A summer in the Parc, part 3

Cross-posted from Kayak Yak Yak

Final catchup post . . .

September 11, 2011

Map of route

This was the day I got on the water shortly after 9 am, and came off in time to catch the 4:30 pm bus, setting a record of 7.5 hours. A still, warm, brilliant late summer day, in which I went out of bounds, paddling half way around the basin beyond Ile de Mai, and then – daringly – back across the middle. Here’s the view the eastmost, or at least up-stream-most point . . .

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 2011, view west towards Île de Mai

It was one of those glassy water days, when despite the effortless paddling, progress is exceedingly leisurely because of all the photo-pauses to capture all the lovely reflections, starting with the – now quite low – tunnel under the bridge to Île Gagnon, the red house, and blue boats docked alongside.

Parc de la RiviereParc de la RiviereParc de la Riviere

Pause to take the first of many panorama shots, looking towards the north bank. That’s the De Laurentides bridge on the left of the photo, disappearing behind Île Langlois. Île des Juifs/Île des Fraises lies, just to the right of my bow, then Île Gagnon. I don’t know the name of the islet with the sparse trees and the yellowish beach.

Parc de la Riviere des Mille Îles, September 11, 2011

Parc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 11, de Laurentides bridge

I paddled under the de Laurentides bridge, under the footbridge to Île Locas, and up the shallow, water-lily strewn channel between the river bank and Île Lacroix, towards the marsh. The water was very shallow and very weedy.

Parc de la Riviere

Obligatory panorama shots of the marsh itself: From the approach to the the south . . .

Parc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 11, looking towards the marsh from the south

Looking directly at the marsh . . .

Parc de la Riviere des Mille Îles, September 11, 2011
Towards Île Chabot . . .

Parc de la Riviere des Mille îles, September 11, 2011

Looking east from the marsh, towards Île Locas and Île Lacroix.

Parc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 11, view east from the marsh

I could get only a little way into the marsh, via a channel that I suspect had been dug out, before running into a bank of debris. Water was very shallow, and I stirred up black mud and marsh gas with every stroke, no matter how careful.

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 2011, poking my bow into the marsh

So I left behind the marsh and glided through through the narrow channel between Île Chabot and the promentary from the south bank, and along the channel between the bank and Île Desroches.

Parc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 11, river bank by Île Chabot and Île Desroches

. . . up the south side of Île de Mai, hardly noticing the current that on past paddles had nearly stalled me before the top. At the top, I eyed the vista before me and then decided to go for it, working my way up the south coast past people’s little river runabouts . . .

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 2011, riverboats

To where the river began to narrow again, at which point I turned around and headed back towards Île de Mai. Discovered I am out of practice for paddling long open stretches. (Yes, I hear you say, that is not a long open stretch; it only felt that way.)

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 2011, view west towards Île de Mai

And then sauntered downstream on the north side of Île de Mai. This is the junction at the downstream end of Île de Mai. The eastern channel is on the left, the western channel, which joins in a T-junction, in front of my prow, strewn with rocks, and the channel between the northern bank and Île Morris on the right.

Parc de la Riviere des Mille Îles, September 11, 2011

The wildlife was enjoying the sunshine as much as I was: herons, out and about along the side of the river.

Parc de la RiviereParc de la RiviereParc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 11, heron

And turtles, alongside Île Chabot . . .

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 2011, turtlesParc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 11, turtles

And an as-yet unidentified bird which held still long enough in the trees of Île Chabot.

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, 11 September 2011, bird (TBD)

Down the north side of Île Morris, under the bridges – where the swallow’s nests were all silent and empty (and unphotographed).

bridgesIleMorris_11sept11_v800

Big panorama that starts on the north bank and swings around to take in, I think, Île Lefebvre, in shallow waters full of water-lilies.

Parc de la Riviere des Mille Iles, September 11, 2011

Cirrus cloud moving in, marking a coming change in the weather.

Parc de la Riviere des Mille Îles, September 11, 2011

More turtles, east of the bridge behind Île Ducharme . . .

bridgesIleDucharme_11sept11_v800

turtles4_11sept11_v800turtles3_11sept11_v800

With a detour for a pit-stop, I then completed the circuit by paddling underneath the Boulevard Curé-Labelle and around Île Bélaire, then back between Bélaire and Darling, back under the bridge, and in to home dock, approaching from the east.

dock_11sept11_v800

pontcurelabelle_11sept11_v800mapondeck_11sept11_v800

Phew!  And then I went home, via La Popessa, for pasta.

The marsh through the summer

Just to show the changes in river and vegetation through the summer, here are my marsh-panoramas, with an attempt at alignment.

In May (May 22, 2011)

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, 22 May 2011
In July (July 1, 2011)

Parc de la Riviere-des-Mille-Îles, Canada day 2011, marsh

Parc de la Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, Canada Day 2011

In September (September 11, 2011)

Parc de la Riviere des Mille Îles, September 11, 2011

In October (October 10, 2011)

Thanksgiving on the river