Disclaimer: Yes. The child was left behind for this adventure. She had NO interest in this escapade. None. Nada. Zip. Sure, we are an outdoor family who loves to do stuff together. But sometimes an outdoors Mom and Dad need to just get there without the kid - especially when the activity is something that kid really doesn't want to do.
Alex, Hope the Wonder Dog and I recently took advantage of Emma's busy social schedule and backpacked a challenging 3.4 km section of the Bruce Trail in Bruce Peninsula National Park. Starting at Cyprus Lake and ending at the Stormhaven backcountry campsites, the distance doesn't sound far. But the trail is rated as "Difficult" and includes an ascent up and along the Niagara Escarpment and across two cobble beaches.
The Cyprus Lake to Stormhaven route along the Bruce Trail includes two cobble beaches. In Hope's opinion, crossing these beaches are the hardest part of the trek for a dog. |
Despite the discomfort of the wobbly, ankle-twisting rocks on the cobble beaches, we really enjoyed this challenging hike. And we loved the rewards of where this hike took us. Cliff-top vistas of Georgian Bay were breathtaking, and the aqua water far below us is unbelievable in it's clarity and beauty. Are these the waters of Ontario? Or were we suddenly transported to the Mediterranean? The views and beaches reminded me of some spectacular places I've been in Greece.
When we reached Stormhaven, we gave a cheer and couldn't wait to check out the little backcountry campground. With raised platforms for tents, poles for hanging your food, a composting toilet and campsites grouped in one area, Bruce Peninsula National Park has established Stormhaven and and it's other backcountry site, High Dump to protect the environmentally sensitive Niagara Escarpment as much as possible, while still allowing campers the privilege of experiencing this amazing part of wild Ontario.
Did you know that the Niagara Escarpment is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve? There have been
cedar trees found in this area that are hundreds of years old, clinging to the cliffs.
Campfires aren't allowed at Stormhaven or High Dump. So we made sure we brought along a good, light-weight stove in our pack.
Finding water isn't much of a problem. After-all, Georgian Bay is on your doorstep. But we did find that the sites like ours located up the cliff were a bit of a walk away from the shoreline. We used a Platypus filtration system, so filling the bladder provided a good amount of water for cooking but not enough to hold us over until breakfast was done. Alex made the trek down to the bay a few times to get water, which isn't a huge deal. But when you're tired from hiking you might not feel like going up and down the escarpment for water very often.
I have to admit, our evening at Stormhaven wasn't very eventful. We were tired from the hike and the blackflies at the beach were brutal. So after dinner we simply hung our food on the provided poles and went to bed much earlier than we ever would at home.
Food bag poles to keep your munchies safe from bears, and to keep bears safe from human intrusion in their habitat. Everyone wins with this system! |
Happily, the rain did stop before we climbed out of our tent. So we wasted no time having breakfast, packing our packs and hitting the trail to come home.
Once again, we were rewarded on the hike along the trail. The storm provided us with a completely different and beautiful view of the rugged Georgian Bay shoreline.
After we admired the snake, the hike home was rhythmic with little chatter as we enjoyed our surroundings. Despite our lack of sleep, we felt good and made great time as we navigated our way along the trail. We marvelled at how our old dog had a spring in her step and wished that Emma had joined us on this little adventure. And when we arrived at the Jeep - bright red and welcoming at the trailhead parking lot - we cracked a cold beverage, toasted our first backpacking trek on The Bruce and promised ourselves we'd do it again.
We love that area! And we agree, that rocky beach is murder on the ankles and legs. Definitely a workout for muscles we normally don't use!
ReplyDeleteWow! What a wonderful blog post! I feel like I need to go back to my blog and rewrite it all. I felt like I was with you on that trip every step of the way.! Really great writing ! Looking forward to reading more of your posts.
ReplyDeleteDid you camp on the island at all? I read today there is an island with six sites on it that you can paddle in to.
Thanks again for sharing !
How was the trail after the rain? We are thinking of going this weekend and a big storm is going to roll in the night before. Looking for any thoughts you have on trail safety when it's wet.
ReplyDeleteHi There!
ReplyDeleteLooks like I am in a similar situation... my boyfriend and I are going on a last minute trip up to Tobermory/Bruce Park. The difficult thing now is finding any kind of reservation... we were planning to just pitch a tent in the woods but seems like Parks Canada is pretty strict about having permits to do so and they are all booked up this weekend.
How did you pull this off on such short notice or any tips on where we can pitch a tent in the area?
Thanks!
Beautiful description, thank you! How long did it take to hike to Stormhaven camping area from the nearest Parking area?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful description, thank you! How long did it take to hike to Stormhaven camping area from the nearest Parking area?
ReplyDelete