This is the kind of thing that life memories are made of. Traveling alone through wilderness, even on the edge of civilization, is a mind expanding experience.
I couldn't agree more. Canoe tripping is such a wonderful way to experience the landscape. There aren't many things more enjoyable than travelling alone through the wilderness. Thanks very much, take care.
In the heart of the wild, where the waters flow, The North Saskatchewan calls, where the canoes go, With paddles in hand and the sky so wide, We set off on a journey, riding nature’s tide. North Saskatchewan River, take us away, Through the valleys and the hills, where the wild ones play, With the rhythm of the river, we’ll find our way, On a North Saskatchewan River canoe trip today.
I just canoed the Pembina from Pembina Forks to Lodgepole. 7 days. Short paddling days. Took my time. Bad logjam hazards to start, then some good gradient and rapids. Downstream of Wolf Lake road it calms a bit. Tomorrow (May 27th )I am heading out to the Trunk Road. Brazeau to the reservoir.
Excellent, thanks for the info. I've often wondered about the Pembina in that area. Awesome, let me know how the trip on the Brazeau goes. I hope to paddle it from Smallboy Camp to Reservoir in the next year or two.
I've never been there, and it doesn't sound very easy. You have to drive south of the FTR on Cardinal River Road, past Smallboy Camp/Village (reservation?), and look for a cut-block. Then it is a 1-2 km hike down to the river. That's really all I have to go on right now. You can kind of see it on google earth. I hope you have a great trip!!
Hey Matty. The camping was good, the weather not so much. But all in all, it was great to be on the water. Yeah it changes from a semi-wilderness trip to an urban float pretty quickly.
I just love watching your videos. They are not only interesting but very calming, for me anyway. I live in southern Alberta and don't get very far north so I love seeing the scenery.
Thanks very much Gerri. I'm glad to hear that, that is pretty much what I am going for in these videos. Yeah it's a bit different compared to down south. Plenty of amazing and beautiful landscapes down there too.
I've spent 8 seasons playing on the NSR on my kayak, the beauty of this river cannot be underestimated. The amount of peace I felt just watching this is amazing. Thank you for posting this mate.
Hey thanks very much. It was my pleasure. Yes, this river is a real beauty. I never tire of paddling the North Saskatchewan. Thank you for taking the time.
Brings back memories of 1974 when four of us in two canoes went from the town of Peace River to the La Crete ferry crossing on the "Mighty Peace". Took us one week, and to this day one of my most memorable vacations ever.
Nice work Nick! my Dad and I did Drayton Valley to Edmonton years ago and he eventually made it all the way to Le Pas and it was the happiest I've ever seen him.
It was a good summer indeed. The weather was all over the place, but I tried to make the most of it. I hope you had a good summer as well Les. Thanks, take care.
Hey Nick, another great video. I can’t get over the size of the cliffs … and the trip through Edmonton was awesome. It’s amazing how well hidden the city is when you’re out on the middle of the river. Wow, there are so many bridges in Edmonton now … when I grew up there, there were only three … the High Level, Low Level and the Groat Bridge. But lol, that was a very loooong time ago. Thanks for posting and I always look forward to the next one. Stay well.
Hi Robbie, thanks very much. It's always great to hear from you. There is some nice scenery in this trip, with quite a few tall cliffs. Yes, the city doesn't infringe on the river valley too much, thankfully!! Lots of bridges... I left one other bridge out of the video as I couldn't recall what the street was. I appreciate you taking the time Robbie, take care.
Lol, why does everyone forget the Dawson Bridge, it's been there longer than the Groat Bridge. It runs from 106 ave over to Riverdale. MacNalley High School on top of the north side bank, my old High School. Lol, 55 years ago.
Did that trip in 1989 with my 18 ft Lund and 50 hp . My 2 kids wife and I on the trip ,camped out 3 nights and it was a beautiful trip trip caught lots of fish and I suggest everyone to try it.
The North Saskatchewan River is beautiful. It has gorgeous headwaters in Banff National Park, leading to a wonderful river valley in Edmonton. Thank you for watching.
Nick! Great video … as always!! 7 of us just did a short overnighter from Genesee to Devon. One couple had their 13 year old with them. Gotta start ‘em on the river early and keep them paddling. Thanks for your great videos.
Hey thanks very much. Yeah Genesee to Devon is a nice short trip with good camping. Exactly, start them young!! I wish I got into canoe tripping when I was 13. Thank you for watching, happy paddling!
Would have been nice to have historical sites identified, such as Fort Edmonton Park, the water treatment plant that is now closed. I ended up following you with a split screen and google maps. Sure illustrated how Edmonton’s river flats flooded with big log jams and how very much worse it would have been before the Brazo Dam was built. (I am not positive of name of dam.) Is Genesee plant still in operation. A senior citizen enjoying your video, thanks
Hello Rita. The Genesee plant appears to still be in operation. I drove by it last summer, apparently at a shift change. There were hundreds of cars leaving the parking lot and turning onto the highway. Sorry for not showing the historical sites. I thought about mentioning Fort Edmonton, but when on the river, you really can't see any of it. It is treed in on a fairly high river bank. Some people view the old treatment plant as an eyesore, so I didn't mention that either. If I was more of a "talker" then I probably would have focused on these things more. I like to hide behind the camera, and not say too much :) The Brazeau dam definitely helps with flood control. The Brazeau River is a trip I would like to try someday. Thanks again for the comment Rita, I appreciate you taking the time.
Awesome ride along Bud ! I haven't seen those waters paddled before :) Nice trip it's to bad a lot of rain, Being prepared i guess makes it work ! 👍 Mother Nature is beautiful just have to get out in it :)) Not much water in the rivers here in northern Ab.
Yeah it rained on and off for most of the trip. I had full BBQ type meals to eat, but opted for easy freeze dried meals a couple nights. All in all, everything worked out fine. Hopefully you get some more rain up there and raise the levels. Thanks for watching, take care.
Hello Nick! been along most of that route only in an F350, Was in the Third Aurora Scouts and went on many Canoe trips and that is were it ended was a long time ago now, however I would dearly love to take that fly in Canoe trip on the Nahanni : ) maybe in the next Life but the North Saskatchewan seems a cost effective Option and no less Special at the same time! Thank You from Ontario!
Hello Rick. Yeah it's a nice trip. Wilderness and good camping in the first half, a bit more urban in the end. My first ever canoe trip was from Drayton Valley, so I always enjoy this stretch. Oh man, the Nahanni River is a dream trip of mine. Maybe someday? Hopefully!! But yeah, the North Saskatchewan River is a nice alternative. Thanks very much Rick, take care.
Is it just me or is it much windier this spring all across Alberta? Great video, as per usual Nick; I’m thinking of doing a local river trip in my prospector next month. Happy trails and may the wind be ever at your back 😉.
Thanks very much Thomas. It is a nice trip. My first ever canoe trips were in this stretch. The current is a bit stronger near Drayton, but all in all, it is a straight-forward trip.
Way cool! I'm hoping to kayak from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan in the not too distant future. Also, I live very close to the Capilano / Gold Bar boat launch. Good to see it's being used a lot lately.
Dude, you just cost me $70 for the Canoe Alberta river maps of that section of the North Saskatchewan river. It's the first step in planning my own trip down this stretch. My kids and I did a four day trip down the Red Deer River two years ago, and they are asking to do another river adventure. This might be the candidate.
Sorry about that :) Too bad they can't cover it all in one map. I hope to do more tripping on the Red Deer River at some point. This North Saskatchewan River trip is very nice. Lots of good camping for most of it. I hope you have a great trip wherever you go.
I did this very trip back in 1969, except we started in Rocky Mountain House. You could drink right out of the river until you reached Drayton Valley... after that, maybe not a good idea.
Yeah it would be much better water above Drayton Valley for sure. I would have loved to canoe the river before the dams were built. Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for watching Steve.
Awesome video! Trying to get some friends to do this was thinking of starting at Chelsea Robinson or Genesee bridge to Edmonton! Definitely want a canoe at some point kayaks are fun but limited storage!
Either one of those starting points would make a nice 2 or 3 day trip to Edmonton. I don't have much experience with kayaks, but they do look fun. But yeah, canoes can handle all kinds of gear and weight. Go for it man, have a great trip!!
Helped 3 youngsters, like myself at the time, enter the North Saskatchewan at Drayton Valley on their way back to Edmonton over 50 years ago. Didn't know them, just helping them out. When they were loaded up and pushed off, there was only a couple of inches of their canoe above the water line, over loaded I would say. Never knew how their trip ended up, but didn't here of a tragedy on the news, so assumed they made it safely back to the city.
Yeah it sounds like they probably made it just fine. Having a over-loaded canoe can be sketchy. It is a nice trip from Drayton Valley to Edmonton. Thank you for watching Randall.
I heard mourning doves. I haven’t heard those since moving to Edmonton from Ontario almost 20 years ago. I honestly didn’t realize they had them in Alberta.
is that first one a beaver or otter? i think it looks more like a beaver/ that later ones were obviously beavers, awesome... Big River, love the wide open water and big banks. // no way! you end up in a pretty urban area there that is not our typical paddle with you/// kinda funny coincidence i was going to tell you about this guy Two Feet Outdoors who kayaks back east - i started watching because i grew up on long island but now dude is paddling in some of the most polluted, densely urban NYC rivers and canals, very interesting and oddly peaceful but kind of gross too/// also pretty sad to think of all those people trapped over there in the crowds.. /so nice you could be way out in nature like that even near the city, thanks for sharing
Hi Thorn. Yeah that first one was a beaver too. There was a resident beaver at all three campsites on this trip. It's a nice semi-wilderness trip for three days, then ends in an urban setting. Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta with roughly a million people, so yeah, it's quite a contrast to my other trips! It's a necessary "evil" in order to document this entire river from start to finish. There is still another 500 miles or so to paddle to reach the end of the river proper. Yeah I'll check him out, haha, that's sounds pretty cool. A gross kind of peace, haha!! Thanks for the comment and recommendation, take care man.
30 + years ago Coworkers and myself did an annual canoe trip from Berrymoor to Genesee (1 day) Then to Devon bridge (1 day), Was awesome! (Truck All Alumni anyone?)
This was a surprise, a few years ago we done the same trip, loved every minute of it. You brought back alot of memories. That pile of driftwood was nice to see the next morning after being hit with a thunderstorm all night. One of my best canoe trips. Notice the difference in the water closer to Edmonton ? Thanks bud.
Yeah this is a nice section to paddle and camp... my first ever canoe trips were in this stretch. Well, the water is not so nice by the time you get to Edmonton. All the storm water drains, among other stuff, not quite as pristine as out west. But still always enjoyable for canoeing. Thanks Dave, I appreciate you taking the time.
I just recently thought of canoeing a short section of the North Saskatchewan river with my 2 young boys 9 and 6 yo. Suggestions for start and end point? I was thinking of hitting the area by Terwillegar. Just want an easy paddle just to "get our feet wet" with canoeing.
Anywhere in the city is easy, slow current... great for learning. You could start at the Terwillegar Dog park, it looks like there is good access there ( a couple hundred meters walk across the grass). I think the next access points would be at Ft. Edmonton boat launch or Laurier Park. It should make for a 4-6 km trip. Just make sure to stay well clear of the bridge piers, and anticipate your take-out point as to not miss it.
Thanks very much Chris. Yeah by the second day, it is a fairly long trip on some slow moving water. All in all, a nice trip with good camping. It is an Emberlit Titanium stove. I've had it about 10 years and it has worked great every time.
No bears to see on this trip. There are some black bears occasionally, but I did not see any. It is a 16' canoe with two seats, but I love using it solo. Thanks for watching, take care.
Thanks very much. My first ever solo canoe trip was from Genessee to Laurier Park in Edmonton. I was nervous the first few times, but it is no problem now. It just takes getting used to. There is something about solo trips and depending only on yourself, that makes it very rewarding. Best of luck to you.
Thanks Harry. It's hard to say exactly. This was a moderate flow, about 250 cm/s. My paddle hit bottom more than a few times, and the canoe scraped over a few hidden gravel bars. On average, I would say it was 1 meter deep. Of course the middle part of the main channel would be deepest, 1-3 metes deep maybe.
this is the first video of yours I've seen. Subscribed. I live in Edmonton and have a Royalex prospecter if you want a partner or paddling buddy. Cheers!
Looks like a very cool experience but do you get scared when the river gets a bit rough and your canoe goes up and down making a splash? I also noticed that some parts look a bit rough. Do you know why that is? I’d love to do that trip but I’m scared of the river.
There are a few wavy sections during the trip, but it is mostly calm and flat. The waves splash sometimes, but it is not scary once you get used to it. You just slow down the canoe, and make sure you are facing forward into the wave. All in all, this is a very calm trip. Thanks for watching.
A slight increase in the gradient. The water is moving a little faster in short sections. Or a narrowing of the river channel, all normal situations on this river.
It depends on a few things. The flow rate of the river, wind, how hard you paddle. If you were to just drift and float with the current, maybe 2 km/h. If you paddle hard, you could maybe do 10 km/h. The average would be somewhere in the middle.
This is the kind of thing that life memories are made of. Traveling alone through wilderness, even on the edge of civilization, is a mind expanding experience.
I couldn't agree more. Canoe tripping is such a wonderful way to experience the landscape. There aren't many things more enjoyable than travelling alone through the wilderness. Thanks very much, take care.
In the heart of the wild, where the waters flow,
The North Saskatchewan calls, where the canoes go,
With paddles in hand and the sky so wide,
We set off on a journey, riding nature’s tide.
North Saskatchewan River, take us away,
Through the valleys and the hills, where the wild ones play,
With the rhythm of the river, we’ll find our way,
On a North Saskatchewan River canoe trip today.
Beautiful! That is just fantastic! Thank you so much.
Read the book Living on the Shed for the full history and geography of the North Sask River.
just add a guitar and a campfire!!
Beautiful
I just canoed the Pembina from Pembina Forks to Lodgepole. 7 days. Short paddling days. Took my time. Bad logjam hazards to start, then some good gradient and rapids. Downstream of Wolf Lake road it calms a bit. Tomorrow (May 27th )I am heading out to the Trunk Road. Brazeau to the reservoir.
Excellent, thanks for the info. I've often wondered about the Pembina in that area. Awesome, let me know how the trip on the Brazeau goes. I hope to paddle it from Smallboy Camp to Reservoir in the next year or two.
Let me know. I’m not sure where that put in is. If i had time i would go look today while i am out there.
I've never been there, and it doesn't sound very easy. You have to drive south of the FTR on Cardinal River Road, past Smallboy Camp/Village (reservation?), and look for a cut-block. Then it is a 1-2 km hike down to the river. That's really all I have to go on right now. You can kind of see it on google earth. I hope you have a great trip!!
Fished many of those areas, cool vid. I was looking into doing a trip. What’s it like doing a multi day solo trip?
Nice relaxing trip
LOVE that you are still updating this series!
Yep, lots of kms on this river still to paddle. I hope to canoe from Edmonton to Saskatchewan one of these summers. Thanks Julian, take care.
Really great video, I’ve done Rocky Mountain House to Drayton. Travelling as the voyages and early explorers did is an amazing experience!
Love that section so much
Thanks very much Phil. Yeah Rocky to Drayton is a really nice stretch. I hope to revisit that one someday. Travelling by river is the best!!
@@nickharland3795river voyages are great! I go from entwhistle to sangudo but I fish the entire trip.
Great to see you back out doing what you enjoy, cheers Nick
Thanks very much Jim. I hope you are doing well and getting some paddling in. Cheers.
That was awesome thanks for sharing! I grew up in Drayton Valley and always wanted to do that.
Glad you enjoyed it! It is a very nice trip. Thank you for watching.
Great memories of exact same trip done with scouts back some 40 years ago.
I'm glad to hear it Jim. Sounds like it was an amazing trip for you guys. Thanks for taking the time, take care.
Such a beautiful poem, the words certainly take you there.
Yes, a great poem indeed. Thanks for watching Tammy.
beautiful campsite night 1! Really cool seeing some of those Edmonton bridges from a different perspective! Looks like a fun wet trip Nick!
Hey Matty. The camping was good, the weather not so much. But all in all, it was great to be on the water. Yeah it changes from a semi-wilderness trip to an urban float pretty quickly.
I just love watching your videos. They are not only interesting but very calming, for me anyway. I live in southern Alberta and don't get very far north so I love seeing the scenery.
Thanks very much Gerri. I'm glad to hear that, that is pretty much what I am going for in these videos. Yeah it's a bit different compared to down south. Plenty of amazing and beautiful landscapes down there too.
I've spent 8 seasons playing on the NSR on my kayak, the beauty of this river cannot be underestimated.
The amount of peace I felt just watching this is amazing. Thank you for posting this mate.
Hey thanks very much. It was my pleasure. Yes, this river is a real beauty. I never tire of paddling the North Saskatchewan. Thank you for taking the time.
Overestimated like overstated i.e. You can't say too much good about it. No matter what good things you say about it, it exceeds that description.
Excellent video. Thank You. ✅
Thanks very much. I glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
These P-O-V vids of yours always put me in a zen calm. Nice upload. Thanks Nick.
Hey right on Bryan. That's what I like to hear. Thank you for taking the time.
Brings back memories of 1974 when four of us in two canoes went from the town of Peace River to the La Crete ferry crossing on the "Mighty Peace". Took us one week, and to this day one of my most memorable vacations ever.
That would be quite a trip paddling the mighty Peace River. I'm jealous!! Thanks for watching, take care.
Thanks again for the view love this
It's my pleasure Lynne. Thank you.
Nice work Nick! my Dad and I did Drayton Valley to Edmonton years ago and he eventually made it all the way to Le Pas and it was the happiest I've ever seen him.
Wow, hats off to your Dad. That would be quite a trip all the way to Manitoba. Awesome!! Thank you for watching and commenting. Take care.
Very nice!!! Even nicer to see some Alberta adventures for once!
Yes, there are lots of nice trips in Alberta. Thanks for watching.
How fun. I envy you. I canoed the peace 45 years ago.
It is a lot of fun. The Peace River would be a great trip! Thanks for watching Sandra.
Another great video nick,your so inspiring. Thanks for all your great adventures
Thanks very much Greg. I appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. Take care.
Thanks Nick Harland for posting this awesome video !
Hey thanks very much Jo. I appreciate you taking the time.
Hiya Nick,
Hope all is well with you n hope to see more of journey's
Safe journey's
I missed you! n your journey's
❤️🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Hi Miller. I am doing well, and hope you are doing well too. It's always nice to hear from you. Thanks so much, take care.
That was really interesting, thanks.
You're very welcome. Thanks for taking the time.
That's awesome. Looks like you had a pretty good summer!
It was a good summer indeed. The weather was all over the place, but I tried to make the most of it. I hope you had a good summer as well Les. Thanks, take care.
nice n easy start the wind must have sucked nice start to the year
Thanks Dana. Yeah it was windy for a lot of it. But day 3 was almost all tailwind. It was good to get out.
Hey Nick, another great video. I can’t get over the size of the cliffs … and the trip through Edmonton was awesome. It’s amazing how well hidden the city is when you’re out on the middle of the river. Wow, there are so many bridges in Edmonton now … when I grew up there, there were only three … the High Level, Low Level and the Groat Bridge. But lol, that was a very loooong time ago. Thanks for posting and I always look forward to the next one. Stay well.
Hi Robbie, thanks very much. It's always great to hear from you. There is some nice scenery in this trip, with quite a few tall cliffs. Yes, the city doesn't infringe on the river valley too much, thankfully!! Lots of bridges... I left one other bridge out of the video as I couldn't recall what the street was. I appreciate you taking the time Robbie, take care.
Lol, why does everyone forget the Dawson Bridge, it's been there longer than the Groat Bridge. It runs from 106 ave over to Riverdale. MacNalley High School on top of the north side bank, my old High School. Lol, 55 years ago.
That was fun to see I don't think I would be brave enough to get in a Canoe for that long so thanks for sharing. Enjoyed the sights and animals
It is a enjoyable trip with good camping. The wildlife sightings are always nice. Thank you for watching.
This looks like a blast omg lived in Edmonton for 3 years never once thought of this. Thanks for the idea great video to
Thanks very much. Yeah it's a nice trip paddling back into the city. I hope you get it done.
I love this. I have done this so many times. I love watching someone else do it. Nice work kid!
Thanks so much Trent. It's a nice trip. My first ever canoe trips were in this stretch. I wish I was still a kid, haha!!
looks like a great trip. very nice video.
Thank you very much Dave. It is a nice trip indeed.
I enjoyed this thanks.
Thank you very much.
I really enjoyed the video.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time.
Awesome video man.
Thank you very much. Take care.
Loving these video's planning a canoe trip next year, from the Sask glacier to Prince Albert.
Glad to hear you enjoy them, thanks very much. Best of luck on your trip, take care.
Well done. From a hardcore private backcountry canoe traveller I enjoy your videos. Keep up the sharing!
Thanks very much. I appreciate you taking the time. I definitely have a few trips in mind. Take care.
Did that trip in 1989 with my 18 ft Lund and 50 hp . My 2 kids wife and I on the trip ,camped out 3 nights and it was a beautiful trip trip caught lots of fish and I suggest everyone to try it.
Sounds like you guys had a great trip. It is a very nice section of river. It is always nice when the fish are biting. Thanks for watching.
Absolutely beautiful ! So much natural wilderness in the Edmonton area for all to enjoy including the best river valley on earth !
Nope. You obviously haven't been to many river valleys.
The North Saskatchewan River is beautiful. It has gorgeous headwaters in Banff National Park, leading to a wonderful river valley in Edmonton. Thank you for watching.
Good stuff. Did Sylvan Lake to Drayton Valley many years ago. Keep it up.
Thanks very much. It was a nice trip for sure. Take care.
Hello from Drayton Valley 👋🏻😊
It's a great area for paddling. Thanks for watching.
Thanks for posting a great video! Canoeing to Edmonton from Rocky Mountain House is on the "to do" list. It's a lovely river!
Rocky Mountain House to Edmonton would be a great trip!! Maybe 5-7 days altogether. I hope you get that trip done. Thanks for watching.
looked like a great trip thanks for sharing
It was a nice getaway. Thanks for watching Willy. I hope you are doing well. Great to hear from you!!
Nick! Great video … as always!! 7 of us just did a short overnighter from Genesee to Devon. One couple had their 13 year old with them. Gotta start ‘em on the river early and keep them paddling.
Thanks for your great videos.
Hey thanks very much. Yeah Genesee to Devon is a nice short trip with good camping. Exactly, start them young!! I wish I got into canoe tripping when I was 13. Thank you for watching, happy paddling!
It was nice going on a journey down the river ,thank you for sharing 😎
Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time.
Would have been nice to have historical sites identified, such as Fort Edmonton Park, the water treatment plant that is now closed. I ended up following you with a split screen and google maps. Sure illustrated how Edmonton’s river flats flooded with big log jams and how very much worse it would have been before the Brazo Dam was built. (I am not positive of name of dam.) Is Genesee plant still in operation. A senior citizen enjoying your video, thanks
Hello Rita. The Genesee plant appears to still be in operation. I drove by it last summer, apparently at a shift change. There were hundreds of cars leaving the parking lot and turning onto the highway. Sorry for not showing the historical sites. I thought about mentioning Fort Edmonton, but when on the river, you really can't see any of it. It is treed in on a fairly high river bank. Some people view the old treatment plant as an eyesore, so I didn't mention that either. If I was more of a "talker" then I probably would have focused on these things more. I like to hide behind the camera, and not say too much :) The Brazeau dam definitely helps with flood control. The Brazeau River is a trip I would like to try someday. Thanks again for the comment Rita, I appreciate you taking the time.
Thanks for this great video!
My pleasure! Thank you for watching.
Nice trip Nick, glad all went well except for the rain. Thanks for posting another river adventure.
Thanks BD. Yeah it was a nice flat water trip to work off some rust.
Too bad you had such crappy weather but on the other hand, we do need the moisture. Thanks for taking us with you.
Yeah it wasn't the warmest trip, but we did need the rain. So it is all good. Thanks for watching.
Awesome ride along Bud ! I haven't seen those waters paddled before :) Nice trip it's to bad a lot of rain, Being prepared i guess makes it work ! 👍 Mother Nature is beautiful just have to get out in it :)) Not much water in the rivers here in northern Ab.
Yeah it rained on and off for most of the trip. I had full BBQ type meals to eat, but opted for easy freeze dried meals a couple nights. All in all, everything worked out fine. Hopefully you get some more rain up there and raise the levels. Thanks for watching, take care.
This trip looks amazing!
It is a nice trip for camping and relaxing river travel. Thanks for watching.
The two bridges in Edmonton are the James McDonald and the Low Level.
Yes that sounds familiar. Thanks so much Robert.
Hello Nick! been along most of that route only in an F350, Was in the Third Aurora Scouts and went on many Canoe trips and that is were it ended was a long time ago now, however I would dearly love to take that fly in Canoe trip on the Nahanni : ) maybe in the next Life but the North Saskatchewan seems a cost effective Option and no less Special at the same time! Thank You from Ontario!
Hello Rick. Yeah it's a nice trip. Wilderness and good camping in the first half, a bit more urban in the end. My first ever canoe trip was from Drayton Valley, so I always enjoy this stretch. Oh man, the Nahanni River is a dream trip of mine. Maybe someday? Hopefully!! But yeah, the North Saskatchewan River is a nice alternative. Thanks very much Rick, take care.
What a amazing adventure in our own backyard. in Alberta.
Yeah it's a nice trip paddling back to Edmonton. Thanks for taking the time.
I love the videos it would be cool to see you do some fishing on some future trips
Thanks very much. Yeah I hope I can get some more fishing in upcoming trips. Take care.
Is it just me or is it much windier this spring all across Alberta? Great video, as per usual Nick; I’m thinking of doing a local river trip in my prospector next month. Happy trails and may the wind be ever at your back 😉.
It seems windy around Alberta for sure. Yeah man, get out there and paddle that Prospector. If you ever plan on going paddling in Jasper, let me know.
@@nickharland3795 … thanks Nick, will do.
Great stuff. I’ve done Genessee to Edmonton overnight a few times but this trip is on the list for sure. Cheers.
Thanks very much. Yeah Genessee is a nice trip. It bit more faster current near Drayton, but otherwise the same.
Enjoyed the video. A real adventure trip. I've done Devon to Edmonton. The route from Drayton Valley to Edmonton would be very scenic and lots of fun.
Thanks very much Thomas. It is a nice trip. My first ever canoe trips were in this stretch. The current is a bit stronger near Drayton, but all in all, it is a straight-forward trip.
Nice video. We used to do Genesse Bridge to Devon or Edmonton every year, but I haven't been out in 6 years now.
The trip from Genesee is very nice too. I have done that one many times. I hope you get out there again sometime. Thanks for watching.
Nice trip!
Thanks! It was good to get out.
Way cool! I'm hoping to kayak from Devon to Fort Saskatchewan in the not too distant future. Also, I live very close to the Capilano / Gold Bar boat launch. Good to see it's being used a lot lately.
Awesome!! I hope you have a great trip. Yeah it is always nice to see people using the river valley. Thanks Jeremy.
Dude, you just cost me $70 for the Canoe Alberta river maps of that section of the North Saskatchewan river. It's the first step in planning my own trip down this stretch. My kids and I did a four day trip down the Red Deer River two years ago, and they are asking to do another river adventure. This might be the candidate.
Sorry about that :) Too bad they can't cover it all in one map. I hope to do more tripping on the Red Deer River at some point. This North Saskatchewan River trip is very nice. Lots of good camping for most of it. I hope you have a great trip wherever you go.
Damn, how I miss Alberta.
There are definitely some beautiful places in Alberta. Come back... bring your kayak, haha. You are in B.C.? Pretty epic landscapes over there too.
I did this very trip back in 1969, except we started in Rocky Mountain House. You could drink right out of the river until you reached Drayton Valley... after that, maybe not a good idea.
Yeah it would be much better water above Drayton Valley for sure. I would have loved to canoe the river before the dams were built. Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for watching Steve.
just did devon to the edmonton zoo yesterday, could not have asked for a nicer fall day.
Sounds like a very nice time on the river. The autumn colors in the river valley would be wonderful to see.
I did Rocky to Devon years ago. Great trip.
Awesome!! That would be a great trip!! Thanks for watching.
Great trip I subscribed :)
It is a very nice trip. Thanks Kimberley.
Thank you, great video.
Thanks you Travis. Take care man.
Awesome video! Trying to get some friends to do this was thinking of starting at Chelsea Robinson or Genesee bridge to Edmonton! Definitely want a canoe at some point kayaks are fun but limited storage!
Either one of those starting points would make a nice 2 or 3 day trip to Edmonton. I don't have much experience with kayaks, but they do look fun. But yeah, canoes can handle all kinds of gear and weight. Go for it man, have a great trip!!
Helped 3 youngsters, like myself at the time, enter the North Saskatchewan at Drayton Valley on their way back to Edmonton over 50 years ago. Didn't know them, just helping them out. When they were loaded up and pushed off, there was only a couple of inches of their canoe above the water line, over loaded I would say. Never knew how their trip ended up, but didn't here of a tragedy on the news, so assumed they made it safely back to the city.
Yeah it sounds like they probably made it just fine. Having a over-loaded canoe can be sketchy. It is a nice trip from Drayton Valley to Edmonton. Thank you for watching Randall.
I heard mourning doves. I haven’t heard those since moving to Edmonton from Ontario almost 20 years ago. I honestly didn’t realize they had them in Alberta.
That's great!! I'm not familiar with their song, but I'm glad you could hear it. Thank you for watching, take care.
Did that same trip with 2 canoes and 6 flats of beer
Haha, yeah you can fit lots of "gear" in a canoe. Thanks for watching Andrew.
is that first one a beaver or otter? i think it looks more like a beaver/ that later ones were obviously beavers, awesome... Big River, love the wide open water and big banks. // no way! you end up in a pretty urban area there that is not our typical paddle with you/// kinda funny coincidence i was going to tell you about this guy Two Feet Outdoors who kayaks back east - i started watching because i grew up on long island but now dude is paddling in some of the most polluted, densely urban NYC rivers and canals, very interesting and oddly peaceful but kind of gross too/// also pretty sad to think of all those people trapped over there in the crowds.. /so nice you could be way out in nature like that even near the city, thanks for sharing
Hi Thorn. Yeah that first one was a beaver too. There was a resident beaver at all three campsites on this trip. It's a nice semi-wilderness trip for three days, then ends in an urban setting. Edmonton is the capital city of Alberta with roughly a million people, so yeah, it's quite a contrast to my other trips! It's a necessary "evil" in order to document this entire river from start to finish. There is still another 500 miles or so to paddle to reach the end of the river proper.
Yeah I'll check him out, haha, that's sounds pretty cool. A gross kind of peace, haha!! Thanks for the comment and recommendation, take care man.
@@nickharland3795 awesome/ looking forward to more of the series
Nessie
Be a little chilly yet with the snow still on some of the banks. Would be a great trip though.
It was not a warm trip, a little chilly at times. All in all, it is a great trip. Thanks for watching.
Pretty cool. Didn’t think would take 3 days
It's a nice trip, 3 or even 4 days depending on pace. Thanks for taking the time.
Rough conditions, but nice video nonetheless! Thanks Nick.
Thanks Udo. It felt really good to get out.
Never did drayton Valley to edmonton. Would be great 👍. Devon to edmonton a few times . And love it every time
Yeah Devon to Edmonton is a nice pleasant day trip. The Drayton trip is good is you want to stretch it out and go camping. Thanks for watching.
30 + years ago Coworkers and myself did an annual canoe trip from Berrymoor to Genesee (1 day) Then to Devon bridge (1 day), Was awesome! (Truck All Alumni anyone?)
Sounds like great times Doug. Those are nice stretches to paddle for sure. Thanks for taking the time.
This was a surprise, a few years ago we done the same trip, loved every minute of it. You brought back alot of memories. That pile of driftwood was nice to see the next morning after being hit with a thunderstorm all night. One of my best canoe trips. Notice the difference in the water closer to Edmonton ? Thanks bud.
Yeah this is a nice section to paddle and camp... my first ever canoe trips were in this stretch. Well, the water is not so nice by the time you get to Edmonton. All the storm water drains, among other stuff, not quite as pristine as out west. But still always enjoyable for canoeing. Thanks Dave, I appreciate you taking the time.
I just recently thought of canoeing a short section of the North Saskatchewan river with my 2 young boys 9 and 6 yo. Suggestions for start and end point? I was thinking of hitting the area by Terwillegar. Just want an easy paddle just to "get our feet wet" with canoeing.
Anywhere in the city is easy, slow current... great for learning. You could start at the Terwillegar Dog park, it looks like there is good access there ( a couple hundred meters walk across the grass). I think the next access points would be at Ft. Edmonton boat launch or Laurier Park. It should make for a 4-6 km trip. Just make sure to stay well clear of the bridge piers, and anticipate your take-out point as to not miss it.
@@nickharland3795 thank you!
I saw the Ogopogo in the river! 😄
Haha, I was waiting for a comment like that. Thanks.
Hay Nick ! Great Paddling Along With Ya, Thanks For Sharing This Buddy ! Hap-E Paddling From Down East, Stay Safe ! ATB T God Bless
Thanks very much Terry. It is always great to hear from you. Take care my friend.
Nice. I'm impressed that your butt can handle sitting in the canoe for that long.
Thank Jim. Haha, yeah it's a bit of a long haul.
Thanks Nick
It's my pleasure. Thank you.
Great! I want to do this!
Go for it! It is a very nice trip. Thanks for watching Shirley.
Good. Thanks.
Thank you too!
Great video, some serious kms on the river. What was the wood stove you had a dutch oven on?
Thanks very much Chris. Yeah by the second day, it is a fairly long trip on some slow moving water. All in all, a nice trip with good camping. It is an Emberlit Titanium stove. I've had it about 10 years and it has worked great every time.
No bears..😮...
How do you like the solo canoe
No bears to see on this trip. There are some black bears occasionally, but I did not see any. It is a 16' canoe with two seats, but I love using it solo. Thanks for watching, take care.
havent done this in years...Joffree to Drumheller is great
Canoe trips are wonderful. I hope to paddle the Red Deer River in that area sometime. Thanks, take care.
Fished many spots on the NSR. Cool vid. I want to do a trip but going solo is freaking me out a bit. What’s it like doing multi day solo trips?
Thanks very much. My first ever solo canoe trip was from Genessee to Laurier Park in Edmonton. I was nervous the first few times, but it is no problem now. It just takes getting used to. There is something about solo trips and depending only on yourself, that makes it very rewarding. Best of luck to you.
Just curious ......what do you do for water ....filter or bring your own???
Nice video. Thanks for sharing
For a trip like this one, I just bring my own water. Thanks for watching and commenting, take care.
Great video. Could you tell the approximate depth of the river?
Thanks Harry. It's hard to say exactly. This was a moderate flow, about 250 cm/s. My paddle hit bottom more than a few times, and the canoe scraped over a few hidden gravel bars. On average, I would say it was 1 meter deep. Of course the middle part of the main channel would be deepest, 1-3 metes deep maybe.
Ft mac to the sand dune preserve, forgot the name , on the AltaSask border. Then float plane out. Anyone try that?
Not I, but I dream of canoeing up there.
this is the first video of yours I've seen. Subscribed.
I live in Edmonton and have a Royalex prospecter if you want a partner or paddling buddy.
Cheers!
Thanks very much. That is a great canoe!! This is a nice trip... it is always nice to paddle back to the city.
I'd really like to go the opposite way to the mountains 😢
Yeah this river is definitely more exciting and pristine in the mountains and foothills. Thanks for watching.
Looks like a very cool experience but do you get scared when the river gets a bit rough and your canoe goes up and down making a splash? I also noticed that some parts look a bit rough. Do you know why that is? I’d love to do that trip but I’m scared of the river.
There are a few wavy sections during the trip, but it is mostly calm and flat. The waves splash sometimes, but it is not scary once you get used to it. You just slow down the canoe, and make sure you are facing forward into the wave. All in all, this is a very calm trip. Thanks for watching.
@@nickharland3795 do you know what causes the wavy sections on the river?
A slight increase in the gradient. The water is moving a little faster in short sections. Or a narrowing of the river channel, all normal situations on this river.
You ever run into Steve Wallis the stealth camper?
Hey Gary, I can't say I have. He sounds like a hard guy to find :)
❤
Thanks very much.
How long did it take to get from devon to the spot where you got off
It's 50 km from Devon to Capilano/Gold Bar boat launch. It was probably 7 or 8 hours paddling.
What's the average speed that you go with the current?
It depends on a few things. The flow rate of the river, wind, how hard you paddle. If you were to just drift and float with the current, maybe 2 km/h. If you paddle hard, you could maybe do 10 km/h. The average would be somewhere in the middle.
I wish I could do this trip
I hope you can get it done if possible. Thank you for watching. Take care.
IT was called the Beaver River before it was renamed the North Sask.real canadian history
Yeah that sounds logical... many furs to be had in this watershed. Thanks for taking the time.
best beavers in the world #1 beaver made canada what' it is today!