A fall paddle up the Fall River!

There are two tributaries of the Mississippi watershed that enter the river about halfway between Dalhousie and Mississippi Lakes. The better-known one is the Clyde River, and it flows in from the northwest across the Township of Lanark Highlands. The lesser-known tributary is the Fall River. It’s located just 2 km downriver from the Clyde and flows in from the southwest.

Fall River, 13.8 km track (kayak)

GE map view

The nearest Mississippi River public canoe/kayak launch point to access the mouth of the Fall River is at the bridge on CR511. After launching at the bridge, it was a straight 2 km paddle upriver to the Fall River. I was happy to see that the water level at Fall River’s mouth was still high enough to navigate at this time of year (Nov 12th). The Fall River’s mouth is a large wetland area with a good number of muskrat lodges.  Paddling up the Fall River, I spotted a few active muskrats and numerous lodges on the water. 

Muskrats country

Muskrat lodges

My paddle up the winding Fall River was very nice.  The river banks are mostly lined with soft red/silver maple (maybe some ash & elm), and there is almost no shoreline development.  On this day, I did not see anybody else on the river, and the only sign of human activity was a few duck blinds.  I observed a few crude plywood signs on poles in the river with a person’s name on them. Would these signs be marking somebody’s duck hunting territory?

After 2 km up the Fall River, you get to a junction in the river.  The left branch takes you towards Lower Mud Lake, and I went that way to see if I could reach the mud lake. Well, I came to a small beaver dam at about 200m from Lower Mud Lake. It’s not easy to hop over a dam in a kayak (especially in cold water), so I made a U-turn.  I returned to the junction and turned up the right branch of the river towards Fallbrook. I only went about 1 km until it was time to turn around and start for home (these short November days are a pain).  On Google Earth, it looks like the river is navigable for another 2.5 km before any significant obstacles. At that point, the Fall River has another junction, and the river splits into two tributaries that flow around the village of Fallbrook.  This section will be something to explore in future trips.

Beaver dam below L. Mud Lake

The return paddle was easy and enjoyable in calm conditions.  I did get to photograph a Great Blue Heron on the Fall River’s shore and a Bald Eagle on the Mississippi River. The Bald Eagle kept moving upriver, so I ended paddling up the Mississippi almost 1 km to get better shots.

I had a great paddling trip for this late in the fall, and I plan to spend more time on the Fall River -- hopefully in the spring next time!

Great Blue Heron	Bald Eagle (with a meal in his talons - a muskrat maybe)

Knox Landing, Lac des Chats -- Ottawa River

What to do on a calm & sunny November day when the temperature is forecasted to hit 20C? It’s time to go out and enjoy the Ottawa River in my kayak! So on the morning of November 8th, I was heading to Braeside to launch my 14ft Widgeon kayak in Lac des Chats and spend the day exploring the Knox Landing islands, channels, inlets, bays, and wetlands. From the Braeside beach, I did a counter-clockwise paddle of the Ontario and Quebec shoreline. I had planned the river crossing at two points where the open water is less than one kilometre. The plan was also to spend most of the day on the river’s Quebec side -- in the Knox Landing area.  The Knox Landing area (including islands) is mostly undeveloped, and much of it is now protected by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).

Lac des Chats, 14.5 km kayak track

Knox Landing area, GE view

 

NCC properties (Knox Landing & Pontiac area)

The first inlet/bay (Bay 10W) that I entered leads to an extensive wetland, but I could not reach it due to the low water level and dense vegetation. At the next bay (Bay 16W), I did manage to paddle to the far end and explore a very quiet and pristine wetland. As a bonus, a pair of Bufflehead Ducks was still hanging around the Ottawa River to observe, and later I posted to iNaturalist. From Bay 16, I tried a shortcut towards Bay 30W across a wetland area and almost got stuck in the mud. Yikes!

I had a quick lunch on the north tip of KLI 22, and then it was time to explore a bit more among the Knox Landing islands before crossing the Ottawa River back to the Ontario side. I paddled 14 km and could have stayed longer on such a beautiful day & area, but the days are short in November!

This Knox Landing paddle brought back lots of old memories from many Sea Pearl and MYS15 trips in this area from our years in Dunrobin Heights.

14ft Widgeon kayak	Bufflehead Ducks

From a distance, I thought somebody was waving at me!

Metcalfe Park - Downriver on the Mississippi

If you are looking for a combo paddle and hike, this could be the ideal paddling outing!  The canoe/kayak launch to go down the Mississippi River from Almonte is at the Metcalfe Geoheritage Park.  Going downriver, you can only paddle flat water for about 2.5 km. Then, there’s a stretch of rocks/rapids for about 800 m, followed by flat waters again to Blakeney (3.5 km).

Mississippi River, Metcalfe Park, Almonte

On a calm late October afternoon, this was a nice short canoe paddle. This section of the river is very straight, but there are things to see and experience. First, there are the multiple outflows of the river on the east side as it makes its way around Coleman Island. There’s also a lovely set of stair-like falls on the west side at the base of Strathburn Street. And after Strathburn, the 1.7 km to the rapids is mostly undeveloped and relatively quiet. The riverbank is quite steep and rocky, but a bit of wetland is also present.

The Mississippi River Trail follows the river’s west shore and can be easily accessed in at least two places. The first is at the flat rocks about 1 km from Metcalfe Park. The other good access for the hiking trail is just before the rapids.  If you decide to make it a combo, make sure to secure your boat well – or your hike may be longer and more treacherous than planned!

“Metcalfe Park, at the bottom of Bay Hill in Almonte, Ontario, was named in honour of Dr. Archibald Metcalfe (1869-1962), local physician for 63 years, town councillor and Mayor (at least seven terms), and the driving force to establish the Almonte hydroelectric generating station.”

“The idea for a geological display at Metcalfe Park arose from an April 2004 presentation in Almonte on geoheritage by Dr. J. Allan Donaldson. The official opening was held in September 2016.”

Millfall condo site

PHC canoe at Rock Bottom

Playfairville to Stewart's Island, Mississippi River

This fall, I’m trying to keep paddling to the end of October.  We’ll see after that; deer hunting starts in early November.  So on a cold (10C) and cloudy October afternoon, I headed out to Playfairville to explore access to the Mississippi River below the rapids.

Playfairville Track 8.3 km (kayak)

Google Earth view

There is a put-out in Playfairville for white water kayaks coming down the Sheridan rapids. A canoe/kayak put-in for going downriver is not so obvious. At the parking area across from Iron Mine Road, the put-out for white-water boats was too rocky and steep for me to launch my 14ft Widgeon kayak.  Launching a canoe or kayak at the rocky put-out is probably do-able with two people. By walking to the northeast end of the parking area, I noticed a grassy path going down to the water.  The path is right next to a fence and a private residence.  I assumed that the path was on public land and proceeded to launch my kayak.  It would be nice to find out for sure.  A better option for launching would be at the Casawinati campground.  Click here.

Rapids below Playfairville bridge

I was excited to get in the water at Playfairville and be able to paddle down the Mississippi River to Stewart’s Island.  The Playfairville to Stewart’s Island river section would complete my exploration of the Mississippi stretch from Playfairville to Fergusons Falls (19 km). This section of the Mississippi River is relatively isolated and has some unique features – Clyde River, Fall River, Stewart’s Island, Stafford’s Island, rocky shores, wetlands, and a good variety of wildlife.  It’s my favourite stretch of the Mississippi River – so far!

On October 16, I found the currents below Playfairville to be light (maybe 2 km/hr). But, this river access might be better avoided in the spring.  After 1.5 km downriver, the river widens, and the currents at this point should be manageable all year long.

At the point where the river widens, I spotted a trio of River Otters in the water. The otters were climbing on a muskrat den and playing on top (or looking for a muskrat meal).  The only other wildlife I saw in today’s paddling outing was a pair of Common Merganser Ducks.

After about 4 km of paddling, I reached Stewart’s Island. I was happy to start the return paddle to Playfairville -- the weather was still looking unsettled. On the way back, I did make a pit stop on the southeast shore for a break and a snack. Then, it was back in the kayak heading upriver to look for the River Otters. I found them at the same spot – the three of them on top of the muskrat den. I got a few pics from a distance, but before I could get into a better position, they were all off in the water and reappear on the river’s far bank. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance for better pics next time!

Common Merganser Ducks

Glen Isle, Mississippi River

Glen Isle is a sizeable island (200 hectares) on the Mississippi River between Appleton and Carleton Place. After Morris Island, Glen Isle is probably the largest island on the Mississippi River. The best access to Glen Isle is at the end of Cram Road on the Mississippi River’s eastern side.

Glen Isle, 8.8 km track (kayak)

GE view

The eastern channel of the river around Glen Isle is much wider and navigable than the narrow and rocky western channel. There are rapids at the north end of Glen Isle, which prevents you from reaching the village of Appleton downriver. Arklan Island and rapids block the paddling above Glen Isle towards Carleton Place. There’s about 4 km of paddling between Arklan Island and the northern rapids of Glen Isle. You can paddle about 1 km down the western side of Glen Isle from the SW tip – before getting block by rocks/rapids.

The east side of Glen Isle is a lovely paddle without too much development on the island or the eastern shore of the river. The east and south sides of Glen Isle are one significant wetland. This wetland area is a popular place for duck and geese hunters. Just 0.5 km south of the Cram Road launch is the small Isle of Patmos, and there was an elaborate duck blind setup at its northern tip.

Duck blind (Patmos Isle)

After launching my kayak, I went north to check out the rocky channels towards Appleton.  I ventured a bit too close to the first one and took some bottom paint off my kayak in making my retreat. I approached the second channel more strategically and went ashore on the dry flat river rock bed.  It’s an excellent spot for a break and a few pics.

North channel rocks & rapids

North channel dry river bed

Internet drone video of Glen Isle's north channel,  click Here.

From there, I paddled to the SW tip of Glen Isle and down the west side a bit before returning to the Cram Road access.  The only wildlife I managed to photograph (besides flocks of Canada Geese) on the trip was a Merganser duck.

Merganser Duck

Pothole carved by the river sediments & currents	European Barberry