Marco Manzo II and Marco Manzo III tentatively set out from Sagonto Resort, on the Canadian side of Lake Saganaga on Sunday, December 11. They traveled slowly to the American side to get their mail—an eight-mile round-trip journey.
The Cook County News-Herald heard from our friends at Sagonto Resort, on the Canadian side of Lake Saganaga this week. Marco Manzo III reported that for the second year, he and his family are the only residents on the Canadian side of Sag during freeze-up. On Sunday, December 11, Marco and his dad, Marco Manzo, made a trip down the corridor, stopping one mile short of the Sag landing—with a canoe and otter sled in tow, just in case the ice gave out. The men were roped together in case one of them broke through and they had a change of clothes and spare boots.
They headed out toward Horseshoe Island and when they neared Sly Island there were areas of open water, which prevented passage. They decided to try the east side of Sly by the mainland. There, they again found open water, but there was good ice to approach shore and they were able to portage the canoe and sled.
The purpose of the trip was to investigate the ice conditions and to pick up packages and mail that Bob Monehan had been holding for Sagonto Resort.
Pausing to pose for a photo on the ice adventure is Marco Manzo II
On the return, where they had portaged safely by Sly Island, there had been an ice heave. Marco Manzo III said, “I was standing near the open water on the ice heave and a portion gave way under foot. I soaked my left boot and leg and right boot. I sat down quickly so I wouldn’t go all the way in. As I was only a half mile from home, I opted to wait to change.”
Videos of their trek can be seen at www.youtube.com/Sagonto.
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