A Howling Good Time

Are there wolves in Muskoka? Yes! But chances are you won’t see them. These beautiful but elusive creatures are hard to spot. If you aren’t lucky enough to see them, you may hear them howling at night. 

There are two types of wolves in Muskoka: the Eastern Wolf and its larger cousin the Grey Wolf, which is more typically found in Northern Ontario (they are sometimes collectively called Timber Wolves). The photo above is Akayla the Grey Wolf, a captive wolf at the Muskoka Wildlife Centre. Here are some interesting facts about wolves that you may not know: 

• A wolf’s sense of smell is 100 times more sensitive than a human’s and they can hear as far as 10 km away. These strong senses help make them effective hunters but also make them extremely hard to spot in the wild; they are very shy around humans.
• They primarily eat white-tailed deer but may also eat moose or beaver. Packs may travel long distances to find food; their range can be as large as 500 sq km but is more typically 150 sq km.
• Wolves have few predators: humans, bears and other wolves.
• Only the leaders of a pack, the alpha male and alpha female, mate to produce pups. Between 3-8 pups are born per year and are nursed by their mother for the first 6-8 weeks. Once they are weaned, other members of the pack help to feed the pups, first with food regurgitated from their stomachs and later with solid food.
• Scientists believe wolves howl for a variety of reasons: a single howl helps members of the pack keep in contact; a group howl may be used to defend territory or for social cohesion. You can listen to a pack howling here (recording courtesy of The Friends of Algonquin Park).

Every Thursday in August, Algonquin Park holds its extremely popular public Wolf Howls. If you’re planning to stay at Colonial Bay Cottages or visit Muskoka during August, you might want to consider adding a Wolf Howl to your agenda.

We still have some waterfront cottages available in August. Why not book a stay at Colonial Bay Cottages before summer's over? We're having one of the hottest, driest summers on record and the gorgeous weather looks like it's going to continue right through August. You can view our availability here.

From our Muskoka chair to yours,

The Howell Family

Triathlons in Muskoka

Not only is Muskoka a renowned vacation destination, it has recently become a popular site for triathlons. There are seven events still to come this year, culminating with the challenging Ironman 70.3 in September.

Part of Muskoka’s popularity for triathlons is the same reason other visitors converge here in the summer: pristine lakes, rolling hills and gorgeous scenery. Those features make for pleasing yet challenging race routes and provide ample training opportunities on many of Muskoka’s back roads and tucked-away lakes.

If you’re a triathlete, or have always wanted to try one, here are this year’s Muskoka triathlons:

• MultiSport Triathlon /Duathlon (includes a Give-it-a-Tri), Gravenhurst, July 14-15
• Muskoka Kids Tri (includes an adult try-a-tri), Port Sydney, Saturday July 21  
• Subaru Muskoka 5i50, Huntsville, Sunday July 22
• The Muskoka Grind, Sunday August 5, Limberlost Forest Reserve (just north of Colonial Bay!) - Off-Road Triathlon, Duathlon and Trail Run
• MultiSport Triathlon/Duathlon (includes a Give-it-a-Tri), Bracebridge, August 11-12
• MultiSport Triathlon, Bala, August 19
• Subaru Ironman 70.3, Huntsville, Sunday September 9

For more information about triathlons in Muskoka, go to the TriMuskoka website.

If you’re visiting Colonial Bay Cottages this summer (and why wouldn’t you be?!), why not check out a race and cheer the athletes on? If you haven’t booked yet, you can see our availability here.

We hope to see you soon!

The Howell Family

Life from a Muskoka Chair

The Muskoka chair is our iconic image of summer and it’s the perfect spot to kick back and relax. You wouldn’t think a wooden chair could be so comfortable. On the beach, on the dock, by the fire, or in the woods, they are an inviting place to take a break wherever you find them.

Here are a few suggestions for what you can do from a Muskoka chair:

• Listen to the loons early in the morning.
• Do some yoga (yes, really)
• Read a book. To keep with the theme you could check out these ones written about or in Muskoka, but really any book will do.
• Pretend to read a book while secretly napping.
• Not-so-secret napping (but remember, more than one kid out there has pranked a snoozing parent).
• Think about going for a swim.
• Decide to enjoy one of Muskoka’s famous beverages instead.
• Dry off in the sun after a swim.
• Dig your toes in the sand.
• Have another nap.
• Warm up in front of the fire pit.
• Eat corn roasted over the fire.
• Have your picture taken to remember your trip to Muskoka.

There’s a Muskoka chair waiting for you at Colonial Bay this July long weekend. (If you haven't booked your spot yet, you can see our availability here.) And if you get tired of that, you could head out to one of the Canada Day celebrations in Huntsville or the rest of Muskoka.

We hope to see you soon!

The Howell Family

Teeing it Up in Muskoka

Muskoka’s landscape – with its abundance of rocky outcroppings, trees and water - makes for some stunning (and sometimes challenging) golfing. Whether you’re looking to just hit a few buckets of practice balls at the driving range or want to play 18 on a world-class golf course, you’ll find just what you’re looking for within a short distance of Colonial Bay.

Right across the road from Colonial Bay is The Acres Driving Range. It’s a well-marked range with both natural grass or mats on the elevated tee deck. They have natural target greens and bunkers to aim at (or avoid!). Clubs are available to rent and lessons are available by appointment.

A short drive to the west down Highway 60 are the two courses at Deerhurst resort. The Highlands is a majestic, world-renowned course that offers challenging lies and gorgeous views. Deerhurst’s Lakeside course is a good choice for beginners and families or anyone who wants to play a quick game.

Further west along Highway 60 are ClubLink’s Grandview courses: the 18-hole Mark O’Meara and a 9-hole Academy course. The Mark O’Meara offers spectacular views of Fairy Lake from a course that winds through granite outcroppings and towering trees. The Academy course is ideal for a quick round or a game with kids.

The historic Huntsville Downs course opened in 1925 and was originally designed by the legendary Stanley Thompson. Huntsville Downs is playable by inexperienced golfers but still challenging for more experienced players. They offer the option to play 9 or 18 holes and, in truly family-friendly fashion, let’s kids under 12 play free when playing with an adult (starting July 9 – contact the course for full details).

Bigwin Island Golf Course (pictured above) provides a unique experience for golfers: the course is on an island in Lake of Bays and is accessible only by water or air. Public play is available in the spring and fall: Monday to Friday after 10 am or Saturday and Sunday after 1 pm in May, June, September and October. Check their website for information on tee times and access to the island.

There are more courses further afield in Port Sydney, Bracebridge, Port Carling, Windermere and Gravenhurst. You’ll find a comprehensive list at Explorers’ Edge. Why not head out for a round the next time you stay at Colonial Bay? And when you return to your waterfront cottage, a Muskoka chair on the beach will be waiting for you.

Happy golfing!

The Howell Family

Summer, welcome to Muskoka!

The unofficial start of summer is here! The May long weekend (celebrating the Victoria Day holiday but also affectionately known as May two-four) has almost arrived. We’ve been enjoying summer-like temperatures and although the water is still cool it’s not too early for a dip in the lake. If that thought gets your teeth chattering, here are some other activities to try out this weekend at Colonial Bay and in Muskoka:

Get out on the water – we have a fleet of canoes, kayaks and paddle boats for our guests and the waterskiing boat is ready to go. Or maybe you’d like to try surfing?

Take in some local history – The pioneer village and train at Muskoka Heritage Place open for the season on May 19.

Go for a hike – Muskoka has an abundance of trails and world-renowned Algonquin Park is just a short drive away from Colonial Bay

Go for a spin – For two-wheel enthusiasts - the pedal-powered kind! – you can find maps of some local cycling routes and trails here. (And don’t forget about the Spin the Lakes Tour the following weekend on May 27^th with 20k, 50k, 110k and 170k routes around beautiful Lake of Bays.) If driving is more your style, check out our previous post of local driving tours - beautiful any time of year!

Soak up some sun – sink into a Muskoka chair, dig your toes into the sand and enjoy the sunshine!

We still have a few waterfront cottages available for the long weekend. Check out our availability on our website. For our American friends, Memorial Day is May 28 – call us for a Canadian lakeside get-away!

Here’s to summer in Muskoka! We hope to see you soon.

The Howell Family

Blackflies aren't all bad. Really!

Spring in Muskoka sometimes requires a sense of humor. Like when winter hasn’t quite loosened its grip and we swing wildly from summer to winter and (hopefully soon) back again. Or when the sun is shining but the lake is still ice cold. Or when spring has finally sprung and everyone wants to be outside but Mother Nature decides that this would be the perfect time to unleash the blackflies. 

Blackfly season is, fortunately, short lived. For the uninitiated, blackflies emerge late in the spring usually from about mid-May to late June. (Our initial blast of warm weather this year has brought the first wave out earlier than usual but our recent snowfall will take care of those.) They look like miniature, hump-backed house flies. And the females bite, often working their way under waistbands, socks and hairlines where they can get their fill of blood unnoticed.

You’ll find plenty of unfavorable opinions about blackflies without searching too hard. To say they’re a nuisance is putting it mildly. But rather than repeat all the bad things about blackflies, we thought we’d share some of the good.

You didn’t know there were any good things about blackflies, did you? Well here they are along with a few other interesting facts:

• They are tasty snacks for trout when the adult flies emerge in the spring. A healthy black fly population can mean a healthy trout population.
• They are one of the biggest pollinators of blueberries. No blackflies, fewer tasty snacks for us.
• They can’t handle polluted water, so a thriving blackfly population is an indication that our streams and rivers are in decent shape.
• Only the females bite and they use blood meals only for egg production. Both males and females feed on nectar to get energy for flight (which is why they are such good pollinators).
• The average adult lifespan is just 3 weeks.
• Unlike mosquitoes, which thrive in pools of standing water, blackflies need running water to breed.

For more about both blackflies and mosquitos, check out this video from Science North:

While we don’t expect anyone to jump for joy the next time a blackfly bites, we can at least recognize them as part of a healthy ecosystem. And that’s what everyone comes to Muskoka to see.

When will we see you next? The May long weekend (the unofficial start of the summer season, even if it's not quite summer yet) is fast approaching. You can see our availability for May and beyond here. We hope to see you soon!

The Howell Family

Wildlife Babies in Muskoka

Wildlife viewing is a highlight for most visitors to Muskoka and when baby animals are spotted, the thrill factor increases significantly. Who doesn’t like to see an adorable bundle of fur hanging out next to its mama? But you may not know much about these cute little creatures so we thought we’d give you some fun facts about the young of some of Muskoka’s most popular animals.

Black Bears - Newborn bear cubs aren’t much bigger than a chipmunk (1/2-1 pound). A litter of 2-3 cubs is born in the mother’s winter den in January or February. They start to get active within a few months and by the time they leave the den are capable of climbing a tree. Bear cubs grow rapidly – their mother’s milk is high in fat and protein – and weigh up to 9 pounds by the time they leave the den and up to 65 pounds by the time they are 9 months old. Cubs stay with their mom until they are about 1.5 years old when she is ready to mate again.

Beavers – A litter of 3-5 baby beavers, called kits, are born in late April to late June. At birth, their eyes are open, they are covered with soft fur and they weigh about 1 pound (.45 kg). They begin to swim not long after birth (the same day!) and within a month they will be able to hold their breath and swim underwater. When the kits get tired, mom will carry them on her back. Kits are weaned at about two weeks and don’t reach adulthood in their second winter.

Loons – The loons return to our lakes in April or May. They begin mating and nesting almost immediately, laying 2-3 eggs per year. The eggs hatch in June and chicks can swim and dive within hours of hatching. When they are tired or cold, they will sometimes ride on a parents’ back. Chicks are fed by their parents until they can dive and catch their own food at about 8 weeks. They learn to fly by about 11 weeks but don’t fly south until late fall, usually long after adult loons have left. The young loons stay in their southern habitats and don’t return to the nesting area where they were born until they are three years old.

Moose – Moose calves are born in mid-to-late-May, weighing 25-35 pounds at birth (less if there are twins). They are very vulnerable at first and the Cow (mom) will keep her calf hidden for a few days after birth. The calves can stand within a day, are capable of outrunning a human within a few days, and learn to swim within a few weeks. Calves grow at an incredible rate in their first summer, gaining more than 1 pound a day in the spring and later more than 4 pounds a day. By fall, the calf will weigh 300-400 pounds. In Ontario, the natural mortality of calves can be high due to extreme spring weather and predators. Up to 75% of calves may die in their first six months of life.

Wolves - A litter of 3-8 pups is born in mid to late April in a den site, usually a hole in the ground. The pups are nursed by their mom for their first 6-8 weeks. After weaning, they rely on other pack members to feed them. By July, the pups are big enough to be left in a sheltered area while the adults go hunting. Adult pack members carry food in their stomachs and regurgitate it for the pups. By late summer and early fall, the pups are able to eat solid food brought back by the adults.

Nearby Algonquin Park is an ideal place to watch wildlife. We hope that the next time you visit Colonial Bay, you’ll be lucky enough to see one of these adorable babies. You can view the availability of our waterfront cottages here. (And don’t forget – the May long weekend isn’t far away. It’s the ‘official’ start of the summer season in Muskoka.)

See you soon!

The Howell Family

Image via Flickr user MaugiArt