GLORY DAYS ON THE GREAT LOOP

DAY 46, TUES. JULY 19, 2011
COOL/OVERCAST EARLY AM, HHH LATE AM/PM L60/H90
DEP. ORRILLA 08:10 ARR. LOCK #43 SWIFT RAPIDS 1:00
D. 26.3/

We awoke this am to see the sun a bright orange ball on the eastern horizon. Just one of those days you know will turn out to be Hazy Hot & Humid. It starts out cool, but doesn’t disappoint. Today’s cruise is a mixture of lakes, locks, canals, rivers, cuts, bays, channels, and chutes. I didn’t know there could be so many different designations for a body of water, let alone travel them in the same day. We start out crossing Lake Couchiching, a 10 m. ride which brings us to the Severn River and Canal. We enter Couchiching Lock (#42) and get lowered 21’. From there we enter Sparrow Lake and cruise north for 3m. into Porllock Channel, McLean Bay, and Sparrow Lake Chute. The scenery is beautiful. The Chute is very narrow, but fortunately short as it opens to a small bay, then enters McDonalds Cut, which also widens and then narrows to the Ragged Rapids where we get a boost from the current. Then it’s on to the top of Lock #43 where we tie up for the day at 1:00. It sounds easy, but the constant diligence at the helm is very tiring and one can take in only so much beautiful scenery in one day. Did I mention the RR swing bridge which the guide books say is open except when a train is coming? Well this one wasn’t. We looked up and saw several men in hard hats pondering. As we sat there idling, holding our position in the current, they pondered! After what seemed to be an eternity of pondering, we heard what sounded like a very sick motor start up, pick up some speed, and then die. How long are we going to be here? Fortunately, they took my advice and sprayed the whole thing with WD40, then the motor started and the bridge slowly creaked open. You can see from the pictures how beautiful the area really is. After lunch we took a swim and met a couple who were nearing the end of their 2 week trip from Trenton, Ont. To Port Severn, Ont., in their canoe! It did have a 15 hp motor, and was fully rigged for such a trip, but to see a couple in their 60’s doing this in a canoe was too much. They camp out every night, and carry 2 bikes to replenish supplies. They met at forest ranger school, got married, and live in a small town 600 miles north of Toronto, where he works as a specialist in replenishing forests and natural resources. Some of the people we meet are truly amazing. Speaking of people, Brian & Jean from Spirit of Whitby are here and we all get together for Happy Hour at 5:30. Tomorrow am we go thru the Swift Rapids lock and make the biggest drop in altitude of all the locks on the TSWW, 47’. Then it’s on to the big one….. THE BIG CHUTE. Stay tuned.