Looking for Wilderness River for Summer 2019

[Erica]

I am looking for the perfect river...of course there isn't one. I have my eye on one or two, but would really like to hear from others. The ideal river would have

good current, but minimal white water
deep wilderness - no other people
minimal portages
12-14 days, but this is negotiable

I've never done solo white water, so don't want to get into something so big I can't handle it. And I am getting too decrepit to do serious portaging anymore. But above all, I need to get away where the only thing I can hear is the river, the birds and the wind in the trees.

Suggestions appreciated.

Erica

 

[alsg]

Following....

 

[sweeper]

How about a section of the NFCT?

 

[Erica]

How about a section of the NFCT?

What is the NFCT?

 

[dougd]

Northern Forest Canoe Trail: https://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/

 

[memaquay]

How far do you want to drive? What do you consider to be minimal portages? How many miles a day do you see yourself paddling? Have a couple of ideas if you want to come all the way to northern Ontario.

 

[Pringles]

Following.

 

[Erica]

How far do you want to drive? What do you consider to be minimal portages? How many miles a day do you see yourself paddling? Have a couple of ideas if you want to come all the way to northern Ontario.

I'll drive as far as North Ontario for sure. Gets a bit iffy if the destination is further west. Willing to consider Alaska and NWT. Willing to fly in. On a river I don't see myself doing more than, say, 20K per day. Depends on the current and the portages. For portages, 1K would be stretching it, but could do it if there was, for example, only one. But a lot of short portages batched up together also would be difficult.

Thanks, Erica

 

[Erica]

Northern Forest Canoe Trail: https://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org/

Thank you Doug for your suggestion. I looked over the website and know some of these areas. I am looking for something more remote. Erica

 

[Iskweo]

You should get hold of Martin Kehoe, or look at some of his trips. Most of the rivers in our area ( MB) are pool and drop with frequent but often insignificant portages. There are always the Nelson and Hayes rivers but you are getting into some travel issues. You could wander in WCPP for two weeks easily ...this or Geraldton area ( Memaquay) would be really good.

If you are interested in a wingman I know another decrepit old lady who likes doing this kind of stuff.

Christine

 

[yellowcanoe]

Put in at Lobster Trip and if you can endure 1 2 mile portage meet the Allagash River Waterway at Chamberlain
that is about 200 k more if you poke down into Telos or up Caucomgomoc Lake
Or do the basic Allagash 150 km Backtrack to Telos
There is so much hiking and history
Usually 10 days but can be stretched

Or do the West Branch Penobscot trip 50 miles and have Allagash Campground do the shuttle to Lobster Trip
Then pick up your car move it to Chamberlain Bridge have mailed keys to Norm L'Italien at Pelletiers Campground and his drivers will come to Chamberlain and move your car tonthr end if the Allagash or his campground
Two classic Maine trips with guaranteed moose

I'd recommend the Green in UT but not in summer

 

[Guest]

I am looking for the perfect river

Aren’t we all.

The ideal river would have

good current, but minimal white water
deep wilderness - no other people
minimal portages
12-14 days, but this is negotiable

My druthers are much the same, although I don’t require truly deep wilderness and no other people, a scenario which tends to mean far distant locales or fly-in costs. Even if I need to drive for several days and hire a shuttle I would much rather bring my own boats and gear.

Especially on a long trip. Not just for rental fees incurred; I know my own boats and gear, and have confidence in their performance, and set up familiarity with our tents, tarps and stoves.

It helps that my longer trips (eh, ok, most trips) do not involve moving camp every day, so I can happily stretch out a 50 to 100 mile trip into weeks. Permitted places where I have to move camp every day (or even two) don’t jibe well with my lazy-in-camp style; I feel like I’m under the gun each day, and if I find an A+ site I really love I’m regrettably shoving off too soon.

Nor do places where I have to reserve campsites (or even specific lakes/dates) along my route. Especially if I am already locked into a shuttle or pick up date. Just that end of trip be-there-now deadline is enough of a “schedule”, and I’m really not out there to be adhering to a daily timeline.

YC’s two-fer of classic rivers in Maine fits the bill as well any anything reasonable priced and drive-to-able from (IIRC) your location in Florida, and the trip north might avail some interesting paddling stops along the way.

The per-day permit costs in Maine’s Northwoods can add up; at least with a shuttle you aren’t paying every day to leave a car behind.

I'd recommend the Green in UT but not in summer

The Green absolutely fits your bill except for the no other people aspect; good current, no WW, no portages, and 12-14 days (or longer) is perfect for the 100 miles from Ruby Ranch to the Colorado.

Awesome, amazing vistas and canyons, pictoglyphs, cowboy glyphs, early river runner and explorer inscriptions, ancient granaries and ruins, beaucoup history, side hikes only accessible from the river. . . . .

We’ve done that 100 mile trip in anywhere from 11 days (with several layover days) to 3 weeks (with many multi-day layovers).

Autumn may be different, but at normal April/May levels the current is such that 20 - 30 mile days on the river are easy and untiring.

But not in August.

 

[VernAK]

Several nice choices in Yukon Territory. Yukon, Teslin, Pelly, Big Salmon etc......no portages.....darned few people......easy currents to move you along

 

[yellowcanoe]

Yes Yukon
Whitehorse to Carmacks is 250 ish miles
Lake Laberge is huge and long
You can get a shuttle to start at Johnsons Crossing and do the Teslin which eventually joins the Yukon
Now the trip to Carmacks is short. 8 days at most
Any slower and youd have to paddle backward
Below Carmacks is 5 Finger Rapids. It has large wave trains and you might not want to run alone
Dawson City is the next takeout. 500 miles from Whitehorse and for most a ten day paddle
The river moves 8-10 mph
There is a shuttle service that runs from Dawson and Carmacks to bring you back to Whitehorse

 

[Marten]

The Bloodvein River from Woodland Caribou in Ontario to Lake Winnipeg fits except for the solitude. The new summer road for egress near the lake has made it too easy to set up. In that area I would start on the Gammon instead as it is a less used parallel route. Alan Gage went down and back using the rivers several years ago. His dog Sadie did a good trip report too! Bluewater Aviation in Bissett, Manitoba can fly you to your starting point as it is hard portaging to the rivers. M.Kehoe

 

[PaddlingPitt]

Kathleen and I are planning to do the Yukon River (Whitehorse to Dawson) this coming June, yellowcanoe, for the reasons you suggest. We are a little worried about Five Finger Rapids, but people we have talked to say that it is fairly straightforward if you go through the far right finger.

We have been to Dawson four times before, and always enjoy the history and entertainment.

 

[memaquay]

Marshall Lake and the Kap river could work out for you. The very first port is on a road and is 1.2 k long, but it is a very easy walk. After you get off Marshall, you will encounter ports, but most are in the 100 to 200 meter range. There is one port that is 660 meters, and is somewhat challenging, depending on the time of year. I can give you a rough agenda on how to fill ten days at 20 k a day.

Day 1 - somewhere on Marshall.
Day 2 - Gripp Lake
Day 3 - Summit Lake
Day 4 - Falls on the Powitik
Day 5 - Faubert Lake (a side trip, but well worth it, to travel to the headwaters of the Kap)
Day 6 - Probably camped on a portage on the Kap somewhere
Day 7 - Campsite just past bridge
Day 8 - Esker Hilton Beach site
Day 9 - Stewart Lake
Day 10 and 11, depending on how much you want to paddle, return to Bridge.

There are other option in there too, for instance, you could continue on to Stone Lake, but you would have to back track to the bridge, unless you want to do two big ports and two very big lakes.

You might see the odd boat on Marshall, and perhaps one once you get past the bridge, but otherwise you will be completely on your own. The bridge is 30 K from the put in, depending on when I might be able to assist you with a shuttle.

Maps
http://www.canoetripping.net/forums...78334-marshall-lake-map-set-reposted-on-imugr

 

[memaquay]

Trip report with pics of first part of trip.
http://www.canoetripping.net/forums...5-gchs-outers-springtrip-2016-marshall-to-kap

 

[yellowcanoe]

Kathleen and I are planning to do the Yukon River (Whitehorse to Dawson) this coming June, yellowcanoe, for the reasons you suggest. We are a little worried about Five Finger Rapids, but people we have talked to say that it is fairly straightforward if you go through the far right finger.

We have been to Dawson four times before, and always enjoy the history and entertainment.

You with a spray cover will have no problem
Waves can be high. Right hand channel . Not too close to the eddy line so do not hug the right shore Just go down the middle
We ran it with no spray skirt as we had rented the canie but I did not get any water in the boat
I have no idea if that would be workable at all water levels

 

[PaddlingPitt]

I always worry, though, YC. I saw a video taken by a tourist at the lookout of a tandem canoe going through. No spray cover. Very heavily loaded. Not very good strokes. They made it pretty easily. But, I still worry. Water levels do certainly make a difference. One can, apparently get out to walk down the shore to scout. We also plan to drive our van to Dawson before the trip, and take the bus back to Whitehorse where our canoe and gear will be in Canotrouge's back yard. We can scout on the way up.