2004/06 Sleeping Giant and North Shore trips - Kakabeka Falls |
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We took one trip up into Canada towards the end of May, partly for Sandie to go mining, and partly to check out the new camper in a real camping environment, without the truck along to carry all the gear, like the trip back from the Carolinas. So this was to be a test run for the big trip to the Yukon.
The first rule was to avoid freeways whenever possible, so we took a scenic route through Wisconsin. The second rule was to avoid expensive campgrounds whenever possible, so we camped the first night at Eckbeck, a Forest Service campground on the edge of the Baptism River. The new camper’s completely self contained and small enough to fit in most spots, so we have a lot more options than we had pulling the trailer. Actually, we had stayed at Eckbeck with Mum and the tent trailer back in 1979. I can report that it’s been upgraded since then. Even emptied the toilets.
The amethyst mines are north of Thunder Bay in Ontario. We had no trouble crossing the border and camped at Kakabeka Falls provincial park on the Kaministique River. The falls are enormous and impressive, on the scale of Niagara, and they aren’t surrounded by Niagara’s commercial junk.
This is a very nice spot, and we last stayed there in 1989 on our way to Newfoundland. We spent most of our time gawping at Kakabeka, but we also took a hike out to Hidden Falls, a much smaller, more private falls.
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Kakabeka Falls (5.59) |
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We went mining for amethyst at the Panorama Mine, just north of Thunder Bay. They have 
a commercial operation going there, but the public can rummage through their dump looking for choice bits that they’ve missed. Then you pay by the pound for what you’ve collected. The mine had only just opened up for the season, and there were still some snow patches along their road. The rain and snowmelt had uncovered a lot of crystals on the dump so Sandie did very well. I also found what they called a museum piece, a piece of breccia with lots of individual vugs and patches of crystals.
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