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| | Bruce Trail - Stormhaven, ON | | | |
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Bruce Trail - Stormhaven, ON
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| Backpack | 12.00 Miles |
500 AEG |
| | Backpack | 12.00 Miles | 2 Days | | |
| 500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| no partners | | I pulled up to the Canadian Customs booth, loaded with gear for a third trip to the Bruce Trail. I had been there already, once with my wife, and once with my brother, but this time would be solo. After the usual pleasant questions, the Customs Agent looked in the mirror they have to see your rear license plate and her expression suddenly changed. She instructed me to pull over to the inspection lanes and my stomach did a flip flop. 
I did as instructed, pulling over and stepping out of the vehicle. Two agents asked me to open the rear doors of my Isuzu Trooper, at which point I saw why I had probably been selected. The "Kill Your Television" bumper sticker I had recently bought at the Ann Arbor Art Fair seemed funny at the time, but now seemed like a red flag. Fortunately, the small talk with the agents went well and they didn't feel the need to search further, sending me on my way. 
I camped at Cypress Lake the first night, then proceeded on to Stormhaven, which would serve as base camp. They had constructed wooden platforms on the rocky ground for each site, which were really comfortable, and drained well during the rainy night. In the morning I set off east along the shoreline, leaving the trail towards Cave Point, where a grotto used by smugglers during Prohibition was supposed to be. Sure enough it came into view, and soon after some scrambling I was at its mouth. The up climb to get in was a little dicey, but worth it.
I wanted to get a picture of the whole cave from the outside, so I made my way out to a pyramidal rock that rose from the water. Just as I took a few shots, the strangest thing happened. I looked west along the shore on this sunny morning to see a cloud (?) at ground level, swiftly approaching. In a matter of minutes I was completely enveloped in dense fog, then it passed and moved on along the shoreline, leaving me back in sunlight. It didn't smell like anything, especially smoke, and the only explanation seems to be an unusual batch of "steam fog".
The rest of the day was spent wandering around, enjoying the geology. While I was gone, Natalie and Zoe, two recent graduates who would soon work for the Provincial Parks Department, had set up camp at Stormhaven as well. We talked and hung out for the sunset, where I ended up eating the worm at the bottom of a little bottle of terrible Tequila.
The last day I wandered west, checking out the Grotto and various other curious formations, eating lunch looking out over the water, the sound of waves lulling me into an afternoon nap.
In the morning I hiked back to the Trooper, where I pulled off the bumper sticker before heading back to the border.  |
| _____________________
The past, the present, and the future walked into a bar.
It was tense. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
