Canada - Day 3

For the time-poor: summary is walking, not a bear, beer. Longer version of the day follows!

Up super early and off to our reserved parking time slot at the delightfully named Halfway Log Dump (yes, there were some very mature photos taken with the sign) and then of on a day hike on the Bruce Trail, a long distance footpath that ends in Tobermory.

We strolled down to the beach, and turned left - walking along the beach. It all starting getting a bit scrambly - up over boulders, through gaps and hopping from rock to rock along the shore, until we got to a bit we really couldn’t got over or around without wading, which wasn’t part of our plan. So we turned back to see if there was a cliff top alternative route. And there, just before the beach was a sign we had entirely missed for the actual Bruce Trail. So off we went again, this time through forest, following white paint daubs to keep us on the trail.

It was pretty tough going, particularly in the heat, and all the ups and downs had my legs tired very quickly. We stopped at a nice beach for a paddle (me) and some sweets (me again), and wondered at the bear safe for stores at the campground (hooks on pulleys to lift your food bag high off the ground). No bears round here, we thought, not on such a major trail.

So, on the way back, we heard shouting and then a jogger jogged by: “there’s a bear, just give him a wide berth”. Eek. So as instructed by Canadian relatives, we started singing bear related songs so he knew we were coming. And to our relief we didn’t see him. Clearly our dulcet tones were worth avoiding!

The local park is doing a special project on Monarch butterflies - which are a bit of a family obsession - so we went to see that, then bought some food for a picnic at the beach. They take picnics seriously here: our supermarket salads were rather put to shame by the guys at the next table who were cooking the most glorious smelling tandoori chicken in a mini-bbq. Quick stroll around a nature walk (trying to avoid poison ivy and wading through puddles) and back through the gloriously warm shallow lake water.

Home for showers, and out to dinner - excellent beer and burgers, with a bonkers gerkin cocktail for Mr B, then key lime pie in another place.