Particpants: Jennifer, Paul, Casey, Francois & Mike
Breakfasts were independent, individual exercises. Lunches and dinners were shared 2-person enterprises with those two persons providing most of the food. That way, we could all enjoy being served and pitching in. This report contains excessive details of food eaten. However, apart from food and kayaking, whatever other acceptable pursuits are there. Scrabble, perhaps? Or reading maps?
Wow, that was fun.
(This transcribed account was put into a tape recorder enroute by all and sundry. It stumbles from the first and third person and from past to present to future tense ? making no attempt at achieving clarity. Hey, when you've been kayaking in good company through gorgeous surroundings and with fabulous weather, you don't really care a damn. Okay? Okay.):
In the beginning, God had some spare spareribs. He also had some spare rabbit skin. Thus he madeth the kayak. And it was a politically correct two-person kayak. Therefore he needed paddlers. So he made woman and from woman came man. Er, no, let's start again.
In the beginning, on an overcast Saturday morning of September 21, Casey and Paul put in at the Inner Harbour in Kingston at 12:30 p.m. a.m. and paddled northeast up the Cataraqui River. They pulled in at Kingston Mills at 1:30 p.m. (7k) It took an hour of waiting before even beginning to go through the four locks. Time through the 4 locks was another hour.
Then we were off again to Colonel Bay Lake where the waves were a little larger, up the River Styx and stopped at a distance of 9.2k at Hughes Point to rest, there was a fishing camp there. Then 6.4k to Brewers, and set up camp above the locks. A great spot, we had a good dinner ? Thai rice and spicy vegetables.
Next day, at 10 a.m. Sunday, September 22, we were on our way again 2.8 km to Upper Brewers. We had a 20 minute wait. Then 3.2 km to Sister Island. Twelve noon, we had lunch on a small rock island. 12:30 off `14.6 km to the Upper Jones Falls where we set up camp by the dam. We had a very good dinner of roast turkey at the hotel Kinney. This is roughing it. But, where else can you tour a beautiful heritage river taken advantage of locks , b&b, fine restaurants. Although we didn't make use of a b&b, it would be a different tour. That was a 20.6 km day.
Monday September 23, after breakfast at the Kinney, Jennifer and Francois joined us at 8:30. We had a very nice visit with Don MacKay, the blacksmith where he was making clothes hooks. Don, being an avid paddler, was able to give us some information on our proposed route and accommodation.
Sue Hopson from the Canadian Recreation Canoeing Association was good enough to provide a shuttle service for Francois' car back to Perth. We bid her adieu and wondered if we would ever make it to Perth and actually find the car.
At 11 a.m. we paddled off into sand lake on the south side of Birch Island and onto Lock 38 (that was 6.3k), Davis Lock where we were met by Mike Lomas who served a delectable gourmet lunch of beef sandwiches and ham sandwiches served 'tween 7 grain cereal bread slices from the Glebe Bakery and freshly cooled Coca Cola. After lunch we went westward into Opinicon Lake. We tried to get into Heart spelling? lake but it was inaccessible. We came out of Deadlock Bay and rounded Joes Point. That was 5.75 km to get to Telephone Bay and the SkyCroft trailer park/campgrounds.
The site we had been offered by the owner (via a telephone call with Paul) turned out to be a swampy, small, rocky shoreline with a steep climb to the site. Unacceptable. (Meanwhile the owner was absent/away/not due back until later)
So, as the sun began to wane in the west, we moved back to the main SkyCroft beach, had supper (Francois: Dinner was the Mexican theme: so, for aperitif, we had nachos with a mild salsa, and a cheese salsa which was medium, and we had burritos, which were hot and spicy. For dessert we had cherry cupcakes and sugar cupcakes followed by a superb coffee.)
(Jennifer: during our aperitif and out dinner, we were entertained by a delightful aerial display of 16 hawks, circling, circling, circling in the sky, waiting to swoop down on their unsuspecting prey)
The owner finally turned up. We explained the unacceptability of the site offered and asked if we could have an empty site near the beach we had identified. He agreed, and said although the site offered electricity, he said he would not charge us for that. (Hmmm). However, the overall site WAS VERY CLEAN (remember the raked beach?) and had great hot showers and toilets. This was a total of 10.56 km for Mike and 16.8 km for Casey, Francois. Paul and Jennifer - from Davis Lock
Later in the evening and through into the following early morning we heard animalistic noises (it was not Mike snoring) around our campsite (Tuesday). Upon waking we discovered a coon had gotten into our gear, ripping open bags and eating all the sweet goodies such as numerous slabs of Mike's famous banana cake.
We breakfasted, packed and left at 10 a.m. to paddled around Murphys Bay into Chaffeys Lock. That was 6.2 km. (where Jennifer relived her worst memories of the awful portage here the previous year). After lunch at Chaffeys, we paddled into Indian lake, Benson Creek, Mosquito Lake, into Pollywog Lake, down into Brewers Creek, into Newboro lake, for a rendezvous with Mike (who had taken the direct canal route) at Fingerboard Island. That was 10.28 km for the tough guys and 6.5 km for the senior - from Chaffeys lock to Fingerboard.
Then 2 km from Fingerboard to Newboro. Very scenic, windy with small whitecaps, friendly wind from the south-west blowing us north-east. Our daily total was 18.5 km (14.7 km for Mike).
At Newboro, where we set up camp, we had a series of diversions which are all documented on camera and can be verified by witnesses offering sworn affidavits. Jennifer failed to anchor her gear adequately against wind gusts and lost her prescription sun glasses, and hat and map container into the canal. Paul's spray suit met the same fate. Francois used a lock long spiked/hooked thingy to retrieve Jennifer's glasses from a murky canal bottom and also to hook her hat. Jennifer rescued Paul's sprayskirt. Paul and Francois tried hooking the floating-away map container using their emergency throw ropes. (This looked like a couple of drunken cowboys using wet noodles to try and lasso a jellyfish.) Then Paul got into a kayak and went over and retrieved the map container after Jennifer had gone across the lock to the other side and unsuccessfully tried the throw rope technique."
We then had a delightful dinner (courteous of Jennifer and Casey) of appetizers: mixed olives, chocolate chips, plums. And for the main course: a mixed assortment of tri colored fettuccini semolina pasta (spinach, beet and Durham) garlic and oil antipasto and artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms - and Francois and Jennifer indulged in some wonderful red wine. We had some of François' delicious coffee, then we went to the village of Newboro (gingerbread 1880 houses, peeling paint, charming, barking dogs, cracked sidewalks), about 3 blocks away, to a gift store where they had Tilley merchandise and just about everything else, including groceries (but alas, no camera film for Jennifer's APS camera). Then we went to the Coachouse pub where Leslie (alias Alice - reading the Mists of Avalon for the third time!) served us beer, and imitation pecan pie. Paul and Casey played pool. Paul became very outgoing and greeted all the other pub guests as they came in and obviously showed he has a second career potential as a restaurant hostess/greeter. We also visited the nearby Sterling Inn which is charming (apparently only $55 U.S./day with three meals.) Then we tried to go home and went the wrong way, but eventually got home to enjoy a barbecue bonfire and the roasting of marshmallows. Went to bed to the sounds of Mike snoring, AND other unnamed persons.
And now it is Wednesday 25th September.
Paul taught Mike how to feather his paddles. Mike was and is eternally grateful. It is soooo much more efficient/comfortable/effective.
A late start 11 a.m. from Newboro, north up McNallys Bay to the Upper Rideau Lake and the narrows of Narrow Bay (7.6 km) , where we had lunch at 12:30 pm . Left at 2 p.m. heading for Murphys Point Provincial Park (Mike and Francois along the north shore 13.2 km. Their daily total upon arrival at Murhpys was 20.8 km. arrived at 5:30. Paul, Casey and Jennifer took a southerly scenic route around Colonel By Island where we visited the campground maintained by Parks Canada. Colonel By Island was a fifties resort, frequented by the likes of such personalities as Paul Anka. Although the lodge is closed, the island offers camping, picnicking, tennis and basketball, and appx 7 km of trail around it. A very nice place to stop and rest. We continued around the island where we had to lift the boats over a beaver dam and get shoes full of muck. Got to a campsite at Murphys Point Provincial Park for a total 22.4 km
Dinner was prepared on a camp fire. Mike's mild Italian sausages, Casey's Rice pilaf and brownies. A half dead, senile, geriatric raccoon was discovered lying on its back, playing dead - perhaps. We had no fear it would repeat our experience at SkyCroft. (Mike: Somehow, I am reminded of the Monty Python comedy skit in which the dead parrot is claimed to be asleep.)
This Thursday 26th September morning we pretended not to notice but sleepy birthday boy got out of his tent, and he came up to the table and what did he see: Paul: "I was overwhelmed with a beautiful birch bark, hand crafted heritage birthday card --- made by Casey of In The Works Sign Company, that was signed by François, Jennifer, Mike, Casey - and a beautiful Danish pastry with a waterproof match on it as a candle. And it was very emotional. And I blew out the match and made a wish and they were singing happy birthday to me in French and English. Jennifer presented me with - from Switzerland - some dark Lint chocolate and then she read my fortune with Tarot cards. The reading was an abbreviated version, a first time experience - and the reading suggested I have some turmoil in the present but it looks like I have a rosy future if I work hard at it."
Casey: So we left Murphy's Point at 9:30 - Mike got a head start and 8 km later we met up with him close to the bridge at Rideau Ferry. The weather was fine and there was no wind. And 3.5 km from there to Beveridges locks right where we are eating lunch. And we have 9.5 km to Perth.
Casey: We travelled up the Tay Canal. It was very marshy, cattails and duck blinds, afternoon, nobody hunting so we were safe. Especially Francois with his duck-yellow kayak. Paul, Francois and Casey arrived at Last Duel Park at 3:30 (Jennifer arrived at 4:00 pm having decided that it was a beautiful day and why sprint?). And at that point, for the first time on our trip, we had cloud coverage as we pulled in. (None of us really believe that Jennifer had all that rain on her canal trip last year.)
Thanks to Mike for the photos.
Participants: Jean-Marc, Ghislaine, Jean and Alfred
After getting organized in Ottawa, we were on our way to Frontenac Park. Apparently, the policy is something like two vehicles per campsite. But, we were fortunate and allowed to have the three cars (even though we were putting in off park property). En route, we stopped by Fronenac Outfitters (never saw a collection of kayaks as large as this) and the neighbourhood IGA for some provisions for tonight's dinner.
Our put-in was at Desert Lake. It must be fairly deep as it was noticably colder than the other two lakes we were to paddle through. The route took us through Desert Lake, Mitchell Creek, Birch Lake, Kingsford Lake and into McNally Bay. It was an easy going 10km paddle or a 2-3 hours depending on weather, traffic and paddler condition. The main difficulties encountered were wind, some motorized boaters and a low-level bridge.
With all the rain we've had this spring and early summer, the water levels have risen considerably. Making for an interesting trek under a steel bridge crossing Mitchell Creek. You either have to portage your kayak, ferry your kayak manually or do the limbo.
It is a very scenic paddle through Mitchell's Creek. I swear that a heron was following us or guiding us through the waters out to Birch Lake. There was a slight mist in the air. We saw many turtles, woodpecker condos and some fish along the way to the campsite.
That night,
One thing to consider for future trips is to bring one extra piece of rope to run b/w two trees in case the branch you want to hang your foodstuffs from has plans on being firewood. The rope and pulley was a very good idea (or as MS would say, "... a very good thing" :P ).
Early morning paddle ... didn't get the chance to go for one the night before. The chocolate fondue left us very satisfied. Apparently, that night was an opportune time for moonlit paddle as the full moon was on the following Monday night.
We weren't too successful with fishing the first day. So it's good thing we bought some chicken and some fresh veggies. But, the second day, now that's another story.
Before departing the campsite we hiked from camp over to Kingsford Dam which flows into Devil Lake Creek and appropriately into Devil Lake (another boundary lake to Frontenac Park). It was a non-descript wooden dam which provided access from a parking lot for those car camping in the area. For the paddle back we could not have asked for more perfect weather. It was calm for the most part. Once we hit Desert Lake the wind started to pick up and brought the occasional white caps. Other than that, it was very manageable. When we finally left the park enroute back to Ottawa, it was around 5pm and not a cloud was in sight. The converse was true in Ottawa with a severe rainstorm.
Of course here are some photos thanks to Jean-Marc and Alfred.
Canadian sites were coming up "404"), the Beaufort scale rates a "3" as a "Light Breeze" with winds in the 7 - 10 knot range and waves ranging from 2 - 3 feet. A "4" is a "Moderate Breeze" with winds in the 11 - 16 knot range and waves between 3.5 and 5 feet. "Moderate Breeze"! If you're in a kayak, it's hard to remember that these were originally designed for an 1805 British Man-of-War.
But I digress.
Friday afternoon, Art, Paul and I arrived at Misty Isles. (25 River Rd., Lansdowne, ON, K0E 1L0, (613) 382-4232, Email:mistyisl@kos.net, www.mistyisles.ca) We gave some thought to an evening paddle, but the duck hunters a few yards off-shore deterred us. Kathy (Cathy?) -- from the northern peninsula of Michigan came over to introduce herself and we had a nice chat until Kathy retired. At that point, Art refereed a "discussion" between Paul and I during which we pretty much settled all things socio-politico-economic in the world, during which we consumed several beer and bottles of wine.
Saturday morning -- in the grey, pre-dawn mists -- the duck hunters saw something moving and fired a large number of shots. Sound does travel well over water, doesn't it?!!
OK, so we got an early start. On the water by about 8:45. And a lovely day it looked to be turning into too. Our gracious hostess, Gail, commented that the forecast for the day was calling for light breezes from the South-East, increasing a bit during the day. Little did we know that the weatherman was intimate with the Beaufort Scale!
Out to Stave Island and thence East through the Navy Islands almost to Ash Island, where we turned South and hugged the Northern coast of Wellesley Island. In along the narrow International Rift to Lake of the Isles where we ran into two TKO kayakers. They pointed us to Peter & Karin Bergen's bed & breakfast: The Amaryllis.
This is a huge, beached, motorless houseboat located on a nameless island (according to my copy of the DFO Chart # 1437) at the East end of Hill Island. Peter was up on the roof doing repairs when we arrived, and we traded him the right to lunch on his property for free promotion of his business. Here it is: Amaryllis Adventures, Rockport, ON, K0E 1V0, (613) 659-3513, www.bbamaryllis.com.
Peter was keen on kayaks and took Paul's boat for a short spin. I wasn't quite awake and it took some not-so-subtle hints before I twigged onto the fact that he wanted to try my boat as well. Meanwhile, my companions were dying to start eating, as it was past 1:00PM, and they were relieved when I finally sent Peter out on a trial voyage so we could start eating. I must say they were generally polite about my causing such a delay.
We'd been going along in a fairly sheltered area; light breezes to cool you down, calm waters.... Then we turned the point at the East end of Hill Island. So much for breezes from the South-East. These were _winds_ from the South-West, and they were creating some significant wave action.
We headed due North to get to the North shore of Club Island and then beat our way -- slowly -- upstream and upwind back to the Canadian span of the Ivy Lea Bridge. All the water going down to Montreal has to funnel through a narrow gap on either side of Wellesley and Hill Islands. This creates a current. A current that one notices!
Just West of the bridge -- when we finally got there -- the currents were coming from all directions, with eddies and up swells everywhere. Toss in the pleasure craft and tour boats passing in all directions and we were bouncing and bobbing about with only tenuous control of our little boats. (At least, that was how I was starting to feel.) I was hit broadside by a wave that came right over the deck and spray skirt; enough came inside the skirt to completely soak me.
The rest of the struggle back to Stave Island was long and tiring. At one point Kathy and I were sheltering in the lee of an island and were commented to each other that our arms felt like jello. Art and Paul seemed to be doing a lot better in the big water and were a considerable distance out in front. We finally regrouped and discovered the park sign on Mulcaster Island. Finally, I knew where we were on the map again! (We'd gone off the edge of the map when we went in to Lake of the Isles, and all islands start looking the same after a while.)
Back at Stave Island, we faced our last and most difficult traverse. Art and Paul tried the sailing technique of heading upwind and then tacking to surf the waves back down to the landing site. I doggedly tried to just straight-line it: I was too tired to paddle any farther than I needed. Kathy vacillated: staying with me partway, then heading off to try Art and Paul's trick.
But we all made it back to shore. Then, like the old fish-that-got- away story, we tried to agree on how big the waves were. Art was trying to sell us on the theory that they were only a couple of feet. Kathy and I weren't buying that. Right after the hovercraft tour boat out of Gananoque buzzed us, I swear there were a couple of waves that had to be four feet. From down in the trough, all I could see was this big wave coming at me, and I'm sure the top was over my head.
We told Gail that she owed us a beer for giving us bad weather information, and sure enough, she delivered one to Art later that night. I had declined the offer, still suffering from the night before.
No sign of Irene, who we were hoping was going to be ready on shore with a hot meal and offers of back massages. Just as were getting ready to head off to Gan for a steak, she rolled in, and we had supper warming in no time.
I will not mention the groundsheet that Irene uses with her tent. I probably should not mention the tent either, which she boasted had seen strange sights 'neath the Northern Lights..., but come morning there was no Irene to be found.
There we were, tip-toeing around, trying not to wake her in the rain as we struck our tents and threw wet stuff into the vehicles. Not a peep out of the tent. Finally, deciding that she had passed away during the night, Paul went in to check the corpse. The tent was empty. It turned out that the poor waif had gone down to Kathy's cabin in the middle of the storm and knocked on her door.
Sunday morning we headed into Gan for breakfast -- Village Deli, good food with an interesting host -- and then on to the public boat launch near the PUC building. Being wild and crazy guys, Art, Paul and Irene parked -- illegally -- in the movie theatre lot, closest to the launch. I parked in the pay lot next door. During breakfast, it was revealed that certain members of the cast had been incarcerated, albeit only for a short while: their attitude to parking explains a lot, I think!
We did a short tour of the Admiralty Islands on a grey, overcast day. Paul took more photos. Art and Irene bickered over how many islands there really were and what constituted an island, anyway. Irene waded next door and claimed an island only five minutes before two local women came along in a canoe and stood on her island discussing decorating the little pavilion that was located there. I think there might be some difficulty if Irene decides to pursue her claim.
Back on land in Gananoque, I couldn't remember where I put my cockpit cover in the excitement of throwing wet tent and stuff into my car. Once again, everyone stood around thinking nasty thoughts while they waited for me to get organized. Irene reached in to the trunk and pulled out the missing cover, all the while spouting some ridiculous theory about the superiority of women. We will review that on another occasion, I'm sure!
Coffee and doughnuts at Tim Horton's. Good byes in the parking lot. Driving home. Putting the tent back up again in the garage to dry out. Throwing wet and dirty clothing into the washing machine. Collapsing on the couch for a long nap. Ahhh!! Great weekend!!
Thanks to Paul for the photos.
Participants: Alf, Ghislaine, Jean-Marc, Jennifer, Karen
The Cabonga Reservoir of La Vérendrye could be summarized by:
Water, Sand, Trees and Mosquitos.
Two cars, five kayaks and five TK2Oers left Ottawa for La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve on Friday, August 2. After some fiddling (and many tie-down straps) to securely load three kayaks onto Alf's car, we hit the road just as the rain came down. First stop: lunch in Maniwaki. Second stop: Base La Domaine to register and pay for our camping. Third stop: our put-in at Accueil Rapids Lake.
Situated about 250 kilometre north of Ottawa-Hull, La Verendrye spans 14,000 square kilometers and some 4,000 lakes and rivers. Some of the waterways in the reserve are the result of flooding from hydroelectric dams, which accounts for the shoreline erosion and many sandy beaches in the area we paddled.
The paddling was excellent, with lots of bays and inlets to explore. The multitude of islands make it easy to get lost, so if you go be sure to take good maps and a compass (at a minimum), plus a GPS if possible (Jean Marc brought his). The water was clean and warm for swimming.
Oddly, despite the vast wilderness, we didn't see that much wildlife apart from minnows, toads, crows, a hawk, sea gulls, chipmunks and lots of loons (who enjoyed teasing our local paparazzi). No deer or moose (except for remains at the hunt camp) nor bears (thankfully). There weren't any raccoons to steal our food either.
The campsites are not very visible and at least one was not there at all. The two campsites we stayed at were fairly bushy, with trees cleared only for tent sites and a campfire area. There was a hunt cabin near one of our sites with a picnic table that we used for dinners. Bathroom facilities consisted of an open air latrine (barrel in the ground with a hole cut in the top) in a small clearing.
Day 1: After loading gear and way too much food, we hit the water around 3 p.m. The weather: hot and sunny. After a detour on the west side of Rapid Lake Reserve, we found the channel that took us into Baie des Rapides on the east side of the reserve. Given the lateness of our put-in we opted to set up camp before darkness fell at the first site we found (#196). While the high sandy cliff here made getting gear from boats up to the campsite a bit more challenging (there was a makeshift ladder), it afforded us a lovely view of a fabulous sunset. After a hearty spaghetti dinner and delicious salad, the mosquitoes launched a fierce attack?but we were prepared. Finding a branch suitable to hang our food in proved to be a bit more challenging.
Day 2: Saturday was again clear, sunny and warm. After breakfast of eggs, bacon and cereal, some of the group woke up with a swim. We then packed up and enjoyed a pleasant paddle on fairly calm waters to our second campsite where we stayed for two nights (#161, Pointe Gerome). After setting up camp by mid-afternoon, we had time to swim and relax before dinner for which Alf and Jenn prepared a fabulous Asian soup and stir fry. At the nearby hunt camp, some nicely space trees provided a good spot for hanging our hammocks and watching the nightly procession of loons.
Day 3: We woke up to grey skies, and the rain began around 9 a.m. We quickly put up a tarp under which we ate pancakes with blueberries and maple syrup. After breakfast, four of the group headed out for a paddle in the warm rain. Enroute we tried to find an alternate campsite we had been considering, but to no avail. We surmised that the campsite was either well hidden (none of the campsite are very well marked), or no longer existed. After a pleasant day out, we headed back to camp. The sun and hammocks came out, and we enjoyed a pleasant evening munching, watching the sun set, calling to loons, and chatting around the campfire (and trying to fend off mosquitoes. Ghislaine and Karen can attest that Misty Mountain pants aren't thick enough to deter mosquitoes bites. Argghh).
Day 4: After packing up, we hit the water around 10 a.m. It was warm and sunny, and the waters were calm. We had a pleasant paddle back, with calm waters at the beginning, which turned into 1 to 2 foot waves after rounding a point. After stopping for lunch, we pushed on and were back at the cars by 3 p.m. To everyone's delight, the washroom facilities at the take-out had showers! So we cleaned up and headed for Maniwaki, where we enjoyed an ample dinner at l'Auberge du Draveur on rue Principale.
AFTERTHOUGHTS:
Jenn: "Had a great time - now that I'm caught up on my sleep.
Ghislaine: "I'm now the proud owner of a new pair of bug pants?"
Karen: "It was great." BUT "I didn't realize how many bites I had until I got home."
Jean Marc: "Recommend fresh food for the first day and then dehydrated for the rest of the trip. Much easier to carry. Hammocks are a good idea."
Alf: "Next time I'll invest in a bug shirt and bring along the 95%-99% deet."
We paddled about 45 kilometres in all. Thanks again to JeanMarc for organizing the trip and for bringing his GPS and those little gear extras that make camping a pleasure. Also thanks to Alf and Jean Marc for driving. Here are some of the trip photos.
Participants: Don, Karen, Stefan, Sher
It took about an hour to drive from downtown Ottawa to Lac La Pêche in Gatineau Park. We arrived at the parking lot and put-in around 10:30 a.m., just a little dustier from the last stretch of gravel road. The road is windy and hilly with a fresh bed of gravel.
Lac La Pêche is a good-sized lake with three lobes, and one could easily spend six hours on the water exploring its bays and islands. There's a public beach at the put-in and very decent change room facilities. The only other signs of civilization on the lake are a few cabins at one end. There are also some public campsites for anyone wanting to do an overnighter.
A good beach area at the put-in makes for an easy launch. And if you choose not to get your feet wet, you can board your boat from one of the small rocks as Don did. We were on the water by 11 a.m. It was cool with a slight breeze but we soon warmed up as our paddle got underway. We explored one of the smaller arms of the lake first, then lunched on an island with a high rocky lookout that provided a great view of the lake. The black-flies tried to make lunch of us but they weren't too bad in the mid-day sun. Thanks to Stefan for reminding us all to bring bug juice. We took the surface water temperature, which appeared to be around 15 C (59-60 F)
After a lazy lunch we headed back out onto the water. Karen and Don had a backward paddling race (gee it's hard to go straight in reverse), then the group headed for the largest arm of the lake, passing some other kayakers on the way. By this time the water was almost like glass, making for very easy paddling. We saw several beaver damns, a loon, and what looked like an otter. We returned to the launch site shortly after 3 p.m. and passed Jean Marc who was just starting his paddle.
After loading the boats amid a swarm of black-flies, Sher parted company and the rest of the group headed to Wakefield for a light snack. It made for a great end to a superb day on the water. Thanks to Don for the trip photos.
Participants: Stefan, Kelli, Don and Alfred.
Following Stefan's lead we soon found ourselves at Oxbow lake. By that time, there were already 5-7 cars at the put-in. Note, there is a $7/car fee for parking. It's not known if this is for the day or per visit which makes a difference if you're planning to camp at one of many campsites located in and around Lac Vert.
The system of lakes is fairly isolated unlike Lac Trente et un Milles. Lac vert appeared to have only one cottage on it. Oxbow lake had 2-3 cottages, while Lac Bangall and La Roche didn't seem to have any.
You might want to make sure your tires are in good order since Knight Rd. is a dirt road.
There is a portage between Lac Bangall and Lac Vert. However, the trek is less than desirable since it takes you through some muddy grounds. Besides, it's more scenic the long way around. The narrow interconnect between Lac Vert and Lac Roche is like a leisurely country drive on a Sunday afternoon.
It's easy paddling through Oxbow, Bangall and Roche. There are a number of islands in Lac Vert that can be explored by foot or just circumnavigated by kayak. Other highlights included paddling with loons, lunching with a black rat snake and realizing that Lac Vert really is green.
We ended the day with desert and coffee at Chez Eric in Wakefield.
You can see some photos from the trip here.
It was a warm, sunny spring day. Perfect weather for a paddle on Meech Lake. There were four of us today, Sher, Daniel, Karen and Alfred. We paddled to the back water marshes. En route, we picked up a loon as an unexpected paddling partner.
It was a quick paddle to the marshes and the spring meltwater allowed for an easy passage. Many beaver dams were encountered, but none to be seen. Not to be disappointed we enjoyed the serenity and magic that makes Meech Lake a popular spot for paddlers.
As we left the marshes and paddled back in the direction of the put-in, three still had an appetite for more paddling. Sher unfortunately had to go. We bid her good-bye and paddled towards a bay we had missed earlier.
Following the shoreline, we met up with some hikers. A discussion on kayak rolling took place amongst other things. Continuing on our way, we arrived back at the marshes. This time we were greeted with what was possibly a water spout formation. It was quite a sight.
We breaked for a snack and discussed plans and locations for the next outing. Some of the locations included Lac Deschenes (Ottawa River), Lac La Pêche as well as the lower Ottawa River around Kettle Island, Upper and Lower Duck Islands.
As we headed back to the put-in, Daniel said he would paddle down to O'Brien beach. Karen and Alfred decided that was good enough for their second and first paddles (respectively) of the season.
Over all, it was a good day. Thanks to Alfred for the photos.
A small group of 5 kayakers launched from the Dow's Lake at 6:30 sharp this evening. Conditions were calm, at times glassy. The air was cooling off after a scorching warm day and the sky was blue. The duration of the paddle turned out to be two hours with a rest break of about 10 minutes at the NAC. One of the paddlers did get his water bottle refilled by a waiter at the Le Cafe. Perhaps a new service by Le Cafe?
There were sightings of numerous ducks and their families, eddies created by fish dashing away, a fair amount of weeds on the banks plus a sighting of David Dodge, Governor of the Bank of Canada out for a stroll with his wife.
We made it back to the launch area just as the sun was setting....
Looking forward to the next evening paddle......
A group of dedicated paddlers met at Merrickville for an afternoon of paddling. The weather was awesome and by days end we had covered 20 KM. We met Paul along the route (as per the plan) and paddled back into Merrickville with him and his friend. Following the kayaking we met at Sam Jakes Inn for supper. The Ron Johnston Canoe Centre is an excellent place to launch from and Merrickville is a very quaint artistic community with lots to offer. If you are looking for something to do for a day, Merrickville is the place to visit.
For those interested in honing their kayaking or canoe skills the Ron Johnston Centre offers a number of courses that are worth considering. They also have the best collection of books and videos I have seen for the kayak or canoe enthusiast.
This week the weekly paddle will occur on Wednesday evening vice Tuesday. Charles will be posting the details and timings for a Dow's Lake launch.
PS. On behalf of the paddlers thanks for letting us use your facilities (Ron Johnston Centre)
I got to the launch site at about 11:45. (Mind, you, I had left lots of "getting lost" time). There was only a white Honda CR-V parked there which I didn't recognize, so I took my time unloading. Once in the water, I puttered about in the little bay near the launch site until about 12:30. At this point, I decided that either everyone had gotten lost, or they just weren't coming, so I set off to explore the lake on my own.
I saw a couple of kayaks off in the distance but didn't recognize anyone. Lots of ducks and some loons. Sticking to the right side, I found another launch site and landed to see if I saw any cars that looked familiar. No luck.
There were hardly any boats on the lake and the wind was gentle from behind so I made good time up to the far end of the arm of the lake running to the east.
At the end of the arm, I checked the time and it was roughly 2 hours from my starting time. I hoped to make the return in about the same time, despite the increasing wind in my face, as I wasn't going to be making any explorations of launch sites of small bays.
However, I didn't count on the extra work-out from the wind and the heat from the sun. About a quarter of the way back, near the shore, I just leaned over and dunked myself in the water. Hanging upside down in the lake, I decided I was too pooped to even try rolling back up, so I undid the spray skirt and fell out. Since I was only in about 6 feet of water at the time, I just side-stroked myself and the kayak a few feet closer to shore and stood up.
Very refreshing!!
But now I had to get all the water out of the kayak before I could carry on, and that took a few minutes.
Finally got back to the put-in to find Sandy and Co. just finishing up with loading their boats on their trailer. We chatted about next weekend and the Labour Day weekend (Sandy will be announcing his plans here soon, I expect.) and headed out.
I stopped at the Balderson Cheese outlet in Carleton Place for one of their incredible ice cream cones. I'll bet that a third of it ended up on the pavement and all over my hand -- you just can't eat those things fast enough in 28 degree weather!
Irene, I did find a fishing lure hanging from a tree, along with about eight feet on line, but the fisherman had long since departed the scene. The lure was too high up for me to reach, so I couldn't bring home a souvenir.
Due to misunderstandings between Sandy and Co. (not the first time!), the Queensway tie up and the terrible County Rd #9, we ended up arriving at 1:00pm..... When I come back to the South end of White Lake for another paddle, Denis Legault's directions is the one I will follow! The white Honda belonged to Chris W. who had been following TKO2 news. He had arrived at 11:00am and had been paddling for 2 hours. He returned to the take-in as we were unloading the kayaks. I recognize Darryl's car but couldn't see him in the distance.
We enjoyed the lake. Saw lots of loons, ducks and a pair of Blue Herons. I chatted with fishermen who showed me their pike and bass catches. Impressive! Weather was terrific if not a tad warm. There were some motorboating activities but they were well behaved!!
We paddled for 2 hours. As we were loading our kayaks onto the trailer, Darryl made his appearance.
We would paddle this lake again - there are inlets, bays and islands we did not have time to explore. There were Deerflies present at the launch but once we were underway, no flies bothered us.
As this lake is in Lanark Country (the Sugar Bush region of Ontario) I would expect the fall colours to be quite spectacular. I would like to come back to this lake later in the Fall (last weekend of Sept or weekend after Thanksgiving?). Does any one out there have other or better ideas for a 'Fall Colour Paddle'?
The summer storm cleared and the land reawakened, as if at dawn. Two brave paddlers, Art and Irene, set out on the calm water of the Ottawa River, the air smelling freshly of rain and the sky a cobalt blue. The storm had kept the motor-boaters at home, bringing blessed quiet to the evening, and the storm's passing turned into an invitation for Petrie Island's copious birdlife to emerge.
The first heron sighted was wading along shore, occasionally lifting its stick leg to scratch its neck or driving its long beak into the sand to capture a delectable tidbit. It allowed the kayakers to float within about twenty feet before it took to flight, landing further ahead. Suddenly another heron joined it, and the two took wing low across the river, play-chasing each other on mighty wings as their caws broke the silentstillness. The sun was beginning to set behind them.
All told, there were at least half a dozen herons spotted, along with numerous ducks and other birds.
"Wow," said Art.
Around the island's corner, a stealth beaver swam ahead of the kayakers, quietly sinking like a submarine when the boats came too close. Further ahead, a brown muskrat cut across the channel and climbed ashore, offering a good view of its little self before deciding it was time to vanish into the woods.
The quiet atmosphere of the evening never abated, except near the end of the paddle when Irene's boat, the Queen Mary, accidentally became entangled in a fisherman's line. The fisherman did not find this funny.
"Sorry," said Irene.
Thus came to an end the unexpectedly pleasant Petrie Island paddle which followed the big, fat storm.
And to all, a good night.
P.S. Thursday would be cool for another trip, Sandy.
