Our group of seven parked on Hyacinthe Bay Rd and followed the flagged trail through a mossy and open swale, over a ridge and down to Beaver Lake.  After rounding Beaver Lake on the south, we crossed the creek and stopped for elevenses on a rocky bluff above the lake.  We continued through the transition zone of a recent cut block and then followed the path descending along the creek draining Beaver Lake.  We stopped at a water fall and took a short side trip on an old logging road now covered in moss and grass.  We continued more steeply down to the junction of the creek with Open Bay creek and stopped for lunch.  The route then followed a well maintained trail upstream along Open Bay Creek. This passes through a mature forest often on a high bluff with great views of the meandering creek.  We saw a number of interesting plants along the way.  Since we had arranged a car shuffle, we drove back from the junction of Open Bay Creek and Bold Point Road.  5.7 km; 3 hours.  

(click on photos to enlarge)

Notes on the plants:
The gnome plant or Hemitomes congestum is quite rare, though found over a large territory in dense forests.  It is the only member of its genus.   It lacks chlorophyll and cannot carry out photosynthesis.  Instead the gnome plant gets nutrients directly from fungi.

Menzies’ pipsissewa or Chimaphila menziesii is also quite rare and found over a large territory in dense forests.  ‘Pipsissewa is a Cree name meaning “it breaks into small pieces” in reference to the leaves, which are thought to help dissolve kidney stones.’

Hiking – Beaver Lake and Open Bay Creek – 29 June 2022