Month: June 2019

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Getting Closer to Lake Superior

Carol and Glenn have had some beautiful paddling days! The picture above and below were taken during their 5 day adventure through the scenic Quetico, Provincial Park. On the last day, they had to paddle through the notoriously wild waters of Saganaga Lake! They were extremely fortunate to have a perfectly calm day and made it across in good time!

Shortly after exiting Quetico Park, Carol and Glenn were feeling quite confident about their paddling and portaging abilities! They planned to do a day with 8 portages! However, they had a lot of troubles finding the portage entry points as their GPS route had disappeared from their Garmin!  So just like the early Voyageur’s did, they read the lay out of the land and winged it! With an adventurous spirit, they were able to successfully complete 4 portages that day!  Below is a picture taken on their portage day, looking happy as ever!

Glenn and Carol have really noticed the affects of the 2007 devastating forest fires that occurred in La Verendrye, Provincial Park which also borders the Superior National Forest in Minnesota.  There are hardly any campsites left along the shoreline since it has changed so much from the fires! Fortunately, the islands seem to be untouched, which turn out to be great campsites! They always manage to find somewhere each day to set up for the evening! Below is a photo of a wonderfully sheltered campsite on an island.

A few days ago Carol and Glenn reached Arrow Lake! This will be the last lake they paddle before starting their walk to Thunder Bay which leads them right into Lake Superior. In the picture below, Glenn is loading up the canoe at a campsite with views of cliffs surrounding them!

They have a 4 day walk ahead of them! Once they arrive in Thunder Bay they will re-stock on supplies and get their games faces ready for Lake Superior!

Happy Walking!!

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Portaging Already!

Carol and Glenn are getting right back into their rhythm!  They have already completed some very challenging and lengthy portages! A few days ago, they completed their longest one yet at 1.7 km! The portages so far have been full of bugs, mud and deep ruts from centuries of portaging! The picture below is of Glenn at Wheelbarrow Falls Portage, with a big smile on his face of course!

Carol and Glenn knew this time around, they would be battling a lot of insects while crossing Ontario! They have this wonderful shelter called a No Bug Zone, that is their safe haven at the end of the day from all the bugs! Even if it is a bit of extra weight on those long portages, it is worth every pound!

Not only have they broke their portage distance record, but also their overall kilometers paddled in one day! A few days ago they hit 55 km of paddling in one single day, on Loon Lake! However, this was not what they set out to accomplish that day! They had a very hard time finding a campsite along the Lake since it was full of thick brush! Luckily, they had the wind at their backs. Below is the beautiful campsite they were able to rest and relax in after a tremendous day of paddle breaking records!

Carol and Glenn have been loving their time in Quetico Provincial Park. They have paddled by some unbelievable scenery including, forests, massive rock cuts and First Nations spiritual pictographs.  Below is a picture of Carol with some of this scenery behind her! And of Glenn stopping to take it all in!

                               

Carol and Glenn have had a lot of sunny days. But they have also endured a few storms. While paddling down Lac La Croix, a thunderstorm started to chase them down! They had no choice but to go to shore! Luckily, they found a shelter that serves as a canteen on the Pow Wow grounds of the Neguaguon Lake First Nation Reserve. They received permission to camp there from a First Nation counselor. And soon after many people were coming down to check out what they were up to! Below is a picture of the shelter and all of their things drying after the storm!

 

Keep on Paddling and breaking records!

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And They Are Off Once More!

Carol and Glenn enjoyed a beautiful day departing from Fort Frances, ON on Thursday, June 6th, 2019. This day marks the beginning of the end of their paddling adventure across Canada. They embraced this day with excitement, smiles and the curiosity of what part 3 will bring them while paddling across Ontario to their hometown, Kingston, ON.

At the launch, Carol and Glenn were joined by supporters from the local newspaper Fort Frances Times  and friends, Karen and Lee from Gimli, Manitoba and Karen and Tony from Rainy River ON. These friends helped them immensely last year! They were very thankful to have so many familiar faces, full of positive energy sending them off on this very special day.

Last week, Carol and Glenn’s number one supporters Paul and Denise VandenEngel, drove them to Fort Frances, ON.  They enjoyed beautiful scenery and the company of their loving family members.  Two days after they departed, Paul and Denise surprised them by speeding up behind them in a motorboat and treated them to lunch over the fire, ice cold drinks and lawn chairs! What a great surprise!

Carol and Glenn have spent the last few days on Rainy Lake, ON. They have been battling strong east winds and are quickly getting back into shape! As they put all of their effort and determination into paddling into the wind, they keep their goals in mind.

Carol and Glenn eagerly set out on June 6th with the goal of raising $ 25, 000 in total. They have already raised almost 19,000 for Loving Spoonful, a charity that is so close to their hearts!

Carol and Glenn are extremely grateful to their friends, family and Canadian neighbours who have already donated! Click on the link so you can help them also reach their goal DONATE.

Keep on Paddling!