MOUNTAIN LIFE - Blue Mountains | Summer 2020

48 The second leg of our journey involved a long traverse across the widely exposed south shore of Manitoulin Island. We needed calm waters to assail the lengthy corridor. I put trust in my observations and kept us off shore as much as possible. There were sections where we couldn’t stop for up to 15 km or more. In many instances the rolling swell was more dangerous on the inside where waves broke over the shallows. Travelling through the Owen Channel—the gateway into Georgian Bay—was a big moment. At South Baymouth, Acadia was feeling the weight of detachment after our second rendezvous with our family, watching them sail toward home on the Chi-Cheemaun ferry while we paddled on toward the most challenging leg of the expedition. Conditions demanded our full game that day, with frigid rollers conveying out of the west. Our planned camp that night was at Owen Island, but we found it overwhelmed with the high water and made the call to press on. It was on that stretch of coast that the eagle appeared. This impressive bird guided us for the remainder of that day. We laboured over waves until finding calm refuge at Tamarack Harbour, where the eagle also turned in for the night. Acadia found something uplifting in following that bird of prey, and while investigating the campsite, she found an eagle feather. The next morning we woke up, broke camp and loaded the Catalina X for the day’s paddle. Just as we set off, the eagle took lead and guided us for the next couple days to the northernmost tip of Manitoulin. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The Blood Line: Drummond Island to Penetanguishene.The yellow dots indicate water sample locations; Rock dock on East Fox island, Georgian Bay; pan-fried pike on East Fox. OPPOSITE Sampling on the U.S./Canada border, False Detour Channel.