Friday, April 12, 2013

Kayaking the Ottawa River – Alastair Baird


Rating: ****

            The article Kayaking the Ottawa River is an interesting, informative and easy read that provides information about kayaking on the Ottawa River.
            This article is interesting and informative because it provides a lot of noteworthy facts about the history of the Ottawa River and what is there to experience today, suggesting the best way to see is by kayaking.  The River stretches a total span of 1,271 km from its source in Lake Capimitchigama, Quebec to where it joins the St. Lawrence above Montreal.  There are many attractions along the Ottawa River such as the Oiseau Rock, found on the Ontario side.  This rock is 150 meters high and looks like a dome sliced in half.  Another attraction and accessible point along the river is from Pembroke upstream west to Rapides des Joachims.  This is one of the few stretches that is still in its natural state and unconstrained by hydroelectric dams.  It is one of the most beautiful parts of the river to kayak on.  The water levels and shorelines that paddlers see are as they were many, many years ago.  The article covers many other remarkable facts and details about the Ottawa River, the Ontario side and the Quebec side.  

            In reading this article, I learned a lot of about the Ottawa River that I didn’t know before.  A lot of people can take a ferry across the Ottawa River at Cumberland.  I live 15 minutes from that ferry and have gone on it but didn’t know that all of these attractions and activities existed east and west of the river.  This article has made me want to go to some of the attractions and go try kayaking on the river. 
            Overall, this article was really good.  The author, Alastair Baird, was born and raised on the Ottawa River and canoes and kayaks every chance he can.  I would like to plan on kayaking the Ottawa River someday too and am looking forward to the Outdoor Ed’s canoe trip on the river in June. 

Baird, Alastair.  “Kayaking the Ottawa River” Ottawa Outdoors 2012, page 16, Ottawa, ON, Canada.  Print.         

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