White Christmas In Muskoka

While Muskoka has always been known to have a lot of snow, it is very rare to get such a large amount at one time. Last week Muskoka shut down. Roads were unsafe, cars were snowed in, power was out. Everyone stayed home.
With this storm, Huntsville broke records by getting at least 80cm in some places.
Bracebridge was hammered with even more snow. The snow started Wednesday and continued through the weekend. Snow was piled over a metre high. We have passed the average December snowfall of 72cm. Muskoka turned into a winter wonderland.
Power was out all over Bracebridge and both the Town of Bracebridge and the Town of Huntsville declared Snow Emergencies.
Snow plows worked overtime, trying to get the roads cleared. In some areas, regular pick-up trucks with plows were doing the side roads. It took almost a week to get the roads properly plowed.
Looks like this will be a great winter for everyone that loves snow. The ski hills are ready and the snowmobile trails are being prepared. Lake of Bays froze overnight. If we’re lucky, the temperature will stay down and we’ll be able to skate on the lakes early in the new year.
Another white Christmas in Muskoka!
I hope everyone has a great holiday and a happy new year.

An End To A Great Season

My boating season started this year on April 17th on a beautiful sunny and warm April afternoon. The ice was still in and in spite of my best judgment I strapped on the wakeboard and went for the first ride of the year on Lake Muskoka. Yes the Water Was cold at a not so balmy 1 degree Celsius but it was great to get back out on the water after a long, cold and very snowy winter and well worth the lack of feeling left in my toes.

After the longest boating season I have ever had personally you can flash forward almost eight months later on December 5. As Muskoka receives its first real blast of winter weather I put on my winter coat, touque, gloves and a pair of ski goggles, brushed the snow off the boat and head out for a trip across the lake to Pride of Muskoka and back for what I can only assume will be my final boat ride of the 2009 boating season. It is a far cry from that beautiful day in April with my anticipation of the coming season and the warm and sunny days of July and August to boating in December in Muskoka which is a very different experience. It is almost serine as you are the only boat on the lake running along the snow covered shoreline. It feels as though you should be on a snowmobile and not in a boat. Although I am saddened that I’ve been out on my last boat ride of the 2009 season, I’m glad that I live in such an amazing part of our country and that I have the opportunity to spend so much time on the water, and I’m excited for next year, who knows maybe I’ll be able to get out there on April 16th.

See You on the Water.
Brandon

It's the First Snow of the Year

The first winter blast has finally hit Muskoka. Accumulations of heavy snow from 1cm to 8cm deep, blanketed cottage country this morning. The ground is still not yet frozen, so most of the snow evidence melted away by noon, but it was still a stern reminder that winter is on its way. After an unseasonably warm and dry November, the morning of December 1st felt more like, last few brave island cottagers hoping to get to the cottage one more time before the hard freeze up, are going to have to move quickly.
The winter weather is supposed to continue through the weekend and then we are on to a white Christmas in Muskoka!