Nice trip!

I was through Lavieille just last July, and the bloom isn't really affecting it. Hardy Bay had no noticeable tinge. On Dickson you could see the water colour difference and you clearly wouldn't want to be drinking the water there, but in my (entirely unscientific) opinion, you've got no worries about Lavieille getting shut down this year.

While the Hogan to Big Crow portage is no picnic, you'll certainly have time to hike the fire tower if you want to - the view is definitely worth the climb. 

Is it pronounced La-vee-yay? 

That's how I've been pronouncing it for years...and could be entirely wrong.

I pronounced it, La-Ville for over 20 years until i was corrected in 2007 by some woman and her daughter at Brent store ..meh..toe-may-toe, root-a-bag-ah.

Pretty sure it should be la-vyaaay. The old lady. I read somewhere that it was voyageur slang for the wind, the spirit of the wind that needs to appeased with offerings of tobacco, etc. Not sure if that reading of the meaning applies to this particular lake, though. I would be interested to know who named it, etc.

Edit: found reference to old woman of the wind
From Grace Lee Nute, “The Voyageur”:

“There were compensations, however, in traveling on
Lake Superior. When the wind was soft and light and
blowing from the proper quarter, sails were improvised
from oil cloths or blankets, and the little vessels sped
along while the voyageurs took their ease, smoking, singing, or sleeping. It was La Vieille, or "the old woman of
the wind," who thus blessed the voyageurs with favoring
breezes and lightened their toil; and so, sacrifices to her
were always in order. The ritual consisted of throwing
a little tobacco into the waters, or scattering a little water
from the blades of the paddles, and uttering the formula,
"Souffle, souffle, la vieille" ("Blow, blow, old woman").
This ceremony was doubtless borrowed from the Indians,
whose customs were often appropriated by the voy-
ageurs.”

Last edited by Methye (1/31/2019 8:37 pm)