Date: Saturday, September 18, 2026 & Sunday, September 19 (Number of Steps according to Apple Health – 3,885)
Note: Only marginal proof reading so likely lots of errors. Janet has taken of the role of proof reader so I’ll have them fixed eventually.
Saturday and Sunday was my time in the Muskoka region hanging out with my cohort from the early 1970s. It makes sense to stitch them day together as as most of the this blog is about that weekend experience.
Day 9, Saturday, September 18, 2026
As is usual, I got my day started with my standard poached eggs and orange juice in the Toronto AirBnB. Then I got packed in time to be ready when Drew arrived from Etobicoke with the car at 8:00 am. He came up to get all the kit and drag it down to the car. We put the key back in the lock box and headed to the Golden Diner for breakfast at 105 Carlton Street.
This was a regular destination for Drew when he was at university. It has large portions for low prices and the food is good. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed numerous breakfasts here and it had to be a destination on the bucket list. Drew had the big breakfast and I had Eggs Benny.
We were done. Drew had plans to see many of his friends while I was off to the Muskoka region to hang out with my cohort from Pinecrest in the 1970s. It was the start of a good day.
The last time I made the drive up to Pinecrest, I travelled just north of Barrie on Highway 400, Highway 11 to Gravenhurst, and then Highway 69 to Torrance (where Pinecrest is on Clear Lake). Highway 400 has been extended all the way to Georgian Bay so I took that and then headed east to Torrance.
The plan was to meet with my friends at 12:30 pm for lunch at Clear Lake Brewing Company. This brewery is new since my last visit. During my time, we had many adult refreshments at the Bala Bay Inn about 4 km from Torrance. It is still there but unavailable for our lunch.
I arrive on time and was ushered to one of the two picnic tables and soon after a half dozen growlers showed up on the tables followed by enough pizza for an army. It was a great way to reconnect with people I haven’t seen for the most part for over forty years. I knew many of the people but a few were before or after my years of 1973 to 1976. Even though outside of my time frame, their names were legendary as renowned program directors or guides.
Let me tell you a little about this cohort. It is quite large and benefits from the leadership of Ross McKerron. The Y has no other groups that have remained tight and connected after their time at the camp. There is magic in this group but it is Ross who is the glue to keep all these folks in touch with each other. I feel privileged to be included. I must admit, I allowed these important friendships to fade after leaving camp in 1976 and started my working life in Halifax. It was time for me to move on and too difficult to keep these distance friendships alive.
After lunch, most of us headed to the camp which is about three kilometers from the brewery. It is bright and sunny, the trees are lush and green as the leaves have yet to start turning to their fall colours, the smells from the woods and the lake are fresh and and the tickle my olfactory senses with a familiarity of my time on side in the 1970s. We’re driving down the road and my excitement is building, my heart is racing, I think I can feel my body temp increasing with anticipation, and no doubt my blood pressure is up. These are all good things.
We arrive at the camp and meet a program director at the office who advises it is pretty quiet on the camp. There is just one small leadership group preparing for a trip on the other side of the camp.
Like the CN Tower is an iconic structure in Toronto, the Boathouse is the iconic image for Pinecrest. From this side you see the hall upstairs. Long before my time it was the camp dining room. You can see the sparkle of Clear Lake and that stone is pretty typical Canadian Shield.
That rock is challenging for me giving my current stability but I planned to get down to the dock one way or another. With my cushion in hand, I carefully started my trek in the direction of the lake.
It took me about ten times longer to make it than was normal but it gets pretty steep to the right of the Boathouse. I discovered later, there was a much easier way but I feel more alive when I see a challenge and take it head on. Ideally I would have wandered around the property but that’s more physically demanding and needs strength than I can’t muster these days.
You can see the Boathouse with the sliding doors on the dock. It is stuffed full of canoes. I don’t know the current count but they are stored in various locations. I suspect the camp has over a hundred canoes. The ones at this location are for recreational activities on the lake.
Over my left shoulder, you can see the diving tower. That is part of the main swim area where thousands of children learned to swim since the camp opened in 1910. Pinecrest is surrounded by three beautiful lakes, and is nestled on 650 acres. It is a truly remarkable location.
I planted myself in one of the Muskoka chairs on a cushion I brought down. It was a great time to reflect on my time working at camp where I was a Counsellor and Section Director in 1973 and the Councilor-in-Training Director from 1974 to 1976. My time at camp started in May with Outdoor Ed programs, followed by three summer sessions in July and August, and then I would head to back to Halifax to resume my studies at Dalhousie University.
We all have defining moments in our lives. My time at Pinecrest shaped the man I became and influenced me throughout the rest of my life. My emotional high of the moment is of one returning home. It found myself sitting in this chair in a state of pure tranquility of mind. This was a joyful moment.
Cole Balmer joined me. He has been a good online friend for a number of years but this is the first time we’ve met in person. He is the current General Manager and one of the four full-time employees. The camp has not had regular campers since the start of COVID as normally there are ten full-time employees and during the summer 120 staff members at the camp. There is a lot of excitement that the camp will return to operation in 2022.
We chatted about all camp related matters, programs, current camp use, and ideas for the future. Cole follows me closely on this blog is was curious about my current health status and filled with questions.
It was a great hour of good conversation. I still had my frozen Shepherd’s Pie and Irish Stew in the cooler. With the time left on the trip, I’d never thaw them so I suggested Cole take them. He was glad to do so and later reported how well they were enjoyed.
Not bad eh? This is the first significant reference to food for a few paragraphs!
We headed out for Go Home Lake. Jeremy came with me to navigate. The only way to the cottage is by boat. Both Ross and Murray Huff keep their boats at Minors Bay Marina. I take my time on floating docks even though they don’t present any major challenge. However, a fall at this time would throw a damper into the weekend.
The ride to the cottage was about fifteen minutes and was like threading a needle through numerous channels. It was a glorious afternoon, clear skies, and sparkling blue waters.
The walk up to the cottage from the dock was over more Canadian Shield so I took an arm to ensure I was safe. This is not a place to take a fall as I suspect that would force a trip to Emergency. Up a short hill, then a few steps and I on the massive deck at the front of the cottage.
I understand that Ross bought this cottage in the early 1990s with a friend. Around 2000, his friend sold his half to Beth and Murray Huff.
The original cottage was in need of a lot of tender loving care. Not only did Ross make that happen but based on the original footprint, my guess is the square footage today is three times as much with the addition of a large Livingroom space, sun room on the lake side, three to four bedrooms behind that addition, and a new full bathroom. At the other end of the original cottage is a new wing that has Ross’ bedroom and a laundry room. In the original cottage is a kitchen, large dining space, a bath, and two bedrooms. I had one of those bedrooms which put me close to a bathroom. He has a large storage shed behind which I understand is full of canoes.
We all settled in and there was ten of us. Ross prepared some Hors d’oeuvres for people to enjoy as dinner was getting ready. Some people headed to the dock, others on the deck, and I stayed in the Livingroom with Murray Huff. As nice as it was outside, my hands were cold which seems to be case most of the time these days. I forgot my gloves in the car but it was okay as Murray had a pair which became my constant companions through the rest of the weekend.
Murray was my best friends at camp and as soon as I saw him, we exchanged hugs, and good old pats on the back started the dialogue of catchup with news about our families. He has four grown-up children who live in various parts of the country with a variety of successful careers and good spouse/partner relations. I filled him in on what are five children are up to and their three spouses.
Once caught up on family news, we turned our conversation to our work lives and then we started to reminisce about our time at camp. This just got started when the word came through that dinner was ready so we headed to the table.
This was the main event. The dinner was fresh corn, tenderloin steak, a potato side dish, a mushroom side dish, several bottles of wine, and finished with a cheesecake desert. It was delicious.
The best part are the conversations which focus on camp memories, the camp as it was during our time, the camp as it has been to deal with COVID, and the camp of the future. Everyone at the table retains close ties with Pinecrest, most participate on volunteer boards of various types. It truly is a excellent group of camp ambassadors who contributed during their time as employees and continue to make an impact in a positive way to help secure the future of Pinecrest. As I mentioned earlier, there is no comparable group of this type across all the living generations which has stayed so connected to each other and the camp. Without question, Ross McKerron is the glue that keeps it together.
My heart was warmed listening to the conversations. I didn’t have much to contribute other than the occasional question. We remained at that table for a couple of hours. I learned volumes about Pinecrest I didn’t know before. Eventually though, I needed to lie down.
My bedroom was just off the kitchen. I got into my sleeping bag and zipped up but I didn’t close the door. I could hear everything. It reminded me of when I used to listen to my children playing years ago and the joyful sounds of their conversations. This was an evening of pure, unrestricted joy for everyone present.
I drifted off to sleep with an inner peace and a full appreciation that the experience of the weekend exceeded my expectations. My heart and soul are bursting with jubilation and I knew my night would be filled with sweet dreams. This is as good as life gets I think.
Day 10 Sunday, September 19, 2026
I woke early from a restful night with the same joy in my heart as I had when slipping into sleep the night before. It was quiet and serene but I knew someone was up as I could hear the coffee pot gurgling.
I got up, filled a bowl with some of the leftover potato dish, warmed it in the microwave, and poured a cup of coffee. Only then did I realized all my meds were in the car with the exception of my digestion enzymes. Ah well, missing a day of Fragmin won’t kill me.
As people started to wake, it was coffee and conversation time as breakfast was being prepared. Most of the dialogue centered around what this group could do to sustain the future of Pinecrest.
You might be inclined to think this is a small group given the numbers who assembled at the cottage. That is not the case. People are nervous about COVID. I think the hard-core is closer to twenty-five dedicated individuals.
Ross setup a presentation in the Livingroom. He found a number of books filled with pictures and documents about the original settlers of the land that eventually became Pinecrest. It started in the mid 1800s and spanned to the middle 1900s when the last bit was acquired by the camp.
In addition to the history lesson he had decks of scanned pictures recorded decade by decade. I think we all enjoyed them.
After the presentation, we moved outside when the deck was awash with warm morning sunlight. The conversations continued to be a mix of how to secure the future of Pinecrest and reminiscing the past. Hot dogs were served for lunch and a glance at my phone showed the time as 2:30 pm. I packed and along with a couple of others shuttled back to the marina. To my delight, Beth Huff was at the dock. I wasn’t expecting to see her so this encounter added one more special memory to my time at Go Home Lake. I got into the car and headed back to Toronto to meet Drew for supper.
From beginning to end, Highways 400 was busy and there were a few construction delays around Barrie. I arrived in the east end of Toronto where Drew was in the company Bailey and Jeff, friends of his I met at his wedding. Coincidentally he was just a few doors from Mezes which is known for its authentic Greek fare and one of the restaurants I had on my “You gotta eat here” list.
We asked the server for advice on what to order and ended up with Calamari, Melitzanosalata (which is roasted egg plant), a lamb chop, and a skewer of grilled chicken chunks. We were both full and headed back to Etobicoke for a great night’s sleep.
As always, thank you for being at my side. A loving wife, wonderful children, tremendous friends, and supportive individuals from around the world keep my morale strong and the fight alive. And again thanks to God for being constant companion and holding my hand throughout this journey.
Peace, Love, and Laughter
Phil XOXO
One Reply on “Road Trip - Days 9 and 10”
Always enjoy your blogs, keep’m com’n