Limestone Cliffs of Steep Rock, MB Canada

Paddling the Limestone Cliffs

  Steep Rock, Manitoba

The pictures of this place make the cliffs looking bigger than they really are, but one of the best things about Lake Manitoba at Steep Rock is it makes the lake water look clear bluegreen and after Grand Beach and Lac Du Bonnet with all the green algae it was a pure joy to swim in this lake.

It's the September long weekend and Keith and I are away on the Thursday before, it's a sunny but windy day as we drive up north along Hwy 6.  We stop along the way to see the sites and decide to stop at Lundar Beach to have lunch that we brought along.  There is nobody on the beach, you can see the whitecaps on the lake, it was like wandering a whole beach by ourselves.  It made me think of how I would love to spend a week or two on a secluded beach like we were shipwrecked.  Playing in the sun, sand and surf all day and making love all night long.

Fantasies put away for another time, we head up and finally reach the motel in Ashern where we are staying the night.  We decided against camping in the campground at Steep Rock only because they stated there were only two camp spots left and decided we didn't want to take our chances on what two spots were left.  A nice dinner, a walk about town reveals there is a rodeo in town this weekend and the reason why we couldn't get the same motel for Thursday to Saturday night.

A good movie on the satellite, and lot of bedroom aerobics and a good night sleep ends our first day of our weekend adventure.

Up in the morning, showered and a good hearty breakfast, it's Friday and we are heading up the short distance to Steep Rock to rent a canoe/kayak and enjoy the serenity of the water.  There is something that we both love about water and sun, this morning the sun is out to greet us.

When we arrive at Steep Rock we find that the place that rents the canoe/kayaks does not open till one in the afternoon.  So we decide to head up the trail along the limestone cliffs.

Keith surveying the site turns and poses for my camera.  My sexy highlander makes my libido rise!!

Throughout the trail there are numerous park benches that one can stop to have a rest and look out on the beauty of Lake Manitoba.  There are also lots of garter snakes, I stopped to take a picture on one that had a frogs leg in its mouth but as Keith got closer it dropped the frogs leg and scurried off, they sure are fast. Along the shore we would see birds, Keith stated that could swim long distances under water, you never knew where they would pop up, as we watched one in particular, he was correct in that you watched it go under and then wondered where it where only to find it popped up just up or down shore.

 

Lake Manitoba is home to the famous Manipogo.

"Sightings of this serpent-like sea monster have been going on since roughly 1908. The creature was dubbed Manipogo in 1957, the name echoing British Columbia's Ogopogo. There is also a Lake Winnipegosis sea monster called Winnepogo, thought possibly to be the same creature as the lakes are connected. Some have speculated that the monster sightings may be attributed to sightings of an unusually large lake sturgeon, or a relict population of prehistoric plesiosaurs. Although many experts believe the correct name is Winnipego, as confirmed by local residents."

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipogo

We didn't see any sightings of this legendary creatures but we did site an island a short paddle away that we thought we would visit during our time on the lake.

Mystery Island as we dubbed it

We we wandered back after our visit to the cliffs we found the young guy who owns the rental shop was opening up for business. We decided on renting for half the day since it was already just after noon.  The rental includes paddles and life jackets and we chose a canoe which width was like a kayak, it was almost like a canoe/kayak crossover, with seat backs and of course the double paddle.  We both prefer the movement of the double paddle, I feel it balances my strokes on both arms and I don't get as tired as paddling on one side with one arm.

We set out at a fast pace pushing into the wind along the shoreline of cliffs.  Keith pointed to a distance marker and we made our way along the lake to that point.  He was in the British Navy Reserves and really knows his way around the water.  It is amazing how far out the snakes in the area go in the water as we passed a few of them slithering along the top of the water. I find being around water so peaceful, it truly is my stress reliever.

I was glad I was paddling with Keith he really knows what to do out there with the current and the wind, it made our paddling effortless.  When we reached our marker we turned around and started out to the island where we would have lunch.  The owner of the rental shop stated he had put a picnic table, firepit and left a goat out on the island to eat the poison ivy that is abundant. He said if we got a picture of the goat he would give us a five dollar discount.

As we came closer to the island my sailor remarking on the currents and ensuring our boat ended up where it was suppose to so we could go ashore.

 

The trail up to the center where the picnic table is

 with a view of the other side of the island, not a very wide island.

The island also had an old futon by the firepit and a chair to sit and watch the day go by

Jane

Tarzan

 We had a nice lunch then went for a swim on the other side of the island.

This side of the island was protected from the shore and I soon took my bikini top up to help bring my fast fading overall tan back to life.  The water was cool when you first got in but warmed up after you had been in for a long time.  It felt so good to be spirited and free my bikini bottoms soon followed and there we were frolicking in the water like two sea nymphs.  Back out of the water to dry off our thoughts soon turned to wild abandon and made love on the futon.  Satisfied we walked back into the water to cleanse the heated remnants of our union, that is when Keith sited the goat.  I ran back to the picnic table to grab my camera, and tried to get a distance shot from the water, but the goat must have seen us and a little spooked ran back to the end of the island.

Keith decided he was going to go around the other side of the island and force the goat to come past me while I hid between a tree.  Just like he planned me hidden the goat made his way past me, I was so excited that I didn't realize I had video on instead of picture, but nevertheless I did get a picture of the goat.

Our adventure out on the lake and Mystery Island was sadly coming to an end and soon we were back in the canoe paddling toward shore.

 View of the cliffs as we paddled back

We stopped and chatted with the young man and his mother about how he came into business.  He use to work at the Campsite and wanted to start renting canoes there but the owners didn't want him to do it so he quit and approached the tow of Steep Rock to allow him to rent the canoes from the boat launch in town.  He made a deal that he would keep the peaceful, serene and non-commercialized atmosphere of the area intact. This meant no power boats or seadoo's tainting the natural wonders of the lake.  He told us he was thinking of taking up sailing and I told him that renting sailboats would be in keeping with keeping the area free and natural.  We also found out a little too late that he also had two cabins that he rents out for $75 and $80 a night along with a free canoe.  That would have been perfect for us, but the rest of the weekend didn't cooperate weather wise.

It was time to check into our next motel in Moosehorn, shower, have dinner and relax for another adventure Saturday.  We had decided we would go to the rodeo, Keith had never been to one, while I have been once to the Calgary Stampede.

The weather Saturday was a little windy and cooler as we made our way to the Rodeo which was just a short drive out of town.  Admission paid we found a spot to park whereby we could just pull out and no one would be in our way.  The Rodeo was small and we found a spot on the grandstand where we could sit and wait for the day's events.