Paddling NB

Description

Note: Weather conditions can drastically vary the speed and difficulty of your trip. Please plan accordingly.

I walked down to the water to check out the put-in. It was slick mud near the shore so I was going to have to be careful. The water was calm and glassy. A couple of kayakers were just getting back when I got to the shore. They said they had a great paddle and conditions were perfect. I carried my stuff down to the shore, got in the boat and turned right to head downstream.

I had to work out some things in my head so I was planning a day of paddling hard. I passed by a guy fishing in a canoe. When I went under the old train bridge I could hear a group of ATVers talking. I continued on and started to notice yellow paint on the trees on each shore. I am guessing that it meant the same as yellow discs. The yellow discs mean that you aren't allowed to hunt without permission from the landowner.

The hardwoods drooped over the water on both sides providing some shade. The shore was muddy and in some places showed layers of mud and clay. A motor boat came around the turn and went by slowly. The stream is quite narrow so it was good that they were going slow. After a while the trees opened up to wetlands on both sides. I took one side channel to the right to see how far it went. It widened out into ponds and then turned into a grassy wetland before ending at a large beaver dam. The dam had been there for a long time and was completely overgrown. On the shores of the ponds were Duck Hunt signs and blinds for duck hunting.

I made my way back to the main channel and continued downstream. I saw a few ducks and an eagle fly by but none were close enough get a good pictures of. It was a hot day and very quiet. The stream was getting a bit wider. After going through a few more wetlands the stream straightened out. I was trying to get to a side channel to Waasis Pond. If I could get to the pond I could continue out to Oromocto River and loop back around to Rusagonis Stream. I only made it halfway down a straight stretch when I decided to turn around. It was hot and open with not much shade. I was about 7 kilometres downstream and it was approaching 4pm. I was averaging about 3.8 km/h so it would still take me a couple of hours to get back to the car.

I turned around and started to paddle back. I would need to explore Waasis Pond another day. I passed by a muskrat and then noticed muskrat holes in the mud along the shore. It was still quiet, so I just paddled. I was tired but I felt better than when I started. Sometimes all you need is a good long paddle on a hot day to work out the things in your head.

Directions

On Route 2 between Fredericton and Oromocto, take exit 297 at the Irving Blue Canoe Restaurant and turn towards Rusagonis. Drive for 2.5 kilometres and turn right at the stop sign torwards Rusagonis. Drive for just over a kilometre and turn left onto Rusagonis Road. Drive for 3 kilometres and you will cross a bridge over Rusagonis Stream. After the bridge turn left into a parking lot. The road down to the left accesses the shore of the stream.

Other Routes nearby

• Thatch Island Loop
• Fredericton Routes
• Fulton Island Loop
• Colwell Wharf to Foshay Lake
• Gagetown Island

Trail Last Hiked: July 23, 2023.

Page Last Updated: November 27, 2023.