Canoeing & Kayaking at Widgeon Marsh Regional Park
http://www.britishcolumbia.com/Recreation/vcm/fvalley/canoeing/index.asp

Several superb locations await paddlers searching for freshwater adventure and wildlife in this region. From May to September there are canoes for rent at both Grant Narrows and Alouette Lake, so you don't need your own boat to share in the experience. Grant Narrows Regional Park, at the south end of Pitt Lake, is the starting point for river exploration of a large, intertidal marsh that includes nearby Widgeon Creek. In Pitt Meadows, turn north off Hwy 7 at the Harris Road stoplights east of the Pitt River Bridge where a large sign points to Pitt Lake. Harris Road meanders north, then east. Turn north again at Neaves Road. Once across a narrow bridge over the Alouette River, the road becomes rougher and its name changes from Neaves to Rennie. Deep ditches line each side of the road as mountains begin to rise before you. You are now in Pitt Polder, travelling beside the broad Pitt River north towards Pitt Lake.

Grant Narrows Park lies at the end of the road. Although Grant Narrows is a pocket-sized park, it serves as the gateway to several adjacent wilderness areas, such as the Pitt-Addington Marsh Wildlife Management Area. By far the most popular feature in the park is the boat launch. There is a charge for trailer-mounted boats; car-top boats launch for free. The Greater Vancouver Regional District has set aside a large area of the marsh at the mouth of Widgeon Creek, where it flows into the Pitt River, as a wildlife reserve. The GVRD offers seasonal nature programs that involve paddling in the Widgeon Marsh Reserve.

Widgeon Creek is the destination of choice for most paddlers who sprint across Grant Narrows to reach its protected backwater. The distance isn't great, and it should take only 10 minutes of hard paddling to cross the open water. Strong winds spring up on nearby Pitt Lake in the afternoon and can kick up whitecaps that will intimidate novice paddlers. (Note: Paddling on Pitt Lake is not recommended because of the winds. Even experienced powerboaters on the lake treat it with respect.) A safe approach is to launch as early in the day as possible. In fact, to get the most out of your visit here, explore near sunrise or sunset when wildlife is most active and the scenery divine.

Widgeon Creek is helpfully marked by a wooden signpost that rises up above the water of the marsh. Follow upstream, bearing to the left early on where another signpost points towards the Forest Service recreation site located an hour's paddle northwest of Grant Narrows. (If you follow the branch to the right, you enter a series of secluded backwaters perfectly suited for wildlife observation and fishing.) Late in the summer, when water levels are at their seasonal lows, you may have to hop out to float your canoe across a sandbar or two. Wear a pair of old running shoes that you can slip into and out of easily. The shoes will also come in handy when launching from Grant Narrows' muddy shore.

You don't have to venture far upstream before you find the first of many fine sandy areas, suitable for sunning and picnicking. Tall cottonwood, hemlock, and solitary Sitka spruce shade the shore as Widgeon lazily winds its way into the folds of the nearby mountains. A silence envelops you. The Forest Service recreation site features a rough canoe pullout beside a broad, grassy field, where both an old road and a trail begin. Follow either to reach Widgeon Falls. (The old road is a holdover from the days when miners followed this route north into the upper Pitt River valley.

Today, it serves as the southern terminus of a lengthy 8-day hiking trail through Pinecone-Burke Provincial Park.) The hiking trail to Widgeon Falls (2.5 miles/4 km return) is a winding affair, with several steep staircases. The road leads gently uphill to the falls and covers approximately the same distance as the trail, but for the most scenic approach, take the trail as it follows emerald-hued Widgeon Creek for half of the journey. Widgeon Falls tumbles over and through a series of smooth granite boulders. When water levels drop, it's possible to walk out on the rock shelf beside the creek for a better look. On sunny days you may even find a small pool for a quick dip. The best feature of the falls is the relentless, roaring white noise it emits, a powerful sound that clears and cleanses the mind.

Rather than follow the crowd to Widgeon Creek, take advantage of the log booms that line the Pitt River and float south along its banks. The booms help cut the wake of passing motorboats. Osprey nest on the tops of the mooring posts. In these quiet waters you'll have the best chance of observing them, as well as herons, swans, and perhaps even exotic Sandhill Cranes, whose nesting ground lies nearby in the polder. (Polders are low-lying sections of land near rivers and oceans, dried by using a technique perfected in Holland.) Cross over to explore the backwaters along the western side of Siwash Island, which conceals the true riverbank at the foot of Mount Burke. The channel between the two is shallow. In summer, the wild smell of marsh marigolds in bloom perfumes the air.

If you're fortunate enough to get a ride up Pitt Lake on a powerboat that also has room to carry or tow your canoe or kayak, June is the best time to spend a few hours exploring the intertidal waterways of Red Slough at the north end of Pitt Lake. That's when water from freshets, combined with semi-annual high tides, makes navigation easiest. Broad arms of the slough invite paddlers back into the folds of the mountains. Lurid yellow lichen cling to the glistening, black granite walls, creating an effect as striking as an abstract expressionist painting.