Journal Entries

Making hot cocoa before “going to bed”.

You can see the lock and lockmasters house in the background.

It’s cold tonight. The temperature will be dropping to 2C and by the river feels colder (to me).

We’re headed into the tent by 6:30 just so we can keep warm.

I’m writing this entry wearing all my clothes and my sleeping bag. But I’m warm!

Tomorrow is our last day of paddling, final 18.5 km to Merrickville locks, and the chilly weather is making it easier to think about going home.

I hear a train whistle, the white noise of distant traffic, and the occasional passing of Canadian geese.

Smith Falls Combined lock 29a is modern hydraulic lock and the largest we’ve done so far.

The lockmasters at all the stations are very helpful and hospitable, we’ve been so impressed with the service.

We pulled into Smith Falls Basin a little after 1:30. Smith Falls is the first urban area we’ve paddled through. (We started at Kingston Mills Lock so didn’t paddle through Kingston).

If we needed to this would be a full service resupply stop. We don’t need any food but we found coffee at the Pickled Pig.

We also found a live outdoor concert which seemed amazing in this time of Covid. Apparently this is the 6th free, physically distancing concert Smiths Falls has hosted this summer. Go Smith Falls.

It was so chilly that concert goers (spaced well apart) were wearing mittens and scarves!

We stayed long enough to hear the first opening numbers but we had to paddle on to get through the next locks before they closed at 4pm.

Hot coffee with a splash of Ontario’s own PJ’s Cream (google it) was a nice treat in this chilly afternoon.

Most of today’s 16 km looked something like this. We’ve left the lakes behind and we’re in the marshy territory of the Rideau River now.

It’s beautiful in its own way but my favorite shoreline and paddling so far is the rocky treed shores of the Frontenac Axis region lakes between Upper Brewers Lock and Chaffeys Lock.

Something I’ve loved along the way is the lockmasters houses. The lockmasters don’t live in them anymore but it’s fun to imagine a time when they did.

A black duck (American Black Duck) takes flight as we paddle through the canal leading up to Poonamalie lock.

When @toesalad first proposed this route to me months ago I was not interested. The Rideau Canal sounds like this looks - a man made structure.

Paddling through that for a week didn’t sound fun.

I didn’t realize that the Rideau Canal is bodies of water linked together with short sections of canals and made navigable through elevation changes with locks and dams.

Most of the “canal” looks nothing like this. This is one of the most canal-like looking sections of the entire journey so far.

Outside lockstation at Lower Beveridges. About to head out.

As we finish our trip the temperatures are dropping. Last night dropped to 4C, which is unseasonably cold for this time of year. I have used all the clothes I’ve brought and am very grateful for my puffy jacket and pants, thermal and fleece layers.

When it’s cold and windy paddling is colder than hiking. You don’t expend as much energy as you do backpacking, unless you’re maybe expedition paddling.

I’m glad I took advantage of the one day this week to wear just shorts, it was my only opportunity on this trip.

Super thankful for the sun shining in these windy, cold days!

This red maple leaf in front of our tent this morning symbolizes the journey well. The changing season and this historic Canadian waterway.

This is our third year in a row vacationing/adventuring in September. This is a lovely time of year to be out if you bring extra warm layers (which we do!)

Less people, virtually no bugs, and the beautiful, inexorable transition from summer to fall.

We’ve listened to geese and loons, day and night, and paddled passed maple trees starting to turn orange and red, golden deciduous leaves gently falling into the water, on shore goldenrods blazing yellow and michelmas asters brilliant purple.

It is a beautiful and soulful time of year. One of my favorites.

Our canoe docked for the night. Every other night we’ve kept it at our campsite. The lockmaster assured us it would be safe here (he lives in a boat on site) and directed us to a lovely camping area.

I thought this was an out of the way lock, turns out it’s one of the most popular for amenities and no doubt friendly lockmaster.

There are at least 9 other boats here tonight. Most we’ve ever seen docked.