The Lost Post (10 years of huckin' medium)

Well, seeing as it’s my 10 year anniversary of huckin’ medium, and I haven’t maintained the blog very regularly since I left BC in 2014, I thought it high time to go through the archives and throw down some of the more interesting pictures over the last bit that I never wrote about, nor shared, so here is a bit of a pic-dump mostly encompassing 2014-2020. First a bit of a preamble...which has since turned into more of a synopsis of my years of paddling.

Since I left, my kayaking has definitely become a lot more seasonal than in Southwest BC, where you can huck year round. Out there, there was still somewhat of a routine of following the melt and certain dam releases, you knew what seasons were for what rivers, but there was definitely much more overlap, giving you a lot of known classics to choose from most of the time.

Being based in the Fraser Valley, I would have my regulars from the go-to backyard Chilliwack Canyon that ran all the time, from super low to super high, to Norrish Creek which ran mostly from October-June and Silverhope, which went from March-July or August much of the time. Whistler/Squamish had a long season stretching from May to September much of the time (longer depending on your taste for water levels), and when I say Whistler I include the Pemberton area goods as well. All winter long, and really most of the year, we had the Nooksack options (North Fork Horseshoe Bend and Middle Fork canyon) that had runnable options and tributaries practically. Of course let's also not forget Big Silver Creek, one of my all-time favourite drainages. All this within 3ish hours of home.

Robe was not too far away (2.5 hrs) and ran October-June, as well as other goods in the Seattle area, just a bit further South. There were the great Chelan release weekend each September....and hey, if you wanted to head to the Columbia Gorge, it was still only a 6-7 hour drive away, that's how far I drive now to hit the Québec City goods (also very good)! 

A hop, skip and jump over you had Vancouver Island (3-4 hrs to whitewater including ferry), with tons of whitewater and a great October-June season, and on the other side, you had the Ashnola near Princeton (3 hrs) and beyond that the Kootenai goods in Eastern BC and the Alberta goods right close by (6-9 hrs). Then you had even more options around Leavenworth and Clearwater (4 hrs each), and that's just the more known classics, add in the lesser known, less oft run goods and exploratories and your list expanded even more!

That is the one thing I loved out there, exploratories, Freyventures as some people called them. I loved checking out those runs that hadn't been run or thought of in years, or looking for new options on Google Earth, trying to put crews together and check them out for better or for worse. I learned that from the people who taught me like Ryan, and following the Range Life Blog or staying in touch with Chris south of the border for example. I was lucky enough to have some very good paddlers live in the valley at times such as Ash and Tristan to learn from and explore with, and even luckier to have some amazing friends like Tegan and Kiah to paddle with a ton as well. It's been great to look back and see people tick off some of the things on my list one by one in the area. Much of my Western days are documented in my 2010-2014, and some 2016 posts.

Following that up with Québec City was not that bad either, sure now you had to deal with bugs, a bit less options, a shorter season, bigger water, but the whitewater community in Québec is even stronger I'd say, and when the season is going you have options that you know are solid and running most of the season, a lot less guessing on water levels. Also the water is warmer and there are way more paddlers out here.

After my accident on the Malbaie I chilled out a bit (I was already pretty chill when it came to paddling), stopped worrying or pushing myself as much, but that's ok, I'm still having fun, and I still feel like I can get back to where I was at whenever I want to. I wasn't out exploring as much, there are some really strong paddlers in Québec who take the cake on that as it is, in Ontario as well I've since discovered.

With the shorter season I started heading South a lot more, both to the USA and further. It's funny, when I was in BC my friends were all going to Ecuador, and I didn't want to go, thinking I could paddle in the winter in BC, I'd wait to explore the Southern hemisphere when I was living with winter again. Starting in 2014-15 would be 4 years straight of heading to either Mexico or Ecuador so far, which has been great as well with lots of good regular friends made down there. I'm excited in the future to explore other places in the South like New Zealand, Peru, Columbia, Chile, India and Siberia through Western Europe further to the North. The key to life I find is always having goals and things to look forward to.

Now living in Ontario, it's definitely different, I'm right beside the Ottawa River, the big-water playboating gem! I'm not big into playboating, I try a bit, but I'm not motivated and have never been able to get it really. I love going there for good times with great friends more than anything, and to hit the brewery after, plus combining kayaking-mountain biking or fatbiking-backcountry skiing days has been a revelation I wish I'd realized out West. It's nice to have the Petawawa even closer by, which has some super fun rapids though. 

Living near Barrie had it's own challenges, but you did have the Gull and Elora Gorge not far away, as well as Balls Falls among some others, and Hockley Creek (Upper NF Nottawassaga) very close by. It was a really long drive to Upstate New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine or the Québec goods, I'm closer to those now by a lot, but now further from West Virginia and the Yough region stuff.

What I've needed to do is simply change my mindset, which has been awesome. The friends groups in both places are stellar, I've got into mountain biking, just learned to live with the fact that paddling the goods takes some more driving time (luckily I love driving and camping), and really learned to embrace the Ontario paddling community and rivers and creeks, which are still quite quality.

The routine out here is pretty simple for me for the most part, and follows a great series of events that happen pretty steadily based on levels and dam releases. At these events I've been able to meet some great friends who I've been lucky enough to go exploring the other and less known local goods with as well, it's definitely been an A+ formula.

December-January often means Southern hemisphere. February-March has often meant a week down in the Southeast USA or Cali. March brings our local Petawawa melt many years, even late February sometimes now. April means New Haven race in Vermont and Green (Vermont) releases, Smalls to the Wall in Maine, and MACKfest here in Ontario! May brings an annual West Virginia couple weeks trip, Spring Moose Fest, Hell or High Water and the Neilson Race depending how timing lines up. May/June is the big Eastern melt as well, late June is Hollywood Head to Head on the Kipawa, July is Blackfest and normally a week long West Virginia trip before Festivalin.

August is the Seven Sisters Slalom and Upper Yough race. July-September mean Raquette and Beaver releases. Labour Day long weekend is Beaverfest, late August is Gatfest on the Gatineau River. October has Moosefest of course. Intersperse this with maybe some time on the North Coast of Québec (Côte-nord), and random Neilson/Taureau/Valin laps June-November, and the occasional Rouge weekend and you've got a winning recipe in this area. 

Of course there are some things I'm forgetting, and things can always be changed up to hit those off the trail runs, or classics you've been eyeing for years but never lined up right, for example 2 years ago I finally got on the Upper Pemi and Sawyer in New Hampshire on a whim and a prayer after randomly showing up at the takeout one day on my way North from running some southern NH goodies after trying to line the Upper Pemi up for years! It has a short season and overlaps with lots of other closer by goods was the issue for me living further away, hard to get on those if you're not local. I'm still waiting on Gulf Hagas and Middlebury to line up one day, what I've noticed is to get these guys you just need to make a trip sometimes focused on hitting that one river when locals say it's good, and see what else falls in to place around it.

I guess the lesson is to take the positives out of where you live, they always exist, no matter where you go or what you do, the key is positively adapting to your reality and circumstance, unless you are willing to change it... but why change a good thing?

This pic dump is quite a few shots lol...maybe I should've split this up...not all impressive, or even good photos, as much sentimental value and stories as anything, you've been warned..also, if you don't see it here, it's likely because I've already written a post about it in the last 10 years, not always the case though.

Chelan Gorge was a favourite run in WA, man I'd like to get back there! Photo Tristan Oluper.

Nobody in Eastern Canada (except Sylvain, who was there) would believe I would ever paddle in cold water skin to win, but it used to happen. Lower Big Silver Falls BC. Photo Annie Lagueux.

Man I miss exploring these days... This was a mission to check out Alpine Big Silver BC with Ash.

Tegan on the last drop of Middle Nooksack Gorge WA at low flow. This was the winter go-to, reliable on-line gauge (unlike Norrish), and ran during the winter when everything else was too low.

Running down the Taureau with Alex and Maxim in a raft was definitely a highlight, 3 days after my Malbaie debacle, and the last time I would paddle for an 8 month period because I went to work in Europe.

More exploring with Ash of Lower Nicolum Creek BC, this was a 50 footer with wood at the bottom. Photo Tegan Owens.

The Blanche near Rivière-à-Pierre QC is typically an annual highlight, here's Jonathan on the entrance drop.

Beatering my first time down the Misstassibi QC with Pierre-Luc and Simon. Photo Québecraft.

Low water (yes, I love low water) Chute-à-Gamelin on the Des Hà-Hà QC, this was 2 days after my Malbaie debacle. Photo Simon Roy. I've since found out that this gets run even lower!

I love hanging out with the canoeists out in the East here sometimes. This is Mark on the Canada Falls section South Branch Penobscot ME. I would often tag along with them when I first arrived in QC then go join some local creekers the following day if I could. The day following this I got on the West Branch Penobscot.

Better days were had on the Malbaie QC. Photo Marie-Julie Clement.

Jean-Simon on the classic beer slide of the Mastigouche-du-Nord QC. Definitely a must-do at least once.

I spent a few awesome weeks kayaking around the Gaspé Peninsula QC with Simon in 2015. This was a little roadside park n' huck we found somewhere.

This is Alex, back when he was an open boater, on the first drop of the Jean-Nöel QC along the côte-nord, the only first D I got on in QC I think.

Alex, Alexandre and Maxim on the Noire in the Laurentides QC. The Laurentides have awesome creeking in the spring and fall, a definite go-to, especially now that it's some of the closest creeking to where I currently live.

Firing up a low water Basse-Cyriac falls QC with a visiting crew from BC. Photo Riley Adams.

Running the Kabir-Kouba falls about 10 minutes from my place in QC, and just above the so-named section of the Saint-Charles, I remember it was almost dark. This photo doesn't really do it justice, I recommend looking it up. Photo Martine Demers.

This was a great Southeast trip with Alex and Maxim in 2016, I was a bit nervous after working in Europe and not kayaking for 8 month, but it went generally well after some great warmup runs. Watauga Gorge NC...though this is actually Stateline Falls, right on the border with TN. Photo Maxim Lavoie.

Horsepasture River NC, on the same trip as above. Photo Maxim Lavoie.

Robe Canyon WA is awesome, go there whenever you can. Tegan finishing off a rapid near the end. Photo Nick Baughman.

The Valin is always a classic low water option in QC, so good. Photo Félix Blackburn.

Wells River NH is a great roadside option going to/from the New Haven race, among the many options along that drive. Photo Edwin Giguère.

I'm not sure who this is on Toaster Falls, regardless the annual New Haven (VT) race in April is typically a great event that kicks off a series of events that run down East during the Spring-Summer-Fall.

The Upper Pemigewasset NH is a classic river in the White Mountains. It intrigued me for years driving through there on my way to or from places, but I never found it at the right levels until one day. I had gone down to run Pond Brook with someone in southern NH, and stopped there on my way back for a run (by foot, if nothing else), and there were boaters in the lot when I returned. I got in a great run (by kayak) with Scott, Leanne and their Eastern European friend then met Jake the next day to also get on the classic Sawyer, which was just around the bend. Jackpot weekend.

Smalls to the Wall is a great little four drop race/section in Rangeley ME, it usually follows the weekend after New Haven and is great fun. I went there once and ended up boating some lesser known great runs in ME for a few days with Mike (bring your snowshoes!). Photo Kyle Haley Photography.

The Des-îles is a great once a year run near Shawinigan-ish QC that is easily combined with the Du Loup on the same day, bring a bug net. Photo Dominic Fournier, Adrénergie.

This is the last drop on the Shawinigan River right in downtown Shawinigan QC at low water. It's fun to do these drops in town with people watching who are going about their lives. Photo Dominic Fournier.

The Taureau QC. A classic go-to that runs much of the season. Photo Dominic Fournier.

Upper Swallow Falls is a fun slide on the Upper Youghiogheny River MD. Photo David Faubert.

The Upper Blackwater WV is a classic Neilson style section that we usually get a couple laps on at least during our usual May trip to the area that a few of us from QC do. Photo David Faubert.

The Lower Meadow WV is another staple of the trip...it ends partway through the Lower Gauley as a bonus. Photo Dominic Fournier.

Edwin and I went and explored the Upper Sautaurisky QC, this rarely run section has lots of obstacles, but also three decent drops.

Beamers Falls on Forty Mile Creek ON. Moving near Barrie ON you really learn to appreciate when it rains a lot, and also the Niagara Escarpment rises to the top of your lexicon. Photo Kai Malcolm.

In the Lower Escarpment near Niagara Falls, Upper Balls Falls will become a go-to park n' huck at 37' tall. Twenty Mile Creek ON. Photo Kai Malcolm.

Wonder Falls on Lower Big Sandy WV with a lot of water, this was during what has become an annual Canada Day trip to the area for some of us from ON. Photo Hugh Daignault.

Simon on a low water run of the Huit Chutes QC. A classic that is far from anything at the ZEC Onatchiway and usually runs when the Valin is doing at least 40.

The Upper Yough race MD is a great annual event, and interesting race at about 30-40 minutes of fun class IV. Photo James Ratchford.

The classic Rouge QC, a great river that runs all the time, even most of the winter if you're willing to deal with the snow, ice and cold temperatures, and is North of Montréal by not far. There are two fun annual races on it, including the Slalom Sept-soeurs. This has become one of my go-to rivers. There is a great paddling community, and fun, hospitable rafting companies on this river. Photo Damien Larrigaudière Photography.

Man can it get cold paddling up here sometimes! Oxtongue River ON. Photo Kai's girlfriend.

I loooooove paddling in Cali (California)! This is us taking a break during the canyon portage on Mill Creek CA, a great 3 day trip down there that isn't that hard, but lots of fun and super scenic. It's great to run something in March where you start at around freezing and progress to +30 temps (celsius). It is difficult to turn down an invite to the Southwest. Photo Dave Farkas.

Rogers Creek BC. Ultra-classic and super fun, falling on a wasps nest during the steep hike down to the river is less fun. Photo Maxi Kniewasser.

The river I consistently miss the most from out West is the Ashnola BC. 22 km of continuous class IV, including a classic final 8, beauty desert camping, usually ideal weather. Cold water though. Photo Steve Arns.

The North Fork Blackwater is a great western style steep creek in WV that should be near the top of your list. Photo David Faubert.

Black River ON. There are two photos that could describe ON highway 7 creeking, one is this, the other would be flatwater. MACKfest (Marmora Annual Canoe Kayak Festival) is our annual festival when everyone from ON and many from elsewhere come to party and paddle in late April, but it varies with flows (which weekend the festival happens that is). Photo James Sandziuk.

For many years the classic Neilson QC has been the classic go-to much of the time living out East, it can be an after-work run at times even from the Québec City area. Photo unknown mountain biker.

Kai on the Oswegatchie Section IV NY. There is a lot more than just the Beaver, Moose, Black and Raquette to be had in this state!

West Magpie ouest

Bottom line: Call the wife at work and let her know you’ll see her in a few weeks, drop the kids at the arcade and the dog at the park, get together a couple friends that you wouldn’t mind spending a couple weeks alone in the bush with, grab your boat and expedition gear, book a train or plane ticket and drop a downcar (3 hour round trip from the train station) to head out on this very scenic and fun 6-14 day trip that is as much expeditioning as it is whitewater. You don’t need to win a lottery or pack your excrement with you for this extravaganza. Camping on beautiful beaches is plentiful and it’s doubtful you’ll see another group on this run (at the time of this writing). 

Getting things ready at the roadside pullout in Sept-îles the day prior.

Before mid-July I hadn’t ever even heard of the West Magpie, I was aware of the existence of the classic Magpie multiday (which forms the final portion of the West trip), but it wasn’t something that ever really registered on my radar as I’d rather spend the time and/or money going somewhere like Cali or BC for example. Suddenly, in the space of about a week I got two invites as well as a passive invite to Colorado for Black Canyon of the Gunisson season! Seeing as the border is currently closed the solution was simple… 

Getting dropped off the train in the middle of nowhere, with no infrastructure anywhere close, just short of the Labrador border.

Draining the Northern Taïga Canadian Shield region of Northern Québec and Central Labrador are some big rivers such as the better known Moisie ultra-classic canoe route, the West Magpie is one of these rivers. You have two options for access, pay 50$ for a train ticket, plus 150$ for your kayak to get up to the Éric station, which is at a bridge over the West Magpie just short of Labrador, and take 8-14 days to paddle your way down. Option two is to get a floatplane ticket with 3 people for about 700$ each and fly into lac Vital to cut 100 km of moving-ish flatwater river and the equivalent amount of time, out of the equation. The big factor will probably be your time available vs. money for many people. I should mention for people who've only done the fly-in that the flatwater above this point is much better than the flatwater on lac Magpie, more on that below..

Map of the stations along the Sept-îles - Schefferville rail line. Photo Art Keeling.

We did the trip in 9 nights and 10 days including the train ride, about 6-7 hours North from Sept-îles. This was averaging 27-28 km a day on the river, and we were lucky enough to have beautiful sunny weather on all but 1.5 days, one rainy morning and the last day, which caused us to cut a day and book it to the car at the end. We started most days about 10 am and finished most days around 5 pm, though at times as early as 4 pm and as late as 630 pm, this gave us plenty of time to set up camp, eat and have a fire before dark, as well as take it easy in the morning, waking up around 730 am and having plenty of time to chill, we did have an efficient crew that made everything a lot easier (when we stopped some would set up tents while others would collect firewood for example). It is quite important to have a decent crew of people who don’t mind the time expeditioning and get along well together like we did.

First strokes into flatwater, the stoke it high.

...3-4 days and 100 km later the first rapid of note, a typical style West Magpie rapid, if not one of the easier ones.

The total length of the trip is about 280 km South from the train drop, and about 200 km of it is flat, 100 km on the river on the way to the canyon (with some small rapids and a million high-tension power transmission towers and cables), 40 km on lac Magpie, and 60 km of flatwater and lakes between rapids, which is much less noticeable. The rapids on the West are great, mostly pool drop with available sneaks at the levels we had. There is one more continuous section of about 2.6 km that all goes as well, but is more continuous and difficult than most of the rest, of course it could all be portaged readily as described in the canoe guide to this river, which is excellent (https://www.canot-kayak.qc.ca/modules/parcours/releve_Magpie.pdf). The whitewater ranges from class I-V, is big water (bigger after the lake), and you should have a capable creeking crew if you intend to get through the harder and more continuous parts of the West Magpie canyon. 

One night of great caribou moss camping. The other non-beach night was spent on a large rocky area with nice arranged sites in the trees on the Magpie proper.

7 out of our 10 nights were spent camped on beaches like this, with plentiful driftwood for fires. One night we chose not to stay at a chalet we passed by as the weather was nice and we wanted to gain some more km on the lake, this likely paid off on the last day, our only real rainy one.

Levels seemed great, if a bit high for a first time without someone who knew the river. When we started it was about 180-190 cms and gradually seemed to taper down to around 130 cms by the time we got off. I’ve heard 160 is ideal, 250 is max and 280 is too much, so we really can't complain.

A typical West Magpie rapid for the pool-drop portions, with a typical beach campsite beside.

The blast of fun you’ll have exploring the West Magpie once the rapids begin will be over all too soon (took us about 3-4 days to get through it all, and it’ll end with a rarely run literal canyon section that is very West-coast reminiscent), then you’ll have the lake, which is the most mentally taxing part as unlike the flat sections of river which break down into short distances between points, the lake is one endless horizon line of flatness. If you’re lucky enough you’ll have the wind at your back and a tarp that can be used to sail across a good portion of it (about as fast or faster than you’d paddle anyway, but you save the energy). There are sections where camping does get further and farther between, so make sure you don’t skip a good camp spot too late in the day, and refer to the guidebook to a decent extent, or you may end up paddling a km in the wrong direction for that camp spot you passed once you realize there won't be another for 10 km! 

The view upon emerging onto Lake Magpie.

Following the lake is the classic Magpie, bigger water meets you here and tons more fun rapids, along with decent camping, and before you know it, after 2-3 days of that you’ll be at the Magpie Falls portage to where you take off and drag your boats up to the down-car. 

A fun rapid on the Magpie proper.

I highly recommend this trip, the flatwater is what it is, but you’ll get in shape the whole time, enjoy some beautiful scenery and have a ton of fun running a lot of quality whitewater. Getting dropped off by a train on the edge of the tracks in the middle of nowhere, where there are no people nor services for hundreds of km in any direction is it’s own experience as well. You’ll discover your propensity to live in the tent or bivy for a time, get along with your mates, and enjoy the outdoors. The whitewater pretty much all goes, only the FFH (Far From Home) factor and loaded boat feeling might hold you back from some things. Unlike the Grand Canyon, or some other similarly popular expedition, you’ll be one of very few people who have explored this area. 

The start of the canyon that marks the end of the West Magpie.

A bigger rapid on the Magpie proper.

Bugs. There are many bugs, you aren't on the West Coast anymore fellas, don’t forget a torso mosquito net or something to deal with these guys, fires won’t be enough, and keep it in your ready bag so you can put it on as soon as you land at a camp spot. Also don’t forget some kind of sunblock, if you have sun like we did it’s a lot reflecting off the water all day long. We also saw a decent amount of wildlife including a couple bears, a moose, some river otters and a good amount of waterfowl.

Jasmin boofing a ledge on the Magpie proper.

It turned out that this seemed to be the year, maybe due to Covid-19 or any other reason, that everybody and their dog from Québec and Ontario who were capable ended up on this section of river! We went in late August, the season seems to be from July-September. The earlier you go the warmer it likely will be, but maybe higher levels and more bugs, the later you go the colder it will get, lower water levels more likely and less bugs, so it's all trade-offs with August being the likely happy medium.

Kevin boofing on the Magpie proper.

It should be said that in the last 5-10 years the North Coast (Côte-nord) of Québec (essentially everything East of Québec City to the Altlantic ocean) has been getting expansively explored from a kayaking perspective thanks to locals, Québecers, outsiders and especially groups like the Québec Connection (who've even gone so far as to popularize the area in their TV series 'Expédition Kayak' on TV5Unis, which I still have my fingers crossed for an English subtitled version for my anglo friends), who have been opening up and advertising the beauty and quality of navigable rivers in the area. There are still many left to explore and open up, and with more and more paddlers of all types (families, rafting companies, kayakers) coming to the area, hopefully it will give an enhanced voice to recreation and navigation when it comes to mitigation of the detrimental effects of hydropower projects in the area against these concerns. For many years these went ahead unabated simply because not many paddlers were there to provide a paddling voice, but with population growth, people striving for access and discovery of new terrain and rivers from a recreational perspective this entire area is opening up to be a prime whitewater destination for people the world around.

Apologies for the photo quality, I didn't bring my DSLR with me to save space, so was relying on my cellphone. Here's a bit of a picdump to finish things off.

Heading North on the old passenger train with a million little stops in the middle of nowhere felt like going back in time. The stops are mostly for indigenous sites, villages and hunt camps, further North are stops supporting mines and other industry as well. This is leaving the Sept-îles railyard, much of the line parallels the Moisie River.

Entrance Falls on the West Magpie.

Another early West Magpie rapid.

Labrador tea everywhere!

Another great West Magpie rapid. Many of the rapids have meat lines and sneak lines.

Étienne on a mission to have us a fire!

First camping after emerging onto the lake was actually a decrepit old float-plane stop with lots of garbage around.

Hard to see from this far away, but this is our sail we had setup. The boys set one up day 1 of the lake after I'd got ahead by a margin without enough wind, day 2 we rode it all day long.

The first section of the portage rapid on the Magpie proper from quite far away, this is a big rapid.

Second portion of the portage, this basically marks the end of the trip, portaging is ok, but you have to wade through some crappy swamp to get to the easy part.

End of the line, pro-tip, pre-load your downcar with some beer and snacks!