Now that it was just Mark D, George, and I, we were on trail by 8 am, July 11, 2022, and ate breakfast when we found a breezy bug-free spot. We ate lunch at Fish Cove. A fog shrouded the entrance to the harbour making for a beautiful scene. We met two hikers who took the boat shuttle to the east end and were on day two of six heading back to Hattie Cove. They were very heavily loaded with gear.
The trail spent much of the day on the coast with challenging climbs. The inland stretches went by quickly. Our destination for the night, White Spruce Harbour, was worth the effort. Again, the breeze saved us from the bugs during chores and supper. We did retire by 8 pm, but we weren’t chased to the tents this time.
July 12, 2022 took us to the east end of the trail. We only had to hike 10 km to reach North Swallow Harbour so we set an easy pace and arrived just past 1 pm. Parks Canada has marked the end of the trail with a sign welcoming hikers. The campsite is equipped with two red Parks Canada Muskoka chairs. The wind was up on the coast making tent set-up a challenge, but bugs were nowhere in site. We napped the afternoon away and made good use of the chairs for supper. When the wind died and the bugs returned, we scurried back to our tents for the night.
We were now heading west and, as is our habit, considered how we could get there faster so we could have a short hike the final day and an easier drive home. We reached White Gravel River, our campsite, by 1 pm, July 13, 2022. I proposed that, since the weather was good and that we were feeling fresh, we push on to Fisherman’s Cove to make our next day easier. All agreed and we were there by 4:30pm. Being pleased with ourselves, we did laundry, washed up and ate supper by the beach.
George
George joined our high school staff as an enthusiastic teacher, and Mark K and I on his first canoe trip on the French River almost 30 years ago. He became my partner in leading Outers Club trips for almost 15 years and eventually became my Principal. George is an expert on camping gear and never shies from our adventure destination suggestions.