We left Wawa and headed for Pukaskwa National Park. Take a couple of stabs at that name. Did you say ' Poo-KA-squa'? Ya, we got it quite wrong as well. Most of everybody does: "PUCK-a-saw", not kidding. With no pre-registration system for a couple dozen sites and being relatively remote this park is not a camping hotspot but it was another highlight that we are so glad to have included in our trip. We arrived in the afternoon of July 1st, Canada Day, just in time for cake at the visitor centre. The park entrance fee was also waived for that day. The visitor centre is like a backwoods café. Very welcoming. We had a superb paddle round Pulp Harbour. Lake Superior might be a nasty lake out in the open but the many little inlets near the shore are a pleasure to explore. There are several interpretive trails in the park. We joined a guided hike to White River Falls suspension bridge, a 20km round trip following the Coastal Trail which extends 60km one way. The brochure mentions it is “not for the feint of heart”. They mean it.
On the advice of the fine folks at the visitor centre we drove the north shore of Lake Superior which offered up some very nice vistas. On the advice of another park friend we camped at the marina in Nipigon for $10, right on the water - ok right beside the water. There is no sign on the highway mentioning anything about camping or a marina so it was all but empty. We grabbed a pizza from the Nipigon Cafe, a landmark for the area. We ended up with a couple of neighbours; one cyclotourist from France on his way from Montreal to Vancouver and two guys and their dog from Gatineau also heading to the west coast. Our picnic table turned into the social centre for the evening and we all hung out until the wee hours. We even had the pleasure of some entertainment in the form of a home-made banjo. An unexpected soirée in the big town of Nipigon! In the morning we went back to the Nipigon Café for breakfast which proved to be equally as entertaining with the owner serving and cooking while a few regulars joined in. While ordering we mentioned "We're going to Moosonee" but the owner/server/cook heard "we're going moose hunting". “Little early fer huntin’ moose”. When I look at Leigh the term ‘moose hunter’ is not the first thing that comes to mind but the owner didn’t even flinch at the idea. Breakfast was fabulous and off we went. The drive north along highway 11 starts off quite picturesque with long lakes reflecting shorelines on one side and pre-Cambrian rock cliffs shooting up for 100+ metres on the other. The road eventually flattened out and we carried on dead straight and as it began to rain. We made it to Rene Brunelle Provincial Park and Tarp-man (that's me) went to work with his trusty assistant Bungy-girl to get our tarp up so we could enjoy a bit of rain-free space. Our shelter also proved inviting for a host of back-country bugs. We brought a couple of bug hats – hats with nets that fall to the shoulder - and are sane today because of them. We are constantly on the look-out for moose, bear, any type of exotic wildlife one might expect to see in the north. So far we have one moose, two black bear (one with three cubs) and a fox. In the hope of improving our viewing opportunities we headed up to Moosonee on the Polar Bear Express. Moosonee has seen better days. In the '90s more than 30 000 tourists/year visited the area. We were two of about 1500 expected to visit this year (don't quote me on that). After grabbing some northern outdoor survival gear at the liquor store a boat taxi took us across the Moose River to Tidewater Provincial Park on one of the islands between Moosonee and Moose Factory for more back-country camping. We toured Moose Factory which has quite an interesting history and native cultural presence. We even did some geocaching despite the horse flies that damn near carried us away (I heard them snickering at my bug net as they buzzed around and around and around my head). Next time you're in Moose Factory be sure to stop by Gunner's Grill. Best Burgers on the island. Well they are the only burgers on the island but they are home-made and delicious. The camping was nice although the park is neglected. Beautiful sunsets, classic campfires and interesting locals made for an overall enjoyable few days just south of James Bay.
Back in Cochrane Leigh happened on a brochure for the Porquis Rock n Blues Festival - you know the one (never heard of it!) featuring The Conor Gains Band and Monkey Junk amongst others. Conor gains and his father are friends of ours and Conor can really kick it on the guitar. This was en route for us as we headed south and camping was $15 just behind the beer garden! The music was awesome with five bands playing solid blues throughout the day and night. From there we headed south past Greater Sudbury to Killbear Provincial Park for a couple of nights and a bit of paddling. This park is huge with over 1000 sites in seven campgrounds. We found a spot right by the water and had great weather for our stay.
Before venturing into anymore back country we need to re-pack our supplies so we're home for a few days to regroup.