Last week my dad and I went up to Anima Nipissing Lake in Temagami for a couple of canoe camping days. It was the first big trip dad had taken in a cedar strip canoe he built last year, and it proved to handle and steer great in calm and choppy conditions.

Unlike past canoe trips, we chose one site further in on the lake and stayed there for the three days instead of relocating. The site we ended up on had a great view of the lake and was a good base to go out and explore the lake during the day. The weather mostly co-operated with a steady wind keeping the bugs away but bringing some choppiness to the surprisingly large lake.

Back in mid-July I drove up to the area around Mattawa to get some photos of the Milky Way and do some exploring. I hadn’t spent much time up there since teacher’s college and planned out a great Milky Way spot for a couple nights and small town exploring during the day.

My original plan was to camp but the trucks on the Trans-Canada and the isolated spot I was in led to me sleeping in the car for two nights to get some sleep. Despite that it was a great learning experience. I got some fantastic Milky Way photo practice and had plenty of time to explore Mattawa and North Bay.