Day 7

I woke up early this morning and walked down to the beach to watch the sunrise. Watching the sun come up is always one of my favorite things to do on vacation. I love being out and about and feeling like I am alone in the world. It was chilly once I wiggled out of my sleeping bag—the car is telling me it’s 59 degrees now—and the sand on the beach was so cold it numbed my bare feet. The water, as icy as it was, warmed them. I walked along the shore, my feet splashing in the lake as I waited for the sun to poke over the tree line. When it did, I could see the golden light reflected on the water. It wasn’t the most spectacular sunrise I’ve seen, but it was pretty. The air felt fresh and smelled of pine with hints of campfire. When I got back to our campsite, I woke G3 and Kati up and we broke down the tents.

The other day when we were in Sudbury, we drove past a park that appeared to have some sort of festival going on. The parking lot was packed and there was a long line of food trucks. Near the trucks were several flags set into the ground. Most were the Canadian flag, easy enough to identify by the big red maple leaf. But flapping in the midst of the flags was one Trump 2024 flag. We are in Canada. What could anyone here feel they have to gain from another four years of that man? I guess it demonstrates the intensity of the Trump cult. It crosses borders and makes me wonder if people really understand how dangerous his rhetoric is

This morning we are continuing our drive north along Superior. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and the water even bluer. Craggy rocks and green pines line the highway, but every so often there is a break in the tree line and we can see the lake, the sun sparkling off the water. It’s even prettier here than it is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Our first stop was Lake Superior Provincial Park to see the pictographs. The Provincial parks in Ontario, especially around Superior are gorgeous. They are prettier than most state parks we have been to, and we have been to many state parks in numerous states. But the Provincial Parks along Superior are even more scenic than some of the National Parks we’ve been to back home. I wish we had more time on the road. If we did, we’d take our time driving along the coast and we’d stop at and explore more of the parks.

The hike to the pictographs was only 400 meters, but much of it was a rock scramble. Rock scrambles are always fun and this one was no different. To see the pictographs we had to climb out onto a rock ledge. Signs warn that the terrain can be slippery, especially on a rainy or stormy day, when waves kick up onto the rocks. Luckily, the weather was perfect and the lake was completely calm, barely a ripple on the surface.

Agawa rock had been used by the Ojibwe people for more than two millennia before the arrival of people from Europe. The pictographs, however, only date back 150 to 400 years. The red paint was made by mixing powdered haematite rock with either fish oil or animal fat. They ojibwe painted the pictographs for different reasons, some are believed to record great achievements. They were impressive to see. I thought of my cousin while we were looking at them, knowing they were something she too would appreciate. Before we had gone out in the trail, the park ranger told us that it is a sacred area, that the indigenous people still go there to leave offerings. She advised us to act as we would in a church or other place of worship.

After seeing the pictographs, G3 and I climbed out onto the rocks, though he went further than I. He’s always enjoyed being out on rocks. Perhaps he was a mountain goat in a previous life. He made one jump that did frightened me and I told him not to do it again. Instead of looking like a goat, he appeared to think he might be Spiderman. Again, pictures will not do justice to the beauty of the landscape. The rocks jutting out into the water, the rock islands in the near distance, the shimmering blue and green water made it feel like we were in a mini-paradise.

We stopped for lunch in a town named Wawa—population 3,000–and ate at Krazy Fries. It’s a road side stand that serves greasy fired food. But when we’re on the road we don’t always have the opportunity to eat better, healthier food. At least it filled us up.

I am in love with Lake Superior. I think many of you already knew that. But my love has multiplied since being in Canada. This afternoon we drove to Pukaskwa National Park. Tomorrow, if all goes according to plan, we will be heading into the backcountry for a three day backpacking trip. Before going, we needed to attend a brief orientation and fill out paperwork, so we figured it was best to do that today. The whole registration process took less than an hour. When it was done, we took a short 2.2 kilometer hike along the Southern Headland Trail. We walked over craggy rocks and had some spectacular views of Superior. It really is gorgeous up here. We ended our hike at a beach on the curve of Horseshoe Bay.

Clouds had rolled in and the air temperature had dropped so that it was rather cool. But I didn’t care. I love Superior too much not to go swimming when given the opportunity. G3 was right there with me. The both of us jumped into the lake and I was pleasantly surprised to find that the water temperature was warmer than the air. G3 and I swam out a ways along the coast, then we swam across the bay. It was an incredibly enjoyable swim, probably one of the most enjoyable I’ve ever had, not just in Superior, but anywhere. Water deep enough to swim, warm enough that I’ll wasn’t cold, in a beautiful setting, what more could I want.

Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake, if you are judging by surface area. It contains ten percent of the planet’s surface freshwater. The Anishnabe people called the lake Chigaaming and they relied on it for their survival.

We were lucky to get a nice campsite in the National Park. It’s semi-secluded and we will be sleeping on sand which should more comfortable than rocky dirt.

Please excuse all my typos. I don’t have time to proofread because I want to post before I lose service. We are heading into the backcountry tomorrow where I expect no service at all. So if you don’t hear from me, don’t worry until Friday.