In early July, I headed up Highway 2 towards Athabasca to try Helliwell Lake. The lake is 4 miles long (maybe 7km) and is in three basins, straddling two range roads. I've seen this lake from Highway 2 on many trips to Athabasca and decided to paddle the eastern and centre basin (almost 11km return).
The best access I could figure was off Range Road 250. I parked on the south side of the lake (just below the pink arrow and made my way in to the eastern basin at the green arrow. You could probably get in elsewhere along the road (I did walk it all on both sides)--this just looked the easiest given the weeds (lots of nettle!).
I beat a path down the bank (below, green arrow) and then slide the boat down. It was reasonably steep. Then I stepped in and bum-scooted the launch.
There is a bridge on RR250 but it is not possible to pass under, both because of the cross beams and the beaver dam.
The picture below is basically what you get in the eastern basin. Lots of bullrushes, some aspen/fir forest and a few cabins. The very hopeful "lakefront property" signs put up by real estate agents on the roads nearby made me laugh. Yes, it is a lake, but really is is a sloe.
The water was full of blue-green algae when I was there. Not too smelly but definitely not for swimming. There were lots of ducks, loons, cormorants, and fish jumping.
At the far eastern edge (blue arrow), you could get in off Highway 2 (below) if you could get your car off the road and into the ditch (note how close the highway is to the lake!). RR250 was likely a better option, I think.
I fished this bird (I think a female red-winged blackbird) out of the water. She was still alive (despite the picture!), just exhausted. She warmed up as I paddled back west and I set her ashore on some sunny grass to recuperate (or not). Getting out, I almost brained a muskrat with my kayak, startling us both!
I carried the kayak across the road to the centre section at the pink arrow. This was a bit more of an adventure, with more nettle, worse footing and a sharp turn at the bottom.
The centre section is two miles long and is mostly this:
At the far western end, it gets more agricultural:
The most interesting part were about 60 pelicans sitting on an old beaver lodge.
At the western edge, you hit Range Road 252. I think you could get out here. I wasn't keen on trying the western basin and I was getting hot, so I turned around and headed back.
All told, an interesting paddle with lots of birds. I can't imagine going back, though. My boat needed a pretty thorough washing when I got home.
