CanoeSki Discovery Company

Canoe lessons are starting in a week with our popular wkend Learn to Canoe Plus course - one day learning safety & paddling skills on the easy confines of a city lake plus a day trip on the river dealing with wind & waves & currents, using maps & navigating. For more info & to register: https://www.canoeski.com/canoe-lessons-and-courses. Images ©canoeski

Planning a hiking trip where there's no guide posts? Or thinking of canoeing on a complex waterway like northern Saskatchewan's Churchill River? We have a great wilderness map and compass course to help you find your way! Our full day course runs June 2nd at Whitecap Park in Saskatoon. More info and to register: https://www.canoeski.com/map-and-compass-course.

Saskatoon's harbinger of spring is in full bloom out at "crocus prairie", along the riverbank trail accessed from the parking lot off the north end of Central Ave. If you're looking for fresh air, sunshine & a nice burst of "floral energy" - head out soon, the flowers won't last much longer! Images ©canoeski

Lingering snow banks and unspring-like weather don't lend well to thoughts of paddling on our beautiful Saskatchewan waterways. But if music & canoeing stories could inspire you in that direction, here's an event that should do it! Friday April 5th at the Refinery theatre. Mark your canoeing calendars!

We have great snow now (finally!), so we can drop reminiscing about canoeing! Pictured here are students from this week's Learn to Ski Class in action. They are practising their double poling technique on the teaching grid & their snowplow on the adjoining slope. Lessons are taking place at the Nordic Centre at Saskatoon's Gordie Howe Sportsplex.

More reminiscing about the 2023 canoeing season! The most popular point to launch a multi-day canoe trip on the South Saskatchewan River within a reasonable distance to Saskatoon is Outlook. This is especially true for Regina paddlers or others from out of town. Featured here is another Regina group who have used CanoeSki services to launch their trips from Outlook for the past 5 years. The Big Pipe (previous post) is approx. 27 km downstream from Outlook.

There are various launching locations, including below hwy 15 bridge (short portage over a difficult & somewhat dangerous rock field) to get to the river edge. Another better option is to launch from the golf course parking lot in the Reginal Park when the river is high & flowing near the east shore. The best option is to launch at the base of the old train bridge in the Park. The river main channel in low flow usually comes close enough to the east bank to allow easy launching at a beach with no portaging!

Images: ©canoeski

There's no x-c skiing in "brown" Saskatoon & vicinity, but we won't pull the canoes back out of hibernation! While waiting for snow, we can do a bit of reminiscing on the past canoeing season when there was little time to post about goings-on.

Featured here is a Regina group which has been using the CanoeSki Co. rental-shuttle service faithfully for the past 5 yrs. Their favorite route on the South Saskatchewan River is the Big Pipe to Saskatoon canoe trip.

Paddlers have to wade through a small stream created by discharge from the Big Pipe. The stream joins the main channel coming in from the far opposite side of the river about 150 m from the launch point.

Here it is (R), pulsing & pounding away, emptying irrigation overflow back into the river. The Big Pipe is probably a mythical entity in the minds of many paddlers, who coming downstream on the other side of the river are too far away to see it! They see it on google maps but not "in person"!

After assisting with launching the boats, Cliff Speer with CanoeSki is getting a close-up view of the power of falling water, but not as close as the graffiti artists!

Images: top: ©B.Wright; bottom: ©canoeski

Spring has sprung! If you're dying to get out & scamper around in the bush (and not get lost!), we have the course for you - Wilderness Navigation & Orienteering Course, June 4 in Saskatoon, offering map & compass instruction in an am classroom session followed by an afternoon orienteering field session. Tons of fun! And it could help you stay found! https://www.canoeski.com/map-and-compass-course/ Photo shows nav course students using map & compass to search for orienteering controls in Saskatoon's Chief Whitecap Park in June 2022. Image ©canoeski

X-C ski lessons have enjoyed the exceptionally mild early season weather this year. Pictured here is our intermediate class improving their up hill & down hill skills on the Holiday Park ski trails designed & groomed by the Saskatoon Nordic Ski Club. Image ©canoeski

Snow is gone (finally)! Summer is on the horizon. That inspires thoughts of canoeing, of course! Photo is a canoeski guided day excursion on the South Sask River and located about 300 m or so downstream of the Saskatoon Berry Barn.

Image copyright canoeski