UPDATED as of June 18:

Canada Day Weekend - Change of Plans

Due to the failure of the St. Mary’s / Milk River Canal, BWCC has made alternate plans to camp at the farm of Allison Ireland (35 kms east of Red Deer on Hwy #11 and Range Rd 235 on the Red Deer River). As no one voiced an interest in heading to Milk River to just go camping, those reservations have now been cancelled. I.e. do not plan to head to Gold Springs!

Please let Don know if you are planning to attend or not. The lower Red Deer is Novice to Novice + and is appropriate for all.

• Friday, June 28th
  Arrive at the Ireland’s

• Saturday, June 29th
  Shuttle
  Paddle Joffre Bridge to the Ireland’s propery (30 Km)
  Park the boats near the river on their land
  Walk 500 M to the car camping site

• Sunday, June 30th
  Shuttle
  Paddle Ireland’s to Content Bridge (20 Km)
  Head home

They have a picnic shelter with tables and an outhouse.

However, their well water is not potable

If interested you must be a member of a Paddle Alberta canoe club.... BWCC, CCC or others. Contact Don <don.keith.mitchell@gmail.com> to confirm interest and if there is still space.

Once again, Don and the Bow Waters Canoe Club have invited us to join them on the Milk River trip in southern Alberta, with camping for up to 4 days (Jun 28 to July 01) at Gold Springs Park, just south of the Town of Milk River.  At present (Mar. 12) "powered" sites are pretty much gone, but still tent sites, and room for small rvs/trailers "boon-docking " are available.  Don has reserved for us all, and we are to pay the campground on arrival.

The Milk River does require, especially the middle runs, some modest river/WW skills.   Rocks need to dodged, eddies entered and exited smartly, corners stayed to the inside.  This river is a step up from the Pembina above Hwy #16.

Gold Springs park is a spectacular site, and Bow Waters has again booked the back NW corner so you're staying with just paddlers!  Don has reminded me that; one passes close to the Warner dinosaur dig (dinosaur eggs), the Warner museum in town, and that the Coaldale bird of prey sanctuary are all stops easily made on the way.  And this can be an ideal trip even for non paddlers. His wife loves to swim in the oxbow pond and go hiking in the area.

If this sounds like your kind of trip you MUST confirm a camp site with Don.  It is best to also register here, on the Ceyana site so our members can coordinate travel, paddling partners, etc.  And it would be nice for someone to take on this coordinating role... please confirm such with lundmer@gmail.com