Taffy Lake Retreat - Howland Ridge

Set on the tranquil waters of Taffy Lake, our retreat is designed for you to unplug and get away. Ideal for couples or families. This is a partially off grid cottage, meaning there is no regular septic (there is a clean outdoor outhouse and indoor compost toilet), there is running water but drinking water is brought in. This is a quiet spot with approximately a half dozen camps on this end of the lake. It is family/couple friendly, not for parties. Our space is comfortable for families with two adults and up to two or three children. The accurate number of guests is asked to be confirmed at the time of booking to make sure we have set things up appropriately. There are some group sizes that we will not be able to accommodate.

A note on our cottage: it is located in the middle of the woods, so of course we are surrounded by nature. This means that you will likely encounter squirrels, spiders, mice, squirrels, snakes, frogs etc. We do use an environmentally friendly spray for bugs (including spiders) on a regular basis. The birds favor making nests by the back door facing the driveway and outside the patio doors upstairs. So if you observe them nesting, please let us know as we try to safely relocate them. We also trap for mice outside and inside. Being in nature, of course they will try to get in the cottage. At times, we may have had to set a mouse trap inside. If this is the case, we will let you know and you can let us know if you are still comfortable staying. We will dispose of any trapped mice if it makes you uncomfortable to do so. The cottage is regular checked and sanitized for pests.

When you enter into the cabin, you are immediately on the ground floor. The downstairs is an open concept and includes kitchen, dining and living room area. The entire space is cozy and has a warm feel with it’s golden wide, pine floors and touches of colour including reds, greens and cream. The kitchen is spacious and includes a full-sized fridge, stove, microwave, coffee maker and toaster. It does not include a dishwasher but has a charming old farm sink. There is no shortage of pots, pans, dishes, cutlery, etc. The living room has a sofa that pulls out into a double bed, an electric fireplace, ceiling fan and tv with DVD player (a small selection of movies provided). There is a dining room spacious enough for six, with an overhead deer antler chandelier. An indoor wood stove to take the chill off when the weather turns cold, a supply of wood is provided. A large picture window overlooks the lake with breathtaking views.

Long weekends require Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night to be booked as we value our own family time.

Outside, a spacious covered deck has some Adirondack chairs, it is a perfect spot for your morning coffee. A lower deck has ample seating for everyone to enjoy. There are large umbrellas can be set up for protection against the sun. They will need to be removed when stormy. There is an outdoor barbeque under a sheltered roof for cooking. There is a firepit area and wood is supplied, but we encourage you to check for fire bans. Generally if the weather is nice, we try to set up the firepit for you. If the weather is not, paper and cardboard are in a wooden trunk behind the door. Owners kayaks and canoe available for your use, including a limited supply of life jackets. There is a wooden floating dock for your use if you wish to swim out. The floating dock is not typically in the water until the water is warm enough to swim in (towards the end of May is typical). Because honestly, hypothermia is not on our wish list. The pedal boat is ideally suited for smaller people or older children. It is an older style and has had many loving fix ups. Our area is generally good for swimming and fishing. It is a clean lake, not a pool. There are fish, frogs and other critters that live there too.. The lake is deep enough for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, etc. It is not a huge lake, it is smaller in size. Some of the neighbouring cottage owners have been able to jet ski, use small motorized watercraft, etc. If you wish to bring your own motorized boating equipment, we suggest you figure out where you can safely use your equipment (there are some spots that are too shallow to navigate any motorized boats). We are not responsible for damages due to shallow spots. On the smaller back deck, there is an uninhabited, decorative hornets nest by the window (but you should let us know if you observe hornets themselves there or elsewhere trying to build a nest).

To the left when entering, a flight of stairs leads you upstairs. An open hallway houses a small bed suitable for a younger child (about a ten year old), tucked under the eave of the roof. To the left is the larger master bedroom, to the right is a smaller, but good sized bedroom. All three areas connect to the indoor washroom.

The master bedroom has a king size log bed, some antique trunks and bureaus. Both rooms have ceiling fans. The master bedroom’s source of light is via patio doors leading to a private deck overlooking the lake. The deck is complete with a porch swing and lounge chair.

A note on the decor; the decor itself remains the same, however since we launder all used bedding every time; quilts, comforters, duvets, etc. may not be exactly the same as pictured.

The bathroom has a tub with overhead shower, sink and composting toilet. Whenever possible we encourage you to use the facilities in the detached wash house. The indoor washroom has limited capacity and will be overwhelmed by general use. It is intended for your use in inclement weather and nighttime use as excessive use puts a strain on our system. If you have never heard of a composting toilet, you should be aware that it functions much like a normal toilet except it uses a very minimal amount of water for flushing. Only human waste and toilet paper should go in the composting toilets. Everything else should go in the garbage.

The second bedroom has a queen bed, a large window, an armoire for closet space.

In the hallway there is a custom made bed suitable for a younger child (approximately age 10 & under).

With the help of a booster, guests should be able to get cell phone reception within the camp. We have found you can send texts quite easily and make emergency phone calls. We don’t have wifi because we have yet to find both a reliable and unlimited server for our area. So if binge watching Netflix and gaming is your thing, this probably isn’t the spot for you.

We provide drinking water via a dispenser set up in the kitchen. The water for washing, showering and laundering is filtered lake water.

Up the hill, there is a wash house that has a second composting toilet, a sink and a sheltered shower. We encourage larger groups to use the wash house for their needs as excessive use of the indoor washroom with larger groups would put a strain on our system. Only human waste and toilet paper should go in the toilet; anything else should go in the garbage.