As the weather warmed up, my brother asked if I would head out on a canoe trip with him and his girlfriend for her first-ever backcountry experience. Taking advantage of every opportunity to get into the backcountry this year, my answer, of course, was yes! Originally, the offer had been made to both my boyfriend Jeff and I; however, Jeff was unable to take the time off, leaving just the three of us to navigate an adequate route. My brother and I set to work a few weeks in advance to plan our trip, deciding on starting out at the Herb Lake Access Point in the Haliburton Highlands Water Trails. As Friday, June 26th -our scheduled departure date- neared, we filled our packs and food barrel, as well as loaded up the canoe and my kayak the night before to ensure we could leave bright and early to be on the water for as much of the weekend as possible. This trip was my first ever backcountry trip using my kayak instead of a canoe, and I was excited to test out how it woul...