Daytripper – West Hawk Lake

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/06/2005 (7649 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WHO: Writer David Sanderson and son Jakob, 8.

WHERE: West Hawk Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, 130 kilometres due east of Winnipeg along the Trans-Canada Highway.

WHY: West Hawk Lake, also called Crater Lake, was created when a meteorite measuring 150 metres in diameter — travelling at a speed of 58,000 kilometres per hour — crashed into Earth 100 million years ago. The lake is approximately 111 metres deep, making it a year-round destination for diving enthusiasts.

Don’t forget to pack your mettle along with your beach blanket. Even during the dog days of summer, the water temperature remains bone-chilling enough that “shrinkage” will be a factor.

HOW: To spice things up a bit, we exited the Trans-Canada at Falcon Lake and detoured along Highway 301. It’s an 11-kilometre stretch of road that hugs Falcon Lake’s north shore and features more twists and turns than an episode of The O.C. At the Highway 41 juncture, we took a right. West Hawk Lake was directly in our sights.

HOW MUCH: A provincial park pass is required: annual passes are $20, three-day passes go for $5.

DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HISTORY? Camping attendant Peggy Tarowsdale was happy to answer all of our questions from her post in the West Hawk Museum of Geological History, located in the campground office adjacent to the beach. The museum is open daily from mid-May until the September long weekend, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Though Tarowsdale didn’t have any first-hand knowledge of the volcanic activity that gripped the area in days gone by, she did say, “My husband should be back shortly. I think he might have been around at the time.”

BEST PLACE IN THE GALAXY TO GET A METEOR BURGER: Wally and Brenda Melnyk’s burger bar, Meteor Mike’s, offers up a variety of food at prices that aren’t out of this world. Meteor burgers go for $3.25 ($3.75 with cheese), Sundogs are $2.75 and Flying Saucer pizzas are $15. During the summer months, it’s not uncommon for ice cream lineups to stretch all the way to the beach’s boardwalk, some 100 metres away.

TAKE A HIKE: Looking for a good way to kill three hours — and get some exercise to boot — we took a shot at the Hunt Lake Trail. Hunt Lake is a 12.6-kilometre (round-trip) “stroll” that leads north to Indian Bay as it follows the east shore of West Hawk Lake. Though at times difficult (and steep), the route was flush with spectacular views. Access to the trail is off Highway 44, at the Hunt Lake subdivision.

WHICH CAME FIRST — THE FISH OR THE EGG? The local fish hatchery is 10 minutes north of West Hawk on Highway 312. We learned that the hatchery was started in 1942 to replenish the natural stocks in the surrounding area. Some of the species raised here, we were told, include lake trout and black crappie. Interpreter-led tours are available on weekends (summer only).

MUSSEL BEACH… A little sand in our shoes wasn’t a big deal at The Landing, where we dined al fresco while taking in the action along West Hawk’s main strip. Owners Roy and Heather Howie offer up selections you might not expect at a beach bistro, including pork loin with fruit stuffing ($13.99) and chicken breast with mango sauce ($14.95). According to the menu, all entrees are available in “men’s gut” and “women’s gut” portions.

…AND CINNAMON GIRLS: On our way home, we made like every other west-bound traveller and stopped at the McMunn Motor Inn to pick up a couple of Nelda’s Giant Homemade Cinnamon Buns. The inn is about 30 kilometres west of West Hawk Lake, along the Trans-Canada Highway. Owner Grant Nettleton said, “Well, yes and no,” when asked if Nelda is still around. “She is, but she doesn’t bake anymore,” he said, while filling our tank. Nettleton informed me that he sells as many as 3,600 buns on a typical Sunday, almost all to folks heading home from the lake. The buns are priced at $1.95 each, $2.35 if “hot and buttered.”

STOP THE CLOCK: Total time gone: 13 hours.

Daytrippers is a new itinerant column for Detour, designed to give Winnipeggers a snapshot of some of the great sites just outside their doors. Got a daytrip of your own, a few hours out of town and do-able in a day? E-mail us about 600 words in the above format, to feedback@freepress.mb.ca. We’ll pay for the best submissions.