THE POINT

For as long as I can recall, Armstrong Point has always been a popular spot for anyone to visit that knew about its location. Following the unmarked trail, bountiful with wildflowers in the spring, brought you to its lookout with the most scenic view of Lake Rosseau, and a bench from which to watch the spectacular sunsets. When I visited recently I was disappointed to find a number of "No Trespassing" and "Private Property" signs posted and spraypainted on over a dozen trees at the trailhead. I am not aware of the details behind this change but I get the point.

HEAVEN

For a brief moment I thought I had died and was on my way to Heaven, heading down a dark passageway toward a beckoning bright light but then remembered I was paddleboarding in Muskoka and already in Heaven!
[Thanks to Peter DeMos of Muskoka Outfitters for use of the SUP.]

INDIAN PIPE FINDERS

We weren't hunting for Indian Pipe when we happened upon some, including this cluster with its pink variation. Often mistaken for a fungus due to its colour, it is a plant that lacks chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis. It instead receives its nutrition from parasitizing fungus that are in turn connected to trees, an unique and interesting arrangement.

SUMMER COTTAGE TOUR

The Summer Cottage Tour, a Muskoka Conservancy fund-raising event, started and ended at Touchstone on Lake Muskoka, with the Wenonah II delivering the tour group to a pair of cottages, a contrast of old and new Muskoka. Willardby, named after its original owner, Dr. Lewis Willard, is one of the oldest and most original Beaumaris cottages found on the famous Millionaires' Row. A chapter and photographs of its boathouses can be found in the coffeetable classic, Shelter at the Shore. The other is a modern log mansion and boathouse at Montcalm Point, the name inherited from a former hotel that once occupied this location. Its boathouse is also featured in print however to truly appreciate the whole property and its latest renovations a virtual tour is available online. It is currently listed on the market and can be yours for $8 million.
[Program front cover images by Nicole Lee Photography]

PREP TOUR

It was a beautiful day for cruising Lake Muskoka, where I joined Muskoka Conservancy staff and other volunteers in visiting the two cottages that will be featured on the Summer Cottage Tour. Several boats were needed to shuttle us all between locations, where we were given an orientation of both properties and learned our roles for the following day, when the sold-out tour takes place and the destinations are revealed, with the Wenonah II delivering the visitors.