I have been an "avid" hiker for around 12 years. Pre-kids we'd often make an entire day of a hike, dedicating time towards putting 10-15kms under our feet while we explored a new area. When the kids were little enough to be strapped to our chests we'd take on shorter hikes with them. By the time they were three we started to venture out on short mini-hikes, about 2KM in length.
I love a nice remote hidden gem of a hike, but am also guilty of scouring the interwebs for suggestions on amazing hikes in my area. The Cup & Saucer is an Instagram favourite of a trail, and just the same I wanted to hike it. This 5KM moderately difficult trail has been on my list for a while, and I'm happy that my kids were old enough to take on the challenge too.
This hike was 5KM long with an opportunity to do a 500 m "adventure" hike section. Since the journey up to the lookout was a moderate leveled hike already we opted to skip this section. I'd also read on my trusty resource All Trails that it was really easy to get lost on the Adventure trail section.
Up near one of the initial climbs is a little section where people have built Inukshuks.
The ladder of with a broken rung at the bottom. On the journey back down we saw someone take a tumble from here, so be careful on your way in and out.
This is one of the flatter more tame parts of this challenging trail. Even though we went on a summer weekday morning it was still quite busy. Any of the kids we ran into on our travels who were under five or six were being piggybacked by their parents for at least part of the distance. We ran into several other teens who were also complaining about the distance and difficulty level. I was proud that our kids were hiking without hesitation. I wouldn't recommend this hike for anyone with a child under six or seven because of the difficulty level and because the beautiful lookouts are unobstructed, which means no railings to protect little ones.
The famous lookout is beautiful. So we sat a while and had a snack while we drank in all the cup and saucer had to offer. The view and hike reminded me a lot of one we did in Algonquin Booth Rock Trail a couple of years ago (to read that hike review click here), but with a lot less bugs!
This hike is a challenging one, but well was worth it. Again like much of Manitoulin Island there is a lot of poison ivy so wear long pants. I couldn't believe how many tourists I saw hiking this area in sandals or flip flops instead of runners or hiking gear. For those with better camera equipment and who are a little more adventurous, you can get some great shots of the lookout, just be safe and don't take any unnecessary risks. My favourite part of the hike was the lookout, while the kids and Chris loved the Sherwood Forest esque feel of some of the flatter parts of the trail. This hike took us about an hour and 45 minutes total including photos, lookouts, waiting for other hikers to go by to allow for social distancing, and snacks. Parking was free! Try to come early in the morning or on a weekday to beat the crowds.
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