Commentary by Emily, photos by Agnes
Twelve of us picked a slightly chilly, sunny day to hike from Spine Rd beach to Mink Lake.
The lower Spine ski trail looks like people have been walking on the the first few kilometres during this summer. Not much garbage, thankfully!
What really impressed hikers was checking the "spring loaded" seed pods of the jewel weeds or touch me nots which exploded with a light touch. Many patches of Indian Cucumber plants were also along the trail. The mushrooms were popping up here and there. There was even one on the way back that looked as if it had surfaced since we had first passed that spot!
The thick canopy of leaves has prevented undergrowth both in the bush and on much of the trail.
There were a few bird calls we heard but , sadly, no ornithologists signed up for the hike so our secret serenaders remain unknown.
Birds we could identify , some loons, were calling near the west end of Elliot Lake . Their calls had quite an echo.
Lots of lively conversations ranging from favourite fishing spots, to travel destinations, to First Nation history, and summer activities made the 11 kilometres pass quickly.
We had our lunch spot on a rocky area overlooking Mink Lake. Shoreline willows had grown enough that the lake was partially obscured from our view during our lunch.
On our return we checked out a trail that led us from the Spine Trail down to a very well kept camp site and a gorgeous view of Elliot Lake. It was refreshing to see such respect for nature.
We stayed on the lower Spine Rd trail until the 3rd loop. We continued along the upper Spine Rd trail west for about 600 m . We then turned south west on the Mink Lake Loop to the lunch spot. We retraced our steps with a few short side trips to check possible canoe portages.
The group was a bit quieter on the last few kilometres.
So... tired, but happy, we we wended our way home. (My apologies. Could not help myself!) PHOTOS
