Paddling 2:30:00 [3]
After a bit of research last week looking for a new adventure location that was a) less than 2 hours from K-W and b) didn't involve a 400 series highway, Earl and I settled on Saugeen Bluffs Conservation Area for the weekend. We hightailed it up there as quickly as we could after work on Friday and picked a site when we got there, which is my favourite thing to do in the off season when I'm visiting a park I haven't been to before.
Saturday I booked a kayak trip with Thorncrest Outfitters, who were awesome to deal with. I said I was looking for a 3-4 hour paddle on a scenic part of the river and they did the rest. Met a shuttle at my take-out on Saturday morning and had a good chat with the shuttle driver who owns a converted school bus with some of his buddies that they take on road trips!
The river was high and fast, almost too fast as it meant my paddle didn't last as long as I wanted it to! I stopped midway for lunch on a teeny island and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine. I only saw one other boat the whole morning and was very sad when I saw the buoys at Denny's Dam that marked my exit point.
Sounds like there are some cool campgrounds right on the Saugeen river and after this experience now I am intrigued to perhaps try a multi-day trip on it sometime soon.
Cycling 1:10:00 [3]
After returning my paddle gear to Southampton, I wandered around the town, stopped in (naturally) at the Outlaw Brew Co. then parked Earl at a little park while I checked out some of the bike trails in the area. Such a beautiful afternoon to be out and about, and there is an awesome network of trails (paved, gravel, forest) that I was able to string together.