cktimes.ca Archives for Ecowrappin'
Ecowrappin'
Naturally Superior Destination
Tuesday, October 8, 2002
As I wrote last time, I just cannot resist Lake Superior in September. Spectacular scenery, comfortable temperatures, the fall colours and no bugs, (ok, hardly a bug), make for a wonderful expedition. I would consider this the premier trip of the FON's Ontario Nature Volunteers program and a world class destination. In fact, it became the vacation destination for six people from England this September.That's right, six people from England signed up for this expedition in the Lake Superior area to do some conservation work and see the Canadian wilderness and its incredible scenery. This is the result of a partnership with the British Trust Conservation Volunteers (BTCV). The BTCV is the U.K.'s largest conservation charity that offers expeditions around the world. The Canadian trips are always well attended and it's great to be working with the people from England. We get to show off Canada while learning about some of the cultural differences between our two nations.
The Lake Superior expedition is the result of two requests for assistance, one from Lake Superior Provincial Park (LSPP) and the other from the Voyageur Trail Association (VTA). The work in LSPP offers a wide variety of tasks. Trail maintenance is an ongoing job in the park and this year, we worked on the Orphan Lake trail. Trail work includes the clearing of overgrown branches and shrubs, removing dead falls and blow-overs as well as installing log steps on steep inclines. There was a fire in the area a few years ago and the section of the trail that passes through the burn area required extensive clearing. It was very interesting to see the regrowth occurring after the fire. Pin Cherries were the dominant tree species along with Birch and Mountain Ash. The Orphan Lake Trail offers some very scenic lookouts over both Orphan Lake and Lake Superior. We enjoyed lunch on one of Superior's beaches and had a great hike.
We also worked on interior campsites in the park. These campsites are located on the interior canoeing routes so we had to canoe to our work areas in the morning. Canoeing offers great wildlife viewing opportunities and we saw beavers, otters, bald eagles, merlins and herons. There is always a chance you'll see a moose or a bear but we weren't so lucky this time. Work on these campsites included installing log steps and tent pads as well as transplanting trees. The weather was very warm and we all did some swimming in Mijneshungshing Lake.
We had use of the Red Rock Staff House for our accommodations and the kitchen facilities were at our disposal for preparing meals. It was great living with Park Staff for a week.
One of the special leisure time activities in LSPP is watching sunsets from the beach at Old Woman Bay. "Romantic dreamers on the beach" is how one volunteer described the rest of us as he came up from the parking area and saw everyone spread out on the beach taking in the spectacular sunset.
The second half of the trip was spent working for the VTA on the Voyageur Trail. We stayed at Naturally Superior Adventures (NSA) (www.naturallysuperior.com), which is located at the mouth of the Michipicoten River on the Superior shore, an incredibly beautiful spot. We had use of the lodge for meals and lounging but slept in tents on the beach. The river was teeming with pink salmon and on a canoe trip, they were all but jumping into the canoes. Bald eagles and osprey were sitting in the trees and flying low overhead waiting for the chance to grab a salmon. We learned about the history of the Voyageurs, the Hudson Bay Company and the First Nations peoples in the area. The Hudson Bay outpost on the Michipicoten River was the premier outpost for the Company and the main commodity being sought by the early voyageurs was beaver pelts.
Naturally, Superior Adventures was only 10 minutes from the town of Wawa and we made the trip a few times. The six Brits took a float plane tour of the area which they thought was wonderful. The Brits were also very keen on seeing a bear and we hadn't seen one during our working hours. So, in the hopes we might catch a glimpse of one, we decided to go to the bears' favourite evening haunt, the municipal dump. It was a very worthwhile trip because we actually were lucky enough to see four bears there and watch their antics for a while. Can you tell that these trips are not all work? Even so, the VTA was very pleased with all of the trail clearing and blazing we did.
After two weeks of great weather, spectacular scenery and good fun, we said good-bye to new friends, fellow workers and Lake Superior and headed home with a wealth of new memories to cherish.
Yours in Nature
Larry Cornelis
