Sunday August 20, 2017

Bear Crossing

We get an early start this morning and drive about ten miles to see a waterfall. Along the way, I decided to take a less traveled road rather than the main highway. This pays off as I notice some movement in the roadside vegetation and see a small bear. I slow and tell Carol, I just say a bear and she says Are you sure it wasn’t a dog. I am sure and start to turn around and the bear comes out again but ducks back into the brush when it sees us. I go past where we saw him and then stop at a right angle to the road. It is not long before he shows again and scampers across the road. I get a quick picture and we drive slow but can’t spot him or the mom that we are sure is close by. It is a cool start to the day.

Sluggish Mushroom

We make it to the Eau Claire Gorge Trail Head about 2 miles from where we saw the bear. So of course, I carry our bear spray with us. We are the only people here and start on down the trail. It is wooded and there are several kinds of mushrooms we notice along the way. One has a slug on it, another looks like a trumpet, and then one could be lips or maybe an ear. After about a half mile we reach the river and a warning sign for canoeists about the danger ahead.

Eau Claire Gorge

Onward we go to the gorge and the falls. Carol lives dangerously on the edge and then we return a shorter way to the RAV. As we leave we pass a field and carol notices some large birds in it. We stop to take a look and through binoculars and see that they are cranes. The day is young but has been amazing so far. As we drive on, we pass numerous lakes and notice that much of the area surrounding the road is marshland. The lakes are all beautiful in their own way.

Duchesnay Falls

We make another stop to see Duchesnay Falls which is just a short distance from the road. The trail parking lot is big and yet there are no signs anywhere to let you know there are falls here. The locals seems to know that the falls and surrounding trails are here as the lot is close to full. The falls are nice and we are on our way in just a short while. We press on toward the town of Bruce Mines which is our destination for the day.

Cozy Cottage

We arrive a little after 3 o’clock and check in. Tonight we are staying in a rustic cottage. We are on French Island which is owned by Pat and her husband. They also own the adjoining island called McKay Island, Neither was accessible by car until the 1970s and the cottages are all fisherman cottages from the 1920s to 1940’s. That is except for ours which has its own unique history. It was built on a nearby farm and then moved here by boat in the same era. Ask us about the story and we will tell. The cottages include canoes and kayaks so since it is a beautiful day we decide to go kayaking. Did I tell you that we are on our first Great Lake? It is Lake Huron and so we kayak around the island and to the second island where there is an old lighthouse. We do not go further as we were told the currents are strong out in the shipping lanes.

First Great Lake Dip

When we return, I of course have to go swim in the frigid waters of the first Great Lake I have seen. It is not as bad as I thought and I feel refreshed when I get out. After my swim, we return to the cottage and Carol makes us a nice dinner of a salad, sautéed vegetables, and pierogis. We accompany the meal with a couple of our New Brunswick beers. IPA for Carol and an Espresso Stout for me. Dinner is great and we decide that we will take a ride to the lighthouse and check out a few of the small beaches and coves along the way. We even catch some of this evening’s sunset at one rocky cove. Returning to our cottage, we have some blueberry pie for dessert and then settle in for bed. Today has been another great day.