Donations: $2

Apart from the wretched traffic getting out of Toronto (two seasons in Canada - winter and construction...) the drive up to Wiarton to continue the quest for the End-to-End was uneventful. We stayed again at Wiarton Willy's Inn, a clean, comfortable motel run by the delightful Raymond and Joanna; the swimming pool was a huge draw this time, given the time of year and the hot weather we've been experiencing so far this summer. On arriving at the Inn, we promptly celebrated Sylvia's birthday with cake and wine, followed by chasing down the mosquitoes that had snuck into our rooms as we foolishly stood chatting with room doors wide open.

On Saturday, after stopping at Tim Horton's for sandwiches for lunch, we hiked from the Wiarton waterfront around the north coast of Colpoy's Bay, and then cut across the peninsula around the edge of the Cape Croker Reserve. The hot, humid weather was mitigated by being under the mature trees on top of the escarpment for most of the day. The escarpment in this area is very well defined, and for the most part, we hiked along the edge of a 60-80 foot vertical cliff face; the vertical, spiral staircase at Spirit Rock is absolutely essential to get from water level up to the top of the Niagara Escarpment. The frequent lookout points gave us beautiful views across to the south side of Colpoy's Bay and beyond. On arriving back at the Inn (having stopped for ice-creams in Wiarton), the group split up - some opting for a cooling dip in the motel pool, others trekking back in to Wiarton to swim in Georgian Bay. Either way, it was a wonderful way to cool off and relax after a long hot hike.

Conditions on Sunday were muggy and hazy, with the temperature climbing into the mid-30's. After the obligatory stop at Timmies, we picked up the hike where we left off on Saturday, and continued north towards Hope Bay. A stop for an ice-cream at the Cape Croker Campground gave a well-deserved break in the morning. The extensive boardwalk through the marsh at the end of Sydney Bay was not the ordeal it could have been - it was just too hot for the mosquitos and other biting insects... we did see a couple of very handsome green frogs, no idea if they were Prince Charmings in disguise :-) The sheer face of the escarpment requires some assistance to get up and down, and a set of metal stairs on the south side of Sydney Bay Bluff, followed by a wooden stair on the north side were very welcome as we scrambled up and down. Coming into Hope Bay, we stopped off for a swim (Brooke) and cold drinks (everyone else). After a rest for 15 or 20 minutes, we continued on toward our destination, Jackson's Cove. The final 8km nearly proved to be too much as the 'real' Bruce Trail introduced itself - with uneven footing over boulders, and constant changes in elevation, it's not possible to get any sort of walking rhythm going, which is very tiring. Seven exhausted, foot-sore, sweaty hikers made it out of the bush at Jackson's Cove Road, all agreeing that maybe 27km was just a bit too far in those weather conditions.

This correspondent can happily report that all had a great weekend, with excellent company, stimulating conversation and good food. Now, if we can just find black balls for Tim, it will have been a perfect weekend...

Thanks to Sylvia, Tim and Alison for driving - without drivers, we wouldn't be able to do these fabulous out-of-town trips.