Colonel By Island, ON to Jones Falls Lock, ON

Miles Traveled 20.5

Total Miles Traveled 5121

Day 304

We awoke to a cool drizzling morning with a few loons making their distinct call to break the silence.  I think we could stay here a week, but we have much more to see and the days are going fast.  We had only planned on 5 locks today, but ended up cruising a little farther and passed through 9. 

The Rideau Lake gradually became narrow with rocky islands emerging from the clear water.  As we traveled deeper into the canal, we had to ask ourselves if we made a wrong turn.

Oh Crap!

Since Lock #1 at Ottawa, each lock we entered raised us higher in elevation.  Today we entered Lock #36 the highest level of the Rideau Canal—407 feet above sea level.  After passing through Lock #36, the navigational markers change from red on starboard (Right) to green on starboard, and the remaining locks will lower us in elevation.

This is Lock #39 near Jones Falls.

This is the dam at Jones Falls; it is an inverted keystone arch dam, one of the first arch dams constructed in North America.  Sixty one feet high and 350 feet long it was the highest dam in North America, and the third largest in the world at its completion in 1831.  Unlike many other stone structures, the dam was constructed by placing the stones vertically instead of horizontally in an arched shape.  As water pressure is exerted upstream the free stone blocks are pushed together for strength.

At the dock below Lock #42