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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Listening Point - General Discussion Strange sounds on Jordan narrows |
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09/20/2019 07:13AM (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Just got back from an 8-day trip basecamped on Ashigan. Took a day trip to Jordan (up to Ima portage). We heard the strangest eerie sound while paddling the narrow passage heading to the Ima portage. It lasted for the full length and back of the narrows. We were convinced that it was NOT natural. The cadence and tones were pretty much random. We thought that perhaps there was a structure of reeds or vibrating bands being modulated by the wind. The sound was not faint...in fact loud at times. I have paddled that stretch a couple of times and never heard this sound. Very strange.
09/20/2019 09:22AM
I have a maybe strange sounding question, but I've had this happen and it took me a while to figure out. Did you have fishing rods in the boat? Was the wind blowing enough to cause sounds to come from the guides on the rods? That can make quite a variety of sounds, but normally a higher pitched whistling sound. Its loud enough to hear from a nearby canoe, and especially loud enough for the people in the canoe its coming from. Without more to go on, that's all I could think of.
09/20/2019 09:43AM
Yes, wind through fishing line and/or guides can make whistling noises and it can sound kinda eerie even when you know what it is.
Was it a thumping sound? I finally learned what a grouse sounds like this year. Like an airplane engine trying to start up and then failing. Crazy low frequencies coming from those guys... heard 'em all around Ensign and Vera.
Was it a thumping sound? I finally learned what a grouse sounds like this year. Like an airplane engine trying to start up and then failing. Crazy low frequencies coming from those guys... heard 'em all around Ensign and Vera.
09/20/2019 10:27AM
flynn: "Was it a thumping sound? I finally learned what a grouse sounds like this year. Like an airplane engine trying to start up and then failing. Crazy low frequencies coming from those guys... heard 'em all around Ensign and Vera."
No thumping...
09/20/2019 12:40PM
I am thinking it was the fishing rods as well. They can really make some noise, especially when leaned on the gunwale of an aluminum canoe!
On our last trip to Swan, we had a forest service float plane land and ask us if we had seen a missing person. After we had told them no and they departed, we heard what sounded like a siren of some sort, with varying frequencies, coming from Vernon. Turns out it was just our rods in the wind.
On our last trip to Swan, we had a forest service float plane land and ask us if we had seen a missing person. After we had told them no and they departed, we heard what sounded like a siren of some sort, with varying frequencies, coming from Vernon. Turns out it was just our rods in the wind.
09/20/2019 12:43PM
missmolly: "I've had my graphite rods hum before a thunderstorm. Was there electricity in the air?"
Hmmm (pardon the pun), that is interesting. Graphite is conductive, but we are talking low frequencies here, so electromagnetism is unlikely. Perhaps low-frequency ground waves caused by thunder??
09/20/2019 12:52PM
DKalis: "I am thinking it was the fishing rods as well. They can really make some noise, especially when leaned on the gunwale of an aluminum canoe!
"
I am feeling stupider and stupider by every response to my question. It's got to be the rods, and I, or my buddy, should have figured that out!
I will, nevertheless, do an experiment when I get my rod back...we have wind in Texas too!
09/20/2019 01:24PM
TechnoScout: "missmolly: "I've had my graphite rods hum before a thunderstorm. Was there electricity in the air?"
Hmmm (pardon the pun), that is interesting. Graphite is conductive, but we are talking low frequencies here, so electromagnetism is unlikely. Perhaps low-frequency ground waves caused by thunder?? "
Fun pun!
I will paddle eternal, Kevlar and carbon.
09/21/2019 07:56AM
Thanks for posting this and the responses. Great thoughts all. Never heard rod noise, but now I'll have some information if that happens.
Never criticize someone until you walk a mile in their shoes....by then you'll be a mile away and they will be shoeless!
06/13/2022 09:33AM
TechnoScout: "Went back to Jordan in May and camped there for 10 days.
Ran the fishing rod experiment with the expected results: the Jordan Singing Spirit.
LOL...what a hoot!"
I'm very glad you figured it out! It can be a creepy sound at times, and can vary based on the relative tension on the line, the position of the pole in the canoe, very subtle changes in the orientation of the canoe relative the winds...and of course wind fluctuations.
Mike
I did indeed rock down to Electric Avenue, but I did not take it higher. I regret that.
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