2020 was a year like none other. And yet, The Quiet Guiding Company was able to put together a full season of trips. Here’s our recap.

2020 Year in Review

We started off the year thinking that it would be a “normal” year (oh, hindsight…and yes all the “hindsight is 2020” jokes have been made). We had plans for winter camping, hiking, short canoe trips, long canoe trips, close canoe trips, far canoe trips.

We even booked a first booth at the Toronto Outdoor Adventure Show and purchased or developed all the materials needed to make it feel homey (we also learned from the Canadian Canoe Museum about using zip ties for our horizontal banner for a neater look next time):

We met so many fabulous people at the show and caught up with so many fantastic people, the three day event passed quickly. We wrote a recap of it here. But even then there was conversation about COVID-19 making the rounds.

And less than a month later, everything ground to a halt. Ontario Parks closed. We guides and outfitters weren’t permitted to run trips. We sat and waited and worried about what the summer might bring.

Then in mid-June we began opening up again. Guides and outfitters were allowed to plan for summer trips. Ontario Parks waived cancellation fees to encourage people to be smart about their health and keeping/giving up their reservations.

And less than two weeks later, our summer was completely booked up.

We paddled lots in Killarney but opted not to paddle in Quetico or Temagami out of concern for what health care or search and rescue might look like.

Killarney was booked solid such that after our July trip, we had to build itineraries that left from the Highway 6 access point.

This meant taking a shuttle in from Widgawa Lodge for one trip – a first for us.

We explored the lakes of the northwest corner of Killarney Provincial Park and some of the more southern lakes of Killarney Lakelands and Headwaters Provincial Park.

And then we did it again in September, which brought us another first – paddling a three-seat, 17-foot canoe. (Lots of lessons learned on steering that sucker!)

We have no idea what 2021 will bring us and we do hope that we’ll be able to safely hike or canoe and camp with you this spring and summer. Our trip list is ever evolving and you can check that out here.

Wishing you safe and health adventures for 2021. See you out there!