Glen Valley and Crescent Island

We took advantage of the sun and put the kayaks in at Glen Valley Regional Park on the Fraser River today. When it's this hot in summer all the main waterways are packed. Glen Valley Regional park is tucked away off the beaten track. 

Right when we were about to put in a couple with two kayaks pulled up in their vehicle. They said Stave lake was packed and the tow trucks were towing everyone parked on the gravel road. That's pretty shady. Glen Valley is kind of like the Bedford channel in Fort Langley. It's right across from Crescent Island. Very calm and quiet. A bit muddy when the tide is out. 

I just realized if you paddle around the Island and across the river you can paddle up Hayward Lake. That looks cool. I was hoping to try that today but we went the wrong way around the Island and I ran out of gas. 

Everything looks so small on the map but seems so much longer when you have to paddle it manually.  We went clockwise around Crescent Island as the tide was going out. 

Which meant we were paddling up the Fraser when the tide was going out. The current wasn't noticeable as we always stay on the side looking for eddies but paddling downstream once we circled the island was a lot easier and faster than paddling up stream on the outside of the island. 

We should have went counter clockwise or east because the current in the channel was even less noticeable. If we went counter clockwise I might have had enough steam left to paddle up Hayward lake which is on the other side of Stave lake. 

The east end of the island has lots of cool sand bars when the tide is out. On the outside of the island on the north east corner a boat had docked and they were sitting on a couple of lawn chairs on the sand bar enjoying the view. 

Crescent Island is quite narrow. 

If you're feeling energetic, this appears to be the way up to Hayward lake after you circle the island and cross the river.