The Pool

6-30-12

Today would have been my father’s 100th birthday.

We wanted to go up Baie Fine to see what they call “The Pool.”  Baie Fine is about 9 miles long, and resembles a fiord.  I’ve pronounced it a hundert different ways, but it seems “Bi Fin” might be right.  Except for the shoreline, it reminded me of parts of the Ohio River in Indiana.  Both the shore, as well as the islands here would do more damage if you hit them.

There are cabins hidden along the shore.  This one had a suspension bridge over to the outhouse.

I was afraid that there would be a crowd in the pool.  Tomorrow is a holiday here--Canada Day, and there had been 14 boats anchored around us last night on Heywood Island.  I’d heard the pool is one of the most popular anchorage spots.   We got to the pool around 11 am to find it empty.  Almost everywhere in the North Channel is scenic, but this is exceptionally so.  Here’s the view from the boat.

I had read that we could dinghy over to the shore and hike up through the woods and maybe find Topaz Lake—a secluded mountain lake.  So off we went.  The trail up through the woods was similar to hiking up the hills at Pam’s family’s cottage on Lake Cumberland--times one hundert.

Finding and following the path was a challenge.  Since I had heard that there were snakes and bears in this area, I had Pam walk in the lead, and I made sure that nothing could sneak up from behind us.

On the way, we picked some wild blueberries for my oats tomorrow.

When we finally saw Topaz Lake, the climb was worth it. What a view.

 

By the way, when we got there, we found a group of girls skinny dipping in the crystal clear water.

Here’s their clothes. 

Unfortunately, Pam wouldn’t let me post photos of the girls.  I guess it’s just like that "clothing optional" hotel where Pam’s sister stayed in Key West.  No photos from that either.