May 26, 2023, Hike #60: km 146.5 to km 157.6 Peninsula Section (Ed. 28)
May 27, 2023 Hike #61: km 157.6 to km 165.1 Peninsula Section (Ed. 28)
Our first hike of the weekend was a rare afternoon start as we had decided to take an early drive up and hike that same day. The plan would allow us to fully enjoy ourselves and relax for the rest of the weekend once our Saturday (final) hike was complete.
It was another beautiful sunny day for hiking as we set off from Cyprus Lake to make our way toward Little Cove. Once again we walked along rocky beaches and the edge of the escarpment where we exclaimed again and again over the views across the bay. While we still did not encounter any bears (thankfully) we did spot a clear bear track in the mud. No rattlesnakes this time!
When we arrived at Driftwood Cove, Karen spotted a large flat top bolder that would make a wonderful picnic spot for lunch. We were very content sitting there in the sun surrounded by the water with only the sounds of nature, but eventually we had to get moving again. The trail took us a little bit away from the escarpment edge, but there were still many lookout points along the way. We took a short side trail (Sinkhole Side Trail) to view the large sinkhole which is the result of a collapsed cave. Back on the main trail for a few kilometers we ended our days hike at Little Cove where we would start the next morning.
We started out early on Saturday with only about 6.5 km to go to reach the end point. It was a relatively gentle hike for much of the way. We reached the lookout point at Little Dunks Bay mid morning and took some time to take a selfie. There were some Muskoka Chairs there that would have been nice to relax in with a cup of coffee. As was no barista to be found we made our way toward the visitors centre to ascend the observation tower with 360 ° views from the top and then it was the last few hundred metres to the cairn.
We made it!
After freshening up we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and some browsing and shopping around the town followed by a meal at the Tobermory Brewing Company. Once back at our Airbnb the champagne was popped ! Cheers to us and our fantastic adventures along the Bruce Trail.
Perhaps in the future there will be more adventures to share - either along the Bruce Trail or elsewhere.
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Starting out at the Head of Trails -
Cyprus Lake May 26, 2023 |
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Heading out on the "beach trail"
towards Tobermory |
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| Karen taking in the view |
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| Valerie |
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| making our way across the rocky beach |
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| Karen found a great place for lunch |
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| me checking the water temperature (very cold) |
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| Valerie and Nancy heading to our lunch rock |
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| climbing up |
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| along the cedar trail |
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| bear track |
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| sinkhole (40 m diameter x 15 m deep) |
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| view of the rocky beaches |
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| Nancy enjoying the view |
Saturday May 27, 2023
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| Saturday May 27 at the start - Little Cove |
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| beautiful calm water |
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Karen and Nancy taking in the view
(it never gets old) |
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| Nancy - up up she goes |
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| Millions of trilliums |
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| Nice easy hiking path for our last stretch |
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| Lookout spot - Little Dunk's Bay |
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| group selfie |
climbing the viewing tower at Tobermory
(visitors centre)
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Karen and Valerie at the "finish line"
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The end point cairn
Northern Terminus, Tobermory
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Although the entirety of the trail is amazing, from the southern terminus in Niagara it builds to a crescendo as you reach the tip of the Peninsula with its rugged terrain and majestic views from the top of the escarpment.
When we started our Bruce Trail adventure many years ago, we could never have imagined the changes that would happen in our lives during this time. The world seems different place now then when we started. Like the trail, there have been many ups and downs, challenges, unforeseen twists, turns and difficult terrain to navigate.
I can't speak for my hiking companions, but the trail was a place of healing for me over the years. It has helped me through some very difficult times.
The Bruce Trail User’s Code guides us to “leave only your thanks and take nothing but pictures”.
Although I did not take anything (except many many photos) I did leave more than my thanks. The forest floor and the rocky spine of the escarpment bears the weight of my grief, sorrow, disappointments, and pain. In return, the trees, birds, plants, animals, rocks, streams and lakes that are a part of this magnificent trail gave me back something that can't be quantified, and I am grateful.
