Eramosa Karst Park 200812-26

Friday, December 28 – 2008
10:00 – 16:00
Start: 12:00
Roads: Ice / Snow
Visibility: +10km
Temp: -2C
Area: Eramosa Karst
Vehicle: Black Sunfire
Weather: Overcast
Trail Conditions: Mud / Ice / Snow
Hikers: Wolfmaan, Wolfsgrrl, Deciduous Rockwell, Luka
Plan: Visit the Nexus Cave
GPS: 43.187394 -79.809049

When most people think of Hamilton Ontairo Canada they think of big industries. Steel production being the largest product of the city from companies like Stelco and Dofasco.

What is unbeknownst to most of the residents of the area is that there is a good sized cave system sitting on the top of the Niagara Escarpment, right in the middle of a housing development.

The Niagara Escarpment is a massive ridge of fossil rich sedimentary rock which began its formation 450 million years ago as the outer rim of a shallow sea known geologically as the Michigan Basin, it soars 510 metres at its highest point and stretches 725 km from Niagara to Tobermory. It has a rich mosaic of forests, farms, recreation areas, scenic views, cliffs, streams, wetlands, rolling hills, waterfalls, mineral resources, wildlife habitats, historic sites, villages, towns and cities and includes some of Ontario's best skiing, camping, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking and viewing. The Escarpment is also home to Canada's longest footpath, the Bruce Trail which was established in 1967.

The cave system is well hidden, and was quite difficult for us to find. We rounded the park several times before seeing the parking area, because as noted before – it's in the middle of a housing development. The caves were discovered in 1999 and the Toronto caving group investigated and explored the system and got Canada's outdoor watchdog, the Ministry of Natural Resources involved in a plan to preserve the 32 hectare area.

In 2008 the park was officially recognised as the Eramosa Karst Conservation area by the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

I visited the park on a cold December's day with my partner Wolfsgrrl and fellow adventurer Deciduous Rockwell. We arrived in the area around 11:30 but could not follow the directions we had gotten from the web, and asked a local police officer who stated she had no idea where the park could be located. We resolved to visit an electronics store called Best Buy and use their demonstration computers to have another look at the google maps. Shortly thereafter we arrived at the park using directions cross-reference by a map from Wolfsgrrl.

The park was empty except for a single car and our black sunfire. There cold, windy day was too bleak for most to take to the trails. There were several pavilions with information boards posted on them explaining how important this area is as well as some of the people who helped initially explore the caves and get the park preserved, up and running.

All around us were vast sheets of ice, recent temperature fluctuations had caused the snow to melt and freeze, making the trails a bit challenging for us, although my Husky Luka had no trouble.

We got a small printed map from one of the pavillions, and made our way down the ice and snow covered trails to our first destination which was the Potruff Homestead. The ruins of the homestead were covered in ice and snow and not really visible to us on this particular visit. We continued on to find the Blue Hole. Other than what appeared to be a partially frozen marsh, we could not find the Blue Hole. We passed a marker post which was clearly labelled "Blue Hole" but still could not find anything, we pressed on.

To ensure we were going in the right direction, I took a compass bearing using Deciduous's compass/whistle combination to find we were indeed on the right track and headed towards the Nexus Cave Window.

Arriving at the Nexus Cave Window, we saw a large tree, with a few rocks piled at the base, and a gaping hole in the ground. Upon closer inspection we could see the marker post stating this was the Nexus Cave Window. As we approached we could hear the distinct sound of running water. The entrance was quite large, we approached with caution.

Descending into the cave we could see it was fairly shallow at about 1.5m in depth, and had shallow water maybe 20cm deep flowing through it. We could smell sulphur deposits in the rock, and the distinct earth smell as the cave was not frozen over.

Light penetrated into the opening and we didn't require torches except to examine some of the deeper sections of the cave which had frigid water flowing through them. We decided in the interest of safety not to venture into the cold waters to explore the caves until summer where the temperatures would be slightly warmer and water levels hopefully lower. Someone had discarded a set of red gloves in the cave with the name "Buck" written on them in black indelible marker. We decided to remove them and dispose of them properly.

Deciduous decided to head along an old field line and head on out to visit some of the other sinks and windows in the park. Shortly thereafter we came upon the Stewart Creek Sink and decided to loop back and visit the Nexus Cave entrance.

Arriving at the Nexus Cave entrance we saw what appeared to be two large stone fingers protruding out of the snow covered ground, like that of giant who had lost his fingers to a butchers knife. Between the giant rock fingers lay a large, black hole – the Nexus Cave.

Slowly entering the Nexus cave over the packed snow, again we heard water flowing and the distinct earth smell as we entered the depths of the cave. After a brief inspection we decided to brink Luka into the cave for some huskysploration – a term coined by a Toronto based Urban Explorer with an affinity to huskies.

The primary entrance to the cave was small, again only about 1.5m high, not enough to stand up in, only to crouch and look around. We could see the water flowing into another area of the entrance which would require a belly crawl to pass through. Cold waters and frigid temperatures made us decide to stay as dry as possible, so we could explore the rest of the cave entrances in the park.

Spending some time examining the entrance to the Nexus Cave, we took some photographs and then returned to the surface to take a compass bearing and head back to the Stewart Creek sink, which this time of year was iced over, although we could hear the creek dropping underground to some unknown depths.

Following the snow packed pathways we passed the Potruff Blind Valley and headed to the Potruff cave which even in winter, was impressive on our approach.

The Potruff cave had a beautiful earth smell, and the sound of a gentle waterfall rushing and cascading to some unknown depths. We took some photographs and did our best to stay dry, there didnt' look like any deep cave access here at this point in time, perhaps in summer.

We headed back to the trail passing the Amphitheatre and Potruff Springs, which we could not see due the cold icy blanket of snow which covers the park at this time of year. We rounded the bend and headed back towards the car, where Wolfsgrrl fell on some large boulders and whacked her knee good. The next day she had quite the bruise from her fall.

We stripped off our boots, gaiters, outer shells, backpacks and stored them in the boot and headed back towards the Niagara Region where we came from earlier in the day.

The experience at this park was phenomenal. The cave system which runs through here defiantly warrants a return trip in warm weather with proper caving gear. These caves are small and shouldn't be attempted by anyone without proper caving experience or equipment.

The area is cared for by the "Friends of Eramosa Karst" which is a non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting to keep the area clean, pure, and preserve it for future generations to explore. Although the caves have been designated an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) as well as Environmentally Significant Area (ESA), The biggest challenge they face is to ensure that the water which flows through the caves does not become contaminated and prevent safe exploration.

Eramosa Karst is a great area to visit and enjoy, even if you are not a caver. hopefully enough people will care about the caves to ensure the government of Canada acts to protect this cave system for future generations.

MySpace Profile Fraud

It's amasing that some people have such time on their hands, and lack direction in life that they have nothing better to do with their time but to create fake profiles.

I admit I find it flattering someone finds so much pleasure in photos of me, that they must create their own using my photograph.

However this kind activity spoils MySpace for real people, wastes time and money for the admin staff of MySpace by having to employ people to go around and delete fake profiles.

It's too bad the individuals who keep stealing photographs, sending inappropriate e-mails don't take themselves up a hobby such as rock climbing or building model cars and channel that energy into something useful and progressive live their lives in such a self-destructive and non-productive manner.

Only men of low moral character devoid of success in their own lives behave in this manner.

Weekend Affective Disorder

Weekend Affective Disorder

Thousands of people around the globe are affected by a form of depression which has been brought about by modern times.

The disorder, known as Weekend Affective Disorder or W.A.D. is found in patients who are forced by their job to work one or more days of the weekend. Weekend Affective Disorder, a term coined by Doctor Richard Oaks of the University of Belford while studying forms of depression seen in the workplace. "We are seeing more and more of this disorder" states Oaks.

"I saw all my friends going out and having fun on the weekends" says David Smith, a participant in a study of WAD at the University of Belford. "I like my job, but working weekends was starting to effect my entire well being" Smith goes on to say. "It was like I started to feel a deep sense of gloom and doom coming over me as Friday approached."

Symptoms of WAD include a genuine fear of working on Saturday or Sunday, restless sleep on or around the weekends, reduced performance at work during the weekend shifts. People who are experience more severe forms of WAD may also suffer from anxiety attacks which occur when thinking of working on the weekend.

WAD is a serious condition which is often misdiagnosed and has even caused the loss of careers for individuals who are affected by it. "We noticed one of our employees constantly rang in sick for his Saturday and Sunday shift" stated Charlene Bennett, a supervisor at W1 Office, one of the largest outsourcing call centres in the United Kingdom. "After the employee was formally reprimanded for persistent ringing in sick, we learned he was literally afraid to come into work on the weekends." Richard Doleman was then sent to the University of Liverpool, and it was learned that he was experiencing severe anxiety attacks, and lack of sleep on Fridays which led to him being unable to function properly to fulfill his duties as a representative of the company.

Doctors at the university narrowed his condition down to flaring up on Thursdays and Fridays. Doleman was then given weekends off for a period of one month to see if his condition improved. "It was like a weight had been lifted off me" Doleman said in the weeks to follow. "I felt like I could breathe again, I could go clubbing Friday night and have a good time, go to Church on Sundays and still hold down my job" In the months to follow, Dolemans performance at work was significantly better, and he has not missed a day of work in over six months.

"This isn't simply not liking to work on the weekends" Oakes states. "it goes deep into the psyche." Normally the largest reason for the anxiety attacks and restless sleep with W.A.D. are caused by the patient thinking of how much he or she is missing while being at work while everyone else is having what they perceive as fun. "It's not just that Mr. Smith doesn't like to work weekends, it's that working weekends has started to interfere with his entire well being" Oakes goes on to explain. "When we loose the ability to visit with our friends, go to the mall, have a drink at the pub, and other simple activities we take for granted on a daily basis, it effects some people so profoundly that it makes it difficult for them to function"

What's worse than the disorder itself is it's difficulty in recognising it. Often times doctors fail to narrow the symptoms down to only happening near the weekend itself. "Just putting someone on medication only helps part of the problem" states Oakes. "The real issue is to get the patient into a situation where he or she can have the weekends off, and go back to living a normal life".

When asked to describe his life before he was diagnosed with W.A.D., David Smith shakes his head with eyes lowered and says "dark times

A Trip to the Adirondacks 200810-29

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Our plan is to leave Canada around 16:00hrs on Wednesday, October 29th and head South towards Rochester, NY and spend the night at the service station in Scottsdale, NY. We got held up and inspected at customs mostly because of the large quantity of supplies, food, and equipment we were bringing over. After a brief search of our gear, we were let go without any problems. We arrived in Scottsdale, NY at 19:28 and relaxed and went to bed early to be prepared for the next day.

Thursday, October 30, 2008
We awoke early and did a quick circle check of the truck and hit the road to get to our first destination, Mount Hope Cemetery, in Rochester, NY.
Arriving around 09:40, we stopped at the florist across from Mt. Hope Cemetery and purchased a rose which I will lay at the gravesite of one of the slave girls, owned by the Rochester Family in the 1800's. She was so loved by the family that she was allowed the "privilege" of being laid to rest in the family plot with a tombstone errily inscribed "We called her Anna".
After driving around the cemeteries large 5km area, meandering through Lords, Lady's, Dames, and soldiers of the Civil war, Spanish American War, and of course 1st and Second World Wars, we arrived at Anna's grave to see someone had previously adorned it with a beautiful purple and yellow lei. We spent some time in the older section of the cemetery and came across a lost Leatherman Wave tool, which had been there for quite some time as it had some rust spots on it. I retrieved it and put it in our pack as it may be a valuable tool for the future.
Before leaving the cemetery, Tori wanted to visit the graves of Captain Thomas BOYD and Sergeant Michael PARKER, two soldiers who were captured, tortured and killed by the Indians in 1779. When doing so, we came across a lady in a gold Impala who said that she was here to remember her daughter who was murdered in 1995 and buried closeby. We felt really bad for the lady as her daughter was murdered.

12:30 We left Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester and hit the I-90 to the I-81 towards Lake Placid, NY. A nice, 6hr drive. Sadly, the temperature dropped from +8C to -5C during the drive towards Lake Placid. Snow soon appeared along the roadways and in the forests that lined the highway.

18:00 After a relaxing and beautiful drive through some breathtaking snow covered vistas, we ended up just outside Lake Placid, at the Adirondack Loj. We took some time to admire the stars, listen to the total silence of the hills and talk to some of the people staying at the lodge (spelled loj). We returned to our truck, unrolled our sleeping bags and prepared for a 2nd night of sleeping in the truck. The outside Temperature was -10C. Thankfully we have cold weather down-filled sleeping bags. I spent some time with my red-lens LED lamp and completed my journal before heading to bed early again, to get an early start on the summit of Mount Marcy on Halloween.


Friday, October 31, 2008
We awoke relatively early at 09:00hrs and checked our gear, suited up and made our way to the base camp of Mt. Marcy.

We made our way to the trailhead and signed the logbook and made our way into the beautiful pine forests covered in snow. It was so quiet here. The backdrop of the towering mountains poking through the trees at every turn was quite an amasing sight.
Sadly an hour or so into the trip, Tori's pack began to trouble her as it was very heavy with all the extra winter gear and somewhat ill fitting. She started to require several rest breaks per 1/2hr and we decided it was best to abort the hike, and try for Mount Marcy during summer with a better fitting, lighter pack.
We returned to the Adirondack Mountain Club Lodge to relax, warm up and decided since the area was very snow covered and we were hardly prepared for continuing in this manner to head back to Canada and cross at Kingston. There were several sights of interest in the Peterborough area we could check out.

Around 13:30 we decided to Head out from the Adirondack Loj and return to Canada

13:40 We observed a moment of silence and reflection as it was exactly 7 days since Lupis died.

17:00 Kingston, Canada. We got a thorough inspection from Canada Customs. Before the inspection the customs agent asked me "Any hunting knives, folding knives or needles in your gear?" I responded "yes" she said "which one?" I responded "all of the above" which led to a few more questions and about ½ of Customs Canada rummaging through our personal items invading our privacy.

18:43 We passed 1,000 driven km on our trip.

19:30 Arrivng at Ferris Provincial Park, we entered through the gates and the park was completely empty. We slipped into Campsite number 2 located at 44 17.20N by 77 47.42W for the evening, set-up camp and relaxed to spend Samhain in a deserted provincial park. It was a beautiful setting, lots of stars and a surprising amount of desolation. We could hear some traffic off in the distance, but in this modern world, it's sadly too common. Tori and I relaxed after setting up the tent for the evening and paid homage to the creator for allowing us to be so desolate and warm this Samhain eve. We were supposed to be at the base of Mt. Marcy tonight, but were still happy as at least we were warm.

Saturday, November 01, 2008
We woke fairly early to the sound of several chipmunks inspecting our campsite, hooting, chirping, and clicking. We had some freeze-dried eggs and bacon at the campsite, packed the camp and decided to head out of Ferris Provincial Park towards Peterborough to visit a place we have read about called Petroglyph Provincial Park. Unfortunately the park was closed in the 2nd week of October for the year when we arrived around 11:45.
We decided at this point to enjoy the sights of the Trent Severn Waterway and the head for home. We ended up picking up a hitchhiker who we took all the way to Oshawa with us as we were headed that way in our big Suburban anyway.
Arriving home around 15:00hrs we had clocked almost 2,000km on our truck and had a great time doing a big loop around Lake Ontario and visited some places we really want to go back to.

The Life and Times of Lupis

The Life and Times of Lupis.

January 04 – 1995 to October 24 – 2008



It was a fateful day in summer 2004, I was married to a wonderful lady by the name of Charlene, living on York Street in St. Catharines. I took a trip to the local SPCA, and decided to view the dogs which were available for adoption.

Amongst all the dogs, a young dog, about 6 or 7 months old with a beautiful upturned tail, and wolf-life appearance stood out amongst the crowd. He barked and barked his head off. I decided to take a look at him and requested that he be brought to a private room where both my wife and I could have a closer look. With a glint in his brown eyes, he did not stop barking. The agents there advised us that he will be a "barker" if we decide to take him. Already having one brown shephard mix at home, we decided to adopt him, and call him Lupis as he looked like a wolf.

Lupis was very well behaved, although very loud and barkey. Upon examination by a vet, we were informed he was indeed part Wolf. He spent several years with us in our home on York street until 1997 when Charlene and I split up, and I moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Sadly due to some medical complications, Max had to be put down in late 1997.

Lupis enjoyed the farm and spent many hours outside, as well as travelling around with me in my 1986 Jeep CJ-7 camping, hiking, and canoeing in places like Algonquin Park, and Frontenac park.

Once Lupis managed to escape his leather harness when my Jeep was parked outside a store, and got loose in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was a hot summer day in 1997 and through his exploits managed to burn his feet badly and had to be treated by the vets, wearing socks with ointment for several weeks after the incident.

Being outdoors, even in the cold, harsh winters in Northern Ontario where temperatures routinely reached -40C, was where Lupis was happiest. He had is own backpack fitted just for him as well as special boots called "muttlucks" which kept his feet from freezing and icing. Instead of a collar, Lupis had a "halti" which was similar to a horse halter to protect his neck.

Whether it was in deep winters, or climbing the peaks of Killarney Park Lupis was happiest outside as a trail dog. He spent many, many nights under the stars in his natural environment with me camping in remote wilderness areas in Ontario.

In the year 2000 my wife Tori and I decided to get our transport truck drivers license and start driving long distance for a living. As a love of travel, Lupis was in his prime. He got to do the things he enjoyed the most. Sit in the passenger seat and watch the world go by. He has travelled from east to west, and North to south. Lupis set foot in the Gulf of Mexico, and the deserts of Texas, travelling to almost every state and province in North America. He spent many nights sitting in the front seats of our truck watching the other trucks and dogs at truckstops all around North America.

His last big trip was through Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia in summer 2007 where we managed to go and climb some of the mountains in the Bridgetown Nova Scotia area where we own some land.

As time went on, he was plagued by the ravages of time and had several operations for various things, including removal of large lumps, etc. In early 2008 his hips started troubling him and he started to have difficulty walking. He still participated in gentle hikes and lots of canoe trips around Ontario as it was easy, low-impact work.

On Thursday, October 23rd Lupis was going for a hike in WoodEnd conservation area and had difficulty breathing, and started throwing up, and could not walk. We aborted the hike and he had difficulty breathing throughout the night.

On Friday, October 24th, 2008 we took him to the Martindale Animal Clinic at 08:30hrs where they weighed him in and again he vomited on the scale. They rushed him into the back room to find that part of his throat muscles had spasmed and collapsed. He was unable to survive without a breathing tube, and had fluid on his lungs.

The university of Guelph could have performed an operation on him which would have repaired the muscles in his throat, however he would have to have a tracheotomy and be transported from St. Catharines to Guelph unconscious. The doctors at the university felt that with his age, he may not have survived the operation, and it would simply "buy some time" before other complications caused the inevitable. No amount of money or operations could save him at this point.

On Friday, October 24th, 2008 at 13:40est it was with a heavy heart we decided to have the throat tube removed, and Lupis passed from this life peacefully while being held by myself and Tori.

It happened so fast. One day our happy-go-lucky and long-time companion was as healthy as ever, and within 24hrs he had succumbed to his affliction and passed away in our arms.

Lupis was my friend, loyal companion and confidant for almost 15 years. His memories will be treasured and he will be deeply missed by everyone whose life he touched. He will be cremated and his ashes returned in an urn, to stay with us for the years to come.

Like his toes, Henry "Barefoot Stew" McDonald’s spirit was free

TAMPA — He had size 11 feet, wide like paddles. Heels sullied and cracked. Toes calloused by pavement and carpet and sand and whatever. Soles thick like, well, shoe leather.

"Oh, he could grind a cigarette out with his feet," said his brother, Duncan McDonald.

Henry "Barefoot Stew" McDonald died Tuesday after a battle with vascular problems. He was 83.

He never had much use for shoes. He had a couple of pairs he wore to funerals and church when his family insisted. Once, a flight attendant infuriated by his dogged insubordination thrust him knitted booties to wear on the plane. They didn't fit.

Shoes didn't make sense. Check your hands, he theorized. Your fingernails aren't trapped up all day. Don't they look healthier than your toes? And furthermore, why should anyone even care?

It came down to freedom.

"Take a look at a baby sometime," he told the St. Petersburg Times in 1988. "You put shoes on a baby, and the first thing the baby does is take them off. It's a natural thing."

He grew up during the Great Depression, a time when many of his friends didn't have shoes. Rather than make them feel bad, he dumped his under a bush before school and let his piggies fly free. His mother never knew.

In the Army Air Corps, he flew bombers sans shoe. Later, he worked as a general's aide. The general insisted Mr. McDonald wear shoes with his uniform. He compromised — he'd wear them through the parking lot and into the office. Once he was through the door, the shoes were a goner.

Eventually, the general stopped wearing shoes, too.

In the 1950s, he raced stock cars on the NASCAR circuit. It's where he earned the nickname "Barefoot Stew," because, well, you know.

"He could hook his foot over the accelerator panel," said his brother, 79. "The last guy that came off the gas into the first turn won the race."

Feet aside, he was not a sloppy dresser — quite the opposite. He dined shoeless at Bern's Steakhouse, the Don Cesar and Studio 54 in New York, sometimes in tuxedos. Once, he deboarded a plane clad in a decadent gray three-piece suit, white button-front shirt, camel hair coat and tie. No shoes.

It was snowing.

He found talents that suited him. Mr. McDonald was one of the first people to ever waterski barefoot.

He was strong and handsome, a towering 6 feet 4. He wowed crowds by lifting tiny female performers in the air at Cypress Gardens, heels skidding along the surface at high speeds.

Waterskiing gave him notoriety. He found work doing sports commentary on ABC's Wide World of Sports. He got bit roles in movies and commercials. He modeled as a Marlboro man and for Vitalis hair tonic.

He taught waterskiing in Tampa and judged national and international barefoot waterski events. In 1992, he was inducted to the Waterski Hall of Fame.

The film industry always interested him. He once served as president of the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association. He scouted locations for major motion pictures like Parent Trap II and H.E.A.L.T.H.

His North Tampa house was cluttered with stacks of newspapers and documents reaching the ceilings. He tiptoed around piles, but he knew where everything was. And, really, he didn't care what anyone thought of it.

He rode motorcycles without shoes, getting tickets and appearing in court several times, always defending his right to naked toes. People who were grossed out needed to loosen up, he figured.

Once, when a woman asked why he didn't wear shoes, he asked her why she didn't wear a bra. It wasn't to be rude — he just wanted to make a point about freedom.

Admirers everywhere looked on, toes cramped and bound by leather and laces.

"A lot of people come up to me and say, 'I hate shoes, too. I wish I could do that,' " he once told the newspaper. "I just tell them they can."


>>BIOGRAPHY

Henry "Barefoot Stew" McDonald
Born: Feb. 20, 1925.
Died: Aug. 26, 2008.
Survivors: brother, Duncan and his wife, Sandra; sister, Kate McDonald Meier and her husband, Robert; brother-in-law, Donald S. Beyer; several nieces and nephews.

Services: none planned.

Journey to Mowhawk Island Lighthouse 200808-02

Saturday, August 15 - 2008
10:00 – 15:00
Start: 10:10
Roads: Dry / Clear
Visibility: 24km
Temp: +30C
Area: Lake Erie
Vehicle: Blue GMC Suburban
Weather: A Few Clouds
Trail Conditions: Dry
Hikers: Wolf, Chuck
Plan: Visit Mowhawk Island
GPS: 42.833162 by -79.522047

For several years now, we have seen a small lighthouse off the coast of Lake Erie, which appeared to be abandoned and have a house attached to it. We researched the island to find out that it was known as Mowhawk Island and was about 2km off the North shore of Lake Erie. It was abandoned in 1932.

10:00 Chuck arrives at my home in N.O.T.L. And we put the old Sportspal aluminum canoe on the trailer load supplies into a large backpack in the event we somehow get stranded on the island. Extra food, water, strobe lights, and a tarp. While driving to the launch we noticed some kayakers who appeared to be ending there day. Wolf suggested they may have started at dawn or in the early morning Chuck suggested that this was uncalled for as the only advantage to starting so early would be to smell the stench from the seaweed and at that very moment we drove by a very bad smell coming from the shoreline. We laughed for quite some time.

10:30 We arrive at the end of Dikhout road and observed the lighthouse off in the far distance on the lake. The water was calm, the weather was nice and clear. We unloaded the canoe and placed the backpacks into it and made our way down the steep, muddy embankment towards the water. Thankfully the mud was fairly dry and did not present too much of a challenge to navigate.

10:50 We set sail into the wind heading south in a canoe in Lake Erie with the Mowhawk Island lighthouse in full view. There was a green patio chair to our left which we figured we would use as an exit marker en-route home (provided no one moves it beforehand) The calm waters were easy to paddle through, although this was only Chuck's 2nd time paddling. We made our way past a few small motorboats. We had planned on landing on the windward side of the island, but there were several jet-skis out on the water and decided to stay on the leeward side to keep away from them.

11:50 As we approached the island, we could see thousands of sea birds. Their calls were very audiable even at quite a distance from the island.

12:00 We arrived on the North Side of Mowhawk Island and carried the canoe far from the water. The birds flew all around us and complained bitterly as they swooped and dive bombed us. The island was flat and covered in bird poop and zebra mussels. The large abandoned stone house and attached lighthouse stood tall over everything. The dead bird bodies, zebra mussels and bird poop made moving around in my usual bare feet on the island a bit of a challenge, although there were no real sharp objects to injure myself on. The sound of sea bird calls was deafening, and the smell of bird poop was quite overpowering in some sections of the island.

There was a sign posted on the island which stated it was not allowed to be visited from April 1st to July 31st due to bird nesting. Thankfully we are here just after that time. We took the time to take a few photographs and make a couple of short videos about the island, including a humorous, nonsensical video by Chuck.

As we approached the old Light Keepers house it was apparent that there would be no troubles investigating the house. The roof and all windows were missing, leaving only a large stone skeleton of a building connected to the large rough-hewn stone lighthouse towering over the island.

We entered the ruins through a window on the east side, and climbed into the ruins to see there was a set of scaffolding erected on the east wall. The floor of the old house was overgrown with weeds which had found shelter from the harsh lake conditions. Sadly, the floor was also covered in dead bird carcasses. There also was a very large population of flies who took shelter in the ruins.

The lighthouse itself was a large, empty, tubular structure. The stench of bird poop was very overpowering as the poop was several centimetres deep at least. We took a few photographs of the interior of the lighthouse, and made our way back out to the island.

As I sat on the island to write in my journal and Chuck went off to explore and photograph, I was covered with hundreds and hundreds of tiny flies. Even a thick coating of deet spray did not keep them off me. Thankfully none of them bit either of us. They proved only to be a minor inconvenience on our trip thankfully.

13:30 Off to the North we saw thick cloud cover rolling in and Chuck felt it best if we packed up and got off the island to ensure we did not get trapped here during a storm as we came by canoe, not by powerboat. We packed up our gear and hit the water to head back to the mainland.

The storm moved over us and the waves picked up. We got in some small swells and could feel the aluminum canoe twisting from the waves. We were fortunate to get our paddling in sync and push off to get the most forward motion when the waves peaked.

Approaching shore around 14:40hrs I used my binoculars to spot the green patio chair on the shore, and we headed towards it. We beached the canoe just after being hit by a couple of whitecap waves which thrust a bit of water into the canoe.

14:45 We pulled the canoe far onto the shore and ambled up the steep embankment with our packs and paddles to stow them in the truck. We then pulled the canoe up the embankment and secured it to the trailer, just as we could see lightening bolts to the North and hear thunder. Thankfully we were safe in the truck when rain started.

15:00 head for home.

In retrospect Chuck and I really could not believe we made such a long journey across the open water using a canoe. Over 2km of open water travel was quite a different experience from the usual flat waters of small lakes and rivers which the canoe is designed for. Thankfully we are both strong paddlers and the wind was at our backs which made no trouble going through the harsher waves on our return trip.

Video Of Mowhawk Island