TRIP RATING
DESCRIPTION:
I have only completed this trip once, and it was after a COVID lockdown. I had been considering this paddle for some time, but it is logistically challenging. During the lockdown, I had plenty of free time to plan, so once we found a suitable time, we decided to go for it.
I wanted to visit a landmark called Hawk Cliff. Unfortunately, it seems that it’s no longer accessible from the top, so I thought seeing it from the water would be a great alternative. This approach also has the added benefit of being non-invasive to the raptor species that use the area for migration and nesting. The trip to Hawk Cliff is approximately 13 km each way, so you will need the entire day to complete this journey. If you prefer a shorter trip, you can start from Port Stanley, but all the same safety warnings will still apply.
We decided to launch from Port Bruce Provincial Park. It offers good parking options, clean washrooms, and access is included with our Ontario Parks pass, which is a plus. However, the launch area is very exposed, and there’s a bit of a challenging portage from the parking lot to the water.
Once we launched our kayaks, we headed west towards Port Stanley. The forecast predicted calm conditions, which is a crucial factor in planning this trip. It’s essential that the weather is significantly below your comfort level on the day you embark. The entire coastline features a sand bluff that ranges in height from 15 to 200 meters. There are very few options to exit your kayak in case of an emergency, and the limited areas that do exist are often susceptible to landslides. Therefore, it’s important to exercise extreme caution during this trip.
As you head west, the scenery is beautiful. You can spot bird nests in the bluffs, as well as some unfortunate signs of human impact. There are spots where you can see where landslides have occurred. While paddling, we made sure to identify emergency muster points and potential lunch spots, which are located in stunning river valleys. We found a perfect location to take a break, and that’s when the warning we had learned about came into play. More on that in a moment.
As we made our way to the Cliff, we realized it was a bit underwhelming upon arrival, so we decided to head back home. We paddled back to our lunch spot for a water break and discovered that there had been a landslide where we had our lunch! 😮
The trip home was mostly uneventful, though we enjoyed the beautiful scenery and ended up with a nice sunburn as a souvenir.
Finally, what would a trip be without a stop at a chip truck?
LAUNCH SPOT OPTIONS:
- Port Bruce Provincial Park – 25km day
- Port Stanley – 8km day
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This trip would require a minimum of level 2 or higher skills, depending on the conditions.
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