Pitt Lake/Widgeon Creek

Rosie and I took advantage of the sunny sunshine yesterday and loaded up the kayaks and headed off to Pitt Lake. We hadn't see each other since we had vacationed in the Gulf Islands, the the longest stretch (with both of us on the same continent) that I haven't seen Rosie in over 6 years so I was pretty stoked to spend some time with her. My exploration of the Lougheed Highway continued as for the first time ever I entered Pitt Meadows, on our way to Pitt Lake and Widgeon Creek.  After delaying our launch due to the hoards of people on the dock filming a scene for a movie, we didn't see another soul the entire day.  We launched at the south end of Pitt Lake. Pitt Lake is very cool in that it is the largest tidal lake in North America. The tide was just changing to flood, providing us with some fun chop as we crossed Grant Narrows and entered the estuary.  Once we entered the creek the water was super calm and extremely shallow in parts as the tide was so low. We endeavoured not to get our feet wet at all.. so with some creative (read Venetian style) paddling/poling and thinking extremely light thoughts we managed through the shallow parts.  The water was extremely clear and wether it was 3 inches or 3 feet deep you could see every detail of the sandy bottom. You could even see the lines in the sand from the salmon swimming so close to the bottom. There were tons of salmon in the water. Sometimes just swimming by and in other places where other little streams joined, they clustered and worked hard to make it up the rocky creek beds.  In this one place it was super shallow and they all congregated so as we paddled through you could feel them bumping the bottoms of the boats.. it was kinda creepy. The way up took about twice as long as the way down due to shallowness and current but after about 1 1/2 hours we got to the forestry campsite where we got out.

The Salmon tracks

After hauling our boats up we headed about 3km up a trail that followed the creek. It was a gorgeous trail with all the falling leaves and super mossy trees. The spray from the creek did however make all the steps and bridges EXtremly slippery. There was some super awsome fun mushrooms though in dark royal purple and bright orange.

The trail ended at this group of waterfalls.

 

Clouds had covered up the sun for the paddle back but it was still pretty warm. The tide was still coming in but the water deep enough for normal paddling on the way back. Super awsome salmon spawning activity seen which definetly renewed appreciation for how much work they have to make it back home.. hard to see in the picture but there is a salmon in the water here.

Part of the fun of kayaking in marshy places is sneaking up on the herons (probably not the most conservationisty kinda thing to do).  They are not the most friendly or smart of birds.  They let you get usually pretty close and then let out an unearthly squawk and fly about 20 feet down the waterway and the cycle is repeated. 

 Modern pterodactyl

Back at the launch