LOST & FOUND

After being thwarted twice before due to false information, I finally laid eyes on the wreck of the side-wheeler SS Nipissing, discovered by Morwen, my kayaking companion. Ravaged and sunk by a fire in 1886, what could be salvaged was used to build its successor, the Nipissing II, a year later, and after retrofitting in 1924, the Segwun.

WETLAND WILDLIFE

I spent this afternoon kayaking the wetland marsh area beside Hwy 632, across from Bruce Lake, and encountered a number of birds and wildlife. I spotted several Great Blue Herons, Red-winged blackbirds, beavers, and turtles but my highlight was surprising three otters that were hidden beneath this shaded area before we startled each other.

CEMETERY CHUTES

Taking advantage of the higher water levels, we explored the next section of the Shadow River, upstream from the bridge at Hwy 141. It was a wetland wonder with a maze of channels and beaver dams, before we reached our destination of Cemetery Chutes, named for the pioneer cemetery of Ashdown Corners, the town long since gone.