We left a week ago with a very vague agenda and a goal to find as many good hikes as we could. Our hope was to visit many provincial and national parks as well. There are WAY too many in Ontario to see them all!

The beginning of the trip can be found here: Ontario! 3 women and a car looking for great hikes. Restoule & Grundy NP, Sudbury and AY Jackson conservation area

With a dismal weather forecast, we wimped out of camping and found an airbnb. The Bridgeway in Little Current was a great choice as the kitchenette meant we could still make our own food rather than count on restaurants. Before stocking the fridge we tried a local restaurant, Elliots. It was a fantastic choice! If you go to Little Current. Go to Elliots for sure!

September 20, 2021

With not much daylight left, we headed to Kagalong to check out the town and Bridal Veil falls. Being Monday, just about everything was closed but it was nice to walk around the town and do the easy hike near the falls.

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After contemplating life over plenty of coffee and breakfast, we decided it was a good day to explore the island by car. We’re also fair weather hikers. Thankfully there were a few breaks in the rain so we could find a couple of nice walks.

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The next day was still miserable but we decided it was now or never and set off to hike the infamous Cup and Saucer trail. The benefit to icky weather is fewer people on a popular trail. It’s a tough one in that there are lots of rocks to climb but another benefit is not much mud to wade through, Turned out we managed to get to the top with no rain. We started the long, forest section but the weather looked ominous so we headed back down. We still managed to get in a good 6 or 7 km.

The weather cleared again so we decided to try the M’Chigeeng trail. It was a little tricky to find as it’s behind a ball field and technically closed. The sign said use at your own risk so that was open enough for us. The trail is wide enough for a vehicle but pretty rocky and treacherous, plus it’s straight uphill. At the top we kept going in spite of all the signs pointing in the other direction. At the end it was worth it for a another spectacular view, this one of M’Chigeeng and area.

The next day we headed to Misery Bay. It was another miserable rainy day so it seemed appropriate. On the way we stopped at Kagalong to see if the Bridal Veil falls had changed with all the rain. The pool at the bottom was a bit bigger and there was a giant fish in it. It had nowhere to go so I wonder if it can survive?

Misery Bay Provincial park is at the end of a long, dirt road. As so many other things during the pandemic, everything was closed so not even bathroom access. After studying the map (thankfully posted outside the building) we enjoyed a really nice hike, an easy one for a change and a total of about 9 km. A good part of the trail is along the water front, Misery Bay in Lake Huron.

Our time on Manitoulin had come to an end and so on to the next adventure. For me, that was driving my car onto the ferry. This trip was pushing my boundaries. Yes, I’ve traveled extensively but this is the furthest I’ve ever driven and I’ve certainly never driven onto a ferry boat. EEK!

Stay tuned for the rest of the story 😉