The Urban Oarsman Explores Pitt Marsh. Feburary 11th, 2015.

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe rowing plan is simple…High tide is at Noon, but in the marsh, does it matter?  The tide then drops about a meter (3′) to a low at 8:00pm.

 

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowGwragedd Annwn at the launch point.  There is a gravel ramp down to the water.  There is no charge to launch and not much parking area.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThis is the ditch that runs along Rainne Road.  The side channel to the left goes into the marsh, connection to Catbird Slough.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowGwragedd Annwn in the ditch.  The FJ is locked up and I am ready to row.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLooking South down Rainne Road.  These are my new “front-view” mirrors.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe channel that goes to Catbird Slough. (West).

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowRowing Gwragedd Annwn West up the channel.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA short distance from the road there is a beaver lodge.  It looks as if the beaver had a beer when he finished it.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe channel has a branch that goes north and connects to the Rannie Road ditch a little past the FJ.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThere is an outflow to the Pitt River here.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLooking North up the Rannie Road ditch.  Acording to the maps it connects with the Marsh at Grant Narrows.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowRowing in I see a unique bird’s nest.  It is a round tube of straw in a holder.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAll of the reeds are brown.  They line the channels.  I turn down Catbird Slough.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA more normal looking bird house.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA lone Douglas Fir overlooks the marsh.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowCatbird Slough widens.  It is the straight channel behind the mirror.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe water is over 5′ deep here.  I cannot see the bottom.  I keep the shore to my Starboard and explore.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA side channel leads off to the North.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowIt does not go far.  I can see other channels close by, but, they do not connect.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA short portage to another pond?  I pass it by.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI have no idea what this is.  it is floating a short way up a side channel.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowMaybe it is a bird-hunting blind?

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI leave the mystery craft and row on.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLooking South, down Catbird Slough.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe lonley Douglas Fir is a landmark.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA beaver lodge on the bank.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI pass the beaver lodge by.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLooking North up Catbird Slough.  The Douglas Fir is still visible.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI do not know what these mud mounds are for.  Beavers getting mud for their lodges?

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother normal bird house.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe slough begins to open up.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThere is open water and I row South-East in the widest part.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowWith no wind, it warms up and begins to get a little buggy.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother hunting blind?

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThese were not biting mosquitos, but some sort of mayfly.  They only caught up to me when I stopped rowing to take a picture.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother hunting blind.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA view to the North-East.  There seems to be more open water on the east side of the marsh.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThis is a landscape shot looking North.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowClose-up photo of the blind.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe scum line shows how high the water gets.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe depth-sounder oar indicates that the water gets about 10″ higher.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowHere the channel widens and loops around to the East.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother beaver lodge.  The highest one yet.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowMore mystery mud mounds.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother hunting blind.  I began to notice spent shotgun shells in the water near the shore.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe Eastern shore of the marsh.  The entire marsh is dyked.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowGetting closer to the Eastern shore.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe channel splits, one branch going North, the other South along the dyke.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI head South.  Another Beaver lodge.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe end of the line.  There is a dyke between Pitt Marsh and Homilk’um Marsh to the South-East and the Pitt-Addington to the South-West.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI am sure this sign reads “Oarsmen only”.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowGwragedd Annwn on the dyke between Pitt Marsh and Homilk’um Marsh.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThis photo looks to the East.  To the right (North) is Pitt Marsh, to the left (South) Homilk’um Marsh with the Pitt-Addington Marsh in the background.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe dyke runs North between the marsh and the mountains.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA 180° picture of the Pitt Marsh.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAs I row North along the dyke, I spot a frog.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe wind is beginning to pick up.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowComing up to the North end of the marsh.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowYou can reach this obseveration tower by walking up the Pitt River dyke from the Grant Narrows boat launch.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowSwamp willows?  It is always hard to tell in the early spring.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowMy wind meter shows 7.2 meters per second, a little over 25km/hr.  Pretty windy.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThere is a big open patch in the middle of the marsh.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother beaver mound.  a little less high than most.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThere is a small wind shadow beside the reeds.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI notice that the reeds are still.  The wind has let up.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother one of those round straw birds nests.  I have seen them called Mallard Duck nesting tubes.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother beaver lodge.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI am ghosting down the middle open area.  This photo looks to the South-West.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLooking to the North.  The trees are along the Pitt River Dyke, above Grant Narrows.  The obseveration tower is to the right, out of frame.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLooking North-East.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowSnow geese take off.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother blind.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowStarting up Catbird Slough.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowStill rowing up Catbird Slough.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe way ahead (North).

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowSide Trip!  This channel should take me to Rannie Road.  I work my way up the channel stern first.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLooking back towards Catbird Slough.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe row of trees is along Rannie Road, but just a little further along, the channel is blocked and I cannot get past the shallow spot.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe way back.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA sea of reeds.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe work of beavers has halted my progress.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI work my way back to Catbird Slough.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowAnother average nesting box beside a new side channel.  Let us have a look.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowIt quickly narrows and I do not think that I will even try this one.  OK, maybe a little further.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowA little further, the end of a side channel again.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI pass the nesting box again on my way out.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI row to the outflow pipe again.  The water level has not changed much, if at all.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI try rowing along Rannie Road.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowThe channel/ditch could use a little digging out.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowI row back to the FJ in the distance.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowIn a few more minutes I will be back at the launching point.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowLast look North, along Rennie Road.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowWhere the ditch and side channel meet at the launch.

 

The Urban Oarsman, The Pitt Marsh RowGwragedd Annwn is back on her trailer.  Time to pack her up for the trip home.

 

Pitt Marsh Row.GPS track of the Row.

 

one fogAbout 4½ hours at the thwart.  A good row.

Good Rowing,

Mike