When one door closes one may notice that another one opens if one isn’t completely absorbed by the fact that the door that closed took a hell of a long time to open in the first place. The moment the cast came off my arm I knew I wouldn't be riding a bike for quite a while. I couldn't see a crack in the wall let alone an open door anywhere. It was Leigh who had the brilliant idea of Plan B: Go home, get in the Subaru and head up into Northern Ontario. It's something we have talked about for quite awhile and it only took her a full week to convince me that my world was actually not ending and we could carry on with our trip. So with the Subaru tuned up, our newly acquired kayaks on the roof and a couple of (Leigh's) bikes on the back, our Big Adventure continues with a summer Tour d'Ontario.
Before travelling north, we decided to stop in to see Frank and Janet, dear friends who recently relocated to Port Colbourne. We were treated to a proper feast while catching up. Frank took Leigh for a bike tour of the area (I was there in spirit) then we headed back to Cambridge, re-packed the car and were on our way north. Once out of Waterloo it's pretty much all small-town Ontario which has an immense appeal to us both. The Bruce Peninsula is a great place for big city folks to get out and explore. Ya got yer fishin' n campin' and them caves where they filmed Quest for Fire (Greig's Caves), ya got yer little ma 'n' pa shops, yer touristy places and a buncha festivals all summer long (catch the small-town accent?). We ended up at a campsite in Hope Bay for a few days, met Diane the manager who asked us to 'come-on down and register in the office after supper'. In the country they live the good life first and take your money later. Hope Bay is fairly wide and the water was a bit rough at times but it didn't stop us from skirting the shoreline in the kayaks. The days were a perfect temperature but the nights were surprisingly chilly so we were happy to have a campfire again (something we missed while travelling in Europe and New Zealand). The Bruce Trail passes through Lion's Head just down the road so the next day we hiked along the escarpment and took in some incredible views from far above the water. Back at the campsite, the weekenders poured in from the city and the party was on. Time for us to move on. Leigh rode out toward Tobermory on her bike as I broke camp. As per usual, it took longer than it should have, so I ended up driving like a demon to catch her before she reached the busy stretch of highway 6 (got there just in time). The Chi-Cheemaun took us over to the south bay of Manitoulin Island. The plan here was to take a few days to explore the island proper. We settled into our campsite on Lake Mindemoya, put the boats in the water and paddled out to Treasure Island! (no treasure found as of yet). The next few days involved a hike to Bridal Veil Falls (with another geocache to be found) a fascinating historical museum and let's not forget the Manitoulin Chocolate Works in Kagawong. What a find that was! After tackling the Cup 'n' Saucer hike (it's a nice little jaunt to the highest point of the island with some great scenery) we went to Mum's Bakery for a late lunch of fish 'n' chips and a chicken burger. Lesson #11: stick to the specialty; if Mum does bakery then buy bakery - fabulous apple fritters, not so fabulous lunch. As we continued north we encountered a friendly fellow who told us "At mile marker 1148 on highway 17 turn off toward the lake and you'll find some great spots to camp for free." There, the secret is out. It was an incredible find, despite the occasional hum of a passing vehicle the highway. We set up camp on a secluded site with a majestic view of Lake Superior, which begged for a paddle so we obliged with a couple of hours exploring the shoreline. Thankfully the water was unusually calm.
Leigh and I love camping. Truth be told though we just don't want to camp near anybody else so for the next few days we headed into the back-country of Lake Superior Provincial Park to get away from all the riff-raff. After stopping for a night at Agawa Campground and checking out the Agawa Rock Pictographs, we headed inland to Lake Mijinemungshing. The car was parked and the boats loaded up as all the sites are water access only. We were greeted by 1 000 000 local resident mosquitos and black flies who carried us from the boats up to the site, each one asking for a small donation of flesh and blood. Luckily, we came across an ancient bottle off Deep Woods Off in our camping gear - 95% Deet!! It's like wearing a coat of nuclear reaction; impenetrable to biting insects but will eventually melt your skin.
I caught my first fish in decades (might be another decade before I get another one) as we paddled around the lake. We even managed a 'dawn watch', up and on the water at 5:00 am (but not before making a pot of coffee) to catch the sunrise through the morning mist that swept across the water like a crowd of ghosts. I can't express how fabulous that was - an authentic true north experience.
After three days of solitude, we headed back inland to Wawa. Along the way, we stopped at Old Woman's Bay. This is famously known as a launch point for Canadian canoe enthusiast and film maker Bill Mason. You may recall a short video he produced seen by nearly every Canadian Grade 5 student (click here https://www.nfb.ca/film/rise_and_fall_of_the_great_lakes/ to view). The fog was rolling in right over the highway as the temperature dropped from 22 degrees to 12 from the interior to the east shore of Lake Superior. It was quite a mystical scene. We are now making plans for the next few weeks in the North, including a trip on the Polar Bear Express, locally known as 'The Little Bear' up to Moose Factory, locally known as 'Moose Factory'.
As I sit here by the campfire next to Magpie River watching Cedar Waxwings swoop overhead to grab Mayflies out of the air, I can say with certainty that Northern Ontario has much to offer the traveller. We both feel a sense of decompression as we move away from the go-go pace of Southern Ontario to where life is more relaxed and simple. The history here is extraordinary, the landscape is fantastic and the people are friendly and helpful. We are very excited about travelling further north than either of us has been. It's not going to be cushy but it is going to be authentic.