We received this review from Paco_Jazztorious, on Trip Advisor, and we were so blown away, that we just had to share it. Thanks Paco! We hope you’ll be back soon!
I took the 5 day whitewater canoeing class at MKC. I camped in their cozy campground and bought the full meal ticket as well.
First, ALL of the employees (and ownership) are open and welcoming and friendly beyond all reason. These folks are stoked that you’re there, stoked that you want to learn to paddle, and stoked that they are there too. As soon as you set foot on their facility, you are family. I’ve never experienced such a positive atmosphere ANYWHERE.
Second, their facility is second-to-none. Have you dreamed of a piece of nirvana in Ontario’s cottage country? This is it. Everything is super well-maintained, clean, environmentally friendly, and just plain beautiful. The grounds of their facility are like a botanical garden of the Algonquin forest ecosystem, beautifully landscaped in a very enchanting, subtle, and natural way. I even had a pine martin stroll through my campsite one afternoon! Indoor showers, outdoor showers, massages on Wednesday afternoons, sauna with spring-fed, cool-off dipping pool (with its own resident frog)…seriously, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Third, the instruction. Hey, how’d you like to learn whitewater technique from the progeny of the most famous tripping canoeist in Canadian history? Check. (The other instructor on my course was equally awesome!) And learn with the very best boats and equipment in the safest on-river experience you’ve ever encountered? Check. How about the perfect river to learn whitewater on, with absolutely dependable, consistent flows of warm water? Check. Both instructors gave the clearest and most easily understandable explanations of each technique I’ve ever experienced—and I’ve read a number of books on technique and own a handful of technique DVDs as well. The instructors will allow you to explore your limits or back off from a challenge if you feel you’re not ready for it (no worries, you can walk any rapid you don’t want to run). No pressure, just F-U-N.
And last but certainly not least: THE FOOD. OMG, every meal is the best meal you’ve ever had! Along with being the nicest kitchen staff in the history of kitchen staffs, they are also the most creative and talented at cranking out insanely wonderful (and locally-sourced) comestibles meal after meal. Communal mealtime is also an opportunity to bond with your classmates as well as rub elbows with the awesome staff and instructors. I’ll be frank: you’d be a complete IDIOT to not get the meal ticket.
If only MKC could bring together the world’s leaders for a five day whitewater class, we’d have world peace by Wednesday afternoon.
A bit about me: I’m in my early 60s, male, with moderate fitness—whose ephemeral appearance is achieved fleetingly between chronic and acute injuries—with decades of deep backcountry experience. I was a hard core climber in my 20s and 30s: rock-, ice-, and alpine-climbing all over the western hemisphere up to this hemisphere’s highest point (22.8K feet). I’ve also logged thousands of miles backpacking, sea kayaking, and flatwater canoeing in trips up to a month long, many times solo. I have also done two guided, multi-week canoe-tripping vacations in very remote locations (but nothing over class II-plus-ish).
I came to MKC to reboot my river skills in anticipation of another remote northern rivers trip I’m off on next month. Although I love recreating on water, and was even a fairly consistent triathlete and waterskier at various points in my life, I have always held a deep-seated and irrational fear of water. One of the absolute worst things I could imagine happening to me would be to fall out of a boat in a churning, wild rapid. Not unreasonable, really. I never mentioned this to MKC, of course *insert sheepish grin here*.
Over the course of the week, I was able to work through my fear of swimming rapids through MKC’s gentle and thorough introduction to swiftwater safety and my own ineptitude at paddling which produced a handful of “swims,” ostensibly for my own good! (I’m declaring myself the founder and president of the new MKC Swim Team!)
A WORD OF WARNING…DO NOT COME HERE IF:
You despise having fun.
You hate laughing and smiling nonstop all day long.
You can’t stand being around happy, positive people and role models.
You abhor the best eats on planet Earth.
You want to remain in your comfort zone forever with no path out.
TLDR; Everything was absolutely exceptional in every way. It was worth every penny spent.
