View topic - Bigstone River

Hello,
A few friends and I are planning a trip for August. We will start at either Cross Lake or Norway House then cut over to Hayes, run the Hayes down to Oxford Lake, cut up the Semple River to the Bigstone, down the Bigstone to the Fox to the Kettle, ending in Gillam.
We have a decent amount of information for the first leg of trip but are lacking info for later parts, particularly the Bigstone. Does any body have information on the crossover from Oxford Lake to Bear Lake (Bigstone)? Any information on the Bigstone?
Thanks!

We´ve paddled on the Bigstone in ´93. It was low water then and the water vanished at some places under the rocks! Otherwise there were some long and shallow boulderruns , most places it was fun! Highlights were Bear Lake, Bigstone Lake and Ox Canyon Falls. On Bigstone Lake there was kind of an Fishing Outpost. The area had many old burns and there were no portages. Camping was nice. In 2006 we´ve started at Atkinson Lake just south of Gillam on our way to York Factory. Much more water and flow in the Fox compared to the Bigstone! It was only one rapid just above the confluence from the Fox and the Dafoe and you should not have any problems ascending the Fox into Atkinson(Fox) Lake.
Chris

You may find some useful information at
http://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewtop ... 13&t=42341
The Bigstone was used in the fur-trade days, I believe, as a means to miss the heavy water on the Nelson and so access the bay from Lake Winnipeg.
I recall something about it in Eric Morse's "Fur trade Routes ...".
Part of the Middle Track?

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