Lake Superior Provincial Park has several trails with varying challenge levels. We are mature now, so the mountain climbing and long-distance rambles of our youth are not quite as appealing as once they were. Especially not on the usually uneven, and often narrow terrain of the Canadian Shield.
Pinguisibi is an easy, linear trail. Total length is about 6 km. We walked about half of it, to the first waterfalls. That was our objective. There are more waterfalls on the route, which leads to a portage for one of the canoe routes. I dislike walking out and back along the , same route – a bit boring for me. Nigel is quite accepting of them, but with Granville’s antics, and OrangePekoe remaining alone in the trailer, we were not interested in the further distance.
Granville, leashed to Nigel, gallivanted along the trail. If shenanigans were possible, she fully dipped into that behaviour. At one point she nearly knocked Nigel into the water because she was so keen to jump into the swirl below. Thankfully he was ready for her actions. He frequently braced himself against a tree to gain further purchase. That rapidly whirling water was just below him. I stood back and took snapshots, as any loving partner would do.
Rapids are fascinating. The water bubbles and boils, swirls and whirls, tumbling over rocks and boulders in its race downstream. The ever-changing patterns are mesmerising, almost pulling a person over the edge and into the water. I tend to stand back, not trusting the rocks nor the hypnotic effect.
The trail was fairly easy walking. Sometimes Nigel and Granville went ahead.
I trailed behind, taking snapshots of new-to-me plants.
We rounded a bend in the trail, and suddenly there was the waterfall. Not a big drop, but certainly a rough looking tumble downward.
We wandered a bit further along, and discovered that we could walk out along the rocks above the waterfall. This usually makes me apprehensive. Water is unpredictable. Even in a river there are sudden waves that reach out and grab an unsuspecting bystander. Standing at the side to take a photograph was just fine with me.
There are often calm pools above any waterfalls. The water seems to swirl in anticipation of its exciting roller-coaster trip down the falls, creating delightful mandala-type designs in the pool. I can watch these for hours; they seem almost meditative.
Returning back along the trail, we had a close look at the smooth, flatish, rocky formations below the rapids. Nigel and Granville walked out a distance.
Being much more cautious, I stayed closer to shore, from where I could admire the designs in the rock that mimicked the swirling designs in the water above the falls.
The famous Canadian painter group, The Group of Seven, painted the Canadian landscape from Haliburton to north of Lake Superior. Having seen, and walked along, sa variety of Canadian terrains, I can understand the appeal of recording these delightful and iconic landscapes in paintings. Next time, I might carry my easel and paints.
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