2- Georgian Bay

2- Georgian Bay

Originally, the plan was to leave Spanish, on June 18 but due to bad weather we postponed the trip to the next day. There were still white caps in Spanish Harbour the following day so we decided to drive to Brian’s (Wind and Wave) cottage, just south of Little Current on Manitoulin Island. On June 20 /2007, “The Spanish Donkey” started off, around Strawberry Island, towards Heywood Island and hopefully, to Killarney for a fish and chip supper. The name, “Spanish Donkey” was really a spur-of-the moment brain wave, created the day before we left, in search of a unique blog spot handle.

The next part of our trip is something we will always remember.
Gord and JR were finding their sea legs. Brian was accompanying us for the first few hours and Bill and Iris were leading the way. There was a moderate chop to the water as we headed towards Heywood but once out past the point and into the full open expanse of Georgian Bay, meter high waves started to roll and break from our starboard side. Gord and JR, in their kayaks, became extremely focused on reaching the shore about 2 km. away. The distance between the kayaks and the canoe started to grow uncomfortable. Brian, with all his skill and experience, was able to hang in the side of the waves and started to teach JR how to brace, to look around and wait for Bill and Iris. As we recalled many times later, this became a comical scene with Brian darting back and forth between the canoe and the kayaks, with Gord and JR fear-driven to get to shore and with Bill and Iris having to stop in mid-storm to put on their canoe skirt. Of course, at the end of the day, Gord and JR were cool and relaxed and Bill and Iris said they didn’t want to set a fast pace for the beginning of our adventure. However, this experience taught us a valuable lesson: we should always stay together and within shouting distance.

We all were becoming accustomed to our boats and began to appreciate how well they handled in winds. Never once during the entire trip did the loaded kayaks feel that they were going to turn over. Gord’s kayak was a Wilderness System, 17’-0” Cape Horn, which had the unusual habit of nose diving into the waves. JR’s was a Wilderness System, 16’-0” Tsunami, which would ride and surf over the waves. Bill and Iris paddled a 15”-8” Swift, Mattawa which they have taken on many previous trips. The were able to handle, “Matty,” with skill and grace. The endless argument of which was the better craft (canoe or kayak) was always in the background as we traveled on. Fortunately, we were not able to solve this conundrum.

On the way to Killarney, instead of Landsdowne Channel being a protected shelter, it had turned into a 30 km. wind tunnel. Most of the time we asked each other, “well what do you want to do, well, what do you want to do?”
After a long break, (tea for Bill and Iris) and with the dying wind in our back, we pushed on, made camp at the Killarney Marina and finally had our fish and chip supper. This was our first days’ introduction to Georgian Bay. At times, when you wanted to put your paddle in the water, there was no water there! The boat was either sideways on the crest of a wave or was surfing between white caps. Our novice kayakers soon learned to trust their craft, stay balanced and have fun.

The next section of Georgian Bay was wide open to big water. The wind was moderate but rain clouds were threatening our progress. At one point, we stopped and set up the shelter. (Bill had brought a good sized dining room/kitchen tent that could be set up quickly in emergencies) There are so many small bays and rock outcroppings along the northern part of the Bay that it makes it very easy to get off rough water. The storm passed us by and we were on our way to Collins Inlet. The Inlet was a beautiful paddle through coniferous trees and granite rock. At one point we saw a bear cub swimming across the water. He turned back when he heard us coming and ran away into the woods.

Normally we were up at 5:00 a.m. and on the water shortly after 6:00 a.m.
At around 2:00 p.m. we would start looking for a camp ground. Camps were easy to find along the barren rock on crown or reservation land. Our aim was to paddle, on average, 25 km. a day. Under good conditions we were doing over 5 km. per hour. On the next day, the wind was against us and we took shelter on a large sandy beach in Sugar John Bay. However, we were back on the water by noon and made our daily quota before the next camp. Next on the itinerary were the Chickens. The Chickens should be one of Canada’s seven wonders! These islands are composed of hundreds of colourful, barren rocks with narrow inlets and dead-end passages in between. We could of spent the entire day exploring their beauty and ancient mysteries. The next big challenge for the, “Donkey” was to get around desolate Popham Point and Point Grodine. Here the landscape changed to barren rock and the lonely call of the loon echoed off the dark water. Because the main channel veers away out into the Bay, this area is extremely remote and can only be visited by paddle craft. Our camp that night was on empty rifts of flat, warm rock.

Now, I’d like to describe, “the incident.” The incident was continuously brought up by Bill and Iris whenever they wanted to rib the greenhorn, JR. JR got stuck on a rock. He thrashed and paddled the water into a whirlwind of white foam. Bill tried to pull the kayak off the rock with a tow rope but JR was stuck, tight and secure. Eventually, Bill got out of his canoe and pushed JR off the rock. From then on, we all were especially concerned about becoming stranded on the rocks. Iris, in the front of the canoe, would pick the way through the shallow shoals and Gord and JR would follow in a single file behind. The next day, Bill and Iris also got stuck on a rock!

The water was as smooth as glass. We sailed on past the French and Pickerel Rivers in the morning on our way to Key Harbour. Key Harbour was a perturbing change where we actually saw other boats, cottages and people.
Further on, again out amongst remote rock and gray sky, we met 2 lone canoeists, John and Stephanie. They were headed west, eventually to Thunder Bay, doing a 2 year environmental study of the Great Lakes. Gord used to shop at the same outfitter’s store in Kitchener where they both worked. What made the biggest impression on them were the small collapsible chairs we carried to relax in while having lunch or watching the sunsets. With the wind in our back and a light chop to the water we made good time, for the next two days, down the coast to Pointe au Baril. Here, at a friend’s cottage was waiting a chicken and chili dinner complete with a double layer cake and raspberries. For our own meals, supper altered between rice or pasta with a few vegetable flakes or dehydrated packs thrown in. We ate a lot of prunes, dates and dried apricots. Raisins and peanut butter were the main course for lunch. Whenever we could stop at a corner store we stocked up on fresh fruit, beans and ice cream.

Shawanaga was a different story. Heavy seas were being thrown at us from all directions. We just got camp set up on some flat rocks as the thunder rolled in and the winds picked up considerably. Our tents would have been blown away if not for a line of rocks along the fly. In the morning we started out again in white capped waves and with the wind against us. Shawanaga wouldn’t let go. After recuperating for awhile in a few protected bays, it was, “here we go again,” out into the rolling, white and blue until we could get around the next point and hopefully, a change of wind direction. Snug Harbour and Killbear Park were a welcomed relief. At the Park we were able to unload right at a waterfront campsite. On the next day, by the time we got into Parry Sound the waves were again whipping at us from all sides. In Parry Sound Bay we underestimated the distance that we traveled and Gord and Bill had to take a compass bearing to get us back on track. We camped at the OPP Marine and later walked into town to have a well deserved meal at Don Cherry’s. Bill will always remember his humongous desert of chocolate ice cream and brownies.

At Sans Souci on Frying Pan Island we enjoyed Henry’s fish and chips. As long as we ate at the diner we were allowed to camp at the marina. Except for a few non-alcoholic, restaurant meals along the way, our summer vacation was very inexpensive. Here, we met a fellow kayaker who was headed out to The Umbrellas on a solo trip. He would be out of the site of land for miles. “Good luck amigo!” Gord and JR were being persuaded by the veterans to name their boats. Gord called his, “Shawanaga” and JR his, “Sans Souci,” which means, “without fear.”

All the islands do look the same. Without our GPS and maps it would be near impossible for a novice to navigate through the, “Thirty Thousand Islands” from Byng/Britt Inlet to Massasauga Park. Many times, we held a conference in our board room to confirm the course and pick out the buoys. The farther we traveled south the harder it was to find a camp that was not on private property. At Go Home Bay we were told there was a camp ground a few minutes up the inlet. After paddling for more than an hour and going through, “the hole in the wall,” we still couldn’t find the spot. Finally, we met a young lad in a power boat who showed us the concealed camp. Here, safe, high and dry, we felt blessed again. In the morning we heard on the marine radio that a storm had brewed up out on the bay and the Coast Guard was calling for help to rescue numerous small boats who couldn’t find anchor or who had tipped over! For the majority of our trip, we had met really helpful people, like the lad above, who understood and commended us on undertaking such a huge challenge. Add to that the tremendous paddling weather we were now experiencing, cool windless mornings and overcast days, our adventure was already a success.

On July 2, Canada Day weekend, we were going through Honey Harbour in the heart of cottage country. The water was churned to a froth by the wake of speed boats racing off in every direction. By now, the kayakers were used to surfing and rolling with the wake. Bill and Iris, having done both the Trent and Rideau Canals before, said that the day will come when Gord and JR would hope for a little dip and dive. Remember, we were now only completing the first leg of our journey. There are still 3 more legs for the, “Donkey” to conquer: the Trent, the Bay of Quinte and the Rideau. Georgian Bay gave us one more blast as we entered Port Severn. However, after paddling more than 360 km. in 13 days down her magnificent coast, we all said we’d do it again.
On a final environmental note: we found the northern part of Georgian Bay to be extremely pristine with no signs of obvious pollution. The water was clear and there was plenty of wildlife. The southern part could be suffering from excessive waste and green-house gases but to the untrained eye, this part of cottage country exemplified the Canadian dream of living with nature beside sparkling lakes and rugged granite.