Silent Sliver of Light

Rediscovering the hidden wonders of the night

As elegantly as the sun-set on the horizon across the bay from me, a silent sliver of light began to rise high into the fading colors of the night. I sat on the edge of the shore with my back leaned up against a big boulder, still holding the heat from the day's sunshine and my feet a few inches away from the persistent melody of the water swaying up and down onto the pebbles onshore. Watching and waiting for the perfect night to unfold.

I came to canoe the northern reaches of Lake Superior alone to seek solitude, beauty, and challenge, something that we should all do by ourselves from time to time. The camp I set up towards the end of my trip was set along the shore of an island, off of the mainland by several kilometers. Surrounded by islands of various scales, and all blocking a majority of my view out into its endless expanse, the bay felt as though I had the whole lake to myself. The familiar feeling you get being in the mountains, just a small spec on a seemingly endless landscape. A lake like Superior has the same effect with its grandeur and beauty. I appreciate finding these spots that give you a sense of seclusion and wildness, especially in today’s world where it can be increasingly hard to find a place outside the view of development, the noise of towns, or jet trails crisscrossing across the open sky.

Many see the hand-painted colors of the fading sky as being the highlight of the evening, but once the sun sets and the moon begins to rise does the main show really begin. Like sunsets, the night sky and the moon rise present different appearances on a nightly basis. Some nights may be clear and colorful, others grey and covered with clouds. Regardless, if the conditions are right, I have found these first couple of hours after the sun has set to be one of the best times to go out for a paddle or observe the landscape.

In my bay, two loons harmonized with each other as they too seem to be celebrating the night ahead. One of the beautiful things about taking a trip like this by yourself is you are not usually confined to the normal schedules back home. instead, you can determine your own schedule as you go, at your own pace. The evening presented the perfect opportunity to further explore my bay and surrounding islands.

The first of the stars began to appear in the sky as I quietly slid my canoe into the crystal clear waters. With only the basics, a PFD, paddle, and canoe, I pushed off into the stillness of the night. I have found that these nights are best observed without the artificial light of headlamps, but if you give your eyes the chance to adjust, the moon and stars illuminate the night in the way it was meant to be seen.

There is something different about being on the water under the moon and stars that doesn’t compare to the travel you experience during the daytime. The low light conditions force you to slow your pace further and pay more attention to your surroundings. The wind tends to calm down throughout the night and the air is a little crisper and cooler than it was during the day. As some things go to bed, others begin their day in the stillness of the night, something we usually miss because of our “normal” daily schedules.

As my canoe glides gently along the glass-like surface of the water, the brook trout rise to the surface by the dozen in hopes of getting a meal before they begin their strenuous spawning journey up the nearby tributaries. Meanwhile, an owl perched high on the limb of a spruce tree across the bay replaces the iconic loons, with its deep, familiar “who?, who?” and observes me and my canoe carefully as I make my way down the channel.

As I move further away from my camp, the night grows brighter under the illumination of the millions of stars that have appeared and their familiar constellation patterns. These types of outings are not meant to be rushed, but immersive and enjoyed. I come to a stop every so often to observe what surrounds me. My favorite being a seemingly perfect view of a small, wind-swept island of small pines that boasts its ruggedness along the open horizon, while the reflection of the stars twinkles off the water like diamonds.

I think about how for centuries, people have used the stillness of the night to travel and reconnect within their landscape. It is a time when even the busiest of trails, waterways, or landscapes can be experienced in solitude and with a new perspective. The familiar sights and sounds are replaced and a whole new world of curiosity covers the landscape.

With a long day of paddling the next day, my time under the night sky is shorter than I hoped. As I pull my canoe back up onto land and crawl into my sleeping bag for the night, I lay silent, listening to the gentle sounds of the landscape at work. I think about the grand stage I lay before, in awe of the same moon, stars, and islands those who have traveled through this area have seen for centuries and to those who will experience it with the same fascination well after I am gone.

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