View topic - Kayakers

Are there it other kayakers out there who could share their trip experiences in manitoba? I'm looking for a wilderness route, at least 2-3 weeks in duration, but I would like to take my sea kayak. The boat is 18.5 feet long, so it is not all that manoeuvrable (slow to turn), and it looks like most of the northern routes have some whitewater that cannot be portaged.

Thanks!

Is an expensive fly-in in your budget? If so, Island Lake in northern Manitoba would be fantastic. A huge lake with countless island, bays and hidden channels. On my bucket list.

If you don't already own "Canoe Atlas Of The Little North", there is a short write-up on Island Lake. Sounds like kayaking heaven.

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www.mikemonaghan.ca

Your response, Mike, piqued my interest. For one, that part of the the world has been off my radar. At 300 km. from Winnipeg there would surely be scheduled flights to FN reserves on the lake. Opens the door to long exploratory trips in folding kayaks. I'm going to file that idea away in my mind for future development.

Fly in and out is probably out of the budget this year. I'd rather paddle my way in and/or out

Lake winnipeg and the Winnipeg river both offer sea kayaking opportunities

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Brian
http://www.JohnstonPursuits.ca

 

Has anyone tried the Hayes by kayak? I was hoping for more River routes vs lakes

I haven't been here since early summer, but most of my trips have been by kayak in Northern MB. I generally buy the cheap 10ft ones at Costco, and sometimes sell them for cheap at my end point. You can ship up a 10 ft kayak on Perimeter Airlines for $100-150. A 3 weekish trip you could do would be: Lac Brochet...up Cochrane River... Little Lakes Portage...Kasmere L...either Thlewiaza or Putahow to Nueltin L (Putahow is easier but slightly longer time wise) .... cross over to Booth and Slyzuk L... North Seal River....Tadoule.... May be slightly longer than 3 weeks depending. You could also go downstream from Lac Brochet and cross to Maria Lake and then to Tadoule. I talked with someone who did that route in 14 days, but I haven't gone that way.

About rapids and a longer boat: upstream on Cochrane makes it irrelevant, falls before Kasmere are impassible, IMO... Several hit or miss rapids on Putahow depending on year, but no portages are very long except one about 3/4ths to Nueltin which is a shallow boulder field every year I've done it.... Booth to Slyzuk to Blackfish, one hard rapid in short boat, one impassible and one long stretch of boulders. long boat might make them all impassible... Everything from North Seal to Stony Lake are fun rapids and easily doable.

***I'm basing this on my skill and experience, I can't predict anyone else's.