The first family canoe trip of 2011 has come and gone. While we broke one of my rules regarding camping with young children: "Always out-number the kids 2:1,"  it was great to go with another couple who had a lot of experience.  There were 4 adults and 3 children aged 7, 5 and 2!  Camping on the May 24th weekend can be good and it can be bad!  This year it was GOOD!
Camping in May has some serious and potentially deadly hazards.  Not the least of these is the COLD water!  I believe that anyone who ventures into any back country in May (or even early June) should jump in the water to get a true appreciation of how cold it is.  It still boggles my mind how many people I see NOT wearing a PFD, especially at this time of year.  Wear your PFD, stay close to shore and have a water-proof fire making kit on your person!
We spent one night on Magnetawan and two nights on Little Trout; it was my first visit to either of those lakes.  The most tedious portion of the trip by far was the long road from Kearney to the landing at Magnetawan Lake;  lots of washboard!
We arrived later in the day so  it was very convenient to simply park and paddle to our first campsite.  Also, because the van was just around the corner, we were able to drop off some garbage after breaking camp on the first morning.  For you purists, I realize that the last thing you may want to do on the first morning of your trip is to stop at your vehicle, but when you have kids on the trip (one in diapers) this was a great option!
Our wildlife sightings were limited to waterfowl, a creek full of suckers (hours of entertainment for the young Lily Dippers in our group!) and a couple of beautiful speckled trout; great entertainment for the older Lilidippers in our group!
I was reminded of some very useful tips that helped to make this trip a success:
-Have a tarp readily available for a shore lunch.  We experienced heavy rain on our last day and a shore lunch under a nice tarp was great!
-All-mesh bug jackets are cheap, pack well and allow you to enjoy the outdoors during the worst of blackfly season.  Did you know that if you get a bug  jacket a size too large, you can easily bring your arms in and enjoy y0ur dinner or beverage in your own mini mesh tent!

Regards,
Nathan

Growing up in Guelph, Ontario, I did no snowmobiling, nor did I have any experience venturing out on the ice in Winter.  When I found myself attending a small high school near South River, ON  having moved there with my family, I was immersed in a culture that was unfamiliar to me.  I was surprised to see that my new high school had a snowmobile parking lot!  It was not long before I was presented with the opportunity to go snowmobiling between Highway #11 and #69 North of Dunchurch.  I was a bit nervous about being on the frozen lakes, but a friend of mine named Ben was able to impart some wisdom and reassurance on me. 
"What do I do if my snowmobile goes through the ice?" I asked; a reasonable question in mind.
Without hesitation, Ben responded: "You jump and roll."
The conversation moved on from there and I didn't give it much more thought, after all, Ben did not seem worried.
Saturday came along.  12" of snow had fallen overnight.  For those who are not familiar, when snow falls on a frozen lake, the ice is pushed down by the weight and water seeps onto the surface of the ice.  When the snow and water mixes, you can get a deep layer of slush on top of the otherwise very thick and and safe ice.  Inexperienced snowmobilers often get bogged down and stuck in the slush, causing a headache, but not an emergency. 
I wish that Ben and I had expanded our earlier conversation to include slush.
While cruising down a frozen lake on a borrowed 1989 Panther, I was enjoying the beautiful day and the rush of wind in my face.  Suddenly, the engine revved as the skis began to sink and the track began to spin in place splashing water beside and behind me.  My worst nightmare had in that moment been realized.  I was going through the ice.  Before my snowmobile had come to a complete stop, I knew that I had to act fast.  Glad of the safety talk that Ben and I had earlier in the week, I knew what I had to do to save myself.  Jump and roll!
With all of my strength, I launched my body off of the snowmobile to the right side, closest to the shore 50 feet away.  As I rolled away from the machine I wondered if it had hit the bottom of the lake yet.
As my friends drove up beside me, they were curious about why I had for no apparent reason jumped off my snowmobile and began rolling in the snow as though I was on fire!  The relief that I felt, after realizing that I had not gone through the ice made it much easier to cope with the embarrassment of my rookie mistake and my subsequent nickname....  J.R!