A Weekend Away

This has been a busy summer filled with life and work changes one of which entailed moving to a different hospital. Near the end of the summer, my partner and I went for an overnight camping/canoe trip to the Severn Conservation Area. I haven’t camped in almost 15 years, so this experience was one I will remember for a long time. I was able to re-charge and do some much needed soul-searching while we enjoyed a weekend of exploration and discovery in this beautiful region.

This protected area encompasses approximately 10,000 hectares filled with vascular plant species, some nationally and provincially rare. The Severn River Conservation Reserve is reputed to contain the largest “continuous area of Precambrian bedrock in the world” (OMNR 2008).

We paddled approximately six kilometres and crossed many portages before reaching our destination for the night.

As you can see, this region provides a mixed range of bogs and wetlands; numerous small lakes and mixed deciduous and coniferous forest complexes.

Beaver dam onto outflow of Hart Lake.

We found a wonderful island to set up camp. Although it was the second week of September, I came across this green frog sunning itself at the water’s edge.

The next morning we woke to brilliant sunshine and a heavy mist, the results of which were quite stunning. The weather was unseasonably warm, as we enjoyed an early morning canoe; the scenery and the stillness.