La Cloche Silhouette Trail (2.5 Days / 80km)

Sounds as mental as it reads (unless you're Isaac and Sarah, of course).

The Cover:

My favourite shots that are 'cover-worthy' for this little story.

Rating:

This is the second time I've hiked the La Cloche Silhouette Trail? I think? Each time I've completed this hike it's been over a ridiculously short time frame, which I don't recommend unless you're crazy (which runs along the same line as stupid). That being said, this is one of my favourite hiking trails in Ontario (and probably one of the best). Regardless of the speed or time you take to complete this trail, the views, experience, and technical terrain are well worth it.

I Want to Live Here Rating: 4/5

People-Meter: 1/5

Anxiety Scale: 1/5

Pain Train: 5/5

10/10 Recommend: 5/5

The Prologue:

Killarney Provincial Park is an iconic place that is home to some of the best views (both on and off the water) in Southern Ontario. There are 645 square kilometres of wilderness to explore, filled to the brim with gorgeous Georgian Bay pink granite, the quartzite ridges of the La Cloche Mountain range, and an endless smattering of crystalline, blue lakes. The area has a history closely intertwined with art and artists alike. There is inspiration to find everywhere, be it on foot, canoe, kayak, canoe, or skis.

We've visited Killarney in every season and have never, ever been disappointed. Hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, camping, and canoeing - there are so may ways to see and experience this park. There's a reason why it's a favourite!

Here's our trip report!

The Story:

Day One:

Cambridge to Bunnyrabbit Lake

The typical beginning - not really a full day, but we had a lot of distance to cover in a relatively short amount of time. The drive to Cambridge to Killarney Provincial park takes roughly 4.5 hours depending on the traffic, and that doesn't even factor in the distance we planned to hiked upon our arrival (a healthy 27 kilometres, of course).

Isaac left home bright and early at 6:30AM to meet both Sarah and I in Barrie. We had the rather awesome luck of arriving the night before (when work and family very happily collide). We hung out for about two hours in the morning before Isaac rolled in. It was sad saying goodbye to Spike and Sophie (the beautiful and amazing family dogs), but with the prospect of hiking on the horizon, we knew that they'd understand. They love their walks too!

Our drive to Killarney was running pretty smoothly (aside from discovering that the forecast was most certainly calling for rain) until we realized that we forgot a critical item. You see, I'm pretty sure that you need pots to cook food in?

In a panic, we found ourselves making a pit-stop in Parry Sound to very quickly procure some pots at the local Canadian Tire. After much deliberation, we settled on the Woods Selkirk Aluminum Anodized Camping Cooking Set. We figured that this set could be used for car camping in the future - we weren't looking to add additions to our already solid camping situation.

Back on the road, the remainder of our trek to Killarney was uneventful, if not a touch sad. We experienced some on-and-off showers. If you know anything about hiking in Killarney, the rock is downright treacherous when wet. We've seen emergency rescues out on the trail (a helicopter and chainsaw were involved) and I've taken some pretty nasty falls in the past. I have the scars to show for it - I'm lovingly named 'Hand Scar Harry' by some of my friends. Fortunately, a majority of our hiking on this particular day wasn't overly technical (i.e., rocks were not entirely involved), so if it was going to be rainy, this was probably the day for it.

We rolled into the parking lot at George Lake around 1PM. Checking in, we really had to convince park staff that we weren't entirely mental. You see, they don't let you book anything above 15km without checking in face-to-face. We assured staff that this wasn't our first rodeo and went on our way.

And that's when the rain started.

The beginning of the trail from the George Lake Campground is fairly flat and forgiving - largely under the cover of trees. In this, we were fortunate. We were sheltered from the worst of the downpour and managed to stay mostly dry? By the time that we connected with 'The Crack Trail', the rainfall transitioned into a light trickle, however, the mosquitoes came out to play. Let's just say that my decision to wear a short-sleeve was both a grand and grave mistake.

Even with with the bugs testing our patience, this is still probably one of our favourite sections of trail to hike in Killarney. Not the super duper favourite, but still up there. If you're an experienced hiker this trail isn't particularly technical until the very end (there's a very good reason why the trail is so specifically named), however, it's a true joy. Slowly creeping up from the pines and into the mountains (i.e., large-ish hills for those looking to make fun of Ontario) is not only scenic, but so darn fun. The small scramble section right at the very end is incredibly satisfying and gives you a taste of the views to come. `

By the time we finished the climb up to the iconic 'summit' of the crack, the rain settled down and the clouds began to clear. The best part? We had the summit all to ourselves. Ah, at least for a little while. We paused for a brief snack and a couple of photos before continuing on our way.

Ah, never mind - I take back the brief part. You see, in June the blueberries start to emerge on the hills in Killarney. While we only intended to stop for a small break, throughout the afternoon we found ourselves stopping every single time we spotted a blueberry hot spot (i.e., a bush just exploding with them). We stopped more to eat blueberries, rather than hike or take pictures, which was pretty impressive for us. Also a tad concerning given the distance we needed to complete to get to our final destination for the night.

So with choices being made, we found ourselves slowly plodding along, stuffing our faces full with blueberries, trying to reach out campsite on Bunnyrabbit Lake. Along the way, we didn't run into many other hikers. We did run into a group taking a break along the shore of Little Superior Lake. They were rather shaken by the terrain - they warned us about a rather steep incline that could only be described as 'hellish'.

They weren't wrong. There's more than one scramble section on the La Cloche, and boy, are they an exceedingly fun time. Hiking poles become slippery, elusive, and somewhat useless creatures, there's a high risk of falling on your ass, and you wonder (and not briefly) why a hiking trail located here in the first place - so much fun, my friends. Fortunately, you find your way through it despite the chaos. The particular incline mentioned was just around the corner from Proulx Lake. Certainly steep, but nothing unmanageable.

We continued along, nibbling on blueberries, before reaching our selected dinner spot at Heaven Lake. Our last obvious viewpoint for the day. Dinner was sadly, somewhat speedy. We were blessed with sunshine throughout the afternoon, but rain was threatening to return. We could see some fairly ominous clouds building on the horizon.

The remainder of the hike was uneventful and the campsite at Bunnyrabbit lake was splendid, if not a touch buggy. We slapped up our tents in record speed before deciding that an evening dip was a requirement (not a huge fan of shoving myself in a down fluff ball as a sweaty, damp mess). The water was perfection and offered the perfect reprieve from both the bugs, and the heat. Just before the rain too! A solid day out there on the trail, but at this point, not looking forward to day two - a 40 kilometer day was on the horizon.

Day Two:

Bunnyrabbit Lake to Three Narrows Lake

An early wake-up to start the day. 6AM, if I recall correctly. The plan was to complete a very long, and very exhausting 40 kilometre day. I wasn't particularly excited - the last time I hiked this distance was on our thru-hike of the Bruce Trail and by the end of the day I wanted to roll over and die. The outlook for me was a bit dreary, but Isaac and Sarah were still pretty hype. But then again, these two are epic hiking machines, so it wasn't all that surprising.

We packed up our gear and started the slow trudge to campsite H18 on Three Narrows Lake. We didn't have breakfast on-site - the plan was to get away from the bugs, find a clear area (preferably on a nice rock), and pull together some granola before heading to our first destination of the day, Silver Peak (because you can't hike the La Cloche without including this stellar viewpoint).

We found our breakfast spot in record time. Right off of the trailhead to our initial campsite for the night (H46 for the win). Unfortunately, the rock we found had a number of spider friends, which I wasn't too keen about. It didn't seem to bother anyone else, however. Isaac immediately started boiling water and Sarah scampered off to collect a bowl full of blueberries to add to our granola extravaganza. I survived.

Much like our campsite situation, we didn't hang around for too long. The bugs were still annoying and given the distance we needed to cover for the day, we couldn't really afford to lounge around. So off we went, cruising up and down those classic granite hills, occasionally shoving blueberries into our faces, while walking to Silver Peak. Along the way we encountered a huge moth that had very sadly passed away.

You see, I'm a bit of a weirdo. Any time that I see a sad little creature that has travelled over the rainbow bridge, I feel that a funeral is in order. So, naturally, that's what took place. I found a nice hollow in the nook of a mossy little stump, collected some giant leave things, and sang a song of my own creation (honestly, it's quite possible that the hiking was starting to get to me - I start to get a little musically loopy).

My spirits felt a touch revived though. Soon enough, the trailhead to Silver Peak emerged from the woods. The steepest ascent of the day so far and only an out-and-back. The plan was to take all of our gear with us, too, so while we would enjoy the view, we'd get an extra workout as well, on top of an already challenging day.

For those that aren't familiar with this portion of the hike, this side trail is somewhat steep, rocky, and slippery due to an assortment of small creeks. With a heavy pack, you need to take care with your footing and keep an eye on the terrain. No one fell this time round (as far as I can recall), but I can say that there have definitely been wipe-outs in the past.

Our hike was relatively speedy and we were pleased to see sunshine and stellar views from the 'summit'. The best part (and I'm sure this is becoming a reoccurring theme) were the blueberries that were scattered around. This meant we could take a break, take in the views, and snack, all at the same time! Goals, friends. Goals.

Isaac was the first (as always) to break the news - we couldn't stay for long, yet again. So with some sadness knowing that the most challenging part of the day was on the horizon, we hit the trail. The descent was uneventful, in addition to our travels throughout the early afternoon prior to lunch. Generally lots of up and down, blueberry snacking, and pausing to take some shots of the scenery. We even sang some songs for a little while! The songs from Aladdin were a hit, although admittedly we didn't know all of the words.

We stopped for lunch along the back ridge of the La Cloche, arguably the most beautiful section of the trail. It feels like a true ridge walk. Sort of like walking on pavement, but views of the mountains and nearby lakes spill around you. It's always a treat to take in this part of the trail as it's largely inaccessible unless you're planning on hiking in Killarney Provincial Park.

Lunch was a classic meat and cheese wrap. Didn't quite hit the spot this time round. At this point in the day, my feet were starting to give out. Granted, I made the mistake of wearing ancient (well over 600km of wear) trail runners and twisted my ankle right before lunch, so I'd say my suffering made sense. The next 25 kilometers (and yes, there was still so much more to hike) were going to be rough.

And it was.

It all went by in a rather pain filled blur. There were some ups and rather nasty downs. We stopped for dinner close to Moose Pass, at the last prominent view point on the back ridge before descending down towards our campsite for the night. Now, unfortunately, our final 7km transformed into a final 3km. My foot could not take the fully planned distance - Isaac already had to take my hiking pack for a time (really throwing me back to the Bruce Trail).

Overall, it was a no bueno situation. By the time we rolled into camp (H20, which was predictably empty - this isn't a popular site and I wouldn't recommend it unless you're desperate) I had enough energy to help put up our tent, unpack our gear, and roll into my sleeping bag.

Sarah and Isaac were my rocks today. I'm thankful that I have some pretty stellar family to hold me together and keep my head up!

Day Three:

Three Narrows Lake to George Lake Campground

I think we all woke up a little stiff today. The morning was rough. I could probably feel every single bone in my body? At least we collectively agreed that we should get moving and grooving ASAP. Much like the day before, we had breakfast a little further along the trail. This time round, we hit up the campsite that we were supposed to stay at the night before, H18. Generally, a decent site, but it suffers from steep water access. I suppose this is worth keeping in mind should you wish to stay here.

We sunbathed on some rocks before continuing along on the pain train. We saw five deer frolicking along the woods. A magical moment in the glorious morning sunlight. For a moment I wished that I was one of the deer. Not to be, however.

I was happy for the easier terrain, though. It's generally net-downhill if you're moving counterclockwise, which meant the only nasty portion was The Pig. If I had to pick a gross section of this trail (worse than The Pig), it would have to be the weird, out of place loop situation at the end of Three Narrows Lake (by the dam and campsite H8). I know that there's a cheater trail that avoids this situation, but we're not cheaters, so around we went. It just feels so useless. You don't see anything particularly nice, just where you want to be (which is on the other side). Basically mental torture.

Funny enough, my pace was pretty fast on this day. Well over 6 kilometres per hour. I was dragging everyone along because I just wanted to get the hell out. Something was up with my foot and I didn't want to be moving anymore.

The pace almost put me in a bit of trouble though. By the portage between The Pool and Artist Lake a nearly stepped on a honker of a Snapping Turtle. Now how I managed to do that? Not sure, given it's sheer girth and size. One moment I was just speeding along as fast as my legs could carry me, the next being told that I nearly stomped on a dinosaur. Despite the near collision, seeing a snapping turtle that close was pretty incredible. They truly are awesome, prehistoric creatures. I considered laying on the ground just to get a closer look (and nap), but the end of the hike was calling. Very, very loudly.

I just about sprinted to the end of the trail. Sarah and Isaac stopped to filter water and I just kept going, managing to spot a Forest Chicken (i.e., Grouse) before emerging victorious, sweaty, and pain-filled at the George Lake Campground. I made a nearby picnic table my impromptu home before diving in the lake. Oh my God, was the water ever incredible. So refreshing and we even made friends with a little dog. Just about healed my body. I've never been so happy to have finished a hike.

Fortunately, we were strategic about our parking upon arrival and actually planned to minimize additional walking. My feet were eternally grateful. We packed up in record speed and hit the road, aiming to stop in Parry Sound for our traditional chicken nugget stop. I personally don't remember much of the drive - as soon as my butt hit the passenger seat I was out like a light.

You see, it turned out that my discomfort during the hike was not normal. I bruised the bone in my left foot. Afterwards, I couldn't do anything for nearly five weeks. I'm 99.9 percent sure that my ancient trail runners were to blame. I've had sore feet after hiking before, but never anything of this calibre. Still, I don't plan on hiking a 40 kilometre day again. To be honest, it's just not for me. It's a suffer fest and I'm very content at 30km, even less. I'm going to leave those horrible, long days to hikers that have a bit more of a reliable body than me.

The Appendix: