Almost Off of Lake Superior!

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!

 

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