Canoeing Bow River, Banff National Park: Castle Mountain to Massive Siding

Each year on Mother's Day Chip rallies some of her friends for the annual "float". This year Jill, Bryan and JimO joined Chip for what was more than a "float"! We launched our canoes into the Bow River at the base of Castle Mountain about 27 km upriver from Banff.



View Bow River Canoe Route Castle Mountain to Massive siding in a larger map




Chip and Jill appear to be "more than floating" down the Red Earth Creek rapids. Due to the very low water level (the mountain snow has yet to melt) we experienced rocks we had never seen before. In some cases we left some red paint on the protruding rocks.



Chip and Jill made a great team of paddlers in an Esquif Prospecteur 17.

Jill and Chip turn into an eddy with an impressive draw by Jill and a strong boat tilt to prevent a rollover! Note the falling snow.

Bryan sterned our canoe and was an expert at identifying shoals in the river.

An unexpected moose welcomed us and made our day! We were glad that it did not charge us as we took a photo.

Jill, Chip and Bryan at the Castle mountain put-in.

Instead of carrying all our gear from the river to the highway, Bryan tests a modified "Baby Burley" as a canoe trailer. The trailer is light, strong and is easily disassembled and carried in the canoe. The trailer is a copy of a Doug McKown original which worked so well it will probably ride with us again soon!