More of Mashkinonje

My mom had been talking about taking the great grand kids out for a hike and a picnic lunch at Mashkinonje for a couple of weeks and we were all set to go. Unfortunately at the last moment something came up and the great grand kids couldn't make it. We were disappointed and almost didn't go at all but we figured, why not get out of the house and get back into nature for  the day. So we loaded the dog into the car and drove to Mashkinonje for a beautiful hike in the sun. On the drive along the way we saw a coyote crossing a field and into the tree line a few kilometers before we reached the park. 

My mom and I were excited to show my dad this park that we had discovered last year. We thought it would be perfect for him because he is not able to go on long hikes due to knee problems, but this one had a great boardwalk and lots of benches so it wouldn't be too strenuous a hike. Plus my dog is 16 years old now and he can't walk very far anymore so it would be great for him too. 

So you can imagine our disappointment when we discovered that a part of the boardwalk was flooded. The dog didn't mind and walked right through it. 

The only way to get across was to slide across the top of the railing. Since my dad couldn't climb up the railing and he didn't want to walk through the water he ended up taking the dog and heading back towards the beginning of the trail. He said that he didn't mind but I was still disappointed that he couldn't make it to at least the first look out point. 

But I understood. After all, the water was deep enough that there were minnows swimming over the boardwalk. 

And a frog was hanging out on the boardwalk too. 

At least he got to see some of the beauty of the boardwalk before having to turn around. 

Since we didn't have to stick to easy terrain anymore my mom and I decided to hike the longer parts of the trail that went to a couple of look out points and a tower.  My mom went up ahead while I took the dog back to the bench where my dad was sitting. We started up the right hand branch of the first loop of the trail. 

Once you left the boardwalk behind and ventured down the first loop you could tell that this part of the trail was not used as much. The vegetation was thick and the path was a little bit over grown. 

But I had only walked for a minute or two before the trees opened up to a rocky clearing. 

Here I found one of the first of many informative signs that are posted throughout the trail. This one was about Caribou Lichen, which I already knew a little bit about. This is one of the edible plants growing on the trail. 

It takes more plain than flavourless rice cakes and has a bit of an earthy after taste to it but if you are stuck int he woods it is often times fairly plentiful and easy to spot. It was growing everywhere on the rocks here. 

After leaving the clearing you travel through the trees for a few minutes more until you start to catch your first glimpse of the bog through the trees. Then the trees open up to reveal a beautiful bog that looked both wild and  barren at the same time. 

I stood there for a very long time just drinking in the beauty of the landscape. 

Eventually I continued along on my hike and followed the rocky granite path for some distance away from the bog. But there is bog everywhere along the trail. Even when you no longer see the what you normally consider to be a bog.  An information sign pointed out a "Pocket Bog" off to the side of the trail. 

In the middle of a rocky area between some fallen trees was the "Pocket Bog" that the sign described. If it wasn't for the sign I would have considered this to just be some sort of mud puddle and would not have given it a second look. But it certainly did look like a miniature bog now that I was taking notice of it. 

I followed the blue markers along the well marked trail through the pine trees.  Did I say well marked?  I wasn't kidding.

One tree had 4 blue markers on it.  I laughed when I saw that two of those markers were on a low lying branch attached to a tree and were placed in such a way that you could see them by standing over top of them instead of looking at eye level... you know, in case you aren't able to lift  your head and have to walk through there only looking at your feet for some reason. 

​
Heh heh! I guess it's better to have too many markers than not enough markers I suppose. 

As I rounded a bend I could glimpse through the trees another marsh area. 

​This place is filled with all sorts of marshes and I was loving it. 

The last time I had come to Mashkinonje I was lucky enough to see a beaver. This time I only saw a beaver lodge. 

I had been hoping to see some sort of wildlife in these marshes but so far I hadn't seen anything until now. I wasn't disappointed. Sitting on a log in the middle of the water was a painted turtle sunning itself. 

The shores of the marsh were decorated in Tawny Cottonweed and Cattails. I spent a fair amount of time here too because it was so peaceful. 

But by this point I was wondering where my mom was and if she was wondering where I was. So I ventured on. I went through the pines for awhile until I came to a little mini boardwalk over a wet section in the woods. The sign here said that this was a "Black Ash Swamp".

It did look rather swampy. 

Soon the trail came to a T.  I could go left and head back to the parking lot where my dad had been waiting or | could go right and head on to the second loop of the trail. I had been gone for more than an hour by now and probably closer to two hours. I wondered which way my mom had gone. I knew that she had been eager to spend some time to herself out here and I knew that she was as curious as I was about what was at the other end of loop 2.  I had a feeling that she probably went to the right. But if I was wrong then I risked everyone being mad at me for taking so long. 

When I looked up the path and saw that there was a sign for a look out up ahead I just knew that my mom had to have gone that way. I decided to risk it and I headed up the second section of the trail towards the tower. 

Now I know that I said earlier that this part of the trail doesn't seem to be used as much as the boardwalk section, but loop 2 definitely gets less use than loop one. There was no doubt in my mind. The ferns here were growing up as tall as my shoulders!

There was dead fall over the path and it wasn't as worn down like the other paths were. I felt like there were animals in the trees watching me but I couldn't see or hear anything. 

But I did see other signs that something was there. I came across some tracks in the mud. Could be someone's dog tracks or perhaps it was the tracks of a coyote like the one we saw on the drive over here. 

As I was walking through another rocky clearing I met up with my mom who was on her way back. I knew she had gone this way! She told me that the tower was not far away and that she was heading back now and to go ahead and take my time.  

So she headed back towards the car and I continued on towards the tower. She had given me her binoculars  and told me that there was a heronry  somewhere in the distance so I was curious to see what I would find once I got to the top. 

The sign at the bottom of the tower talked about the heronry being a natural nesting ground for tfor blue herons. It showed where it was located and what it looked like. 

But even armed with this information I didn't see the heronry. Or at least I didn't recognize it if I was looking at it., 

But the view from up here was spectacular none the less. It was definitely worth the climb up. 

You could see for miles around. 

And at one end of the balcony there was another informational sign to describe the various plants in the area. I stayed up here and enjoyed the view for probably longer than I should knowing that my parents would be waiting for me. So I decided to get a move on and head back. 

On the way back as I was walking along the wooden walkway through the trees I startled a grouse that was lurking in the underbrush. I tried to take a picture of it but it was too fast for me. 

Soon enough the wild trail turned back into a nicely groomed gravel path with benches every now and then and I knew I was back onto the main trail heading towards the parking lot. 

Sure enough the boardwalk came in sight. It looked lovely in the evening sun with a hint of red maple leaves all around. Once again  I slid across the railing where the flooded area was. 

The frog had moved from the boardwalk into the water lilies but the minnows were still there. 

My parents and my dog were all waiting patiently for me when I got back to the beginning of the trail. They didn't seem concerned at all about how long I had been gone. Since we hadn't gotten the chance to have a picnic lunch we decided instead to drive down the road to one of the provincial picnic areas and have a picnic supper there instead. 
   It had been a great afternoon. Maybe next time we will hike the trails of Mashkinonje on the other side fo the highway. We have only just seen a small part of what this park has to offer.