Winter typically will get a nasty rap and I can see why: chilly, wind chill, snow storms, further challenges of getting exterior that include slippery roads or impassable snow banks, brief days and all-consuming darkness. We frequently speak about winter as one thing to get by way of, huddled at dwelling ready for the arrival of higher days. What we miss out on as we binge by way of one more Netflix present is winter’s magic at work: crisp, glowing air that fills our our bodies with vigour and pleasure, softness of a snowfall that erases the perimeters and transforms acquainted scenes, a promise of newness that comes with a contemporary snow cowl, mesmerizing creations chiselled out of ice. This previous weekend we headed in quest of this magic to Bruce Peninsula, a spot the place Niagara Escarpment’s rugged limestone cliffs and turquoise waters of Georgian Bay work collectively to create a masterpiece of a panorama. With an additional contact of winter’s creative genius, the scenes had been actually spellbinding.
Bruce Peninsula is a part of the Territory of The Individuals of the Three Fires generally known as Ojibway, Odawa, and Pottawatomie Nations. It’s dwelling to the Chippewas of Saugeen, and the Chippewas of Nawash, recognized collectively because the Saugeen Ojibway Nation, who proceed to be the normal keepers of this land. Referred to as the Saugeen Peninsula to the Ojibway folks, this slim strip of land separates Lake Huron (Odauwah Gummauh) and Georgian Bay (Wassau-Gummauh). The Niagara Escarpment, which begins within the state of New York, runs by way of southern Ontario on its method to Michigan and Wisconsin, types the backbone of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. Referred to as Gchi-Bimadinaa (The Nice Cliff That Runs Alongside) in Anishnaabe or Kstenhraktátye (Alongside the Cliffs) in Kanyen’kehá:ka / Mohawk, this remnant shoreline of an historical sea boasts some fascinating rock formations that entice guests all yr spherical.
We visited the nationwide park that sits on the tip of Bruce Peninsula a number of occasions previously however all the time in the summertime. We talked about paying it a go to within the winter, even researched attainable lodging however motels felt too fancy and staying in a tent too excessive. So when a publish popped up in my Fb feed about Bruce Peninsula Nationwide Park piloting yurt stays within the winter at its Cyprus Lake campground, I knew I needed to act. With years of expertise reserving campsites in Ontario and throughout North America underneath my belt, it solely took a couple of minutes to order one of many yurts for a weekend in January.
Quick ahead a few months into the longer term and right here we had been, on the car parking zone, making an attempt to find the perfect path to Yurt #4, a few packed sleds in tow. The stroll to the yurt was lower than 5 minutes. Nonetheless we had been trying ahead to getting out of the chilly. All our hopes had been dashed after we found that the temperature inside wasn’t a lot greater than exterior. With flashlights on our heads (there’s no electrical energy contained in the yurt), we acquired to turning this chilly area into our cozy dwelling for the subsequent couple of days. The primary process on the checklist was warming it up. Park workers left 4 bundles of wooden, some newspapers and fireplace starters within the yurt. Sadly, the wooden was lined in snow and frozen, which meant further time to get a correct fireplace going. After about two hours of huddling across the wooden range, we felt the yurt warmed up sufficient for us to get into our sleeping luggage.
Once we awoke the subsequent morning, it was good and toasty. That didn’t simply occur, after all, and required waking up a number of occasions an evening so as to add extra wooden. The end result was price it: crackling fireplace, mild pouring by way of the skylight up above, fluffy snow clumps waltzing exterior – it was an ideal winter scene. Snowfall intensified by way of the morning, ultimately erasing the road between the earth and the sky, as if somebody had shaken a magic etch-a-sketch leaving nothing however an empty white display screen behind. As we listened to the wind howling previous our yurt and whipping up snow funnels throughout the lake, we knew our hike to Georgian Bay would require some critical layers.
Our stroll that day began with the Cyprus Lake Path that ran proper previous our yurt. So long as the path hugged the lengthy fringe of the lake and we walked in the identical course because the wind, we had been considerably protected against the worst of its fury. Ultimately, nevertheless, the path rounded the lake and that’s when the wind hit us with its full power, showering us with snow, making an attempt to penetrate our many layers. Fortunately, that portion of the path was brief and as soon as we turned away from Cyprus Lake towards Georgian Bay, the wind acquired misplaced among the many timber.
After a one-kilometre stroll by way of a magical winter forest, we emerged on the opposite facet the place we had been greeted with a mesmerizing scene of snow lined cliffs carved into the countless expanse of Georgian Bay. Regardless of it being a cloudy day, the Bay resisted the steely greyness that often comes with overcast skies. Its waters displayed a formidable palette starting from brilliant turquoise and teal to cerulean and indigo. The sky ultimately adopted the lead, pushing the clouds away and providing occasional peeks of blue of its personal.
We adopted the shore searching for acquainted sights however winter, an ever proficient magician, reshaped the panorama making it nearly unrecognizable. The Indian Head Cove, which in the summertime bustles with exercise, laughter and shrieks of pleasure as folks plunge into deceptively inviting waters, was now forged in ice, the one sound coming from waves crashing in opposition to the shore. The pure arch sat camouflaged by mounds of snow, Georgian Bay barely seen by way of a a lot narrower opening. The well-known Grotto that draws crowds different occasions of yr with its glowing blue waters was a darkish gaping gap in opposition to the white of the cliffs and jagged icicle chandeliers hanging from its partitions and ceiling.
By the point we headed dwelling, the wind had settled and the contours of Cyprus Lake had been redrawn. The stroll again felt sooner, most likely as a result of we knew we had our heat yurt, veggie burgers, a spherical of seven Wonders and books awaiting us on the finish.
The following morning, it was time to depart, which implies we needed to be up early to pack and get out of the yurt by 11. I’m not a fan of those early departure occasions. On the plus facet, as soon as we had been achieved packing, we nonetheless had a number of time to do extra climbing earlier than heading again to Toronto. The temperature had dropped in a single day. The sky was a patchwork of vibrant blue and puffy white clouds suspended within the air like celestial snow mounds. The air had that dazzling, crisp high quality that’s solely attainable on a sunny winter day.
We determined to take a unique path to the Grotto: by way of the Horse Lake path after which Bruce Path alongside Georgian Bay. The snowfall the day earlier than meant we needed to redraw the path with our footsteps. As soon as we acquired to the shore, we needed to take care of knee-deep snow and frozen boulders beneath – a recipe for a twisted ankle. Fortunately, we managed to navigate it with none casualties.
As a reward, we had been allowed to cross a portal right into a magical fairy-tale land and walked proper into an ice-castle worthy of Snow Queen. Elaborate crystal sculptures clung to timber and rocks, icicles had been splayed in opposition to rock partitions like strips of fabric flapping within the wind, and chandeliers of ice sparkled within the solar.
Inspired by the solar, Georgian Bay reached even deeper into its field of colors and spilled the brightest turquoise into the water. And whereas we couldn’t go for a swim, our spirits dove proper in to scrub off anxieties and get imbued with the enjoyment of this wondrous winter scene. Our beings overflowing with its magnificence, our lungs crammed with glowing air and ears brimming with the crystalline music of the waves and crunching snow, we had been lastly prepared to move again dwelling.
Common data
Bruce Peninsula is a great thing about a spot any time of the yr. Winter affords a chance to expertise a unique facet of the park – wrapped within the magic of snow and ice and bathed in serenity not attainable through the months of summer time crowds.
A number of choices can be found in the event you resolve to enterprise into the park between November and April: entrance nation tenting at Tamarack Campground, backcountry tenting at Storm Haven and Excessive Dump, and yurt tenting at Cyprus Lake.
There are 10 yurts altogether. All yurts are walk-ins; sleds and carts are offered to move gear. Every yurt affords sleeping preparations for 5 folks and has every little thing for a cushty keep, even when the furnishings are a little bit of a mishmash of types: a country log bunk mattress and a single stool mixed with the modern-looking shelving unit, cabinet and pull-down mattress and informal plastic desk and chairs. There’s a wooden range for heating (wooden must be bought on the registration workplace) however there’s no electrical energy so ensure that to carry lamps and flashlights. Outdoors you’ll discover a deck with a patio desk, chairs and hearth, in addition to a BBQ with a facet burner. A consolation station with flush bogs, showers and potable water is positioned close to the car parking zone.