East Pit Lake

In mid-August, we took a second trip out to East Pit Lake, just north of Wabamun on a Sunday evening. The parking lot (which is small) was nearly full but it was entirely with people fishing on the edge.

We humped the boats up to the crest of the hill and then all the way down. About 1000 feet from the parking lot and maybe 150 feet of vertical gain and loss.

The entry was clean and the lake was deserted and calm. Being down in a valley seems to negate most of the wind.

The lake is very much a prairie lake (hasn't been enough time since the area was strip-mined for the aspen to grown back). The water was super clean.

We saw some geese, a beaver, an osprey fishing, and some angry loons. Lots of fish jumping.

The picture below is the hill you have to climb back up at the end! We did two laps in about 90 ninety minutes at a very leisurely pace, including a trip up the little reach on the south side of the lake.

Overall, a neat change of pace from the usual lakes. 

Thunder Lake

In early August, we went back out to Thunder Lake. We'd paddled the SE third mid-day in June but the lake was too rough that day to venture up the lake. This time, we went after dinner and the water was calmer.

We put in again at the day-use area of the provincial park, which was basically deserted. I picked up my first leech in maybe 10 years (last time was in the green canoe out at Astotin Lake) and it had lots of friends in the water when I started looking!

We went NW along the north shore for awhile and basically it is reeds giving way to an aspen forest. Very pretty but nothing really notable. There was a blue-green algae warning on the lake but we didn't see any algae.

There were a lot of boats on the lake but the wakes weren't anything to be bothered by. It was smoking hot at 28C with no wind.

We paddled around the islands in the middle of the lake, watching the birds. Terns, cormorants, loons, ducks and some black-birds.

The cormorant drying its wings was the most interesting part of the islands.

We got about halfway down the lake and then some wind came up so we toured the south shore back towards Lightening Bay. Lots of young birds in the sheltered areas plus a few folks water-skiing.

Eventually, we cut back across past the deserted public beach and pulled out. A few more folks had arrived for a late evening paddle board as we were leaving.

Overall, a nice evening paddle. I'm more of a morning person and I'd forgotten how nice a warm, calm paddle with the sun dropping towards the horizon can be.

Lacombe Lake

This summer I had a chance to stop at Lacombe Lake, just north of Blackfalds. Access is off Highway 2A, either north of Blackfalds or south of Lacombe. You then turn west on Township Road 402 by the RV storage place and go west until you hit the lake (approximately where the green arrow points).

There is a sand-and-gravel boat launch with room to turn around and maybe park if it isn't too busy. I was there on an overcast day--the pictures would be a lot cheerier if there had been some sun.

The lake is about 2 km north-south and varies between 100 and 400m wide east west. The northern part was pretty shallow from what I could see and it looked like there were buoys for racing. 

The lake was nice but pretty unremarkable. Reeds giving way to a mixture of farm land or forest. There were a few houses backing onto the lake.

The west side was quite a lot calmer with trees creating a wind break. There was a pretty noticeable livestock smell (pigs?) whenever the wind picked up.

A nice little lake. The circuit took about 90 minutes. There were a fair number of birds, including heron, pelicans, grebes, loons, and terns.

Glenmore Reservoir

A family visit took my to Calgary this summer and I managed to get in an early morning paddle on the Glenmore Reservoir. I put in at the boat launch at Heritage Park about 7 am. This launch was insanely busy when I went back later in the day. Nice concrete boat ramp out to sheltered bay.

I was a bit tight on time so I just paddled the NW reach pf the reservoir, below Heritage Park, over to the causeway, and then back along below the golf course and Glenmore Park. It was about 3km and took under an hour at a very leisurely place. If I'd had more time, I would have gone to the west end, up the elbow, and into Weaselhead.

The east shore is basically an alpine paddle with fir trees, a steep shoreline, and very clear water. Different view of the Moyie than I usually get when I'm in town.

Downtown was magnified by a little mist over top the causeway.

Theory dick of the Moyie.

Lots of crews out practicing on the racecourse. The west side of the bay is more foothills, with sand and low scrub.

A few birds including this duck who didn't seem able to make me out against the rising sun.

The city seems to have run a bike path along the golf course since I lived in Calgary; very cool bridges.

The canoe club at Glenmore Park is an alternate launch site.

The sun coming up over Heritage Park.

Overall, a lovely paddle. Sad I didn't have time to grind up into Weaselhead. Maybe next trip.