Flatwater

Book as soon as possible.

Three days of re-exploring the northeast corner of Georgian Bay out of Key River. Pickerel River outlets, Churchill Islands, Henvey Inlet,&  Key Harbour are on the circle tour.

Long daylight, rock campsites and light June breezes make for fewer bugs. Solo or tandem paddlers welcome.

Suitable for anyone who is looking for a relaxing way to spend three days out of doors.

A gentle moving stream flowing through spring woodlands.
A few small riffles and one, or possibly two, portages.

Suitable for novices and anyone else who would enjoy some pleasant spring canoeing.

Book as soon as possible.

Designated America’s first National Ecological Reserve, The New Jersey Pine Barrens, comprises over 1.1 million acres of pitch pine, cedar, and lowland bog forest and fields. The low gradient rivers are narrow, surprisingly swift, and filled with clear brown yellow water. The paddling is marked by ducking under curved cedars, open bog like areas with twisty channels, sandy banks and bars, and a variety of flowering trees and shrubs. Parts of the rivers cut across sand plains with pitch pine that are strikingly like the jack pine areas so familiar in Canada’s north. I propose two trips‐ both of which I have done many times since my youth.

The first is the Oswego from Oswego Lake down to the junction with the Wading River with a take out a Beaver Branch. There are two short portages around dams and lots of lovely cedar paddling. The Oswego is totally within Wharton State Forest. I estimate 6 hours of easy going. The second is Cedar Creek which flows east to Barnegat Bay of the Atlantic Ocean. I can inquire as to the possibility of a pick up on the Bay itself or we can use the normal stopping place in the Double Trouble State Park at the campground. I estimate 4 to 5 hours of easy paddling. Rental boats and shuttles are available at each place and there are motels nearby.

There is some camping but since I live in nearby Philadelphia I have never pitched a tent in the area. One thought would be to stay out on the barrier island with ocean beaches and back bay paddling– Long Beach Island‐ in a motel or B and B‐ and drive to the various put ins or stay in land at some place. References‐ Paddling the Jersey Pine Barrens by Robert Parnes ; Water, Earth, and Fire: Land Use and Environmental Planning in the New Jersey Pine Barrens; Berger and Sinton; Johns Hopkins Univ. Press.

Event Cancelled due to lack of interest.
We will be providing basic Lake Water instruction for new canoeist for two separate day sessions. There will not be any camping. On Saturday, we will be covering basic paddling and safety required on most lake or flat water canoe outings. On Sunday, we will be reviewing the technique covered previously and will proceed to more advanced techniques.
If you are interested in this session, contact Jeff Haymer by phone or email.

Book by May 1. Join us for a trip around some beautiful Kawartha lakes before the bugs come out. Small lakes, flatwater, lift-overs and portages. Located just south of Apsley. Limit of 4 canoes.

Book by May 1. The trip down the Nottawasaga Rive through Minesing Swamp is a slow paced, relaxing spring paddle. The swamp is a unique area rich in birds and wildlife. We’ll enter the Swamp via Willow Creek and follow the river down to Edenvale. A pleasant day’s paddle for canoeists of all skill levels.

book before May 1. Enjoy the spring warbler migration. We will camp at Wheatley Provincial Park and wander the trails of Point Pelee and Hillman Marsh. Flatwater padding opportunities available. Binoculars mandatory.

Book before April 15. We will paddle some lakes yet to be decided, experience the returning birds, and discover other flora and fauna emerging from hibernation. Maybe we will find the first turtles sunning themselves on logs, and listen to the choruses of spring peepers, as in previous years. We’ll hike and explore the surrounding area and clean up portages, if needed. Limit four canoes.

Book as soon as possible. This will be a challenging whitewater run suitable for advanced-level paddlers with fully outfitted canoes (centre bags for tandem boats) and proper cold-weather attire. If the river isn’t open yet we could switch to the Moira. Limit five boats

Book before March 21. Join me on this classic early spring favourite of Toronto area paddlers. We’ll catch the Credit in Streetsville and run down to the mouth at Port Credit. The river is a delightful continuous class 1 to 2 with lots of play spots. However, as sweepers can present a hazard and the water will be cold, participants should have solid basic moving water skills, and wear a wetsuit or drysuit. If we have a late break-up, we'll move the trip to March 29.