2020 Trip 6: Bonnechere reprise

Well it’s another boys weekend, when Barley and I play sherpa in support of Dale’s annual girls weekend. Even though it is later in September, the weather was strangely warm, sunny, with nary a hint of rain. Barley and I are on the same site at Bonnechere as during the summer rally, and it is a dandy.

We got the Alto all set up, then headed over to the cottage to unload the assorted gear and food for the girls. Back at the site, I set up Barley’s enclosure right away, as he was busting to get outside and soak in the sights and sounds. 

Me...I cracked a cold one, put on some tunes, and settled into relax mode. Dinner was a simple combo of brats on the Q, with a side of pasta salad, then later I fired up the Solo Stove. Once it gets going it throws a lot of heat, perfect to keep the chill away as the sun goes down and darkness settles in. 

Next door, an interesting pop-up arrived...rugged looking, big tires giving lots of road clearance, and with a very compact footprint. 

The girls were being very Covid aware, yet as they still wanted to get away for the weekend, they planned to be outdoors as much as possible, and even though the cottage is large, two were sleeping outside in tents, with Dale coming back to the Alto to sleep. A good plan in these times.

Saturday was another awesome day. I wandered down to the beach in the morning to check out the water for a swim, but wading out up to my knees proved it to be a tad chilly. It was about as much of a swim that I would get. 

Dale and Lori walked over later in the morning to get the Santa Fe and the kayaks. This year they are taking a new paddle route further north on the Little Bonnechere River, launching at a put-in beyond the Jack’s Chute rapids. There are a number of designated put-ins along that section of the river, and back in June, Dale and I had scoped this one out.

Went for a nice hike around the trails, and the fall colours were on full display. The greenness of the ground foliage is now changing to a dull yellow. Lots of pine needles making their descent, every gust of wind producing an interesting shower.

hard to resist a red maple leaf

Dinner was a real treat. Bacon wrapped beef kabobs from the Glebe Meat Market, with a side of mediterranean pasta salad. A frosty craft beer, the “Stax o Trax” playlist wafting out of the JBL, and perfect weather, made for an awesome meal.

Just as I was finishing up, the neighbour with the cool looking pop-up wandered over, beer in hand, to say hello.

A real nice guy, we had a great chat about a lot things, including trailers of course, with the Solo Stove soon providing heat and dancing light. Their rig is a Rockwood Extreme pop-up, which they have had a couple of years. Like many, they wanted a trailer over a cottage, so they could see and explore new areas. A short time later his wife walked over carrying two slices of just baked apple pie...what an amazing treat. We ended up chatting over a couple of beers...a very enjoyable evening.

In the morning, Dale and the girls went for an early paddle, and afterwards I headed over to load the kayaks and grab the gear. We then hitched up the Alto and headed home. A relaxing weekend, made even better by the fall colours and unseasonably warm temperatures.