Ontario's Lake Superior shoreline

An experienced paddler could probably cover the entire route in about a month. In our case it proved more practical to break the trip into sections, each taking six to 10 days. The winds do blow on Lake Superior, so smart trip planning should allow for being winded in about one day a week during the summer, and more frequently if traveling in the fall.

Our launch site, Silver Islet, lies off Highway 17 east of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. For this trip we hired Mike Petzoldt, of Caribou Expeditions, and our group included, in addition to Cyndy, our daughter Betsy and one other client. After launching, we paddled in a strong chop across the five-mile crossing to Edward Island at the tip of the Black Bay. Rounding the Black Bay Peninsula, we thread our way through dozens of islands all the way to Rossport, our end point. With virtually no road access to the shore, lighthouses and a few cottages were about the only dwellings we saw. With no beaches available, all our landings were on gravel bars or slanting cobble rock beaches.

On our first night, a storm drenched the land for three hours. Our tarp held off the water and we ate dinner while watching the lightning and feeling the thunder claps. Fog greeted us in the morning, reducing everything beyond 200 yards to a gray nothingness. The GPS and detailed topo maps guided us through a maze of islands to Loon Harbor.

The third day the islands disappeared giving us a day of paddling with nothing but Lake Superior on our right side as we crossed Sheesheeb Bay heading toward Spar Island. A sudden storm blew up 4-foot waves forcing us to land at McKay Island for the afternoon.

We spent our sixth night an hour's paddle west of Rossport where we would finish. This route is little used by paddlers. Most nights we camped in areas where there were no traces of previous campers. Rarely did we see other kayaks. It is a geologist's paradise as shoreline rock and beaches displayed numerous types of stone.

Reuniting with Mike Petzoldt in Batchawana, we proceeded to Rossport where after a night at the Willows Inn Bed and Breakfast, we launched our kayaks and headed east toward Hattie's Cove, the headquarters of Pukaskwa National Park. This first day was warm and sunny as we paddled around Copper Island, one of the few islands hosting a good herd of caribou. We camped that night on a black sand beach covered with caribou tracks. Morning brought cold rain and fog. In the next week only one day would be free of rain. Campsites are infrequent between Copper Island and the village of Terrace Bay, so we paddled most of the day before finding shelter in Victoria Cove.

The winds were up the next day making for exuberant paddling and a rough surf landing at the mouth of the Steele River. We camped that night in Bottle Cove and battled a stiff south wind that was excellent for drying wet gear but lousy for pitching a tent. The ever present breeze and a good following sea carried us past the coffee-colored waters of the Prairie River mouth and on to Neys Provincial Park, where we stopped to shower at the park restrooms. After a night camping up the coast from Neys, we spent the next day circumventing Pic Island and moving on to Foster Island, the long flat rocks of which made it an excellent place to camp. After a day of being winded in, we continued on to Caldwell Cove, where a massive wreck of machinery lays in the shallows. Rising winds made it unlikely we could paddle from there to Hattie's Cove, our designated finish point. This section of the lake is rarely visited as we saw only one other kayaker in a week of paddling.

With much of its shore heavily forested or covered with cliffs and exposed to south, west and east winds, this is the most challenging stretch.

Established campsites beckon campers and occasionally bears, too. The first day, most visitors arrive at the White River, where a trip upstream brings you to the river's frantic rush through a canyon best viewed from a narrow bridge suspended over the canyon. Even more spectacular views are had by those who take a half day to walk up the University River to check out the spectacular Dennison Falls. Anglers can catch trout, walleye and pike in the river. West of Otter Island paddlers will see Cascade Falls.

In several locations in the park, notably Otter Island, Pukaskwa pits can be found. Experts have never determined the reasoning for why these rocks were pulled out and piled alongside the holes.

If the wind blows, you don't want to be caught near the Point Isacore cliffs that offer no refuge and create huge rebound waves on windy days. As the trip continues, one passes by numerous rivers like the White, Willow, Swallow, White Gravel, University, Pipe, Little Ghost, Pukaskwa and Dore, as well as coves such as Fisherman's, Bonamie, Imogene, Tamarack and McCoy Harbor which all offer camping opportunities. The logical place to end this segment is on the beach just around to the west of the Michipicoten River. Naturally Superior Adventures is based here is available for car shuttling or guiding services.

To increase our chances for tailwinds, we paddled northeast from Sinclair Cove near the Agawa Rock Pictographs, with images dating more than 1,500 years ago that are still spectacular to see from either a boat or on land.

Camping opportunities abound along this stretch as beaches make up much of the shoreline. In addition, numerous campgrounds are available, many of them accessible from Canada Highway 17, which parallels the lake.

Cyndy and I paddled the first day up to just short of Beatty Cove, where we landed near a neck of land that provided cover for takeoffs in every direction, meaning we wouldn't have to endure a surf start.

The next day we traveled through the Gargantua Harbor area and past the Devil's Chair rock formation where Indians and early explorers left tobacco and gifts for the Great Spirit. We camped in the sheltered Chalfant Cove and found ourselves winded in the next day. On our way again, we passed under the cliffs of Old Woman Bay and into Brule Harbor for the night. Our final campsite was at Smoky Point before paddling way out past the mouth of the Michipicoten River to land on the beach past Naturally Superior Adventures headquarters.

As Dave Foley paddled near Terrace Bay last year, he looked out to the Slate Islands where the lake trout bite in June and a herd of caribou seem to pose for photographs. That will be the destination for this summer's Lake Superior kayak vacation.