Question:
how many times can Johanna go and do the first hike of the season on the Bruce
Trail starting at Cyprus Lake? I don't know, because I have yet to get sick
of this. It's perfect - great trails, water that's too cold to paddle but
nice to look at, car camping so I can have two sleeping bags so I don't
get cold... and being outside after a long winter!
This year, I went with Stef (who by the way was a wealth of information when I bought my new boat, because she works for Swift and she knows kayaks). We got lost on the way up. I know it's Highway 6 and I just have to follow it, but the Tim Hortons distracted me, and the Timbits kept me from noticing until I almost drove into Lake Huron.
We set up camp in the mostly closed Cyprus Lake campground (the only section that was open was the furthest away end of the Tamarack section - it was before the water was turned on and during the self-registration phase of National Park operation). As soon as we accomplished that, we hit the trail. And as soon as we saw the Bay, we ate lunch!
Somehow, I take the same pictures every year! So, for variety, a macro shot
of the biting ladybug variety that has plagued us, and a close-up of the ankle-twisting
cobble that forms the beaches.
And of course, the cool cave, including a nice little side cave that Stef
fit into perfectly. And a cedar - according the the Bruce Trail Guide, some
of these cedars are over 1000 years old, and one of the reasons the Niagara
Escarpment is a Wold Biosphere Reserve.
And how many shots of cliffs and turquoise water and beaches can I take before
I get sick of it? I don't know, I filled my flash card... good thing I had
a second one along. If you haven't been here, you should go! And best to go
during the week, before the Victoria Day weekend, and you won't have to share
(except with me, because I'll be there too).
There is backcountry in Bruce Peninsula National Park - there are interior
sites at Stormhaven and High Dump. They have bear boxes, composting toilets
and some pretty decent tent pads. Fires are banned and I'd recommend a very
warm sleeping bag if it was to be attempted at this time of year.
Of course, when you're car-camping, you can take along all the comforts of
home and not worry about freezing. No scavenging for wood, either - we bought
ours for $4 from the self-serve place just outside the park.
Stylish,
no? We so totally lucked out with the weather, too. The first day on the trail
we got just above 10 degrees, and it was bright and sunny. That night was
clear just before the full moon, and there was a heavy frost in the morning
but the dawn came up bright and beautiful, and we got 18 degrees for our second
day of hiking. Which was good, because we logged around 35 km that day (of
course, a good chunk of that was on the road when we realized that we wouldn't
get back before dark on the trail). Our last day - we were leaving - we woke
in a wet snowstorm.
A happy camper was I. The only sad part is, Stef is going away for a year, so she won't be doing any more trips with me this season.
