20 June, 2012 Salmon Point and Point Petre Lighthouse Visits

20 June, 2012 Salmon Point

and

Point Petre Lighthouse Visits

Wow!!!!! What a day. First we wish to Thank Tim Ward and all his kind staff at Quinte Isle Campark for allowing us to park, launch and lunch at/from their very new, very picturesque Pebble Beach Harbour area. As you can see by our sponsor list, we are not quick to recommend companies or services. Folks, if you are a Car, RV or Tent camper this is a wonderful place to visit. The views of Lake Ontario are breath taking.
Ok the trip, as usual the group met at a central location and for this trip it was McDonalds on Main St. Picton. For some reason we all arrive very early which is always a good thing. This group has settled into a comfortable routine, Mollie jumped in with Linda which allowed Brent to actually have a grown up seat in the little Range. Following the directions given me by Tim we easily found the Quinte’s isle Campark where we met Darlene who welcomed us and gave us a map as well as directions to their Pebble Beach Harbour area.

Getting kayaks ready to launch

Driving south through the parks tree covered lanes to the Pebble Beach, we couldn’t help but admire the care gone into making sure the park maintained a natural setting. Arriving at the launch, it was perfect, an excellent location for us to paddle out to Point Petre then across Soup Harbour to Salmon Point Lighthouse and return.

What a beautiful place to launch.

Kayaks off loaded we keep looking out across Soap Harbour not believing our good fortune so far, there were little to no waves. The marine forecast gave Eastern Lake Ontario half meter growing to one meter waves later in the morning. Winds from the southwest…………hummmmmmm.

Brent assisting Linda launching her kayak.

Brent and Linda teaming up on this launch.

Rob holding Rob's kayak while he gets in.....
yep he got in OK!!!

Our group leaving Pebble Beach Harbour

With winds in mind, we promptly said our goodbyes to Mollie, our number one shore crew who is present on the mend with knee difficulties.  Here we go gang!!!!

Prior leaving shore the group decided that we will head to Point Petre first, then head to Salmon Point with hopes we can get a good way across Soup Harbour before the winds and waves increase in size. Then from there we can paddle with winds to our backs on the last leg back to Pebble Beach.


What an awesome shore line.

As it turned out the Paddle God’s were with us once again. We had awesome weather all day. Little to no winds or waves for our 18 Km paddle.

Jane and Linda

On our first crossing of Soup Harbour, the two ladies hung together, chatting and catching up while Rob, Brent and I a 100 meters away did the same.

Can you get calmer water on Lake Ontario
I think Not

I held back to take this photo, Point Petre ahead Brent & Rob chatting away.

Freighter in the distance.

With little to see this far off shore "we" or should say  " I " fixated on looking for the lake bottom and possibly another shipwreck.   Rob & Brent were watching the passing freighter far in the distance.

Jane & Linda rounding Point Petre

In just over an hour our paddle group reached Point Petre. Our first thing of interest was at the very end of the Point.  A concert wall with steel plating on it’s lower half. We speculated that this would have been the site of the old artillery range or the test range for the Avro Arrow Rockets . I think now would be a good time to share some of the this Points history.

Historical Moment:

If someone were to approach you and ask about ‘ponds’ in Prince Edward County, you can almost bet they have lived in Newfoundland. They will be quick to inform you that in Newfoundland, a ‘lake’ is something that happens when you have a hole in your boot!

Similarly, it is easy to determine whether or not someone is from ‘away’, by how they pronounce Point Petre. As the story goes, earlier maps depicted St. Peter’s Bay, described as being south and a little east of Little Sandy Bay. Point Peter would thus be the southern arm of St. Peter’s Bay. At some point the spelling was transposed to become Point Petre, and that was a long time ago indeed, as maps of the 1800s had already established the current spelling.

However one chooses to pronounce it, Point Petre has collected a potpourri of stories involving both joy and anguish, and continues to attract the curious and the adventurous. 

Some describe Point Petre as a place of magical energy and spiritual cleansing. Doubtless this is why a recording company chose, with no hesitation, to record two sounds of nature CDs at this remote location, capturing the true essence of Point Petre. It is a favourite destination of artists and photographers and especially star gazers. Speaking from a vantage point just east of Point Petre, one Kingston astronomer stated, “Looking south over Lake Ontario, Point Petre looks every bit as dark as Nirvana.” And that’s what star gazers like.

Point Petre is situated within the infamous Marysburgh Vortex, a place of anomalous activity where missing ships and aircraft have fuelled theories of paranormal explanations. The treacherous waters around Point Petre prompted the building of a 19 metre high lighthouse in 1833. However, that lighthouse was unceremoniously destroyed amid considerable debate in the 1960s, and replaced with the current structure, a slightly shorter cylindrical tower in 1967. The new tower stands on the grounds of a meteorological research station.

Note: the Large Number of communication
antenna's

History abounds here, for the land around Point Petre had been used as an artillery range since 1938, and the area continued in that role with the formation of Royal Canadian School of Artillery. Point Petre was chosen as a site for a series of miniature test versions of the Avro Arrow. The limestone point of land is also a transmitter site for the Military Aeronautical Communications System based at CFB Trenton.

Where mortar, recoilless rifle and anti-tank rocket training once took place, today the property is a provincial wildlife area where occasional remnants of its past life can be found among the dogwoods and red cedars that predominate. Narrow gravel roads with names like Army Reserve Road bespeak of this earlier time, and side roads leading to the lake are reserved only for the brave at heart. However, if you can reach its interior and the associated wetlands, former pastures and sparse woodlands, it is a place apart. A place where gulls chatter and herons nest, field sparrows and towhees project their songs across abandoned fields. As one wildlife researcher once stated, “I was there for a full day and saw nary a soul.”

Columns by Terry Sprague on the natural heritage of Point Petre.

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Flag Shot

Sooooooooo passing what I now call the range area, we headed further east to the lighthouse. The light that sits here now is one up from a sewer pipe type light. Not that exciting, but the area is full of history and Oh No!!!!!

Please Donate to the Kingston MS Chapter

Notice the reseach building is all boarded up.  Once again another research facility goes under, sad really.

Rob getting out to look for the cache

Oh Oh !!!!!! A Geocache in this area, with the name Avro Arrow.  Well of course what else would it be called on this point of land. The hunt is on with Jane giving the directions, we paddle past then return to the location she points out. Right in the very spot she suggested Rob finds the cache.

Rob with his find, Yes Rob that is a Travel Bug

To make this even more exciting, in the cache Rob found a Travel Bug. So where did this Travel bug start and what is it’s story? 

This Travel Bug was started as a Challenge by this Grade 6 Class.










Here is their entry log :
We are a group of grade 6 students from Palmarolle, northern Quebec. We want to learn as much as possible about other countries. We are doing a competion against other grade 6 classes. Help us find Palmarolle!!

So this Travel Bug started in Quebec and was taken to the United Arab Emirates 11/22/2010. First entry was : Arrived in United Arab Emirates - welcome to a desert winter and Christmas. You are now in ABU DHABI - capital of the UAE. 

This Bug travel to place like ABU DHABI, DUBAI and many other locations in the UAE, then it moved on to Hattersheim, Germany then to Philadelphia, on to Baltimore, then Indianapolis, north to Toronto, Ottawa and finally Point Petre. You have to remember this bug has been in many many caches along the way, I just gave you a quick recap. I believe Rob & Jane have plans to take this TB back to Ottawa in hopes it will move east and back to the School where it started. 

Stone Chaise, Point Petre

I know I know get to the trip………so we found the cache and now are heading back west when we notice the Rock Chair ???? Who does this stuff………..hummmm.

Last look at this Light

Were did you say we are going.....?

Back at the point looking across at Salmon Point we can’t believe our good fortune is still holding, really, no waves to speak of.
The paddle across Soup Harbour to Salmon Point was long, however the group stayed tight and we chatted the complete way across and before we knew it we where bouncing on the waves below Salmon Point Lighthouse

Check out this calm Lake today

Note: the lighthouse out on the point
 

Our Group arriving at Salmon Point

Salmon Point Lighthouse today

In it’s day this would have been one of the nicest lighthouses on Lake Ontario. Now saying this it maybe again. We heard “ shore scuttlebutt “ the lighthouse and point of land it sits on, has just been recently purchased, so who knows, maybe the new owners will bring new life to this once beautiful light.





Once the MS Flag photo’s where taken the group did what it normally does, everyone heads off to explores however today I noticed Jane just sitting with her legs out of the kayak taking in the sun, Hummmmmmm. 

Jane enjoying the moment.

Jane you may want to learn to relax……smiling.









It had to happen, a very light breeze has found us and yes it was at our back while we headed northwest back into Soap Harbour on to Pebble Beach Harbour. Paddling along the shore we come across “ 8 Swans a Swimming “ and yes we did!!!!! we started to singing it , 7 geese a laying, and so on.

There is Mollie on shore waiting our return.

Arriving back at the launch we could not help but notice the beautiful colour of the waters here, just awesome.

Beautiful water colours at Harbour  

Mollie taking photo's of each of us as we pass. 

Linda doing the photo pose thing.

I love this group, everyone helps everyone.  I will miss this kind group of paddlers and now friends while I paddle solo along the US side of the lake.



This campsite was an awesome location
to have our lunch 

Everyone now on shore and kayaks loaded we decide to have lunch right by the launch at a campsite.

Nancy & Paul Campers, Hikers & Paddlers

During lunch Mollie our social butterfly fills us in on all the things she has learnt about the area, which a lot really.   Some which we have already told you. First thing, she introduced us to a nice couple “ Kayakers “ that just set up the their camp prior to us landing. Paul & Nancy wow!!! They are “ real ” adventurers, we hope to spend more time with this nice couple.






They have paddled and hiked some pretty interesting places. Nancy & Paul having had their lunch already, headed out to paddle to Salmon Point lighthouse.
What a great day, the things we find out and interesting people we meet, just plain cool. Lunch completed, Linda in from he swim it was time to hit the road.

On the way out of the park, we stop and thanked Darlene and once again for everyone’s kindness. They have a beautiful CampPark. 

On the Road Again

Driving Prince Edward County is always a fun thing to do, so many market gardens B & B’s, Fu Fu artsy shops and winery‘s. Mollie and I both love exploring all these things. Well me not so much the fu fu shops.

Out Take Photo's

On the Ferry Again

The Glenora Ferry what fun!!!!

Rob for the first time, launched first. 

Rob & Jane touring around Salmon Point

What a beautiful location, we hope the new owners re-life the light.

Glenora Ferry

Prior starting today’s paddle Jane & Rob had kindly invited all of us to their home for a BBQ, how nice is that. So our second Big Thanks, goes out to Rob & Jane. You guys are wonderful. We truly enjoy having you paddle with us on so many of our day adventures. Guys, Thanks for your friendship good times and a great meal. Sitting on your back deck in the cool shade of so many grand old trees while looking over the surrounding fields of corn and wheat, I was thinking “ you have a piece of heaven “ here.   Ending the day this way was just perfect. Thanks from all us paddlers

Once again Folks remember we are raising Awareness & Funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Kingston Chapter. If you wish to make a donation/pledge please call the Kingston Chapter at 613-384-8500 . Tell them you wish to pledge to “ 20 Years To Enlightenment “ and it all stays in the Kingston and area.