Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • Ontario
  • Paddling

Kayaking the Bruce Peninsula

  • June 9, 2015
  • Colin Field
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

Kayaking the Bruce Peninsula sounds like a good idea if you know what you’re doing. The problem with hanging out with easygoing dudes is you’re constantly forced to act as though things aren’t a big deal. So when we put together the annual Mountain Life kayak trip from Tobermory to Cabot Head, the fact that I had never really kayaked before was ignored.

In reality, I felt about as steady in a kayak as I do standing on a windsurfing board. Which, by the way, isn’t very steady. Add to that a steady wind, four-to-five-foot swells, a couple thousand dollars worth of camera gear and the foresight to pack nothing but cotton and it seemed I hadn’t quite think this through.

And as we paddled with all our strength out from Big Tub Harbour and into the crashing swells, I began to wonder if acting chilled out about this was a good idea. Had I actually bitten off more than I could chew? Sure these guys were confident in their own abilities, but what about mine? Had anyone considered how terrifying it can be wobbling uncontrollably, as wave after wave crashes across your bow? Had anyone thought about the fact that swimming to shore in the icy water of spring is potentially life-threatening?

The trip, which in theory offers the best possible vista of coastal Niagara Escarpment, took us out of Tobermory, past Fathom Five National Marine Park and down the length of Bruce Peninsula National Park, an area notorious for bad weather and shipwrecks. Giant pebble beaches line the shore and massive cliffs rise from the water where they meet the thick cedar and mixed forests of the Peninsula. The aquamarine water looks Caribbean but in the spring it’s downright frigid.
DSC_0013small
Bruce Peninsula National Park (one of only 42 national parks in Canada) is the largest remaining chunk of natural habitat in southern Ontario. Four hundred million years ago the region was covered by a shallow tropical sea and contained a reef similar in size to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The sea has since dried up and fluctuating water levels over millennia have eroded the limestone and dolomite of the Escarpment creating great caves and multi-featured shorelines.

With 43 of Ontario’s 60 orchids found on the Peninsula, and thousand-year-old cedars clinging to the cliffside (in 1988 Dr. Douglas Larson of the University of Guelph discovered an 1845-year-old cedar on Flowerpot island), Bruce Peninsula National Park is a true gem of Ontario’s beauty.

Thankfully once we rounded the bend out of Big Tub Harbour, the wind was at our backs. Which meant we were rolling with the four-to-five-foot swells as they pushed us gently on our way. And we soon realized we could use the wind, too. Barging up together we fashioned a sail out of a tarp and our paddles and we cruised along at a mellow clip for the rest of the day. Being barged up felt safer than being alone.
DSC_0033small
When we finally disbanded and rode the sketchy sideshore waves onto the rocky beach for the night I wobbled uncontrollably with amateur nervousness, successfully filling my boat with water and drenching my sleeping bag. It was going to be a cold night.

But Mennonite sausage from Meaford’s Market sizzling on a frying pan, fine scotch and good conversation around a campfire (and friends willing to lend you dry clothes) will keep anyone warm through the night.

In the morning we packed up slowly and once again were blessed with blue skies and the wind at our backs. And we had another successful day of sailing. Stopping along the shoreline we explored nameless caves that went deep within the Escarpment, discovered old iron boilers from boats that had wrecked on the treacherous seas of Georgian Bay and enjoyed the pristine waters and amazing views of Ontario’s rocky spine.
Glen Harris
As we set up camp just outside Rocky Bay, the full moon casting its blue-light glow across our rocky campground, I absorbed the warmth of the stove. I couldn’t help but appreciate the versatility of the kayak. We were on a beach that was as empty as could be and we’d barely seen any signs of humans for two days. It felt as wild as Southern Ontario could get. And the only way to get to this spot was by kayak. Cabot Head’s dark profile, our final destination, loomed in the distance against the starry sky.

In the morning, when I sat in my kayak and rolled down the slope of the pebbled beach into the cold water of the Bay, for the first time since the trip began, I didn’t wobble uncontrollably. I finally felt somewhat comfortable in a kayak. And I felt confident I’d be exploring the shorelines of Georgian Bay by kayak again; as soon as possible.

DIY:
Thankfully, two of my five companions were trained kayak and whitewater rafting guides. And I wouldn’t have done this trip without them. Although the weather co-operated with us, a shift in weather could turn this trip catastrophic in an instant. Please consider your ability while planning this trip and if you have any doubts, hire a guide.
Suntrail
Thorncrest Outfitters 1-888-345-2925

IMG_5846small

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • boat
  • Bruce County
  • Bruce Peninsula
  • Kayak
  • Ontario
  • Spring
Colin Field

Previous Article
  • In This Issue

Coast Mountains Summer Issue: Wheels & Water

  • June 5, 2015
  • Editor
View Post
Next Article
  • The Great Outdoors

A Prickly Problem: How to Get Along with our Friend, the Porcupine

  • June 11, 2015
  • Ned Morgan
View Post
You May Also Like
Diana-Lee-Sunrise-SUP
View Post
  • Paddling

What SUP: Hardboard or Inflatable?

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 27, 2022
Mountain-Life-Blue-Mountains-Summer-2022-spreads-cover
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Photography

ML Blue Mountains Summer 2022 Issue Out Now

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 22, 2022
Mason Mashon Photo - Xaays Canoe Journey ML
View Post
  • Paddling

The Great Canoe

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 21, 2022
Property-Valet-HQ-group-Kristin-Schnelten
View Post
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Ontario

Property Valet: Creating (and Managing) Beautiful Memories

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 16, 2022
Explore-the-Bruce-Boating-Paddling
View Post
  • Mountain Biking
  • On The Trail
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Stay & Play
  • Travel

The Artistic River Village: Discovering Paisley

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 15, 2022
Great-Lakes-SUP-paddlers-islands-drone-Scott-Parent
View Post
  • Paddling
  • Trips & Expeditions

Voyage to the Windswept Islands

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 15, 2022
View Post
  • Ontario

Tap Into Water Quality

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 10, 2022
Jessy-Braidwood-and-Neve-Petersen-Paradise-Valley-Squamish-REANNAN-SHAY
View Post
  • CLIMBING
  • Food & Drink
  • In This Issue
  • Mountain Biking
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Paddling
  • Photography
  • Trips & Expeditions

ML Coast Mountains Summer ’22 Issue Out Now

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 8, 2022
Featured Posts
  • Hiking-with-children-mountains-kid-and-parent-Todd-Lawson 1
    Hiking with Children: Suffering Builds Character
    • June 28, 2022
  • Diana-Lee-Sunrise-SUP 2
    What SUP: Hardboard or Inflatable?
    • June 27, 2022
  • Nic-Groulx-Sam-Dickie-on-the-Great-Divide-Trail crop 3
    The Legend of Sam Dickie & the Cougar
    • June 23, 2022
  • Mason Mashon Photo - Xaays Canoe Journey ML 4
    The Great Canoe
    • June 21, 2022
  • Mountain-Life-Blue-Mountains-Summer-2022-spreads-cover 5
    ML Blue Mountains Summer 2022 Issue Out Now
    • June 22, 2022
RECENT POSTS
  • The-North-Face_SS21_Vectiv_Trail-Run_Saunders-
    Gear Shed: Summer Trail Shoes
    • June 20, 2022
  • The-Yin-and-Yang-of-Gerry-Lopez-still-2
    Friday Flick: The Yin & Yang of Gerry Lopez
    • June 17, 2022
  • Property-Valet-HQ-group-Kristin-Schnelten
    Property Valet: Creating (and Managing) Beautiful Memories
    • June 16, 2022
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
In the 10 years I’ve been paddleboarding, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, “Hardboard or inflatable: Which is better?” - @only1phoenixx
Morning rip with @jessemunden_ 🫡 #mountainlifer
Who’s having a multi-sport day?! 😆 @timemmett probably is.
Bruce County is much more than the Bruce Peninsula. We’re here to let you in on a secret: a thriving community nestled in Bruce County’s interior region, just waiting to be discovered. The village of Paisley offers something for everyone, and isn’t overrun by summer crowds.
The mere thought of a cougar or any other apex predator in our midst can turn a backcountry adventure into a psychological test of mind over matter. Luckily, our fears are mostly in our heads and few have experienced a negative wildlife encounter. But, for ultramarathoner @samuel.dickie, it got real. #Linkinbio to read more!
MAG DROP! 🤩
Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day (today and every day)!
Together with our partners we’ve picked our favourite summer trail shoes, in alpha order, for your crush-it summer. #linkinbio
Happy Father’s Day to all the RAD DADS out there!! 🙌
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
In the 10 years I’ve been paddleboarding, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, “Hardboard or inflatable: Which is better?” - @only1phoenixx
Morning rip with @jessemunden_ 🫡 #mountainlifer
Who’s having a multi-sport day?! 😆 @timemmett probably is.
Bruce County is much more than the Bruce Peninsula. We’re here to let you in on a secret: a thriving community nestled in Bruce County’s interior region, just waiting to be discovered. The village of Paisley offers something for everyone, and isn’t overrun by summer crowds.
The mere thought of a cougar or any other apex predator in our midst can turn a backcountry adventure into a psychological test of mind over matter. Luckily, our fears are mostly in our heads and few have experienced a negative wildlife encounter. But, for ultramarathoner @samuel.dickie, it got real. #Linkinbio to read more!
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.