Palmer Rapids-Canada Day Weekend Meeting of the Tribe

Palmer Rapids on the Madawaska River, northeast of Bancroft, will be the venue for this long weekend get-together. The campground is right on the river between two sets of rapids. I will reserve a group campsite, but if you’re independently minded , you can also take your choice from individual sites among mature trees to open grassy meadow. For those of you who have never been there, you will find that the location provides one of the most mellow summer outdoor summer weekend experiences imaginable. There are all sorts of activities available nearby. For many campers, the big attraction will be the user-friendly Grade 1-2 rapids adjacent to the site, which provide probably the best moving water learning spot in Southern Ontario. While this is not a whitewater clinic, I’m happy to provide a little informal coaching to get you going in moving water, or even help you learn to role. For the more adventuresome, a group may want to get together for a day trip on the more challenging Snake Rapids section downstream. If whitewater isn’t your thing, there are lots of lakes and relaxing rivers nearby to enjoy and explore. This is a great family location- bring the kids. There’s a small, clean sand beach where they can build sand castles and swim. As there are no cottages or other development on this section of river, there isn’t a lot of fishing pressure, and I’ve seen jumbo pickerel pulled in from the shore. So bring your rod and catch dinner. If you want to take a break, visit some of the studios & boutiques in the area. Barry’s Bay has some interesting shops for a small town. If camp dinners aren’t to your liking, we can recommend the Wilno Tavern, which serves hearty Polish cuisine. The Polish buffet on Saturday and Sunday night gets a big two-thumbs-up. (http://www.wilnotavern.com/food.html [1]). Come back stuffed and sit on the rocks to enjoy the sunset or go for an evening paddle. The open meadow in the centre of the campground is also an excellent spot for star-gazers to set up.

If you are free on the Canada Day weekend, please come join us for a great weekend of fun and relaxation.

If you are new to the WCA, we’d like to extend to you a special invitation. Come on out to get to know your fellow members better, and start participating in our community of paddlers.

Please go to the Outings section of the WCA newsletter for details on driving directions, camping facilities and rates, and boat rentals.

I’ll reserve the campsite starting Thursday for those who want to get a jump on things. I’ll be there Thursday afternoon.

See you there!

Bill Ness

An Appeal for Help:
If you are joining us, are you able to help out by giving some introductory moving water coaching, by organizing a group to go down the Snake Rapids section or to do a lake trip, or even by taking some hungry paddlers down to the Wilno Tavern? Anything you can do to make this weekend more fun and enjoyable for the group would be really appreciated by me and your fellow WCAers. Please contact me and let me know what you can contribute to make this event a success Thanks a lot. -Bill

The Basics

Event Location:

Palmer Rapids, Madawaska River

Date(s) & Time:

Thursday, June 30, 2011 (All day)

Registration Cut Off:

June 26- which is appropriately National Canoe Day

Event Duration:

4 days

Difficulty Rating:

Beginner

Participant Info

Who's Invited:

Everyone in the WCA.

Itinerary

Itinerary description:

I'll arrive Thursday afternoon and base camp. A group campsite will be reserved. Camping costs $20 per tent for maximum of 2 people per night.

Required Items to Bring:

Regular car camping gear. This is a "natural" campsite. There are some picnic tables, a pump for water, and outhouses (bring your own TP). That's it.
If you want to play in the rapids, you need a Royalex canoe with air bags. If you are new to this and need a helmet, a bike or hockey helmet will do.

Recommended Items to Bring:

Tarp, bug tent. Lots of sun screen.
Some food and supplies are available in the village of Palmer Rapid, and there's a diner if you hate to cook.

How to Get There

Event Directions:

HWY 401 to 35/115. North to Peterborough. Head north out of Peterborough on HWY 28, and follow it to Bancroft. Continue north, and then east, on HWY 62 out of Bancroft until you reach the village of Combermere. Then you will go over the Madawaska River bridge. Turn right onto HWY 515 and follow it southeast. You will cross the river again. Slow down on bridge, and make an immediate right onto River Bend Road. Follow the road and the river for about a km or two, until the road makes a shart turn to the left. You go straight ahead onto a dirt track. You'll see a crude wooden sign with a canoe & teepee in orange paint at the entrance. Follow the track until it opens out into a field, which is the campground. Look for my silver Honda Pilot with the roof racks. There should also be a sign for the WCA area. The time from Toronto is about 4 hours.
It is also possible to come up from HWY 41 in the south. Drive north on 515 out of the village of Palmer Rapids till just before the bridge, and then turn left. Follow the instructions above from there. If you've never been here before, I suggest the northern route because I think it's easier to follow.

Event Coordinator/s Contact Information

Contact (Name):

Bill Ness

Phone:

416-321-3005

Email:

bness@look.ca [2]