The Whisper of a Canoe on a Wall

Well, tonight I will be having the Rambling Amblers and Paddlers over for pie and tea and I set up the camera and made sure I had a charged battery, and everything was in working order. I snapped a photo to check how it looked. and then I thought, "nice." I like my wall full of canoes.

Placid Boat Works Spitfire, Bluewater Mist, on a Talic Kayak Condo 3 (minus the middle racks)

I sit there at my desk most days, working away, and feel very blessed to have such a beautiful room to work in, and to listen to the silence of those two canoes. Well, they are mostly silent. They do whisper sometimes, and no it is not my tinnitus. It is that communication we receive from objects that we have spent time with, doing good things. I suppose it is some kind of neural manifestation of an unconscious desire, or something.

It is like a little voice, in the back of your head saying, "lets go paddling."  Such a good idea, but I have other things to do right now. "Soon. Very soon." I reassure the boats. Well, I reassure myself.

The Rambling Amblers and Paddlers

Last year I captained a team of hardy souls who braved a cold and stormy night to head out together on a 10 kilometer walk.

Wearing blue toques that said, "Coldest Night of the Year" on them.

Me in the CNOY Touque

Now while the planning and preparation for the walk took time, the actual walk itself seemed to go by remarkably quickly, and some might speculate that this had to do with the fact that it was not just our feet that rambled. Yes, we are talkers, some of us, and boy do the kilometers fly by when you are talking. Well, they fly by for the talkers anyway! Here is a photo of our group as we neared the end of that trek.

The Rambling Amblers and Paddlers

This year we are at it again, and I'm posting about it so all the paddlers and "lake-lovers" who have appreciated this blog over the years can have the opportunity to sponsor me, or our team, as we walk for those who need emergency and crisis housing in Nanaimo and Parksville.

If you are already pulling out your credit cards, here is my sponsorship page: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1704041

Maybe you would like to join our band of merry amblers? We would love to have you: http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=354271

For those who need to know more, read on.

I moved with my wife to Nanaimo from Victoria in 1989 because of an opportunity to work in a community where the house prices were still reasonable. We loved Victoria, but for a lowly writer with a BA in Psychology (and a burgeoning anxiety disorder) the prospects of finding the kind of work that was necessary to afford even a modest house in Victoria just seemed vanishing slim.

Shortly after moving to Nanaimo I met a man who would become a lifelong friend and he invited me to sit on a Board with him for a non-profit organization that operated the only emergency shelter in the city at the time. That organization was Island Crisis Care Society. I agreed, because one of my secret fears has been to find myself unable to work and then end up penniless without a home. As unlikely as this scenario is, suffice it to say I can imagine what it would be like.

Over the years I went from volunteering for ICCS to working for them, and I have seen many amazing things as we have learned together about the causes of homelessness and how we can help those who find themselves there. 

One of our big successes came through a partnership with the Health Authority and the Ministry of Social Development to provide crisis stabilization programs for people with complex diagnoses. I learned that while not everyone who is on the street has a mental illness, almost everyone on the street faces one or more significant challenges. Deteriorating health, learning difficulties, physical or emotional pain, lack of resources and coping skills, the list is long. Sometimes it is a series of unfortunate events such as physical or sexual abuse, painful childhood experiences, grief and loss, or trauma and depression. Add to that ill-fated choices, strong emotions like fear and anger, and, well, it is a recipe for suffering. When faced with such a panoply of misery people often self-medicate, or seek diversions and quick fixes, and these things usually only make it worse. In fact in most cases, people's health gets worse and worse.

I have observed that when people loose everything, for whatever reason, they start to think differently about themselves and the world. They say that it all feels pretty hopeless. I see in the faces of many hard working Canadian that there is still a real stigma associated with homelessness. Most people don't really understand how complex homelessness is. But the most important thing to understand, at least in my opinion, is that it is really hard to maintain a sense of self worth when it looks like you have been rejected and shunned by all those around you.

ICCS was founded by Christians who believed that God has a special affection for those who are outcast and downtrodden. It wasn't the rich and successful who Jesus spent time with.

Those early society members had big hearts and didn't judge. They just met people were they were and loved them. That attitude has been one that those of us who followed have tried to maintain.

Our vision statement is, "To provide shelter and care for those in need, reflecting the love of God in loving one another." This is sometimes called the social gospel, but really it is just meeting people as Jesus did, straight up and full of compassion. Not naive of the factors that lead to poverty and homelessness, but also not numbed to the suffering of real people. Sure some of our clients have made poor choices. We all have to take responsibility for our actions and our decisions. But very very few people choose poverty, addiction, and homelessness on purpose. And when that is what you end up with, you appreciate simple human kindness, and you appreciate having options.

So here is what we do:

1. Take care of people's basic needs: food, warmth, shelter, clothing. Also first aid, hygiene, health care;
2. Give lots of emotional support;
3. Connect people to community services;
4. Offer different kinds of housing for where people are at;

This is, we recognize, only part of the solution. To do more we need more money. Plain and simple. With more money we will add to the above list:

5. Therapeutic communities where people can experience what it means to belong;
6. Prevention, early intervention, outreach workers;
7. Groups for education, relationship building, spiritual direction, recovery;
8. Affordable housing;

Why ICCS? Well, we have experience, infrastructure, great relationships with government and community groups, and a dedicated team.

I recently read an article on Canadian Charity Law called, "How Much Should A Canadian Charity Spend on Overhead such as Fundraising and Administration?" written by Mark Blumberg. It is worth reading because Mark points out that it is not just about the amount of money that is spent on administration. It is also about what the organization can do because of the systems it has in place, the staff who can be relied upon to do a top notch job, and all the behind the scene planning and accounting that make an organization strong. As Mark says, "If you want properly run organizations there are costs associated with that."

I am now the policy guy at ICCS. My main job is creating clear workable policies that will help guide us as we face a very complicated and demanding kind of work. We work with people in crisis, so privacy, accountability, safety, and conduct are big areas of attention. Specialization like this makes us strong and I love the fact that I get to exercise my talents in such a practical way. I feel I truly have "right livelihood." We are demonstrating the power that comes from the division of labour -- a basic tenant of western civilization.

So, sure, you have lots of choices on where to give your money. There are lot of great causes and great organizations out there. I happen to think we are one of them, and I hope you will consider supporting me as I walk and work for a better world.

Warmly,

Richard

Sponsorship page again: http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=1704041
Island Crisis Care Society Website

Review of the Bluewater Mist

In December of 2010 I sold my Solo Plus and in July of 2011 I sold my old tandem canoe to make room for a new canoe that I hoped would fulfill my desire for a larger, more efficient, more wave-hardy solo canoe.

After months of research I ordered a Bluewater Mist from Peter Harris at Pacifica Paddle Sports in Victoria BC, Canada. In previous posts I wrote in some detail about how I finally decided on the Mist, and here, over a year since I began to paddle the canoe, I give a detailed review of the experience.

First some photos of the beautiful hull:

Bluewater Mist on Durrance Lake

Bluewater Mist on the Shore of Elk Lake

Bluewater Mist on Dickson Lake

Bluewater Mist on Westwood Lake

Bluewater Mist on Muriel Lake

Some Initial Glitches
I received the Mist towards the end of August, 2011, and was disappointed to discover a number of flaws with the hull which included manufacturing defects and damage from shipping. Both Peter at Pacifica Paddle Sports and Bluewater representative Brent Wood were quick to acknowledge the flaws and Brent offered a new boat to replace the one I had received, allowing me to paddle it until the new one arrived. I asked if the skid plates that were installed on the first canoe could be left off the second canoe, and was assured the new one would be skid-plate free. Putting skid plates on a performance boat like this seems like slapping cheap all-season tires on a Ferrari.

Upon hearing that I was looking for a foot brace and a lower seat, Brent also offered to customize the boat to fit my wishes.

Over the fall, winter, and spring I paddled the "first" Mist and earlier this summer I received the replacement boat. Along with the promised foot-brace and lower seat I was delighted to discover that the layup was done with a new carbon/kevlar material which looks nicer and feels like it reduces the weight by around 4 or 5 pounds.

The foot brace was exactly where I had asked it to be and the seat height precisely as requested. I believe that the boat was flawless leaving the build site, but unfortunately the transportation from Ontario to British Columbia gave the hull a good number of scratches, gouges, and dings.

Note the Foot-brace Location and Beautiful Gunwale Lines on the Bluewater Mist

So, regarding Bluewater as a company, A+ for responsiveness to customer concerns, A+ for quality of build (second time around), and C- for shipping and timely delivery. Mid-Canada Fiberglass, the parent company for Bluewater, also makes Scott Canoes and Impex Kayaks. The three businesses combined make MCF "Canada's largest canoe and kayak manufacturer" according to longtime retailer Frontenac Outfitters. It seems curious to me that a company of this size had such trouble getting the boat to Victoria -- over 10 months and many dings in the process. I know that shipping is a major challenge with canoes, and I have heard numerous horror stories about canoes from many manufacturers, not just MCF. It just seems sad to me that a boat of this value and quality receives such harsh treatment before it ever sees the water!

Regarding the build of the canoe -- while the first one was clearly not a good representation of the company's abilities, the second one is a thing of beauty and extremely well made. It is made with what I presume is the "Ultralite Carbon Kevlar" fabric and I have to say I really love it. Aesthetically it catches everyone's eye and for the type of paddling I do, the weight benefit is a big deal.

Ultralite Carbon Kevlar photographed under a bush, so the mottled look is from the shadows

I believe that the Ultralite Carbon Kevlar adds several hundred dollars to the price of a canoe, so I feel more than compensated for my transportation dings.

Lastly, I have to say that I particularly like the style of aluminum gunwale used by Bluewater, with the hidden rivets and smooth substantial feel. All and all the boat presents as a thing of quality and performance.

Price
My Mist cost $3,016.16. That includes $343.00 for shipping and $323.16 in taxes.Compared to the other boats on my list it ended up being more expensive than I anticipated, but in line with it's nearest competitor, the Swift Keewaydin 15. Both the Wenonah Argosy and Clipper Packer, would have been significantly less expensive and I know for sure that I would have been happy with the Packer. The Packer is, however, still shorter and less wave-hardy than the Mist.

The Paddling Experience
The first day I paddled the Mist I was perplexed by the difference between what I had read and what I experienced. The hull was efficient, but not as fast as I had hoped for; and the stability was also less than I had expected. I soon discovered, however, that it was because I was paddling the boat in a way that did not bring out it's inner strengths, so to speak.

The Mist begs to be paddled "hit and switch" style from the kneeling position. Once I shifted to this position the merits of the hull became immediately apparent. Here is a video of me paddling on Spider Lake. Note my sitting position and how at different times I lean forward, shifting my weight to my knees, to really get a good grip on the water for power strokes and turning.

Thanks to Paul for the able camera work!

In the silhouetted shot on the beginning of the next video you can see that I eventually learned to perform a standing draw and other maneuvering strokes in this minimally rockered canoe.

Once I discovered that the boat likes the weight slightly forward (in calm conditions), and can be leaned moderately in a brace or draw I began to love the feeling of control that had initially eluded me. Charlie Wilson warned that the boat was wet because of the "bubble" sides and said that it was tricky to heel over. I found this to be true, but discovered that I could heel it over a bit without freaking out, and while the minimal heeling did not produce the kind of turning results other more highly rockered canoes would deliver, it gave great access to the water and a solid feeling of control.

In a thread on the Canadian Canoe Routes forum Charlie said, "Outside heels, often not quite to the rail, start the bow carving into the turn, so the hull comes around more smartly." I have yet to master this maneuver.

So, after the initial feeling of being somewhat non-plussed, I found that the boat was a true pleasure to paddle, and even my favorite Indian stroke could produce respectable speed and enjoyment, as I think the following video demonstrates:

 In fact, despite my knowledge of psychology and the way that we grow to justify our decisions and like our purchases more over time -- even if they are not the best -- I think I can say that I have retained some objectivity in the matter.

I suspect that I might have been more impressed with the Swift Osprey or Keewaydin 15, as my preferred activity involves a lot of maneuvering and poking into nooks and tight places, but I sure appreciate the straight ahead tracking of the Mist when crossing large water, especially large windy water!

I have a technique I use now in which I pull out my Alton Aleut paddle and lean forward to cut down on windage and motor at a high cadence till I'm across the worst of it. Then I stow the double and take out my single again for pleasurable cruising. This is what I had envisioned for this canoe, and it has proven to facilitate comfortable paddling on larger lakes.

My Pros and Cons List for the Bluewater Mist 

Pros

Cons

Efficient short hull  -- so gets up to speed fast and feels fun doing it, Good tracking, Steeply angled internal float chambers for ease when washing it out, Slimline "hidden rivet" aluminum gunwales, Good fit and finish including smart looking gel coat and layup, Light (around 40 pounds) even with gelcoat, Unique styling (plum ends, step-flared bow) Can be paddled with speed using a double blade, especially an Aleutian style with a high cadence stroke.

Minimal undifferentiated rocker, so impossible to turn quickly, Not easy to do radical heeling without going swimming, and so turning is not much aided by this method, Designed for "hit and switch" paddling in the kneeling position, so sitting can feel unstable in rough water. Absent or outdated foot brace; and fixed seat height (NOTE: Canadian canoe manufacturers need to take a lesson from Wenonah who have the best braces and seats in this sector of the industry from my experience/perspective), Lack of good shipping method to Western Canada.

Summary
So, despite the problems with the first boat, and after giving the hull a long trial period, I can say that of all the canoes I have tried so far it is my favorite. I like it better than my Spitfire and better than the Rapidfire because there are multiple options for sitting/kneeling and it is well suited to both double and single blades.

It feels fast and responsive and just downright fun to paddle. I can sprint in it with a double blade or cruise for hours doing the Indian stroke with seemingly minimal effort. It turns reasonably well, though this is it's weakest quality. It looks classy with a unique style that sets it apart from other boats on the water -- certainly eye candy for me. One observer commented that it had a "pug nose" which I assume was in response to the relatively wide run just forward of the paddling station before it abruptly narrows to the end.

It is light, durable, and not too long to fit in my small house. That's right, I have it on the wall of my office, along with the Spitfire. Despite other newer designs this proven and slightly unusual design holds it's own. I will NOT be selling this one any time soon.

Mesachie Lake

Vancouver Backroads Map Book 4th Edition -- Map 3 A3
Atlas of Canada Link: Mesachie Lake

Latitude/Longitude: Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 48° 48' 50" N 124° 7' 10" W
Decimal Degrees: 48.814° N 124.119°
Coordinates: 10U 417814 5407383
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092C1
Trip Dates: August 28, 2011,  August 5, 2012

It took awhile to find the right road to the public access for Mesachie Lake. The first time I looked, I didn't find it. I was hesitant to drive down the narrow little road with the rusty wire fence beside it. That day I paddled Bear lake with it's well maintained public access, cement boat ramp, and large dock. Bear lake is a stones throw from Mesachie Lake and the two bodies of water sandwich the quaint village of Mesachie Lake between them.

James and I visited it one time, saw some kayakers bobbing in large waves, and went to Bear lake which was calm.

Then, in late August last year Paul and I finally ventured out on Mesachie lake. The access road has a very tight terminus, with a grassy patch to park one or maybe two cars. The trail to the beach is less than 20 steps. The beach has course gravel, is small, but also pleasant.

The south side of the lake hosts the conspicuous Camp Imadene situated on a wide short peninsula with a nice bay beside it which has been relatively calm both times we were there. Here is a winter shot of Camp Imadene I took way back in 2008 when I started this project:

The local family we chatted with in 2012 told us that Saturday is a good day to enjoy the lake as the kids from the camp go home on Saturdays.

The East end of the lake, once you are beyond the traffic noise from the South Shore Road that runs most of the length of the lake, feels private and peaceful. The video below starts at this end of the lake.

The Northern shore is a very steep rocky slope with mature trees hanging over the water. You can paddle right beside the stone wall and see the rock's near vertical face falling away below the water.

After pausing in the shade to enjoy a drink and some nibbles, we headed back to the put-in, discovering on our way the outflow to Bear Lake.

It was nearing the end of the day and we were visited by some youngsters who entertained me with stories of catching frogs in this stream and fooling other children with "fake" animal tracks.

We then really did head back to the put-in but ended up standing up to our knees in the warm water talking and enjoying the growning dusk.

Mesachie is a beautiful little lake with lots of nooks and variety. I recommend it highly.

Maple Lake

Vancouver Backroads Map Book 4th Edition -- Map 33 D7
Atlas of Canada Link: Maple Lake

Latitude/Longitude:
Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 38' 19" N 125° 0' 48" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.639° N 125.014° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 354618 5500406
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092F11

Trip Date September 28, 2011

I've driven down the enticing, if impressively root-bound, access road to Maple Lake twice before. In one case it was late in the day and I was worried about the gate closing, and in the other I decided to paddle elsewhere. But I've kept it on my list of lakes to paddle because it looked promising. When John, a long time Vancouver island paddler, suggested we give it a try, I immediately agreed.

John and Paul heading out onto Maple Lake

The boat ramp/put-in is a sandy area scooped from a sandy bank on the eastern shore of the lake, accessed via a tunnel under the Island Highway off of Minto Road. The land surrounding Maple Lake has been recently logged but whether by design or happy chance, there is no way to perceive the cut from the lake or access. An examination of the area on Google maps reveals a healthy boarder of trees around the lake. Imagine if all lakes on the island had this healthy buffer! It would increase the recreational experience 100 fold or more.

I was interested to see John's Mohawk Odyssey, a canoe (and canoe company) I have looked at casually in the past. I enjoyed listening to John give his impressions of the boat and the company.

John gave me an opportunity to paddle the canoe and I found it to be responsive, comfortable, maneuverable and good looking. John said the boat really comes into it's own in moving water and invited us to join him on the Salmon River some time -- one of his favorite destinations.

Maple Lake turned out to be a Sedgebender's dream. The eastern shoreline is broken by several inflows, and an expanse of high ground stretches out into a chain of tiny islands surrounded by a diverse wetland and extended marsh.

We enjoyed winding our way in and around the large areas of bull rushes, reeds, and sweet gale.

All the foliage was touched by the coming fall colours and we appreciated the warm sunshine in an otherwise cool day.

We were visited by large dragon flies and by wasps, but fortunately the wasps only seemed to be interested in checking out our bright PFDs and then zooming off to more important things.

We noticed that all the lilly pads had lost most of their leaves, with secondary growth leaves on a few. It looked to me that water levels had dropped and/or a storm had taken the mature leaves away somewhere. It made for an interesting waterscape.

All three of us share an appreciation for the life and scenery of the wetland and stopped to admire this corner of beauty.

As we headed north along the eastern shore we rounded some high ground and I noticed literally thousands of Whirligig beetles doing their mesmerizing dance below the overhanging sweet gale. Here is a good video on this fascinating beetle: http://youtu.be/RIbzOeNcaxE

The gap between peninsula and the little islands is filled with an impressive stand of very tall rushes or reeds, I'm not sure which. They are just off camera to the right in the above photo.

We paddled through a patch of smaller reeds or rushers on the other side of the peninsula. Perhaps some day I will be motivated to sort out the differences in these beautiful aquatic plants.

After emerging from the rushes we made our way to a nice shaded opening in the shoreline and stop for a bite to eat.

While we ate and talked about important subjects of ethnicity, history, and politics another couple arrives at the distant put-in with their canoe. The day was slow and peaceful and the company was good.

The northern shore is steeply sloped with a couple of well used fishing beaches and we made our way across the bay, back into the sunshine and warmth.

There are lots of nooks and cranies on the lake, and we enjoyed investigating them all.

Maple Lake is a beautiful little lake hidden within a few minutes drive from three central island communities. We were all a little impressed at what a gem it really is.

After loading up our canoes we stood and talked and watch dragon flies hunting some sort of "Mayfly" looking gnat over our heads. Out on the water the sun was setting and a dragon fly crash landed on the water, unable to take flight again. We watched it's desperate attempts, even when it was almost completely underwater. All around us life was emerging, thriving, and dying. I thought of Darwin and my recent reading of his work. Nature is endlessly interesting and deep, and I was filled with gratitude to be able to share appreciation of it with others.

Earlier in the day one of the impressive dragon flies landed on John's face, but I wasn't fast enough to catch it on film, even though it stayed on his face for almost a minute.

As the sun set we were hesitant to leave, but finally the falling temperature drove us to our sweaters and vehicles. Another idyllic autumn day on the water on Vancouver Island.

Mushroom Season Approaches

In an effort to keep 100 Lakes on Vancouver Island all about lakes, I will be posting my mushroom related posts to 100 Mushrooms on Vancouver Island. I know, but when you have a good thing going it is hard to deviate too far from it.

Here is the link: http://100mushroomsonvancouverisland.blogspot.com/

Muriel Lake

Vancouver Backroads Map Book 4th Edition -- Map 14 A5
Atlas of Canada Link: Muriel Lake

Latitude/Longitude:
Degrees, Minutes, Seconds: 49° 7' 37" N 125° 37' 10" W
Decimal Degrees: 49.127° N 125.619° W
UTM Coordinates: 10U 308902 5444878
Topographic Map Sheet Number: 092F04

Trip Date: September 10, 2011

Muriel Lake

Getting to Muriel Lake takes two days. Not because it actually takes two days to drive there from Nanaimo, but because we were not heading to Muriel Lake at all -- we were heading to the recreational forestry camp site on Kennedy Lake, hoping to camp there and then paddle down the river to the Kennedy River Bog.

There are a half dozen shirtless and tattooed young men lazing about or wandering about a semi-permanent looking camp at the Kennedy Lake Rec site when we drive up. We changed our plans for where were will sleep the night.

The next morning we are back, but now the put-in by the Kennedy River bridge is blocked by a car with the hatch up and doors open. We walk down to have a look. A sleepy-sounding couple calls hello from a tent under the bridge, "Did you want to launch your boat? We can move our car," the fellow asks. The back of the car is strewn with underwear, food wrappers, and a tipped over foam cooler. "It's OK," I call back, "I think we are going somewhere else."

The Put-in at the Kennedy River Bridge from my scouting trip in 2008

I thought of the conservative American scholar James Q. Wilson's line, "“Arresting a single drunk or a single vagrant who has harmed no identifiable person seems unjust, and in a sense it is. But failing to do anything about a score of drunks or a hundred vagrants may destroy an entire community.”

There is a certain romance in a lone tramp rambling his way through the outskirts of town, or along a remote wilderness, using his wiles and wits to live free and unencumbered. There is also an icy prickle over the skin when you fall under the gaze of 12 shiftless eyes in decidedly shifty circumstances.

My dad used to say, "In the wilderness the most dangerous animals are usually human," and I have heeded this truism whenever my gut gives me pause.

We head to Muriel with some sense of disappointment and apprehension.

When I visited Muriel lake in 2008 the drive was reasonably pleasant and the put-in looked like this:

I am surprised to see how much the road beyond the Kennedy River Bridge has deteriorated in 3 years. Large rocks now protrude from the hard packed road bed and in places the Pacific Ninebark, Thimble Berry and Salmon Berry, and various other bushes, crowd close at the edges. There is a sense that the road could disappear into the forest from lack of use. One spot in the road has recently been filled with soil, the efforts most likely of whomever frequents the two cabins located on the lake. The road down to the lake is definitely best attempted with 4 wheel drive, but the concern is really getting up afterwards as there are some large exposed rock where rain has washed the gravel away.

View from the Put in -- 2011

We put our canoes in the water and paddle towards the south eastern corner of the lake, between the two islands visible from the put-in and into a bay filled with water shield.

Paul points out several twisted logs resting on rocks and along the shoreline, their curves and patterns exposed and white under the sun.

These two features, weathered wood and exposed rock, are prevalent themes for the lake. The multiple rocky peninsulas are pleasing combinations of stone and contorted pines. The trees show character in the face of what must be hard winters of torrential downpours and heavy snow.

The heat from the sun is intense so we hug the shady shore, enjoying the rugged beauty of each meter of shoreline.

About 1/4 of the way down the lake we pass  a steeply sloped cluster of small rocky islands with one pine doing apparently well amid what seems like very sparse soil conditions. I can't help thinking of my favorite Lone Tree Island on Goose Lake.

We glide over shallow areas where we can see long stretches of rock slanting gradually into the depths, or ending at dark precipices.

On the Northern shore dark green bands of growth show the roads and gullies and I'm thankful that for the moment there are no new clearcuts to distract from the pleasing patchwork of new growth and older forest.

After Paddling for about an hour we get out to stretch our legs on a wide stony shelf a foot below the surface of the water. The cool of the water and the shade from the tall trees give us a chance to contemplate the beauty of the place. We watch schools of small fish moving in and out of the shadows and hear what sounds like a frog plop into the water somewhere down the shore.

When we climb back in our canoes we continue down the lake moving in and out of bays and stopping from time to time to admire large cedar trees. Several handsome specimens of Yellow Cedar stand out amid the more numerous Red Cedar.

Nearing the western end of the lake we disturb a pair of osprey who fly from their nest and seem to lure us away, calling and flying and landing in trees and flying again. We follow them for a ways enjoying their uncommon beauty before turning north and then east to head back into the wind along the northern shore.

The largest island on the lake has some impressive cliffs, but from this side we have trouble seeing where the passage is between it and the northern shore. We paddle hard into the wind and then finally find it, slipping through to find a small archipelago of islands behind it with a houseboat/cabin moored in the protected waters between them.

It strikes me as a perfect spot to tie up, but we don't go ashore, not knowing if this is private property or not. Paul notices Christmas lights on the outside and we can imagine spending a cool evening around the pot bellied stove inside with water lapping at the weathered wood outside.

Then it is back into the teeth of a steady wind, powering our way back to the put-in. We get out, boil water for hot dogs and tea, and while away the afternoon eating, putting away our gear, and enjoying a most pleasant spot.

Back at the Put-in