Fri, Feb 20 2009, Sat, Feb 21 2009, Sun, Feb 22 2009 - Snowshoe Backpack Winter Camping: Frontenac Park (View Original Event Details)
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Frontenac provincial park was created in 1974 and occupies 5,214 hectares within Frontenac County in south-eastern Ontario, just north of Kingston. The extensive system of hiking trails, in conjunction with the portage trails will get you to almost every campsite in the park. Winter travel is aided by frozen lakes and marshes and open woods to bushwhack almost any place you want to go. During the 1800’s the area was surveyed and divided into lots and concessions with the hopes of attracting farmers to the area. However, this area of the Frontenac Axis is rocky with little arable land, leaving prospective inhabitants struggling to carve out an existence. Despite the rough and rocky terrain, a few brave and hardy souls accepted the challenge. It is believed that the earliest farm in the area was established in the late 1830s and that the last farming family left in the mid 1950s. So over about 100 years, this land helped feed and support many hard working families living on approximately 16 farms. The farms were clustered in small communities along the Salmon Lake Road, around Arkon Lake, south of the Kingsford Dam, in the Black Lake, Little Clear Lake and Hardwood Bay areas, as well as south of Slide Lake. Farmers generally had a few cattle, pigs, chickens, and horses. They grew enough food to feed themselves and they would sell any surplus items, like butter, to the merchants in the surrounding villages. Hunting, trapping and fishing would help sustain them over the year. To supplement their income, most would cut wood on contract or mine mica during the winter months. The Chaffeys and the Tetts from Bedford Mills, and the Cartrights were prominent business families/agents that would purchase the wood and sell it. In fact, many of the lots that were not settled were purchased by the Tett and Chaffey families for the purpose of lumbering. We know that the Tetts established a farm to board and feed some of their workers within what is now park land. Evidence of these courageous people can still be seen throughout the park, but most wooden structures have burned down or rotted away and subsequently were dismantled for safety reasons. The settled and cleared lands are slowly returning to wilderness, erasing many traces of the lifelong toil and challenges of those early inhabitants. Friday; Ten brave soles signed up for a TOC D5 winter camping adventure in the beautiful Frontenac Park to re-discover some of the old homesteads and mining activities. Allison, Ron and Mark H and I (Gary) used sleds and the rest of the crew backpacked their gear. I found the sled was much easier on flat trails and on the lake and backpacking had the advantage in tight bushwhacking and hilly areas. We arrived at campsite # 6 around 5:30pm and we quickly set up camp and started our campfire. We managed to squeeze 3 people into Natalie’s so called 3-man tent (it was cozy!). Jeesie was in-charge of cooking supper and she had multiple pots on the go. In the distance, across the lake, we can see 2 headlamps coming our way. It’s Mark H and Ron arriving later than expected (7:30pm), right in time for supper. O’k were all here! Time to eat . It’s about –15C at night. Saturday; Beautiful clear blue-sky morning and a pleasant –5C. The photos say it all! We started out around 10:40am and quickly make it to the Green Homestead (1953) and pass the farm gate and old truck. Snowshoeing pass McCormish homestead (1881-1953) to Bear Lake, pass Blair Shanty and campsite # 10 for lunch. After our trail lunch we climb NW through various beaver active lakes and marshes to Hemlock Lake and the Tetts Mines area. One of the trips goal was to find the Tetts Mines and old steam boiler. The steam boiler was used during the Mica mining operation to provided power for the lift hoists and pumps and steam rock drills. 'Eureka'..! We Have Found..! It’s getting late so we hike on across Mouton Gouge and a few dangerous river crossings. Misty did not like this part, but she made it! We made campsite#8 by 4 pm. You know the drill!. We set-up camp, collect firewood and Jessie starts cooking with every pot she can get her hands on. Mark H and Ron break out the ham and we have more food than we can possible eat. Sunday: It’s warmer this morning (-3C). We start (10am) off across Birch Lake in a small snowstorm, heading SW to the Birch Lake Mines where we rejoined the trail. Followed the trail to the Bennett home area, across from a small un-named lake and bushwhacked back to the trail that heads generally south to the Big Salmon Lake Road. We spot, high up in a tree, a large gray owl looking for it’s next meal. And off it goes! It’s up and down some fairly steep hills back to the road. On the way, Denise spots a porcupine on the side of the road,which most of us, including Misty walked right bye. We all make it back to the park office around 1 pm ready for our drive home. We had some great weather and company to reflect on some nature and history in Frontenac provincial park. Don’t forget to right down what you learnt on this trip!
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