11-JUN-2007
Janet is smiling in this photo because the bugs hadn't found us yet.
11-JUN-2007
Repairs outside of Nipigon. One headlight was gone, so we took the canoe off the top, opened the bonnet, replaced the bulb (a spare was provided) and put the canoe back on top. We also had breakfast here - this is the parking lot of a Husky, where we ate in the restaurant. We did drive through Nipigon itself, but there wasn't much open at this time in the morning.
11-JUN-2007
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park. Very much worth a 14km detour off the Trans-Canada to visit.
11-JUN-2007
It doesn't appear in any of these photos, but the amazing thing about Ouimet (and a few other canyons near it) is that the altitude differential moves you from one climactic/vegetation zone to another: the top of the canyon is boreal forest, the bottom is sub-arctic tundra, with isolated species growing there which won't be seen anywhere closer than 1000km North, on the shores of Hudson Bay. You're not allowed to go down to the bottom of the canyon since such vegetation is rather fragile, but it's fascinating to consider, and the canyon itself is very impressive.
11-JUN-2007
The first of several flower photos. Occasionally, you have to stop, smell the flowers, and experiment with the macro setting on your digital camera.
11-JUN-2007
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, just West of Thunder Bay. There is a portage around these.
11-JUN-2007
Another shot of Kakabeka Falls. Note that the flow is being moderated by dams upstream, to a small fraction of what you would normally get during spring run-off. (We weren't there during spring run-off, but photos indicated just how impressive it has been when the dams have let more water over the falls.) Wolseley used Voyageur guides to help get troops past these to fight in the North-West Rebellion. (The more southerly, and rather easier route, was neglectfully negotiated away to the USA in the late 18th century.) Having seen what they did with this (miserable, painful, long) portage, he would then call for them when trying to get the British expeditionary force to Khartoum to save Gordon.
11-JUN-2007
Looking downstream from the beside the falls. Most descriptions of the portage would likely involve expletives.
12-JUN-2007
This jumps ahead a bit. We're now in Manitoba, and already west of Winnipeg. We took what was indicated as the "MOM route", and it took a long time to determine that this is because it goes from Manitoba through Ontario to Minnesota. It's scenic, and offers the opportunity to drive through Lake of the Woods. West of Winnipeg, the weather deteriorated.