Sat, May 30 2009 - Grand River Kayaking Daytrip from Paris, ON (View Original Event Details)
|  |
Another amazing day kayaking with the Grand Experience Canoe and Kayak Outfitters (GECKO)!
It was an absolutely perfect day for kayaking! Cool, no bugs(except for the ones Dave insisted were biting him), and the sun shone on us for the whole day except for one brief spatter as we scurried to take one last group shot at the end of the day. (And of course the sun burst out again immediately after our photo shoot.)
The Grand is a gentle meandering river that takes us through one of the most diverse areas in Ontario. The Grand River is approximately 300km long from Orangeville to the Elora Gorge. And grand it is! 82 different species of fish; 242 different species of birds including the Trumpeter Swans and Bald Eagles (still considered endangered in southern Ontario are making a comeback in the Grand River watershed) and home to 80 of the species at risk in Ontario. The Grand River is ideal for both the seasoned and beginner kayaker and canoeist.
Erica, Jeff, Sean and Alex were our guides today. They did a fine job of leading us down the fast moving waters of the Grand in springtime and after a heavy rainfall. We really did zoom down the river until nearing the end the wind picked up and we had to use a bit more muscle. After lunch at a lookout, Erica led us on a bit of a hike down the rail trail providing us with some info on local fauna including the elusive poison ivy. (Perhaps not so elusive for some travelers) We also learned the real and maybe not so intriguing reason Paris got its name. It seems they were noted for mining gypsum, which is used in making plaster of ‘paris’.
We ended our day with a beverage at Cobblestones, the nearby pub and a trip to the Chocolate Factory (Chocolate Sensations) for some ice cream and…Chocolate!
No real mishaps...I only had to hand out 3 bandaids.
A great day! Thanks to all for coming out and making this another memorable event.
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.