JOURNEY 48 - CONSTANCE CREEK - APRIL 16, 2005

Photographs! Keenan paddles the edge of the forest A shy duck takes flight Unfinished beaver handywork Osprey enjoys afternoon snack Impressive but precarious nest Julie shoots through a small channel Arousing curiosity at the bridge Traffic jam in the current Lingering in the setting sun

Welcome to our kayaking adventures for the 2005 season! Although we had some great trips, we didn't get out very much last year, but there is going to be a dramatic change this year. We've moved to a waterfront property on a bay of the great Ottawa River which means the pleasure of a paddle no longer requires a long drive with all the loading and unloading that goes with it.

We've been eagerly anticipating our first trip out, and at times it seemed like the ice would never melt! Although it appeared that our bay was mostly still frozen over this morning, by the afternoon there remained a large sheet of thin ice in the middle, but more than enough open water to get out and explore.

The air temperature was about 14 degrees, and the water temperature was ass-freezing cold. We set off for the mouth of Constance Creek with no particular plan. On our way we floated through some flooded forest, which is always one of those uniquely exhilerating spring experiences.

The creek starts off quite wide, but after a couple of kilometres it starts to look like a creek. A couple more kilometres after that and it barely looks like a stream in places! There are endless twists and turns and staying with the main channel was tricky at times. There were few signs of civilization along the way, save for the one section where there are golf courses on each side. The foursome on the Eagle Creek course looked rather surprised to see us, and maybe we shook them up (their putting was horrendous!).

The wildlife was spectacular. Although Constance Creek and the surrounding area is known for attracting birdwatchers, it is still very early in the season and there weren't too many species about. However, we did see numerous ducks, geese, red-winged blackbirds, a single kingfisher, and an enormous osprey on an overhanding branch dining on a still-squirming fish! We saw muskrats and beavers galore. The beaver population seems enormous, and evidence of their presence is everywhere.

After the golf courses the creek is mostly narrow and there is a pretty strong current. There are plenty of beaver dams and fallen trees, and we could see that in probably not more than a couple of weeks it will be impossible to get through this section.

We did not get started today until about 4:00 pm and as we reached the bridge at Vance's Side Road, it was time to make a decision. Turn back, or keep pushing on, perhaps even making it all the way to Constance Lake? The creek was wider here and it would be a fairly easy paddle. But it was at least another ten kilometres and then another ten back.

After a brief discussion we decided to head back. It was a great decision. Not only did the sun sink quickly, but the physical realities of a 16km first season paddle started to hit home with a variety of aches and pains from specialized muscles gone dormant over the winter.

The short trip from the mouth of the creek to our backyard landing seemed ten times longer than it did in the opposite direction. We arrived about 30 minutes ahead of a beautiful sunset. A fantastic start to a new paddling season!




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