North Saskatchewan, Laurier Launch

In mid-April, the ice was mostly off the North Saskatchewan and I put in at the Laurier Park launch for a quick run. The water level was a low summer levels.

I ferried across to the south side and then went upstream for about half an hour. There were some nice ice shelfs in the shade of the bank and small bits of ice (fist sized) floating past.

Not much for birds (a few gulls and ducks) but the robins were singing in the trees.

You can just make out the usual water level on the rock below (about half way down the exposed face). Most of the larger pieces of ice visible in the water were grounded on gravel bars.

I went almost to the Quesnel bridge and then cut across to the sunny north bank for the float back. There were a few larger floaters here and a small cluster of bergs jammed up on the gravel shelf below the bank swallow colony.

All told, an okay paddle for early in the year on the North Saskatchewan. Looking forward to warmer weather and some lakes opening up.

North Saskatchewan River, Quesnel Bridge to Dawson Park

On the Thanksgiving weekend, we float through downtown Edmonton to take in the autumn colours.

We put in below the Quesnel Bridge and the river was super clear.

The water was at summer levels so no gravel bars and we made it to Dawson par in about 2 hours (maybe 14km?) with little paddling.

The river was weirdly empty for a long weekend. Maybe we were just a bit earlier than most folks but we saw only one other boat (beached) the whole trip.

The colours were great.

The water was also super calm the whole way (no upstream breeze).

We pulled out just below the Rowland Bridge at Dawson Park.

Overall, a pretty and quiet trip that was mostly unremarkable.

North Saskatchewan River, Emily Murphy launch

In early October, I got up before the sun and hustled down to the launch at Emily Murphy Park to catch the morning light. 

I don't usually post about paddling the river since it is pretty much always the same paddle. I decided to put this one here because the sky was very pretty as I launched and worked my way upstream.

There was no wind and a nice bit of morning mist on the water.

I saw six different beavers out between Emily Murphy and the Mackenzie ravine.

At this point, I turned around. The car read 2C when I started and 4C when I got back and I was cool, despite two jackets.

This is probably the peak of the leaf colours. 

The southward shift in the sun was really noticeable.

The water was summer low, but not as low as usual for the autumn (where the gravel bar the gull is standing on is usually revealed and dry.

I got back without seeing alone else out on the water. There were a few commuters on the paths.

This was my 60th paddle this year, which I think is a record. I expect we'll have a few more before freeze up although putting the garden to bed is occupying more of my time and the shorter days makes it hard to get out.

Northeast River Valley Park

In early September, I dropped in on the Northeast River Valley Park that opened in 2023. The park has a small lake and a channel to explore. You can probably get a boat in just about anywhere but the official launch is about a 250m carry from the main parking lot, across a bridge and down a hill. The picture below looks back at the pavilion from the launch.

There is a dock here in the summer but it was gone for the season when I was there. Entry was a little easier this year due to a small apron of gravel. The bottom is a shallow slope and I got in dry.

Lots of folks are just DIYing entry. The picture below is one access point just below the main parking lot down into the channel. A bit goopier of an entry but only about a 50m carry.

The edge of the lake is most reeds and grass. I was getting some early fall colour the day I went.

The best part of the park are the bridges, including these two that join an island with a playground to each side of the lake. There are also washrooms and a picnic area.

The water was clean but weedy and there are no swimming signs up.

I had a crazy calm day but the lake is also shallow and protected by the surrounding hills so waves aren't going to ever be an issue here.

There are also cement/brick bridges that mark the entrances to the channel.

There wasn't much happening animal wise. I did see a couple different types of hawks, lots of geese and ducks, and I chased a poor heron down the channel and back. The beaver lodge back here looks abandoned.

Two leisurely laps took about an hour. I think this lake offers a nice evening paddle when the days are getting shorter.

North Saskatchewan River, Dawson Launch

I paddle a fair bit on the North Saskatchewan but I don't blog about it much (pretty much the same all the time). In late July, I had an early morning run upstream out of out of Dawson Park to Louise McKinney and back that had great pictures.

The launch at Dawson is pretty shallow and I had to wade out beyond the end of the dock to get enough water to float. Then an easy paddle upstream to accidental beach. 

Here (near outflow 147), the current gets momentarily swift (this was a good hard paddle!) and then it was easy going again under the Tawatina bridge. The reflections were really great in the morning sun.

Then a lazy float back downstream to pull out and head home to start the day.

I don't do this section of the river nearly enough and it is very pretty.