Summer Outlook

Oh, this summer's gonna be an interesting one.

And with all this gorgeous blue-sky, sunny-day kinda weather happening over here, I can't wait for it to arrive. That kinda sky with negative temperatures is rather a teaser. This whole winter's been like that, to be honest. I think we're getting an early spring this year.

I really shouldn't say that. I've been saying "It's finally winter!" every snowfall since December started, and every time it warms up & melts away. So if I start claiming an early spring, it might just give us blizzards and -35C through to the end of May.

Anyways...this summer.

Should things work out, there's a good chance I'll be travelling to Japan for a couple of weeks. Which would be soooooo awesome. Even though it's been far down on my list of places to see (mainly because I couldn't think of when I'd ever have a real chance to go) it'd be so neat to experience a new culture like that! And eat sushi in the sushi country itself :) And drink tea on yet another continent :)

But, the BIG trip, the one I've been hoping to take for over a year now, is working out!
Despite my initial thought that I'd be setting aside my planned "summer trip for 2012" and replacing it with an epic wilderness trip, it turns out that Mingan-Anticosti-Forillon is just the epic wilderness trip we were looking for. Yay!

It's gonna be a lot of kayaking (in my new kayak - woot!) and back-country camping and exploring/sightseeing some really unique Canadian landscapes in the mouth of the St Lawrence River.

Anticosti Island is right in the mouth of the St Lawrence, and isn't a huge tourist destination, but it's got gorgeous cliffs & sunsets & wilderness areas with wildlife everywhere. I read a Canadian Geographic article on it when I was in uni & I've wanted to visit ever since.

Mingan Archipelago National Park is on the north side of the St Lawrence. It's got islands, monoliths, rare birds, barrenland, etc. It's a really unique place. My students have presented on this one in geography class a few times and every time again I want to go.

Then there's Forillon. It's more of a tourist destination, with awesome coastal hiking trails & great overlooks, as well as a bunch of lighthouses.  It basically called "The Jewel of the Gaspe" - and I think that says it all.



Anyways... if you'd like to join us, I'd love another girl to come along!!!