Burntside Adventures: Peterborough

Yesterday we crossed Rice Lake and started up the Otonabe River to Peterborough. The day before we dacked at the lock in Campbellford. We locked through right at 3:25 at the end of the lockmaster's work day, moved up the canal past the Campbellford City dock to the bottom of th next lock and in doing so, passed the three boats that had been a little snarky the day before. I predicted correctly that they would come up behind us when the lock opened at 10, and sure enough, the parade started at 9:30. They had been locking through together at each lock, and now we were the first in line, to their surprise, and sort of in their way. We negotiated a plan and all four boats, ours included, locked through the locks that day, and then they pulled over at Hastings, while we continued on to anchor in Rice Lake 6 or 8 miles farther along. They assumed they would catch us yesterday, they can cruise at 20 mph plus nd we do 8, but they didn't quite make it. We made it to Peterborough alone, came through the three locks there and pulled over at the top of the hydraulic lift lock around mid day. It was raining and really miserable, but after lunch, geared up and biked to the National Canoe Museum and spent the afternoon there. A really interesting museum, with lots of history. One of their exhibits even mentioned Sig Olson. We were soaked, but biked back to the boat, put the heat on and dried out, then went to a local pub for a good beer and another mediocre sandwich. The hydraulic lift lock is really impressive. It takes the boat up 65 feet in a pool full of water. As you rise up, you are looking over the edges of the lift into the tree tops below. It would be an E ticket at Disneyland. The lock guys here are really great. They gave us bike maps and lots of local information. This morning it is cool, cloudy and windy, but not raining, so Cindy is going to run and I'll bike before the lock guys get here at 9 when we can leave for the next lock.