Fall 2020 around Ontario – Part 2

Once we left Sturgeon Bay we headed to Halfway Lake, that would eventually take us up to Highway 11 and through the top of Ontario.

Halfway Lake PP - a trail with a rocky ledge
A beautiful hiking trail.

I forgot to take a photo of our campsite at some of the parks as we wanted to get out there and hike. At the early parks we were only staying one night and that meant set up hike then dinner and prepare for the next day.

Halfway Lake PP - Hector on the trail
Even Hector was having a good time on his first real hike of this trip.

Travelling with a dog has its own challenges and we are lucky with Hector. He is restless for a few minutes in the back seat then goes to sleep and is eager to get out and hike once we arrive at our destination.

Halfway Lake PP - a view down the lake
A beautiful lake we hiked around.

Halfway Lake is a park that I would like to visit again for a few days.

Halfway Lake PP - Diane and Kim with the trees
Diane and Kim on our hike.
Halfway Lake PP - the grouse
This little grouse was wandering around an empty campsite. If you look closely you can see a few of them.
Halfway Lake PP - the dual dump
One of the nicest RV dumps.

Some parks have beautiful and easy to navigate RV dumps and Halfway Lake Provincial Park was one of them. Easy for two vehicles to dump and there was fresh water to load and the trash and recycling beside it. An all in one leaving stop. We headed to Kettle Lakes Provincial Park,

It was an interesting park and when we arrived the weather wasn’t the best. We set up.

Kettle Lakes PP - our campsite with Kim and Diane above
When we booked the sites looked right behind each other.

Strange what sites look like on a map relative to reality sometimes. Kim and Diane’s trailer is up behind us. There is a little trail but it was too wet to use it as a regular path.

Kettle Lakes PP - KandD trailer with Hector
When the weather does not co-operate and we don’t have our tent set up, Diane and Kim’s trailer is a wonderful comfortable spot to hang out. Hector likes it in there and gets his blanket and a couch.

The next day we hiked before we left.

Kettle Lakes - PP - on a trail with KD
Cloudy and most likely no rain thus we hiked.
Kettle Lakes PP - Group selfie
More group selfies on one of the Kettle Lakes.

There are a series of lakes and if one has a canoe this would be a good place to go fishing.

Kettle Lakes PP - Pierre Selfie
Pierre’s own shameless selfie.

We still had to head out to René Brunelle Provincial Park and Linda wanted to drive. It’s always good to get both of us driving.

Rene Brunelle - Fixing the tire
Our camp at René Brunelle – Kim and Pierre fixing the tire.

We arrived at René Brunelle Provincial Park and managed to get parked. There was a significant grade and after chocking and unhitching from the truck the trailer rolled back and off the front block. One of the tires had lost pressure and the chalks didn’t hold. We hitched up again and put it up on some levelling blocks, removed the offending tire and was about to take it to a tire repair shop when I remembered that I had a tire repair kit. I started to look for it and the neighbour from across the way came over with a tire repair kit. How kind and wonderful people can be. Kim and I worked it and managed to pull out the nail and then plug the tire. When I re-inflated and checked the tire, it held well. We put it back on the trailer and all was good. Thank you anonymous neighbour, can’t thank you enough.

Rene Brunelle - Kim and Hector
Kim and Hector on the dock at René Brunelle.

René Brunelle is on Remi Lake and was used as a seaplane base in the early 1900s. We hiked a small trail in the morning before heading off to Fushimi Lake Provincial Park.

On the way to Fushimi Lake a tractor trailer tried to pass us behind another tractor trailer and hadn’t counted on the oncoming traffic. This driver forced both us and the oncoming truck that was also hauling a trailer off the road onto the shoulder.

Highway - Truck passing
The truck that forced us off the road he then passed Kim and Diane (safely this time) and she was able to grab a photo so that we could make the complaint.

That was not a fun experience but we managed to survive and carry onto Fushimi Lake.

Fushimi Lake PP - the campsite
Nicely parked with a short trail from the camp to the Lake.

Fushimi Lake was good place to arrive and get set up…notice the lovely hide the licence plate job one can do on Flicker. More Fushimi on the next post.

6 thoughts on “Fall 2020 around Ontario – Part 2

  1. I completely agree that Halfway Lake is a park worth visiting again. We spent half a day there this summer and wished we could have stayed longer. That sucks about your tire (although glad it all worked out in the end) and being driven off the road by the tractor trailer (and glad you’re filing a complain!). I haven’t been to either René Brunelle or Fushimi Lake, but they are on my list for next summer!

    • There quite a few parks worth revisiting but on this trip, the challenge was to make it up to Fushimi Lake before it closed for the season (when we arrived we found out they had extended the season so we could have taken longer) – Ontario has so much to explore. Lot’s of adventure in the RV and on the roads and solving the problems keeps us awake and alive.
      The parks of Northern Ontario are lovely and things to keep in mind are the infrequency of services and where to fuel up. We might see you in our travels next year.

  2. Fushimi is our favorite Provincial Park. We\ve been there in all three seasons. Last year the provincial Gov/t was talking about closing Fushimi to campers but there was such a howl about it that plan got scuppered. Thank goodness!

    • It’s a beautiful park and I too am glad that they didn’t close it. It’s beautiful and it breaks up the trip across Ontario nicely.
      Pierre

  3. Hi Folks,
    Interesting travel stories & photos as usual. I see that Hector will hike with you. What happens with Puck? Do you leave him loose at the campsite while you all go away or do you leave him in the trailer until you return?
    Kind of scary with such a reckless tractor-trailer driver beside you. Only a fool in such a situation would attempt a double pass on the highway.
    Best wishes,
    Doug

    • Thanks Doug.
      When we hike Puck stays in the trailer and sleeps, when we are around, he happily wanders around then wants to go back in and sleep. He is aging and is pretty happy coming along for the ride but likes his rest. He often will try to go out on the dog walk and in some parks he comes along if it’s not going to be too far.
      I agree I thought it was very reckless of that trucker.
      Cheers,
      Pierre

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