The last sunset

I slept in again today... until 8. Or maybe I was just frozen and thawed out by 8. It's been a long and adventurous day.  I write this now by my cozy fire and its close to midnight.

The moon is in the sky directly in front of me shining bright and surrounded by stars. Its quiet, other than the lapping of the waves and the crackling fire. If I don't write about today now it will be trapped in my brain forever.
I started as routine as always, first breakfast, second breakfast followed by coffee on the beach in the warm sun. I collected some more rocks, this time for my little friend Izzy.
I simply am unable to set foot on this beach without filling my pockets with treasures. I drove past a trail sign that caught my eye the other day. Sand River Trail. There is construction on 17 just before the turn off and the trail moves away from the lake.
Since seeing the sign the trail name lingered in my thoughts and today my gut told me that I need to go there. Despite not being part of the Coastal Trail.... or part of my original plan, the pull was strong. From the moment I parked at the trailhead I knew this was a great decision. It took me twice as long to hike this one as intended because I couldn't drag myself away from the waterfalls.

 There were 3 major rapids,  several twists and turns and the rocky trail followed the rivers edge in its entirety. There were also many rock edges and boulders to climb and several places to make questionable decisions. I am my father's daughter and that never felt more true than today. I stood on every edge and climbed every awkward rock to get as close to the rapids as I could. 

The entire time grinning ear to ear.
The trail itself was mostly soft dirt covered in pine needles and was mostly level, a little tricky in spots and very rocky to start. Now this trail I would rate moderate... even for my little legs. 

The smell of warm cedar and pine was in the air and without the lake wind, it was very warm. On the quieter sections without the rapids roaring, the birds were happily singing and I didn't see anyone until almost the end.
I met a nice family from Toronto; Punkage, Monisha and Zoya with their black lab named Floyd and we had a lively chat on the trail. I recognized them from the campground and we agreed on some fireside beverages later on.
This was definitely one of my favourite trails and I highly recommend it.

 Before heading back to camp I decided to hike some more of the Coastal trail but this time with a cold beverage. 

I was drinking white wine in a can which is about 2 glasses. Needless to say my hike was even more fun than usual. It was a quiet section of the trail mostly through forest and ponds but the actual shores made a couple of appearances. 

I saw my second Bald eagle...still no bear.. and that is just the way I want it to be.
By the time I made my way back to camp, my feet were sore and my body tired. I discovered a bad blister on the bottom of my toe that had torn open from walking on the pebbles for days and I knew my hiking would have to be put on hold. I sat in my camp chair on the beach and enjoyed the late day sun on my face. My gut was telling me that tonight would be my final sunset over Lake Superior.

The weather in the days to come was progressively building towards rain. Deciding to leave the next day just felt right. I knew it was time to pack it in. Packing up dry gear is a much better experience than packing up wet, dirty gear in the rain.
I ate my last beachside supper and started a fire. My new friends joined me by the fire to watch the sunset and we had plenty of laughs before eventually saying our goodbyes. 

As every night before this one, I stayed up way too late but enjoyed the 5 billion stars before crawling into my cocoon.

I had developed a ritual like routine and by doing so I felt very much at home. I slept well, stayed warm and was mostly pain free.

After my morning routine, I managed to take down all my gear and packed up the car without any issues.

I had an interesting chat on the beach with Amy and David from Guelph on my last morning. Despite the fact that we had been neighbours all week, this was our first conversation. They were a lovely retired couple. I thought of them actually as I drove through a crazy storm the following day on my drive home. 

I broke up the drive by staying in a hotel in Sudbury again and it felt quite luxurious... the hot shower and the clean, warm cozy bed. I was able to sleep with out wearing socks on my hands as mittens as I was forced to do all week, sleeping in the cold. The overnight temperatures were about 4° while I was camping and it was a relief to finally sleep indoors.
I would love to tell you all that I had some kind of epiphany on this trip but that wouldn't be true. What I did have was a wonderful break. A change of scenery and a change of pace. A taste of freedom and plenty of solitude.
It was time to go home. Time to be with my family again. Next adventure?...

Georgian Bay Islands National Park.

Day Three ~ The Butterfly Whisperer

Agawa Rock, Orphan Lake and the Coastal Trail.
Imagine if you will this moment. I am sitting on my beach chair with my aching feet resting on a driftwood log. Beside me is my homemade coffee table...a giant piece of chopped wood with a perfect flat surface. On it is my ice cold apple cider. 

Directly before me is the hot sun shining on the beach and the cold lake. There isn't a cloud in the sky.... not one. The wind off the water is strong and waves are massive. The whitecaps surfing on the turquoise water and the sparkling reflection of the sunlight could fool anyone to believe this was a tropical paradise.

I'm getting hungry but this moment can not be rushed.

Last night somehow I managed to stay up until almost midnight. Strange for me because I don't even do that at home! I was sitting by the fire and waiting for it to burn out before tucking myself in. I was tired and passed out easily but woke up in the night for 2 reasons. First it was freezing and I was actually shaking and second, I had to pee. Probably the only thing I dread about camping is having to pee at night.
The reason is, I usually lie there pretending I don't have to go in hopes of falling back asleep but my body says no, not going to happen and then I have to muster up the courage to face the darkness and the cold and expose my cootch to the night air. I stumbled to the bushes, did my thing and crawled back into my cozy, million dollar sleeping bag. Thankfully the sound of the waves crashing on the shore camouflaged the brief sound of Niagara Falls! hahaha.

I did wake up again at 0530, poked my head out and my camera too but easily fell back asleep and didn't move again until 0800. In fact if it wasn't for the neighbourhood crow that caws every morning, probably from on top of my tent, I might have slept later. He sounds like how a Mom would scream when you jump out of a closet and scare her. It's not a great alarm setting but it worked.
Never under estimate the power of a shower. I may have used all the hot water in the provincial park reserve because it felt that good to be hot and to be clean. I may have had it set to scalding which almost hurt but at least I could feel my fingers again.
Breakfast was cold cereal and then hot cereal filled by a deluxe coffee mixed with hot chocolate. An awesome start to my day....
I ventured out to Agawa Rock. A short hike to see pictographs. The Rock face went straight up in to the sky from the rocky shore.

To see the pictographs you have to walk carefully along a sloped rock ledge that drops into the cold Lake Superior waters. There are ropes and chains to guide you and luckily for me no one was there when I arrived. Danger signs were everywhere to add to my excitement. It was so incredibly beautiful and I felt so fortunate to be able to visit this sacred place.

Next I discovered Katherine's Cove along the Coastal Trail... again nobody was there and I was able to hike around the rocky point without seeing a soul. 

I knew the weather today was going to cooperate so then I took on the Orphan Lake Trail and merged again with the Coastal Trail.

The trail ratings are for 20 somethings not 50 year olds with RA hahaha. This 'moderate' rating is a LIE. It started out in a glowing green forest illuminated by the sun and with birds singing away. I was smiling for at least the first hour. Then it became more difficult. More climbing. More bouldering. I thought of my friend Rita and could hear her calling me crazy. There were no visible snakes and even the bugs were non existent but then some thing caught my eye.... movement... no it wasn't a bear. It was a butterfly, desperately flapping his beautiful yellow wings but not going anywhere. I looked closer and he was caught in a web. So I started to break the web with my hands (sorry Mr Spider but you can build a new one) and he fell to the ground still struggling. I went to the ground and carefully picked off all the webs from his wings until he was free and he flew on to me and now we're best friends hahaha. 

I walked away from that beaming and saying, "that's right folks, I just saved a butterfly". I was talking to myself of course but still, I felt pretty damn good about it. Do you see a recurring theme here??? That's right... freedom.
Shortly after, I started climbing to the first of many scenic lookouts. As I approached the clifftop I heard a young woman say, "I wish someone was here to take a picture of us". So I turned the corner and said, "did someone say they need a picture taken?"
And the girl responded with "wow, you are like an angel that has come to answer our prayers". Hahahaha Now even I thought that was a little dramatic but I took it. It was a mother and a daughter and their dog Sherman who also posed for the photo when I called his name. It was a great spot and I was happy to help.

They were on their way out and done their hike and I was just beginning. Little did I know how truly difficult this hike would be. So many rocks and climbs and descents...I prayed my knees would hold up. Kind of reminded me of the White Mountains in sections. The trails are marked with a little blue hiking man and from time to time I had to ask him where the f*@k he was and almost went off track a few times before seeing his faceless image. 

After a few twists and turns I finally made it to the lakeshore and was thrilled to again have it all to myself. This truly is the best place to go for solitude. I considered a beach picnic but there were about 500 flies that thought they were invited. They were not.

I chose to head back instead and was beyond pleased to hear the sound of rushing water. The unmistakable sound of a waterfall. It was a continuous climb back up from the shoreline but the possibility of seeing some rapids spurred me on.
I was getting hot, thirsty and tired but didn't want to stop. Again, I'm stubborn that way. I found a side trail to the river and was so happy to be able to climb the rocks to stand in between the several routes the water was choosing to make its way down this small mountain. This was Baldhead River.

Still alone and still on bear watch... I decided to head back to camp. Hiking alone is definitely not the smartest option but for me is my only option. I've come to realize I am very clumsy and not always the sure footed goat I once was. Probably would be very hard to be rescued in these parts.
With that in mind I decided to call it a day. Being tired is like being drunk and neither of those mixes well with rocks and cliffs and rushing rivers. 

Aaaaand Sausage fingers are back. My hands are very swollen and my RA is flaring. Just in my hands but mostly my left. 

I imagine by morning my left hand will be useless. It comes usually in 3 day waves...but that will mean the remainder of my vacation. Not sure how I will pack up all this gear with one hand. Probably not very well hahaha. As of right now I am unable to pick up a chopped log for the fire with my left. Good thing the wine is already opened!
Just before arriving at camp, I picked up some ice for my cider craving and when I returned to my car there was a butterfly trapped inside trying to fly out my back window. I tried for a while to save him but he was in panic mode. I found a plastic cup and carefully enclosed him and released him outside. I'd like to think he would have thanked me if he could but I'm pretty sure he is in a rush to see his therapist. Major anxiety issues he had. That's 2 for 2 in the rescue business.
Tonight's dinner is pasta with chorizo,  zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, red peppers and mushrooms in a homemade marinara sauce and the remaining Frescobaldi to wash it down. I can say with confidence my camping culinary skills have greatly improved with age. The dehydrator gave me lots of inspiration and more ultra lightweight options.
After the dishes were done and all cleaned up, I noticed something on my car. I went to take a closer look and discovered a monarch.... yes, another butterfly. I made sure not to touch his wings but he was already in bad shape. I think he had a fight with some pine sap and was losing the battle. I placed him a safer place and wished him well.

As for wildlife, I saw another hare... but no bear.
I'm finally sitting back relaxing and drinking my wine... big surprise.
This evenings entertainment will be the nightly sky show with the rhythmic sounds of Ms Lake Superior.

Cheers!

Day two ~ Rocks and Rain

This morning had me thinking about how life imitates art. I was thinking back to my night in Sudbury and how I watched Shawshank Redemption by chance before falling asleep. If you haven't seen it, you should. Without ruining the movie, it is about prison life, corruption...and freedom. It really did start me thinking about the things we take for granted, what we are willing to do for freedom and how things are not always as they seem. Covid times world wide have seen us all give up our sense of freedom and make sacrifices beyond normality. From panic to patience, fear to frustration, a light of hope and faith in the future and finally, standing here on the edge of freedom. Like a zoo animal finally released to it's natural habitat. I hope this is a sign of greater things to come.

I woke this morning at 5am in hopes for a magical sunrise. Still a little too dark. I knew facing west, I wouldn't have a direct view but still had faith. My new sleeping bag by the way was extremely warm and I slept well despite the overnight temperature dropping to maybe 5°. I was cozy and comfortable. Quality gear is worth the investment. I stretched to unzip my tent door managing to only expose one arm from my warm cocoon. I was greeted with pink and grey clouds and a lingering fog in the corners of the bay. Not a creature was stirring. I forced myself out of my warm little tent to face the day.

I had a quick bowl of granola while taking in the continual rising of the sun and set up my new stove for the first time.

 I bought a stainless steel insulated coffee press that I was eager to use and within minutes I was warming my soul with a giant cup of brew. Instant coffee? Not for this camper.

The waves are roaring this morning and the winds are picking up. "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is playing on repeat in my brain. It's cold, not going to play that down, damp cold and my old bones need to warm up.
I took my coffee and started a stroll on the beach. Good thing I have pockets because I could spend all day collecting rocks. 

It was such a beautiful walk, I just kept going. I didn't have water or snacks and couldn't remember if I even locked up my food. I had my camera, warm clothes, proper shoes and coffee. What was meant to be a stroll turned into a 10km hike. I had to walk until the beach stopped me...I'm stubborn that way. For the record, the beach is 5kms long, not 3kms as I read somewhere prior to my arrival.
During my morning adventure, I saw an eagle from afar and a hare rather close.

 After a good 3 hours of walking I returned to my home base for lunch. A hot lunch of noodles, veggies and spicy Thai tuna.
It has warmed up a little since the early hours. The sun goes in, comes out, goes back in...and the rain takes its turn coming and going. I hesitate to make plans until Mother Nature makes up her mind. In fact a glass of wine and a book on the beach sounds about right for today's afternoon.

 Maybe an evening hike instead to walk off the 2nd steak of the week. Because once again, I'm an adult on vacation and I can do whatever I want.
Last night's sunset was phenomenal and the sky show lasted until well after 10.

Cheers to another I hope.
Off I go to get wood for tonight. Definitely going to need it to stay warm here by the water.

Lake Superior... I love you and your cold heart.

Dinner tonight was another fantastic steak grilled on the fire... this time I was brave and cooked mashed potatoes, corn, peas and gravy on my propane stove while Mr. Steak sizzled. I had a glass of Frescobaldi Castiglioni on the go, made a salad and still managed not to burn anything.

I have a solid routine now. 

Wine. Fire. Cook. Eat. Dishes. Garbage. Wine. Fire. Walk. Fire. Wine. Bed hahaha..
When I got back from dishes, the sun was so hot and the beach so warm, I decided to put on my hikers to go for a walk...by the time my shoes were tied, the sky went black and then they opened up. Heavy rains came down immobilizing me. Fortunately I was trapped in the cooking shelter with the wine hahaha. My kitchen tent leaks (apparently) and everything is now either wet or dirty... but that's OK because I live outside now! Earlier today my spidey senses told me to cover my sleeping quarters with a

secondary tarp. My campsite is like a web of ropes but I guarantee I will be dry in my little tent tonight. After that crazy downpour, I am proud to say, my fire is still burning . My professional arrangement of wood protected the embers and we have heat!  The sun is aching to come out and I am cheering it on.... I wasn't done with it yet.

It may have stopped, the rain that is... dare I venture out again?

Of course I will!

A beautiful beach walk and

the most dramatic sunset I have ever seen to end the day. Wow.

Cheers! 

Day One - My new home

There are no words I can write to truly express how overwhelmed with joy I am. This has been one of the best decisions of my life. Never have I said 'wow'.. so many times in one day.
After leaving Sudbury, the 4 hour drive became more beautiful the further north I went. I woke up to clouds so sleeping in an extra hour did the body good.
After an hour or so of driving, the clouds drifted away and the sun gave me some beautiful morning light. I passed many small lakes and rivers... The Spanish river was a delight, still and undisturbed. 

As I photographed the reflection on the water a small boat sped past and created an equally beautiful image. I drove mostly in silence for the first couple of hours while I enjoyed my coffee and my thoughts. Eventually I turned on my music and gave Hwy 17 quite a live concert.
McDonald's in Sault Ste Marie served as a necessary road trip pit stop and I couldn't leave without an order of fries.
Eager to get to my destination, I kept on driving. Leaving the Soo the drive became more scenic than I imagined it would. My favourite stop? Batchawana Bay. 

I parked and walked along the beach enjoying the sunshine and the views. The wispy clouds provided me with dreamy skies and the hot dry sand warmed my little feet. It was much needed therapy. It was an absolutely perfect moment. It would have been foolish not to stay and enjoy it. So I did just that.
As difficult as it was to pull myself away from this glorious beach, I knew another was waiting for me. I drove on continuing north along 17. I stopped at a Native Gift shop in hopes of finding a few unique gifts. I almost bought a beautiful sweater but then noticed the tag said "made in Mexico" . I laughed, shook my head and carried on.
I knew I was getting close based on timing, as it was now just after 1pm and the sun was warm. The area became very hilly and the road became a serpent of turns. It reminded me of the drive to Whistler from Vancouver as the road hugged the waters edge, elevated, offering only a teasing glimpse of the  shoreline in between the trees. To add to these incredible views, a deep heavy fog blanketed the skies in the low lying bays while the pine trees and rocky cliffs jutted through.

 The blue sky also trying desperately to push through and be seen. The sun was a mere soft white glow losing the battle against the fog. The temperatures dropped from 20° in Sudbury to now a cool 12°. I banked on the sun coming back to warm things up at camp.
Checking in was quick and painless. I bought as much wood as I could fit in my already packed car, some kindling because I lack the desire of wielding an axe, and of course more ice.
A short drive into the campground and before I even saw my site I was squealing with delight. This campground is everything I hoped for and more. A mix of Fort De Soto in St Pete Beach with the West Coast Trail in BC.
It's on a 3km stunning beach with views in every direction.

I photographed my bare site, like a blank canvas, and I went to work.

 Systematically I set up first my bedroom (with a view), 
then my kitchen/dining room (also with a view)

Next came a fire. Of course it was masterfully designed with homemade firestarters. I then cooked my deluxe celebratory lunch/dinner combo. I opened the wine (finally) and I made a quick salad.

I seasoned a t-bone steak and threw it on the flame. I managed somehow to grill it to perfection. It was truly the best steak I have ever had.

You must know at this point I felt like the most accomplished human being in the world hahaha.
I set out for a walk along my beautiful beach, collecting rocks and feeling brand spanking new.

I write to you now by the fire, wine in hand, watching and waiting for the sun to set. For now, the soft glowing sun sparkles on Lake Superior far in the distance as the fog continues to fight it. 

There are very few people here and the only sounds I hear are the tiny waves lapping on to the shore.
The solitude and the silence is calming... and so is the bottle of wine that is almost empty. How did that happen?
I'm proud of myself... not because of the wine hahaha but because I continue to take the roads less traveled, I've created a home away from home and let me tell you, putting up my kitchen tent was a bitch to do alone. Being alone however will never stop me from doing the things I want to do, the things that excite me and the things that scare me. Doing things on my own has done nothing less than strengthen me and has brought me the realization that I am completely ok just as I am. If I am destined to share my life and these moments with someone, they will fortunately know the best possible version of me. 50 years in the making and so much more to come.
Cheers!

A day at Killarney

My alarm did not go off this morning but somehow my body knew it was time and my eyes opened at the first sign of dawn. As snug and warm as I was in my bunk bed, I had no trouble rolling out of it and stumbling to the sliding glass door at the back of the boat to see the sky. I was thrilled that the sun had yet to rise above the horizon and I hadn’t missed the show. The music of happy songbirds carried across the otherwise quiet bay as I swiftly and silently found the best vantage point to catch the sun a short walk away. The temperature was mild and a heavy fog was slowly creeping across the still water. The sky was a mix of light greys, soft pinks and subtle purples.

 The picture I took may end up being one of my very favourite pictures of all time. My cute little Mother made me a deluxe coffee, we said our goodbyes and I was on the road before 7am heading north towards Sudbury. It was a quiet, scenic and uneventful drive. I was tempted to stop at the French River and then at Grundy but my gut was telling me Killarney. After exiting off hwy 69, I drove for close to an hour on 637 west to Killarney. It wasn’t the smoothest of roads but it was paved and the 2 lane road was lined with thick green bush on both sides. I saw my first wild life sighting. A mother fox and her baby taking in the sunshine on the shoulder of the road. They safely darted back into the greenery as soon as they heard my car approach. I was a little concerned about the isolation as I had not seen a single car in either direction for almost an hour. Truthfully, it started to feel like the road would never end. Fortunately, I made it to the registration office without any problems. I purchased a trail map and my day pass and headed out to a trail called Chikanishing Creek Trail.

 It was described to me as a display of the classic Northern Ontario scenery, rocky outcroppings and pine trees bent by the winds coming off the lake. Just what I was hoping for. The trail head was a short 2km drive from the office and was also the canoe launch for future reference. The trail is a mere 4km loop and I chose it for that reason. I figured it was rated as moderate and would be an ideal warm up hike. I was functioning on 5 hours sleep, residual red wine and adrenaline. The coffee and granola bar breakfast probably was not enough fuel me either. I felt awkward on this little hike. I was unorganized and too eager to hit the trail to prepare properly. I had water, a snack, wore my good boots but otherwise did not dress properly. I was over dressed and quickly overheated. I probably had bug armour in mind. Thankfully, I had enough sense to wear bug spray as well. I needed it. The mosquitoes were slow and dumb and easy to eliminate but those damn deer flies get me every time. They buzz and circle my head repeatedly causing my arms to flail and it takes all my energy and self control to contain my urge to let out giant girlie screams. I somehow managed to stay sane despite the periodic attacks. The trail started immediately with a climb over the hills of rocks and the stunning lake views were almost immediate. I cut in and around trees and found myself scrambling the rocks quite often to the point that I questioned the rating of the trail. 

Its definitely not for anyone simply looking for a scenic stroll. The trail markers are little red and white blobs painted on the rocks and pinned to the trees but are very few and far between. I think I spent more time searching for the markers than enjoying my surroundings. I was concerned about losing the trail and was trying to be smart and safe. I found myself asking out loud, “where are you, you chubby little chode?” as my eyes scoured the rocks.

 It felt more like a scavenger hunt than a hike. It was however a beautiful part of the park and the views were spectacular. 

The 2nd half of the hike back was through thick, green forest with boardwalks and an easy to follow path.

 It was there that I wrote a song that I sang all the way back to the car. It was called “Please don’t eat me Mr Bear” Hahahaha 

My plan after reaching my car was to hike “the Crack”, another much longer, very scenic climbing trail with views. This next trail though was rated difficult. With very little contemplation I decided to visit the town harbour and have a bowl of chocolate ice cream for lunch because I’m a grown-up on vacation and I can do whatever I want.

I made my way up to Sudbury where I have a nice hotel room and one last night of civilized comfort. I treated myself to wings and an ice cold cider. Perhaps I’ll have another while I continue to reflect on my day and plan my tomorrow. The remaining 5 hour drive will hopefully provide some scenic stops along the way... and then we’re roughing it!

Cheers!