July 15th: Fenelon Falls

We caught the first lock out of Bobcaygeon and headed to Fenelon Falls. There were a lot of big boats moving our direction and we wanted to get to the Fenelon Falls Lock Wall ahead of as many as possible. We have a favorite power spot with power very close to town. Being Sunday morning we knew many of the boats that stayed overnight would be leaving. It worked out well and a boat was just leaving from our favorite spot. 

There is a wonderful bike trail along Cameron Lake, starting at Fenelon Falls. I went for a long ride and was again reminded of the wonderful job the Canadians have done in utilizing what nature has to offer. I passed an obviously popular splash park. 

The area along the water across from the Splash park has been the site of  restoration designed to provide fish and birds a place to live. You have to work hard to read the whole sign but you can get the idea.

There are quite a few butterfly benches throughout the park, very fun and more comfortable than they look.

Of course no trip to Fenelon Falls would be complete without going to lunch at the Sun Ming chinese Restaurant. The owner, Peter, has been wonderful for the last 20 + years. He still has the best won ton soup ever!

Our plans were now being made with crossing Lake Simcoe in mind. It is a large lake and can be uncomfortable, and even dangerous to cross in high winds. We would take two days to get to the starting point across Lake Simcoe. It is only about 30 miles, but there are 7 locks to go through. This is a very scenic section and we wanted to take the time to enjoy it.

As it turned out, high winds were forecast Tuesday. We decided to stay in Fenelon Falls a second night and be in position to cross Lake Simcoe on Wednesday. We left Tuesday morning and planned to stay at the Bolsover Lock, the first of five, very close to each other, locks on the way down to Lake Simcoe. 

Rosedale Lock

We passed through the Rosedale Lock early Tuesday morning as high temperatures and possible rain were forecast later in the day. The Rosedale Lock has a narrow channel and a very short lift to Balsam Lake, the the highest lake on the system. It has been uphill so far, but now it will be downhill to Lake Simcoe.

Before coming to Lake Balsam we passed what has become a familiar sight for years. One of the cottage owners has an enormous Bulldog statue that used to be on his second story deck. Now it is just on the ground but still fun to see. He's holding up well!

Just before entering the long man made canal toward the Kirkfield Lift Lock, we passed by a huge home/mansion. We watched it being built over a couple years. We are amazed at the size of some of the places being built up here. Truly amazing. They really don't seem to fit in with the Trent Canal we are used to.

Entering the Kirkfield Lift Lock

View from inside the Lift Lock "Tub"

After a nice slow cruise, we arrived at the Kirkfield Lift Lock. Similar to the Peterborough Lift Lock but not quite as high. 

Kirkfield Lift Lock Tubs

If you look closely at the picture, behind the steel with the X's on it, you can see the big tub next to us that was going up as we went down. It is supported by a single very large cylinder/piston. It works much like a teeter totter with gravity doing the work as the water is manipulated.

Beaver Hut

A short time after coming out of the lift lock we came by a very nice beaver hut. Sadly no beaver to be seen but nice to know they are there.







Linda had been driving for a while so I gave her a break. When I turned around I saw she was enjoying her break!








Along the way to Bolsover, our overnight spot, we passed through Canal Lake. It's always fun to cruise under the arched bridge. It was built in 1905 and is quite unique, especially for the time it was built. Last year they were repairing it and we hoped they would keep the original structure. They did a great job. As you can see if you look closely, they even restores the 1905 at the top of the arch.



We made it to Bolsover in the early afternoon and enjoyed a quiet afternoon and evening, despite a little bit of rain. It was a nice place to break out the camp stove and cook dinner.

Bolsover Lock

Last week's wildflower: The Day Lily, Daylily or Tiger Lily

Day Lily, Daylily or Tiger Lily - very common
up here - especially at Lovesick Lock!

The story of the original wild orange Daylily. First of all, it isn't really wild. It isn't native to North America. And it isn't really a lily. Daylilies have the genus name Hemerocallis, not Lilium, the genus name of the true lilies. And Daylilies don't grow from bulbs like true lilies, either. However, they do grow from a mass of thickened roots that hold so much moisture and nutrients, the plants can survive out of the ground for weeks. This survival system is the main reason the Daylily has been such a world traveler.

The famous old orange Daylily is named Hemerocallis fulva, and is native to China, Japan and Korea, but today is common all over the world. The buds have been cooked for food for centuries in Asia, but the flowers are what people love in North America. (Here, its often mistakenly called Tiger Lily, but that's the name of a taller true lily, not a Daylily. Both are orange.) The famous old orange one is not the only wild Daylily, just the most famous. There are 20 Daylily species, worldwide. From these 20 plants, more than 20,000 hybrids have been created.

This week's wildflower