July 30th: Beasoleil Island, Georgian Bay

We left the Port Severn Lock and headed into Georgian Bay. It was a beautiful day. Bright blue sky, sunny and comfortable temperatures.







Thanks to the nice boaters who made room for us we had a very nice dock on Beausoleil. Nice view, secluded and close to the hiking trail to Fairy Lake.  The weather was reasonable for a hike especially since a lot of the hike is in the shade.






It's a nice length for a hike, 4 km. The name of the trail is Massasauga, named after the only venomous snake in Georgian Bay. It is a small, shy rattlesnake and is seldom seen. It only bites when startled or threatened and its venom requires immediate medical attention. I hoped to see one, from a safe distance of course, for quite a few years. The trails are fairly open so the chance of startling one is unlikely. Two years ago I was fortunate enough to see one sunning itself on the trail. Very pretty pattern on the snake. It was curled up and then decided to move on. I didn't see any on this hike.

The trail begins through some scenic wetlands. The wetlands are critical to the health of the ecosystem on the island. Fortunately, they are protected.









 After passing through the wetlands the hiking becomes a little more rugged. The  trail leads up out of the woods and on top of granite rock.

Fairy Lake

Fairy Lake Shoreline

The reward at the end of the trail is Fairy Lake. It is only accessible by hiking in and is very peaceful. The Lake is important to environmentalists who monitor the lake and measure the amount of pollutants that end up in the lake. Because the lake is isolated they know all contaminants come through the air.






We left Beausoleil Monday morning and headed to Honey Harbor for breakfast and some supplies. There is a small grocery store that also has an order at the counter breakfast service. It's a fun little place and the western sandwiches are delicious. In the small park out front is a very large Adirondack chair. I could hardly get out of it once I climbed in. Linda chose to pass up the opportunity for a photo in the chair.

After breakfast we went to one of the marinas to get gas and a pumpout. The pumpout was broken. What about the place next door? Their was broken also. :(  Fortunately our holding tank was not that full so we gave up and just got gas.

We were headed to 12 mile Bay to meet up with Cheryl and Peter in Deja Vu. Twelve mile Bay is one of our favorite anchorages and we always have fun with Cheryl and Peter.


Last weeks wildflower: Swamp milkweed distribution from USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database. Description: Swamp milkweed is a native, perennial, wildflower growing three to six feet tall. It gets its common name from its white sap, although it has less sap than many of its relatives.

This blog's wildflower: