Sunlight glinted off the metal hull of the spacecraft, which was a dull white etched with scrapes and scratches from its voyages. Small portholes encircled the ship, black holes that didn’t reveal what, or who, might be inside. The thin legs held the alien vessel off the ground, just beyond the highway where the traffic whizzed by, most people oblivious to the UFO in their midst. I coaxed my adult kids closer and insisted on photos as they reluctantly flashed me nervous smiles. My daughter gasped then gave out a high-pitched screech as she noticed a green face peering out of one of the windows. Another great photo opportunity here in the town of Moonbeam Ontario!
It is unknown how exactly the town Moonbeam got its name. One theory is that pioneers saw beams of light stream down from the sky, which may have been Northern Lights, or maybe aliens. Another (boring) theory is that early train passengers traveled through thick forests until this clearing, where the train lights would have reflected off the white snow. I disagree, as it was obviously aliens! Which is why we find ourselves here in Northern Ontario in the land of moose, bogs, mosquitoes and aliens. This particular UFO, or to use the current term UAP, is found at the well-maintained visitors’ centre. Inside are walls covered with racks of t-shirts and sweaters featuring a smiling green cosmonaut, along with key chains and bumper stickers, one of which is now firmly attached to my car. There is also a full-sized alien in the corner, just waiting for a cuddle and a photo.
Moonbeam offers a surprisingly abundant number of trails to explore, almost 38 km in total. Some of these are a short one km, while the longest main trail is eleven km. These routes are a mix of pavement, gravel and dirt of easy terrain. The visitor centre offers free bikes to explore these paths, another reason why this is one of the best visitor centres we have been too. However the local provincial park was calling us, and we set off for Rene Brunelle park, sadly named after the railway worker who drowned in the lake. The park itself is beautiful, with stunning lakes and beaches that were deserted during our visit. Small waves lapped on the stone and sand beaches, dislodging small rocks embedded with fossils of ancient sea creatures. The poplars were just releasing their seeds, and the air was filled with white fluff wafting on the cool breeze off the lake. Huge dragon flies flitted by, iridescent wings flashing in the sun. The sky was a clear cerulean, reflecting in the dark waters below.
The first trail we explored was the La Vigilance trail, and easy 1.5 km trail that starts in the forest of black spruce, birch and poplar then continues out to the lakeshore. Though the trail was well maintained, it was lightly trodden and grass covered. Of course, the lightest touch on those grasses released a swarm of mosquitoes and blackflies, and the hordes kept us moving at a swift pace through the forests and fields. Blissfully the trail led out to the shore, studded with large boulders. Grey moss hung from the spruce, tangled clumps dangling from the branches like unkempt beards. Large mounds of brown nuggets, looking disturbing like giant tater tots, covered the trail. We marvelled at the view, as we stood on granite boulders looking across a still lake to a shoreline untouched by people. Forests stretched to the horizon, tall pine and spruce etched across the sky.
Once back in the main park we were approached by two rangers, very friendly men eager to talk about this park they have been caretakers of for more than twenty years. As to those mounds of tater tots? Moose poop. The rangers believe that the moose spent the winter in this part of the park and then remained here after the thaw. Standing still brought back those annoying insects, so we left our gregarious friends and headed to the next trail to explore.
The Spruce Lowland trail is another short 1.6 km trail, that passes through boreal forests of spruce, tamarack and balsam fir. A spruce bog supports an uncommon grove of black ash, here at its most northern perimeter. Of course, what loves bogs? Those mosquitoes and black flies. We donned our netting to cover our heads and upper bodies, but even then the drone and buzz was enough to drive us to distraction. With record speed we traversed the wooden boardwalks over thick black mud and through trees bent and broken over the trail. An unintentional detour had us on the wrong route, which turned out to be blocked off as it ends at a bear den. An abrupt about face and we were quickly back on the right trail and with a great deal of relief returned to the car without any unwanted encounters.
Our Airbnb beckoned, and after a full day we were looking forward to an evening of rest and relaxation around a small fire while the sun set on the lake. Tomorrow was another hike in a different Provincial Park, and a close encounter with a polar bear, but that is a story for next time.