by Back Roads Bill We know the moon is not made of Swiss cheese. Neil Armstrong proved that on July 21, 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission. We tend to remember the event or the person more than the date. Some of you will remember where you were on that day others were not yet “thoughts” or Earthlings. To refresh our memories Armstrong became the first to step onto the lunar surface . He spent about two and a half hours outside the spacecraft, his partner Buzz Aldrin slightly less; and together they collected pounds 21.5 kg (47.5 lb.) of lunar material for return to Earth. During subsequent Apollo...
by Back Roads Bill Throughout the year the gorge initiates an array of feelings and emotions. It is a walking place, very moving. It is oneof those waterfalls where you hear the tumbling water before you see it. There is anticipation and you will not be disappointed when you peer over the edge! Winter brings a snowshoeing trek that allows you to see moving water through a winter wonderland. Fall brings the colours and the spring freshet shows the power of the cascading volume of water. A summer’s day hike allows for a cool stroll through a mixed forest and a red pine ecosystem. You will not want to...
by Back Roads Bill Myth or belief, maybe it is like the Loch Ness monster? You see what you want to see; you think what you want to think. What’s more fun than a mystery where you can write the ending? On a back road near a unique shoreline is a configuration of huge boulders that pose more questions than answers. The unusual aggregation of these rounded rocks may not have the same visual impact as Stonehenge, the prehistoric monument on the Salsbury Plain in England. No one seems to be sure how these huge, rounded rocks arrived and when? Why does the alignment match exactly with the...
by Back Roads Bill “Tea time” is a light meal typically eaten between four and six pm. Observance of the custom originated amongst the wealthy classes of the former British Empire. There is a new, healthy tea on the market; bring out your best porcelain. And the contents for steeping can be found on our back roads. The name “chaga” (pronounced “chuh-ga”) comes from the anglicised Russian word of the dark brown to black, hardened, crusty mushroom, most likely the most unique you will ever see. If you talk to a Registered Professional Forester it is a “conk polypore” or “clinker fungus.” It is the trunk rot of birch,...
by Back Roads Bill It’s hard to believe that one of Northeastern Ontario’s best and most accessible vistas is seldom seen. This view would become very important to one of Canada’s most successful writers. To young detectives worldwide, he was known under the pseudonyms Carolyn Keene, Roy Rockwood and most famously Franklin W. Dixon author of The Hardy Boys series. Author Leslie McFarlane, who passed away on September 6, 1977, was one of the most successful Canadian writers of all time. Working for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, he penned 21 volumes of The Hardy Boys, initiated The Dana Girls series and wrote seven Dave Fearless novels. Devil’s Rock on the...
by Back Roads Bill It might be winter time and you have just visited Wolf Mountain one of the finest vistas in Northeastern Ontario. Come back for another look and maybe a swim at a place that is almost “paradise.” People often ask where a really neat place to go swimming is. Not a beach but a good ‘ole swimming hole. It is often a difficult question to answer as each location has its own attraction. But Paradise or “Blue” Lagoon comes to mind as it creates an image as a special back roads destination. The word paradise is a religious or metaphysical term for a place in which...
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