NOTE: THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.
This very popular annual trip seems to be a great draw for all levels of paddlers. We are now into the 16th year doing this and we’ve enjoyed perfect weather (most times), portage free paddling, and a social barbeque that has followed our outing. This is a wonderful day to enjoy an easy moving water river and to socialize with other WCA’ers. The trip will start in south Cambridge where we will put in and then paddle to Paris. We will pass through scenic farm country, stop at a haunted mill, negotiate some easy grade one water, and stop for lunch along the way. Those interested are welcome to join us back at our house in Cambridge for some food, beverage, and social time.
Its roughly a 375 km route ... 'current assisted' ... not a flat water paddle generally. This river can be paddled most anytime outside of the winter months. We will be going in early August, when the water levels are reasonable. The climate in the area can be wet at this time of the year ... sometimes more days of rain than those without it. Some trip reports highly recommend paddling with a spray skirt.
While the route begins on the higher 'flatlands', where lakes are common, our route quickly becomes a river route through incised topography, where canyons hold the river. This river is often referred to as the Nahanni of the East. It is a challenge. The river is a salmon fishery, and the lower half has plenty of fishing camps. This will not, though, be a 'fishing trip'.
This is a 10-week long canoe trip that will take us from the northern edge of either Manitoba or Saskatchewan north across the height of land into long interconnected waterways ending in Baker Lake, Nunavut. The boreal forest will gradually diminish and the land will transition into tundra full of open vistas, precious plants and animals, excellent lake trout, sandy eskers easy to hike on.
Canoeists can join the whole trip or one or two sections. Different sections require different levels of skill.
The exact route, dates and pace of this trip will be determined by its participants.
French River is the first designated Canadian Heritage River. Its 105 kilometer canoe route connects lakes, gorges and rapids from Lake Nipissing to Georgian Bay, offering breathtaking scenery.
We will start at Restoule Provincial Park, travelling Restoule River to French. We will take the Main Channel and finish at Hartley Bay Marina. There are some rapids along the way and all can be portaged.
The trip will take five days. We will car camping at Restoule PP for the first night and launch the next morning. We will shuttle the cars by ourselves. The plan depends on canoes and people signing up.
I will ask for a deposit to cover the park permits when time gets closer and set up a group chat among those who have confirmed the trip for the preparation.
One member of our team of three canoes had to drop out due to a family illness issue. We would like to keep three complete tandem canoes. Otherwise, we will have one solo boat. Contact me, iori miller, if you wish more details. This is to be 'Part III' of the Northwest Wilderness Challenge by Ontario Parks for myself and some participants on this trip. The majority of our group will be traveling to Red Lake by train (with our own canoes) and shuttle from Washago. We will be traveling east to west, beginning at the Lund Lake access point of the Woodland Caribou Park (WCPP), then we will take 5 days to paddle to Artery Lake on the west side of the park. At that point we will leave WCPP (and Ontario!) and enter Atikaki Provincial Park (APP) and travel the Bloodvein River for 7 to 9 days (a Canadian Heritage River) all the way west to Lake Winnipeg. The entire trip is about 300 km. Participants on this trip need to be experienced in Wilderness canoeing, be fit, and be willing to participate in all aspects of the organization and preparation of the trip. You do not need to be an expert white water paddler, but you need to better than a 'beginner'. We will be returning from Winnipeg afterwards, also by Train. A lot of the planning is complete.
Gameti to Yellowknife includes small and large lake paddling; gentle medium size river paddling with a number of short portages and small rapids. This is a part of the traditional Dene Idaa Trail connecting the Great Bear Lake with the Great Slave Lake.
The pace of the trip is moderate. We are cooking on fires. Fishing is great!
I am an experienced wilderness canoeist. I am paddling the Anderson River from July 4th to August 16th. I will be back in Yellowknife on Aug 16th and hope to stay in that area and paddle some more.
I paddled from the Canol Road last year to Gameti so I want to do a bit more of that route - continue to Yellowknife; and next year keep going east.
We paddle from Aumond bay to Griffith with 2 nights of camping
A leisure pace with lots of time to play and socialize
The water is big and cold and the weather can be challenging so intermediate paddlers should have outfitted ww boats and appropriate paddling/camping gear.
Most rapids can however be portaged and 1 at least must.