Pancake -Neys Bay, - Kakabeka Falls Ontario

9/9/16

My plan was to spend 6 days and 5 nights traveling around the North Shore of Lake Superior...this would put me just right for the closing dates on some of the parks of Sept 18th.  After Pancake Bay Casey and I continued to head West on the Trans Canada Highway around the lake.  The amount of wilderness is just amazing! Miles and miles of raw and untouched wilderness. 

...I saw signs for Agawa Native Rock Art Park.  So I decided to make the hike.  A day use fee was paid to an iron ranger of $7.50 CA...After the first section of the hike came upon this sign!!

Hmmm.  I just happened to be hiking at the same time 2 other ladies, a mother and daughter from Manitoba were hiking,... so we arrived at the rock wall at the same time... 

The hike was tough! All rocks and boulders and pretty steep! 

Once we got to the rock wall where many years ago Ojibwa people had canoed up to this rocky shoreline and drew their renditions on the rocks, we found this chain it was a safety hold chain.  Unfortunately the lake is very close to this rock ledge one has to walk out on and it's extremely slippery!! I held onto the chain you see here and still I slipped and fell...Fortunately I held on and didn't fall into the water!! Recall the warning sign people have been washed out to sea and drowned off this rock......I got a look at only these 2 glyphs...The chain takes you to where the rock jutts out as you see here.  The mother and daughter decided not to try it...

what I wanted to see but didn't

SO that was thrilling not...I had a nice bruise for my trouble, and scared the B-Jesus outta my hiking comrades! They both thought I was a goner...but I knew I was okay, I got up and slowly made my way back to safer footing after snapping this photo.  If I had been able to continue on around the rocky cliff, dozens more of this fab art was visible...but it was not worth the risk. 

The hike back was uneventful...once  at our vehicles we had a good laugh about the whole incident...but the young girl who looked about 14 yrs old was very distressed when I fell....I reassured her I was not a fool hearted person who takes risks, it was just too slippery for the shoes I was wearing! 

Back on the highway I stopped for the rest of the day at Neys Provincial Park. 

 

I met a woman who was also camping in her Chevy van, she was 73 yrs old and from Toronto and on her way to Vancouver Island to visit her son and his wife.

my spot at Neys

  She said she loved to travel alone, enjoyed the freedom of being solo and I understand that; we chatted about the fear that many have and how we have overcome that fear, travel as far as we like then stop when and where we wish.  It was nice to have someone to compare ideas with and to see her 10 yrs my senior still enjoying solo traveling!

Neys had a cold wind blowing but I did some beach combing and then watched the sunset it was amazing!!

for my son

dogs are not allowed on the beach, so Casey napped and I walked him later before it got completely dark. 

I was amazed by the sunset..

the next morning our westward journey continued...there are MANY pullouts with amazing views of the rocky coastline and the beautiful woods that thrive right by the waters edge of Lake Superior. 

Along the way I pulled into the town of Terrace Bay.  They put this light house up to try and entice tourists to stop! In my case it was the boast of a waterfall and free WiFi in the town center!! I wrote one of my blogs while visiting this town.  I was able to purchase some Canadian stamps to mail some postcards back home...and I got information about the waterfall, got gas for the van, and some more Canadian Currency at an ATM in the bank Foyer, it was Saturday and the bank was closed.  

  

the town had some cool murals I liked this one.

Then I drove to the Aguasabon Falls and Gorge.   A very easy boardwalk to a viewing platform.  There was not a great view of the falls, a better view could be had on the right side of the gorge but that trail was closed. Still it was an amazing view!

Park here then hike to the falls. 

Supplied and rested, back on the Trans Canada Highway it was more wonderful scenery as I continued making westerly progress..

including some amazing overlooks of the Trans Canada Railroad right of way!!

Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park was my next planned area to explore. 

PEACE

Eleanor Roosevelt: You must do the thing you think you can not.