It’s Spring in Muskoka!

Mother Nature was sure in a hurry to be done with winter this year. Spring arrived with a week of summer-like temperatures that melted the snow so fast it seemed to vaporize. We’ve since returned to more seasonable temperatures but there’s hardly a patch of snow to be found anywhere and the ice is gone from most of the lakes already.

In this in-between season, after the winter sports are done and before the lakes are warm enough for watersports, you might wonder what there is to do in Muskoka in the Spring. (Hint: there's lots!) Check out some of the activities below for some ideas to get you started.

Golf – With the early arrival of spring, some area golf courses are already open. You can find a list of local courses here. Contact them for their Spring hours of operation.

Cycling - Get out your bike and take advantage of cooler temperatures and lighter traffic! Check out the Bike Muskoka website for routes and maps

Hiking – Spring is a fabulous time to go hiking! Less foliage means more wildlife viewing opportunities. Click here for our list of suggested trails.

Art – The Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

Downtown Huntsville – After you’ve explored all of the murals in the Group of Seven Outdoor Gallery, why not check out some of historic downtown Huntsville’s shops and cafes?

Local History – Head just south of downtown and learn about Muskoka history at The Muskoka Museum at Muskoka Heritage Place. It’s open Monday to Friday from 10-4 (The Pioneer Village and train open for the season on May 19).

The Easter long weekend is just around the corner. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore Muskoka in the Spring. If you decide to visit, make sure you take advantage of this special offer from Explorers’ Edge:

Explorers’ Edge Fuel & Fun package - Book a 2-night minimum consecutive stay before March 31, 2012 for a getaway in Explorers’ Edge between April 3, 2012 and May 17, 2012 at participating Accommodation Providers and YOU COULD BE 1 OF 500 TRAVELERS TO RECEIVE A $50 GAS CARD AND $50 IN TRAVEL VOUCHERS!

We are one of the participating accommodations! You can see the availability of our waterfront cottages here.

We hope you’ll visit us this Spring!

The Howell Family

Muskoka Maples

It’s almost Spring and you know what that means…warmer weather, longer days and maple syrup! Humans have been harvesting the sweet nectar from maple trees for centuries. (One of the first recorded notes was in 1606.) You’re probably familiar with its delicious, rich taste and how it gets from tree to bottle, but here are a few facts about maple trees and syrup that you may not know:

• There are 13 different maple species in North America that can be tapped for syrup. Two of them can be found in Muskoka: Sugar Maples and Red Maples.
• The Sugar Maple is the most common species tapped because it has the sweetest sap. It takes 40 litres of sap to produce one litre of syrup. Other maple species require more sap (5­0-70 litres) to produce one litre of syrup.
• Sugar Maples can live more than 200 years. They don’t reach tappable size until they are about 40 years old. Depending on its size and weather conditions, a Sugar Maple will provide 35-50 litres of sap during the sugaring season.
• The leaf of the sugar maple appears on the Canadian flag.
• Most maple syrup hobbyists use traditional metal buckets for sap collection. Large commercial operations use a plastic pipeline system that was patented in 1959. In 1997, permanent tubing was introduced allowing producers to leave their collection systems in place year-round.
• Canada produces 83% of world’s supply of maple syrup. The top three producers are Quebec (the #1 producer in the world), Ontario and New Brunswick.
• Maple syrup is good for you (at least as far as sugars go). It has no fat, no preservatives, fewer calories than honey, and, because it’s not refined like white sugar, contains a variety of vitamins and minerals.

You can find maple syrup throughout the summer at local farmers’ markets, but if you want to see how the syrup is produced you’ll need to visit in the spring. Muskoka unfortunately does not have a maple syrup festival but there are several within driving distance. The closest is the Powassan Maple Syrup Festival, held this year on April 28. (Powassan is 50 minutes north of Huntsville on Highway 11.)

It’s March break right now and the forecast for the rest of the week is gorgeous! If you’re looking for a quick get-away, why not come and visit us? And remember, Easter is just around the corner. By then, our waterfront cottages may just have a water view again (but a bit too cold for swimming still!). We look forward to seeing you soon!

The Howell Family

It's Still Winter In Muskoka! (March Break Activities)

Winter hasn’t left us yet. Southern Ontario may be experiencing spring-like conditions, but here in Muskoka we still have lots of snow (and the fun that goes with it!). With March Break only two weeks away, it’s the perfect time to get your winter fix. Here are just a few of activities you can try out over March Break:

Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area is open every day of March Break for downhill skiing. Tuesday, March 13 is their annual Boogie With Your Boots On, an all ages dance party and BBQ.

Arrowhead Provincial Park has 29 km of groomed track set cross-country ski trails and 12 km of skate skiing trails. Plus, they have over 6 km of snowshoeing trails, a terrific tubing hill and, new for this year, a skating trail. Ski and snowshoe rentals are available and tubes can be borrowed free of charge (a day-use park permit is required).

Limberlost Forest Reserve is just 10 km north of Colonial Bay. Access is free to the public and they have 70 km of trails for backwoods skiing or snowshoeing.

Rockridge Tubing Park is open from 10 am to 10 pm every day of March Break. They have 7 groomed runs and a lift to pull you back to the top.

Dogsledding adventures are available at North Ridge Ranch. Advance registration is required.

There are still lots of snowmobile trails open. Check the Trail Conditions before you head out.

Come and visit us for one more winter adventure. You know you want to! Our waterfront cottages offer gorgeous views of the winter landscape and we’re just a short drive away from tons of winter fun! View our availability here.

We hope to see you soon!

The Howell Family

The Ontario Parasport Games are coming to Huntsville!

The Ontario ParaSport Winter Games are being held in Huntsville February 24-26, 2012. For those of you unfamiliar with the events, here’s a quick rundown for you:

ParaAlpine events are being held at Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area and include two competitions: Slalom and Giant Slalom. Skiers with blindness or visual impairment are guided through the course by sighted guides using voice signals. Athletes with physical disabilities use equipment that is adapted to their needs including single ski, sit-ski or orthopedic aids.

ParaNordic athletes compete in a short distance sprint and middle distance race using classic or free techniques and using modified equipment if needed. An athlete with a lower-body disability uses a sledge, a specially built chair that can be attached to a pair of skis. The skis are almost identical to standard cross-country skis, although shorter, and are attached to the chair with a standard cross-country binding. Visually-impaired athletes compete with a sighted guide who uses their voice or a radio device to guide the athlete through the course.

Sledge Hockey is a fast-paced, highly physical sport played by athletes who have a physical disability in the lower part of the body, including amputees, spinal bifida, cerebral palsy and other conditions. As in Ice Hockey, teams play with six players (5 skaters and a goalie) and attempt to outscore their opponent by shooting the puck into the opposing team's goal while preventing the opposing team from scoring. Games consist of three 15-minute stop-time periods. The players are strapped into custom-made aluminum frame sledges with two blades and a runner. They use 2 double-ended sticks each. With a quick flip of the wrist, the players are able to propel themselves using the spiked end of the stick and then play the puck using the blade-end of the stick.

Wheelchair Curling is open to athletes with a physical disability in the lower part of the body. Each team must be comprised of both male and female players. The sport is played according to the rules of the World Curling Federation (WCF), with only one modification - no sweeping.

Wheelchair Basketball was designed for athletes who have physical disabilities that prevent running, jumping and pivoting. It is played by two teams of five players. The aim of each team is to score into the opponents' basket and to prevent the other team from gaining control of the ball or scoring. The measurements of the court and the height of the baskets are the same as in able-bodied Basketball.

Wheelchair Rugby was developed in Canada during the 1970s by athletes with quadriplegia. It is an intense co-ed team sport and can be very physical as athletes attempt to carry the ball over the opponent's goal line. Two teams of at least four players each compete for four periods of eight minutes each.

Swimming events are similar to those at the Olympics: Freestyle, Backstroke, Butterfly, Breaststroke and Medley. Athletes are classified based on their functional ability to perform each stroke and swim in a standard eight-lane 50m pool. Events are conducted as heats for eight competitors per class, and with the fastest eight swimmers per class competing in the finals. There are various forms for swimmers to start their race: in the water, a dive start sitting on the starting platform or the typical standing start. During a Swimming event, swimmers who are blind wear blackened goggles and are required to have an assistant to “tap” them as they approach the swimming pool end wall, either to make a turn or for the finish of the race.

More details and a schedule of events are on the Ontario Parasport Games website. We hope you’ll come out to cheer on these inspiring athletes! For those of you coming from afar, we have cottages available that weekend. You can see our availability here. (And remember, we're already taking bookings for the summer!)

We hope to see you soon!

The Howell Family

Ice is Nice (but be safe out there)

Muskoka’s landscape is dramatically different in the winter. Snow-covered branches replace the fiery foliage of fall and the lakes become a frozen expanse of ice. One of the highlights of visiting a lake community in the winter is heading out on the ice for a variety of activities. Rinks get cleared for skating and impromptu games of shinny. Ice fishing huts create mini-villages where there were once rafts and boats. Tracks from snowmobiles and cross-country skis crisscross the lake.

But all that fun on the ice does have risks and it’s important to know how to stay safe. Clear, hard new ice (usually blue-coloured) is safest. White or opaque ice is weaker and should be treated with caution. Ice that has a honeycombed look (common in the spring or if there is a thaw) should be avoided completely.

When possible, measure the thickness of the ice before venturing out. Ice less than 3 inches thick is unsafe and should not be travelled on. At 4 inches, the ice is safe for ice fishing, walking and cross-country skiing. At more than 5 inches, one-way snowmobile and ATV traffic is okay. But remember that ice doesn’t freeze uniformly. Even 10 feet away from a safe area, the ice could be thinner.

Regardless of the ice thickness, you should always stay away from permanent structures on the ice like docks and boathouses. The ice around these can be weak and should be considered unsafe. Also avoid slushy ice, ice that has thawed and then refrozen, pressure ridges or cracks, and layered or ‘rotten’ ice due to sudden temperature changes. Also avoid areas with lots of snow - heavy snowfall insulates and may even melt existing ice.

This winter, we have seen fluctuations in temperature from above 0C to below -20C. That means that ice in some areas should be treated with extreme caution. Always check the conditions before heading out and “if you don’t know, don’t go”. Choose another location for your activity instead.

Being out on the ice can be an amazing experience. Just remember to stay safe out there.

Do you have fond memories of being on the ice in Muskoka? Leave us a comment to tell us about it!

The Howell Family

Remember Summer?

Winter is cold. Sometimes it’s really cold. Like in January, the coldest month of the year in these parts. So despite the balmy weather we've had this winter, we shouldn't be surprised when the thermometer dips down to -25C (that's -13F for our American friends). Even though we love winter at Colonial Bay, those temperatures make us wish for some summer fun and sun.

In case you’ve forgotten, here’s what summer in Muskoka looks like:

And this:

And this too:

Tubing, water skiing and surfing. Canoeing and kayaking. Relaxing in a Muskoka chair with warm sand between your toes. Roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Falling asleep to the call of the loons. However you choose to spend it, summer in Muskoka can't be beat. (If you don't believe us, just ask National Geographic or the Toronto Star. But really, you should just take our word for it.)

We’ve already started taking summer reservations for our waterfront Muskoka cottages. Will we see you at Colonial Bay this year?

Thinking warm thoughts,

The Howell Family

10 Things To Do In Muskoka This Year

Happy New Year from Colonial Bay!

There’s something about a new year that brings out the list maker in us all. Resolutions are made (and broken) and “Best of ” and “Top 10” lists start cropping up as we look back at the past twelve months.

In that tradition, we offer a list of ten things you must do in Muskoka in 2012. Well, you don’t have to, but just think what you’ll be missing out on if you don’t.

1. Try bungee surfing

2. Taste the corn roast at Colonial Bay

3. Try skijoring or dog sledding

4. Check out a festival – Film, Literary, Cranberry, and more!
5. Ride the Portage Flyer
6. Get to know the Group of Seven
7. Visit a local farmers’ market or farm and sample Muskoka’s finest produce
8. Pick wild blueberries
9. See the fall colors
10. Watch a sunrise and sunset from the dock (at Colonial Bay of course!)

Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!
The Howell Family