The heat has been heavy and oppressive, even here in Manitoulin. So after a minor shock during the night we headed off to the trails before the sun was much above the horizon. As to the shock last night, well, as I went to grab wood for our fire I had a surprise. I was wearing my headlamp but was not really paying attention to what I was doing. I grabbed a nice piece of wood from the pile, but before I could lift it, I felt a dry slithering across the back of my hand. Looking down, my headlight shone on a bright green snake, upset at my disturbing his beauty sleep. I carefully removed my hand and left him to his wood, instead choosing another piece for the fire. This morning there was no sign of my night-time friend, so we packed up and headed for the most iconic of the Manitoulin trails.
We arrived at the parking lot just after eight AM, with only one other vehicle there. The sun was already intense, and with the humidity the temperature was to climb into the mid-thirties by the afternoon. Even under the canopy of oak and birch we were sweltering with minimal exertion, and this trail does require exertion. The Cup and Saucer trail is rated a moderately difficult trail, as it climbs up the escarpment to the highest elevation of 1,155 feet. The main trail is relatively easy to follow, though you will need to watch both your foot placement with all the roots and rocks, while also watching for your blazes to stay on the right trail. There is a total of fourteen kilometers of hiking paths, with the red trail at five km being the most popular.
We took our time, admiring the limestone cliffs rearing up out of the forest. The trail gets more rugged as it leads up a switch back to the top of the escarpment, with some minor scrambling over small boulders and up blocks of rock. Ropes have been strung along some steep sections for added handholds. At one point there is a set of very steep stairs that is more of a ladder. Once up on top, the leaves begin to stir with the breeze coming in off the lake. Blue skies peek between the trees, and by the sick feeling in my stomach I know that we are coming to the cliff faces. The trail here consists of mostly fractured rock with stunted trees and sparse underbrush, and there we are, at the first look out. A spectacular view out and over Manitoulin, across a quarry with small wind turbines just visible in the distance, and a spectacular drop. Those views become more frequent, and eventually we are standing on a flat prominence jutting out into empty space, vultures gliding on the updrafts just waiting for me to tumble over the edge. My daughter made to move closer to the precipice for some pictures, but came to an abrupt stop as I had a death grip on her shirt. She settled for some less dramatic photos to stop me from swooning, and once back in the trees I could admire the view from a safer spot. The return trip was uneventful, though by now the trail was teeming with groups of people and the heat was like standing in front of an oven. Expect to take two to four hours for this hike, depending on your fitness level and route. Once back at the parking lot, we debated on how to spend the rest of our day, and of course decided on another hike, this time by the shore. So off we went, on an hour’s drive west to Misery Bay for our next adventure.