Agawa Rock

Canada
Originally uploaded by True North Two

Risk isn't exactly my middle name, but when my husband and I came across Agawa Rock, we knew we had to do it.

And by "do it" I mean literally risk hide and hair to see it. A sign leading down to the rock warned visitors that waves from Lake Superior could wash them away forever. More than one person has been killed at the site when they either fell or were swept off the narrow rock ledge after heavy rains. Sometimes they close the area because it can be so treacherous.

It was well worth the risk. A woman whose job it is to sit down by the rock and throw a rope out in case anyone falls in (no joke) told us we were free to take our shoes off if we felt we would have a better grip on the rock that way. We inched past the pictographs, spotting rust-colored animals, hunters and even a canoe. There were chains to hold onto in some places where you had to hug the wall to pass by. Thick ropes were anchored into the rock to grab onto in case of emergency. Judging by the huge boulders we could see in the clear water, you'd be a goner before you'd get a grip on one of those ropes.

One of the reasons I love Canada so much is that there is such a wealth of natural beauty and they really don't make a huge deal out of it. Here in the states, any attraction like this would we crawling with people and there would probably be trash along the trail. Lake Superior Provencial park is pristine and on any given day you are likely to find yourself alone to explore with no interruption.

If you think about it, our modern graffiti is in the same vein as this ancient site.