While the Hiawatha Highlands is a conservation area, it is privately owned by The Kinsmen Club of Sault Ste. Marie, the Sault Ste. Marie Regional Conservation Authority, the Steinberg family, Farmer Bob at Mocking Bird Hill Farms, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and The Bible Fellowship. Such public and private partnerships are common in Canada. It rarely happen in the States. It would cost too much in liability insurance! For instance, Soo Finnish Nordic Ski Club maintains over 45 km of Ski trails and 14 km of double track Snowshoeing. All of these trails can be used in the summer as hiking and biking trails.
As we entered the parking lot, we a saw sign for Crystal Falls. Cool - two waterfalls for the price of one! We didn't even have this waterfall on our list. The sign pointed to a long boardwalk into the woods. We locked the bikes and took off on foot to see where the boardwalk would take us.
We definitely heard the falls before we saw them. Before long, we got our first glimpse of Crystal Falls.
As we climbed several flights of stairs, the canyon narrowed and Crystal Creek rushed through tumbling and splashing as it went.
We rested a bit from the climb, taking in the surrounding beauty. We began to make our way down the creek and saw that it emptied into a small lake. Dave continued ahead on his bike to see if we could make it around the lake. He happened upon this porcupine having just come out of the lake from his afternoon swim.
Not wanting to tangle with a porcupine, Dave turned back and we locked the bikes to a swing set at the lake and began to walk around. We came to a dam and discovered the Minnehaha Falls.
The dam had a grated walkway across the top which allowed water to pass right over as you walked across it.
Walking across the top you could feel the power of the water rushing over the falls. You could stand right on top of it and look down.
The flow of the water through the spillway was hypnotic.
After lunch, we walked around the lake. Everything is so green. We looked really hard, but we could not see any moose.
Just down the road from Kinsmen Park is the Mockingbird Hill Pioneer Farm. The farm is the romantic dream of Farmer Bob who delves deep into his Metis roots to recreate his heritage. The Farm depicts a typical horse-drawn homestead farm with the pioneer's menagerie of animals - a few pigs, sheep, goats, cows, chickens, ducks, turkeys, cats and dogs. Get ready to step back in time.
As you enter the property, there is a self pay station. We made our contribution and went to meet the occupants of a very rustic looking barn. True to the brochure there were sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, cows and horses. This little guys were looking for a handout. Feeding is encouraged and a vending machine was set up with critter chow.
Just past the barn was a dirt road leading to a chapel. There were a lot of cars parked out on the road, but so far we hadn't see another soul. Do you think they are all in the chapel for a wedding? Since there is a large white limo parked in front of the farmhouse, that would be a good guess.
Not wanting to disturb the nuptials, we set about exploring the pioneer farm. This looks like a comfy cottage:
We took a peek inside. It has all the comforts of home - even a split level with the stove and living area below and the sleeping area and table above.
However, the historic Buchan House is more Dave's style. It is an example of traditional early Canadian dressed timber construction. It is the only known locally-surviving, squared log building with minimal alterations and in sound condition in Sault Ste. Marie.
We started our day not really sure what we would find. We discovered two waterfalls, a lake and a really cool historic farm - all while riding our bikes. Definitely the kind of discoveries we like to make as we bibble about.
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