Peninsula - Barrow Bay (67.9 km) to Lion's Head Beach (82.5 km) - May 26, 2022

Welcome back...well I knew you couldn't not check out the concluding hike of the second of our three, 3 day trips up to the Peninsula Section of the Bruce Trail from our base camp (well...cabins) in beautiful Lion's Head. We've had two pretty successful days in a row so far...would our luck with the weather hold out?..more importantly, would our bodies?..

Today's hike would take us from Barrow Bay around the famous Lion's Head Provincial Park, and conclude right at our resort, with the final 5 km of the originally planned hike having already been tackled the evening of the first day by those who needed to (heretofore referred to as "the abandoned seven"), as a result of a prudent suggestion (read: direct order) from our hike leader Steve...

So this hike would now measure 14.6 km...seems easy enough, right?

The bird's eye view of the route looking from the north...there's a newer section of trail towards the end (I believe it was a former side trail) that veers inland...it would end up being a 6 and a half hour journey with a decent 300 meters of climbing.

Well, we're still smiling, but you may notice that we have our rain gear on this morning as we get ready at the Barrow Bay parking lot. It has rained pretty heavily overnight, and it is still quite damp but warm enough as we prepare to set out. We are all back for the last day save Laura, who unfortunately could not make it...how would these 12 souls do?

Our first visual attraction is a small waterfall by the side of Hwy 9 on a creek that flows into Little Lake...

We then turned right onto McKague Road and followed it for a couple of kilometers...easy enough so far...

The rain had pretty much stopped at this point so a few elected to doff our rain jackets in the warm, humid conditions...

Shortly thereafter, we reached the park boundary and the real hiking began...

It didn't take long to determine that, if this was the type of trail that we were facing today, we were in for a pretty significant challenge...scrambling over extremely slippery boulders and rocks, with some meter high steps up and down...yeah, it was going to be a technical test of balance and concentration...oh well, let's hope the views are good too!

The pace was not great, but caution and safety came first...Ann takes it all "in stride"...Frances, like me, was perhaps a bit more vexed...

A short while later, we reach Elson's Landing and are afforded our first nice view of Barrow Bay from the north side...

The skies are overcast and there is a stiff breeze, but these vistas are amazing in any condition...

We forge onward...this seems to be the "trail of giant steps", unlike yesterday, made up of a lot, and I mean a lot, of walking on rock (oh, and wet roots)...

Yet another giant step down to contend with...

Putting our technical skills to the test was the order of the day...

Brian, sporting his new red climbing gloves (jealous!) assists some other hikers with descending another tricky, slippery spot...

Frances takes a "leap of faith" at yet another challenging place on the trail...this was how a large portion of the day was spent...

Doug plays the role of "crevice leap advisor"...pointing out where to step and what to grab hold of...

Ann holds on to her hat as she ventures out for a better view...

We take time for a short break...the concentration level has been extremely high...more so and for longer than I can recall anywhere else in my experience so far...

But it's soon time to move on, and it isn't long before we are scrambling up wet rock faces again...

It seemed that we never more than a few meters from the cliff's edge...thrilling and anxious at the same time...

Hiking techniques come in all forms...whatever works in the moment...

We are well into it now...and the effects of 3 days of hiking are showing on our faces and in our posture...big props to Barb C who is actually on her 6th consecutive day of hiking, having been with a Bruce Trail Conservancy group the previous weekend down near Owen Sound for three days...but I don't think her beautiful smile ever left her face!..

And.......back at it.....

We begin a descent down to the water...the forest is quite beautiful through here...

Best part of the day!..we get to spend another Elevensie's by the water again...we all find a comfortable spot and take in the vast expanse of Georgian Bay...serene and lovely...

We are ready to hit the trail again and put this trip to bed...we are about to round the cape at Lion's Head Point and start to follow the southern shoreline of Isthmus Bay...

But first, we need to climb back to the top...

The warm offshore breeze leaves an interesting ripple effect on the water below...

Hike...regroup...repeat...

I am pretty sure this is what is deemed to be the "Lion's Head" but it was never 100% confirmed by our tour guide...

A very cool rock window...

We haven't encountered many other hikers but we do start to meet some coming the other way from the park entrance towards which we are headed...

We come across an area featuring escarpment potholes...neat geological elements caused by the rapid spinning of small rocks or boulders caught in glacier melting eddies...

We soon come across the mother of all potholes...a 30' high cylinder cut out of the bedrock...erosion at its finest!..

Brian experiences the interior of the cylinder...

We begin the trail section that exits the park...we meet quite a few people, young, old, families... who are travelling in from the parking area in town...some appear better prepared than others but all are looking for the same thing...to connect with nature...a hanging embroidered cloth reminds us to "tread lightly"...

We arrive at the trail head parking lot...a quick boot brush and all that's left is a short walk back to our cabins...

We pass through a small RV park and along the waterfront pathway in Lion's Head...Barbara K-W examines an anchor from an old schooner...

We spend a few last moments together before starting our journey home...once again, we all agree that the shared experience has exceeded our expectations...sure there are tired feet (and the rest of the body), but the rewards for our efforts are incalculable...memories and and a sense of accomplishment. A big thank you to our leader Steve who has once again provided us with great accommodations and kept us moving in the right direction on the trail...

As I finish this blog, we are about to depart for our last trip to the peninsula...it will end at the cairn in Tobermory and result in the completion of the Bruce Trail by a long time member of the group...stay tuned for his story (and other adventures I'm sure) in the near future. 

The End