More Muskoka

I have to catch up on a few posts in the blog-a-day challenge for 2013, so I hope that you don't mind the travelogue. Yesterday I posted about starting a two-day mini vacation in Muskoka, a cottage area about 2+ hours' drive from Toronto. We decided on this "impromptu" weekend away mainly, because our bathroom was undergoing some major renovations and we needed, well what can I say, a bathroom.

So after Friday's explorations, we spent the whole of Saturday in Oxtongue Lake Provincial Park. It's a small park which abuts the absolutely huge and very famous Algonquin Park. We rented kayaks and spent about two hours exploring the bays and inlets of Oxtongue Lake.

Kayaking on Oxtongue Lake

After a picnic lunch - gotta love egg sandwiches in the wild -  we decided to drive to a nearby waterfall, Ragged Falls, which we might have kayaked to, however, although I do a lot of walking, it's not on my hands :) so I wasn't sure I could do the 3 hour trip, there and back, without some major medical emergency!!

Ragged Falls

So geriatric wimps that we are, we hopped in the car; drove to the park; paid our $14.00 parking fee and set off on a hike to the falls!! It was awesome!! Unlike many waterfalls, this was not a cascade with a complete drop. The water rather twisted and turned, like an Ox's tongue, as it raged down the escarpment. To get a better view, we climbed to the top of the falls - rocks were not the only obstacles - every photographer in the area had his/her tripod set up, every dog owner had a canine leashed or not, as the case maybe and there were even a few children - so - bi-ped, tri-pod and quadra-ped, all competed for space on a few slippery rocks that probably witnessed a mis-hap or two often!!

Oxtongue River

Fortunately, the trail moved away from the traffic at the falls and followed the river, as it wound its way further into the bush. We decided to hike this trail for few miles there and back. I always worry about going too far along a new trail, because these hikes are not loops. You always have to come back. So you have to make sure that you have the resources to make it back. Not only have we been lost before, but we have also run out of steam before the trail has run out of length - what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so they say!! And hey, I'm still here :)

Oxtongue River, looking back!

Have an awesome day!!