Hike 33: Completing Sydenham - Bass Lake to Wiarton

Change in routine, Change in approach

 
Waking up and moving this morning, we endured physical challenges the like of which we have never yet experienced.  Our backs hurt, our legs felt like rubber, and the bottoms of our feet were so sore that instead of looking like intrepid hikers, we hobbled around our campsite like aged crones.  Nothing felt any better over the hour it took us to make breakfast, enjoy our repast, and pack our gear into our backpacks.  I think each of us wished that we could afford an extra day to spend more time at the Bass Lake campground.  Despite having to move on, we were nonetheless very grateful for having had the opportunity to shower, clean up, and dry off at the campground last night.

 
For the past two days, being full of excitement for setting out on our hike, and concerned that we would not get to our destination, we had pushed hard.   This approach was clearly a mistake – and last night we had to acknowledge that we can still reach our destination, even if it takes a little longer each day. To that end, we have changed our approach to this hike.  As such, today we have decided that we need to take more breaks to rest our bodies – perhaps stopping every hour or two to rest and take off our shoes. 

 
Sliding our backpacks onto our sore shoulders, we gingerly retraced our route down Sutherland Rd to the Bruce Trail.  Here we rejoined the main pathway with only a short section of the forested Lindenwood Management Area left.  With our bodies feeling a little better now that they had warmed up and moving, we navigated the muddy sections of the trail as we made our way northward.

 
Around thirty minutes later we emerged from the dense forested area into an open field.  From there we followed a fence line for a bit, before beginning a 4-5 kilometer stretch of easy roadway and access road walking, tracing the gravel routes of Cole’s Sideroad.  En route, small marshy sections lined the roadway and bird boxes dotted the top of farm fence posts.  We trekked the length of pastures filled with cows that were a mixture of curious and cautious as we ventured past. 
 

Possibilities and Side Trails

 
We reached the intersection of the roadway and the entrance to the Kemble Mountain section of the Bruce Trail after an hour of hiking.  There we decided to take a break in the midst a lovely apple orchard.   Sitting down with our backpacks off and Clif Bars in our hands, we pulled out Map 34 from the Bruce Trail Guidebook.

 

Almost instantly all three of us noticed the same thing – that the main trail toured some 10 kilometers around Kemble Mountain Management Area, only to return a few hundred feet away from our present position.  After this, the BTC ventured 5 kilometers up the long and rocky Colpoy’s Range Rd.  By contrast, a side trail which traversed the Slough of Despond was a “mere” 8 kilometers in length.  Our choice was hiking 16 kilometers versus 8 kilometers to get to the same point.  Hmmm…..

 

Here I will admit that there is nothing more tempting in life than a short cut made available to you when you are sore and uncertain.  The prospect of not weaving around Kemble Mountain and then climbing up a long stretch of roadway stood out, especially when there was an official Bruce Trail route that would make today both shorter and a little easier.  This short cut would also make the possibility of getting to the city of Wiarton much more likely.  Wiarton meant a hotel room, a large dinner, and comfort!  We estimated we could reach Wiarton in about 6 hours if we took the side trail.  By contrast, the main route would take 8-9 hours. 

 
Needless to say, it did not take much discussion, especially given the challenges of the first two days, to be convinced that following side trail through the Slough of Despond would make the day easier.  Especially since, beyond hiking from Owen Sound to Tobermory, the goal of this summer’s venture is to inspire a love of nature in a younger family member.   If every day’s trek was an unending march from dawn to dusk, it was highly likely that the outdoors would not endear itself to this young man.   Seeing him sitting on the ground, we knew that we had to change gears, and change our approach, least he end up hating nature because we pushed too far too fast.

With that said, nothing raises the spirits more than an announcement that the day’s hike will be shorter, easier, and that it will end with ice cream and a motel bed!
 

The Slough of Despond

 

Heaving our backpacks back on, we trekked eastward down the Slough of Despond Side Trail away from the main BTC pathway.  Following the rarely used concession road amid waist high reeds, we soon turned onto an access route which took us directly to the escarpment overlooking the marshlands of the region.  There we began to weave between ponds of sitting water and bogs filled with song birds, reeds, and biting mosquitoes.  Having worked in the backwoods of Canada for a number of years, I have garnered a healthy respect for places with unique names.  I have long since given up on the belief that such locations have been so named out of any sense of history or imagination, and instead come to terms with the fact that many places have names which are descriptive of local realities. 

The truth is however, the name of this region refers to a location in John Bunyan’s text “The Pilgrims Progress”.  For Bunyan, the Slough of Despond is a place of challenge through which all must cross and be tested in order to get to their final destination.  Marching with bug nets over our heads, and our limbs liberally sprayed with Ben’s insect repellant, the idea that we were being tested certainly seemed to fit our present circumstances.  Our resident teenager also began to repeatedly mutter the word “despond”, “despond”, “despond” – a clear warning of his changing mood about this region.   About all I can say is that at least the mosquitoes were grateful for us to be venturing through there – though I had admittedly begun to wonder if we were being punished for not sticking to the main route of the Bruce Trail.  Was this hiker karma for us shortening the route?  Regardless of our doubts or circumstances, there was to be no turning back, the decision had been made, and we were on our way.

 

A thing or two about Wetlands…

 
Sometime during this stretch of mosquitoes and black flies, our younger family member asked a great question – what is the difference between a marsh and a slough?  While we did not have the answer on hand, the question would lead us to look it up later.  As it turns out, the answer is a little more complex than merely distinguishing between these two terms. According to the BTC guidebook, the Slough of Despond is an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest, which means that it is a region that contains features that represent lands and waters that are important for natural heritage, protection, appreciation, and scientific study. 

 
The region of the Slough of Despond is a wetland that was formed by a barrier beach created by Lake Algonquin, which is the glacial precursor of Georgian Bay.  Unlike many other marshy regions across Ontario and Canada, it has not been drained.  Wetlands, despite being essential habitats for bird life and amphibians, as well as their amazing ability to clean drinking water, have long been coveted for the nutrient rich soil they produce, which makes perfect farmland.   

 

These details aside, back to the original question – What is the difference between a marsh and a slough?  Well, in a general sense, they are both wetlands, as are swamps, blogs, fens, morass, and everglades.  Each of these geographical features are characterized and distinguished from one another by the plant life they hold, where their water source originates, how much water they hold, and whether they give way to the decomposition of organic material or not.  Accordingly…
 
Wetlands are low lying regions saturated with water, either seasonally or permanently. The term wetland is also used more broadly to refer to swamps, marshes, and bogs, which are similar but have a number of key differences.
 
Specifically, swamps are forested wetlands that are located near to where the land meets with a large lake or river.  Swamps tend to be along waterways, located either amid flood plains or on coastal, intertidal, regions and they are often defined by the type of tree growing in them.  Swamps in particular tend to have slow moving water that supports woody plants, such as cypress trees and shrubs, and they can be in either fresh or saltwater regions.
 
Alternatively, marshes are similar to swamps but have few trees and are instead filled with softer non-woody plants like grasses, cattails, or reeds.  Marshes can also be either fresh or saltwater, but produce rich waterlogged soil that supports plant life.  In general, there are three types of marshes: tidal freshwater, tidal saltwater, and inland freshwater.
 
Yet another area is a bog, which is often confused with both swamps and marshes.  Fed primarily by rain water, bogs are actually highly acidic and have low oxygen levels.  As a result, organic matter accumulates faster than it decays, and so bogs are characterized by an accumulation of peat and leftover dead plant material.  In addition, this lack of nutrients means that bogs have an inability to support plant life.  Bogs achieved notoriety as a source for peat moss, which has historically been harvested for burning, as a source of fire and heat.
 
The final distinction is a slough, which is actually a mixture of swamps and marshes.  Sloughs are typically the result of backwater from a river, and have a large amount of dead plant material, such as decaying leaves that have formed topsoil.
 
Beyond these ecological features, there are still more distinctions such as fens, (groundwater bog), mires, morass (impassible swamp or bog), and everglades.  Each of these has its own characteristics and unique role amid large regional ecosystems.

 

Through the Slough

 

With our bug nets tightly on and our heads down, we pushed through the dense forest filled with ferns, fungus, and flowers, which overlooked the main wetland below.  Beyond the swarms of mosquitoes, my memory of this section is of an easy stretch of trail that was somewhat overgrown, but which was still identifiable and passable.   At a number of points, we were provided with beautiful lookouts over the region before following the President’s Path to the northern boundary of the Slough. 

Reaching Colpoy’s Range Rd, we climbed and descended the stile over the rough wood rail fencing, and rejoined the main Bruce Trail, which had been running along roadways for almost 10 kilometers prior to beginning its climb to reach Skinner’s Bluff.

A Break and a Decision

 
By the time of our arrival onto Skinner’s Bluff, we had reached our “soft goal” or fall back destination for the day.  More exciting for us was that it was still before noon – this marked the first time with a younger relative on our trek that we had covered our goal for the day.  There, on the side of the roadway, we took our second break for the day.  I must admit that the Bass Lake campground hosts had told us this morning that if we wanted to get picked up at this location and brought back to Bass Lake for another night, that we should give them a call.  It was such a gracious offer, and one that I admit seriously tempted me.   As we enjoyed a few snacks and water while taking in views of Colpoy’s Bay, we again talked about what to do.  To our surprise, it was the teenager of the group who was most adamant that the remaining 16-18 kilometers to Wiarton “could easily be handled this afternoon.”  The switch had been thrown from grumbling and stumbling, towards pushing on. 
 

Skinner’s Bluff Management Area

With cooler weather and beautiful views, we soon headed off, with Wiarton as our goal.  Skinner’s Bluff Management Area is clearly a popular area, a fact which soon became clear from the sheer number of cars parked everywhere along the roadway at the entrance.  Passing blue signs for Skinner’s Bluff, we stepped on to the narrow, hard packed path that traced the top ridge of the escarpment for the next 8 kilometers.  Trekking on, the landscape slowly climbed to the pinnacle of the bluff, which overlooked Colpoy’s Bay.  En route, we navigated a constant maze of tree roots sprawling across the trail, and the (now usual) rocky terrain amid a dense forest, which provided welcome shade amid the afternoon’s rising temperatures.

 

As we covered the kilometers we passed a number of staggering and unnerving drop offs, which doubled as lookouts for the intrepid masses taking pictures at them.  Unfortunately, we didn’t really get a great view of the bay, as much of the view was obscured by the haze and humidity of the day, and most of the lookouts were filled with crowds of people.  With little interest in waiting for a fleeting look, we simply continued on.  

Heading west, the dirt pathway widened out as it slowly navigated around the bay toward Wiarton.  Interestingly, Colpoy’s Bay and other similarly named sites in this region are named after the eighteenth century British Naval Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Griffith Colpoys. This distinguished gentleman engaged a naval fleet at the Battle of Cape Finisterra during the Napoleonic War (a location known by many on the Camino de Santiago), participated in the War of 1812 by re-establishing British control of Maine, and later served as the commander of the navy in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

 
After almost 2 hours and 7 kilometers of hiking the Skinner’s Bluff section, the trail seamlessly took us into the Bruce’s Caves Conservation Area. 
 

Bruce’s Caves Conservation Area

 

Following the wide, flat pathway, we soon arrived at the BTC side Trail to Bruce’s Caves – which we took the opportunity to explore and rest at.  Venturing down the side of the escarpment amid the trees and mosses, we soon arrived at the geological feature known as Bruce’s Caves.  Interestingly, they were named after a hermit, Robert Bruce, who owned and lived on the property in the early part of the twentieth century, and subsequently began to charge people to visit the caves.   After he passed away in 1908, there were no longer any fees for visiting this region and exploring its unique rock formations.  The largest of the caves is a huge cavern, and is distinctive for the double arch at its entrance. 

According to our Bruce Trail Guidebook, this cavern was likely formed by wave action of Lake Algonquin as it washed against the soft limestone of the Niagara Escarpment.  Walking into the wave, we marveled at its sheer size, as well as the knowledge that much of this was at one point underwater. 

 

While all this natural beauty might seem to be the key attraction - for a group of hikers, it was in fact the picnic tables and washrooms which stood out the most upon our arrival.  There is no denying that by the time we had reached Bruce’s Caves we were tired, footsore, and questioning our earlier decision to push as far as Wiarton.  Having now covered almost 30 kilometers of trail today, and still having about 7 kilometers more to go, we welcomed the opportunity to sit down and rest without our backpacks on. 

 
Isn’t it odd how the notion of walking 7 kilometers seems like nothing, but the realities of trekking 7 kilometers more after already covering 30 kilometers, can be so mentally exhausting?

Road Walking and Road Allowances

 
Shortly after setting back onto the main route of the Bruce Trail, the path left the forest and escarpment ridge behind, and followed Grey Road 1 heading into Wiarton.   Approaching the end of a long day (our longest at this point) on the Bruce Trail, we welcomed the easy road walking into town.  With little more than determination driving us, we trekked past weathered barns and open agricultural fields.  We passed through the community of Oxenden, and now only a few kilometers out of Wiarton, had to contend with the increase in local traffic.  Despite how busy this stretch was, we nonetheless enjoyed having a break from the cracks and crevices which had dotted the landscape and pathway since before Owen Sound.

 
After 30 minutes of walking along roadways, the BTC wove onto the property of the Wiarton Airport, otherwise known as Wiarton Keppel International Airport.  Entering into this stretch, we departed the road and began venturing along a wide muddy track amid waste high grass.  Here our shoes and socks were soon soaked through as we trekked past wide open fields and the long paved runways.  Above us, small aircraft took off and flew over head, while frogs squeaked as they hurriedly vacated the puddles around us.
 

Wiarton and Groundhog’s Day

 

The trail eventually led us down off the bluffs on a step ladder, and we emerged onto the city streets of Wiarton!  We had covered 38 kilometers, and we had made it! Walking through town, we passed signs for downtown, the campground, and the extensive Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.  The Waterfront Trail is a signed, 3,600 kilometer long route connecting 155 communities across Ontario, which gives users the possibility of following along the shorelines of the Great Lakes.  We had already seen signs for the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail in Niagara, Hamilton, and Toronto, but were somewhat surprised to see it again here. 

 
The city of Wiarton is located at the southern end of Colpoy’s Bay, and it was established in the 1850-1860s along an Indigenous portage route, and as the headquarters for the regional logging industry.   The town was named Wiarton in 1868 after the birthplace of Sir Edmund Walker Head, in Kent England, who was the governor of the province of Canada (1854-1861) at the time the region was surveyed.  By the late nineteenth century, Wiarton also became central to the province’s fishing industry, and it was connected to other urban centers through the Grand Truck Railway. Unfortunately, during the 1940s, the decline in timber supplies, fish catches, and the increased reliance on roads throughout the country led to the collapse of Wiarton’s key industries.  Since then, it has transitioned to being a tourist destination, which is known across North America since 1956 for its annual celebration of Groundhog’s Day.

Wiarton, 2004

 
Walking into Bluewater Park on the city’s waterfront, we arrived at a 4.5 ton groundhog statue known as “Willie Emerges”.  This commemorative icon is carved from dolomite stone from the Niagara Escarpment.  On previous visits we have come here to see both the living Wiarton Willie in his enclosure, and this statue.  Today however, thoroughly exhausted, we arrived at the water’s edge and simply walked on without pause.   Soon after, we arrived at the municipal campground and shaded picnic area, where we stopped to rest, get our bearings, and reserve a motel room for the night.
 

Sydenham Section / Peninsula Boundary

The history of Wiarton, and the presence of Wiarton Willie aside, our arrival into town meant that we have reached the “Gateway to the Bruce Peninsula.”  And while today we are simply grateful to have gotten 68 kilometers of the Bruce Trail from Owen Sound to Wiarton completed – in a wider sense of things, getting here means that we have officially passed out of the Sydenham Section of the BTC and are now at the beginning of the Peninsula Section! 

It also means, in terms of our other hikes and adventures on the BTC, that we have hiked approximately 732 kilometers, have a “mere” 165 kilometers to go before Tobermory and our goal of walking the entire Bruce Trail from south to north is achieved!

Rest, Resupply, and Reflection

 
Getting to Wiarton this evening means that we are due for a large celebratory dinner, a warm shower, and a night in a local motel.  Today’s trek between Bass Lake and Wiarton took us over a diversity of landscapes across fields, down country lands, through forests, along the ridge of the Niagara Escarpment, and into ancient caves.  While the distance was physically challenging, the Bruce Trail itself made for relatively easy going through the Slough of Despond and along Skinner’s Bluff. 

 
We have now trekked 72 kilometers over 3 days on the BTC, with an estimated 164 kilometers left to cover before Tobermory. Regardless of what lies ahead, we are definitely feeling better with today’s accomplishment – driven by the energy and excitement of the youngest member of the group!