Serpent River Paddle, July 5, 2026 

A bald eagle gently swooped over us  to perch on a pine bough just downstream and welcome us to his domain - what a thrilling start to a fabulous day!  The sunny blue skies were matched with a very light breeze to make for a perfect paddle on the Serpent River.  

 First, a short exploration of of the downstream portion, below the giant culverts, which took us to the beginning of the rocky lead-up to Quirke Lake (to be explored further on another day).  Beautiful water lilies in bloom lined our way, or in places, 'carpeted' the river, through pretty much the entire length of our paddle.  

We reversed direction to complete our exploration of the upstream portion of the river as far as navigable water would allow.  The giant culverts under Panel Mine Road proved to be no obstacle - it was actually a little thrilling to paddle through them!   Shortly after the lunch break, we entered the 'turtle zone' where two or three painted turtles at a time could be spotted on logs along shore or sticking out of the river - a sure sign that the river is healthy in these parts.  

We made our way up as close to the point where the Serpent River first crosses Panel Mine Road (not far from Hwy 108) as the rocky riverbed would allow - truly a very picturesque  view upstream. 

The return downstream and through the culverts was very leisurely, as promised. The company and conversation were delightful and informative.  ... and nobody was in a hurry to end the paddle! - a good sign in my books!

Despite low water levels and a beaver dam in a very inconvenient location forcing a change in the trip plans, this altered  version of a paddle on the Serpent was, I think, even more enjoyable!  - Sirje P