August 15, 2011

We had slept well at Rita and Walter’s Sunny Acres Marina and after getting up I walked to their office which is also a fishing tackle shop, ice cream parlor, and living room. They have a Kuerig coffee machine and a large selection of flavors of coffee. After two cups of House Blend I was ready to get going. We left at about 10:00 and were pulling away from the ramp at the campground at 10:30. A fairly strong headwind from the northeast greeted us immediately. Progress across the rest of Colonel By Lake was slow but a 1 hour 30 minute nonstop piece got us to the narrows going into The River Stix which seemed to be a reservoir on the Cataraqui River.

Then a very long and tiring struggle into the northeasterly wind finally got us to the narrows where we followed the river for a mile to the lower Brewers locks. A group of three kayakers we had met along the way had also arrived in time to lock through with us. Unlike on the Erie Canal in 2008 where we were able to just float in the middle of the chamber as it filled up, we were told we needed to hold onto the hanging ropes along the side walls of the lock chamber. It took us some time to figure out a way to do this easily but we now have mastered it. I hold the boat hook hooked around the rope coming toward the stern of our boat and Heather takes the bow line and runs it around the rope hanging down near the bow and holds it so that the boat cannot pull away from the wall as we ascend to the next level. The hanging ropes are really cables inside black polyethylene pipe.

Coming out of the lower lock the three kayakers stopped at the dock there to go ashore as we went ahead the half mile or so to the upper Brewers locks, which had two steps. While waiting there to have it open the kayakers arrived. It appears that the three were made up of a guide and a couple. All were geared up to the hilt with black wet suit tops, splash skirts, broad hats and wearing their life jackets. They were looking hot! The guide had apparently set a goal of paddling to Jones Falls which was another 18 kilometers. The couples, that I guessed was a man my age and his middle aged daughter, were questioning this goal while in the lock with us. But the Guide fellow was not considering cutting back. They were behind schedule and the headwind made it as slow for them as it was for us. One of the Lock crew I heard tell them that there were thunderstorms predicted during the next few hours and that he thought they should camp there at Upper Brewer’s.  Maybe we will see them again tomorrow.

Another lone lady kayaker had passed us on the River Styx earlier. I watched as she gradually gained on us from about a quarter mile back. When we finally stopped to drink some water she went by without a nod or greeting looking very serious. She looked very strong and experienced. I suspect we will not see her again as she looked to be in a hurry. Probably trying to prove herself to someone, if not herself.  We are definitely not!

Our plan had been to row on past Upper Brewers another three or four miles and row in to the Sunny Acres Marina where we are staying. But hearing about the thunderstorms predicted and recognizing that my hands had some signs of blisters developing I easily persuaded myself that the 10+ miles we had come on our second day was going to be enough. We pulled in to a small dock which was low enough to get out on and it felt good to stand up. The well manicure lawn extending down to the bank made it very easy to pull up the boat. So that is what we did and called our chauffer.  Elaine was there in 10 minutes and helped us slide the boat on the grass about 50 feet up on the edge of the lawn. The place seemed safe enough to leave it for the night. Elaine did not have the trailer so we packed our oars and other gear in our Element and drove back to RRRita an Walter’s. at about 4:00 p.m., early enough to catch up with writing. The heavy showers went by but I did not hear thunder. An early large chicken salad eaten in our own kitchen was in order. After supper we decided that we deserved an ice cream and went over to have Walter dig us a “large” scoop of creamy rich ice cream from a local dairy. We sat and ate the ice cream with our hosts who we have become very fond of. They came to Canada in 1979 from Switzerland where they had lived in Interlochen, which is a beautiful place in the Alps I have dreamed about visiting some day. They had had a farm until they decided to buy the Sunny Acres. Needless to say Walter had been a skier and we talked about skiing finding out that they had come to Loon back in 1987. I urged them to return some day and stay with us. I would love to show them our mountains and take a few turns with an old Swiss whom I am guessing makes beautiful turns.

We were in bed before 10:00 and looking forward to the forecasted good day tomorrow.