Anyone know anything about whitewater canoeing (and/or canoe camping) around Lethbridge?

Other than whatever's there is frozen from Nov-Apr, I don't anything about the area. Though I did enjoy one day on the Milk this summer.

There does seem to be a ww club!
http://www.horizon.ab.ca/ace/ORCKA.html

How are the winters? Good cross-country skiing?

Any forests or all farmland? Is it really always windy?

P.

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Learning to paddle is like learning a language:
It's easy to learn the basics, but will you be understood in a strong wind?

It's close enough to the mountains to get the odd chinook in the winter. Other wise cold and (famously) dry.
It's prairie. Flat farmland. Not much forest. Not much snow. And yes, wind.
Maybe a 4 hr. drive from there to Banff?

Yes, it's always windy. Not enough snow to encourage much skiing. Not a place where anyone in their right mind would want to live. For instance, my brother lives there. No idea about canoeing there. Probably too flat for interesting moving water.

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In Memory of Robert Dziekanski

yarnellboat I was down that way when I lived in Calgary in 97 and have some pic's of what the terrain (or lack thereof) looks like from the top of Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump which is a little west of Lethbridge near Fort Macleod . I have at least one pic looking east out across the prairie towards Leth. Be glad to scan it for you if you like.

There are a few rivers there and a lake or two, not real exciting WW opportunities I wouldn't think. Waterton Lakes NP is SW of there too. I have a couple of friends living in Calgary who fish all over the province and could ask it helps.

For x-country you can run west into the foothills or over to Kannanaskis (? sp) Park they have lots of runs in the park and it's beautiful in there.

hey thats my town yer talkin about!!

Its not that bad... really. Its not windy all that much but when it gets going its pretty bad; thats probably why people think its windy all the time. Flat - yep. Treeless - pretty much. xcountry skiing - forget about it

Good points. Winters are pretty short and rarely cold. Lakes and rivers vary being frozen or thawed almost anytime between dec-mar. About an hour to the crowsnest pass that has snow/skiing and 75mins to waterton park - lots of trees there.

I don't know much about ww canoeing and am just getting into river tripping myself so I can't give you much definitive info. The local club is a good bunch (I'm a member too) and they're mostly kayakers so playboating is definately nearby here - they seem to get out every week in the spring when flows are up.

Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know. If I don't know I'll try to find out...

Lethbridge is the warmest place in Alberta.

It claims the most hours of sunshine/ year in Canada.

People can actually still afford houses there and the services and business sector is great as it is a hub for the area.

It's windy, and some times you can smell the feed lots.

Waterton is a uncrowded National Park with great mountains and lakes.

Whitewater canoeing and kayaking is availiable. We did a lot.
Waterton, Belly, Milk, Castle, Oldman, St.Mary's, Elk, Sheep, Highwood are all very close rivers.

ORCKA is mainly all kayakers but some do "northern canoe" trips.

Golfing is cheap and lots of courses availiable.

Your close to a lot of interesting areas as well.

If you want to talk Lethbridge rivers. Let me know.

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"It's all part of the adventure"

Thanks. Nice to know there's some info out there.

Only playboatin' kayakers? That's too bad. No local snow in winter that's going to be chilly & windy anyway?! That's a major problem.

But no matter, I'm getting ahead of myself here. Just curious.

P.

_________________
Learning to paddle is like learning a language:
It's easy to learn the basics, but will you be understood in a strong wind?

Yes, mainly whitewater kayakers.

The winters aren't very harsh by prairie standards. There is some snow but generally the X-country skiing in town is none existant but you could ride your mtn bike as there are some cool trails through the coulees.

In reality though, for how long it would take the average lower mainlander to get to a mountain, ski hill, river, or trail... the longest you would have to drive is 1 hour on a straight wide empty highway.

The Crowsnest Pass has an great X-country ski area with groomed trails that run along lakes, on the flats, up the foot hills and even to the base of the rockies. It's free and the trails are empty.

Castle mountain and Waterton have good skiing as well.

Your only worry would be that you dry out. It's pretty dry compared to the coast.

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"It's all part of the adventure"