Chapleau Crown Game Reserve Part III
After dinner we headed back to the Chapleau Game Reserve. I turned onto the side road where our first bear was located this morning. I did not expect to see any, knowing that they travel. No bear was seen.
We return to the main road. Slowing down at each lake, we scanned the shoreline for any movement and the water for any sign of animal life. Again we stopped at the “Beaver House” sign, squinting for any movement. We’re not sure if we saw the “house”. The next stop was Moose Lookout. No! Just a mile or two in came the sign for Platform 3. We fought mosquitoes and bugs more than seeing any wildlife. I don’t remember mentioning the bugs. There are a LOT of bugs, mosquitoes, black flies, and other vermin flying around you when you leave the cover of your vehicle. One stop we made this afternoon was to repel!
My wife told me that we should turn around in 15 minutes. It was now 8:30 and we didn’t want to be out in the desert after dark. I saw a black shape on the side of the road. Not wanting to get out of the car, I tried to focus the camera. She walked away from her with her three puppies of hers running after her without waiting for her picture to be taken. The total, including yesterday, came to seven bears. Approaching a road we passed this morning; I turned around expecting to see something different. There was a nice lake but at this point we weren’t getting out of the car just to go back and kill bugs that got in the car with us. We start back.
My wife saw the mother bear first. I stopped half a mile away and was able to take several photos through the windshield. A puppy appeared and walked towards mom who was crossing the street, then another one came running. They all disappeared into the woods which turned out to be a bank sloping down to a depth of 15 or 20 feet.
My wife discovered them at the bottom of the descent. I backed away, catching a glimpse of them as they ran farther into the woods. After that all we saw was a couple of rabbits sitting on the road. Each rabbit was alone and quickly set off, seeking shelter in the woods as we got closer.
The rest of the trip passed without incident. A waitress told us that she had seen several moose on a return trip from Timmins, a town we would be traveling through to reach Cochrane, our next destination. The decision to leave the next day for Timmins or Cochrane had been made previously, not wanting to spend another day driving 50 to 80 miles without seeing much wildlife. This way we could go to the Polar Bear Rehabilitation Habitat on Friday.
Gas
One of the things I forgot to mention earlier. When we saw our first gas station in Canada, it was $1,099 and we flipped it! What is America doing to us! Later we learned that the price is per liter with 3.75 liters per gallon. Today, at $1.21 a liter we fill up at $67. Conversion from liters to gallons calculated to 14 gallons. I forgot to tell you that this little Esso gas station in Chapleau is full service. Later, at another “service station” they asked me if I wanted my oil checked. One man actually filled our tank for us! Some of you remember this service before the early 1970s; a service that has been forgotten in the United States and other parts of Canada.
Suggestion:
If you decide to venture into this part of the world, do so at a different time of year. Could be nicer without all the bugs. I have been told that the worst time for black flies is late May and June. Since July and August are hot, that might not be a good thing either. The snowmobiles would provide entertainment, but the noise would keep the wildlife away. A leisurely afternoon or early morning drive might be best for wildlife viewing.