Paddling the Mira River

I love kayaking.  I loved surfing when I tried in Costa Rica.  For years, I watched people paddleboarding and always wanted to try it.  Well, here I am in my second summer of paddling the Mira River every Thursday evening.

I started late in the season this year but I got several paddles in before they ended for the season.  I'm really loving the sport a lot.  Don't get me wrong, I still love kayaking and surfing is something I would definitely try again if I had the chance. But paddleboarding is great because it combines elements of both of those water sports.  I mostly love it because it is so versatile.  I can stand, kneel or sit on the board and not feel restricted like I do in a traditional kayak. 

Thursday is the perfect evening for me to head to Mira.  I finish my compressed work week on Thursday so I don't have to worry about getting home early to prepare for work the next day.  I leave the worldplace at 4:30 and take the long, scenic route through Glace Bay and Port Morien to get the Mira River Provincial Park by 6:30. I pack my lunch the night before and leave it on ice in the car so it's still cool and ready to eat on the road. 

The hour on the river goes by fast but those few fast hours are a much-anticipated part of my summers now...and I'm learning the ropes!  I can't buy a paddleboard at the moment as I have no room and I wanted to see if I liked it before investing in my own board.  This is the best way I can think of to accomplish that!

I've decided that I do, in fact, love paddleboarding and will eventually purchase my own board.  In the meantime, I'll just continue enjoying these Thursday night paddles on the Mira.   

I Finally Learned to Paddleboard

Ever since I first watched my sister paddleboarding on lakes in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, I wanted to try it.  It was only this summer that I finally got that chance.  

I from many people that it was super hard but I knew I wouldn't find it as hard as most people who try it for the first time because I have experience surfing and kayaking. 

I wasn't ready to go out and buy a paddleboard without knowing if it was something I wanted to do or not so when I overheard some people at work talking about lessons at the Mira Provincial Park, I had to learn more. 

Long story short, I signed up for a lesson, headed out to Mira after work one fine evening in July, learned the basics before paddleboarding for an hour on the Mira River and fell in love!  With paddleboarding that is.  While I love surfing and kayaking, by the end of the summer, I realized that I actually like paddleboarding even more! 

I left work and drove to Mira almost every Thursday evening to hone my paddling skills. I surprised myself and was able to stand up on the board the very first night, but not for long.  By the end of the summer, I was an old pro, paddling out further and further each time and getting strong and more stable on the board.  On the last night, I stood up on the board the entire lesson!

Most evenings were calm on the water but there was one that stood out from the rest for being particularly windy and choppy.  I didn't have any difficulty paddling out but coming back was another story!  No matter how much I paddled, I just couldn't get the board to turn around to head back to shore.  I just kept drifting out toward the island.  The instructor yelled directions to me to try but nothing worked and eventually, I had to be towed in.  Let me tell you, I got quite the workout that evening!  I was exhausted when I got to shore but was glad to have gotten a lesson in what can happen when high winds come up!

I think it's pretty safe to say that I will be attending these lessons next summer too if they're offered.  Or maybe I will just go out and buy a board of my own!

An afternoon of Fly-fishing in Kananaskis Country

For several years now, I've listened to my sister talk about her and her partner's fly-fishing adventures in the Kananaskis back-country and have admired her photos from afar on social media.  When she came home for a visit last year, I got a chance to go fishing with her but one of the things I knew I wanted to do during my visit to Alberta was to go fly-fishing in one of her favorite spots in the mountains. 

On my third day in Kananaskis Country, I got to do that.  We got up early, packed up some gear and headed to a nearby trail where one of her favorite fishing spots was located.  I, unfortunately, ended up with a bad cold and was sick as a dog that day but after popping some Advil Cold and Flu, I felt ready to hike the relatively short distance to this fishing hole. 

We hiked for about 40 minutes through thick forest with stunning views of the river and surrounding mountains.  It was a relaxing hike except for when the thought of grizzly bears crossed my mind.  At home, I don't have to worry about anything eating me while I'm hiking but in Alberta, you have cougars, wolves, black bears and grizzly bears to worry about.  I had seen a number of bears in the area the previous day so, naturally, I was checking behind me more frequently than normal. 

When we reached our destination, I stood in awe at the view and knew immediately why my sister had chosen this spot as one of her favorites.  I could sit there all day just taking in that fresh mountain air.  There were no other people around, the only sound was the sound of the leaves rustling in the trees and the river flowing.  My kind of place. 

I tried a little bit of fishing but was mostly content to just sit on a nearby rock and watch my sister do her thing.  We didn't get any bites that day but neither of us cared.  We just wanted to get away in the wilderness and enjoy the peace and quiet of the natural surroundings. 

A Late Autumn Hike to Uisge Ban Falls

There's something about late fall hikes.  The cool air, the light snow flurries, the intermittent sun peaking behind those heavy, fluffy fall clouds and the lack of flies and other annoying insects.  I mean, yes, you have to bundle up and trek through some mud and slippery fallen leaves, but the air is crisp and light with temperatures that aren't so hot that you walk at a snail's pace and not so cold that you're too stiff to move. 

The day my friend and I took a hike to Uisge Ban Falls near Baddeck, we experienced such a day.  A perfect day we'll call it.  There was hardly anyone else hiking that day so that was an added bonus.  I like being in the woods without crowds of people to disrupt the peace and quiet so I can hear the trees rustling, the birds chirping and the raging waters of the river and waterfall. 

The trail isn't all that long but we stretched it out for two hours, stopping to take photos and admire the views along the way.  We reached those beautiful falls and just hung around there for a while taking in the sights and sounds of nature before heading back to civilization. 

Our hike was followed by a walk around of the nature campground that I never noticed was in this park before and a delicious lunch at a cafe along the highway.  Winter is approaching fast and I'm hoping to get as many days in like this as possible before we are snowed in!