Hasta La Vista Rainy River - BIG TRAVERSE BAY, LAKE OF THE WOODS - Day Fifty Three

We awoke to a calm morning, and packed up looking forward to another day of paddling with the current at our backs. Although not quite as quick as the previous day, we easily moved with the flow of the river past the quaint town of Pinewood, and the larger town of Rainy River.

Throughout the day we were startled and entertained by fish leaping out of the water, some of them big enough to sound like a child doing a canonball when they fell back into the river. As the day started to drag out and the sun beat down on us, we came across a wonderful small campground right on the river's edge. We were welcomed with free firewood, an axe, lounge chairs, cold drinks, and 2 cobs of corn from our friendly neighbours Ralph and Dean.

After two long days, we had covered 93km, and our bodies could sure feel it. We intended to get to sleep early after dinner, but that plan was abandoned when Brynley discovered the most perfect clay just under the beach's thin layer of sand. We spent the evening crafting clay sculptures, the masterpiece being a Canadian flag, with red and white stones carefully pressed into the wet clay.

The next morning we had a cheery departure, and set out for our last day on the Rainy River. As we neared the Lake of the Woods, the landscape became overtaken by lodges, cottages, endless docks, and zooming motorboats. We were certainly entering fishing country.

The many warnings we had been given about Lake of the Woods and its unpredictable waters and sudden winds were well deserved. As soon as we entered the marshy bay past the river mouth, we were dodging thunderstorms and seeking the most leeward shores. As one of the storms inched a little too close for comfort, we were forced to take shelter on a nearby sandy island. Lucky for us it made for a great campsite to watch the storm clouds circling the lake.