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9:05 AM Sat, Aug. 6th.
We are relaxing on the bow deck of our houseboat as we await Rob’s and Emily’s return from picking up a fishing license and some screening for the boat’s doors, worms for bait, and ice for gin and tonic, all necessities.
We arrived yesterday about 5 PM, finally found the correct marina, were oriented by Zach of R&R Houseboats, and settled into our floating “palace”. We quickly realized that space is tight, including general storage. Rob, Emily, Jean, and I took a short evening paddle while we still had enough light, a little canoeing to put us into the spirit of the trip.
Last night Terry served us lamb speedies, Italian bread, and potato salad. We saved his pies and finished stuffing ourselves with blueberry and blackberry pies Jean had made. Emily realized that some of us pack away a great deal of food compared to her. Our excuse is that it is all “fuel” for paddling.
This morning began with an easy breakfast of bagels, chocolate bread, and cherry pecan bread. Having a gas grill made it easy to toast them. Rob’s fresh pineapple provided us with our serving of fruit. At this rate we will all gain weight during the week.
11 AM Sun, Aug. 7th.
Last night I never got around to writing in my journal. Too relaxed? Too busy eating Rich’s barbecued chicken legs with fresh corn on the cob? Too into the beautiful lake scenery? All of the above?
Yesterday we paddled up the Nogies Bay and Creek, a very small, meandering, little current river that “ended” at a triple rock “dam”. Emily and Rob dragged their canoe over all three, then came flying back down over them. All of this is in the greater Pigeon Lake Area.
We returned to the boat for lunch, then moved the boat from the marina to the back channel between Big Island and the mainland. While Rob fished the channel and Emily slept (teenager’s body clock?), the rest of us paddled along this shallow, weedy area with heavily wooded shores. Canoes only need a few inches of water to float. We were rewarded with multiple osprey sightings, even one with a fish in its talons. This is the advantage of canoeing shallow water off the heavily traveled boat routes.
Later we became frustrated after several attempts to securely anchor the boat. We motored off to Bald Lake Narrows, found a beautiful spot fifty feet off shore, and dropped anchor for the night. This will be a great spot to spend a day, paddle around, fish, and enjoy some solitude.
This morning we loaded up on blueberry pancakes, then discovered that it was beginning to rain just as we contemplated paddling. Secure in our cocoon we could relax, read, paint (Sara), fish (Rob), look at maps, and “discuss” (a family past time). The rain seems to be stopping now. Hopefully we can paddle away soon. Emily is wearing her lifejacket and says she is ready to go!
4:45 PM Sun, Aug. 7th.
The weather did behave itself and we paddled the shoreline and small islands until after 3:30. Now we are ensconced on our boat and motoring towards Buckhorn Lake where we will paddle tomorrow. We are “zipping” along at 8 mph (per Ray’s GPS) with the four canoes on top and Jean’s wet tent tied down on top to dry. Last night she and Emily retreated to the roof deck for privacy, space, and air where they pitched the tent.
This afternoon Ray, Emily, Terry, Rob, and Rich engaged in boisterous water fighting. Jean found herself an unwilling victim, since she was in Rich’s canoe. Emily is armed with an Aquazooka and everyone has a paddle as well as access to the bailers. Sara and I were mercifully spared. (Don’t mess with Grandma Sara!)
The bar is closed while we motor, but margaritas, gin and tonic, beer, and wine will all flow as soon as we anchor.
The boat has a multitude of advantages including avoiding having to paddle big, windy water. It allows us to seek out only the best canoeing areas, not have to worry about finding campsites, no tents to set up and roll up, and we enjoy such luxuries as toilet, shower, table, chairs, lights, counter, stove, refrigerator and freezer, gas grill, a roof over our heads, and no mud. These far outweigh the close quarters (cabin fever), need for courtesy and cooperation, and the balky water pump. I’m sure there are more houseboats in our future.
7:05 PM Sun, Aug. 7th.
We are anchored at Kawatha Hideaway area of Buckhorn Lake after motoring through a driving rain storm with such limited visibility that it challenged Captain Ray’s and Navigator Rob’s abilities. Now the sun is back out as chefs Rob, Emily, and Sara prepare shrimp scampi and salad.
7:30 AM Tues, Aug. 9th.
Rob’s massive pot of shrimp scampi was so good that we polished off every shrimp and noodle. Emily’s chocolate crust refrigerator pie was the perfect ending.
Yesterday (Monday) we enjoyed a leisurely paddle out through a long bay, often filled with reeds and lily pads, and into a winding ribbon of water where the actual course was difficult to distinguish. The vegetation, stumps, and rotting logs often obscured where the trace patches of open water were leading us. We finally paddled over two beaver dams, through a now clear rocky stream with higher banks, around a bend, through a culvert, and out into a very large open lake. Surprise, surprise! Best of all, a snack bar complete with visitors’ docks, awaited us where we gloried in huge, delicious ice cream cones.
On the paddle back to our houseboat, Rich and I successfully tried out my new canoe sail when we reached the open water and experienced a moderate breeze. Now we await a windy day for a truly good ride.
After a late lunch we motored to lock 31 at Buckhorn and moored at the far side (downstream) of the lock. That gave us the chance to walk a bit, use real restrooms, and enjoy our dinner at the Ice House Restaurant where most of us had the roast beef special with Yorkshire pudding. The waitress was a very pleasant and interesting young woman, an Ojibwa member of the First Nation. She joined us in conversation about her personal Indian heritage.
The falling water from the lock seepage lulled us to sleep last night. Now we are sitting on deck waiting for the breakfast coffee water to boil.
11 AM Tues, Aug. 9th.
There is a local farmers’ market and craft fair here today. The walk up the hill to it was good exercise for us. We discovered tons of good food, including pastries and Eastern European specialties. Rob bought two dozen pierogies and several pounds of locally raised ground beef. Sara brought back strawberries, fresh peaches, and fresh veggies for our salads. On the way back we stopped at a canoe company where the owner had antique canoes and related paraphernalia. He and a man at the craft fair both had exquisite hand made beavertail style canoe paddles, works of art.
The weather is overcast and just started sprinkling. Should we canoe anyhow?
7 PM Tues, Aug. 9th.
The answer was “yes”. We had a couple of hour paddle up the Mississagua River, a pleasant tour through a marsh until we suddenly encountered rushing white water. We then paddled up a different branch, over a beaver dam, and finally halted at a second higher dam. Only five of us canoed today. Emily and Rob took the day off and Terry is recuperating from a sprained foot, the result of “Tom foolery” with Ray.
We returned to the boat for a late lunch, then motored off east across Lower Buckhorn Lake to Deer Bay where we are currently moored behind an island near the mainland, with a creek and islands to explore tomorrow. On the way here we stopped at a marina to top off our gas and pump out the holding tank. Now we are set to go for the rest of the week.
The weather is cooler today, very overcast, and it rained after our return from paddling, but who cared that it was pouring? We were dry in our floating “hotel” instead of huddling under a tarp. After we were back on the boat several of us showered, and now we are relaxed, reading and playing Scrabble. The weather is clearing, blue skies are returning, and we even have a faint rainbow. We hope for good weather tomorrow.
Jean is almost finished preparing her supper, a tempting menu of barbecued pork tenderloin covered in garlic, sautéed red cabbage with garlic, quinoa, and sliced tomatoes from the farmers’ market. I’m drooling from the aromas. Rob is her trusty assistant chef.
2:25 PM Wed, Aug. 10th.
This is a tremendously scenic anchorage with tree covered islands all around us. Last night the water was like a mirror and the nearly full moon reflected off it, lighting up the whole scene like a picture postcard.
This morning we attempted to paddle up the creek, only to encounter rushing rapids just a short distance in. Instead of the creek we paddled among the islands, having to brave the wind and waves only for a short open water crossing. The islands were interesting and had a few campsites on them. High in a tree we found a large nest occupied by a screeching pair of osprey impatient for us to leave. We endured two brief showers, then paddled back to base only to be rained on again as we disembarked. Now we are preparing to raise anchor and head off to a new site.
6:30 PM Wed, Aug. 10th.
This afternoon we motored through Lower Buckhorn Lake, Lovesick Lake, Lovesick Lock 30, Burleigh Falls Lock 28, and finally into Stoney Lake where we are now anchored in a small cove. On our first try the anchors would not hold so we moved on to another place, better anyhow.
Burleigh Falls was a sight to behold, with a big flow from the recent rains. The falls (really a tumbling, wild rapid) must drop 24 feet, the height of the lock. We could not resist “mapping” a canoeing route through the surging standing waves, over the rocks, and down the chutes. Of course it was a fantasy route we could never actually manage, even if we had our whitewater gear. We did enjoy walking the path on the rocks right beside the thundering falls. Sara treated us all to huge icecream cones at the local general store.
Ray and Sara are preparing their traditional, world famous Amatriciana. The smell of sautéing onions has us all anticipating dinner.
Rob is struggling with the boat’s water pump, a source of frustration all week long. It easily clogs with weeds; the pressure shut-off does not seem to function, and taking a shower is an “iffy” proposition. This is a hazard of renting a 20 year old, well used houseboat, the only one available on our short notice.
7:35 PM Wed, Aug. 10th.
Today’s on-again, off-again rain showers and bright sun just provided us with a spectacular double rainbow, both nearly complete. The primary rainbow was intensely bright against a dark cloud, a photographer’s delight.
Jean is involved in a phone conversation with the R&R people, trying to get them to repair our water pump. Since it is too late this evening for them to get a boat in the water, they are going to come out in the morning to try to repair it. Rob is describing the problem to them and where we are.
9:55 AM Fri, Aug. 12th.
We are under way, motoring from Buckhorn Lock back to our rental home marina. We were up early, bought a new prop (replaced the one we bent), had peach pancakes, and were ready to rock and roll. It is so much easier than breaking camp would be. At this rate we will be back to R&R by noon where we can pack up our cars and begin the long drive back home.
Yesterday we anchored off Horseshoe Island where we paddled about the protected islands and bays. Emily discovered a real, live, operational outhouse that Grandma Sara just had to come ashore and see.
After lunch we weighed anchor, untied from the shore (wind was causing us to drag our anchors), and took Emily’s suggestion to head back to Buckhorn, a pleasant place to spend the evening. Ray, Sara, Jean, and I took a long walk down a side road and discovered a local landmark, the “Adam and Eve” Rocks. These are huge pink granite boulders sitting side by side, dropped there by the glaciers. Beyond them we walked a scenic path across the granite hillside.
These lakes are all beautiful to canoe or motor across. Nature has picturesquely dotted them with tree covered islands, and even where the shoreline is heavily built up the trees obscure the buildings. Our book of charts (part of the rental), the Ports Cruising Guide, and Ray’s Topo USA maps have been more than enough for cruising and paddling here. After a week we have barely scratched the surface of all this waterway has to offer. I’m confident we will be back again for more “Houseboat Heaven” on the Trent Severn.
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Copyright © 2011 Scott Clark