The "Sixth" Great Lake

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The book "Paddle-to-the-Sea" by Holling C. Holling is a story of a small boy that desires to see the Ocean. He sets a carved wooden canoe on the shores of his Canadian home and the story follows the adventure of this boat as it descends "downhill" form Lake Nipigon, through all 5 Great Lakes, out the St. Lawrence Seaway and eventually into the Atlantic Ocean. On the bottom of this toy canoe the boy inscribes the words, "Please put me back i the water. I am Paddle-to-the-Sea".

When I told my friends I was going to Lake Nipigon, a few folks asked if this was some place near Japan. Chuckling, I pointed to a map showing the largest tributary into Lake Superior located 80 miles (130 km) Northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario. With the dimensions of 70 miles (110 km) long by 50 miles (80 km) wide Lake Nipigon has been nicknamed the Sixth Great Lake. From Thunder Bay , my husband and I transported our trusty kayak 150 miles up Highway 527 to the Wabakimi Bed and Breakfast near the town of Armstrong, Ontario. Our trip began and ended here.

The lodge manager Bert Zwicker dropped us off at the end of a logging road where a thunderstorm had just passed through. On the mainland, the infamous black flies were tortuous. Donning head nets, we loaded the kayak and quickly paddles away from shore before finding relief among the islands away from the vicious bloodsuckers.

For the next 7 days we did not see another human, cabin, cottage, or boat. There was not even a light in the distance, unless you count the full moon. It was a wilderness filled with otters, moose, cormorants, pelicans and seagulls. We had hoped to encounter a caribou, but the only sighting of this animal was on the coffee bag we brought in.

We rode the CNR train out after spending the night besides the tracks at Mud River. Our outfitters met us in Armstrong where we were reunited with our van and took a hot, delicious shower.

Except for the noxious bugs tattooing my neck with braille-like bumps in the formation of the constellation Orion, the trip was nearly perfect I would do it again, only in reverse. I may even wear a t-shirt the says, "Please put me back in the water. I am Paddle-to-the-Sea".

Polly Keith Scotland scotland@paulbunyan.net