View topic - river suggestions

Hi All

I need suggestions for a river to take my "Women in the Bush" itermediate canoe trippers on. They can handle any kind of portage/camping/remotness situation but are novice paddlers. They have only done flat water but may want to do a river and a more challaging trip (6-8 days). There are some who are more adventurous than others so I would like something that has portages around most everything. I came up with the Spanish East Branch. Any other suggestions

I think the Madawaska River is the perfect beginner river. All rapids have portages. Rapids range from easy CI's - CIII's. Sure the river can be run in two days but it is easy to spend a week on the river with a few days spent just playing in the rapids. There are also a number of group campsites.

Anyways...I'm limited in the number of river's I've paddled but I was brought up on the Mad and it is always a fun paddle...plenty of flat sections for your non-whitewater paddlers to enjoy as well...

Regards,

Sam

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"It's healthy to be dirty" - Lars Monsen

Quebec:

Capitachouane
Chochocuane
Noire http://www.blackfeather.com/canoe/canoe_noireriver.htm
Coulonge

Ontario:
Groundhog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPP3Z80cNlg

I think you already have done (since I think you gave me some links) sturgeon river (figured I'd add it to the list for others)

mississagi
http://missinaibi-yuri.blogspot.com/200 ... canoe.html

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home of the opinionated old farts!

Thanks Gail for your suggestions. I have never been on the Groundhog. Might have to try that one. I was also thinking of the Noire. How are water levels on these two in Sept.?

See page 13 of http://www.1stmerrickville.ca/canoes/White%20Water%20Canoe%20Tripping.pdf for a list of whitewater rivers and subjective difficulty levels. I can't comment on the availability of portages. Though the Noire does have good portages around each major rapid.


Allan.

Beth....... Aren't you ever home?? I drove by last weekend as I was paddling up in Elora. Maybe next time? When you going to get that boat of yours out?

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Al Greve http://www.canoewateradventuring.ca South Western Ontario's canoeing specialist

Well, every year is different, but I wouldn't do the Noire in September unless it is a high water year. The last 20 k are swifts in medium water and could be miserable in really low water.

(And no matter what, you have the portage from hell at Chutes de la montagne!)

Yeah I know...did you get my PM?

The Mississagi was my first real trip and I have fond memories of it.
From Biscotasing to the Aubrey Falls parking lot is a fairly easy 9 days.
Everything can be portaged.
Lots of campsites.
Rocky Island Lake is an eyesore, with the level going up and down as they close and open the dam.
Try to do the marsh in one day and camp at the top end of Rocky.
Watch out for leeches. Have someone look you over every time you come out of the water, especially if you do the skinny thing.
Isolated it is not: we saw other people every day.
But it's the country of Grey Owl; I think that he describes it in Men of the Last Frontier but maybe it's another of his books.
Logistics is easy. Rent a car in Sudbury. Drive all cars (including the rental) to the Aubrey Falls and leave all yours there. Return to Sudbury, return the rental and get the train the next day.
Reid-Grand has a good description of the rapids and campsites, if you can get hold of a copy (send me a PM if you like).
Yours in paddling, Allan

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A literal mind is a little mind. If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all. Good enough isn't.  None are so blind as those who choose not to see. (AJ)

Thanks Allan.

May I suggest the French River from Wolesly Bay to the Marina, I did last year and it's a lot of nice scenery and I remember portages around the Rapids and nice camp sites.

Just a thought!

Well for a fall trip as already stated you may have to figure in river levels.
In the Sault area Sept. is historicialy the wetest month of the year, but the 4 years or so that has not been the case.
You could follow the colours and go to several of the areas mentioned here
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=34818
or to Tegmagimi the Maple mountain loop trip.
I pick my dates depending on what I may want to photo shoot.
This year the full moon is on Sept. 23 and if it is clear, alot of those locations offer great veiwing.
Or even going as far a Woodland Caribou PP
I think mostly once you have chosen a date, a variety of locations will make sure you get the trip off.
Last year when I went up the rivers where mostly dry until the first week of October, then they reall y came up.
The best bonuse of Sept trips...
Lack of bugs!
Jeff

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Choosing to save a river is more often an act of passion than of careful calculation. You make the choice because the river has touched your life in an intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept its loss. — (David Bolling, Ho

The French is good...but it is basically a "loop" trip on a lake -like river if you go from Hartley Bay to the Bay and back...

We enjoyed the Spanish above the elbow....everything can be portaged

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Dave

"The way of a canoe is the way of the wilderness, and of a freedom almost forgotten." Sigurd Olson, 1956

Finally got around to finding this.
Just a friendly reminder to have a backup location in case of a drought year.
It doesn't matter whether your group can handle a portage or not, let alone the fire hazard.
My trip down the agawa that year was not well thought out, because what would have been bump and grind through shallows became drag and pulls through ankle injury slippery rocks. Most of these spots don't have portage trails because in normal circumstances they are not needed.
There is pics with this and gives you a great exmple of what you do not want to venture in.
viewtopic.php?f=107&t=13827&hilit=+missinabi
Jeff

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Choosing to save a river is more often an act of passion than of careful calculation. You make the choice because the river has touched your life in an intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept its loss. — (David Bolling, Ho