Smith Fisheries on 11 Sept., 2002, then on to Montreal Falls on 6 Sept., 2003. In 2002, the shot at the left is of the fish storage building and at the right the Jumpers stand beside the ice chest inside the building. On its top is a motor driven ice crusher. There are several more modern buildings on the site but today the only one present was a lone Canadian goose, apparently an experienced panhandler. In 2002 we wrote: "We understand the Smith Fisheries operated from 1943 to 1968 and now is to be preserved as a historical site. The access road is private property but for the moment at least the owners permit us to traverse it. The hiking trail to the Montreal River Falls leaves from the same area."
In 2003 the same crew returned to the area with Mary Ruth at the wheel. We found some changes and penetrated further. Changes included the fact that "No Trespassing" signs no longer mark the logging road/private drive which turns off the Lac La Belle-Beta Gris Road. But the Smith Fisheries site is fenced (see right) and posted.
The drivable road now extends a bit beyond the Fisheries. The repeatedly-used campsite pictured at left is at the start of the trail along the bluff on to the Montreal River. It took us some 45 minutes to negotiate the trail. It's well defined but replete with hazards for the unwary or the clumsy. The most threatening is the opportunity to slip down the 50-60 foot drop to the lakeshore. Roots and logs need crawling over or ducking under. But we made it to the river with the only mishap being a little broken-limb scratch on Davis's forehead.
The older folks rested while Davis explored the lower falls and a bit of the trail toward the middle falls. Then he had a swim in the lake at the mouth of the river--these activities being recorded below.
After the return hike to the Jumper vehicle, the drive out included a wrong turn onto what appeared to be a snowmobile trail. We were a bit late meeting Mary at the Seasons restaurant in Lac La Belle but were gratified the trip and hike had turned out to be so much fun.
A couple days after our trip to the Montreal River the Mining Gazette carried stories about the purchase of some 6,000 acres by the State, a tract that includes some of the shoreline and part of the Montreal River. The region then will probably see increased numbers of hikers and campers. This day was a Saturday and we encountered a dozen or so exploring the area much as we were.