It was refreshing to discover that it had cooled of slightly overnight when we awoke early Sunday morning. We wanted to get an early start as it is always crazy to travel/boat on the weekends. Of course this is prime vacation time as well so we knew that the locks and waterway would be very crowded. This was evidenced by how we were all jammed into Lock 31. 
As we travelled through Stony Lake we began to see our first true glimpses of what is known as “God’s Country” to the Canadians. The lake is influenced both by the rugged granite of the Canadian Shield to the north and by the more heavily forested Great Lakes region to the south. The name is evident by the island and shoals everywhere which were created during and after the last North American Ice Age. As we begin to see the gorgeous pink granite rocks, they are a constant reminder of how important it is to stay within our channel of navigation. What we see above the water is only but the tip of the iceberg as the saying goes…
The region has been inhabited for thousands of years. Early First Nations settlement is evidenced by a remarkable collection of prehistoric rock carvings to be seen at the east end of Stony Lake at the significant Petroglyphs. On-going historic research argues convincingly that Samuel De Champlain traveled the area lakes, rivers and overland portages in the 1600s. I have always wanted to own my own island and there are certainly plenty of them available. It was just one spectacular home after another…
As we approached one of the locks and secured on the blue line, the lockmaster asked us to tie at the location as far back from the lock door as possible. Inside the lock and ready to exit was a 100 foot cruise boat that needed all the room available to maneuver coming out of the lock. Note how the bow of the cruise boat folds upward to enable it to fit within the lock.
Hours on the water: 5
Nautical miles traveled: 19.5
Number of bridges to be opened: 0
Time spent waiting at bridge: 0
Number of locks: 4
Next Destination: Bobcaygeon
What we are listening to: Envy the Night by Michael Koryta
Lesson for the day: Do you wonder if the people who live in the above glass house throw stones?
Obligatory knitting report: Socks for me
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