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The Liard River trip begins in Caribou Lake, a high mountain lake nestled between the Cassiar and Pelly Mountains. The outlet of Caribou Lake is a small stream, just wide enough in places to get a canoe through. Once in the river proper, it widens and braids making it a shallow, easy, clearwater river in which we will Shannon's 29" Trout, photo by Tom Hallenbach ______________________________________________________________ NEPISIGUIT RIVER, NEW BRUNSWICK
Nepisiguit River, photo by Dane Goins ______________________________________________________________ BONAVENTURE RIVER, QUEBEC
Come join us for a seven-day, six-night wilderness canoe/camping experience. Previous whitewater experience is required, as it is not suitable for beginners. There are no portages, but there may be a short drag around dry-ki. As the water is very cold, guests may want to bring along a wetsuit. We will arrange to meet guests the day prior to the start date in Bangor or Presque Isle, Maine, to which air service is available. We will travel to Quebec and stay at a campground (where there are shower facilities available) that night just outside of the village of Bonaventure. After breakfast on Day 1, we will meet with our Canadian associates and be shuttled to the put-in on Bonaventure Lake where we will paddle a short distance to camp. For the next six days we will paddle and pole our way down this beautiful Canadian wilderness river. After take-out on Day 7 in Bonaventure village, we'll stay at a motel amd enjoy the local cuisine for a farewell dinner. The next day, we will travel back to our original starting point in Maine. Bonaventure Shoreline, photo by Phil Moss ______________________________________________________________ CASCAPEDIA RIVER, QUEBEC
LT Poling, photo by Phil Moss ______________________________________________________________ MISTASSIBI N.E., QUEBEC In 2004 we did a new trip for us into the Wilds of Canada - the beautiful Mistassibi River in northern We will meet in Maine on Day 1 and travel to the Lac Saint Jean area in Quebec where we will camp that night. The next day we will drive to the headwaters of the NE branch of the Mistassibi and begin paddling some of Canada's nicest whitewater into the stunning rugged terrain of the Mistassibi Valley. On the last day we will paddle a couple of hours to the take out point where our vehicles will be waiting, then begin our drive home, with one night's stay along the way back to Maine.
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paddle, pole and fish for nine days. The fishing is GREAT, you can float over pools and see the Arctic grayling and bull trout just waiting for some food to come floating by. This river has become mine and my wife's favorite one of all!
In August the weather should be warm and relatively dry (the Yukon only receives 13 inches of rain annually). It's like an Arctic desert, but surrounded by mountains covered with spruce, willow, birch and aspen. But the seasoned paddler must be like the Boy Scout and Be Prepared for every type of weather. We've experienced snow in Texas and 95 degrees in the Arctic, so the gear required ranges from good raingear, ski hat and gloves, through to T-shirts and sunscreen. (We'll provide a tried and true packing list.) The key is to come and be prepared for a world-class experience.
The name Nepisiguit derives form the Mi'kmaq name meaning “river that dashes roughly along.” The Mi'kmaq (also commonly spelled Micmac) are an indigenous people with traditional lands primarily in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
The Bonaventure River - a wilderness paddler's dream. Starting high in the Chic-Chocs Mountains of Quebec's Gaspe peninsula, it flows for 85 miles (120 km) to the Baie-des-Chaleurs. The water is continuous, fast Class I-II with some Class III to be lined. The river scenery is beautiful, winding through a deep valley with crystal clear water. In the lower valley there are deep salmon pools and fishermen. (We don't fish as the pools require Canadian fishing guides with pool-specific permits.)
The Cascapedia is a great river to begin your poling experience! The mountain snowmelt is at its peak, the runoff is high enough to practically guarantee exciting rapids - mostly standing waves and not too technical, up to easy Class II. We will put in on a tiny stream that will join up with the Cascapedia after a couple twists and turns. Its remoteness ensures that we will probably have the river to ourselves, at least until we near its mouth at the sea. The river partly parallels a roadway, however we will be camping on nice secluded gravel beaches.
Quebec. In over 90 miles of river we descend nearly 1,000 feet and experience 79 sets of rapids, ranging from Class I to III, the latter requiring some lining, and one waterfall requiring a short portage. This river is for experienced paddlers, and canoe poling skills are certainly an advantage. It is truly a wilderness expedition; good camping skills and teamwork are necessary. This is not the river for everyone, but everyone that does it will never forget it! There are many pools and eddies harboring brook trout, which we will mostly catch and release, and we also found northern pike in the stillwater sections.
We have planned eight days on the river so that we can proceed slower in the top section of the river and enjoy time enough for fishing after setting camp in the evening. If you are fishing, bring an assortment of gear for both brook trout and pike. We recommend two poles and reels, medium or heavy action with strong line, plenty of lures and steel leaders for pike, and lighter equipment for brook trout. You may want to bring along a fly casting outfit as well. For pike, large diving type Rapala lures work well. For trout, bring 15-20 cheap lures - we recommend Mepps Spinners, Dare Devil, and Al's Goldfish.