Lake Superior but in the summers we were in Muskoka sharing a very nice beach and frog pond with our cousins and friends who also had a place on our little Three Mile Lake. The joys of catching frogs, trying not to get bit by snapping turtles and sliced up feet from clams! How could I possibly have not enjoyed being outside. At the cottage, our neigbhours had a canoe, and one of my favourite things to do was get up really early in the morning when the lake was like glass and take that little tin canoe out for a paddle on the still waters of our bay! Blue Heron, turtles, you know things are different that early in the morning... Up north in Lake Superior country we camped at Neys or MacLeod or by the dam. It was all sort of like back country. Car camping but in some pretty great wilderness! :)
As I grew up I missed all that. It's unfortunate but it's not many people's cup of tea!
One afternoon in 2018 me and my youngest daughter borrowed a friend's canoe on Eye Lake near Atikokan. As we paddled away in that wilderness, I swore at that moment, i would be doing a lot more of that, because I missed it so much!
The rest of the next year I got ready to make that happen! I read Mike Ranta's book "Mike and Spitzii's Great Canadian Adventure" check Amazon for it. The book was inspiring because reading his book gave me the confidence to know that growing up where I did, half the battle of wilderness experience was already won for me. And he himself is such a great person and advocate for adventure too. He keeps it simple when asked for advice. He doesn't offer up fancy gear names or intimidating talk of expensive requirements to be outside. He knows how to help you use what you have on hand for the most part.
I also took a paddle course with Nature Alive out of Barrhead, Alberta! It was my first moving water course on the Athabasca River near Fort Assiniboine. Before that course, I thought I knew how to paddle. I paddled at the cottage, you know! That course taught me I DID NOT KNOW HOW TO PADDLE! My first advice, if you are going on a paddle trip - take a course if you haven't! As a side note armed with that great training, I eventually did a real trip on the Athabasca River - Blue Ridge to Fort Assiniboine in Alberta, and I will do that one again - Five Mile Island beaches, sigh... So lovely. Oh and there was the Badlands trip too!
Empowered by a paddling course, inspiration from a book and a friend's recommendation that his sister guide us, my 13 year old daughter and I took off an a 3 night trip in Quetico Provincial Park. Canoe Canada Outfitters in Atikokan supplied our canoe and answered all our questions!
I am forever insatiable now, and I have been on several more trips since and have several booked for this year! I will blog about those later.
What I want to do for you for tips and giggles is share my experiences, encourage you and help you plan a trip suited to your interests and location preferences. Here in Canada God has blessed us with the most magnificent backyard. Never mind 5 star hotels and swimming pools. We got billion stars and some internationally acclaimed night skies - Quetico, among others. Also our sand beaches are way bigger than any resort pool, and quite refreshing... and if there is nobody around you might find swimsuits are optional!
I have invested in the maps, and I watch all the videos, plus I have a pretty good network of friends and knowledge of some great outfitters and service providers that can help support your goals for an adventure, at your pace and your skill level.
How can I help inspire you to get out? Call or email to book a consult. I will meet you in person if it's possible, or we can use a zoom call or whatever works to chat!
There is no charge for my services, I will do it for the love of sharing my passion and helping others get out there. That said tips and giggles are appreciated if the service helps you!
Blessings from the Princess Cabin,
Alice... :)