Cravin a Crossing

It's once been said, quoted, announced- that "anywhere is within walking distance if you have the time" - much like I can not remember where I've heard that, we have taken its simple messege into "you certainly can cross 18 miles or so of open water if you're willing to wait..."

And ALAS- that wait will pay off in one way or another. We roused early on that this fine Sunday in our tripping history to be greeted with a partly cloudy sky (on the Canadian side of the lake), a slight wind, not from the origional predicted location and one lonely freighter heading upbound (I would not score any points with this one as I saw it before I heard it). As we adjusted our compasses to a bearing of 40 degrees (aiming with a slight extra northern inclination to compensate for the North West wind), we partook in a menacing streching escapade leaving all that lethargia from several days of not paddling. Somewhere in that mix of packing, eating breakfast, final checks to the chart the reality settled in as to our impending task.

Boats touch the water for the first time in days and the presence of paddling for the first six miles seems fast paced (adrenaline, anxiety, and shipping lanes add to this). Beyond five nautical miles from shore (for folks whom don't listen to a marine forecast all the time, this phrase may not be as funny for you, but worry not, we'll enjoy it extra style to increase the collective appreciation and humor), the wind begins to settle and ambiance of a calm crossing settle in. Out in such a vast expanse of open water one can truly appreciate that peaceful means of travel by human powered boat. Many a previous time we have heard the phrase, water, water everywhere... That was our chance, our experience, out existence for a few hours - everything having lead up to it, we'd have to concur it was pretty darn sweet!

The legs started to get a little antzy and some five hours since our launch we arrive on the otherside... CANADA! Becuase we gave ourselves extra buffer for travel we ended up landing a little further north, elongating our crossing slightly. Nonetheless it gave us some extra mileage to the northward side of things so we could take that gamepoint and make additional headway. Something we did do after we consumed our pre-made noodles and sacked out on a beach for 90 minutes. Attempting to assess our current local at that time proved we were somewhere north of Pancake Bay, the local Canadians could not be too sure, but they were sure there was a nice little harbour just a few miles (kilometers)down the shoreline- this however after two more hours of paddling would prove that everyone's sense of scale is not necessarily accurate. What is 3.2 kilometers (roughly 2 miles) can actually be like 10K (six miles or so) to another; plan accordingly.

Luckily we found a nice beach with sand (something which is to be cherished, we are told on this section of the lake) mixed with some cobbles and home to a perturbing population of Mosquitos. As we lay down to sleep we were too tired to process the irony of padding openwater to this vast land of wilderness and rugged shoreline to be lulled to sleep by the ambiance of jake brakes and travellers on the King's highway not more than a five minute walk away.

Quite a bountiful day though in terms of experience actually making some ground and entering an entirely different realm of reality...