On August 7th, under a blanket of thick fog, we departed the community of Silver Islet located on the Sibley Peninsula near Thunder Bay. After enjoying incredible hospitality, a springboard diving competition, a sauna, and several pieces of homemade pie at Silver Islet, we bade farewell to the quaint town and the friends we’d made there, to Ross’ parents, and headed back out onto the Lake. And what a glorious lake it is! That day, visibility was poor and we were fortunate to have the sailboat Hakuna Matata, crewed by Nathalie’s Uncle Gilles and Papa Andy, to guide us across the first bay and back on our way. These Brunet brothers remained nearby up to Sault Ste. Marie. We enjoyed their company so much; the fatherly hugs, beers in the wilderness, weather updates, navigation advice, and genuine good humour. These guys are great!! It took us 14 days to paddle from Grand Portage to Sault Ste. Marie, some days we covered up to 65 kilometres. We had several days of calm paddling when the water was like glass, un
characteristic of Lake Superior at this time of year. There were many days that we fought a headwind, or worked with a tailwind or cross wind but thankfully only a few partial days were spent waiting on shore for the wind to decrease.
We’d long heard great legends of the North shore of Superior, it is rumoured to be dotted with fishing camps and saunas, open for the use of those who know where to find them. After our journey to the North Shore and back again, I am willing neither to confirm nor deny the existence of such fantastic places, it’s one of those mysteries you’ll have to investigate for yourself. I can attest to the incredible beauty of Lake Superior. The ever-changing shoreline of rocky cliffs, lush green hills and white sand beaches that border the water filled us with awe. But the most unexpected for me was the colour of the water; beautiful shades of blue, green and turquoise. The water itself, sometimes smooth and calm, can also be impressively powerful making the lake one of the most dangerous bodies of water in North America. The huge sky provides the entertainment of the day, watching storms roll by, fog settle and disperse, the glowing sunrises and sunsets. Lake Superior never ceases to impress those who travel its waters.
Off the coast of Pukaskwa National Park we met a Parks Canada patrol which informed us that the park was closed to backcountry campers due to a bear attack the week before. We had heard about the attack on the radio in Silver Islet and had planned to paddle past the park boundary in one day. The Park employees left us with a radio to call them in case we didn’t make our destination by nightfall. We continued paddling hard but by 7pm we were still 20km from the Park boundary with a storm building all around us, so after a brief radio call we were instructed to meet a Parks boat and spend the night at the Weidman’s Island warden cabin. Within an hour and a half we were speeding down Lake Superior under a stunning pink and yellow sunset with lush forest, beaches and rugged cliffs flying past. After camping the night on the island with a few friendly park staff, we were returned to our canoes in the same way, and continued out of Pukaskwa National Park. We were tremendously appreciative of the park staff for allowing us to paddle on through.
Days later, as we fought the wind crossing Whitefish Bay to Sault Ste. Marie, we were met by Whitney’s parents who commandeered a motor boat to come and pay us a visit. They were amazed by how well our Clipper Whitewater II canoes handled through the big swells, while they were being tossed around in their motor boat. There smiling faces and endless photos showed just how proud of us they were. They met us for dinner in Sault Ste. Marie, and for the following two days along Saint Mary’s River and Lake Huron with snacks and meals. Going through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie was neat. We entered through a thick metal gate and held fast to the cement wall. The water was drained from the channel and we were lowered ~30 feet to the level of Lake Huron. The process took no more than fifteen minutes; we left through a similarly menacing gate to enter the river channel that would bring us to our second of the Great Lakes and onward to the rest of Canada.
This section of our trip, as jam-packed as it was with delightful beauty, was also one of the most physically and mentally draining parts that we’ve yet experienced. We’ve been bone-tired, we’ve been sick, and we’ve had our moments of grumpiness. A head cold brought Ross and I down midway through the lake, and hung on for far too long. A stomach flu-like sickness plagued us last week, beginning with Shane, moving to Ross and Nathalie, then Steph, then me. Only Whitney has remained healthy. There were moments when it seemed that we were just so far from our destination and making such slow progress that it seemed difficult to ward off a negative outlook. We’ve found that singing- and usually at the top of our lungs- works best to cure us of poor mind-set in stressful or tough situations. There has been many a long afternoon when I’ve been drifting into a mental funk only to be snapped back into a good attitude by Whitney belting out the words to a favourite song. It seems insane that we could possibly feel gloomy when we truly are living a dream every single day and I can’t begin to explain why this happens, but it can happen if we’re not careful to keep ourselves smiling.
Our welcome at the North Channel Yacht Club set the tone for our stay in Sudbury: we were greeted by a crowd of amazingly kind and inquisitive folks including members of Nathalie’s family and members of the Yacht Club, and a potluck dinner. We were shuttled to Sudbury and are now staying at the home of Andy and Monique Brunet, Nathalie’s parents. These two rest days have allowed us time and space to once again reorganize gear and food, and to recharge our bodies and minds for the rest of our journey. We’re ready to carry on to the Georgian Bay and beyond! <Abby>
characteristic of Lake Superior at this time of year. There were many days that we fought a headwind, or worked with a tailwind or cross wind but thankfully only a few partial days were spent waiting on shore for the wind to decrease.
We’d long heard great legends of the North shore of Superior, it is rumoured to be dotted with fishing camps and saunas, open for the use of those who know where to find them. After our journey to the North Shore and back again, I am willing neither to confirm nor deny the existence of such fantastic places, it’s one of those mysteries you’ll have to investigate for yourself. I can attest to the incredible beauty of Lake Superior. The ever-changing shoreline of rocky cliffs, lush green hills and white sand beaches that border the water filled us with awe. But the most unexpected for me was the colour of the water; beautiful shades of blue, green and turquoise. The water itself, sometimes smooth and calm, can also be impressively powerful making the lake one of the most dangerous bodies of water in North America. The huge sky provides the entertainment of the day, watching storms roll by, fog settle and disperse, the glowing sunrises and sunsets. Lake Superior never ceases to impress those who travel its waters.
Off the coast of Pukaskwa National Park we met a Parks Canada patrol which informed us that the park was closed to backcountry campers due to a bear attack the week before. We had heard about the attack on the radio in Silver Islet and had planned to paddle past the park boundary in one day. The Park employees left us with a radio to call them in case we didn’t make our destination by nightfall. We continued paddling hard but by 7pm we were still 20km from the Park boundary with a storm building all around us, so after a brief radio call we were instructed to meet a Parks boat and spend the night at the Weidman’s Island warden cabin. Within an hour and a half we were speeding down Lake Superior under a stunning pink and yellow sunset with lush forest, beaches and rugged cliffs flying past. After camping the night on the island with a few friendly park staff, we were returned to our canoes in the same way, and continued out of Pukaskwa National Park. We were tremendously appreciative of the park staff for allowing us to paddle on through.
Days later, as we fought the wind crossing Whitefish Bay to Sault Ste. Marie, we were met by Whitney’s parents who commandeered a motor boat to come and pay us a visit. They were amazed by how well our Clipper Whitewater II canoes handled through the big swells, while they were being tossed around in their motor boat. There smiling faces and endless photos showed just how proud of us they were. They met us for dinner in Sault Ste. Marie, and for the following two days along Saint Mary’s River and Lake Huron with snacks and meals. Going through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie was neat. We entered through a thick metal gate and held fast to the cement wall. The water was drained from the channel and we were lowered ~30 feet to the level of Lake Huron. The process took no more than fifteen minutes; we left through a similarly menacing gate to enter the river channel that would bring us to our second of the Great Lakes and onward to the rest of Canada.
This section of our trip, as jam-packed as it was with delightful beauty, was also one of the most physically and mentally draining parts that we’ve yet experienced. We’ve been bone-tired, we’ve been sick, and we’ve had our moments of grumpiness. A head cold brought Ross and I down midway through the lake, and hung on for far too long. A stomach flu-like sickness plagued us last week, beginning with Shane, moving to Ross and Nathalie, then Steph, then me. Only Whitney has remained healthy. There were moments when it seemed that we were just so far from our destination and making such slow progress that it seemed difficult to ward off a negative outlook. We’ve found that singing- and usually at the top of our lungs- works best to cure us of poor mind-set in stressful or tough situations. There has been many a long afternoon when I’ve been drifting into a mental funk only to be snapped back into a good attitude by Whitney belting out the words to a favourite song. It seems insane that we could possibly feel gloomy when we truly are living a dream every single day and I can’t begin to explain why this happens, but it can happen if we’re not careful to keep ourselves smiling.
Our welcome at the North Channel Yacht Club set the tone for our stay in Sudbury: we were greeted by a crowd of amazingly kind and inquisitive folks including members of Nathalie’s family and members of the Yacht Club, and a potluck dinner. We were shuttled to Sudbury and are now staying at the home of Andy and Monique Brunet, Nathalie’s parents. These two rest days have allowed us time and space to once again reorganize gear and food, and to recharge our bodies and minds for the rest of our journey. We’re ready to carry on to the Georgian Bay and beyond! <Abby>
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