Day 16 Quetico Provincial Park

 We awoke this morning to glorious sunshine and a beauty of a day. It really was the first time since we started on this trip that we were compelled to go outside with our morning coffee. This morning there no way to keep me inside. 


David makes delicious camping oatmeal 
Our pet chipmunk! I saw an online cartoon. It was a chipmunk and a rat chatting,
and the rat was asking the chipmunk, "Who does your PR?"

After a lovely, gentle start, with a warm welcome from local woodland creatures including our pet chipmunk (and no we are NOT feeding him) and sparrow, cedar waxwings, robins, and countless other birds, but not many mosquitos, we decided to try another hike.

We separated from Jonathan and Jenna today as they wanted a little more adventure and we still have some of David’s lingering side-effects to consider. That sounds like we may not have been able to enjoy our ventures quite as much as Jonathan and Jenna. As it turned out, it was quite the opposite – we scored big time!

Paul Kane was a famous Canadian artist who travelled with the Hudson Bay Trading Company in the 1840’s. He painted of the lifestyles and peoples of the time, including his interactions with the Anishinaabe people. French River Rapids is one such painting. The trail we picked this morning follows his route to the site of his masterpiece. The trail end was confirmed as the location for the painting in an archaeological survey of the area conducted by the Royal Ontario Museum in 2008-09. It was first written about in 1688 by Jacques de Noyon as a portage route for early French settlers. It is also served as part of the Riel Rebellion route, as a Way Station linking Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) and Fort Garry (Winnipeg) in 1870, and later as a northern logging route in 1930s. In fact, for a time, this was the only all Canadian transportation route linking eastern and western Canada. This 2km hike had HISTORY, and as we hiked alone through this exquisite trail of wilderness, you could feel the history that had settled here. It was not at all hard to imagine the Anishinaabe peoples and the Voyageurs walking through this forest, marking their spot in time. Many have left footprints here, today was our turn.

* NOT SURE WHY, 😖, SUDDENLY MY PICTURES ARE POSTING IN THE WRONG ORDER.

Our only other company on this hike was this Snapping Turtle.
The French River

The rock face that was the backdrop for Paul Kane's famous picture.
Dragon flies doin' their thing - eat up boys!
The old rock dam was constructed in 1868 to raise water levels
and extend boat travel on the French River.
Pretty scenery
The remains of an old wooden culvert that went under a logging road in the 1930s
Some sections of the trail were so lush the ferns grew chest height
A fine crop
Can you not imagine the Anishinaabe walking here? Indigenous peoples will often speak of their ancestors' presence on the land. Today, I could absolutely understand that feeling and belief. 
Clearly a Pileated lives somewhere near by. No sound or sighting today, but he's here somewhere!

Returning from the hike today, once again very hot and a bit buggy, but the effort was 100% worth it – a beautiful hike, and an incredible experience. Poor Jonathan and Jenna did not do as well today with their choice. A quick text revealed they were very hot, it was excessively buggy, and not worth it! We waited at the Visitor’s Centre to pick them up. Even our wait was great!

Wait? No problem!

Wondering if we will ever get to see the night sky. But when the evening rains move in, we move into the trailer for another night of games and laughter!

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