Bobcaygeon to Fenelon Falls, Canada

Day 23

Travel Time: ~  2  hours

NM today: 13

NM total: 555

Locks today: 1

Locks total: 59

Before leaving Bobcaygeon we pulled the bikes out for a quick look around some of the area in town that we had missed the day before.  We toured the inside of the Lockmaster's House, about as big as a tool shed, that is now used to display historic relics as a museum.  It was a very short bike ride and before I knew it we were back on the boat, starting our engines, and waiting for the green light on  the lock to start our morning's travels.

Once again the time passed quickly as we traveled through lakes and narrow passages to make our way to Fenelon Falls.

Sturgeon Lake

Narrow passage ways

having left shortly after 9:00, we arrived in Fenelon Falls just before noon and tied up at the lock wall after / above the lock where electric and water were both available.  Electric cost $9.80 and, for an additional $4, water was available as well.  We paid for electric and took a pass on paying for water as we had filled up in Buckhorn at the Yacht Club and were still good to go.  Fenelon Falls advertises its existence at both ends of the lock .

Hedge showing town name for those coming from the south

Carved Stone showing town name for those coming from the north

After we checked in with the lockmaster, we walked around a bit and found a restaurant to eat at for lunch that was a stone's throw away from the boat with wifi available.  After we ordered lunch, we asked for their WiFi password and checked our email and Facebook accounts while waiting for the food to be served.  Restaurants are pretty expensive on our reduced budget, so we thought going out for lunch would be better than dinner.  I'm not sure that idea was sound as a hamburger and a wrap together cost us $40 including tip.

After lunch we walked back to the boat to prepare for a bike outing.  We had read that there was an old railway path that had been converted to a rails trail, so we set out to find it.  Along the way we got to see Fenelon Falls closeup.

Fenelon Falls

A bit further down the road, we found the old railroad station dating back to 1908.

Fenelon Falls Railroad Station (now used to display / sell works of local artists)

Commerative Plaque at Railway Station

We knew that the rail trail was near the station, so we figured we were hot on the trail (no pun intended).  We weaved our way around behind the station and down a dirt path that looked like someone's driveway, and voila, we magically found ourselves entering the rail trails path.

Entrance to bike trail restricts size of vehicles that enter

Such a short distance from the canal, but such a difference in feel.  I suddenly felt like I had been transported deep into the country as we rode this dirt trail not really suited to our foldable bikes.

From water and city to quiet country in no time at all

We rode for a mile or so over the rough terrain.  I was very thankful I had on my bike shorts with extra comfort padding.  The dirt road shook my arm so much my watch band came undone!  Signs along the path gave instructions to ski mobiles, and as we rode along two ATVs passed by us tossing up tons of dust, so obviously the path is used by some motorized vehicles - just not large ones.

We decided that up ahead we would see 'more of the same' trees and grass, so we turned around to go look for the old railroad bridge - now permanently in the open position.  We found it hiding off King Street!  Now I grew up in the country, and I have to say that I felt no real excitement riding along the tree-lined path, i.e. it did nothing for me.  However,  as I came out of the woods to see the water vista before me, I felt great happiness.  This portion of the Trent-Severn is very picturesque.

Rickety Railroad Bridge to nowhere

We came back to the main road and rode our bikes through the main street in town to see what shops were available.  We did our window shopping from the bikes.  After that we turned down a few side streets and wove our way back towards the canal once more to find the railroad bridge from the other side of the canal.  We found it relatively easily and discovered that this side had a planter smack dab in the way perhaps to prevent too much bike / foot traffic.  Given the condition of the first half we found, I didn't feel like tempting fate with walking or riding on the second half of the bridge.

Railroad Bridge - other side

It was a short hop from the bridge / park near the bridge back to the boat.  When we got back we set ourselves up with WiFi complements of the restaurant where we had lunch.  We figured for our $40 lunch we paid for the use of their WiFi and then some.  As we were doing our computer things (blogs, emails, etc) a police boat went by at top speed headed for the lock.  the wake was huge and kept reflecting back and forth within the lock so it felt like it was never ending.

The lock was full of boats traveling upstream so the impatient police boat had to wait anyway.  Clark asked one of the boaters that came out of the lock, "What was that all about anyway?"  The boater didn't know but said that they had filled the lock in record time to get them out and the police boat in. A fast fill generally means much more turbulence as the water pours in.  I bet they got a wild ride up! Clark walked up to the washroom later and inquired of the lockmaster what had happened and was told that a plane had crashed into the waters somewhere on the other side of the lock.

Since we had lunch out, it was a supper-at-home night followed by lounging and preparing for the next day's trip which will be a bit longer than today's with 2 locks to navigate through.  Kirkfield is our next stop where they have another lift lock like Peterborough.  There is a big difference between them though.  In Peterborough and all locks before Kirkfield, the locks raise the boats up to the next water level.  Starting at Kirkfield, we start going down.

What I read about the lift lock at Kirkfield in the Trent-Severn Port Cruisers Guide is that when a boat enters the lock, the boaters 'see absolutely nothing, creating the feeling that you're driving off the edge of the earth".  I just can't wait for that feeling!  Kirkfield is the second largest lift lock in the world after Peterborough and will drop us 49 feet.  As we exited the Peterborough Lift Lock, the attendant told us that the lock was 31 years beyond its life expectancy.  It was nice to know that after the fact and not before; however, I expect Kirkfield has a similar history and life expectancy. Wish us luck on our amusement-park-like ride tomorrow!