Widgeon Creek by Kayak...Lions and tigers and bears...oh my!

Today was our first paddle of the season,,,and it was SPECTACULAR.  I must confess that it really doesn't matter where you paddle on your first day of the season, as it is simply the pure joy of being back in your boat that matters.  I wish I could describe the feeling that comes across you as you dip your paddle into the water on that first day.  With every stroke of your paddle you get farther away from the City and your every day work life and a sense of peace and calm seems to overtake you.

Launch Site at Grant Narrows - Pitt Lake

We were extremely lucky today as the water was calm, the sun was out and the wind was down.  We made the choice to paddle along Widgeon Creek, an estuary at the south end of Pitt Lake.  It was a picture perfect spring day...the mountains were snow capped and you could feel the land coming to life.

Snow Capped Mountains

To enter Widgeon Creek you must paddle across Grant Narrows.  It is a short crossing, but during peak season you must be careful to watch for motor boats.  Pitt Lake is the only tidal lake in Western Canada and the tide swings are unbelievable.  This 24 km lake is known as the largest fresh water tidal lake in North America.  A few years ago we were camping on the lake and almost lost our boats, as we didn't account for the tidal swing when selecting our campsite.

We made our way through the marsh and enjoyed the ever changing scenery as the creek twisted and turned.  We passed by the Widgeon Creek campsite, which had been over run by a troop of boy scouts. They were planning a day hike up to the falls.  The falls are spectacular and well worth the hike.

After bidding farewell to the Scouts we travelled further up the creek until the water levels were just too low to continue.  We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the sandbar and contemplated the paddles we would like to take this summer.  So many destinations....so little time.

Perfect sandbar for a picnic

The highlight of the trip was a bear sighting!  As we paddled back to the boat launch we were chatting away, when we rounded a bend in the creek and came across a magnificent black bear.  I saw him first, and Rob continued to chat.  I "casually" mentioned BEAR...and we back paddled to put some distance between us.  We watched him forage for quite a while, until he finally put his head up and took notice of us.  At that point, we decided it was best to move on.  Better grubs be his lunch!

Da Bear!

Giggle of the day:

The Widgeon Creek paddle is perfect for beginners!  A canoe rental outlet is conveniently located at the boat launch, so it is not uncommon to come across "newbies" out for the first time.  We are always thrilled to meet and greet those new to the outdoors and we take every opportunity to share our love for paddling, hiking and cycling.  Today we came across a young couple, who clearly were on their first date.  In his ultimate wisdom this young man decided a romantic paddle on Widgeon Creek would be the date to WOW her.  Unfortunately, it was abundantly clear that his lady love did not share his passion for paddling or the outdoors.  When we passed them, he had tied her boat to his and was towing her, literally UP THE CREEK!  She could not have looked more miserable!  We found them one kilometre from the boat launch, she was staring down and refusing to paddle.  We greeted them with a hearty hello...and made the executive decision to NOT mention the bear that was around the next corner, foraging for food along the river bank.  We didn't think that information would help spark the romance.  We hope we made the right decision......


Map and Route Tips:

Pinecone Burke Provincial Park  http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/pinecone/