Bow River - Policeman's Flats to McKinnon Flats Paddling on 20-Sep-20

An early morning mist hung over the river at Policeman’s Flats as we unloaded our boats in preparation for the paddle to McKinnons Flats. After completing a vehicle shuttle to place some vehicles at the takeout, we headed headed off down the river at about 10:30 am. The water flow rate was average for the time of year at 71 m3/sec, but the Bow in this section is quite fast, giving us an average speed on the water of 8.5 km/hr. The water was crystal clear with the only hazard was the occasional rock. We passed many fishermen along the shore and drifting down in boats, although we didn’t actually see them catch anything. We saw lots of bird life along this section, including bald eagles, ospreys, red tailed hawks, king fishers, pileated woodpeckers, herons to name just a few. The weather was truly amazing for mid-September with blue skies and a temperature of around 30C. We reached McKinnons Flats at about 2:30 pm having paddled a total distance of 23.5 km. Thanks to Joanne, Gordon, Jenny, Steve and guest Mark for coming out to join me. c/s John,