Day 7: Hiking to Streams, Cascades and Waterfalls

Good morning, friends! The day started like it always does, with a tasty espresso to get me pumped for the day. I packed up the vehicle and said goodbye to Nipigon. I tried to stop by the nearest Canadian Tire on the way out, but it was a small store and was closed.

Today I am journeying to Kakabeka Falls on my way to my end destination at Dog Lake Resort. It's going to be a trail-heavy day, full of winding roads and super sights! Here we go!

Superior Shores Road

The first hidden trail of the day started on Superior Shores Road. This 10 km dirt trail was set to end right on the shores of Lake Superior, promising magnificent views of this ginormous lake. For those of you not familiar with Lake Superior, it is one of the great lakes, and is the largest freshwater lake in the world! Standing on the shores of a lake like this makes you feel like you've arrived at the ocean.

Despite being a dirt road, this was comfortably drivable. The road was lined with lush tall trees, and today's skies were bright blue with no clouds in sight.

10 kilometers later I've reached the shore. Only one problem. I can't actually see it. Turns out this hidden trail leads to lake access that is all privately owned. So instead of seeing the vast expanse of lake in front of me, I see house after house, all privately gated. No lake access for me. Until I stumbled across one empty lot where a construction crew was hard at work.

The lot opened up to stunning views of the lake. So of course, I got out of my car and approached the workers who told me that they were constructing a home for a couple from London, England. The pair were planning to retire here, along the lake shore, and were now in the process of building their dream home.

I can totally understand the appeal of retirement life in this spot. But, let me tell you, they are really building in the middle of nowhere. Just imagine the cost of having all the equipment and workers transported down just that long 10 km dirt and gravel road! The construction crew told me the building of the house will require 80 trucks of gravel and 120 trucks of concrete alone. Based on the little bit of construction I oversaw for INCOM, I know the transport of just these 2 materials must be enormously costly to haul all this way.

But thanks to this build site, and the friendly workers there, I managed to get some great photos of the view. Have a look at the scene this couple will see from their house each day! But sadly this is not a hidden trail I'd recommend, as there isn't really a lookout point travellers can enjoy the views.

As I drove back to the main road, I came across a little friend. A cute and curious deer was peeking out at me from the trees and shrubs along the road. Apparently, I passed her inspection because after a time she leapt across the road gracefully and continued on her way.

Terry Fox Lookout

About 45 minutes later, I pulled off to visit the Terry Fox Lookout. A quick 2 km drive took me to the Terry Fox National Historic Person Monument. The Statue is of Terry Fox, an amputee & activist who ran across Canada to raise funds for cancer research.

From the monument area, there are some incredible views of Lake Superior off in the distance, framed by a wall of trees.

I stopped at the nearby lookout center and met Connie and Michaela who helped me hugely by guiding me on which route to take to visit some cascades and falls nearby, and finally to end up at the Dog Park Resort where I'd be "camping".

The pair of friendly ladies supplied me with some very useful maps of the trails and explanations on which to follow for the shortest route to all the key points I wanted to visit in the Thunder Bay area. Now feeling very well prepared I was off to do a bit of hiking to see some cascades and waterfalls! Thanks for the help, Connie and Michaela!

Cascade Falls Trail

I arrived at the small hiking train they had suggested and began my short trek to the first sight, Cascade Falls. The journey there was a really lovely little walk with small streams full of vegetation.

I was a bit worried about ticks. I had been very seriously warned that they are everywhere in this area and to be very careful. So I loaded myself up with deet and prayed I wouldn't face any tick attacks on the way.

The total hike to the falls was about a mile, and not difficult at all. More like a relaxing leisurely stroll. The Cascades were lovely, though nothing too large or dramatic, but still a great spot to stop and listen to the rushing water and enjoy the breeze through the trees.

Kakabeka Waterfall

I continued along in the car, next stop was the impressive Kakabeka Falls about a half-hour drive away. Arriving at the falls I was completely in awe! It was huge!

The power of the falls was breathtaking. The roar of the flowing water was so loud and I was blown away by how strong the current was. I couldn't stop taking photos and videos of this incredible natural phenomenon. Just look at the scale of it! I felt so small just standing off to the side of such a huge waterfall.

The Bakery with No Bread

I was getting hungry after my little hike to the cascade and my wonderous experience at the falls. I had finished all 16 sandwiches I'd prepared back in North Bay and needed to replenish my sandwich and snack supplies. I saw a bakery nearby and ran in to buy some fresh bread, but plot twist...the bakery had no bread...

So I had to change tactics. I went instead to Odena Super Foods, which luckily had everything I needed to make about 100 sandwiches. Ok, not 100, but at least 20! I got a couple of loaves of fresh bread, cheeses, butter, bell peppers, and some condiments for extra pazazz.

Dog River

I was off to see the final waterfall of the day. On the way, I pulled aside at a bridge crossing the Dog River to enjoy the view of the river flowing past.

The speed of the water was incredible, it was moving so fast! The views in the area were stunning, so I walked around a little bit and took some photos.

The Silver Falls Fail

My final hidden trail of the day was Silver Falls, and it was definitely a hidden one! It required me to park and then hike UP a mountain for 2.2 kilometers, and then hike back down the same way. That's a 4.5 km hike, guys! Well, I hadn't planned to hike back the way I came, and that's why this hidden trail was a fail.

BUT FIRST, a side note about my bear spray. No way was I about to do such a hike without being well prepared. I'm happy I brought the bear spray with me. No, I didn't see any bears, BUT I could have!!! I was way deep in the wilderness.... and no one around for miles...

After the strenuous climb uphill for 2+ kilometers, I reached a very sad sad letdown. I made it all the way here for the promise of waterfalls, but what did I get instead? A closed road, a collection of private property signs, and some weird shiny building.

Apparently, Ontario Power decided to close off the whole area with very clear "No Trespassing" signs all over. Who knows why. But since the rest of the trail was now deemed private property and completely fenced off, it seemed my mountain expedition to the falls would end in failure. Would have been nice if Ontario Power had put up signs at the BEGINNING of the trail so old farts like me didn't come all this way for nothing.

After a bit of muttering and feeling sorry for myself, I decided to change my mindset and make lemonade from lemons. The bright side? I got a solid workout today. I might have even cancelled out that sneaky chocolate bar I ate back at Candy World.... Also, the trail was really a very beautiful one, and I was out in the fresh air feeling free as a bird. Plus I'd already seen two very nice falls earlier today, so missing out on one wasn't so bad. Also, the way back is now all downhill. So at least the hard part is over.

I need to update the Information Center that this path no longer has access to the falls. When I spoke with Connie and Michaela they said that there was a longer trail that reaches all the waterfalls. However, this was an almost 8-mile trail, and I thought that might be a bit challenging for me (to put it mildly). 8 miles alone, no phone, a defective CB radio, and bears....No Thank YOU!! 😂

The Longest 3 Miles

So at this point, I'm driving to Dog Lake Resort, my home for the night, and the road is getting interesting. A sign tells me the next few miles will be "the longest 3 miles you will ever know". They weren't kidding. You have to drive so slowly here. Why? Because this is not really a road, it is, in fact, a trail pretending to be a road. .

I'm getting flashbacks back to the forbidden trail. That's how bad the quality of road is here...

Impressively there are a lot of other vehicles on this road that are not 4x4s and they are doing very well. Way to go everyone! Bunch of good drivers. I'm very impressed. Canadians seem to be able to make every car behave like a 4x4.

When I get back to Dallas, I am spoiling my car and buying him four brand new tires in gratitude for driving me through all these beautiful places with horrid roads made of pebbles, sticks and shards of rock. Go, Mercedes-Benz, Go!

Dog Lake Resort

I have arrived at today's final destination, Dog Lake Resort! First thoughts? I love the look of this place already. It makes me feel like I'll be camping tonight but without the outdoors part. A nice wooden cabin awaits!

I meet the cabin owner, Paul, and his mother, Irene. They are both extremely kind and friendly. I have brought with me a 14-year Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch for Paul since when we spoke on the phone he mentioned he loves scotch. I had told him I'd bring him a bottle if he supplied me with the best room in the house.

And oh did he deliver! I got the BEST cabin on the lake, with front-row views. Private, with a grove of trees right by the side, and easy access to and from my car.

I absolutely love the cabin. I love the location. I love the inside. It has everything I need. I feel like I'm glamping rather than being at a hotel, because the cabin is so adorable and rustic feeling, but it is certainly not high-tech. I feel like I'm camping "inside logs". 😄

It is exactly what the doctor ordered, the appeal of camping but with a full kitchen, private bathroom and cute little bedroom. I even have a small living room with a kitchen table to eat my meals as I enjoy the views of the water.

I got to work straight away on dinner since I hadn't eaten a real meal yet. Now that I had restocked on sandwich supplies I was ready to have a bite to eat and prep food for the road for the next 2-3 days.

Halfway through I realized I needed some salt and pepper and went to the main lodge's kitchen to borrow some. On the way back I realized I had locked myself out of my cabin. Whoops. 😳

To make matters worse, the flies were out in force, and not just any flies, the dreaded BLACK FLIES!!! For those of you lucky enough to not have ever encountered a black fly, let me tell you about them. Well, the only thing you need to know is they bite!!! And this isn't just an annoying little bite, it hurts! They can also sometimes be dangerous as some people have allergic reactions to these little devils. Yikes!

So I ran to the safety of my car as I waited for my saviour, Paul, to bring a spare key and let me back in.

Luckily I survived, and once Paul let me into my cabin, I made myself some nice eggs with butter on toast, and some bell peppers. I settled into my spot at the kitchen table and gazed at the lake as I ate my dinner in peace and quiet. Far far away from the swarms of black flies waiting to attack outside.

After dinner, I finished the meal prep and ended up with 18 sandwiches. I would have made 4 more, but one of the cheeses I'd bought smelt slightly off. I didn't want to take any chances with so much time on the road, so I tossed it. Which meant I didn't have enough "stuff" to put on my remaining pieces of bread. But waste not! I have frozen the last 8 slices of bread and will pick up some peanut butter and jelly tomorrow and lather those suckers up then.

I'm off to bed now. I've been watching the sunset and even at night, the lake resort is utterly breathtaking. The world is going silent outside, and I think I'll have a nice sleep tonight.

Goodnight and see you tomorrow!

-Shomo

For more incredible pictures of today's adventures, check out the photo gallery!