On the last day of winter, the weather was mild and there was little wind, so I brought my kayak down to the boat launch at Pioneer Park.    The gate was closed so I wheeled my boat down to the shoreline.    Ice bordered the river still, but I was able to lift the kayak over the ice to shallow water.    The water is cold at this time of the year, so I put on my drysuit and neoprene boots.   I paddled up the river while a few ducks and geese expressed their surprise.

It takes about 30 minutes to paddle up to, under, and a little beyond the bridge on Highway 5 North (Yellowhead Bridge).

Paddling back downstream is quicker.    I landed at the boat launch since everything west of there is a construction zone near where the Red Bridge once spanned the river.

This was a quiet paddle with no one else on the river or on the shoreline.   The river is low, but still moving along toward the Confluence at a good rate.   The water was ice free, but there are still icy areas downstream so that section can wait for a later date.

This was the first day of paddling for the year.    Over the next 8 months, there will 60 – 90 more days of kayaking the rivers and lakes of our area.