Sailing in September

Renée, Dad and I have had quite a few sailing adventures recently. Earlier this month we sailed to the Toronto Islands and jumped off the boat to swim (getting back in is harder). This weekend, we took part in the annual race. Due to an unlucky jamming of the rudder and main sail, we ended up fully clothed in the water with our boat upside down. Capsizing (or «turtleing» as I am told the word is) is actually more fun than you might think, and the only one not to make it back on board safely was Dad's right flip-flop. We still finished the race and much enjoyed our celebratory chips!

Algonquin

For our annual canoe-camping trip this year, we decided to explore the Barron Canyon in Algonquin Park. This area is made up of several small lakes (with interesting names, my favourites being Opalescent and Ooze) and the Barron river, so we did some of our longest portages ever! Mom is very proud of herself for carrying the canoe on her head the whole time!
Here we are at our daily activities.
Our very own water-spirits

Going down the natural slide

Cliff-jumping

Portaging

And, of course, paddling!

Bubbles in the Saguenay

L'Acropole

L'Acropole des draveurs is a mountain 1080 m high in Charlevoix. It is composed of three rocky cliff peaks overlooking the Hautes-gorges-de-la-riviere-Malbaie area. Two weeks ago, Renee, mom and I set out to hike to the top!

After 5 kilometers of uphill path, we reached the first peak. From here, we had to walk on the top of the cliff, among the sub-arctic vegetation. At the highest point, is is a full 10 degrees colder than at the bottom of the mountain! That is where we stopped for lunch.

A week with Pierre and Sharon

School has ended and mom, Renée, and I are in the Saguenay to visit. We spent a much too short week with Pierre and Sharon, crammed with a lot of action! Between go-karting, the zoo, Tadoussac, kayaking, hiking, and swimming, we barely had time to sit down to play cards!

Water Fight

Here we are, cooling off on our green roof. This is the best way to escape the heat of summer!

Paddle the Don

A few weeks ago, Mom and I participated in a fund raising event called Paddle the Don. The Don River flows through Toronto, and the participants canoe 10.5 km through the city. There are a few things to look out for when you are urban canoeing:

1. Large blocks of concrete
2. Man-made waterfalls
3. Low bridges
4. Rusty metal crates
   

Luckily, we managed to avoid all these and made it to the finish without capsizing once, although with a few significant new dents in our canoe! Next year, we will talk Renée and Dad into coming!