Gorgeous afternoon on the water at Lac La Peche, Gatineau.
Seaweed – oh how I dislike the slimy feel of seaweed rubbing up against my legs. The thought of the unknown lurking in the waters below. Perhaps this is the result of an overactive childhood memory flashing back at me – but it was the seaweed keeping me from jumping into the water with my friends. Labour Day weekend and we were having a wonderful adventure kayak camping. The waters of Lac La Peche were sparkling and inviting. Cries of how refreshing the water was taunted me! Clearly, my friends were braver than I for wading into the weeds and delighting in the cool refreshment of the lake, warm sun glowing on their faces. And then there is me….still sitting in my kayak, anxious to get in the water!
Seaweed – not my favourite!
Not to let the seaweed win, I paddled out to the deeper waters of Lac La Peche and jumped in! The water was wonderful! We giggled like school girls in the middle of the lake – not a care in the world! It became obviously clear when we finished swimming – if I was to avoid the seaweed yet again, I would need to get myself back in the boat while floating in the middle of the lake! Two tries and a bruise to my leg and I was in! Anita 1 – seaweed 0.
- Swimming at Lac La Peche
Campground
Walking to our campsite at Lac La Peche.
There were 4 sites hidden in our camping area. We had two sites – a family occupied one, and the other will be forever remembered at the dancing naked men! (Sorry, no photos and perhaps a story for another time!) The sites are cozy and clean, fully equipped with picnic tables, fire sites, outhouse and somewhere to hang your food. While we didn’t see any bears, the chipmunks and squirrels were well versed in campground dinners. When booking your site, remember that they really only hold space for one tent per site. Thank goodness we had a number of people from our group cancel last minute – imagine trying to fit 6 tents on 2 sites! That would have been up close and personal!
Lac La Peche beachfront at loading time.
Kayaking
Kayaking around Lac La Peche was wonderful. Having the site for the weekend gave us plenty of time to explore the nooks and crannies of the lake. The sites were booked out for Labour Day weekend. With the “check-in” time of noon – the boat launch was crazy busy with people loading all manner of camping equipment into their canoes and kayaks. The atmosphere on the beach was jubilant as everyone set out on their own adventures.
Playing on the water at Lac La Peche.
While the aftermath of Hurricane Irene gave us some less than ideal weather (beautiful days but crazy night time storms complete with thunder and lightening), a weekend of kayak camping at Lac La Peche was a great way to relax and unwind, making it an ideal weekend getaway for the outdoor enthusiast.
Exploring one of the many little islands in Lac La Peche
Inukshuk on the shores of Lac La Peche
If you liked this post, you may also like: Live the photo: Lac La Peche, Gatineau.
Sounds like a great weekend, even with the dancing naked men.
I could only imagine how “brisk” the water was.
Posted by Jeff | September 22, 2011, 3:54 pmIt was a brilliant weekend. Looking forward to next year! The water was actually very refreshing, although the early morning dunk was quite the eye opener!
Posted by Anita Mac | September 22, 2011, 4:08 pmYou should add kayaking in Baja Mexico to your list of travels. I once kayaked/camped there for 10 days and it was amazing! Plus, no seaweed!
Posted by mypostcardsfromhome | October 12, 2011, 8:53 amIt is totally on my list – I believe I still have the fliers from a company that does the tours! Narrowing down to 20 was pretty much impossibe! It is on my kayak list of places to paddle!
Posted by Anita Mac | October 12, 2011, 1:14 pm