Getting Lost in Muskoka (Spiritually and Literally)

I’ve returned from a few days “up north” immersed in this year’s fall colours. Whenever you take a vacation, you hope to have stories to tell, and in my case, photographs to go with them. I definitely do for this trip.

This was a visit to several stops, including Gravenhurst and Huntsville and various tourist attractions associated with or close by each. I decided to string a number of stopping points together and make a 3 day mini-vacation out of it. You could just as easily take a single day and drive a couple of hours, get the immersive experience, and return home. Many do.

There is something about Fall and fall colour here in Ontario, Canada that has always drawn me emotionally. It signals the end of summer, but also points to change, and warns us warm-blooded (and cold-blooded) souls to prepare for the cold. The last few years, I’ve looked forward to the change of seasons. It brings a sense of calm and progression – an order in a chaotic world. Did I make the most of it this year? Read on…

The first stop on my trip was Gravenhurst, Ontario. It was a beautiful, sunny day, with a gentle but cool breeze, with a temperature we had not seen for months – about 15C. It was perfect. The drive up was pleasant and scenic. I was there with a group of avid photographers from the Whitby Photographic Club, a club associated with the Senior Centre in Whitby. We go on regular outings and this was a particularly nice one – up to Gravenhurst for a mid-day cruise on the Muskoka Steamship Line.

The Gravenhurst port was abuzz with activity. Most of us there were seniors, but there were also a fair number of out of town tourists, judging by the license plates and the languages being spoken. This line runs every year from April to October and uses two refurbished steamships to ferry passengers around Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. It has been in existence since 1866.

We had a fabulous day touring the surrounds. It got very breezy the further out we got, but it was wonderful. I wandered the decks with my mates, got to know them better and took some lovely images and video. We saw home after home dotting the shoreline, obviously upscale, with 3 or more moorings for the family boats, with boathouses bigger than my dryland house. It must be fantastic to be up here for the summer, but the cooler Fall weather meant I didn’t see a soul onshore now. It gave me a true sense of the season, with woodland fall colours now accenting the carefully chosen colours of each home. We even had what looked like an acrobatic demonstration from the Ontario Provincial Police, who had a gaggle of boats on the water following one another and doing maneuvers.

As quick as that, it was over, and we were back on land, enjoying a late lunch together, laughing and sharing stories and great food. The group was there only for the day, and we parted company, me heading north to Huntsville and they heading back south to Whitby and surrounds.

I arrived in Huntsville a little wind blown and decided to stay in for the evening planning the next two days. The hotel was modern and comfortable – just like I like it. No rustic cabins for me. But put the hotel in a nice scenic location away from the city and it will be even better. I like having my cake and eating it too, lol.

I decided I would be a typical tourist, and googled “landmarks near me”. I landed on 4 results that I would explore over the next two days:

• Arrowhead Provincial Park
• Lion’s Lookout in Huntsville
• Beck Lake in Algonquin Park
• Hardwood Lookout in Algonquin Park

Now most folks would cover these in one day, but when you are in your 7th decade, things take a bit longer. I knew I would need stopping points along the way. I also wanted to enjoy the drives up and back, so I’m sure I annoyed many driving the speed limit while admiring the scenery. I didn’t care.

The next day two days broke with sunshine and frost on the car, so I knew the weather would be perfect – for me. Nothing nicer than being comfortable while strolling. After breakfast each day, I loaded the car and headed to the designated location, at least that was the plan.

The directions to Arrowhead Provincial Park could not have been more clear. Google could not have been more clear. But somehow, twice, I got turned around and going in circles on Hwy 11. Eventually, I just decided to go the “other” way opposite to what I thought Google was telling me, and I found it right away. To this moment, I don’t know if it was me or Google who messed up.

That done, it was a perfect few hours in the park, mostly quiet now in Fall, with only the fragrant smell of pine telling me I was in a forest. I of course visited the Big Bend, somewhat less big because of the lack of rain this year, but still impressive. As I stood on the platform taking my photos, a lady from a nearby family was heard to exclaim “professional” after she saw my camera. I was ok with that.

On leaving the park, I drove around the area for a while, just immersing myself in the environment, then made my way back to the east side of Huntsville to Lion’s Lookout, a scenic lookout that requires driving up a somewhat steep road with limited negotiation of traffic that might be coming the other way and very limited parking at the top. Some people walk it. That wasn’t an option for me.

Luckily I did find parking, only to be defeated by the number of people at the site. Every angle was covered with tourists taking selfies. So I enjoyed the view, took a few “I was here” shots and left after about 15 minutes. While I realize that out of province tourists have as much right to the site as I do, a few minutes of quiet thought gazing out over the landscape would have been lovely.

More driving and stopping at a variety of local points of interest, then back to the hotel. The next day was all about Algonquin Park, and I headed out with the objective of finding at least two trails that I could safely navigate. I made three conscious decisions with this is mind. I recently replaced my large camera bag with one 1/2 the size, which forces me to take one camera and lens only, along with some supplies. This was liberating. Secondly, I now walk with either walking sticks or even a walker to compensate for imbalance and mobility issues. This day it was walking sticks. Thirdly, a recent discovery was a tendency to dehydration – I never drink enough water. This affects joint mobility and joint pain as I’ve discovered. I was determined that would not happen here. I water-loaded before, during and after the outing.

Checking in at the Visitor Centre, I asked about trails that would serve my purpose. Sadly, I was told that the best options were on the EAST side of the park, about 45km away. They were the only two options rated as easy. There were a couple of choices I could try on the west side, but may not be able to complete them, as everything is rated as moderate or difficult. Sigh. Checking the map, I decided to investigate Peck Lake, Canoe Lake and Hardwood Lookout. The first two were short visits, pleasant but not what I was looking for. I made my way to Hardwood Lookout, and found this:

A pleasant, short walk – perfect. Off I went. Moderate rating ignored.

The first part of the trail was indeed pleasant, with gravel on the trail and even wooden walkways. Then things changed. I started to notice the number of uphill sections on the trail. A lot of them. I also noticed the increasing number of rocks in the trail, along with tree roots. My walking sticks served me well as I slowly navigated the increasingly difficult path, knowing, yes knowing, that it was a short inconvenience with a great view at the top.

I walked and walked and walked. I climbed up and stepped back down repeatedly. Surely I was getting there soon. Surely…

About 2 hours later, I realized that I was lost. I did not recognize where I was, even though I was sure that I had somehow duplicated my walk. I swear I had looked for and followed the trail markings. I had followed other people on the trail, all moving faster than me, so I eventually lost them. I assumed we were all going to the same place. Now I was tired, sweating and now had the shakes in my knees. It made walking harder. So I stopped, waiting. Eventually, a young family came along with two young adults, an older relative and a young child. I asked them if they were headed back to the parking lot. They were. Turns out it was in the opposite direction to the one I was walking in.

Also as it turns out, the direction back actually took us up to the lookout, requiring climbing some really steep hills for me. A second young family with two kids came by and joined in helping me. They told me stories of getting lost themselves, in worse conditions, and tried to prop me up spiritually. It was embarrassing frankly, but we laughed and joked about it.

Then we arrived at the lookout and stopped to admire it. It also gave me a rest. The view, the rest, the cooler breezes up here brought me right back to life. It was the spiritual cleaning that I needed at that moment. I took some photos with my camera, taking deep, refreshing breaths as I went.

Then it was time to leave, and I wondered just how long and hard the trek back would be.

Ten minutes later, a couple of small downward hills, and a stop to sign the visitor register near the beginning of the trail, and we were back in the parking lot. Truly an embarrassing outcome to realize we were so close to the end really from the beginning. I thanked both families and wished them well on their remaining vacations.

Back in the car, I reflected on what I had learned. I definitely need to research my plans more. I also realized that I probably could have used my cellphone to help me navigate, as it always records my starting point, however cell signals are a bit weak on the trail. But I didn’t even try. On a positive note, I was glad I completed the walk, and my body did not really hurt much at all. The water loading and other prep had stood me well. And it was great to meet some new people, and share our experiences.

I do hope to try additional similar hikes in the future. But I will start at home first. There are lovely trails around me, just with a few less hills, tree roots and Canadian Shield rocks. Hopefully in this 7th, soon to be 8th, decade of my life, I can continue to explore my true outdoor spirit.