Tag Archives: Fenton Lake

A Thought

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To destroy is to lose

To preserve is to enjoy

 

 

From Gargantia Bay To Fenton Lake

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June 24 dawned misty and cloudy. Maureen and I drove into Wawa to the North of 17 restaurant for breakfast. The day cleared up. So that evening we drove back down the Gargantua Bay Road. As I drove along a weasel ran out in front of us to then disappear back into the woods. Upon arriving at the parking I loaded up my camera gear. Our aim was to hike the two km trail into the back of Gargantia Bay. The Ojibwa people had built a road here, so the going was very good. There was soon an onslaught of the mosquito population to annoy us.

We soon arrived at the bay’s end. We were greeted by a young couple and there two young children. They were set up at one of the campsite available here. There was a nice sandy beach here, but I saw nothing of interest to photograph . The Ojibway had constructed a longhouse on the beach from were they performed their religious ceremonies. The longhouse consisted of saplings fastened together. It was quite sturdy looking.  We chatted with the campers for awhile. They suggested that we hike up the hill to a lookout that gave a view of the bay to the North. Picking up the lookout trail at the end of the beach, we were soon sweating as we made our way up the steep hillside. Upon arrival we were greeted to a magnificent view  looking towards the Devil’s Chair. Descending the hill back to the beach I headed over to the Ranger’s cabin. It had seen better days as the walls had been removed for an open air effect. I suspect that people had taken free firewood.  We bid the campers goodbye and picked up the trail to the parking lot. I swore the mosquito clan had brought in more reinforcements as they seemed to be thicker. It seemed at  times that my hands were covered with these pest. We arrived back at the parking lot. Arriving back at the highway I suggested that we go to Fenton Lake.

Maureen dropped me off at the side of the highway. I suggested she go to Wawa and stop at Tim Horton for a coffee. Meanwhile I set up my tripod and Canon 7D to capture the above photo. As I was waiting the wind calmed down. The could cover changed to what you see in the above composition. I needed depth so I put shoreline on both sides of the composition. The cloud cover is shown to its best effect. There is lots of depth here. The island is visible. A typical Northern Ontario scene in the Boreal forest.

Maureen soon returned with her coffee. I packed my gear away. It was getting dark now. It was time to head back to camp. The 37th Annual La Cloche Art Show concluded yesterday with recorded sales. There was an excellent turnout of artist and the public.While that is it for now   Until next time happy trails.

Watch Your Lighting

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Maureen and I awoke Tuesday morning to a beautiful sunny day. A quick breakfast at the restaurant of the Best Northern. We were soon off to Fenton Lake. Then portaging over to Treeby Lake. These lakes were within Lake Superior Provincial Park. From the parking lot it is a 150 meter carry down to the lake. We soon had our gear loaded into the Quebecor 17 canoe. Edging out from shore, we paddled along the East side of the lake. The wind had picked up by now. The good thing was we were going with it. We soon reached our first portage and unloaded. This is a 50 meter portage. With all the gear hauled over. Maureen and I relaxed for a few minutes. Maureen was still suffering from her cold. We now had to make our way along a strip of water towards the Treeby Lake portage.

The Treeby portage is 150 meters in length. The ground and rocks were still wet from the previous rains. There were fallen leaves on the trail. With care we hauled our gear over the portage into Treeby Lake. We encountered a couple of downed trees on the trail. Pushing off from shore it was time to find a campsite to spend the next couple days. The wind had by now become stronger.

Treeby is a lake with approximately 23 islands. That was one of the reasons for coming here. Maureen and I set up camp on a point of land on the West side of the lake. The winds blew and gusted day and night until Thursday morning.  I awoke Thursday morning at daybreak. Peeking my head out the tent I saw the leaves were not moving. Looked out upon  the lake to behold the calm water surface. All was not perfect as there was a slight breeze skipping and dancing here and there on the lake. From past experience you learn to be patient and wait. In the mean time you set up your gear. The sky was getting brighter by now.

The above photo was captured as the sun splashed the hillside to illuminate the Fall colors. That is an island in front. I needed sunlight on this little island to make it stand out. Again you wait. This is what makes wilderness landscapes challenging. The long waits, the right conditions. When all the pieces fall into place, you have achieved your goal. The most important thing is you are standing on the shorelines of a lake taking in all the beauty, color and grandeur that can be found in our North country.

Well that is it for this post. Until next time happy trails