Hiking La Cloche Silhouette
One of the purest, most rugged and unspoiled landscapes that I have ever seen is the view from the granite and quartzite ridges of the ancient La Cloche Mountains. Billions of years ago, these stunning hills towered higher than the Rocky Mountains. Today, they are protected within the boundaries of Killarney Provincial Park in Ontario Canada.
Dedicated to the memory of The Group of Seven artist Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945), who spent years trying to capture the essence of the area with a paintbrush, the La Cloche Silhouette Trail is considered by many to be one of the most challenging and beautiful hikes in the country. Having hiked the 100 kilometre loops several years ago without a camera, I decided this year to return to better document the expedition.
Our itinerary had us starting at George Lake and hiking the loop counter-clockwise up to Silver Peak, and then back out the same way. We geared up and started the hike under a cold, grey sky on the morning of September 23, 2006 shortly after 9:00 am.