Gradient Stormchasers: Moores Creek

Ontario creeking is a fervent animal. Most 'creeks' in this province are larger volume, have at least 500m of flatwater between rapids, have short...but often sweet rapids, and can run between 2 weeks and 3 months in the Spring depending on snowpack and how goes the melt.

Moores bucks some of these trends, and for a brief moment, you'll feel as if you're back in Cali or parts of the PNW. It's a mission to get to, involving a notably uphill drive on a logging road up river right from the marked takeout bridge just south of Madawaska over the reservoir. In all likelihood when this is running you'll probably run into a muddy, partially snow-covered road like we did. We also had a large log that the trucks could make it over, but might not work even for a seasoned 4WD car with clearance.

Staying on the main road and guiding yourself with Caltopo, you'll eventually find yourself on the South side of the small lake to the Southeast of Moore's, where the road gets closest, and there's a small clearing where ATVers no doubt spend some time. Follow the obvious trail over to the small lake, paddle or walk across/around to another obvious trail through to Moore's Lake, hopefully the edge is mostly clear of ice so that you can paddle around to the right, eventually ending up at the mouth of the river where there is a low bridge. When we went 5 April 2021 there was also a river-wide log causing a portage.

Following this is a smorgasbord of longer and steeper than usual Ontario style rapids split up by flatwater. You would easily be able to scout or walk everything in here, and I recommend following someone who knows it so that you get on some things blind, as long as the wood situation is known.

In total there are about 5 major rapids from the lake starting with a ledgy mini-canyon, drop and slide, big slide with multiple options or lines and a giant kicker ramp at the bottom, a rampy trough drop and finishing with Moores Falls, which doesn't look ideally runnable but has a nice slidey runout.

Verdict is, get here when it's running, because it might not be for long in any given year, though there is lots of ice to melt still and rain would definitely have some effect, the creeking doesn't get much better in this province!

Access notes: I’ve posted the Caltopo map below the pictures with the put in and takeout marked. DO NOT take Dunn’s road, you will have a bad day with private road issues. Take the logging roads on river right to access.