The Winnipeg River, to this point, has been more of a series of lakes connected by swift moving channels. On all shores large, rounded granite domes rise sharply from the water, giving us the impression that this river has not always been this tame.

We have been noticing that the water is well below the high water mark on all of the rocks. In most cases it is four to five feet lower than the water mark. There is a little current, but the rapids have become some what of a joke. Where ever rapids are marked on the map, only little riffles and boils occur. At one point, I had to make sure we were in the right spot, because the rapid that was marked "dangerous" on the map was only a bit of stronger current.

In the early spring of 1735 Sieur LaVerendrye descended the Winnipeg River with 50 voyageurs and 3 of his sons. Along the way they encountered many difficult rapids. A few voyageurs even drowned as result of trying to run the rapids. Their passage down the Winnipeg River was not the first, but was probably the most successful. Over the next few years, amidst loosing two sons and his wife, LaVerendrye would play a vital role in establishing many fur posts throughout present day Manitoba.

On a large white pine today we spotted a Pileated Woodpecker. This is the largest woodpecker in North America. It has a wing span of over two feet and has red, white, and black markings just like Woody. Pileated woodpeckers love eating carpenter ants. They use their strong beaks to break into trees. Inside the trees carpenter ants are busy at work. The woodpecker's beak has a tiny shock-absorber to keep them from getting a headache, and their neck muscles can propel their head forward at a whopping 15 MPH. The woodpeckers have thorny, rubbery tongues to eat up all the ants that are living inside the trees.

How many species of woodpeckers are there in North America? Post your answer on the message board.

It felt good to back in the canoe after a day spent exploring Kenora. We soon found ourselves portaging for the first time in over 200 miles. It was as if we had never portaged before. We took three trips over the portage, fumbling the whole the way. Hopefully we will fall back into our normal portaging groove before tomorrow's portages, because there are more dams and rapids on the Winnipeg River.

Why do some bald eagles have white heads and tail-feathers, while some don't? Post your answers on the message board.

The tent on Friday night shook all night. The high winds from the north brought cold, wintery weather. We had the alarm clock set for 5:00 AM, but when it went off, we feared that we would be wind-bound for the day and neglected to respond to the clock. We burrowed deep down into our sleeping bags and waited for the sun to come up.

By the time we dragged ourselves out of dreamland, the winds had settled and the snow, although not sticking to ground, made for a spectacular morning.

Paddling in a snow storm is a relatively new experience for both of us. It causes navigation to be more difficult, because visibility is limited to a few hundred feet. We had to squint our eyes almost all day, but we still managed to travel 18 miles.

The islands gave us plenty of cover from the wind and waves as well as the opportunity to paddle close to shore. Beavers and otters scurried under water or up into the woods as we paddled by. The forest has also reverted back to the familiar boreal forest's coniferous stands of white pine, red pine, and cedar. While on the Rainy River, the trees were so much different than those found on the rocky shoreline of Lake of the Woods. Deciduous stands of maples and oaks create thick underbrush and lumpy campsites. Being back on the rocky soil allows for more natural and comfortable campsites

We soon made it to the north end of the lake, which revealed the city of Kenora. Since we had plenty of laundry to do, we were eager to check into our hotel and catch up on all of the news we've missed. We spent today wandering around Kenora. It's such an interesting town, because the lake is so important to the lives of everyone who lives here. The islands of the lakes are home to loads of summer cabins and many Ojibwe reservations. People often travel for great distances via the surrounding waterways to get new supplies, food, and make phone calls. Virtually all of the stores and shops in Kenora have parking for both cars and boats, including the large supermarket.

Tomorrow, we begin traveling on the Winnipeg River. We'll be on it for the next week. I wonder what changes in scenery we'll encounter.