Final Post, For Now!

This is the final post I will be making, for now!

The weather is getting colder, with flurries in the near forecast and frozen lakes ahead. Carol and Glenn have decided to end this part of their adventure next week in Fort Frances, ON.

However, Carol and Glenn’s goal is to arrive in their hometown of Kingston, ON.  Next spring, to complete their goal, they will embark on part 3 of this epic journey across Canada to raise funds for local organization, Loving Spoonful!

The last few weeks have been quite the adventure, as it always is!  In the last post they were paddling upstream on the Winnipeg River. Now they are on gorgeous Lake of the Woods. Below is a picture of a campsite they had on Lake of the Woods.

This area is amazingly beautiful, Carol and Glenn camped on top of a small rocky island with tall White Pines.  Lake of the Woods has over 14, 500 islands! They felt as if they had this part of the lake completely to themselves. They were blessed with amazing views and serenity.

Carol and Glenn are following the Voyageur Route on Lake of the Woods which is a diversion from their planned route.  This route is more scenic, with more islands, less wind and all around more fun!

They are camping on islands whenever possible!  The islands are tranquil plus there is less worry of crossing paths with curious and hungry animals.  Whitefish Bay has crystal clear water, which the locals drink right from the lake, so they did as well.  The photo below is of Whitefish Bay.

Also, in Whitefish Bay they had the opportunity to use a self propelled trolley boat lift to portage their canoe from the north end of the lake system to the south! Below are pictures of Carol and Glenn using the Turtle Portage Trolley!

     

A few days ago they reached Windy Point on Lake of the Woods.  And it certainly lived up to its name with very gusty winds that frequently altered their direction without warning.

The waves constantly crested their canoe taking in water despite their splash deck. At one point, their gear was floating in the canoe! They have been paddling in the reeds and marshland to stay out of the winds.

They will reach their final destination around October the 1st!  But stay tuned for more updates on the next adventure!  You 2 are AMAZING!!!!

Keep on Paddling!

The Journey to Ontario!

The journey to Ontario has been quite the uphill battle for Carol and Glenn as they have been paddling upstream on the Winnipeg River for the last week. Also, they have had to wait out some very powerful storms, with Kenora, Ontario as their next big destination!

Throughout Manitoba there have been several Hydro Electric Dams that Carol and Glenn must portage around!  This has been a very big challenge for them as they have to make 3 trips on each portage!  Although, portaging is always a welcomed change from canoeing!

As they continue up the Winnipeg River, Carol and Glenn have experienced its narrowness leading to the current hindering their progress and slowing them down considerably.  However, they are still extremely delighted at all the progress they have made so far!

Carol and Glenn have mastered the art of packing up their gear each day which now takes them approximately 2 hours. This includes having breakfast, packing up and leaving with a 30 minute coffee, to enjoy the peacefulness of the morning.
A few weeks ago, Carol and Glenn were camping at Whitemouth Falls Provincial Park in Manitoba.  There were many beautiful Oak Trees full of acorns at this park.
 Bears love acorns!
Carol and Glenn saw a few bears arriving in the early morning to start feeding on the acorns preparing for hibernation!
Keep on Paddling!
And keep at a safe distance from the bears!

Finally Off Of Lake Winnipeg!

Carol and Glenn are very excited to finally be off Lake Winnipeg!  It was an extremely challenging several weeks but they are officially done!

Now, they are happily paddling upstream on the Winnipeg River.  As they go further upstream towards Ontario, it is beginning to look more like the Canadian Shield.  They are seeing Jack Pines, Spruce, Oak and a whole lot of rock!  It is a welcomed change of scenery from the prairies!  And a positive reminder they are close to their very own province!

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Before reaching Kenora, Ontario, Carol and Glenn still need to go over 7 hydroelectric dams. Each one will be a challenge in itself.  But they are always up for a good challenge!

Last week Carol and Glenn were on page 9 of Express Weekly News based out of Gimli, Manitoba.  Check out the link below!

http://www.expressweeklynews.ca/split_document.aspx?doc=ExpressWeeklyNews090618.pdf

When Carol and Glenn arrived in Gimli, which is on the the south basin of Lake Winnipeg, they were greeted with a very warm welcome from locals on the beach!  It was a very calm day as you can see in the picture below!

A box of dehydrated food was graciously received weeks earlier by Karen the Execution Director at Evergreen Basic Needs (EBN) in Gimli, Manitoba, sent from home by friends.  This will sustain them until the end of their trip.

EBN is a charitable organization that works towards eliminating hunger through food distribution, education and support programs in Gimli, Manitoba.  Carol and Glenn were treated to a healthy home made lunch at the Cafe consisting of donated local vegetables. They also have a thrift store called Respun Threads. Both the Cafe and Respun Threads sustain the programs that are the pride of this small wonderful community. Check out the EBN website for more information!
Carol and Glenn were very happy to experience and see the benefits of another organization working towards access to food for everyone. They are still delighted to be canoeing in honour of Loving Spoonful and paddling each day for their goal of $10, 000.  If you would like to donate click on the link below!  Everything helps this wonderful cause!
Keep up the AWESOME journey!