Have a mid may bwca primitive management area permit, 3-5 day solo, a three day brotherly bonding trip to the bwca in July, and a four day spousal bwca trip in Aug. I’d like also to get on the flambeau or brule at some point.
-
Happy Worship of Tools Day! ⚒️🪚🔧
Canoeing Plans for 2026?
- Thread starter SouthernKevlar
- Start date
Going to get flown back in to where I abandoned the Missinaibi last summer and complete that one. Then, head home and after a brief re-group, driving up to complete the Cree. (Erica's TR hooked me.) In September or so drive out to Newfoundland for a month. (No canoe, just bicycles. Had planned on take the same road recped mentioned in his most recent TR. I have three mounted spares for this trip0.) If all is good after that, plan on spending a month out in the SW, biking around those states where you can stand in one spot and be in four states at once - Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Will be looking for some intel on this one later on. Everything based on completion by 1/1/27. Then, hopefully, I start again.
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2017
- Messages
- 1,184
- Reaction score
- 3,654
The Cree is a good river for hammock camping because there aren't many spots to put a tent down flat. If you are energetic, hauling everything up to the top of an esker (when there is one) provides a lovely, park-like setting.
Gadabyte - the St Croix is a good option. Fun light class 2 rapids throughout, lots of campsites, easy logistics if you use C&C Canoe for your shuttle, great smallmouth fishing. Start in Vanceboro & take 3 days to the Kellyland dam. Start at the top of Spednik Lake and add a day and a night. Pretty river.
I concur, that the Vanceboro to Kellyland is a fun trip, though I don't know about the fishing.
If you're willing to go further afield, there are some big fish in Québec's La Vérendrye Reserve and lots of quality paddling.
I'm thinking of a trip to Temagami by myself. I think I will stick to just Lake Temagami, I don't want to portage by myself at my age. I visited Temagami in 1960 for my first canoe tripping experience and since several more time, the last time in 2011. I want to go by myself as sort of a personal vision quest.
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2013
- Messages
- 1,567
- Reaction score
- 1,485
Probably a bit civilized for most of this group but I just booked a 5 day trip on the West Branch of the Penobscot to paddle in the footsteps of Thoreau and Joe Polis; his Penobscot guide. I figured it was easier to go with a guide service than drag all my gear up from where we live in NYS. Going with the fine folks from Mahoosec Guide Service, the middle of August and I'm really looking forward to it. My wife and I will be enjoying the trip together so that will make it special as well. Looking forward to learning firsthand more of the history of the area and Thoreau's journey.
That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.
snapper
That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.
snapper
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2017
- Messages
- 1,184
- Reaction score
- 3,654
That sounds like an excellent trip.
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2017
- Messages
- 1,184
- Reaction score
- 3,654
Do you have to worry about which side of the river one camps (or lunches) on? How much trouble are the dams?
I get their newsletter in my emails, they seem like a very good choice if your looking for a guided trip. They have some beautiful wood canvas canoe’s in their fleet also.
I like that, hope it’s a rewarding trip.
You're supposed to stick to the same side of the river, e.g. if your first camp is on the American side, all of your successive camps should be, too. If you're an American who stays on the Canadian side, you're supposed to report to the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol once you are done with your trip and back on American soil. IIRC, there's a USC&BP app that you can download and use to report your return, otherwise, I think you can just go to the nearest crossing. There are a sufficient number of sites on each side of the river, so that it isn't an issue sticking to one side.
FWIW, USC&BP do patrol the U.S. bank of the river. We encountered a friendly officer in the middle of our portage around the second Class III rapid (we ran the first). He stepped out of the middle of the woods onto the portage path at its start. We did it when the border was closed due to the pandemic, so we had to camp on the American side. Because of this there was no requirement to check in with the USC&BP.
We put in below the Vanceboro Dam and took out at the channel to the right of the Kellyland Dam, where we had spotted a car. It's a fun, straightforward short trip. There are either 33 rapids in 35 miles or 35 rapids in 33 miles, mostly class II.
If you paddle Spednik Lake you get a day on a beautiful big lake with plenty of camping options. Funny - I’ve taken both daughters, separately, on this trip. Each commented on the lake. One wanted to know why Canada looked so much like Maine - it’s a different color on her map of the world… The other was surprised because she expected there to be a wall…. From the mouths of babes…
Anyway, the dam at Vanceboro is a very easy obstacle - it’s more like a 6’ high burm that you can paddle right up to, carry over, and there’s 20 yards of open grass to the dam outlet. Or you can put-in there. Or you can put-in a 1/4 mile downstream at C&C - and have Curtis or Cathy drive your vehicle down to Kellyland Dam for a pretty nominal fee. Also, I’ve camped on both sides of the river on each trip and have never encountered an issue and have never talked to a border cop from either country. Road access in places makes some sites more accessible to Johnny Law but there are plenty that aren’t.
And it’s worth repeating, the smallmouth fishing is a blast.
I thought I already posted in this thread - but cannot find it - so I will do so now! No big multi-week trips for me this year, but I am hoping to do a few smaller outings. The biggest of which will be either Temagami or Algonquin the second week of July (I BADLY want to attend the Adirondack FreeStyle Canoe Symposium July 16-19, and my son has summer camp the week prior, so I will have a good 7ish days I could spend on the water.
If I do Temagami, I am thinking of launching from Mowat Landing and potentially during the waterfall loop if I feel up for the rugged portages. Algonquin however I would launch from the west side and do a loop involving one of the rivers (Petawawa, Tim, or Nipissing - I am in a creekin' mood). Either way, this trip will feature my new Swift WildFIRE as I will want that boat for the freestyle workshop afterwards.
In August I am going to drag my son on a river trip - I've never done the Allagash, so if the water levels look adequate I could see doing a river trip and quenching my thirst for lobster on the same trip! This trip will likely be in an Old Town Penobscot (although I have a Camper as well that would also work perfectly)...
If I do Temagami, I am thinking of launching from Mowat Landing and potentially during the waterfall loop if I feel up for the rugged portages. Algonquin however I would launch from the west side and do a loop involving one of the rivers (Petawawa, Tim, or Nipissing - I am in a creekin' mood). Either way, this trip will feature my new Swift WildFIRE as I will want that boat for the freestyle workshop afterwards.
In August I am going to drag my son on a river trip - I've never done the Allagash, so if the water levels look adequate I could see doing a river trip and quenching my thirst for lobster on the same trip! This trip will likely be in an Old Town Penobscot (although I have a Camper as well that would also work perfectly)...
A few months ago I was seriously considering taking off for an extended period of time this summer and doing another long canoe trip in Northern Canada, which I haven't done in 10 years. Then I bought a house in New Mexico so that plan went out the window.
But after a little looking around I find there is some good, albeit seasonal, paddling on the Gila River near my new house in the GIla National Forest and Gila Box, near Safford Arizona, is well within striking distance and I've always thought that would be a fun area to paddle.
Next week I'll be driving down for my first visit since getting the house and I plan on toting a canoe along. I doubt I'll be doing any paddling on this trip but at least the boat will be there and ready so hopefully some new paddling opportunities in 2026 after all.
Alan
But after a little looking around I find there is some good, albeit seasonal, paddling on the Gila River near my new house in the GIla National Forest and Gila Box, near Safford Arizona, is well within striking distance and I've always thought that would be a fun area to paddle.
Next week I'll be driving down for my first visit since getting the house and I plan on toting a canoe along. I doubt I'll be doing any paddling on this trip but at least the boat will be there and ready so hopefully some new paddling opportunities in 2026 after all.
Alan
Similar threads
