Time at Manitoba’s Whiteshell Provincial Park relaxes and rejuvenates
People who live in places with long, harsh winters cherish and embrace their summers. That is true in my home province of Manitoba, where summer for many means time at the lake. Not surprising in a place known as the “land of 100,000 lakes.” The largest lakes in Manitoba are Lake Winnipeg (over 24,000 square kilometres), Lake Winnipegosis (over 5,000 square kilometres), and Lake Manitoba (over 4,500 square kilometres), but there are many other lakes of varying sizes attracting cottagers and visitors.
This summer I spent five days visiting a friend at a cabin she rented at Falcon Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park and was reminded of the appeal of lake life.
Whiteshell Provincial Park is 2,800 square kilometres of protected wilderness parkland in eastern Manitoba, with sandy beaches and forests bumping up against rugged Precambrian Shield. It contains more than 15 lakes, hiking trails, canoe routes, cross-country skiing and snow mobile trails, cottage lots, and campsites. Falcon Lake is at the southern end of the park.
Boats at West Hawk Lake
Visitors and residents may spend time boating, fishing, or doing a variety of water sports. Not me – I was too busy with other things.
Watching the light and shading though the trees change as the day wore on
Looking at the clouds and daydreaming
Counting the many shades of green
Taking a walk
On a more energetic day, we drive through the southern part of the park
Beach at West Hawk Lake
(West Hawk is the site of one of Canada’s 26 known meteorite impact craters.
The lake is 110 metres deep . Because of its depth it is used for scuba diving training.
The depth also means the water is cold.)
Lily Pond was created 3.75 billion years ago by advancing glaciers
Beach at Brereton Lake
And there was still more to do when we returned to the cabin.
Watch deer go through the yard
We also watched chipmunks chase each other, but they were too fast for my camera. (Or I was too slow, having adjusted to lake time.)
Relax by the fire in the evening
And wake the next day to another round of activity, sitting on the deck, listening to the birds serenade us and the breeze rustle through the leaves, in between crossword puzzles, books, and idle conversation.
There is something soothing about being at the lake, something healing in the warm rays of the sun (providing you use sunblock and don’t overdo it), something refreshing in the mingled scent of pine, water, and dried leaves. I felt the layers of stress I hadn’t realized I had peel away, like a bird’s molting feathers, leaving behind a lighter and renewed self. It’s no wonder the relaxing and rejuvenating experience of “going to the lake” is so popular.
You can find more information about the many attractions and things to do in Whiteshell Provincial Park on the park website. You can read more about one of its historical attractions in my post Bannock Point: Petroforms In A Manitoba Provincial Park.
This post is part of Travel Photo Mondays.
26 Comments
jacquiegum
August 9, 2015 at 8:43 amCompletely enticing! I remember my many years n Wisconsin and those long harsh winters. You do cherish those summer months. I still miss my old lake home. Summers there were a slice of heaven!
Donna Janke
August 10, 2015 at 6:01 pmJacquie, long winters certainly make one appreciate summers.
Anita and Richard @ No Particular Place To Go
August 10, 2015 at 9:13 amI too remember the long, gray and cold winters when we lived in Montana and how we tried to live outdoors as much as possible and squeeze every moment that we could from the warm summer days! Gorgeous photos of time well – spent! Anita
Donna Janke
August 10, 2015 at 6:02 pmThanks Anita – we do like the squeeze everything out of summer days.
Irene S. Levine
August 10, 2015 at 9:41 amI love your blend of Canada and Arizona! How lucky you are to enjoy the best of both worlds!
Donna Janke
August 10, 2015 at 6:03 pmThanks Irene.
alison abbott
August 10, 2015 at 10:05 amMy husband grew up in Northern Ontario and I would love the summer time spent on the lake there. Sort of spoiled me for every other lake I’ve see. So pristine and the air crisp and clean. I can certainly see why you are happy in this spot!
Donna Janke
August 11, 2015 at 7:47 amAlison, there are so many lovely pristine lakes across Canada. The more I travel, the more I come to appreciate them and the crisp, clean air.
Nancie
August 10, 2015 at 3:35 pmHi Donna. I think wherever you live in Canada summer means going to the lake, and in Nova Scotia the ocean. When I lived in Nova Scotia it was a yearly ritual to rent a cottage for a week and just sit back and relax. My dad is 92 this year and he still goes to my brother’s cottage every summer. Your photos are lovely.
Donna Janke
August 11, 2015 at 7:49 amNancie, I’d love to spend part of the summer by the ocean in Nova Scotia. I’ve seen only a small part of that province and hope to get back there soon and explore more of it.
Paula McInerney
August 10, 2015 at 4:24 pmThis is so true and we have seen that this phenomena in Europe a lot – the sun comes out, even briefly and everyone is out in the sunshine. It makes me wonder whether we in Australia take sun shine for granted. The lakes would be an easy draw card.
Donna Janke
August 11, 2015 at 7:54 amPaula, in areas where the sunshine is a constant year-round, I think people feel more compelled to be in the sunshine when it is there. That may not be the case in places where the sun is constant. And often, one needs to protect oneself from the intensity of that sun.
santafetraveler
August 10, 2015 at 4:58 pmWhat a beautiful area! Didn’t know about West Hawk Lake, but the depth if astounding.
Donna Janke
August 11, 2015 at 7:56 amOther lakes in the area are no where as deep as West Hawk and vary in depth. I think the shallower lakes are better for swimming because they warm up more.
Suzanne Fluhr
August 10, 2015 at 10:06 pmMy husband is a beach person now although that might be an example of “the bird in the hand” since it’s only an hour from our apartment; whereas mountain lakes in our part of Pennsylvania (the southeast) require more of a trek. However, he has many fond memories of the summers of his youth spent on a lake in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Whenever we get withing 50 miles of that place (Stockbridge—as in the James Taylor song), he insists on going to see his lake. My parents worked at a summer camp that had more of a scum pond we had to swim in than a lake. It’s a miracle no one picked up any dangerous microbes in it.
Donna Janke
August 11, 2015 at 8:04 amSuzanne, clean, fresh lakes are wonderful. Not so great with scum. Manitoba Water Stewardship monitors a number of lakes in the province for alga levels and bacteria levels.
Linda ~ Journey Jottings
August 11, 2015 at 12:22 amThe most wonderful thing about a summer by the lake when you’ve experienced such a harsh winter is – as you pointed out – the amazing shades of green reflecting the way the place is totally buzzing with life 🙂
Donna Janke
August 11, 2015 at 8:05 amLinda, I never truly captured the myriad shades of green in my photographs. You’re right – the place was buzzing with life.
carol colborn
August 11, 2015 at 8:13 amWe have been traveling Europe so much and have been so busy on the book tour, we have forgotten those lovely lazy days by a lake. Thanks for reminding us how relaxing and rejuvenating it can be, Travel has been busyness for me and we must return to this other face of travel.
Donna Janke
August 12, 2015 at 7:39 amCarol, it’s good to find a balance between busy and lazy travel. I tend to make life too busy sometimes and it’s rejuvenating to slow it down from time to time.
travelnwrite
August 11, 2015 at 6:40 pmDonna, You’ve so captured the essence of a day at the lake – the best are those lazy lovely ones!
Donna Janke
August 12, 2015 at 7:40 amThanks. Lake and lazy seem to go together – without any guilt about a day of doing nothing.
Sue Reddel
August 14, 2015 at 2:50 pmSounds like I need a day or two at a lake. I remember going on lake journeys when I was a kid. We’d play all day in the lake and have a ball. Evenings were spent talking and playing cards. Electricity kept a few lights going and a frig. How I long for those much simpler times.
Donna Janke
August 15, 2015 at 11:23 amSue, I think I’m ready to go back for another few days myself.
Jeri Walker (@JeriWB)
August 18, 2015 at 11:13 amHow beautiful. Your pictures remind me a lot of Lake Coeur d’ Alene in north Idaho. There’s something undeniably soothing about spending time at the lake during the summer time. I’m reminded of E.B. White’s essay “Once More to the Lake” as well.
Donna Janke
August 18, 2015 at 11:31 amThanks Jeri. There is something soothing about being at the lake. Often, we don’t realize how much we need that calming until we’re out there.