Paddling Hamilton: Here are some great spots to explore close to home
A canoe paddle was the key that occasionally allowed my family to escape pandemic lockdown.
Think about it - built-in physical distancing! In the beginning, when COVID-19 closed popular outdoor trails and playgrounds, our 15-foot blue canoe became a pandemic life raft.
We safely explored the green-tinged Grindstone Creek valley as it came to life in early spring, scouted summer beach crowding levels from the water at Christie Lake and eyeballed fall colours along the harbour shoreline.
Turns out we weren't alone.
Angelo Morgante watched demand for kayaks and paddling gear go nuts" at his Adventure Attic outdoor store in Dundas starting in spring of 2020.
We couldn't keep up. We still can't," he said. I brought in a literal truckload of kayaks at the end of April; they were gone within two weeks ... We normally don't sell that many kayaks in a year, let alone two weeks."
Hamilton-based Kayak Ontario, which teaches paddling and runs an online forum to share trip photos and advice, says its group membership swelled from 1,800 before the pandemic to 24,000 today. More than 1,600 of them hail from the Hamilton area.
Even as COVID restriction ease (for now) you can still watch kayakers riding the waves of Lake Ontario daily, or canoeists quietly exploring the shoreline of inland reservoirs like Christie, Valens and Lake Niapenco.
Ironically, that surge in popularity, combined with pandemic barriers, has likely thwarted plenty of would-be paddlers, too.
I'm lucky to have my own canoe - a family wedding gift that keeps on giving, 15 years later - but not everyone can afford to buy a slice of floating freedom. Unfortunately, COVID safety restrictions still prevent local canoe rentals at beginner paddling destinations like Valens Lake.
For those who can afford to splash out on their own gear, everything from kayaks to life jackets have been in short supply - in part because of demand, but also because of COVID manufacturing slowdowns.
Still, if you can buy or borrow a boat, now might be the best time in 2021 to try out paddling in Hamilton.
Why? Low Lake Ontario water levels (and smelly algae) left much of popular Cootes Paradise marsh unfit for paddling this year. Levels are creeping up again, though, and the wildlife-magnet marsh beckons.
- Looking to explore by paddle? Here are a few of reporter/paddler Matthew Van Dongen's favourite Hamilton spots:
Grindstone Creek
Access: paddle in from the harbour, or park at a small RBG lot off Spring Gardens Road.
Highlights: a winding creek full of wildlife - Egrets! Herons! Turtles! - and, at the right time of year, the faint aroma of Christmas trees used by the Royal Botanical Gardens to protect rebuilding marsh areas from carp.
Do: watch for spectacular fall colours and jumping salmon in autumn. The Plains Road bridge column graffiti is kind of impressive, too.
Don't: overload your canoe. Water levels are still low and will affect how far you can paddle.
Cootes Paradise
Access: RBG parking lot and dock at Princess Point, or drop your boat in the water off Olympic Drive to paddle in from Dundas
Highlights: Cootes is a protected migratory bird sanctuary and it shows. Every kid loves to paddle past Hickory Island and its creepy dead trees full of cormorant nests.
Do: Paddle the shoreline to maximize wildlife encounter - or as close as low water levels allow.
Don't: venture into Chedoke Creek, a now-infamous source of sewage pollution. A warning sign is helpfully posted near the outlet to Cootes. If the boat launch is full of algae - it happens - don't despair. You can drop your boat in the water on the far side of Princess Point from the dock.
Hamilton Harbour
Access: there is a boat launch at Bayfront Park, or access from Cootes Paradise via the Desjardins Canal.
Highlights: it's a big harbour to explore - but there is ice cream at Scoops on Pier 8 and at Hutch's at Bayfront Park, so plan accordingly.
Do: try the Cootes Paradise to Pier 8 route. Starting at Princess Point, you can portage" across the waterfront trail near the RBG's carp barrier and into the Desjardin Canal to the harbour. Follow the shoreline past Bayfront Park, Pier 4 and all the way to Pier 8 (and ice cream).
Don't: paddle into the heart of the harbour on a windy day if you're a new paddler. The waves can get surprisingly big. Also stay out of the industrial port in the east harbour. Even a Kevlar canoe is no match for a 200-metre-long laker.
Spencer Creek (Beverly swamp)
Access: put in at Concession 8 bridge (between Valens and Westover roads)
Highlights: You'll need to wait for spring flood or a notably soggy fall to try this less-paddled path. In wet weather, a paddler can float this creek through the eco-sensitive Beverly Swamp from the bridge as far as Middletown Road. (Or, just nose into parts of the creek connected to Valens or Christie lakes at any time of year.)
Do: be prepared to dodge downed trees and use bug spray in spring. (Hey, it's a swamp.)
Don't: stray too far from the water. The put-in at the Concession 8 bridge is publicly owned, but much of the creek runs through private property.