A Thief in Lake Superior Provincial Park!

At the southern tip of Lake Superior Provincial Park in the Agawa Bay Campgroud, the park attendant warned us about bear sightings around the park, especially around Rhyolite Cove. Jonathan and I decided to stay far away from this tent site to avoid any confrontations. During our visit, we had a sort of confrontation with a particular animal. No, it wasn't with a bear but with a well-fed chipmunk. At one of our favorite campsites on the Bald Head River, this chipmunk would not leave us alone. If I took out our pots for cooking, the chipmunk was right by my side. As we cooked, one of us would have to hold onto our food and make sure it never touched the ground. One morning, while we were busy taking pictures, we accidentally left our granola bars on the top of our food barrels. While our backs were turned the other way, the eager chipmunk jumped onto our food barrels taking one of the granola bars. By the time we had turned around, it was too late. The package had been opened and the little thief was munching away. Being a good sport, he let us take his picture before we reclaimed our stolen goods.
The coastline through the park was absolutely spectacular. Large rugged cliffs and beaches dot the shoreline. We have just reached the Naturally Superior Adventures on the Michipicoten River in Wawa, Ontario where we left another food drop. It was nice to spend the day here - great food, friends, paddling and scenery.

Paddling through the Recreational Sault Locks

It was interesting to paddle into Sault Ste. Marie because it will be one of the largest ports that we will experience on this leg of the journey. It was nice to be in Sault Ste. Marie because we lived here while we were students at Sault College in the Parks and Outdoor Recreation program. This time, we stayed with our friends, Dave and Jen, and picked up another package of dehydrated food which we sent ahead to their house.
The following morning we entered the Sault Canal National Historic Park recreational locks. It was an incredible experience. We paddled through large gates which were closed behind us. The attendant told us to hold onto large ropes and to make sure keep our boat away from the edge of the locks. In less than 15 minutes the water rose to meet Lake Superior. As the gates opened, both Jon and I were excited and, at the same time, hesitant to paddle the next section of our journey. Our excitement came from the stunning and remote scenery that lay ahead and our hesitation stemmed from the tremendous respect we have for Lake Superior - the largest fresh water lake in the world.

Modern-Day Pterodactyls

One of our food re-supply locations was at the North Channel Yacht Club in Spragge, Ontario. We enjoyed a comfortable bed on my dad's sailboat and the luxury of a hot shower at the comfort station. The following afternoon, my parents and grandma came with a box of dehydrated food and a selection of mouth-watering dishes that we can only dream about on trip. It was sad to see our dog, Tess, leave with them but we knew that it was the best decision for her. She prefers her lazy boy chair at my parents place than the blue foam pad at the bottom of our canoe.
It took us four days to paddle to Sault Ste. Marie averaging a distance of 40 to 50 kilometers per day. We were surprised at the amount of bird life that we encountered. Bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey and turkey vultures were spotted almost on a daily basis. Around the Mississagi River Delta, we noticed a group of our favorite birds - Sandhill Cranes. Jon and I call these birds Modern-day Pterodactyls because they remind us of ancient creatures that would have roamed the earth millions of years ago. The way they fly and their calls seem like no other birds that we have encountered on the northern shore of the Great Lakes.