I work on this draft as we meander and zig zag up the Otonabee River, part of the Trent Severn Waterway. We left the town wall in Hastings at 8 this morning and hope to arrive in Peterborough this afternoon in time to float the Peterborough Lock, the world’s highest hydraulic lift lock. We’ll need to travel about 40 miles, lock through 2 locks, (19 and 20) before we get to the infamous lift lock 21. At which point we will turn around, do it and lock 20 again before we find a spot on the wall in Peterborough for the night.
We’ve had a wonderful trip up the TS so far. Kitty joined us on the 3rd and had one day of site seeing before we untied from the dock and began our travels. The 70 mile cruise through the Bay of Quite to Trenton was breezy but pleasant. We were happy to dock before the winds built to the low 30s. Trenton Port Marina has been called one of the best on the loop and it is quite deserving of the title. It is a new facility with spa like bathroom/showers, a nice meeting area, free washer/dryers, but the town of Trenton was a bit disappointing. There’s not a whole lot of things to see in town, so we took a 3+ mile walk to Lock 1 so Kitty could get a preview of what was to come.
Soon after leaving Trenton, Kitty experienced her first locking in. We had passed through 6 locks in a 7.3 mile span. After the short day, we stopped for the night on the lock wall in Frankfort.
Our next stop after 7 locks and 25 miles was Campbellford for two nights. We managed to skirt rain for most of the trip, but at lock 13, our luck ran out. We locked and then tied up at the wall in a steady downpour. We tied up on the west wall at Old Mill Park, very sweet. The following day, we explored the town, walking to the Rainey Gorge Suspension Bridge and then treating ourselves at the World’s Finest Chocolate factory. From Campbellford, we had 19 miles and 5 locks to get to Hastings, another tiny town. With our parks pass, tie up was free, but there was no power. Lucky for us, the winds carried a great cool breeze and we slept with blankets on and windows open. It was a sweatshirt kind of morning.
So, as we glide down the waterway, I am trying to think of how to describe it. For the most part, we travel through very rural, wooded areas occasionally studded with small summer cabins and the few stately homes. I read that the fishing on the rivers is excellent and I’ll certainly have my Ontario Fishing License next year when we return. We are at the tail end of the loopers now and see only one or two looper boats a day. Most of the ones we talk to are folks like us, in no hurry, just enjoying the life. But the waters are busy on weekends as fishermen, kayakers and pontoon boaters get out to enjoy their short season. I find the waterway to be very peaceful. Our guide book calls it pastoral.