Kayakers Circumnavigate Lake Superior

by Dave Freeman
A Canoe and Kayak Web Exclusive

Week Two - Sept. 9

A Cold Day on Lake Superior Leads to Newfound Friends

Amy and I huddled around our VHF radio waiting for the most recent marine weather forecast from Environment Canada. The setting sun cast a warm glow on the Slate Islands and gentle wavelets lapped at the white sand beach a few feet from our tent, but we knew things were about to change. The recording slowly droned through seemingly useless information about floating logs in Thunder Bay and low water levels in nearby rivers in both French and English before finally settling into the Lake Superior forecast.

Thirty knot winds and two to three meter waves were forecasted for the next 24 hours, so we set our alarm for 5:30 AM in hopes of putting on some miles before the worst of the storm. With the boats loaded and our drysuits zipped, we headed out the next morning to tackle a menacing looking finger of rock that juts three miles from shore and offers few places to land if the winds were to pick up.

The seas grew to four to five feet by midday. We spent several hours bobbing in the waves, losing site of land and each other in the troughs of big swells, only to rise up a few seconds later for another view of our surroundings. As the winds began to increase, we spotted a large strip of sand at the bottom of a large bay. With the impending storm on our minds, we headed for the beach.

Several curious people emerged from the tree-line as we struggled to pull our boats out of reach from the crashing waves. We soon learned that had stumbled upon an Ontario provincial campground of 144 campsites.

Most of the remaining campers were seasonal site holders who parked their RVs on one site for the whole summer. Everyone’s warm smiles and greetings were a bit of a shock after a week of solitude. But soon our muscles and our minds began to relax, and we felt at ease among our newly-made friends.

Larry and Barb, a retired couple from Terrace Bay, Ontario, quickly took us under their wing. Before we knew it, we had showered and were sipping hot drinks and chatting about politics and life in northern Ontario.

Larry retired a few years ago from the pulp mill in Terrace Bay after working for 38 years. Now the mill is shutting down, and hundreds of people are out of work. Life is hard for people here because of the disappearing lumber and mining jobs. No one is quite sure what steps are necessary to help the local economy, but Barb is spearheading a project in Terrace Bay called the Caribou Artisans. The Caribou Artisans is modeled after the North House Folk School in Grand Marais, Minnesota. She hopes to improve the local economy by creating activities that utilize the amazing natural beauty of Lake Superior and the Slate Islands, which are home to the southernmost Woodland Caribou in the world.

In the morning we will leave Neys Park and our new friends behind, but Barb and Larry will remain with us in spirit for the rest of our journey.