Irish Creek Trip Report

Details: Created: Sunday, 28 March 2021 15:04

Irish Creek Trip 2021

On Tuesday, April 6, 2021, three club members set out in ideal conditions to explore Irish Creek; the air temperature was a pleasant 15 degrees, ice gone, water deep enough to paddle the marsh area and a generally undemanding current. Keeping in mind the cold water, we all wore a combination of wet and dry suits in case of inadvertent immersion.

From the put in at Roses Bridge Boat Launch situated between Kilmarnock and Merrickville, we meandered through shallow, open water marsh festooned with masses of waterlily rhizomes. We continued about 4 km south to the town of Jasper where the creek narrows, and we ducked under two road bridges and a train bridge. In the creek, water flowed over several submerged beaver dams, only one of which required getting out of our canoes for a lift over. We stopped for lunch just short of Wolford Chapel (10.5 km from put in) and then headed back down stream.

The creek banks were lined with red osier dogwood, cattails, phragmites and maple trees just beginning to show red buds. We saw numerous beaver dams and lodges, great blue herons, Canada geese, turkey vultures and a bald eagle soaring overhead, red winged blackbirds, and at least one turtle poking its head out of the water.

We met only one kayaker on the water and another canoeist putting in for a late afternoon paddle as we were taking out around 3:30.

Although wildlife will be more active in a couple of weeks, water levels will make for a different paddling experience. This trip is only recommended when there are high water levels in the spring.

Submitted by Suze C

Roses Bridge Road Launch

01Roses Bridge Rd launch Edit Edit