NCC properties on the Enmore River

 

I have paddled sections of the Enmore River in the past.  Most of these were canoe outings in the spring for Brook Trout. There are two bridges across the Enmore River – the main Enmore Road bridge and the smaller Mill Road bridge.  For fishing, I have usually launched at the Mill Road bridge for closer access to known fishing holes on the upper Enmore River.  

Today, I went on the river to check out a couple of NCC properties bordering the river and enjoy the autumn scenery. I launched at the Enmore Road bridge and started paddling upriver following the west shoreline.  The pseudo plan for the day was to paddle as far upriver as possible with the Wood Duck 12 kayak (WD12).  On this trip, with reasonably high tides, I could paddle about 3.5km upriver from the Enmore Road bridge.  I’d be surprised if the river is navigable much further at the best of times.  There’s a walking trail following the river, which would be an excellent way to explore the upper Enmore River & creeks further.

Enmore River

Great Blue Heron

I checked the first NCC property on the north side of the Enmore Road and the west side of the river (i.e. NW corner of the bridge). This is a new NCC property, and I didn’t see anything to report. The second NCC property is on the east shore, and I made a stop there on the way back for a look around. The east property has a large marsh area bordering the river. The marsh is separated from the river by a high embankment – likely built by early settlers to better cultivate marsh hay/grass.

Marsh at NCC property (east)

Embankment between marsh & river

On a beautiful calm day, paddling the Enmore River is very relaxing and enjoyable.  There are not too many rivers in PEI where you can paddle for a few hours and not encounter any development or people!

Colourful mushrooms

Poison Ivy can also be colourful in the fall

Beautiful day on the Enmore!

Foxley River - Canadian Bridge, PEI

 

In western PEI, another relatively undeveloped waterway to paddle and explore is the Foxley River. Last year, I explored the lower Foxley River from Gordon’s Wharf, so today (Sep 29), I headed to the Canadian Bridge (route 168) to check out the upper parts of the river. The Foxley River has quite a few tributaries and inlets. The plan was to paddle east and explore the river up to the Foxley River bridge (route 12 E) and a few small side tributaries. But due to the strong NW winds, I decided to head west from the Canadian Bridge. It’s always a good idea to try and have the wind on your back when you are tired and making your way back to the launch point. 

Foxley River (track from Canadian Bridge)

In a stiff breeze, I made it to the mouth (east side) of the MacDonald River. After exploring the shoreline at that river junction, I decided to paddle across the Foxley River and hopefully find some shelter from the NW wind. As I was crossing, I noticed a Bald Eagle in a tree on the north side of the river. I managed to get a few distant shots before it flew deeper into an inlet on the north shore. I paddled into the inlet, but it was nowhere to be seen!

Canadian Bridge launch

Bald Eagle

Earlier, I had spotted a sandy beach on the north shore, so I made a stop there for lunch and a walk. On that north shore, you can get a good view of the Foxley River/Bay (i.e. the aquaculture operation) by climbing the 10ft cliff. After lunch, it was time for more paddling exercise, so I paddled up the 1km Canadian Creek against the wind. The wind was annoying but not as much as the manure odour from a local farm. A flock of Canada Geese is all I found at the bitter end of the creek.

Wood Duck 12 (WD12)

Great Blue Heron

The Canadian Bridge is a great launch spot, and I will be back next year to explore the eastern end of the Foxley River (kayak) and go up the MacDonald River (kayak also).

Lunch shore (Foxley River, north)

Erratics (mouth of MacDonald R.)

Cascumpec Bay - Fox Island, PEI

 

Early on the morning of September 24th, I drove to Gordon’s Wharf with the MYS15 skiff in tow. The plan was to sail and explore the west shores of Cascumpec Bay – may be as far as Northport or Oulton’s Island. But the wind had a different plan! It was dead calm as I launched from the harbour, so I rowed to Erratic point (NE from Gordon’s Wharf) for a walk while waiting for some wind.

Cascumpec Bay, west side

That’s a good thing I did.  I parked the MYS15 next to the large erratic and immediately saw a flock of Yellow-rumped Warblers playing in the trees and on the shore. Even with a few mosquitoes around, I managed to get quite a few good pics of the warblers. To get away from the mosquitoes, I decided to row to the bay’s eastern shore. 

MYS15 & large Cascumpec erratic

Yellow-rumped Warbler

I did another short walk on the eastern shore, then the wind suddenly picked up from the east. After rigging the boat, I sailed over to the south shore of Fox Island. After a quick lunch and some exploring, I decided to return directly to Gordon’s Wharf to be on the safe side (of the weather). Since I was close to shore, I didn’t bother reefing the sail for the trip back. On a beam reach, the MYS15 is capable of 8 km/hr – so it was a relatively quick sail back to harbour (45 minutes).

Cascumpec Bay, west shore

MYS15 at Fox Island

East or NE winds are a good time to sail from Gordon’s Wharf towards Northport. And during SW winds, it’s a good time to start in Northport and sail towards Gordon’s Wharf. 

On the west side of Cascumpec Bay, it would be good to explore Mill River and the shores around Fox & Ram Islands.  Mill River is probably best travelled by kayak.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Hebron Sand Spit, Egmont Bay

 

In 2021, I made three boat outings to the Hebron sand spit via the end of Campbell Road. This location has become my favourite sailing launch point for the northwestern side of Egmont Bay. The launch site has excellent access to the water, a great shore/beach for set-up, and ample parking space. There’s a 4km stretch of deep enough water for sailing inside the sand bars between Brae Harbour and the Hebron sand spit. The 2km long Hebron sand spit makes a good trip destination for a shore break, lunch, or a long beach walk. It’s a bit tricky to sail further up or down the Egmont Bay coast. The 800m wide sand bars have to be crossed close to high tide! The best location to cross out is near Brae Harbour at the mouth of the Brae River. I did it once with the Va’a Motu this summer, but it wasn’t easy in the SW wind. The other drawback to the Campbell Road shore is the 45-minute drive (43km). A warning about the Campbell launch point - lots of poison ivy in the area!

Google Earth map of Hebron sailing area and tracks

My first outing to the area this summer was on June 29th (green track). In a light foggy breeze, I sailed the Larsboat OSC to the tip of the Hebron sand spit and went for a  walk. After a snack, I started back with one exploration stop at the end of Kennedy Road (or MacLeans Rd). Near the Campbell Road shore, an Osprey was observed and posted to iNaturalist. 

Larsboat OSC at the Hebron sand spit in the morning fog

The second trip to the Campbell/Hebron area was on July 28 (blue track). It was a beautiful sunny and clear day for a sail. Due to the high tide and southerly wind conditions, I was able to sail the MYS15 skiff up the outer shore of the Hebron sand spit. I did not go all the way across the sand spit due to time and tide constraints. On the way back, I sailed to the mouth of the Brae River and then back to the Campbell Road shore. With higher tide conditions and the right winds, it should be possible to sail further up the Brae River (next year).

MYS15 skiff on the outer Hebron shore

On September 8, I did a great Va’a Motu outing between Brae Harbour and the Hebron sand spit (red track; 12km). I had some luck sailing through the sand bars, but it wasn’t so easy with the shallow water, surf, and wind direction. Next year, I’ll try the same area but a bit more to the east in the outlet channel of the Brae River. There was a good south wind breeze, so the sail to the Hebron sand spit and back was good. After going ashore for a short break at the tip of the sand spit, I sailed on the inside to check out the oyster farming operation. After passing Dog Creek, the water gets shallow for sailing, so it was time for a U-turn and back to Campbell Road.

The new Va'a Motu on the inside shore at the Hebron sand spit

Due to the sailing area restriction, this area is best for a short sail outing and walking on the Hebron sand spit. The MYS15 skiff is the best boat for this, followed by the Larsboat OSC. If the idea is to venture beyond the sand bars, then the Va’a Motu is the way to go! 

Note: Try to start sailing 2 hours before and finish not more than 2 hours after high tide. The tides should be 1m or higher. 

Osprey	Oyster aquaculture (inside sand spit)
Hebron sand spit	Va'a Motu sailing towards Brae Harbour

Hog Island - Malpeque Bay, PEI

 

Merganser kayak on Hog Island (west side, sandhillS in the background)

The day after my 67th birthday, I went out for a circumnavigation of Hog Island by kayak. Hog Island is a remote island of Malpeque Bay and requires good planning for a day trip. In strong winds, Malpeque Bay can get choppy pretty fast. The water level around this area can get pretty low, so it's a good idea to check the tides for the day. Hog Island belongs to the Mi'kmaq of Lennox Island, and it's not permitted to venture inland on the island without their permission. 

My track around Hog Island from Gillis Point

On August 29, I launched my 17ft Merganser kayak at Gillis Point and headed straight for the southern tip of Hog Island (3.5 km). As I got near shore, I spotted a Bald Eagle soaring. Once I got on shore, I was able to get some photos of multiple Bald Eagles. There was one juvenile and at least one mature Bald Eagle hanging around the island's west side near the southern tip. After a few minutes of observing the eagles, I paddled around the island's southern tip and started up the east coast. As I rounded the tip of Hog Island, my subsequent discovery was a small Cormorant rookery on the east side. Then, not too much further up the coast was another mature Bald Eagle perched in a tree.  This time, the eagle was more cooperative, and I got better pics from my kayak seat. The eagles were a great beginning to my Hog Island visit!

Bald Eagle (juvenile)

Bald Eagle

After another 1.5 km, I arrived at the NE corner of Hog Island – where I have camped three times in the past (twice with Marc and Joel, and a third-time solo). Just west of the NE corner is Iron Rock. Iron Rock is the only actual bedrock outcrop on all of PEI.  The basin formed by Hog Island and the Malpeque sandhills is also kind of unique and always feels special to be paddling through there. This area is one of my favourite PEI spots!

NE corner of Hog Island (sandhills in the background)

Iron Rock (NE corner of Hog Island)

Hog Island basin (north side)

Once I got through the narrow channel at the NW corner of the island, I started paddling down the west side. After 0.5 km, I made a short visit to shore and then it was the 2 km paddle across to Bird Island. I landed near the SE corner of Bird Island and went for a nice walk to stretch the cramped legs. Then, while still enjoying fine paddling weather, I made the crossing back to Gillis Point (2 km). 

Bird Island (SE; lagoon in the background)

Hauling a buoy to shore from Bird Island

Overall, this circuit is a 12 – 14 km paddle in a remote part of PEI while staying in protected waters at all times. A more extended version of this trip could include a walk across the sandhill to the beach or more paddling/exploring the shorelines. 

Hog Island (west shore)	Hog Island basin (west channel)
Spotted Sandpiper (Hog I.)	Common Yellowthroat (Bird I.)

Portage River - Foxley/Trout River, PEI

 
I started exploring the Foxley/Trout River system in 2020 and continued this year with two more trips.  The first trip was to the Portage River from Route 12 Goff’s Bridge launch site. The launch site is at the NW corner of Goff’s Bridge and is heavily used by the aquaculture oyster industry. With all the aquaculture farming activities in the area, the Foxley/Trout River system is best for paddling and limited sailing - the sail-&-oar MYS15 skiff is the best choice.

Portage River and track (July 20, 2021)

On July 20, I planned to sail or row across the Trout River and then head up the Portage River to check out the INT property bordering the Portage River to the east. My first stop was on the west bank of the Portage River to explore, and then I crossed over to the east shore and went for a walk in the INT property. The winds were pretty light, but I did manage to sail to the end of the Portage River.

Oyster aquaculture operation

MYS15 in Portage River

The INT property includes a large wetland bordering the Portage River with all kinds of vegetation. One shrub I observed there is Swamp Birch, apparently relatively rare in PEI (S2). There were also butterflies and dragonflies in the area (e.g. Common Wood-Nymph, Common Whitetail).  For other nature obnservations (iNaturalist), click HERE.

After walking to Tory Road through the forest, I returned to the boat and started the trip back. Unfortunately, the wind had given up, so it was the oars all the way back. But before leaving the Portage River, I did make a lunch stop on a walkable beach on the east side of the river.

Swamp Birch (rare in PEI)

Shore access (east bank, Portaaage R)

The Portage River needs another trip by kayak to allow for more exploring options and a longer walk in the INT property. Even though it’s more developed, a kayaking trip to the west of Goff’s Bridge would be nice for exploring the Trout, George, and Mary Rivers.

Wetland (bottom of Portage River, INT property)