Back on the Sturgeon

Spring has finally arrived, so Monday night we loaded up the kayaks and headed for St Albert.

The boat launch across from St. Albert Place was clear of ice (and people!) and the water was high so it was a lovely entry.

We saw lots of muskrat in town and a few other boats on the water.

We paddled past the rail bridge just before a big ice floe crashed into the bridge and blocked the channel back!

There were a few other big floes and I got to play around and steer one to the side.

The beaver were very active towards Gibbons Drive, with two beavers quite unhappy that we were paddling near the lodge. They swam around and slapped their tails multiple times.

We eventually turned around and floated back down as the clouds made the light way more dramatic. Lots of birds and waterfowl.

The bridge was still blocked when we got there.

We couldn't bust the ice floe free but we were able to paddle around through the pillings because the water was so high. That beat portaging.

On the way back, there was another beaver on the bank near St Albert Place (no picture).

Happy no people or phones got wet this time. It was great to be back on the water.

The North Saskatchewan has opened up but there is a fair bit of water, lots of floating ice, and the sides are too iced up for access. The city has also put the access point at Emily Murphy out of commission due to bridge repairs.