Georgian Bay to Lake Superior

Rain, rain, go away, come again another day…or not.  

I'm in Thunder Bay and it's raining.  Yah, whatever, theme of the trip: Canadian weather is unpredictable.  Luckily, Thunder Bay is pretty cool.  It has an amazing central library that's full of books on Ojibway myths, legends, and general life lessons, and we've once again found a lovely internet snatching, fair trade B.C. roasted coffee providing hang out spot; it's called The Bean Fiend and it just happens to be attached to a most tempting store - Red Earth Imports, which is reminiscent of Halifax's Black Market combined with Mary Jane's Smoke Shop - cool clothes from south east Asia, incense, wooden jewelry, leather sandals, plus a head shoppe all in one.  Too bad I'm poor as dirt right now…it might not stop me from buying the multi-coloured wrap sweater that was handmade in Nepal and feels oh so soft on the skin.

Picture stolen from Bean Fiend's facebook page...it's not sunny here.

   

After leaving Pembroke, Duncan and I ventured into Killarney Provincial Park on the north shore of Georgian Bay.  Woo, is it ever gorgeous!  After spending way too much money on a site in the park camp ground ($40.50/night - no joke), we decided to camp out in the van beside a community hall in the town of Killarney.

   

I want to take a minute to discuss this little pickle that Duncan and I have been dealing with all along our trip - the price of camping in provincial parks.  When did camping become so damned expensive?  $40 for a 20 x 20 foot clearing in an area plastered with 150 other campsites, small bushes and minimal tree covering dividing you form your next-door-camp neighbours, who may be anyone from David Suzuki to Al Bundy.  Yah there are "bathrooms" and a water tap a short walk away and a picnic table on site, but I'm not sure that this justifies the highway robbery that the government of Ontario is committing on us Canadian campers.  What happened to the collective spirit of poverty (thanks, Kris) hovering around camping?  Doesn't anyone realize that one of the most enticing reasons for camping (besides it being awesome) is because it is cheap, or used to be?  Granted, backcountry camping in Ontario's gems is less pricey (generally $11 per night, per person), however, when in a pinch or arriving too late to hike out to the backcountry, the alternative is not accessible to us young adults looking for affordable options.  Camping in the van or in the tent on public property near by has become the only option when being gouged like this across the province...That campsite was nice though, it had gorgeous views of George Lake and some nice flat rocks to sit on while the sunset all around us.  

                

Room with a view of George Lake.

Anyway, we spent two days doing day hikes from our squat-spot, which left me breathless (figuratively…and sometimes literally).  The first hike we did was Chikanishing, which was really short (two or three km), but outstandingly beautiful.  It reminded me of Peggy's Cove - it's the Peggy's Cove of Georgian Bay, I dare say.  Huge flat, rolling rocks, rugged trees and berry bushes struggling every minute to cling on, high winds sweeping off the bay, sea-spray (or lake-spray, rather) in your face when you get too close to the water, which is crystal blue and looks so inviting, but upon dipping your hand in you realize is heart-stopingly frigid (as Georgian Bay has always been and will always be).  The trail was marked with plaques explaining the local history of the area - from Aboriginal fishing grounds to Colonial pulp and paper processing town, deadly mines, near abandonment, and the eventual arrival of the Group of Seven who were so taken with the landscape that they lobbied the government to protect the area from development (you go, Group of Seven!).  As the clouds moved in, Duncan and I called it a day and hung out in town (which consists of a few restaurants, a general store, a boat launch, a hunting lodge, and lots of spirit) doing our smelly laundry. 

Looking at Georgian Bay.

Cold Water.

Day two we took on The Crack, which was well worth the climb.  The trail leading to The Crack is part of the 78km La Cloche loop, which Dunc and I did not attempt.  It takes you through beautiful Boreal Forest, wetlands, by a couple lakes, and glacial boulder minefields to "the crack", a divide in the granite ridge, which is the steep gateway to the top, where the view is unbelievable.  Can't be described, just check out the pictures.

Cheer up, Duncan.

Looks like it's going to fall...

Getting to The Crack.

Leading up to The Crack.

Here we are...

We arrived and the sun came out!

From Killarney we headed to Sault Ste. Marie, from which we were planning to head into Lake Superior Park, but the weather wasn't looking so good so we scooted on up to Sleeping Giant, a peninsula just east of Thunder Bay.  

Lake Superior north shore.

Van/Bus stopping place.
A couple in their 60s from Shediac, NB is traveling across the country in that van, as they have been since the 70s.

I'm pretty sure they graffitied this on the rocks.

We got one day of hikes in before the clouds rolled back in.  We checked out an old graveyard dating back to when the area's claim to fame was a silver mine, a trail passing over a stream that salmon and lake trout swim up in the springtime to spawn, and a path weaving through an area that had been altered specifically to make it a prime bird habitat.  Pretty cool stuff, but when the weather gets better we're going back to take on The Giant himself (a trail leading up Thunder Mountain and around the Giant's head and feet) in the backcountry.

Silver Islet Cemetery.

Peek-A-Boo.

Duck Habitat, I think.

A Fine Fat Pheasant.

Blue skies at Sleeping Giant.

                          

Brrrrrrrrrrr

My mom's beach.
Oh so warm.

Enjoying the heat...while it lasted.

OK when did it start being so cold in September?  Seriously.  What happened to those days when I was baking in the sand on my Mom's beach and Duncan (who runs ten degrees warmer than most) was stuck in the shade?  I swear it has only been two weeks, but all of a sudden I'm sleeping in layers upon layers of clothing and still freezing my tuchas off!  I'd probably be fine under normal circumstances (normal being household), but camping in this climate requires a certain amount of good humour.  That's right…the Ontario backcountry tripping has begun (and is well underway)!  Fresh off the Eastern Pines backpacking trail in the northeast corner of Algonquin park, here I am, library internet hopping again.  But I have to go back, Eastern Pines is the second trail we've conquered so far.

Oxtongue River Rapids at our squat-site.

  

After four days of laying low in Huntsville, riding out the bout of rain that seemed like it would never end (and kind of hasn't), Duncan and I finally moved on.  Monday night we headed toward Algonquin, but decided to camp outside the park (van styles) that night and get our packing and general trip prepping done.  We found the most ideal spot imaginable along the Oxtongue River on Oxtongue Rapids Rd.  Not only was it a gorgeous backcountry road, totally secluded, but it's also a popular kayak entry point/resting place along the river, so there was a covered picnic table, a fire pit, and the cleanest outhouse I've ever seen - squatters paradise (as long as your car's undercarriage is high enough to make it there without scraping bottom)!  With not much rain we were able to get a fire going to cook some cheddar smokies (that's right, I'm eating meat these days - I can't be stopped - HELP).  Shout out to Glen and Holly - now I know why you guys always bring these delectable morsels on camping trips; they're freakin' delicious!  Meat consumption guilt ensuing, I had the most efficient packing session of my life and called it a night.  Rising bright and early (10am), we headed into the park and onto our first backcountry trail - the Highlands Backpacking Trail in the southwest of Algonquin.  The 19km loop we opted for was challenging to say the least; right off the bat we headed up a steep 200 foot incline.  Despite the up, down, up, down of the aptly named Highland Trail, the terrain was gorgeous and our camp sites (three in total) were more than satisfactory.  We only saw eight people in four days, and while the wildlife sightings weren't bountiful, we did see: a wild chicken, a group of very brave bluejays, a hare, lots of chipmunks and tree squirrels, a snapping turtle, and a few loons; their piercing cries reminding us it was about to get dark every evening at 7:30pm and then later lulling us to sleep.  We didn't have the greatest weather in the Highlands, and our nerves were thoroughly tested when we were trying to cook in on again, off again rain most evenings (which we spent camping along, no joke, Provoking Lake), but luckily we weren't rained on once while hiking - phew.  We had planned to spend five days and four nights on the trail, but after so much wetness and some chilly nights, we decided to hike on out on day four.  Unsure of how fast we would hike, we had booked way too much time for that trail anyway.  Once out of the backcountry and back on Highway 60, we decided to reward ourselves with a hearty meal at the Two Rivers Canteen - I had a clubhouse sandwich (turkey AND bacon - oh God, help me).

Momma and Baby Shroom.

Campsite #1
It cleared up on our first night just long enough for a gorgeous sunset, which was promptly followed by a downpour of rain.

Looking out the tent window to sunshine on our last day!

   

Caterpillar crawling through the bryophytes.

Campsite #3 on Provoking Lake.

Thanks for doing the dishes, Dunc!

Sunny hike out of the Highlands.

Snack time at the falls on the hike out.

From there, we headed out of the park for a brief visit to Dobson Farms in Cobden, where Nick, and now Kaley, are working for a couple months.  We spent two nights in Kaley's teepee (yah, the interns each have their own actual teepee to sleep in - so cool), and a day exploring the organic vegetable gardens, eating what we found in the ground, mooing back at the grazing, grass-fed cows, and hanging out in the barn loft.  Oh man, I want to be a farmer.  Ya, I know, farming is hard work and we didn't experience any of it while we were visiting, but the setting and apparent lifestyle were enough to convince me that I could endure the back-breaking work for the enormous rewards, which Nick put best in an email he sent to me a while back when he said, "…I love being tired at night and so hungry when I eat, things are so simple, nice and natural and the work is rewarding."  We reluctantly left two of my favourite people on CSA box harvest day (CSA being community supported agriculture, for those unfamiliar), after rising at the ungodly hour of 6am - one aspect of farming it would take me a while to get used to - and headed back west, to Algonquin again. 

Dobson Farm.

Intern hangout garage.

This time we entered the park on the east side, driving 30km down a dirt, logging road to eventually reach Achray campground and our trail head.  The Eastern Pines backpacking trail is only 15km, so we opted to do a short trip - two days and one night.  The first day of hiking was a literal walk in the park.  It was so much easier than the Highlands trail that we hiked what I thought would take four to five hours (based on how quickly we got through the Highlands) in two and a half!   Left with a whole day free to explore, we headed to the very edge of the east side of the trail, which borders a nature reserve, to High Falls and an area that the trail map described as "an area of outstandingly beautiful cascading pools and smooth rock formations".  Well, with a header like that, we had to see it, and it lived up to it's description.  High Falls wasn't so high or outstanding for the falls themselves, three or four sets of small falls were accessible to us, beautiful, but breathtaking were the rock formations - Canadian shield at it's best - thank you glaciation!  The water was beautiful, deep blue and so glassy we just had to jump in…stark naked, in true fashion; I love skinny dipping and any excuse to get naked outdoors, everyone knows it, and this was a good one!  Not breaking pattern, the Algonquin skies rained on us right after dinner, so we wrapped up the evening early and headed to bed at 8pm, played some cards, read, and got some shut eye.  However, at some point in the middle of the night I was rudely awakened by the harsh September cold.  Holy cow!  We got down to three degrees, folks!  It was unexpected, uninvited, and unappreciated.  The only redeeming factor of being awake and freezing cold was hearing the elusive Eastern wolves (they could have been coyotes, but I choose to believe they were wolves) howling.  Earlier in the night I had tried to spur it on by howling at the moon myself (sometimes it works, I'm not totally nuts), but unsuccessful, I gave up and retired.  Hearing the wolves was the only thing that could have put a smile on my face, and it did - thanks Algonquin. 

Hey frog!

Hey snake!

High Falls (part of it).

Outstandingly beautiful cascading pools.

Now the people will know we were here.

Glassy water.

Glacial boulder garden.

Beautiful old pine bark.

In the morning we got a late start (noon ish) on a day that we expected to be just as easy as the day before; how wrong we were.  While the hike was absolutely gorgeous through old pine forest - trees towering over us, steep lookouts (which we had to climb up), barely-there paths, wetlands, and a glacial boulder garden - it was rough!  More than once we questioned whether we were on the path at all and steep climbs seemed to pop out of nowhere.  The glacial boulder garden was stunning, but hard to hike and tough on the knees.  Needless to say, at the end of the hike today (10 km), Duncan and I were pooped.  We headed back into Pembroke for the night to grab some internet and supplies for the next leg of the trip to Killarney Provincial Park.  Exhausted and tired of the cold-wet combo, we've also sought refuge for the first time in a motel - the Champlain Motor Inn, which boasts on its sign "The prettiest honeymoon suite in town.  With jacuzzi!" (HA!)  The hot shower was the deciding factor - we stink!  Speaking of which, Duncan just got out of the bathroom, which means it's my turn to scrub off the stench lingering all over my body.

   

Keep your fingers crossed for sunshine in the upcoming days, and think warm thoughts for us!                         

I cut my hair off!

You know when you write something awesome and then somehow delete it and realize that it wasn't saved anywhere on your computer?  I just did that.  I want to scream, but that wouldn't be socially acceptable in this cutie patootie cafe.  BLURG!  

Do I look like a 12 year old boy?

As a symbolic gesture of the changes going on in my life (major travel, quitting my job, moving to Asia, etc) I decided to make another major change - I  CUT ALL OF MY HAIR OFF, YO (see above)!  I've had long hair since like grade 11, so it was time for a change, and why not make the most dramatic change possible if you're going to do it at all, right?  I also thought it would be more practical considering the limited access that Duncan and I will have to showers on our journey.  So far, the practicality has proven true - I haven't showered in three days (although I have swam and that's kind of like a bath with no soap) and I'm still feeling relatively clean; washing my face in cafe bathrooms has really helped!  I also haven't had to comb or braid my hair, which, when your hair is half way down your back takes precious time.  I think I could get used to this short hair thing...

So, we're stuck in Huntsville right now, and because there is little else for me to do, this blog can expect more frequent posts.  Since it's pretty pricey to camp in provincial parks these days and the 18 hour a day pouring rain doesn't allow for much fun outside, Dunc and I have opted to live out of the van for the weekend.  We found an awesome empty parking lot at the Hidden Valley Ski Resort with a view of the lake, and trees to hide us from the local cottagers - score!  We have a pretty nice setup there actually.  When our beds are laid out in the back and all of our gear is piled up in the rear window, the van is kind of like the forts that I used to build out of blankets and boxes as a kid, except way cooler!  We duct taped a light to the ceiling so we can play cards well after dark without blinding each other with head lamps.  With the sun roof open we can see the stars above (well, we saw them for 10 minutes last night when the clouds broke).  There are lots of little cubbies to store stuff conveniently, and the front tire is great for leaning on at midnight when you have to pee and just can't bring yourself to trek into the bush.  We have a little seagull buddy who hangs out close by, patiently hoping for scraps from what we cook under cover of the trunk hatch, and a beaver even paid us a visit this morning - not bad for a parking lot!      

Seagull Buddy and Beaver in the back.

Plus, we found this great cafe, Soul Sistas http://www.soulsistas.ca/, on the main drag in Huntsville with delicious gluten-free quiche, lentil soups, fair trade coffee, and best of all free wireless internet!  Needless to say, we've been camping out here a lot to escape the wetness and to get our web on.  

Sweet potato salad, lentil soup, and leek & mushroom quiche. Yum!

Thanks for the internet Soul Sistas!

So, the new plan - we're heading to Algonquin on Tuesday morning bright and early (fingers crossed for no rain since the deposit is non-refundable) to start our way on the Highland Backpacking Trail where we'll be for 4 days, hiking a 19km loop around Provoking Lake.  Got that?  So if you don't hear from us by Monday next week, call in the search parties. 

Oh Boy

Mont Tremblant

Well hello again, blog.  I know, I know, it's been a while.  The truth is I've been wanting to write, but have been avoiding the online documentation of the trip until I knew what was actually happening with the trip.  You see, brace yourselves because I'm going to come right out and say it, our beloved '95 Corolla - faithful chariot, loyal compadre - has died; she died a sad, violent death in Barrie, Ontario.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry in the tow truck on our way to the car recycler (which sounds nicer than "junk yard", right?), that was tow truck #2 on this trip by the way.  But wait, let me go back...    

A casual hike with Max and Mylene...

...and Sierra and Milli

  

After our time in Tremblant with Max and Mylene (whose level of fitness shamed Duncan and I on what they described as an "easy hike"), we spent two blissful days with Nick, Kaley, and Chris Boyle at (Nick's dad) Steve's house in Baie d'Urfe, just west of Montreal on the island.  This place is heaven on Earth.  My average day at the Aikins' household consisted of: laying by the pool, dipping in and out, devouring Nick's culinary creations, laying by the pool again, more food, wake-boarding (well, occasionally getting up and slamming back into the water immediately, while being thoroughly shown up by Kaley and Nick in all of their athletic glory), sailing, eating again, wine, hot tub, wine, night swim, hot tub, more wine, sleep.  Oh yah!  Steve and Leslie: if you're ever in need of a live-in nanny, housekeeper, personal assistant, general slave labourer…call me; I can see your basement becoming my permanent home!  I had intended to spend some time wandering around good old Montreal-proper, but could never bring myself to change out of my bathing suit and get my ass into the city; Baie d'Urfe country life is the life for me.  It was tough to say goodbye to such a hospitable home and a family that I always have a GREAT time hanging out with, but somehow we managed to move on and bid Nick, Brooke, Scott, Leslie, and Steve farewell.

Hey Baie d'Urfe!

An offering for Leslie.  

After Baie d'Urfe we headed to Ottawa, which I hadn't visited since grade 8 on my graduation field trip (whatever, shut up).  Ottawa is even more beautiful than I remembered and surprisingly quiet.  Walking around downtown on a Thursday night we felt almost lonely on the empty sidewalks and our leisurely stroll beside the canal was almost eerily hushed, only to be interrupted occasionally by a biker speeding by.  On that note, nice bike representation, Ottawa!  I was totally impressed with the number of bikes steadily making their way through traffic, which really made me miss my Kona; dear, sweet Kona which is right now hanging in the MacVicar's basement, stagnant (sigh).  Ottawa has more to offer than we had time to really appreciate with such a strict timeline; another visit is definitely in order.  I loved the Glebe, where we met my old buddy Tyler, fresh off a plane from Salt Spring Island where he was working at a seal sanctuary for the last few months (Tyler, I love you).  Our time together was limited, but I think we fell in love all over again.  His 'hood also offered us THE MOST AMAZING INDIAN FOOD at Light of India (http://www.lightofindia.ca/) on Bank St.  I'm talking papadam, biryani, paneer, a huge naan, and tons of leftovers for under $30!  This place is genuine - go there.  Down on Elgin St. I finally got to meet Duncan's old roommate Josh, and the two of them even let me listen in on an impromptu jam session, during which I think I felt their bro-love rekindle.  We also got to explore the most amazing collection of Aboriginal art at the Museum of Civilization.  We were only there for a couple of hours and I know I've been there before, but I have a new appreciation for the contents of this museum.  The vibrant imagery in these pieces was breathtaking; I had too many favourites to show them all.    

The Birth of Good and Evil

The Creation of Eve

The Indian in Transition

We stayed with Kaley's family out in Russel, which I had been dying to visit since my first year of university when Kaley and I (by some magical universal force) were matched up in residence.  I love the Cochrane family, and finally visiting Russel was the icing on the cake for my friendship with Kaley.  It was just as I had always imagined, but with more soy fields and less cows.  It had been one whole year since I had last seen Kaley, and it was great to have one of those experiences with a friend where it feels like you haven't spent a day apart even though you know it's been a long time.  As we speak, Kaley and Teri (another old Halifax roommate and a Russel native) are biking Alaska; no worries, they biked Canada - NF to BC - last summer, no big deal.  After too short a visit, we had to press south west to Toronto - my sister's bachelorette was looming.  So, we packed up and drove on, but we didn't quite make it.  Around Trenton the engine overheated after a leaky hose expelled all of our coolant (I knew something smelled weird), and we had to be towed the 150km into Toronto city centre in order for me to make an appearance at the girly night shindig.  Well, we got that hose fixed, hung out in T.O. with Trev (holla!), did some vintage shopping and lots of wandering on Queen West, spent too much money, saw more friends, and moved on up to Barrie to help Kim with some last minute wedding preparations (or at least that was what I said I'd do, it all changed when I found out how to work NetFlix on demand).  While puttering around Barrie, Duncan noticed the car making a really funny sound and some shaking coming from under the hood, so we decided to be safe and leave the car at a garage in Barrie for the wedding weekend and hitch a ride into town for the Big Day with Kim and Colin (bride and groom).  

Tow #1: Trenton - Toronto

The Wedding

I'll just say this: I have never seen a more beautifully romantic, sophisticated, and swaaaaaaanky evening turn into such a rowdy par-tay!  I don't know how many shots the bridal party did, but there were a lot.  I don't know how my aunties started sandwich humping Duncan on the dance floor, but it happened.  I don't know why my Dad was egging me on to jump off the stage into my sister's arms…oh wait, yah I do, that song from Dirty Dancing was on.  And I don't know who called security to the after party, but they did…twice.  It was a hell of a night.

The last tow.

So, wedding over and three day bender with my extended family complete, we headed back up to Barrie only to find out that the repairs on our old girl were going to be around $1000.  Well, we love you darling Carolla, but not $1000 worth.  We had our baby towed, once again, and this time we were given $125 to leave her in the recycler's hands.  With no car and uncertainty surrounding our bodies, minds, and spirits, we hitched a ride with my brother back down to Tecumseh (my hometown), to figure stuff out…and to lay on my Mom's beach.  Now here we are, one week later, on the eve of September 1st (WHOA).  The new plan?  We're taking my parent's old van (anyone who's experienced this van knows the one I'm talking about), 388,117 km and all for a northern Ontario camping adventure.  If she feels good, we might just take her all the way across the country.  If she feels unsure of herself, we might stick to Ontario, get in as much northern camping as we can, call it quits and fly back to the East coast for a whirlwind tour of Newfoundland before heading to South Korea.  The long term plans are a little up in the air right now, but two things are for certain: we are getting in the car tomorrow and we are driving.  Our first stop is scheduled to be Algonquin Park.  Here's hoping for sunshine and smooth driving.