Bouldering

Ignace’s Blueberry Boulder Field (by Dennis Smyk)

Just north of Sandbar Lake Provincial Park, a dozen kilometres north of Ignace, the landscape is dominated by room size boulders. Visitors walking among these behemoths cannot help but be overwhelmed by them.

See the full article by Dennis Smyk here.

Bouldering dates back to the late 19^th century and was started in Europe to train rock climbers. Bouldering is a British name given to the sport and "problem" is the name of the challenge or path up to the top of the boulder. The size of the boulders found in Ignace and their proximity to the Trans Canada Highway means that there is a great deal of interest by boulderers, aficionados of the sport of bouldering, a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large boulders or artificial man-made boulders and only equipment you will require is some chalk, climbing shoes, a landing pad, and some courage. The Ignace Boulder Field has been described as “the best bouldering in Canada between the Niagara Glen and the Rockies”!

Visitors will enjoy the experience of seeing the boulders-or climbing them- and can top up their visit by feasting on the namesake blueberries. Keep an eye open for roadside raspberries too.

GEOCACHING

Geocaching is a fun way to interact with other outdoor enthusiasts by finding their caches and exchanging objects or leaving a signature for the cache owner. All you need is some outdoor gear and a handheld GPS.

Geocachers

Ed and Amanda Lahaie have created a number of geocaches at interesting sites in and near Ignace.

Geocaching is a high-tech version of hide-and-seek that combines the thrill of scavenger hunts, the physical challenges of hiking or biking, and the fun of gift exchanges.

It shares many aspects with benchmarking, trig pointing, orienteering, treasure hunting, letterboxing, and way marketing.

All you need is a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit or other navigational techniques to find containers (called “geocaches” or “caches”), then sign the logbook and exchange small trinkets. With internet access you can visit websites that list geocaches hidden in the Ignace area - or throughout the region. A good website to start with is www.geocaching.com. It's a great activity for families to enjoy together!

Geocaches within 70 km of Ignace ON

SOME HINTS:

Agimak’s Cache

• Hint: Look below your knees

Tower Hill Lookout Cache

• Hint: Eye Level

4 Mile Pit Cache

• Hint: If you think you are getting hot, you might be rusty!

Gulliver’s Travels Cache

• Hint: If you think you’re stumped, you might have nailed it

Raleigh Falls Cache

• Hint: Look at the far east end of the loop, about 5m up from the yellow stake, LOOK UP

HUNTING

For many people, hunting is a lifestyle and a food source. It is also an important source of income in the Ignace area, due to the high level of tourism and guided hunting resorts. Some of the most popular hunting targets are moose, bear, deer, and small game such as grouse and snowshoe hare. There are several fly-in resorts that have American packages for hunting and fishing in the area.

Below is a list of camps/resorts that specialise in an array of hunting packages.

Bear Hunting

Bergmann’s Camp, Breezy Point Camp, Cobb Bay Lodge, Cobblestone Lodge, Cozy Campground, Harris Bay Resort, Lumberjack Lodge, Moose Creek Camp, Raleigh Lake Resort, Sac Bay Lodge, Rousseau’s Landing, Silver Dollar Inn.

Grouse Hunting / Small Game

Cozy Campground, Harris Bay Resort, Lumberjack Lodge, Press Lake Camp, Sac Bay Lodge, Silver Dollar Inn.

Moose Hunting

Agimac River Outfitters, Breezy Point Camp, Cozy Campground, Harris Bay Resort, Lumberjack Lodge, Press Lake Camp, Raleigh Lake Resort, Rousseau’s Landing, Sac Bay Lodge, Silver Dollar Inn

Deer Hunting

Moose Creek Camp, Rousseau’s Landing, Sac Bay Lodge

Duck Hunting

Cozy Campground, Sac Bay Lodge

Birdwatching in the Boreal

When most people think of birdwatching, they might think of sitting and waiting for hours with a pair of binoculars to see a small bird. In reality there is much more to it.  Besides the stereotypical binocular scene there is an audio element to birding. Bird's calls are distinct, for example a chickadee call is one that is highly recognized and enjoyed.  We are surrounded by boreal forest that is home to thousands of species and the best way to see them is to walk the many trails in and around Ignace.
   
Some of the larger species include bald eagles, hawks, herons, falcons, grouse, and waterfowl such as geese and ducks.  "Twitching" or "tally-hunting" refers to the sport of birding that requires creating a checklist of bird species and possibly traveling great distances to find the more elusive birds.

There are many different types of habitat in the area that serve as feeding and nesting areas.  The boreal forests are great places to find many species of warblers, chickadees, nuthatches, flycatchers, vireos and many more.

A list of popular birding trails near Ignace:

• Lilypad Lake Trail, located within the Town of Ignace
• Silhouette Trail, 12 km north of Ignace on 599 highway, Sandbar Provincial Park
• Rock Cliff Trail, 12 km north of Ignace, Sandbar Provincial Park
• South Beach Trail to Red Pine Loop, Sandbar Provincial Park
• Gulliver River Water Trail, Grit Road 17 km east of Ignace, Canoe/Kayak access