Beginner backpacking overnight in Bruce Peninsula National Park (6/20/2014)

***This is Christine's first time leading a backcountry trip with the TOC, so please direct all questions to her.***

The Bruce Peninsula National Park is situated on the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula, between Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. The beautiful park, with a size of 155 square kilometres at the tip of the Niagara Escarpment, consists of limestone cliffs, caves and underground streams, and ancient forests with some of the oldest trees in Canada.

This overnight backpacking trip is aimed at those who are newish to backpacking, although experienced backpackers are welcome, too.

We'll be hiking up to 14 kilometres a day -- into our backcountry campsite at High Dump on Saturday and back out along the same trail on Sunday. So it's not an extremely long hike, but it can be challenging, with rocky terrain that can be slippery in wet weather. We'll go at a slow to moderate pace and aim to make a full day of it.

It could be easy to twist an ankle so everyone must wear sturdy backpacking boots.

We will leave Toronto on Friday evening and drive to Cyprus Lake campground in the park, spending Friday night there. After breakfast on Saturday, we will backpack to "High Dump."

Campfires are not permitted so we will cook all food on backpacking stoves and all drinking water must be treated. We will camp on the provided tent platforms in the backcountry and hang our food in case of bears.

A pre-meeting for this trip will be held on Monday, June 9, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. at a location TBD to discuss car pooling arrangements, trip expectation and route, food planning and equipment. If you are unable to make the pre- meeting you must contact Christine to make alternative arrangements or you will be dropped for the trip.

From Kipling TTC Station (Passenger Dropoff - Kipling North Lot - 120 Subway Crescent)
• Get on ON-427 N from Dundas St W
• Head southwest on St Albans Rd toward Aukland Rd
• St Albans Rd turns slightly right and becomes Aukland Rd
• Turn left onto Dundas St W
• Slight right to merge onto ON-427 N
• Merge onto ON-427 N
• Take the ON-401 W exit on the left
• Keep left at the fork, follow signs for QEW/Hamilton/Ontario 403/Ontario 410/Brampton
• Take exit 344 toward Brampton
• Merge onto ON-410 N
• Continue onto Hurontario St/ON-10
• Continue to follow ON-10
• Turn left onto ON-10/ON-89 W (signs for Shelburne/Collingwood/Owen Sound)
• Turn right onto Owen Sound St/ON-10 (signs for Dundalk)
• Continue to follow ON-10
• Slight right onto Garafraxa St/ON-10/ON-6 N
• Continue to follow ON-10/ON-6 N
• Turn left onto Grey County Rd 18 (signs for Grey Road 18/Kilsyth/Springmount/ON-6 N)
• Turn right to stay on Grey County Rd 18 (signs for ON-6 N/Springmount)
• Continue onto ON-6 N
• Turn right onto Bruce St/ON-6 N (signs for Ontario 6 N/Wiarton/Tobermory)
• Continue to follow ON-6 N
• Turn right onto Chi sin tib dek Rd and follow until you reach Bruce Peninsula National Park Visitor Centre