URBAN Sault Ste. Marie The Many Faces of the St. Mary’s River A
s a Lake Superior sea kayak guide, I have become accustomed to a watery horizon and shorelines of gran- ite, cobble, sand and cedar. On the St. Mary’s River, however, concrete, steel and glass replace the natural rock and forest; smoke-belching industry and the blanket of society have wiped out any feeling of wilderness. But I have learned that wilderness lies in the eyes and mind of the beholder. The St. Mary’s River is my teacher, aided by the ghosts of an enchanted past.
ADVENTURES
story by Conor Mihell photos by Andrea Maenza
R
oad-weary visitors to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, can enjoy a full-day, half-day or evening tour on the St. Mary’s. The view from the water affords a new perspective of this city of 75,000, and for paddlers on their way to the splendours of Lake Superior, a stop here is a good way to loosen up and get a sense of the area’s history. With the international border running down its spine, the St. Mary’s is bounded by Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to the north, and the smaller Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to the south. The river—the only connecting channel between lakes Superior and Huron—begins in dramatic fashion, dropping six metres out of Superior in a kilometre-long rapid, before flowing placidly for another 80 kilometres. Sea kayakers can explore either side of the bor-
der—from the two-kilometre-wide main channel below the rapids to the narrow, island-pocked pas- sages on the American side—but you must obey bor- der laws and land on the same side you launch from. For a two-hour paddle, I launch my kayak at the Pine Street Marina on the Canadian side and follow the main channel upstream. There are also good access points with plenty of parking at the Bellevue Park Marina, just east of Pine Street, or the small sandy beach by the downtown public library. On the U.S. side, launch from the Sugar Island ferry docks in the east end of Sault, Michigan, or from Sherman Park, upstream from the locks. Heading upriver toward the International Bridge, I
Sea kayakers can explore either side of the border—from the two- kilometre-wide main channel below the rapids to the narrow, island- pocked passages on the American side. illustration by Lorenzo Del Bianco.
ignore the sights and sounds and slip back in time. The motorboats buzzing around me become the canoes of the natives; the massive lake freighters, Montreal canoes bound for Lachine or Fort William.
24 Summer 2003
illustration by Lorenzo Del Bianco
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52