Back in April, we booked three camping sites and booked a canoe for the long weekend of September 2021. Justine couldn’t wait to show Adrien one of her favourite places in Nova Scotia. Our plan was to stay at a frontcountry campsite for the first night, then canoe to backcountry site #22 on the second night, and then finally paddle to site #10 for the final night.
But… Justine has had a sore wrist for months, so paddling across a big open lake didn’t seem like the smartest idea. So, four days before the trip, we changed our reservation to stay in Jeremy’s Bay Campground for all three nights. We thought we were lucky to get the same site for all three nights, but it turns out Site 141 is not ideal…
We also changed our plans again when we decided to leave a night early after enduring an entire day of wind and rain. It turned out to be a great decision because when we were packing up we realized that our tent had leaked! It was the first time we had any issues with the Tarn 3 tent in almost 10 years of adventures! By going home early, we were also able to enjoy a sunny bike adventure on the Rum Runners Trail the next day.
But, despite the Keji trip not going as planned, we still had an amazing canoe paddle on Keji Lake and the Mersey River, a foggy walk through the Hemlocks and Hardwoods trail and a sheltered picnic at Merrymakedge Beach. We’ve described these experiences below and included several pictures at the end.
Canoeing the lake
We rented a canoe at Jake’s Landing from Whynot Adventure. Sitting at the back, Adrien got the paddling technique pretty fast: paddle on the opposite side of your partner and use the paddle as a rudder to steer the boat. A lot of steering was needed since Justine was pretty much trying to paddle with only one hand.
Thankfully, the lake was exceptionally calm. We paddled around Ritchie Island, Ell Island, Little Muise Island and Big Muise Island. We checked out a few of the backcountry sites that we might want to visit in the future and noted that #15 looks pretty nice. A white sand beach that faces west seems pretty perfect for a good sunset. We were also followed by a loon for a bit and what looked like a hawk. Other than that it was refreshingly quiet!
For a picnic, we stopped at Luxie Cove. We had our usual snacks on the beach, worked on a crossword puzzle and went for a quick swim. We also waved to the couple canoes with friendly jealousy as they headed to the backcountry sites where we were originally supposed to stay.
Canoeing on Mersey River
After getting back to Jake’s Landing, we decided that we weren’t quite ready to be done. So we paddled up the Mersey River, which is a very calm river with grassy banks and a chorus of crickets. The river was quite busy with other canoes and there were a few groups who couldn’t quite get the hang of paddling. It was somewhat entertaining, but did interfere with the peacefulness that the river usually provides!
We went as far as we could upstream, but after about 2km the river got shallow and current started to push us backwards… so we had to turn around.
For the entire paddle we kept our eyes peeled for eastern painted turtles, which are a common sight on the river. We had just about given up hope, but we finally saw one chilling on a log long enough for us to get a picture!
Hemlocks and Hardwoods Trail
The next morning was super rainy and windy so we decided that instead of canoeing, we would go for a walk. We drove to Big Dam Lake, located in the north of Kejimkujik National Park. Along the northern coast of the lake, there is a trail called Hemlocks and Hardwoods.
The grey sky and foggy air was perfect for a walk in the old-growth forest. It gave it an eerie and dreamy look.
The boardwalks make it an easy walk and the instructional signs kept us entertained and informed.
Merrymakedge Beach
Because it was still pouring after the walk, we went in search of a covered picnic table for lunch. We found one at Merrymakedge Beach. We weren’t the only ones sheltering from the rain and enjoyed the company of a couple other families and the friendly staff.
The canteen at Merrymakedge was open for its final day of the summer and so, despite the bad weather, a number of people came to have onion rings and sandwiches. Adrien had a coffee while Justine eavesdropped on the manager’s conversation with customers and with the park agent. It’s a bad habit that often leads to learning interesting things!
Jeremy’s Bay Campground
When we camp, we like small, private sites with a lot of trees. But because we changed our plan four days before the trip, we had to settle with what we could get.
When we arrived at our original campsite on the first night, number 141, we were pretty disappointed. It had very few trees which made it difficult to set up the tarp, it was adjacent to three other sites which gave it little privacy, and it was right next to the brand new bathrooms, which had spotlights so bright that we had difficulty to sleep.
We sucked it up, but were quite happy to learn that site 142 was free on the second and third nights. We happily moved across the road to the site that had far more trees, more privacy and even a glimpse of the lake. We only ended up staying at #142 for one night because of the rain, but would recommend the site for others.
In general, the sites on the exterior of the loops offer far more privacy, and next time we might try staying in the Jim Charles loop instead of the Meadows since the sites seemed a bit more spread out.
Picture Slideshow
Pictures never quite do a trip justice, but we always try to capture the adventure as best as we can.
Enjoying a chilly picnic overlooking Mill Falls. 
Sunset from the beach at Jeremy’s Bay Campground. 
Reflections in the fog as we enjoyed breakfast on the beach. 
Watching the fog lift as the sun rose on a perfectly calm day. 
The glass-like lake gave some pretty nice views. 
Heading out into Keji Lake on a perfectly calm (and rare) day. 
A last glimpse at the reflection as we headed back to the Mersey River. 
Paddling towards a dead end on the Mersey River. 
After an hour of searching we finally spotted a turtle on the Mersey River. 
Enjoying a forest walk on a misty morning 
Walking through the towering old growth forest on the Hemlocks and Hardwoods trail. 
This hemlock that had to be cut down because the roots were destroyed by people climbing over it. 
Hopeful that the grey skies would clear and we would be able to get out for another paddle (we didn’t). 
Setting up at site 141. Not many trees for the tarp, lots of neighbours and lights from the nearby bathroom…not ideal! 
Our set up at site 142. Nice to have some trees to tie the tarp to. 
The Chevrolet Spark that we rented fit under the tarp and made it easier to pack under the rain.
Be Active Like V 
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