NORTHERN EXPOSURE: VIGNETTES FROM (AND AROUND) MUSKOKA’S GRASS LAKE 

WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN 

Day One, Late Afternoon 

‘I’m jumping in,’ I exclaim to Liz as I launch off the wooden dock and sail through the air. Within a short second I hit the water – disturbing, with circular ripples, the glassy surface of a pristine corner of Grass Lake near Burk’s Falls just north of Muskoka. Before long I see Liz a few metres away, deftly navigating a paddleboard with our intrepid husky Ellie standing proud behind her. Back on the dock, Mot, our usually nonchalant malamute, lets out a yip of excitement. I touch the bottom of the lake with an outstretched leg, push off for the surface, and emerge a happy man. And why not? It’s the first day of October but, even this late in the season, the water is still warm-ish, and we have three days ahead of us at Paper Birch Cabin – the loveliest rustic-meets-modern cottage in a setting spectacularly serene. 

Before long I’m out of the water and crouching by the lakeside firepit. I feed the flames with wood that Liz and I grabbed just a couple hours earlier at the general store in the enclave of Kearney. Dinner will be a late affair tonight (if it happens at all), as the two of us are still full from the burgers and poutine we grabbed at Weber’s on the drive up. And that’s okay with me since I’m more than content to wile away the next hour or two here, beside the fire, with a clutch of Willibald seltzers within reach. While Liz and Ellie paddle further out into the lake, Mot curls up by the flames and falls asleep. 

Day Two, Early Morning 

It’s just after eight in the morning and I’m relaxing on a couch under a spacious screened-in porch. To my left, inside our cottage’s bright open-concept kitchen, Liz prepares what’s going to be an epic breakfast. To my right, past the porch and the cozy lakeside firepit and quaint dock, fog rolls in off the water and through a cluster of birch trees that give Paper Birch Cabin its name. Across the lake, on the opposite shore, a mosaic of yellows and oranges and reds mark the arrival of autumn. At my feet Ellie and Mot snore gently – saving their energy for the day to come. The call of two loons – Grass Lake residents – breaks the silence. Pure Canadiana. ‘Here’s breakfast,’ Liz tells me as she hands over a plate of heaven. Crispy bacon from Dar’s in Elora. Fried eggs from Salad Days Farm in Belwood. Fresh avocado from Angelino’s in Guelph. Sliced tomato grown and gifted by my neighbour in the royal city’s ‘Ward’ neighbourhood. And toasted english muffin with grass-fed butter from Goodness Me to seal the deal. Momentos from home. While Liz leaves her plate deconstructed, I source some cheese and craft a loaded breakfast sandwich. The dogs perk up, as they’re prone to do when food comes into the picture. Liz and I eat in silence – gazing out at the beckoning water. The loons call. A new day has begun. 

Day Two, Early Afternoon Brook’s Falls 

‘Let’s get in a hike before Cai arrives,’ Liz suggests as we duke it out at the cottage’s fuzzball table. As if on cue, Liz drains a winning goal and sets off to pull on her Red Wing boots, pack a day bag, and get the dogs ready for adventure. A few minutes later we are packed into the TOQUE Tacoma and cruising down meandering cottage country roads towards our destination: Brook’s Falls (not to be confused with the nearby village of Burk’s Falls). Located just twenty-five minutes from Paper Birch Cabin, Brook’s Falls offers a few shorter hiking trails, a longer loop that eludes us and – most importantly – stunning views of the beautiful, unspoiled rapids on the fast moving Magnetawan River. 

We walk for a while along the river’s edge before Liz and the dogs decide to wade in the water a few dozen metres down from the falls. Liz’s mission: to search for petrified wood. The dogs’ seeming mission: to get as wet and dirty as possible before loading back up into the truck and heading back to the Cabin. And my mission: to capture photographs of this lot – framed wonderfully by this epic nature scene. 

Day Three, Late Night 

‘There are so many stars I can’t even make out the constellations,’ Cai utters in amazement from the edge of the dock. I get up from my seat at the fire – which we’ve had blazing since the afternoon – and join her. When I look up, I’m astonished too. The clear sky is an endless sea of dancing lights. And everything appears close enough to touch. I wish Liz was here to see this, I think to myself. She left with the dogs and the truck earlier in the day (life responsibilities down south). I’ll drive back with Cai tomorrow. 

Once the fire’s died down, Cai and I make our way up to the cabin. We build another fire in the cottage’s wood-burning hearth and settle in the place’s open living room. While I’ve spent much of the past three days outdoors – by the fire, on the dock, in the water – I could have just as well spent all my time inside Paper Birch Cabin. The space is gorgeous. Meticulously appointed. Photogenic. With three wonderfully-sized bedrooms that can sleep up to seven, a good-sized bathroom with deep tub for evening soaks, a large harvest table for dining and doing computer work, and even more mundane accoutrements like a washer and dryer. I could easily call the place home. We search through the Cabin’s board games, settle on a puzzle, and spend the rest of the evening chatting, sipping, puzzling. 

Day Four, Mid Morning 

‘Double-check that we locked the door,’ Cai calls to me as she lugs the last of our Filson duffles up the steep wooden staircase that leads from the cottage to the raised driveway behind the place. Good idea, I think to myself, turning back to take a look. I check the door and then gaze one more time past the cottage, through the birches, and out onto the lake. I take a mental photograph of this exquisite nature scape before joining Cai in her TOQUE Rav for the long drive home. 

On the way we take a break in Bracebridge at Lake of Bays Brewing Co for lunch and pints. My ‘Clubhouse’ (roasted chicken, peameal, double cooked bacon, avocado ranch, lettuces, tomato, grilled sourdough) hits the spot, while Cai’s feature curry dish treats her well. Because I’m tourist-ing, I order a flight: ‘On The Hunt’ pilsner, ‘Off The Grid’ hazy pale ale, ‘Downtime’ light ipa, and ‘Starboard’ neipa. Perfect names for this neck of the woods. Cai keeps it real with a stout. We banter about enjoying this brewery and the past few days. Mostly we fantasize about a return trip to the exquisite cabin so evocatively called Paper Birch.

PAPER BIRCH CABIN 
KEARNEY ON 
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