09-06-2010 Killarney to Toronto

I didn’t take a lot of photos on this day, but it was a truly exciting day nonetheless. This was the day be bought our beautiful Swift kayaks.

After the gorgeous day we enjoyed yesterday, this morning we woke again to gloomy rainy weather.  Deciding to skip the morning hikes in the pouring rain, we packed up the MoHo and headed for Toronto.  On the way, we happened to stop at a roadside information kiosk where the attendant told us about the Muskoga Lake Region.  She also was incredibly helpful and made phone calls for us to the Swift Kayak and Canoe Company where we planned to visit. 

On the way, we visited the charming little town of Muskoka Lake, and stopped at an area dominated by huge exposures of the Pre-Cambrian Shield. This is some of the oldest rock in the world, covering a large portion of Ontario and where much of the wealth of the province is derived.

I had searched the internet for lightweight kayaks, and knew that the main store selling the Swift Adirondack kayaks was located nearby.  At the last minute we re-routed back north and through the lake district, with the idea that we were just visiting.  I have been admiring these beautiful boats on the internet for some time now. These kayaks are sleek and gorgeous, weighing only 34 pounds, with a cockpit that can accommodate Abby, and sealed bulkheads that will keep our gear dry.  The owner just happened to be in the store, and offered to ship to the US, saving us the 13 percent provincial tax.  It was an exciting day, and our boats will arrive in Oregon when we return after October 1st.

Even though we were traveling the beautiful lake district, with all the forests we didn’t see very much of the lakes and didn’t want to take more time to stop and visit.  It is a beautiful area, however, and I would have loved to spend more time.  The rest of the day was uneventful, as we navigated into the eastern part of the city of Toronto where we planned to camp at the city owned Glen Rouge Park.