The Bruce Peninsula trail walk had been fantastic and I was in a euphoric state as I headed back towards Tobermory. I was also hot, tired and hungry so I decided to stop off at my trailer since it was on the way to Tobermory. As I drove I decided that when I went to town I would inquire about boat tours to see shipwrecks and after that I would sit on one of the benches on the walkways at Big Tub Harbour and savour an ice cream cone.
Once at the trailer I changed into capris and a blouse and traded my sturdy runners for my old lady style sandals that accept my orthotics. It's not just the knees that are a problem anymore. I ate some lunch as I changed and then, feeling ready for another adventure albeit a little more sedate than the morning's trek.
There was a shuttle bus in the driveway of the boat company as I pulled up and parked. I walked to the window as it pulled out and inquired about a tour to see the shipwrecks. Se said the was one just about to leave that toured at the wrecks and went by Flowerpot Island. sounds good I said and she called the driver and asked him to return for me. Then she checked the computer and told me that the return trip was full and I would have to stay on flowerpot for about an hour. As I looked down at my sandals my thoughts were a little negative but I didn't have the heart to say no after she had calls the drive back, in fact I could see the shuttle approaching the driveway. After all my years of teaching others to Be Prepared, you would think that I would be. I may not have made the right choice of footwear, and I didn't have a jacket or a sweater with me but I could and would manage for an hour on an island. I grabbed my camera bag and jumped on the shuttle
The first indication that things would be okay was that the glass bottom boat was covered which meant I would not be cold while on the water.
First we went over to Little Tub Harbour to see the shipwrecks and I am using that term loosely, very loosely. Technically the two that we saw are not actually within the Fathom Five Park boundary. And I would question if they are actually shipwrecks...
They are both in the shallows of the harbour, perhaps a metre and a half below the surface and in a total of less than 15 metres of water. The first reached this final destination more than a hundred years ago. It was made of white pine which has been well preserved by the cold, cold fresh water of Lake Huron. It was damaged during a storm and attempts to repair it while out on the main lake failed so it was towed into the harbour for repairs. But it was not meant to be and it sank in Little Tub Harbour. The second vessel was metal and it was over in Big Tub Harbour when it caught fire. The rope that was holding it burnt and it drifted out of the big harbour and was blown into the little one where it sank, conveniently close to the wooden vessel. This makes it rather easy for the tour companies. There are a total of 22 shipwrecks in Fathom Five Park which is an indication of how treacherous the waters can be. Scuba divers have access to many of the other 20. The two I saw don't even need a snorkel!
Then our worthy vessel set out to sea, well out to lake actually, destination-Flower Pot Island. The guide pointed out a few things along the way and the ride was very pleasant. We passed the former light station on the island and were told that Friends of Flower Pot is a group of volunteers who maintain the light keeper's buildings and also run a "tuck shop" for the tourists in the summer. Then, as we went by the first flowerpot formation I knew that I was not going to be staying at the dock waiting for the return trip. I had to get closer to these unique rock stacks. The shape is similar to the rock formation at the Hopewell Rocks. The difference is that the Bay of Fundy tides are responsible for the erosion there and here it was a much, much slower process.
As we pulled into the dock I was totally surprised by the number of people waiting to go back to Tobermory. Many had been there for most of the day. There are also six wilderness campsites on the island.
I was pleased to see that the trails looked fairly smooth... at least at first they did. Stairs have been built where necessary and there is lots of access points to the beach which of course is rocky, very rocky. My feet slipped a little within the sandals and I tightened the straps numerous times and kept going.
At first it seemed similar to the beaches at Bruce but this rock is actually formed differently. There isn't as much magnesium in the lower layers here which causes the lower rock to wear away more quickly. This resulted in the flowerpot formations of which there are two on the island. There is also the top of a former flowerpot sitting on the beach because the lower rock all wore away. The layers are fascinating.
The guide had also told us about a cave and when I saw the sign for it I hastened up the stairs. It was worth the climb. It was almost grotesque the way the rock had broken.
Despite my inadequate footwear and complaining knees I was one of the earlier ones to arrive back at the dock. It was a more subdued ride back to the harbour and then to the parking lot. I smiled when I heard two others discussing the questionable shipwrecks and had I seen the girl that made my booking I would have said thank you for leaving me on Flowerpot Island.
The ice cream shop was closed but there was one other thing that I wanted to do at the National Park visitor's centre... and it involved climbing 116 stairs.
The view from the top was tame compared to all the other things I had seen during the day but the picture of the "big canoe" that would take me to Manitoulin Island the next day made it worthwhile.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Family and friends—please include your first name when leaving a comment.