Home Ski Articles Golf Articles Wheels Articles Photos About Lori Contact

Outside Edge: Lunatic Adventures Thursday May 20, 2004 Written For: Toronto Sun Outside Edge The Simple Life With Lunatic Adventures By Lori Knowles © Lori Knowles David Masters is keen on the simple life. The wilderness guide and owner of Toronto’s Lunatic Adventures is leading excursions into the wilds of Ontario, hoping fellow city slickers will hold up for once… take a breather. “I try to get people to slow down and take pleasure in the simpler things,” says Masters. He guides paddling trips on Ontario lakes and walks in local woods, both frequented with stops to listen—really listen—to the wilderness. The call of the loon, rustling leaves—these are sounds folks confined to the city don’t hear often. As he outlines on his website, “a deep appreciation of the environment and the natural world provide the keys to unlocking the ability to let go of daily constraints and explore the possibility to move at a slower pace.” Masters started Lunatic Adventures in November, 2002, with winter hiking, snowshoe and dogsled tours. He’d equip clients with maps and compasses, then head into the snow-covered wilds to connect with nature. Winter adventures have since segued into spring, fall and summer trips that incorporate hiking and canoeing. This season’s canoe and hiking excursions run through Ontario’s wilderness regions close to Toronto. The roster includes quick two- and three-day trips to Algonquin, Killarney and Massasauga provincial parks, plus longer adventures into the wilds of Quebec. Among Lunatic’s current specialties: Hikes by the light of a full moon featuring what Masters calls night sits—the act of sitting quietly in the forest, waiting for the wilderness to return to its natural level. Lunatic’s adventures are flexible. Masters will customize excursions to suit his clients’ needs. There are two-day, four-day and 10-day trips and nearly everything in between. Lunatic will go as far as organizing outdoor birthday parties for children. Canoe and hiking trips can be customized for all ages and abilities. Group sizes are limited to minimize the hikers’ footprint on the environment. And Lunatic outfits clients with most things they’ll need for the outdoors, including boats, lifejackets, tents, beds, etc. Masters jokes: “All you’ll need is a change of clothes and a toothbrush!” Masters and his guides cook, too—not granola and freeze-dried food, but hearty homemade meals that are part of the package. Adventure rates range from approximately $42 per person for a four-hour hike to $1,000 for a nine-day journey. Why the title Lunatic Adventures? “No,” says Masters, “the tours aren’t crazy.” In naming his company, he says he was merely making a play on the word Luna, the name of his beloved Siberian husky. For more information on escaping the city courtesy of Lunatic Adventures, call (416) 518-0209 or visit www.LunaticAdventures.com