This past Sunday was a scorcher with a high of 31 degrees C. In this heat my friends Kris, Wes, and Martin wanted to show me how to easily combine a bike ride with a canoe trip down the Bow River. Only one vehicle (best with a truck) is required to perform this recreational duo.
First we loaded up the truck with both the canoes (you could substitute SUPs, kayaks or rafts) and the bikes. We then dropped off the canoes at the Graves Bridge launch site and tethered them to a concrete pilon. Next, we went down to the Fish Creek boat launch site at the end of Bow Bottom Tr. S.W. and got suited up to bike upstream to the canoes. We chose to go on the Bow River bike path on the opposite side of the river up on the escarpment by the communities of Mountain Park and Douglasdale. There, we could get excellent views of the Bow River, city, and Rocky Mountains. Once we arrived back at Graves Bridge we released the canoes and locked up our bikes. We then launched the canoes and had a relaxing paddle down to Fish Creek. Along the way we saw a variety of birdlife including Cormorants and Merganser Ducks. Finally, after docking the canoes at Fish Creek, we loaded them back in the truck and retrieved our bikes from the Graves Bridge site (total time was about 3.5 hours). What a great way to spend a hot day!
There are endless options for distance on the Bow River. For instance, a day trip could involve a drop off at Bowness Park and cycling back from Fish Creek. I was fortunate to have some skilled canoeing friends to show me the best river channels to take as we travelled downstream.
Cycle Alberta 