We always look forward to a trip to Driftwood, as there is nothing like a water site, especially when you throw in a sandy beach, only steps away. If you are looking for somewhere just to chill, swim, and paddle, this is the place.
The weather forecast is a bit spotty, but it did start off great. Once we got set up, the sun and the water demanded we go for a swim. Knowing full well the weather along the Ottawa River can turn on a dime, every opportunity must be taken. A few cold ones, an easy meal on the Q, and a toasty Solo Stove campfire rounded out the day.
Woke in the middle of the night to a howling wind and the sound of the waves rolling over the shoreline. We had squared away before heading in for the evening, so unless the howling got ridiculous, rolling over and going back to sleep was the only action required. More of the same in the morning, the wind driving the clouds rapidly across the open sky.
 |
| the sea was angry my friends... |
We did get patches of sun throughout the morning, which helped warm things up a bit. We poked around outside as much as we could, but the wind did have a way of driving us back inside. Barley quickly resigned himself to moving inside, as he had absolutely no desire to venture out.
Things settled down a bit in the afternoon, so we headed out for a hike along one of the many trails. We caught the trail a bit up the road to the front gate, and made our way through a stand of tall pine trees. At the top of the first hill was an seriously overgrown lookout, a lone picnic table the only remaining attraction left from what was probably a nice view down the river. We traversed a small valley, up and over another hill, and ended up on the road to the other campground. We took a shortcut through the woods by the water, back to our campground, scoping out potential future sites along the way, and that was it.
 |
| gnarly bark |
At dinner time, the wind was still blowing hard off the water, and for the BBQ to build any heat to cook, we had to move it to the leeward side of the Alto. No chance of dining outside, so we sat at the front table and enjoyed the meal...a welcome relief from the wind.
Forecast called for a low of 7C/45F, so we decided that putting up the insulating curtains (mod details here) would be a good idea, especially with the wind pounding the side wall facing the river. Awoke in the middle of the night to a wonderful silence. The wind had died and the quiet was deafening. Rolled over, tucked Barley in tight, and went back to sleep.
The clouds had mostly cleared out and the river was much calmer. Definitely chilly overnight, but the furnace took the edge off the morning, as did the smell of fresh brewed coffee wafting through our little abode. The day looked promising, and we were happy to get in a nice paddle in the afternoon.
A quick swim afterwards was a bonus, but you could tell that the cold overnight temps were slowly pulling the warmth from the water. Some high wispy clouds shielded the sun somewhat, but it was still nice to sit by the water and dry off. A few leftovers got heated up on the Coleman, and we had dinner beside the warmth of the Solo Stove. The chill sets in quickly in the evenings now, so we are getting a fire going much earlier.
A bit of rain overnight, but really only a pitter patter on the roof. The rain did stop, but the overcast sky remained. We contemplated pulling up stakes, but a promising forecast for the afternoon gave us some encouragement to stay another day. Unfortunately, the clouds were an endless stream coming over the hills on the other side of the river, blotting out all efforts by the sun to shed a little warmth upon this little shoreline of campers. Poking around outside, and reading inside became the days routine.
Thinking over past visits to Driftwood, we could not remember a time when we had only nice weather. Ever single visit has always included howling winds or a thunderstorm...some quite extreme.However, this will never deter our need to get here at least once a season. A spot here on the water is our brand of primo camping.
Guess what...we woke to yet another seriously overcast day, with the only consolation being our time here was over. Slowly packed stuff away, then we were on the road. Highlight of the drive was our now traditional stop at the Antrim Truck Stop, to pick up some tasty roast turkey sandwiches. Always a good ending.
0 comments:
Post a Comment