Wow! I woke up this morning to quite the view. As I stepped out into the early morning air, I saw that the lake had a layer of fog sleepily floating by. The sunrise was turning the clouds pink, which was reflected beautifully by the perfectly still lake. Everything felt still and at peace.
After a couple of minutes, I went back into my cabin to pack up and make myself some breakfast before the long drive ahead. I cooked up some eggs over easy and a couple of slices of toast with butter and sat at my living room window to continue to watch the sunrise. What a way to enjoy some breakfast!
As I left Dog Lake Resort, it was still really early. I went to checkout and pay, but Paul was still sleeping so I left a note for him to call me so we could settle the bill. By early evening he had gotten in contact and we completed the payment.
There was no one around so early in the morning, and the lake looked pristine. Just the ducks and geese in the water lazily floating along without a care in the world. I guess they knew it wasn't hunting season just yet. 😆
I wanted to get an early start on the long drive ahead. Today we are going to road's end! That is, the farthest north paved road in Ontario. I'll be staying at the Pickle Lake Hotel which is in a First Nation city called Pickle, the last stop on the road. This is apparently the farthest place you can get to by car once the road finishes.
Because it's such a long drive, I wasn't planning to stop at many hidden trails, but I was surprised to find quite a few interesting sites right along the highway!
Tesla Supercharging Station
As I began my drive, I noticed a Tesla Supercharging Station off the highway and made a quick U-turn to go investigate. I had promised my wife, Ronit, that I'd send her a picture if I found one of these charging stations.
As luck would have it, right after I had pulled in and blocked all the stations for a quick photo op, a white Model 3 Tesla drove on in. This is a very empty stretch of highway and I hadn't seen any cars in ages. What are the odds that at that exact moment not only would another car be around, but a Tesla wanting to get a quick charge??
The driver gave me a dirty look that said "What do you, an ICE (internal combustion engine) car, think you're doing in a Tesla charging station?". 😳
I had a bit of explaining to do, so I went over to tell him that I just needed a photo for my blog of me pretending to charge my car and that my family has a bit of an affinity for Tesla. I explained how my son had been following Elon Musk since the early days, striving to become a developer for Elon Musk's SpaceX, buying into the Tesla stock really early on and now owns a Model 3 Tesla in Australia. Not only that, but my wife, who had never been a car person now also owns a Tesla and is completely in love with it. The guy laughed and all was well.
The Tesla owner parked his car and started charging. As he did he told me he was from Ottawa and that he finds it very easy to own a Tesla in Canada. He explained how there are plenty of charging stations along the way and has rarely had any trouble filling up.
It did make me wonder, could I have done this trip with a Tesla? Maybe... if I'd planned all my stops very very carefully, and didn't get too sidetracked with 10km long hidden trails. However, where we are going today, I know for a fact there are no chargers and even if I got there with a Tesla, it would not have enough charge for the way back.
Ignace Gas Station
After "charging" my Mercedes at the Tesla station, I stopped at a regular gas station to get him some real fuel in the small city of Ignace. This is one of the last spots for gas as you head up to the remote area of Pickle Lake.
While filling up, I met a young woman named Nikita who was on her way to Dryden. After seeing her 2 very cute pups in the back of the truck I just had to come over to say hello. The dogs reminded me of my 2 girls back home and just had to take a photo with their happy faces.
As this was my last real pit stop for a while, I filled the tank to the brim and also loaded up on some fuel for myself. I got some ice to top up my coffee and was ready to head to the remote northern part of Ontario.
The Silver Dollar
Ok, so maybe not quite yet. 40 minutes into my drive, I saw a sign for Silver Dollar and decided maybe it would be a good idea to also stock up on some water. You just never know, and it's important to stay hydrated!
It was a really nice little shop, in quite a remote area. Andrew, the guy who runs the place, gave me some great recommendations of places to visit such as the Quarry. He also informed me that the end of the road has apparently been extended! No longer does the road end at Picke, but actually, they have now paved a bit more of the stretch of road. Guess I'll need to travel a little farther to reach the promised Road's End!
SLOW DOWN!!
Back on the stretch of empty road, I suddenly came across an overturned car. It looked like it had been there a little while. Later on, I would learn that it had happened during the winter months when an accident resulted in the car being flipped on its top. I was surprised it was still there, but maybe since it's such a remote region they don't clear out wreckages as quickly. Or maybe it's just there as a reminder to SLOW DOWN!
Bear-Man
The roads were empty empty empty. And then suddenly! I saw something up ahead, crossing the road. We weren't near any towns, just forest on either side, which meant it could only be 1 thing...
I slowed to a stop from a safe distance, but it was too far away to see clearly. I placed my Samsung camera on the dashboard and did a 100x zoom to get a clearer idea of what was ahead, only to discover that what I had thought was a bear, was in fact a human! 🤣
Henry Street
Only 57 km until Pickle Lake, I decided it was time for a hidden trail. I turned into a small side road labelled simply as "Henry Street" and ended up in a tiny tiny community of just eight houses.
This little community had a lovely spot right on a beautiful lake. They had a little playground right on the shore and a gated-off generator which seemed to provide energy for the area. It did seem a bit run down, but I guess in an area like this supplies aren't just available down the road, and if you live right on a beautiful lake, who cares?
Need for Speed? Not Me
For the first time this trip, I witnessed a car being pulled over for speeding by a police officer. There were also 3 separate speed traps along the way! I was wondering how they had the resources to cover such amounts of land and open road, but they seem to be managing just fine. I imagine the remoteness of the area lends to many people feeling safe enough to speed. Not me, though! I do not speed. I follow the letter of the law!
I waved at all 3 officers as I drove by going 80 in the 80 zone. 👋 🤭
The Rock Mystery
During the next portion of my journey, it seemed there was no need for hidden trails, as there were plenty of mysteries right off the highway. The first one was the Riviting Rock Mystery!
Out of nowhere, there was just an array of giant rocks and no water to be seen! It seemed so strange for there to be all these rocks in this one spot, in the middle of nowhere, and we weren't even close to any rivers or lakes as far as I could tell. I did find out the answer to the mystery later in the day, but I won't reveal the secret just yet. What do you think the explanation is?
What do you think the answer to the mystery is?
There was a river here but it has gradually moved over time
This was a Native Burial site & the rocks mark graves
A dam was built nearby & it dried up this part of the river
No one knows, but it's an ancient site, like Stonehenge
Red Roof Church
Next, I came across a small church on the shore of a lake. It was tiny and seemed to be abandoned all the way out here with not much in the area. It was very picturesque and I could imagine churchgoers coming out here on beautiful Sunday mornings for their prayers, surrounded by the presence of nature.
Turns out, however, this is NOT abandoned. I found out later on that it is still very much in use and is called the Red Roof Church.
Highway Views
The roadside views continued to surprise me. At one point, the trees to the right parted and gave way to a beautiful view of a lake. Right off the side of the highway! I pulled over to get some pictures and closed my eyes to take in the complete silence. There was no one around at all. This is probably the quietest and most serene view from any highway I've experienced!
MISHKEEGOGAMANG
Not only did the views continue to give, but so did the mysteries! Here I found a large sign across the lake with what I can only guess is a name? That or an exclamation!
I found out later from a nice guest staying at the Pickle Lake Hotel that this is the name of the reservation. It is not just a city, or township, but the whole reservation area. Apparently, the "White Man's" name for the same region is "Ozzenberg". The lady from the hotel told me that she was from Thunder Bay and came to the area to do community work for the reservation of Ozzenberg/Mishkeegogamang.
Pickle Lake
I arrived at what was meant to be my final destination, Pickle Lake! But of course, as we learned earlier the road does not actually end here, but farther on.
I pulled into the Pickle Lake Hotel to check-in. There was just one person working the front room who told me to go on ahead to room 306 and that the key would be there waiting for me. The grounds were stunning, with another beautiful lake view! I was ready to get all settled in and unpack.
There was only 1 problem...
As I approached my car to unload, I saw that it was swarming with black flies and mosquitos! I had never seen them this ferocious. They were in full-blown attack mode! I had to hold my breath so as not to inhale them as I entered the cloud of insects to open my car door. I grabbed some items and closed the door again as fast as humanely possible, but in vain. There were now dozens of mosquitos and flies inside my car. 😩
I had to do this 3 more times to unpack everything and get it all to my hotel room. Why oh why are there so many mosquitos!?!? The bright side? At least I haven't seen any bears yet...
After I'd unloaded the car I went into the First Nation town of Pickle. I got caught in a storm moving by quickly and watched from the safety of an overhang. I love storms, so it was pleasant for me to experience. And even better, the rain and wind had the mosquitos and flies hiding, which meant no swarms on my way in and out of my car.
Flying High
While at the hotel I had seen a seaplane parked a few hundred feet away. So I meandered up to where it was resting and spoke to the man there. His name was Mark and he was the pilot. So I asked if he'd be willing to take me up for a ride.
He told me to speak to Christine, and whatever she says goes! So I spoke to the lady nearby who was super friendly and said "Sure! Tell him to take you for a spin around the Island". I asked her how much, and she told me not to worry about it!!! No Charge?? Free?? I was so touched. What an amazing attitude to have towards a complete stranger and visitor. Big shout out to Christine for her incredible hospitality! But I couldn't accept a free ride... I told Christine as much, listing out the pilot's time, gas, wear and tear and so on. After twisting her arm we agreed on a fair price and I was off!
I got into the passenger seat, and with Mark as captain of the ship (ehem seaplane), we took off and did a loop of the entire area. How incredible to see it all from a bird's eye view! The reflections on the water, all the hidden little ponds and rivers that lie unfound behind the lines of trees. There was so much to see!
I was sad when the trip came to an end, but so grateful for the chance to see it. And what an incredibly smooth landing from the very skilled pilot!
Back on the ground, I spoke to Christine about the interesting things I had seen off the side of the highway on my way in. She had answers about the church, sign AND the rocks!
You remember the Mystery Rocks? Well, now the mystery is being revealed. The answer is....(drumroll please), that this used to be a riverbed, but due to a new damn they built recently, this part of the river has dried up and there is no more water left! If you got that answer right give yourself a pat on the back!
I also learned that you can see the Northern Lights in this area in the winter, though sadly I came when they were not in season, so no lights tonight. Also, the nighttime temperatures drop dramatically, which means a relief from the black flies and mosquitos who don't like the cold. So at least there is a little break from those pesky flies. I'll be waking up very early tomorrow to pack up the car without them buzzing around.
The End of the Road
So since I promised you all the end of the paved road, I was off to find where the pavement ends. The new end is about 45 minutes of driving away. I took a sandwich with me to eat upon arrival and then head back to the hotel for a shower and rest.
And I finally made it! 50 minutes later, at 80 KMPH, I had reached the end of the road. 😉 There was something very satisfying about parking my car right where the pavement ended and the dirt road began. This is where we draw the line, ladies and gentlemen!
July Falls & Otoskwin River
On the way to and from the end of the road, I came across a river and some small "falls". I saw a sign that said July Falls on the drive-in and stopped to investigate. The waterfall was very modest, but still a lovely sight. The water was rushing along quickly, pouring off small declines and over large rocks.
Another sign indicated to Otoskwin River, which to me looked more like a big lake! It was huge! This is probably the widest river I've ever seen.
As I continued back to the hotel for the night, I saw they had erected a new tower and power lines. One of the giant towers was quite close to the road and hadn't been fenced off yet (as most of these towers tend to be sealed off so people don't try and climb them). I pulled over and began to climb... no, just kidding! 🤣 But I did take some cool, slightly artistic photos from under the belly of the tower.
I arrived back at the hotel not a moment too soon. I was exhausted! Ready for a great night's sleep...ZzZzzz
See you all tomorrow!
-Shlomo
For more incredible pictures of today's adventures, check out the photo gallery!
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