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Carden By Canoe - Feature Article by Dr. Harry Hall
Harry Hall is a Carden resident, lifelong nature lover and avid canoeist. In the following article "Carden By Canoe" and the companion article "The Head River-Canoe Route" Harry shares his joy for canoeing and his wealth of knowledge of Carden's natural wonders. Fortunately, Dr Hall also has a talent for catching wonderful moments with his camera. All of Harry's photos below may be viewed in larger format by clicking the picture. (highly recommended)
Rivers
and lakes are nature's highways and byways. Animals and birds need to
drink and travel so paddling, especially quietly, is a wonderful way to enter
another world. There are a number of lakes and rivers in Carden and plentiful
wildlife - seeing something is a certainty. My experience has been that I
see something new every time I venture forth. It may be a new sighting, a new
birdsong, a new plant or a new interaction between them. Be patient, watch,
listen, sniff and feel things. Let you feelings guide you in your exploration.
Most of the lakes are small and safe but watch for deadheads, swells from cruisers and always keep an eye on the weather. Wind can be your enemy if you are not experienced. Kneeling is much safer than sitting
Rivers are mostly for competent paddlers with white water skills. There are some grade 3-4 rapids and waterfalls as well so plan carefully and ask ahead. The Head river is a delight, there are some quiet stretches but it is not for beginners. There is virtually no habitation on its entire length.
Animals you may see and that I have seen include otters, beavers , muskrats, deer, wolves, coyotes, moose, rabbits, mink, marten, fisher, weasel, porcupine plus a wide variety of vegetation, both land and water, endless birds , turtles and fish as well as insects (not always desired) but if you can get a couple of dragon flies to come along with you it helps.
Set aside twice as long as you think it
will take so you can enjoy not just “do it”
The lakes of the Carden Plain include Lake Dalrymple, Head Lake, Canal Lake, Mitchell Lake and Cranberry Lake, although Cranberry Lake is not accessible as it is entirely surrounded by private property.
Canal and Mitchell lakes are part of the Trent Canal system with much pleasure craft traffic. The canoeist will find the northern parts, away from the cruisers more to their liking. There are bays, little islands and lots of water life. They are shallow with lots of logs, deadheads and rocks that support a multitude of wildlife – herons , bitterns, gulls, muskrats, beavers etc.
Lake Dalrymple has two parts separated by a narrows. This lake is full of life of all kinds, from fish to birds, including turtles and mammals. The habitats are quite diverse as the southern part has a limestone base and the northern section which is the beginning of the Laurentian Shield has many granite shoals and little rock islands. It keeps the power boats out and becomes a virtual nature preserve.
The navigable rivers are the Talbot (partly) and the Head. The Talbot runs in and out of Raven lake which is small, reedy and uninhabited I have not been down this river but the Carden section seems to have a` lot of fences (often barbwire) and is very shallow.
The Head River
flows out of Head Lake and runs westerly across the lower edge of the shield.
The first part from the lake to Monck Road about 2 km east of Uphill is wide, flat and generally swampy
along the sides. There is a small dam and then life gets much more interesting.
There are multiple rapids and small falls. Only a few of these are runable and
some require 50- 200 metre portages. The part just upstream
from CKL # 35 to Monck Road east of Uphill is a quiet bit, which is
mostly swamp with the river wending its way slowly. I saw some nesting eared
grebes there. Don’ they know they are western birds? (Suitable for novices
– allow 2-3 hours)
From CKL #35 to McKenzie Road is a joyful 6 hour paddle There are lots of rapids ( mostly runable if you have the skills), a few waterfalls (usually over limestone ledges) up to 4-5 feet ,and lots of deadfalls. .There is virtually no sign of humanity so prepare accordingly. This is not for inexperienced paddlers-surprises are common. One interesting incident happened when I saw something white in a small rapid ahead of me. As I passed over it I realized it was a deer skeleton with the head impaled on a snag and the rest of the bones still held together by the ligaments waving in the current - ghostly! I presume it had fallen through the ice in the winter. No camera available of course.
Mckenzie Road is the start of the main white water section
And it takes 2-3 hrs to get down to Dalrymple Road. There are about 13 sets of
rapids the largest of which (grade3-4) is about 150 meters long with a 3-4 foot
waterfall in e middle and a total drop of perhaps 25 feet. It is all doable for
the canoeist with the proper skills. There is a place you can stop for a butter
tart along the way where the river runs close to the road. I once found a canoe
underwater here. I reported to the OPP but no one ever claimed it, so I own another
canoe. Honest I didn’t see any bodies with it!
Those interested in learning more about canoeing the Head River click here
Links to other Websites
Feature Articles
Two companion articles on canoeing in Carden complete with tips for canoeists, maps and fabulous photos.
by Dr. Harry Hall
by Dr. Harry Hall