Killarney Provincial Park - Day 2

(Click on any photo to see a larger version)

During our time in the park we stayed at the Killarney Mountain Lodge which is situated close to a small "strait" between George Island and the mainland. This location made it easy to slip out in the early morning while the rising sun was painting an idyllic, peaceful and very photogenic scene. This image looks out toward Georgian Bay and the one below is the town of Killarney's harbour.

My grandson, Drew, had told us that the hike up to the Killarney Ridge through "the Crack" was one we should definitely experience. Since this morning suggested a sunny cool day, we decided that this would be the day to attempt it.

The information about the trail indicated that it was 6 Km and that, as we ascend through the "Crack" climbing over the cascade of huge tumbled boulders, we will be surrounded by the white cliffs of La Cloche mountains. There are ample warnings that the trail is challenging and that we should take our time as some of the huge boulders that have fallen through the Crack "may be unstable and the gaps between them have been known to gulp up stray steps". The reward, once at the top of Killarney ridge "is beautiful panoramic vistas on all sides - the best views in the park".

While the reward was definitely as promised and then some, the descriptions of the hike itself did not prepare me for what we encountered!

The sign at the beginning of the trail also gave clear warning that there is good reason to be attentive to the markers and the route that we choose on the return trip.

The first two thirds, or so, of the trail is flat and tranquil, and the morning sun streaming through the trees tended to lull one into a false sense that the difficulty of the trail might have been overstated.

After possibly an hour of strolling along this horizontal tree lined path we encountered our first wall of boulders. I had trouble believing the red marker that pointed straight up with no actual "trail" to be seen, the first of other similar walls. Wish I had a photo of that first wall, but I was so taken aback by the task at hand, that I put my camera away before making a photo.

After that first clamber we reached a reasonably level area and a place to rest. I doubt you can appreciate the challenge of the climb (this photo looks down to the "trail") we had just completed, but think of a wall of boulders at an angle of 75 degrees or so.

At the top of the photo above you can just see the top of the ridge - our destination.

And this photo is looking up toward the next phase of the climb.

The white rocks in this area of the park (in striking contrast to the pink granite rocks seen in the last blog post) are quartzite, a very hard sedimentary rock composed of 80% quartz. On a Mohs Scale from 1 to 10 where diamond is 10, the quartzite here apparently is 7. It is the hardest rock in the park.

I don't recall how many of these near vertical sections there were but there were enough, each climb followed by a relatively level section that allowed us to catch our breath, rest our leg muscles and have some fluids.

Ready for the next challenge!

In this photo we are dealing with the approach to the Crack and I think this image gives a reasonable perspective on this part of the climb. If you look closely I think you can appreciate, just above Rudy's head, the "Dreamers rock", which appears to be about to tumble from its perch

The next bit was getting though the Crack and finally up to the top of Killarney Ridge and the spectacular panoramas we were promised - and there they were!

Looking from Killarney Ridge south over Kidney Lake toward Georgian Bay.

In this photo you can just see the water of Georgian Bay in the distance, and if you look carefully you can just make out the faint outline of Manitoulin Island (apparently the largest fresh water island in the world) in the upper right.

I chose this view because the tree and it's setting reminded me of A.Y. Jackson's paintings.

In this view from Killarney Ridge you see Killarney Lake nearest and OSA lake in the distance. O.S.A., formerly known as Trout Lake, is the true birthplace of Killarney Provincial Park. "It was here that Group of Seven Painter A.Y. Jackson and a group of environmentalists halted the progress of the Spanish River Lumber Company. This company had plans to cut down the great pines, beloved by Jackson, which grew along the lake’s shores. Due to Jackson’s effective letter writing campaign this area was established as The Trout Lake Forest reserve. In recognition of the efforts of Jackson and other members of the Ontario Society of Artists, the lake was re-named O.S.A. Lake in 1933." Finally in 1964, with the help of lobbying efforts by the Group of Seven, 4,000 square miles (10,000 km²) of Georgian Bay shoreline were set aside as a wilderness reserve, and Killarney became a provincial park.

After a rest, food and fluids it was necessary to retrace our steps, making sure to follow the correct markers, back down the "trail" - arguably as difficult as the climb. But we did make our way to the bottom and back to the broad level trail  and the parking lot.

It was an unforgettable experience and, fortunately, we have lots of photo images to help it remain unforgettable, since I think it unlikely that either of us will repeat this climb.

Back to the lodge to recover and think about dinner and tomorrow's hike on George Island.