trip #3: Indian River from Warsaw to Warsaw Caves and Back - May 4, 2010

Tuesday May 4, 2010

From the beginning it was presumed to be a short leisure trip to relax a little bit and to test the new Advanced Elements Kayak Sail. This route was also chosen because of short and well known driving distance from Toronto (Richmond Hill): Bloomington Rd (hwy 47) and 7A to Port-Perry,  7A and 115 to Peterborough and then 7, 28 and 4 to Warsaw, ON (about 165 km = 2 hours).

Public Launch beside the church in Warsaw was empty and Indian River water surface quiet and friendly. As was mentioned in every description of this route I've read before the main problem was the depth - amount of water in the River. Though this winter was poor on snow the spring is the spring and water at least covered numerous old stumps seen under water.

Further up stream (nominally because one cannot notice any stream at all) the river became even deeper, though almost everywhere you could find dead trees under water. After less than 1.5 hours of unhurried paddling we crossed the scenic cliffs and marshes and came to rest upon what had to be the Park launch site. At the same time it was a natural end of a trip, because the river here divided into three or more shallow stony channels somehow disappearing among marshes and bushes.


After light lunch we install our new AE Rapid Up Sail and  set out  for return. We even were lucky to catch the fair-wind for some time and made a short video of us sailing. Unfortunately the wind changed soon to the opposite direction and the rest of the route we paddled hard against the wind.



It was still mid of the day when we reached our starting point in Warsaw, deflated kayak and headed back home. I'm not sure I'll come there once more. Somebody mentioned this route as a good one for the family with children, but I we didn't see any attractive campsites there.May be in summer when water level will be much lower there will be some but the navigation in the shallow water will be minus.




First sea trial of the new Advanced Element Rapid Up Kayak Sail.