Opeongo’s Fury: Part 1
The fishing trip on Lake Opeongo that became a survival trip – before it even started.
Calamity would be another descriptive word for it. In reflection, we should have canceled the trip before we even left the driveway.
It would have saved us from feeling Opeongo’s fury.
An hour before we left dad and I made a last minute check of the boat. Fortunately, I noticed that the Lowe’s drain hole plug was broken. The metal rubber expander was split in half. We purchased another one and I proudly screwed it into a hole into the boat’s stern. With everything else in order, we pulled out of the driveway and headed for Alqonquin Park’s – Lake Opeongo.
Within minutes of sliding the boat into the water, I was told (via running messenger) to get the trailer back down to the ramps - fast! The boast was filling up with water. My mind immediately started wondering if my plug replacement part was the right size. With only moments to spare, we managed to get the boat back up on the trailer and out of the water to troubleshoot. Dad quickly pointed out the plug was missing and we began to look for it at the waters edge. I left the search early because something was not ‘sitting’ right with this whole debacle. I turned my attention to back of the Lowe saw that we had not ‘actually’ lost the plug.
This truth brought no relief. Sheepishly, I had to announce that I had put the plug in the live well’s water exit hole.
Go ahead and laugh. There were 3 possible holes back there and my excitement about the trip caused a momentary lapse in my judgment. I began to feel the burn of Opeongo’s impending fury.
Once the jokes, pseudo-insults ended and an inventory of wet gear was completed – we fired up the motor and headed for the north arm of Lake Opeongo. The north arm of the lake was ‘supposed’ to be the most sheltered part of the lake. It also holds beaches that may be suitable to land our fishing craft.
It wasn’t.
Alternating bow smashing waves pounded us the whole way up the lake. If we were not so excited about the possibility of an evening fish, we probably would have considered returning the sanctuary of our land based homes. Anything dry – quickly became wet.
The posted weather forecast warned us about the impending snow activity and corresponding freezing temperatures. When we left the Opeongo store’s dock the temperature was warm and pleasant. By the time we found a possible camp site, we could see our breath in the crisp, swirling air.
The fury continued to build.
The pine stand that sheltered our camp site from the force of the howling wind did nothing to soften the noisy air. It was like an infinite loop of the sound that comes from the inside of a seashell – only amplified 1000 times. The plan for the next couple of hours was for my sister and I to set-up camp and attempt to get supper ready. Dad had to make a second trip down the lake to get my brother in-law (and their gear) from another camp site.
Soon, the crackling of a fire and the rustle of windblown tarps and tent fly’s brought a sense of ‘normalcy’ to our epic struggle for survival. It was almost enjoyable until I noticed my youngest nephew testing the ‘waterproofing’ limits of my new tent. He felt the outside of the tent was closer than a short walk to the outhouse…
My fury started to build. I tempered my reaction with a walk to the water’s edge and scooped a cup of water from the lake. It was cold and gritty – just the way I liked it.
*End of Part 1
John – I am working on Part 2. Stay tuned! Thanks for your visits and comment.
Hi,
Loved part one. Is there a part two. I would love to hear how things turned out.
Thanks in advance.
A satisfied reader.
Just the way I like it. This is very interesting as I could say btdt(been there done that)but that’s too easy and everyone likes the details. I am laughing for my own experience of one thing leading to another – then add mother nature – and who knows what will happen next… like part two, I hope.