Day 45 Sheguiandah on Manitoulan Island via ferry to Tobermory, Ontario

32.1 miles, 870 ft ascent

 

Today we had a short morning ride to a ferry that took us from Manitoulin Island to the shores of Lake Huron on the "mainland".  The ferry ride across the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron took nearly two hours.

We rode past this sign advertising a resort on Lake Manitou.

 

Here is our first view of Lake Huron as we rode to the ferry port.

Farmland was prevalent in the center of Mantoulin Island.  This huge island has an area of 2,766 sq. km, or 1,068 sq. miles.

 

We noted this creative mounting of a pair of rainbow trout.

 

This moose antler was carved into an eagle and wolves. It was a First Nations sculpture.  Note that the eagle spreads his wings over the wolves in the representation.  

A First Nations spear fisherman.

First Nations elder teachings noted on the note below the statue.

 

This poster contains some interesting information about the loon that is worth zooming and reading.  Loons winter on the Florida and Gulf of Mexico coasts.  Yearlings that arrive stay 2 years in the south before flying back north.

 

 

This splake was mounted at a restaurant by the ferry.  The splake is  a hybrid between a lake trout and a brook (spotted) trout.

This was an interesting fence of birch with the ferry loading ramp behind it.

 

This First Nations art piece on display perhaps has an associated history, but none was indicated.

 

Here is our ferry boat, the Chi-Cheemaun,  resplendent in First Nations decoration.  Che-Cheemaun means Big Canoe in the Ojibwe language, the dominant indigenous language on Manitoulin Island.

 

The Big Canoe is also decorated with some impressive First Nation art on its top deck.  At least it impressed the fellow in this photo, now clean shaven for the first time in weeks.

 

From the top deck of the ferry, the tree tops appeared to be amazingly even, as though they had been trimmed like a hedge.

The Big Canoe executed a 180 degree turn to exit the harbor.  

 

The view of the edge of the harbor from the ferry.

 

The water was crystal clear in South Baymouth Harbor.

 

Epilogue

My bike shown here this morning WITHOUT a triangular pack previously mounted by 2 Velocro straps to the bike's top tube and with one Velcro strap to the seat tube.  I say previously because raccoons raided our camp last night on a food confiscation and consumption mission.  My bike was stored side by side with 10 other bikes and covered with a tarp.  Evidently a raccoon mission specialist crawled under the tarp and detached the Velcro straps to steal the pack!  Oops! I must have left a sandwich in it!  Another rider was also raided, and the raccoons got a bonanza from him, because his gear bag was much larger.  Of course, they didn't overlook the garbage cans either.  

 

Don't forget to come back again for more of our adventures.