Jenkoz Odyssey Week 1

The end of our first week (almost) and we are on the far eastern boundary of Ontario, near Ottawa. So far we have stayed at four different locations in our trip across this half of Canada. Each place has been quite different from the previous and each offers its own particular attractions.
Neys Provincial Park, Lake Superior
Highly recommended by a number of people in Thunder Bay, Neys P.P. was a beautiful introduction to our tour of eastern Canada. The park nestles alongside the Pic River (the first 'dirty' river we have seen in Canada) and covers an area of geological importance. It stretches along a wide sandy beach littered with tonnes of wood in the form of logs and woodchips.

                               

Walking along the beach was a strange experience as lake mists rolled in and out during the day, hiding parts and revealing others.
The kids made new friends, Cora and Jeanna, who were marooned with their parents after their truck broke down as they were travelling to the Yukon for work. The girls happily came for a walk with us to see more of the park and together all of the children acted as ideal bear deterrents with the volume of noise they made along the walk.

                                                                                                                   
The lookout walking trail was what we chose and it didn't disappoint. The views were good, and the walk itself lead us through constantly changing environments. There were plenty of moss covered rocks, hidden small creeks and lush green foliage all the way.
                                                                                                                                                       

There were two lookouts as it turned out which gave us an overview of the park and surrounds, but of more interest was the train running around the edge of a sheer cliff face with enormous double decked carriages behind. What a train trip it would be for visitors, but alas it is only a freight line.

                                                                                                                               
But life wasn't all "walks in the park" for the travelling Jenkoz. The moment that we arrived to set up camp it began to rain. Lightly at first and so in my great wisdom I advised that we wait for it to pass and then set up. Actually that comment came AFTER a drenching and no success or prospect of getting the trailer setup without further drenching of beds as well. So 1 ½ hours later we were STILL bundled into the back of the car playing games and waiting for the now HEAVIER rainfall to stop or maybe even abate? We gave in and set up the trailer as the rain seemed to ease a little but we weren't going to be fooled by that ploy again; the rain eases then returns stronger than before. Unfortunately for us it wasn't a ploy this time and just as we completed the setting up of wet beds and soaked parents, the rain stopped completely and never returned while we were there. Ah the irony. No pictures folks, no pictures.
After a leisurely start for the day we were undecided as to the exact destination for the evening. Pancake bay had been mentioned as a place to visit but probably not stay due to its proximity to the main highway. We arrived at Pancake Bay at a good pull in time, but thought that indeed it was too close to the highway traffic for a good night sleep. Financially we also hoped to find a cheaper park nearby at Batchawana Bay, camping in provincial parks in Canada is more expensive than staying in caravan parks in much of Australia. For two nights at Neys we had to pay over $70CA. Provincial Parks are the same concept as National Parks in Australia, but with far more amenities such as electricity to your site, showers and toilets and the best drinking water on tap. Still at that rate we would be shelling out close to $400CA or $500AU per week just for accommodation. Enough justification for our penny-pinching- we opted to free camp. I think that the phrase, "How bad can it be?"briefly flitted through my mind before we started setting up camp. That idea was rather prophetic as it turned out.

To set the scene before I introduce the characters, plot and ending to this sad little tale of woe. We drove to the very end of a slowly deteriorating road that ran alongside a lovely bay. At the end was a turn-around area littered with beer bottles, and various other accoutrements of the slovenly. Alarm bells in our heads were muffled by the big pillows of saved money as we happily surveyed the semi-trash pit that surrounded us. There was a small wharf (called a dock here) and some teenagers playing on it. The water was crystal clear and bush closed in around us on 3 sides at least.

The characters were the teenagers on the dock, their considerable number of friends with loud home-made motorbikes, and their passively aggressive parents who dropped more outside our tent so that they could continue to make as much noise nearby as possible. One young lad even thoughtfully handed me a booklet on Pancake Bay, 'if we were thinking of staying more than one night.' Clearly his parents contribution to this blatant act of rudeness. So the characters did their level best to urge us out of their private little backwater.

My favourite was when a large group continued to swim from the dock until near dark in very cold temperatures – just in case we dared to contaminate the water with OUR presence. My sleep was minimal that night as I worried about sneak attacks of vandalism or stealing while we slept – neither was an issue as it turned out.
I forgot to mention the worst characters of all – the mosquitoes! Swarm is sometimes a word used to describe insects when there are many of them. I can't think of a word to describe the sheer number of mosquitoes, suffice it to say that our petrol consumption was INCREASED the next day due to the extra weight of dead mosquitoes left in our trailer!
The whole experience has put me off 'free camping' for a while or at least until it becomes a necessity again. It was also an interesting insight into the mindset of local yokels. They acted rather like the mosquitoes in a way – buzzing around the trailer incensed at the idea of 'fresh blood' tucked away inside – I pity anyone who chooses to move into the neighbourhood.
We beat a hasty retreat (and more mosquitoes) early the next morning. Transferring the kids asleep to the car we closed up shop as quickly as we could and were on the road by 7am – not early enough for a local fisherman who felt the need to fish in fog so thick that I doubt he could see the water – but it was the principal of it!
This early escape was the start of a VERY long day. We finally managed to leave the effects of Lake Superior (cool and foggy) to travel alongside Lake Huron where the weather became increasingly hotter and more humid. By 10.30am we were desperate for a swim and something to eat. We asked for directions in a town called Blind River and were directed to Algoma Mills township with its lake. It was quite the place and just what we needed – although in hindsight, maybe not for the 2 hours that we spent there.
After leaving there we decided we would try for Algonquin Provincial Park, but as the day wore on, the heat continued to build and so did tempers in the car. After a very worthwhile stop at an information centre which was determined to be inaccessible, we refocused on Simon Champlian P.P. considerably closer to where we were at that time.