Day 46 Pukaskwa National Park

Driving once again on the shores of Lake Superior we are reminded of the drastic geographic difference in just a few hundred kilometres. The prairies are pastoral in their beauty. Driving along the Canadian shield and looking out over the sparkling expanse of Superior is majestic in its splendor. Colourful magpies make way for huge, shiny black crows. Rolling waves of crops give way to jagged cuts of rock, and the colourful fields of wildflowers are replaced with forests of trees that also appear to go on forever. The Trans Canada Highway, the good old TCH, remains the constant. That quirky ribbon of 7,500km highway that connects Vancouver Island with the island of NL gets you where you need to go. It certainly isn’t the Autobahn though! While crazy speeds are unlikely to cause you an issue, drivers pulling out to pass logging trucks on double-lane roads are to be noted. The abundant wildlife constantly demands your attention. The left-hand turns from active traffic lanes are still not my favourite. David grumbles, “A freaking traffic light on the TCH!”, every time we pass one, but perhaps one of our very favourites was the school crossing we passed this morning. Just a good, old fashion, school crossing – right on the highway! What could possibly go wrong?!

The other thing there is plenty of on these long travel days is time for random thoughts. What is a jackfish (a northern pike)… why is drag racing called drag racing (originates in a main street being called a main drag, because carts were dragged along there by a horse or ox)… how can you tell the difference between fireweed and loosestrife (fireweed has a round stem, loosestrife has a square stem)… how many provincial parks are there in northern Ontario (a lot!)… is this early morning mist or wildfire smoke (mostly mist, likely some smoke)… where is the nearest Walmart parking lot to Pukaskwa National Park (not close!)… does White Lake Provincial Park accommodate RV camping (yes!)… thank goodness for good cell coverage on the highway today! On long days of travel, when boredom threatens, and random thoughts prevail, Google is my friend!

Those last two questions weren’t really random. Today we took a risk we don’t often take. We travelled without reservations! There is a national park that is a jut of land along the shore of Lake Superior between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. They don’t take any reservations but operate strictly on a first-come-first-served basis. We had really wanted to check this one out, so we took the risk. Pukaskwa National Park is beautiful. We had travelled early today because we wanted our best shot at getting a site. We did it! When we pulled up to the registration kiosk, the young girl explained it was first-come policy and told us to drive around the park, find a site we liked, set up everything, and come back to register! No problem.

This park is the largest national park in Ontario, but a great deal of that area is wilderness. Traditional Territory of the Anishinaabe, this land and water has been home to the Biigtigong Nishnaabeg for 9,000 years according to artifacts found within the park. Representatives of the Biigtigong Nishnaabeg still work collaboratively with park staff to manage the land in a mutually agreed manner. In fact there is an article in the front of the park’s visitor’s guide highlighting how an elder in the community was, for years, an employee here in the park and helped shape the park. The campground itself forms a circular hub and is situated within walking distance of the park office, visitor centre, and the trailheads for the various paths that lead you to explore the wilderness – much as an Anishinaabe camp would have been created in a strategic location to make use of the natural resources in the area in a convenient but respectful manner. The upside of all of this for us is that we can leave our trailer hitched to the truck for a very quick getaway tomorrow and make use of every minute here to walk from our site and enjoy what this beautiful land and water has to offer. I am also so glad that we were here early because it gave us a full day to explore the park.

The guardians of the trailheads

Hattie Cove

The spot where Lake Superior fills Hattie Cove. Canoeists and kayakers are warned to stay away!

Sensitive sand dunes require a boardwalk

Beautiful beaches

How well said! Reminds me of Jonathan's book I just finished.

I reached out on my way up the stairs and this hill is entirely moss. I could bury my hand so easily. no way you could stand on it. Stairs necessary!

Beautiful views along the trail.

I loved how the trail was very naturally rugged until assistance was needed for your safety or the safety of the land.

This was our welcome sign to the Anishinaabe Camp within the park. It was handcrafted by local Knowledge Keepers, nestled in a protected cove. It is an incredible illustration of life lived before us and holds a place for tradition to live on. Built for both local communities and visitors, it is a meeting place to remember and honour.