View topic - Poplar River

Jim, don't have any notes on portages. They were all as you would expect - right at the lip of rapids. I only remember one that had any length, maybe 1/3 mile, it was a couple hours paddle, as I remember, above Lewis Lake. On river left and really scenic along the rapids. Is is memorable to me because I was moving briskly with the canoe while watching for some tracks I'd spotted on the pack carry. I failed to notice a pencil thin root bowed up a few inches. Hooked a foot and wound up on hands and knees under the canoe. No harm done.

Due to low water we used them all. You might check Berger and Terry's "Canoe Atlas of the Little North". It shows a number of portages and lengths. Have a good trip and hope you'll post about it when you return.

Mark

Hi Everyone! We are back from paddling the Poplar from South Namiwan Lake to Weaver lake. What a great trip- did not see another canoe! There are a few fly in camps but most were not occupied- we did see a couple of float planes and the odd boat pulled up on a portage -if that sort of thing puts you off. Speaking of portages, they are there more or less... we spent more time looking for them then actually doing them, there are a couple of burned areas which make the portages challenging- we did have to bushwack, cut our way through a couple of portages that burned probably 10 years ago and so have lots of small trees... I have detailed notes on portages if anyone needs them. Getting to and from the Poplar is tough- we ended up flying both in and out from Red Lake, which turns out to be outside the range of a Beaver- they had to load up extra gas tanks on the the return from Weaver lake! We normally figure on 35km per day with 5 portages/day but for this trip we budgeted 25km per day because of the unknown portages. We got a day ahead and stayed that way for the trip so the portaging wasn't that bad, there are even a few new ones eg one that does a single 750 instead of 3- 200's.

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Jim D

Great news, thanks for the update.

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Brian
http://www.JohnstonPursuits.ca

 

planning on the Poplar last two weeks August 2014
don't care about water levels, just no fires to keep us out...
might be looking for an 8th paddler (4 boats) will know by April 1...
prolly start in Ontario at i think Rheaume lake ?
or farther east, depends on the summer, flows etc...
been pumped too long on this, cannot wait..

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Ken Kansas

Here is our Topo maps of the Poplar River South Namiwan to Weaver Lake. I just did a quick scan of our trip- hope it is useful.

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Jim D

I am still trying to post our trip- the system won't take either a .pdf or my jpeg files - too big. If you want them send me your email and I will send to you energyprojwd@gmail.com

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Jim D

I just realised that I never followed up but we did the Poplar in 2013. It was a great trip following Little Grand Rapids canoe trips Map. We'll likely do it again- it is remote, hard to get to but well worth the trip. We flew in to South Namiwan and ended ar Weaver which is about as far from Red Lake as you can fly.

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Jim D

Jim, where else have you trippedin eastern MB (Atikaki, Berens, Poplar areas)? Definitely wouldn't want to discourage you from returning to paddle the Poplar but there are other rivers in the area that offer a great experience. As you move south the chance of encountering others increases by a lot but there's still a feeling of remoteness on Atikaki rivers.

In 2014, my wife and I paddled the much travelled Bloodvein River and encountered two camp groups and one family over 13 days. In 2018, we paddled upstream on the Berens River then downstream on the Pigeon River (almost back to our car) and encountered one couple (myccr members, of course) and local fishermen near Little Grand Rapids over 14 days.

Both trips were done with no flights.

BTW, I still have your Poplar River notes but have not made it up there! Like you say, it's hard to get to...

Hi Neil! We have paddled Pigeon, Bloodvein, Sassaginigak-Leyond, Berens, and Throat as well as a number of trips in Woodland caribou. Also we've paddled Opasquia as well. The only one in the area we have not paddled is the Assinika.

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Jim D

Great to hear many places are passable and can be paddled there, nice!