It seems hard to believe, but once again we were blessed with amazing weather for our day trip to Harrison Hot Springs. Paddling in the fall always feels like a bonus, and when you are lucky enough to have the sun on your face and the wind on your back, it seems to feel extra special. Today was such a day!
We launched from the public beach area near the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa and marveled at the view of the Breckenridge Glacier. It was picture perfect with the sun hitting the snow capped mountain peak.
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| Launch site - Harrison Hot Springs |
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| View of the Breckenridge Glacier |
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| Harrison Hot Springs |
We paddled across the lake and made our way to the mouth of the Harrison river. The Harrison River (18 kilometers) is a short but amazing river. The first designated Salmon Stronghold in Canada, it is the only area in BC to host all five species of salmon and steel head trout. The salmon habitat in the Harrison Basin is an example of a crucial salmon system that has somehow remained pristine. This abundance of salmon draws in 1000's of Bald Eagles every fall making the Harrison River the 3rd largest gathering place of Bald Eagles in North America.
As we made our way down the river - an easy float as the current was with us, we enjoyed the peace and serenity of the area. As we floated in silence, we could hear the fish jumping and splashing around us. I suppose that is the outdoor equivalent of hearing a pin drop. The river was an incredible green colour - reminding us of the glacier lakes we have visited in the Rockies near Banff and Lake Louise and the fall colours were spectacular.
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| Glacier fed river - amazing colours! |
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| Leaves starting to turn - symphony of colour! |
We landed on a small beach and climbed up the rock to get a view of the river below. Perfect! Further downstream lies Chehalis Flats. The largest concentration of bald eagles ever recorded was documented in this area. Work is underway to protect this area and create awareness of Bald Eagle Etiquette for the Chehalis Flats and Harrison Mills area.
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| Rest stop - with a view |
It was time to turn around and face the paddle back against the wind and the current....our easy float was over. The wind had picked up so we took advantage of our friend Eddy to take brief rest breaks as we paddled back to the lake. Curious seals followed us back - it is always a treat to see the seals so far upstream and a sure sign that the fishing is good! We watched in fascination as a seal battled with his dinner - we were unsuccessful in getting a photo of the epic battle, but we can assure you that the seal won!
Giggle of the Day:
The sight of the kayaks always seems to attract on-lookers, especially tourists visiting Canada, and today was no exception. Our van was parked on the main street directly opposite an outdoor cafe. There were several groups of tourists sitting outside watching us load up the gear. We overheard one man say, "How the h### are they going to get those boats on top of that van?" ...followed by "will you look at that!" followed by "Well, I'll be "darned." Of course, we pretended to be cool and calm on the outside, but inside I was praying I would not drop the boat in front of such an enthusiastic and curious audience!
Map and Route Tips:
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