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)

Goose Creek - Grand River, PEI

 

The Grand River source is above the town of Wellington and flows out into Malpeque Bay. It’s a 15km waterway from Wellington to Belmont Park (Malpeque Bay). The river is about 3km wide at its mouth in Malpeque Bay and still 0.5km wide upriver at the bridge. At 1km above the Grand River bridge, the river narrows considerably – it’s only 50m wide at the highway 2 bridge and about 10m in Wellington. The Grand River is wide and deep enough for sailing below the Grand River bridge (10km) – especially at high tide.  Going upriver from the Grand River bridge, it’s best to be paddling or rowing. 

Grand River (above main bridge)

July 19 didn’t look like a great sailing day, so I decided to go and explore a part of the Grand River by kayak (WD12). The main launch point for the Grand River is in the SE corner of the Grand R. bridge. The oyster fishers/farmers have a crude ramp there and a good parking area. In the past, I have launched the MYS15 skiff at the Grand R. bridge.  

Common sight at the Grand River bridge launch

After launching the WD12, I headed upriver following the east shore and then into Goose Creek. The Goose Creek area is a large wetland, and I did go ashore to explore. I didn’t see too much interesting on my walk, but afterwards, I noticed something very particular on the eastern edge of the wetland. There’s a north-south line of 10 donut shapes visible on Google Earth!  They are all about 30m in diameter with a center of 10m. It’s something interesting to figure out! See Rosemary’s note below.

Marsh at Goose Creek/River

After some more paddling upriver, I went ashore on the west bank (across from Goose Creek) for a break and a short walk. Onshore, I was lucky to observe and photograph a globally rare butterfly (Salt Marsh Copper). I slightly detoured to investigate the small inlet leading to  Leckys Pond and the Smelt River on the paddle back towards the bridge.  A short dam blocks the access to Leckys Pond and the Smelt River - getting in there will require some portaging!

Salt Marsh Copper butterfly (rare)

Belted Kingfisher

Another place that would be interesting/fun to explore is the old Grand River airport. It’s still visible on Google Earth and could be accessed via the Little Trout River (something for next year). There’s also a PEI demo woodlot and trails (Camp Tabawaby) adjacent to the airport and bordering the Grand River.  Also, I need to try a paddle downriver and into Nebraska Creek (another wetland system to explore).

Grand River, west bank

Inlet to Leckys Pond (blocked)

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(from Rosemary Curley, Nature PEI)

Hi Denis,
It was not done by Martians. Those circles were made by excavating the marsh to create some water areas on the upper marsh. I believe the actual work was done by Ducks Unlimited Canada, but it was through the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture, which was a cooperative program of 5 eastern provinces, the feds and US Fed, and DUC. Probably early 1990s. I was program Manager for EJHV.

I don’t know that the donuts made at Grand River were very successful, for one thing, the follow-up was probably underwhelming.

Cheers,
Rosemary

Man-made water reservoir donuts (Goose Creek, 1990s)

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2024July23 Update

My July 23rd track, WD12, 7.4km

My nature observations (posted to iNaturalist) for July 23rd are HERE.
Similar to the 2021 trip, the highlight was a Salt Marsh Copper butterfly (globally rare).

This was a fun paddle to the DUC doughnut habitats. With high water, I was able to paddle pretty close to the northern most doughnut pond over the submerged marsh grass. After checking out "P1, N DUC", I tried to reach "P2, DUC" on foot but had to turn back due to Poison Ivy. Then, I paddled back to the Goose River, and made my way to check out the most southerly pond (P10, DUC). No ducks were observed at either ponds, but an interesting salt-marsh area with lots of nature.

Bald Eagles	Salt Marsh Copper butterfly
Goose River salt-marsh	DUC doughnut pond