Month: August 2019

Carol and Glenn have made excellent progress over the last 8 days! They have had calm weather, clear skies and the wind at their backs (for the most part). They are very excited to have left all of the Great Lakes behind them!  And they even managed to get in the news again! Check out the link below!

https://www.manitoulin.ca/kingston-paddlers-stop-in-little-current-as-part-of-three-year-canadian-odyssey/

Right after Carol and Glenn left Sault Ste. Marie, they had 5 days of perfect paddling and beautiful campsite finds!  This wonderful weather allowed them to cover 200 km on Lake Huron.  Which put them at their half way mark for their last Great Lake! Below are 2 pictures on Lake Huron, the last one being close to Manitoulin Island.

Continue reading “Manitoulin: A Very Special Place”

Carol and Glenn’s last day on Lake Superior was no easy feat.  They woke up at 3 am, packed everything, had a delicious breakfast with coffee and were on the water by 4:30 am!  Nervously, they left with a 7 km paddle in the pitch black from one point to the next.  However, to keep their minds off this task, Carol and Glenn had an amazing view of the Milky Way.  They also got to witness the annual Perseid meteor shower! They saw at least 20 shooting stars between the 2 of them!  After 11 hours of paddling, on Saturday, August 10th, Carol and Glenn happily and with some relief, finished their time on Lake Superior! Below is a picture of them happily watching the sunset on Lake Superior.

On Saturday afternoon, they pulled up to Doug and Catherine’s house on Lake Superior.  Doug and Catherine are friends of friends they made while paddling on the South Saskatchewan River last year!  Without even knowing Carol and Glenn, this amazing couple had gotten in touch with them and arranged for them to spend 2 nights at their home!  Even more, they had given Carol and Glenn a list of campsites to look out for on the north shore of Lake Superior which helped them significantly! Below is a picture of Carol taking in the beautiful view of Lake Superior from Doug and Catherine’s place.

Continue reading “Lake Superior a Thing of the Past”

Carol and Glenn are just 70 km away from Sault Ste. Marie which is their exit point off of Lake Superior! And even more rewarding and motivating is that Sault Ste. Marie is their half way mark home to Kingston, ON.

Carol and Glenn have been wind bound for the last 2 days!  30 km/h NW wind kept them in one spot, as it was to risky to make the necessary 7 km paddle to the mainland.  The picture below is of their safe haven, a quiet bay.  In the distance,  a moose is happily eating its breakfast of water grasses, waist deep in the bay. A great view, while drinking their coffee first thing in the morning!

The choppy waves, windy weather and thunderstorms have taken Glenn and Carol a little off course!  The last 4 days have been spent battling bad weather.  They were even chased off the lake twice due to thunderstorms! This adds some stress to their journey as there is not always a place to find safe shelter along this rugged and exposed coastline.  So their route takes them where they can find protection!

Earlier this week, Carol and Glenn paddled through the picturesque Gargantua Islands which is a wild and ancient place in Lake Superior Provincial Park.

These islands have dark volcanic rock which is a stark contrast to the bedrock that lines the shore. There are many cliffs and pothole caves overhung with ancient cedars.  On their journey through the Gargantua Islands, Carol and Glenn came across two islands called Devil’s Chair and Devil’s Warehouse Island. They learned that these two islands were named after overzealous missionaries eager to abolish the Anishnabe’s most spiritual connections. The stories continue on and are being revived and retold by the people’s whose cultural heritage is rooted here, the Nanabijou. Below is a picture of Devils Warehouse Island.

Carol and Glenn are always learning new tricks!  They came across a fellow paddler named, Steel River Jim. He had spent quite a bit of time by himself on Lake Superior, 42 days in total.  He shared with them a very helpful tactic for rough days when the waves are crashing into the shoreline.  Since it can be very difficult to load and launch a 250 lbs canoe,  he showed Carol and Glenn how to take two beached logs (which are plentiful) and put them under the canoe close to the waters edge. Then, load up the canoe, slide it into the water and paddle like a fool!

The shoreline of Lake Superior Provincial Park consists of cobble beaches. From cliffs to large sized boulders, to rocks the size of melons and pea sized pebbles. And even sand if they are lucky! Each beach tends to have it all! As Carol and Glenn find campsites on the shoreline, they often have easy access to the Voyageur Coastal Trail which is a walking path.  And they often have great luck finding fresh blueberries for the next days breakfast! And getting in even more exercise!

Hopefully tomorrow Carol and Glenn will have good weather! They are planning on getting up at 3 am to be able to leave for 5 am.  As it is supposed to be calm until noon. This way they can make it too the mainland before the waves encroach!

Good Luck!

Keep on Paddling!

 

Carol and Glenn are determined to reach their goal of $25,000 for Loving Spoonful!

Not even the rough waters of Lake Superior will stop them!  Carol and Glenn have been on Lake Superior for 10 days now! They are paddling just over 200 km of wild coastline with the determination to reach their goal! If you would like to help them reach their goal click here:  Donate.

All proceeds go to Loving Spoonful, a local Kingston Organization that is very close to Carol and Glenn’s hearts. To learn more about Loving Spoonful click here:  Loving Spoonful.

Lake Superior has turned out to be a VERY choppy adventure! Usually, it is the winds that cause turbulent conditions on a lake.  But in the case of Lake Superior, the rough waters are a product of the currents and Seiche Waves. Seiche is a French word that means; to sway back and forth. It is a standing wave that oscillates in a lake as a result of seismic or atmospheric disturbances. Thus, creating massive fluctuations of water levels in just moments.

Seiche Waves and Reflective Waves were a force to be reckoned with! Especially in Pukaskwa National Park. However, the incredible scenery is worth the battle. And Carol and Glenn often find protection in private lagoons to set up camp,  such as the one in the picture below!

Carol and Glenn have spent most days paddling along Lake Superior’s coastline without seeing anyone! About a week ago, Gregg from Pennsylvania, joined them for a bit on their trip! He is a solo paddler exploring the area on his own! Below is a picture of the 3 of them! Smiles on everyone’s face! Company is hard to find in these areas!

A few days ago, Carol and Glenn had their most challenging day on Lake Superior to date! They spent 8 hours paddling and fighting the Seiche Waves, Reflective Waves and currents.  Unfortunately, the did not cover very much distance or make good time on this high intense day!

Luckily, with great appreciation they were rewarded with a beautiful campsite! Including their very own personal waterfall.  Since the water from the waterfall came from inland, it was warm! They enjoyed swimming in the waters around the waterfall! They cannot do that in Lake Superior as it is too cold!

As Carol and Glenn make their way through Lake Superior, they find the most beautiful places to camp. Last week, they found a wonderful spot on Foster Island. Opposite to Foster Island is Pic Island, which is famous for being painted by one of the members of the Group of Seven. This was also a protected campsite as it was located in a cove.  And even though it cooled down to 11 degrees at night, the rocks stayed nice and warm, making for a very cozy and well deserved sleep.

The last few nights Carol and Glenn have been wind bound at Cascade Falls, see the picture below. They had wind warnings in effect from their weather radio, which they rely on heavily for information. To be on the safe side they stayed put in the same area and enjoyed the welcomed break.

Finally, they are back on the water and are now half way done Lake Superior!

Keep on paddling and inspiring us all!