But don’t worry, you don’t need a depth finder or a fishing boat to complete this Earthcache. You will need a boat of some kind (canoe or kayak) or you could try swimming from the beach. It’s approximately 400 metres to Doe Island. In the winter, it may be possible to walk to the island, but you need to find out from the local snowmobilers if the ice is thick enough. Then you will need to somehow climb up the rock, so snow, not ice, would be best.
Logging Requirements:
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From this vantage point at the posted co-ordinates, count approximately how many of the over 1000 islands you can see.
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Elevation readings – take an elevation reading at the beach and another at the posted co-ordinates at the top of Doe Island and tell me how many metres or feet high you are above the water level.
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Bathymetry Question - Imagine the lake has been drained and you can see clear to the bottom. Are the valleys under the surface deeper than this rock is high or about the same depth as the rock is high? Do you think it is possible for lake bottoms to be twice as deep, three times as deep, even four times as deep as the islands are high? (This is pure speculation, and there are no wrong answers. I'm curious what you might already know about lake depths, that's all. Please read the description as it is very interesting.
Optional : post a photo of you at the top of Doe Island
Stoney Lake is a 32 km long lake that straddles two large geological regions: the Canadian Shield to the north and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Lowlands to the south. You can see how the lake is influenced both by the rugged granite of the Canadian Shield, and by the more gentle, heavily forested Lowlands with a combination of both white Northern pines and a large variety of deciduous trees.
Evidence of the Paleozoic Time Period in geological history is evident in the over 1000 rock islands which are mostly pink igneous granite full of feldspar. The lake, which is 32 metres deep in parts, was further carved out by the most recent ice ages, thousands of years ago. If the lake was completely drained, the topography of the lake bottom would include valleys and high rock hills.
Stoney Lake is comprised of three interconnected lakes (Upper Stoney Lake to the northeast, Stoney Lake in the centre, and Clear Lake to the southwest). There are many lovely summer cottages and also permanent residences, as almost all of the Crown Land was gradually sold, starting in the early 1900’s. There are still some islands and shoreline that are naturally preserved and Quarry Bay Beach and parking are free and open for the public.
You will need to carry your canoe or kayak 100 metres from the parking to the beach in order to launch. Motorboats are not permitted to launch from the beach, and there is a gate, but you could take a motorboat from a marina somewhere else on the lake for a fee. If you take a motorboat to Doe Island, you will need to anchor off the island and swim to the rock. Our church youth group kids just swim from the beach to the island and jump off the “Jumping Rock” which is on the south side of the island, about 10 feet from the lake surface. It takes a little bit of mountain goat maneuvering to get to the Jumping Rock, but it’s worth it ! We spent almost an hour on Doe Island swimming, picnicking, taking photos, and jumping into the water.
Have fun and stay safe !
Resources
http://www.stonylake.on.ca/links/97-maps.html
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