"Vinegar!"

One of Bon Echo's unforgettable features is the rock cliff with it's pictographs painted on it. I had been here last year to do some backpacking on  the Abes and Essens Trail but we did not stay in the main campground that time. This year I was spending some time right in the heart of the park. This year I was looking forward to seeing the pictographs. 

We arrived at Bon Echo at about 4:30 and set up camp on site 273 that I had reserved online ahead of time. 

We were quite happy with the site considering it was "site unseen" (don't mind the pun!) It was large and private and had plenty of trees all around us. The only downfall to the site was that we were a little close to the maintenance buildings, which made for some excess noise from time to time, but it wasn't too bad. 

There were a couple of Tent Caterpillars  hanging out but not en-mass like you get every 7 years or so. 

And of course, no matter where you go, there are always deer flies flying around you waiting for the right moment to catch you off guard to try to take a bite out of you. It's too bad that they have to be biters because they really do have pretty eyes and wings. 

After setting up and eating supper we decided we would take a quick drive down to the Park Store and  the Visitor Center (they are not within walking distance of our site). However, when we got there, both were closed. 

So we wandered around the outside of the buildings for awhile. There was a schedule posted for the ferry that takes you to the Cliff Top Trail and for the Boat Tour to see the Pictographs. We made note of the times and decided that we would come for the Boat Tour at 11 a.m. the next morning. And if we felt up to it we might just do the Cliff Top Trail too. 

We also saw a posting for a Discovery Program on the Five-Lined Skink on Thursday they we thought we might be interested in. 

Outside the Visitor center we noticed a View Finder. It was free to look through it so we spent a few minutes toying around with that and looking across the lake at Bon Echo Rock. 

Instead of heading back to camp right away, we found a path and decided to follow it. We didn't know where it would lead us but it was going in the direction of Bon Echo Rock and it followed the shoreline. 

As we passed by the docked ferry boats we heard a couple of guys yelling "Vinegar!" "Vinegar!" over and over again, as though they were calling their dog or something. We thought that Vinegar was a strange name for a dog. We passed by what appeared to be beach and some people were swimming in the water. 

But then we noticed the rather large sign stating that it was, in fact, not a beach and that you probably shouldn't be swimming there. I gave a nod to the somewhat smaller sign under it that told you where the pay phones are located. You know... in case you have to call 911 to send someone out to rescue those people who were not supposed to be swimming there. Clearly this has happened in the past or the smaller sign wouldn't be needed. 

​We also saw a number of people fishing from the beach. I believe that was allowed. It would be another reason not to swim there though. Who wants to accidentally get caught with a hook while they are swimming? 

As we walked past the beach-like area the path became a little more wooded and we started to see a number of little Song Sparrows and other birds hopping from branch to branch. In the distance we could still hear the occasional "Vinegar!" being called out. 

And out on the lake a loon watched us guardedly. 

The path led us to The Point where the land juts out into the water and almost reaches Bon Echo Rock. There was a bridge that crossed here at one time but it has long since fallen down and was never replaced. 

It was here that Carsten pointed out that he could make out some words carved into the side of the rock. It seemed to say "Old Walt". 

On the Point was a well worn and weathered plaque describing the heritage of Bon Echo Rock. 

There was also a bench so I sat and watched as canoers and kayakers made their way back to shore before the sun went down.

Even the old cedar trees had a lot of character. And in the distance we still heard the occasional "Vinegar!" Although the calls were becoming fewer and fewer, this had been going on for over an hour now. We laughed to each other and debated shouting out "Salt!" or "Pepper!" just to be funny. But we didn't. 

I told Carsten and Penny that I would like to stay to watch the sunset. They agreed and so we all sat on a bench and watched as the sky turned colours. 

The sun gave us a pillared dance of light over the tree tops through the peaches and cream coloured sky. And as we walked back towards the car and headed back to our campsite, we heard one last call of "Vinegar!" 

Back at camp we played board games in the dining tent as we listened to a family of young raccoons make their way from campsite to campsite, snarling at each other and wanting to have what the other had found. At 11:30 p.m. we called it a night. It was a warm night and a big, bright, moon was shining through the trees and a barred owl hooted in the distance.