Selected articles from the Summer 2001 issue
[Qayaq Index] [Current Issue] [Back Issues]
COLPOY’S BAY ISLANDS
Doug Cunningham
Spectacular vistas await the paddler as he circumnavigates White Cloud Island in Colpoy’s Bay: majestic bluffs, blue water, forested islands and cobblestone beaches. To the north are Cape Croker’s Malcolm Bluff and King’s Point Bluff, to the south lie Skinner’s Bluff and Ester’s Bluff of the Colpoy’s Range of the Escarpment, and to the southeast, in the distance, the hills of the Meaford Tank Range and the ski hills of Blue Mountain are visible. A millionaire’s view!
Allow one day for the 14-kilometre circumnavigation of White Cloud and add an additional day if you plan to visit Hay Island or circumnavigate Griffith Island.
The principal safety feature concerns the long west-east fetch provided by Colpoy’s Bay and rapid wave buildup, particularly in the afternoon. These waters are deep and cold and the crossings are long enough (at least 2 kilometres to White Cloud and 4 kilometres to Griffith) to pose a problem for novice kayakers if the winds come up. As well, the offshore shoals which project out from the points of land bordering Kidd Bay on white Cloud Island can provide some tricky paddling conditions in winds and waves. Get an accurate weather forecast before starting out and wear appropriate cold water immersion clothing.
The best time to make this trip is May through September. There is little cottage development except between Cameron Point and at Big Bay. Boat traffic is not a major problem in this area. Make sure that if you cross to the mainland at dusk that you have deck lighting so any boats in the area can see you.
One can start and finish the trip either at the Colpoy’s Lookout Conservation Area near Cameron Point or at the Big Bay government dock. Parking is available at both locations.
POINTS OF INTEREST
(See Map)
Cedar Hill Park and Big Bay: Departure and finish points, parking. The Big Bay Store serves great homemade ice cream.
Kidd Bay: Kidd Bay Dock is a government dock which has been enhanced by the Georgian Yacht Club out of Owen Sound. They have placed two picnic tables on the breakwater and maintain two privies just behind the cedar edge.
Schoolhouse: A narrow roadway leads east from the dock and within a short distance (0.2 km) splits in two. The right-hand trail continues up the escarpment while the left side continues past a magnificent barn, a grassed airstrip, and stops at a summer cottage. The left-hand trail, slightly overgrown with poison ivy, passes the overgrown remains of an early 1900s barn and just past this, on the left is the shell of the old schoolhouse, built in the 1920s. It has since been vandalized by people looking for the supposed stash of Soper’s moonshine, which was rumored to lie buried under the floorboards.
Log Cabin: Ann Burton’s log cabin is open to visitors. It is stocked with food, accommodations, and a first aid kit, all meant to assist stranded boaters in the case of inclement weather. Honour this fine lady’s generosity and hospitality by leaving the property as good or better than you found it.
Fishing: Recreational fishing is an important Colpoy’s Bay activity, rainbow trout in the spring and pink salmon in the summer. An area with good prospects for anglers is the water between the north point of White Cloud and the south point of Hay Island.
Wild Boar: If wind and waves are suitable, the 2 kilometre crossing to Hay Island is worthwhile. This island has significant forested escarpment margins that front on narrow cobble beaches. It has been rumored that the island is home to wild boar. The circumnavigation of this island provides changing vistas of the Georgian Bay and the adjacent lands of Cape Croker.
Ghost Ship: On the evening of November 25,1881 the Jane Miller departed from the dock at Big Bay and was soon engulfed in a blinding snowstorm. The steamer was last sighted between Cameron Point and White Cloud Island trying to make headway before the storm. The steamer was lost somewhere in the waters between White Cloud, Hay, and Griffith Islands where the Bruce Peninsula meets the depths of Georgian Bay. Twenty-eight lives were lost in this tragedy. It is said that during the nighttime in November, people on any one of these islands can hear the cries and wails of the victims.
Private Game Reserve: Griffith Island is privately owned and provides recreation activities for a limited membership. The island sports a lighthouse, a grass strip aircraft runway, a towered shooting range where skeet/clay pigeon are targeted, and is liberally stocked with game birds such as pheasant for the hunting enjoyment of club members. Entry is restricted except in the case of emergency.
Imperial Tower: Griffith Island is home to one of the six Imperial Lighthouse Towers built on the Great Lakes between 1855 and 1859. The 17 metre tower still remains but the lighthouse keeper’s house has been ruined by vandals.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Map: 1:50,000 White Cloud Island (41 A/15)
This is one in a series of trip descriptions collected by the Georgian Bay Committee for a paddling guide to the Bay.
Wendy Killoran
I was thankful to leave the marina’s dock
And to gaze at the granite’s smooth, polished rock
Which glaciers scoured over ten millennia ago
Where lofty white pines in the crevices grow
In the aqua water my paddle does dip
This special journey is a magical trip
Streaks of cloud brush across the sky
As day draws closed and night draws nigh
On the island I go to explore
And keep venturing farther to keep seeing more
Sinuously sculpted rock beckoning me
Light playing softly, so much to see
Plenty of wind gusts the next day brings
And the haunting call of the loon sings
On a nearby island I become windbound
And a rare Massasauga rattler here was found
A dark brown mink scurries by
But at least the day remains nice and dry
Next day again I faced a windy blast
And once again I didn’t paddle fast
That afternoon I dove in the shimmering bay
And a fiery sunset ended the day
Morning was calm, water smooth like a mirror
And Point Grondine approached nearer and nearer
At this camp lightning flashed and thunder roared
And a great blue heron effortlessly soared
I was mesmerized by the water’s shades of blue and green
And the undulating white La Cloche Mountains could be seen
This special day made me feel joyful to be alive
And at Big Rock, past noon, I did arrive
What an incredible place to be
And the panorama that I did see
Was simply amazing, with dramatic skies and sparkling light
I simply breathed in this incredible sight
And I returned at the arrival of night
To see slivers of silver reflect and shimmer so bright
From the moon, and I simply enjoyed this place
And the wild, open space
Magically I saw a shooting star
Plummet from the sky afar
A special wish I made right then
Will it come true, I wonder when?
The quartzite mountains became my friends
But unfortunately this paddling journey ends
I paddled into the channel to the small townsite
Paddle the Georgian Bay again? I just might!
[Index] [Current Issue] [Back Issues]
Home | Membership | News | Trip Listings | Trip Reports | GB Committee | Resources | Links
email: glska@canada.com