Blue Water – Trailchew https://trailchew.com Trail Maps, Photos, Stats and Info Mon, 14 Sep 2020 15:37:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 https://trailchew.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/cropped-Trailchew-Icon--32x32.jpg Blue Water – Trailchew https://trailchew.com 32 32 Canoeing in Killarney Provincial Park https://trailchew.com/canoeing-in-killarney-provincial-park/ https://trailchew.com/canoeing-in-killarney-provincial-park/#comments Sat, 21 Sep 2019 20:34:09 +0000 http://trailchew.com/?p=1568 Canoeing in Killarney Provincial Park offers some of the most unique landscapes in Ontario. The bright white quartzite La Cloche range is on full display at the George Lake Access…

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Canoeing in Killarney Provincial Park offers some of the most unique landscapes in Ontario. The bright white quartzite La Cloche range is on full display at the George Lake Access Point. Canoeing from George Lake eastward to Norway lake passes by Jack Pines, sapphire blue lakes and tons of wildlife. Once you get to Norway Lake, day trips to Silver Peak and WhiskyJack Lake are with in reach. The La Cloche Silhouette Trail is also nearby if you feel up to a longer hike. There so many great reasons to spend a few nights on Norway Lake.

  • George to Norway Lake

       Canoeing - 11 km
       Portaging - 2.5 km
       Time - 3.5 hours

Route

George Lake access is the most popular in the park, and OSA Lake is pretty much always booked. Which is why Norway Lake is such a great alternative. Killarney Lake is another good option, however finding a campsite can take a while, due to the number of sites, and the size of the lake. With in the first 15 minutes of paddling on George Lake, you will see pink granite and white quartzite ridges on both sides of the Lake. It’s a super nice feeling to go from the campground to the wilderness of Killarney in such a short period of time. If you arrive late in the day, camping on George Lake is a great option. After George Lake, you will paddle through the swampy Freeland Lake. It is very difficult to travel to Norway via Kakakise when the water level is low in Freeland Lake. Killarney Lake is for sure the best way to access Norway Lake.

 

Campsites

There are a ton of campsites on Killarney Lake. The best sites are located near the middle of the lake, but if they are all taken, there is a good site at the far end of the lake. You don’t get to look at a wide-open lake, but the site is elevated enough that you can still get a nice view of the lake and the La Cloche range. The site has lots of room for tents and all the other amenities you would expect. The view down the lake is facing West, which should help with the sunset. Once you get to Norway, you will want the north east campsite on Norway. This campsite is elevated and has a super cool 30-foot cliff right beside the fire pit. Its safe to jump if you are feeling brave. The best part about this site is you can do all sorts of super fun day trips right from your campsite.

 

    Silver Peak & WhiskyJack Lake

Canoeing in Killarney Provincial Park might not be for you if climbing one of the highest peaks in Ontario doesn’t sound like fun. Hiking to Silver Peak is around 3.5km one way straight through the bush. You will get an awesome 360 vista of the park and a great view of the La Cloche range. WhickyJack Lake is much closer and only takes 30 minutes to hike through the bush. The lake is the clearest and maybe the coldest lake in the park. It is a bit frightening to swim above what looks like the abyss. Before disembarking, download the Avenza App and upload Jeff’s Killarney map! It will be a huge help. The app will give you an offline map of the park, plus it will provide your GPS location without a cell phone signal. I noticed Jeff’s Killarney map is no longer online, but hopefully you can still download them via the app when you read this. AllTrails is another offline map option but you have to be running the map in the app before you loose cell phone signal. The Pro version will let you download maps.

  • Norway to WhiskyJack

       Bushwhacking - 1.2 km
       Time - 35 minutes

  • Norway to Silver Peak

       Bushwhacking - 3 km
       Time - 90 minutes

    Nearby Trails

If you are looking for another excursion. The La Cloche Trail is on the other side of WhiskyJack Lake. From there you can hike either direction. The entire trail is 82km and runs a giant loop through the park. Normally takes 5-7 days, however a few people have completed it in one day. The trail runs over most of the La Cloche range and provides some awesome views.

Trip Advice

  • 3 Night Stay

  • So Many Things to Photograph

  • Peace and Quiet

  • Bears, Deer and Chipmunks

  • Fun Daytime Adventures

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]]> https://trailchew.com/canoeing-in-killarney-provincial-park/feed/ 2 La Cloche Silhouette Trail – Killarney Provincial Park – Multi Day Hike https://trailchew.com/la-cloche-silhouette-trail-killarney-provincial-park-multi-day-hike/ https://trailchew.com/la-cloche-silhouette-trail-killarney-provincial-park-multi-day-hike/#respond Fri, 24 Aug 2018 14:55:40 +0000 http://demo.codesupply.co/authentic/?p=26 Just North of Toronto, the La Cloche Silhouette Trail in Killarney Provincial Park offers one truly amazing multi day backcountry hike. The 80km trail is unforgiving, rugged and worth the…

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Just North of Toronto, the La Cloche Silhouette Trail in Killarney Provincial Park offers one truly amazing multi day backcountry hike. The 80km trail is unforgiving, rugged and worth the effort. The bright quartzite peaks gleam under the sun, and provide a beautiful contrast to the windex blue lakes. Deciduous trees are a plenty, which makes it a great fall camping adventure.

  •     Trail Distance 80 km
        Total Elevation Gain 2800 m
        Total Time 1 to 8 Days

Getting Started

On a good day, the commute is around 4.5 hours north of Toronto. The La Cloche Silhouette Trail starts and ends at the George Lake Campground, but it is close to a 20 minute walk across the campground. Parking closer to the finish might be in your best interest, as normal people will want their last day to be as short as possible. Choose your direction wisely, as the elevation chart below points out the trail is significantly more challenging while you are hiking through the La Cloche Mountain Range.

Killarney La Cloche Elevation Counter Clockwise

Trail markings are colour coded to distinguish between side trails, campsite access, and the La Cloche trail. In addition to the trail markings, there are also giant rock piles that hikers have added to help blaze the trail. Even with all the markings, rock piles, and three sets of eyes, we still went off course a bunch of times. Downloading an offline map is super handy for getting back on course. One option is Gaia GPS, Another option is AllTrails. Unfortunately, you will have to pay some money to download the offline maps.    

Finding water was a bit challenging, so plan your stops ahead of time if you have some big days planned. I have been using the Sawyer Mini, and feel fairly confident dipping it into almost anything, so far so good. After water, the next thing to think about is your feet. If you get blisters like me, you might want to wear two pairs of socks, and lube your feet to avoid hot spots. Nothing worse than twisting an ankle halfway, so please watch your footing. Of course, on day two it rained for the entire 7 hours of hiking. We bailed on the slick rocks close to six times between the three of us. When it gets wet, watch out for those dark slimy rocks.

 

Wildlife

We heard a moose walking through the marsh before sunrise. One passerby mentioned they came across a family of black bears. Thanks to the wet weather, the number toads along the trail was crazy. Night two at Threenarrows, I forgot to remove an empty wrapper from my backpack, and we ending up hearing a mouse beside our tent side for most of the night.

Route

The park recommends tackling the trail in 7-10 days, which is around 12-8 km a day. Eric Batty completed the entire 80 km loop in 9 hours and 25 minutes alongside Ryan Atkins. There at least another dozen times on Strava, where the trail was conquered in one day. Regardless, if you go max speed or relax mode, you have signed up for some suffering, so why not tackle the 2nd highest peak in Ontario. Silver Peak is a 2 km hike up 300 meters of elevation. It doesn't look much higher thank the other peaks, but it is that spike in the elevation chart. Great trail!  

 

Shortcut or Swim

If  you are feeling a bit rough, and are in need a 3 km short cut. Its easy to cross the dam 1 km north of Topaz Lake. Lots of boaters enjoy parking at the Pool so they can hike into Topaz Lake. Whisky Jack lake is another Windex lake close to the trail, but you will have to bushwhack to find one of the clearest lakes in the park.

 

Campsites

We camped at Silver Lake and Threenarrows Lake. The La Cloche sites have to be called in and can't be booked online. Bookings for Ontario Provincial Parks are available five months in advance. The difficulty of the trail and the weather can sometimes cause people to unexpectedly alter their campsite schedule. You never know when the weather is going to peak, but early fall camping is a pretty safe bet. If you have the right sleeping bag, then maybe consider visiting the last two weeks of September or the first two weeks of October for a glimpse of Killarney when the Autumn Colours Peak.

 

FKT and Similar Trails

The La Cloche Silhouette Trail is one of the biggest adventures you can undertake in Ontario. The Fastest Known Time of 9 hours by Ryan Atkins is mind boggling. If you like to go fast and enjoy a sufferfest, then putting down a fast time on this trail is super fulfilling. Another awesome Ontario trail system is the Frontenac Trail System which includes 160Km of trail. 

  • Trip Advice

  • 7-10 Day Hike

  • Wear 2 Pairs of Socks

  • Look at Elevation Before Choosing Route

  • Amazing View from The Crack

  • Pretty Great View on Top of Silver Peak

  • Bear, Moose and Toads

  • Go for a Swim in Topaz Lake

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]]> https://trailchew.com/la-cloche-silhouette-trail-killarney-provincial-park-multi-day-hike/feed/ 0 Bruce Trail Hike to Stormhaven Beach https://trailchew.com/bruce-trail-hike-to-stormhaven-beach/ https://trailchew.com/bruce-trail-hike-to-stormhaven-beach/#respond Wed, 06 Jun 2018 20:56:42 +0000 http://trailchew.com/?p=656 The Bruce trail meanders over rocky cliffs, and into the forest as it punches up and down its way to Stormhaven beach. Not much elevation, but this is technical Bruce…

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The Bruce trail meanders over rocky cliffs, and into the forest as it punches up and down its way to Stormhaven beach. Not much elevation, but this is technical Bruce Trail Hike will require focus. There are multiple lookouts worth checking out. Sections of the park are busier than others, with the Grotto being the most visited landmark. Only Three hours northwest of Toronto, is one of the best parks in Ontario. 

Bruce Peninsula Trail Stormhaven Beach Campsite

Route

This section of the Bruce trail hike starts off with a gentle graveled pathway, as it takes you from the Half Way Log dump parking lot straight to the beach. Once you see your first glimpse of the bright blue water, it is easy to walk right by the Bruce trail. So, once you are done Instagraming, make sure you come back up the trail and look for the white trail blaze. Note, there is a trail that runs along the beach below the Bruce trail, you don't want to take it. For the next 3 km, you will enjoy fun rocky and rooty sections. The trail is wide, well maintained, and also great for a technical trail run. There are two lookout’s worth checking out. The second one being the better, with a view of Stormhaven beach in the distance.

 

Campsite

Stormhaven beach is great option if you want to get away from the crowds. This backcountry campsite is always full, but it's one of the best options for camping in the area. The sites are clustered together, with anywhere from 30 to 100 feet of distance between you and your neighbor. There is an upper cluster and a more desired lower cluster. The lower cluster is steps away from the beach. The best site can be found at the far end, as it offers the most privacy. All the sites have fairly new decks with enough room for two medium sized tents, or one large tent. Surprisingly, no fires allowed. Even though the campsites are remote, the local Ranger still checks in once a day to see if anyone is misbehaving. If you are up to no good, you better have a listen for the ATV. Big fines for fires. 

 

The Beach

Stormhaven beach is massive. Even though the campsites are a bit too close, the space available for relaxing on the beach is amazing. Head any direction on the beach, and you will find some extra peace and quite. If you head south along the beach, you will find yourself at Cave Point. If you don't mind getting your feet wet, then you can make it all the way to the caves. The caves are actually more like concave holes in the cliff face, yet the sheer size of the wall and boulders is what its all about. There are some other caves on the route if you can find them. 

Bruce Peninsula Trail Cave Point Stormhaven Beach
Bruce Peninsula Trail Stormhaven Beach Campsite
Bruce Peninsula Trail Stormhaven Campsite Sunset
Bruce Peninsula Stormhaven Beach Pebbles

Trip Advice

  • 1.5 Hour Hike

  • Bring Decent Hiking Footwear

  • Lower Cluster Sites are the Best

  • Check Out Cave Point

  • Watch Out for the Ranger

  • Tobermory Brewing Company

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