Kayaking on Stillwater Creek

Last Saturday, May 23, we went kayaking from our back yard.  We back onto Stillwater Creek, which flows through Crystal Beach in Nepean, and meets up with the Ottawa River between Dick Bell and Andrew Haydon Parks, on the wide bend of the river called Lac Deschenes.

We had to carry the kayak down the stone steps in our back yard and through a bit of brush to reach the water.  Here is Ed, on the banks of the creek before we put the kayak in the water.  The bank was pretty muddy and slippery:

On the water, looking at our house at the end of the creek bend:

Condos as we approach the parks.  They did some shoreline stabilization work last fall on the creek banks here:

Through the tunnel under Carling Ave., approaching the bridge that connects Dick Bell park on the left with Andrew Haydon Park on the right:

Heading through the marsh, and around the corner into the open Ottawa River:

Andrew Haydon Park on the right:

Around another corner, and we enter the mouth of Graham Creek:

There is a little sand beach here:

Heading towards the Graham creek bridge:

Into the big culvert under Carling Avenue:

We couldn't get any further once we were through the culvert, as the creek got too shallow there to be navigable.  We turned around, and this is coming out the park end of the Culvert:

The Ottawa river is in the distance as we come out of the creek:

We headed a little further east.  This is a condo building at Bayshore drive, where the eastern corner of the park meets the bike path:

Then back to Stillwater creek.  Here's the inside of the tunnel:

The home stretch of the creek:

We turned the corner, and used that log on the right side of the creek to steady ourselves to get out.

The weather was perfect!  Low 20's, not too windy, not humid, full sun.  I hope we get out again this year, last year we kayaked only once as I travelled so much last summer.  In this year of Covid-19 I should be around more, so if the weather cooperates we hope to do it again, either here, or driving off to another wet destination.