Around the Great Lakes

Rough Distances

Pouring over maps and trying the estimate the distances for this trip is like a little game where I have to decide just how good the weather is going to be, how easy a crossing is going to be the day I arrive, and how close I’ll want to stay to shore on any one day. I’ve been using Google Earth to play this game.

Google Earth is a free program that allows the user to view satellite imagery, maps, and terrain. It will even allow you to make an virtual tour of your paddling route. Here’s one I made from my last fall Lake Nipigon Trip.

To use Google Earth to do this, you turn on the Path Tool, zoom using the mouse scroll wheel into the location you want to inspect, and click a point. Then move to your destination and click another point. The Path Tool will add the distances between all the points you create and give you a total. The picture below shows a screenshot of Google Earth in action.

The distances that I’ve estimated are below:

• Lake Ontario is 410 miles. Estimated 14 to 17 days.
• Lake Erie is 565 miles. Estimated 18 to 22 days.
• Lake Huron is 775. Estimated 25 to 31 days.
• Lake Superior is 950 miles. Estimated 31 to 38 days.
• Lake Michigan is 870 miles. Estimated 29 to 35 days.

The total is 3,570 miles, plus the connecting rivers. Estimated 117 to 143 days, plus connecting rivers. With the rivers and if I tackle Georgian Bay, the trip is well over 3,800 miles.

Using this tool, I’ve also identified interesting features. As you zoom in with the program, the detail is amazing. This becomes a fun guessing game in and of itself, because I can attempt to imagine the kinds of photos I’ll be able to take in some of the more interesting locations.

Everything that I’ve found, gets transcribed onto the maps I’m creating for the trip using USGS 1:100,000 maps that can be downloaded for free.

Other Great Lakes

• The Great Slave Lake is 760 miles.
• Great Bear Lake is 925 miles.
• Lake Nipigon is 215 miles.
• Lake Winnipeg is 760 miles.
• Lake Athabasca is 350 miles.

Tags: distances, google earth, Lake Nipigon, maps, plan, route