Longhurst Lake

In late June, I finally got time to try Longhurst Lake. Longhurst is due south of Stony Plain on Highway 779. The lake is bisected (east-west) by Garden Valley Road and I paddled the northern part. Access is through Atim Creek, which is about 1.5km north of Garden Valley Road on the west side of Highway 779. There is a little pull out here by the bridge of Atim Creek. The shot below is looking north along Highway 779.

You can unload here and access the creek from either the north or south side. The south side is a short carry (20 feet?) and into the outflow stream. You can get in dry footed here but it requires some bumscooting and cussing to get out into the creek proper where you can paddle.

Alternately, you can carry about 100 feet down the slope on the north side of the creek. This is an easier entry (you push right into very deep water) but your feet will get wet in the boggy approach. Neither side was great and getting out was tricky because of the small muddy slope involved.

Anyhow, once you are on the water, you paddle SW about 600m down the curving Atim Creek. There were lots of birds here, including some young coots with bright red heads (no picture, sorry!).

You then spill out into the lake. It is basically a reedy shore with aspen and tamarack forest. There were lots of birds here, including this grebe nest with three eggs.

You can paddle up Atim Creek where it enters Longhurst Lake in the northwest corner, if you want (again, lots of birds).

The lake is about three or four kilometres around, bordered on the south and east by busy roads. 

In the middle is a large island.

You might be able to access the island on the west side, but I'd guess you're gonna get your feet wet. The lake has about 18 inches of clear water all the way across above a weedy bottom. I never really hit the bottom when I poled the lake--just endless goo.

This duck put on quite a show trying to distract me from this cluster of 13 (I think) chicks.

Overall, a nice enough paddle with lots of bird watching. I'm not sure I would go back since it is just basically a sloe. I wasn't able to see any decent access to the southern half of the lake when I drove by but you might be able to force something through the reeds.