Ontario's Forgotten River - Documentary | Is It Still Worth Paddling the White River?

it was a year like no other never have i had to change a summer canoe trip due to a virus but indeed we did multiple times based on changing restrictions but finally it was decided the white river if you drive through northern ontario along the trans-canada highway you will cross the white river several times this river was heralded as one of the top 10 rivers to paddle in ontario the key word was [Music] so what has changed and what remains the same my friend ben and i are about to find out with the opening of the river after over a decade of being shut down a journey full of challenges setbacks surprises and misadventures as we begin from the bay and unknown headwaters of negwasi lake 192 kilometers down to the mouth at lake [Music] superior [Music] our trip began with a two-day drive to pakistan national park a drive ben and i are quite familiar with despite logging well over a thousand kilometers to get there we never tire of the drive especially around lake superior as the views and vistas are simply amazing after overnighting in sault ste marie we headed to pakasa to drop off our vehicle and meet our shuttle driver from naturally superior while registering at the park gate this is where we ran into our first unexpected problem we ran into a little bit of problem here at the park office we didn't realize that they need us to contact them prior to get the stuff all ready they're saying that we need to do an orientation there's some questionnaire procedures in place that could take more than an hour so it's kind of a little bit of setback but anyhow hopefully we'll get it all sorted out and we'll get on our way unexpectedly one of the park staff recognized me as the passionate paddler and thankfully led us off realizing we were experienced trippers with that sorted out we quickly transferred the gear and canoe and headed off with jacob our shuttle driver towards nagwazu lake but this is where we encountered our next problem well we have a pylon or something or no okay we just lost the wheel wow so uh there was been some wobbling in the vehicle we weren't sure what it was and uh we just what not even like 15-20 minutes from pakistan and the wheel busted off and thankfully we're okay there's no vehicle behind us but we lost the wheel those guys are trying to get the wheel not that it makes any difference but we're gonna have to uh something's gonna have to change on this trip now we're gonna have to figure out how to how we're gonna get to the access point and how jacob's gonna get back not only did we lose a wheel we didn't even have cell reception to get help so after many attempts to sort out our dilemma it was ultimately a kind samaritan that offered to help that got us back on our way stuck out in nowhere a tow truck was not immediately available nor was anyone from naturally superior so our samaritan took ben back to his truck which we then used as the shuttle vehicle so we got the vehicle we just loaded up the canoe and all our gear so we're they can't tow it right now so we're gonna actually go to is it in white river husky husky okay so we're gonna go there they have a tow truck there but they can't come and get it now so we're gonna drop off the keys and they're gonna pick it up later and then uh jacob's gonna drop us off at uh the access point and he's going to go back to nsa with the with ben's vehicle and then they're going to make arrangements to drop it off at the park so that we can have it for but the keys right we're still going to sort a few things out who's gonna they're gonna you think that would finally be the end of it but there was just one more problem so ben's come back from pakistan still stinks eh oh dude come on it's not better we're gonna open the windows someone had dumped the litter of cat onto the highway and i stepped into a big pile of it while dealing with the vehicle issue despite trying to clean as much as i could prior to getting into the vehicle it was still bad bad enough they pulled over by a lake so that i could get my boot cleaned further with order restored in the universe we continued on our way our next obstacle was a sketchy road to nagwazu lake with no information as to the condition other than satellite maps we headed down a logging road which initially was in great shape it was only the last stretch where things got pretty rough but we eventually made it oh we made it to nagwazu lake after everything we had to deal with so we were just thankful it all worked out being late in the day our goal was to simply find a campsite close by so after saying our farewells to jacob it was finally time to start the trip we set off immediately as a storm loomed overhead and it wasn't long before we pulled up to a small island to make camp it was obviously well used with all sorts of paraphernalia and junk left by other campers but due to the continuing storms we decided to stay and make the most of it it started raining again so it's good that we have this tarp set up but now that we can't really do anything ben has a surprise for us what did you bring beer a single beverage for us to enjoy and then have to carry this can for 180 kilometers back to town well we are thirsty so we're gonna drink and celebrate our first night it is probably what eight o'clock now quarter after eight yeah and hopefully the rain will pass and then we can get our tent set up i don't think there's going to be much more that we're going to do tonight we were thinking about fishing because of all the good fishing that uh supposed to be on this lake and see if we can catch ourselves a walleye we'll see once if and when the rain passes yeah if if it passes it doesn't look like it's going to pass no all right time to indulge in some beer we didn't end up fishing as the storms kept rolling through and the winds picked up so we decided to turn in if anything we were just hoping for better conditions tomorrow as we would have to cross the lake in order to get to the white river even though it was still gray and overcast we were most relieved that the wind had died so after a quick and easy breakfast we set off for my island refuge and made our way across naguazu lake looking for the start of the white river at the far western end we could hear and discern the obscure outlet where nagwazu lake gives birth to the white river even though it was shallow and overgrown we decided to just push through the narrow channel yep just trying to make it go slow i'm just gonna bunch you up cedars just like that we were officially on the white river on the uppermost reaches we paddled through small lake lake sections which of course presented no problems but the narrows between them wasn't as easy especially this section where a pile of driftwood and dead trees created quite an obstacle course every inch of forward progress through this part required a healthy dose of elbow grease in retrospect this was just a small glimpse of some of the challenges that lay ahead no doubt progress was slow and tough besides the narrows there was a lot of shallow water and rocks this necessitated many unconventional and conventional ways to get through such as pulling the canoe with our hands dragging it and of course portaging one thing was clearly evident no one had passed through this area in a very long time not surprising however we did find some evidence like a cut piece of wood that had lichen growing on it in an old rusted tackle box found in the riverbed most people prefer to avoid sections such as these and i can totally understand why but i find something uniquely rewarding when i can canoe a river from its source to its mouth to me this provides a complete experience that embodies every characteristic peculiar or distinguishing that is representative of a river it's like a friend you've known their entire life that makes your relationship inherently more intimate our goal that day was to try and make it to segena lake which was only 15 kilometers away because there was no information on this stretch and the challenges we knew we would face we hoped our conservative goal was attainable there were times however when we questioned if we'd make it but things improved late in the day and we found ourselves paddling more than crawling along we finally paddled under highway 17 and pushed into seguina lake just after five o'clock but our struggles were hardly over with no place to make camp we had no choice but to continue down the river but thankfully after another two hours we found an old campsite and ended our day there just when we thought everything was all good we had the misfortune of some dubious friends hitching a ride after a refreshing swim my one paled in comparison to ben's 40 plus leeches of all different sizes that latch onto his foot needless to say he won this competition despite the long day we felt good about our progress and after a hearty meal to refuel our calorie deprived bodies we hit the hay soon after after a solid night's sleep we awoke to a gorgeous morning the type of morning where you'd love to watch the mist burn off with a hot cup of coffee but adventure was calling and after enjoying some hearty breakfast wraps we were soon on our way so good morning we are back on the white river it is just after nine o'clock and we are off today um i don't think there's gonna be too much excitement there will be some rapids but there'll be a lot of paddling and i think our goal is to get around the town of white river and we've got a special little um appointment a date so we'll let you know when we get there it wasn't long after before we got to see our first moose of the trip this combined with various small log jams and even a small swift which kept our paddles and eyes busy we eventually entered a lowland where we paddled through a large marsh it was also here we saw our second moose and also lucked out by catching a walleye and perch which we decided to keep for lunch when our stomachs began to grumble we were incredibly lucky to come across this island oasis in this vast marsh we then set about cleaning the fish getting a fire going and then making some delicious fish tacos to eat tasty tasty fresh veggies and fresh fish nice it was a nice break in such a remote and beautiful place but it was time to get back on the water and put distance behind us we eventually left the marsh and soon came to our first marked rapid called sandy portage rapids as much as we enjoyed the flat water paddle we were looking forward to some more excitement that comes with moving water to the right follow the v down there we go [Applause] there we go rapids on the uppermost section of a river are often small and rocky because the head lake is often the only source of water that feeds the river but as it makes its way to the mouth many tributaries and other smaller rivers feed into it and it cumulatively increases the volume at its lower reaches but for now we'd have to contend with a lot more chaotic maneuvering scraping and luck there's not much let's go down this way so left we made it not bad but let's turn around just to look at it i guess it looks like you could have went center eh yeah maybe yeah as we continued our way towards the town of white river there appeared to be more and more rapids some marked and others not we scouted larger ones and others we continued to run blind it was fun they weren't always pretty runs as rocks were everywhere and oftentimes we did get out when we couldn't discern the line but there were some that got our hearts pumping and adrenaline flowing as we smashed through white water and waves you couldn't have seen that bigger smile on our faces after some of the runs sorry right straight we were amazed at all the rapids we continued to come upon one after another late into the day we were beginning to wonder if we'd make it to town to execute our novel plan but we eventually made it just in time this historical town has its roots as a trading post and eventually as a locomotive town which it still is to this day but we were here for burgers at the a w which we thoroughly enjoyed sure the town of white river is nothing like it was when it traded in furs but in the same spirit we stopped by traded for food and continued on as modern voyageurs we would have preferred to continue on and try and find camp further along the river but we had a problem the sun was about to set and more rapids were to follow which would make finding camp not only very difficult but dangerous it was then we went from being modern day voyagers to squatters and decided to take advantage of the flat real estate by the edge of the tracks there was definitely the possibility of being kicked out and the inconvenience of trains passing through but we decided to risk it it quickly became the most ridiculous and unusual place i've camped at while on a canoe trip it was not on my bucket list but certainly noteworthy so we didn't get kicked out and we survived the night even with the two trains that passed by and shook the ground we slept on it was definitely novel if not unique but it was time to get packed up and get moving as we decided to have breakfast at some point further down the river it wasn't the nicest morning to paddle with the low gray clouds and rain but the river was calm and there was mist which made up for it but better yet it was the rapids that followed that made things that morning pretty interesting yep all right yep nice okay here we go so from the left to the right you said or we gotta go center yeah then to the left and then follow the wave string okay of course you got to watch for the big boulder on the left right yeah but i don't think it's going to be a problem [Applause] this one right yep okay there is one rock to worry about straight ahead so we'll go to the right of that okay okay there's another one you go to the right a little bit okay and a couple of pillows pretty smooth yeah okay so this is uh part two of tarpon um there's a calm section in between and so we're gonna scout this one it's a little bit of a drop i just want to make sure we can see through a line that we can uh paddle it down the crux of this run was the last drop not only did we have to thread the canoe between two rocks but the side channel and current had the potential to swing the back end of the canoe to the side potentially pinning it combined with the fact that the water before the drop was highly aerated we were dealing with some difficult conditions but we still decided to attempt it [Music] this is gonna be a big run our biggest yet yep just to the right of that rock yep so [Music] so [Music] that did not go as planned almost at the last drop we knew it was going to be a tough one but the back end had just pulled out and we came down at an angle and uh and then it resulted in us tipping over so we just emptied the canoe and uh we're just a little bit draggled a little bit of injury scraped my hand but not a big deal and there's a moose still down there waiting for us so we're gonna paddle down to the next rapid devil's rapid there's a campsite there we're gonna probably stop and uh get something to eat and uh get our coffee wit's back together and continue down the river the river indeed taught us a lesson but also gave us our third moose or was the moose in calm water the lesson either way we moved on richer for the experience for i have always believed bad things with introspection are often good lessons in life once we got to the next rapid we pulled out at the portage and checked the campsite it was rough and as expected hadn't been used in years but it would do we needed to refuel our empty tanks with breakfast but also needed a fire to warm up and dry out as we were chilled at this point okay we're running double rapid that we felt much better it was time to get back on the water oftentimes after a dump paddlers are often shooken up and adverse to running more white water which is a normal reaction but with a day full of rapids we simply put the incident behind us and immediately got back in the canoe with the name devil's rapids you would think this would keep us on the portage but instead we decided to take the devil by the horns the rapids came one after another some we scouted on the run and others we got out to scout but either way we tackled them all regaining our confidence and mojo with each and every one okay you feel good about this one yeah the water levels were definitely not high nor were they too low just enough to keep the canoe afloat so that we could get through but one thing was a constant rocks everywhere we had to weave the canoe like a snake and remain sharp and reactive for each and every run that was some twisty turning white water is definitely not for everyone it is a high stress activity with consequences but whether it is to avoid portages the fun of running rapids or the rush of adrenaline there is no doubt executing rapid skillfully is not only highly addictive but very rewarding it was an incredible day of white water fun even with our dump earlier on we almost pulled off running every single rapid that day except when we came upon this one yeah a fall yeah it's a fault yeah so we come upon the next rapid we're thinking it's gonna be smaller than hawks but it's significantly bigger but mind you what a what if you come down that way on the left side look it's a pretty much a falls and they mark this as rapid wow look at that rock eh yeah beautiful so we're gonna walk the portage the weird thing is the portage starts way back and it's only supposed to be 230 meters and that does not make sense uh she would have by the time you did 230 meters you would have ended up at the falls here but wow it's gorgeous really really pretty as we could run the set below we simply drag the canoe down the drop and bypass the overgrown portage holy it's slippery yeah it's really good we couldn't have asked for more that day as it was jam-packed with rapids right to the end the white river was truly living up to the notion of a river full of white water but after 12 hours of this we were more than happy to pull up to a rough campsite to end the day at least we knew we'd sleep soundly that night without the rumble of trains passing through we awoke to another overcast morning but this time well rested we started the day in the bug shelter since our campsite perched high up on the edge of a drop came with perks mosquitoes and lots of them it didn't take long to convince us to get out of there as soon as possible okay so we are finally back on the water after getting off that hell hole which we really like last night but this morning we were just getting annihilated and uh it's good to be back on the water eh oh yeah yeah and i think despite the gray day it should be really nice in terms of uh will keep us cool and hopefully we can get a good run today today the majority of our pedal would be through a lowland as the flow of the river slowed and we found ourselves weaving through marshes and small lakes it wasn't anything like the previous day but we still got to pedal through a handful of rapids rabbits that were wide and shallow right here yep straight keep going the low gray clouds weren't just window dressing either as it rained down on us several times throughout the day which is never enjoyable but there were highlights too one seeing a train pass by as we pedal alongside the tracks and the second being a long and significant rapid that ended at white lake thankfully we were able to run all of it as the alternative was a 1.6 kilometer portage that was in rough shape nice we were having problems finding a place to pull over for lunch due to the unsuitable shoreline prior to white lake but the docks at the public boat launch provided an ideal location thankfully we finished our wraps just in time before another wave of rain hit us white lake is a big body of water and also an intersectional destination as the train tracks and highway 17 not only crosses this lake but you also find the first nations town of mobert as well as white lake provincial park as we were at the southernmost end of the lake our crossing was short but we did have to contend with a short lift over across a narrow stretch of land we seriously considered staying at a campsite at white lake provincial park but the hustle and bustle of summer campers and the trouble of getting a camp permit made the decision for us thus we continued paddling down the lake looking for something more isolated and wilderness-like in the end our decision to move on paid off as we found an amazing beach campsite with ample flat areas to pitch our tent and shelter we couldn't have asked for more as it ended up being one of our favorite campsites on the trip the day started out overcast and gloomy we thought we'd be in for another wet one but surprisingly cleared and turned out to be a beautiful day but there would be a different kind of cloud cover today would mark a turning point on our trip from the headwaters to this point the information on the route range from obscurity to being unknown but from white lake to lake superior the route is not only well documented and mapped it has been peddled by many canoeists previously yet for us in the following days it would be anything but predictable many years ago when i looked into paddling this river i was told by a park official that it was not recommended the staff member mentioned work on a dam at umbata falls being the primary reason then in a couple years when i inquired again i found out it was now closed the park staff was vague on the subject matter and i just assumed more work was being done at ambotta falls fast forward almost a decade later ben and i would be the first to paddle the white river after its opening and we would soon find out why as it was nothing like how we expected [Music] so we are approaching the white lake dam and there are signs on either side to warn people i guess there is some fast water we know there is below it but uh you we'll find out soon enough okay so just want to give you an update based on the map we uh we saw that sign warnings about a dam and it's going to be coming further on but based on the map nothing makes sense and what we think is that they've destroyed the old dam because we saw some big rock and the road that led down to it and it's all gone now or it's kind of blocked off and we think that based on the topography and the way the river curves the original dam doesn't exist and it's probably further down the river even even just paddling in this area there's a lot of stumps that we could see in the water and you can see the shoreline has a lot of cut trees on it so um well i mean this map was made in it was a 2000 through 2002 so that's like 18 years ago and things have definitely changed since then so this is interesting to note so you think these have been cut since that map was written yeah because they probably raised this level yep yep i think that makes a lot of sense there's a bunch of rappers that we should be running at this point that was right after the dam and of course there it's all underneath us it's flooded so the first set of rabbits don't even exist so we're going to wait till the next one which is cup park park rapids well we have to wait to see where the dam is exactly exactly it might be even further down that might even be eliminated so we'll see we'll see in our conversation you can clearly hear we were confused we were going based on very old information and assumptions and it was now evidently very different it would only be time before all of her questions would be answered so yeah you're probably right that's probably why they didn't want people going through here so much work being done not just on bottle falls everywhere else but i wonder if anyone knew this i don't know because everyone from what i heard only knew you thought it was the umbata fall and the question is why did it last so we're just paddling through a narrows this would be the abitibi rapids but as you can see there had no rapids it's just flat water paddling but beyond ben we finally are coming upon the dam so there's buoys there to block off people from getting through so we're gonna have to figure where to get through to uh portage around this dam well or what remains of the river below it we have no idea based on how much water is being let out and uh what kind of rapids will still exist or new ones be created i'm not sure now so we'll figure this one out and uh see how the rest of the trip goes it's certainly not anything like we expected that's for sure so here's the dam this is all pretty new we're gonna head over to the right side there's a bunch of signs there might be some indication as to how to get around this dam so there's a portage sign right over there and there's actual big sign says portage route the carrying of a boat or its cargo between two navajo navigable water that would be where the actual takeout would be yeah let's just play with it so here we are at the dam we're just going to quickly check it out find out where the portage route is it has no access no oh there's a portrait sign over there yeah okay don't go that way okay so starting this uh first portage around this hydro dam as you can see they put some nice uh signs i'm not sure if this is from the hydro company or was from the rangers that that cleared the trails just before we began our trip but uh looks pretty clear it looks like the conditions are pretty good so let's see how long this goes we have no idea well how long this portage is because this is all new the portage wasn't long and it looked like it was a combination of the old and the new one as the previous one skirted around fearless rapids or what was left of it a concern now was what the river was like below the dam okay we've paddled a little bit down the river and we just passed shotgun creek and they're supposed to be swift like right here as you can see there is nothing and further down there's supposed to be a rapid uh shotgun rapid and as you can clearly see it's pretty much smooth i don't know her prospects are not looking really good on this river so far and according to ben i didn't know this but he said that there was multiple dams on this river if that's the case this river might go from an interesting trip to a pretty unsatisfactory and disappointing trip the one thing you can kind of see on the riverbank is that a lot of these trees cedars have been cut um i don't know whether it was in anticipation of well most likely because of the dams and probably because when it was flooding they didn't want the trees to fall into into the river and most likely clog cause log jams down on dams further down when ben said to put in the spot x report yesterday that today will things will get interesting i think he was pretty dead on uh correct there just didn't expect it to be because there was no rapids we certainly was certainly expecting to be running a lot of rapids today and having a lot of fun but uh it's not exactly turning out that way it quickly became clear that there was another dam somewhere up ahead rapids and swift that were marked on the map were gone the shoreline damage and the continual display of stumps were indicative but the biggest surprise was finding chicago's falls completely silence chigagon's falls was a significant cataract through a narrow gorge that even killed a paddler that accidentally got swept into it but all that remained was an imperceptible current where once white water raged and tumbled to the river below [Music] as we came around the bin at what was once the outflow of chicago's falls we were unexpectedly met with what looked like a large lake this of course was still the white river but in a different form created by the second dam which we could clearly see in the distance this dam was much bigger than the first one a sprawling complex of roads buildings and piles of rocks it was sad to see but at the same time fascinating thinking about the incredible amount of energy and work needed to create this infrastructure to redivert the river and create a source of energy that we all use in our daily lives but at what cost and why from a river that has park status we were both bewildered and confused however unbeknownst to us we'd soon get the answers to our questions during our time at the dam another problem currently occupied our minds we went beside the sign but there is no portage we think now that because the size of the sign is probably indicating that the portage is probably somewhere over there so we're gonna get back in the canoe and look for this uh portage okay we're not having very much luck we paddled down the length of that section of the river which is like lake and we did not find any portage signs and uh so we decided to come back and walk up and over this dam to see if there's a another way to get down after some time looking over the area we decided to cross over on the far right side of the dam which would put us back onto the river the quickest it unfortunately meant crossing the buoy paddling along the shore and dragging the canoe up the man-made berm but we determined it was safe and inconsequential then we simply portage our gear down the rough road to the bottom where the original course of the river continued so being that it was so late tonight um it was almost seven o'clock by the time we had portage to the water we realized we're running out of time in order to find a campsite and considering what we've been seeing or not seeing in terms of campsites because it got all flooded we decided to make the decision to camp at our next craziest site on this trip so we decided to camp below the retaining wall that's holding the water back you can see the tent with ben cooking supper there so yeah if the train tracks wasn't crazy enough this will probably top that as being some of the most insane places that we've camped at on a canoe trip not just once once on a canoe trip but twice i mean look at the look at the scenery it's just absolutely just bizarre but at the same time it's kind of mesmerizing just because it's massive rock despite feeling like we were camping on mars we made the best of the circumstances we found ourselves in we enjoyed another walleye for supper and then spent the rest of the evening touring around the dam as unusual as it was to stay here it was an unforgettable poignant experience that reminded us that there is always a cause for the things we enjoy in life and because we are usually far from this abrupt juxtaposition of humans versus nature we often forget the impact and lasting effect it makes our night at the dam was much more restful than our camp by the train tracks it was still weird crawling out of the tent and witnessing the unnatural scene around us but as odd as it was we actually didn't mind as it was so different but as we were packing up to leave we noticed a vehicle pull up and two men inspecting the dam they in turn spotted our tent and canoe so we went up to speak to them we found out wayne and norman were pick mulberry first nation who were kind enough to provide us some background information regarding the dam as a white river courses through their traditional lands and wanting to be self-determining they went into a long-term ownership agreement with regional power to build and maintain the stamp which would directly support their community we appreciated this information as it gave us insight and contacts as to why the dam was built as canoeists and wilderness advocates we may not always agree and appreciate when our natural landscapes are altered forever but our opinions are irrelevant in respect of those whose lands we got to paddle through and their right to self-determine we were grateful for this opportunity and left with a better understanding it was time to move on and we were relieved to know that there wasn't any more disruptions to the river however our concern now was what the water levels would be like due to this dam no doubt we would soon find out but first angle falls okay so we pulled out at uh the falls obviously we can't run this there's a nice drop off over there ben just walked over there let's check out the falls i'm going to join him now there was an 800 meter portage on river left but because of the lack of water we simply carried over a significantly shorter distance over the exposed rocks on river right and we were soon back on the river to tackle the remaining rapids below the falls before we left ben decided to drop his line below the falls and it wasn't long before he hooked on to a fish we finally hooked on to the first hike of the trip inaugural pike you know when it when you when it was that much power i assumed it was a pike walleyes don't do that nice oh he cut it no leader right no leader that was fun but that wasn't the end in an ironic twist ben actually re-hooked the same pike soon after and got his lure back how's that for a story then it was time to run the rapids below the falls yeah and then we'll go to the right of the the rod in the current yep yep don't you think you should go left right into the current yeah yep yep yep at the end of the rapids we noted a beach campsite we missed out on if we continued the previous day further on we also found the sign to the portage around the dam we may have missed both but we appreciated camping at the dam as well as seeing the falls and running the rapids below it nonetheless we recommend future paddlers take the portage the next section of whitewater was domtar rapids which was no more than a swift under what was once a logging road bridge however the next rapid wasn't a pushover we are now just at baptist simmons baptism in rapids there is a portage there's a sign there but we just pulled up because we want to see if it's runnable on the map it says it's a shoot but shoots are runnable too oh yeah yeah it's what all right that was exciting here's what baptist simon shoot looks like the last drop is the crux of the rapid due to the mess of currents in standing waves so we're gonna attempt it but it is big strong and powerful there is a little bit of a v there but that's the main tongue that we need to get out of if we fall in there definitely gonna dump if we hit here we might make it but it'll it's like a wall it'll just hold us back and it may turn us over into the tongue and dump us there as well too so there's a good chance of dumping the only good thing is that if we do dump it's pretty safe there's like it's just flat water here in fact it's going to be trickier at the top because we're going to get get off the main channel there heading into there just calm spot come down this drop and then aim down for this fee how confident are you feeling very confident all right okay so we're gonna run bap t simon shoot so it's gonna be a pretty big run here and with good chances of dumping so it's nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time eddie should be eating again yep there we go okay ready yep you can go forward because i'm getting pushed by that okay now switch there we turn there we go it's the current that's pushing me there we go okay here we go man this back eddy there we go that was a rock yeah because when we went sideways it just filled oh this is heavy okay here's a different view in slow motion even though it looks like we hit the line we were too far to the right and slid off the tongue and hit the wall of water as well as the rock underneath it we took in a lot of water but thankfully we managed to keep control of the canoe and get to shore so there's a campsite here at the end of baptist simon rapid and we're surprised to find people camped here now they're not here um but we're also gonna have lunch here but uh just because they've occupied the site we're gonna continue on to s rapids there's another campsite there so we'll probably stop there for lunch so we are at s rapids there's uh multiple sets but here's one that's a good drop definitely one that we're going to probably get the soaker but it's pretty straightforward you want to be more to the right yep s rapids as the name implies is a long set in the shape of the letter s there is a portage on river right but like most rapids we opted to check it out and run what we could and figure a way around the rest the first several sets were easily runnable but we soon came to bigger drops that had us pulling out okay yep although we might have to cross river see what's going on yeah we can't tell from here yeah should we front ferry and go in the middle there yep beyond the big rocks right yeah like above it or you're talking about below it okay yeah there's an eddy in there i think it's a good drop oh yeah i think it's a big one as expected the drop was too big to run so we decided to scout the rest of the rapids as we could clearly hear bigger water ahead our scouting run revealed two major drops with powerful current recirculating holes in angry water neither could be run but we figured out a way to get around it all with some elbow grease confidence and paddling skills and must do maneuvers this would be our most risky run yet there was some hesitation in doubt but further discussion and scouting determined it was feasible the only problem being a mistake would have consequences we simply could not mess this up okay so we're going to do a series of leftovers and must do maneuvers so i can get a little dicey so we're going to do is paddle drag down over the other side get to here lift over there paddle this section drop down here get into that small little channel and sneak in right in there you're gonna tuck the boat in there do a lift over and then run the last part over there but this part is crucial if you miss that you're going down that big chute falls we're confident we can do it but nonetheless it's still nerve-wracking it's always a little worrisome when you're doing something that has high risk anyhow we're just gonna walk over back to the canoes and uh go for it we had a plan and now we simply had to execute it the first part involved lining the canoe down the drop and setting it up for the first run [Music] [Music] the next step was to run a rocky ledge and get into an eddy before the first big drop however the run took in too much water and it decided to pull off and bale any significant water in the canoe can create an undesirable wobble especially when executing a quick turn so i decided to call it since our next move was a must do [Music] this was our first must-do maneuver as we would be close to the top of the first drop he simply had to spin the canoe into the eddy and get out before getting pulled into the main current [Music] i'll be fine go right down there perfect there we go yup perfect smooth forgot time nice [Music] next we had to haul our gearing canoe up and over a ridge of granite this would get us past the first falls and then set us up for our next move okay here we go must do after loading up we got back in the water for our second must-do maneuver like the first we had to get into an eddy at the top of a falls except this eddy was much smaller and the current stronger as it forced itself into a narrow before spilling over the edge at times like these you have to be stoic and sure of yourself but it doesn't mean you weren't nervous [Music] this sneak channel wasn't part of the original plan but ben preferred this route as it further slowed us down in preparation for the eddie turn next one yep we made it what a relief the stressful part was now over all that remain was one last leftover then run the big outwash of s rapids [Music] right a little precarious move yep okay okay ready yeah i got it yep it doesn't matter well it's big right so we'll just run it down the right side yeah yep we found out that these two men were from the campsite at baptist simon shoot we planned to have lunch at s rapids but were asked to leave since they claimed this was their fishing spot we were a bit shocked and puzzled by the comet but we left and stopped further on down the river it got even more weird despite being quite a distance away one of the two men kept standing at the shore glaring at us at this point we were not going to move even if he paddled over to us but the best part ben found the honey hole where he hauled out several large walleye now that was pure karma we continued on after our very late lunch and put in more distance it was also very late in the day and we were having trouble finding a decent campsite when we came upon hayward rapid so we're just at hayward rapid hopefully this is the last one before we find camp uh but it is a good uh good tongue we're gonna avoid this this wave that curls can easily take a canoe and kind of push it over to the side and then you get swamped up over in that big wave so we're going to do a sneak group probably come from that side and power through on the right side it's just uh late in the day we don't want to get soaked otherwise this one we would have just ran right in the middle and had fun with it okay oh you're going too far it wasn't exactly how i wanted to run the line but it still worked out perfectly now our attention turned back to finding a campsite it was almost eight before we found a suitable place to camp it took some time to hack out a spot but we made it work in the dark we thoroughly enjoyed a hearty walleye supper before we finally turned in even with the dam the white was still living up as a river to be paddled we definitely slept in and got to a slow start due to the late night but we eventually got back on the river looking forward to what lay ahead we had more rapids to contend with but our biggest challenge today would be the 2.3 kilometer portage around ambado falls but first this okay we're just approaching approaching stash rapid it sounds like there's a big drop so we're gonna pull over there's actually a portage sign on the right and we're gonna pull in there and we'll scout it or either portage oh yeah okay after scouting we decided that it's a safe enough run i mean there is a chance of dumping if you fill in but there's a nice center tongue and really there's nothing after and we can swim to a beach where the pudding is so there's really no danger if we dump but because the power and the size of the wave we could fill in but we're definitely going to go for it i said 50 50. oh well let's give it a go are you still at 50 i still am okay okay maybe 60. okay all right we're doing it dude yep okay not too fast yeah oh i think we have to go fast that was a lot of fun but how about another angle there's nothing quite like running a fun rapid to start the day and stash rapid certainly delivered we also had high hopes for oil slick rapid the next one but it was just meh but it's what came next that got us curious so we're just coming upon a sign that's warning us uh that there's a portage coming up and i guess they want to make sure that people don't miss it because zombata falls will certainly be disaster if you go down and buy a mistake it was clear they didn't want you to miss it as there were multiple signs orange balls and there's lots more signs coming up i have never seen so many they mean business there's another one right there and there's a few more over there all right here's a poor touch botta falls portage not only were there multiple signs they actually had color balls strung up across the river you simply couldn't miss it either way no canoe would be able to get through take out rapids so portage it was okay we are about quarter to two and we're starting the bottle falls we're leaving the canoe in one barrel and as you can see it's an atv trail we heard it was uh a pretty good trail nice and wide you can already see a sign here it should be hot and sweaty we just uh stoked ourselves with deep because of mosquitoes but uh let's see how this goes okay we've already made a mistake we took the wrong barrel the barrel that we were supposed to take has the water in it but also had all the snacks which we would have rehydrated at the end of the portage and we had a water waiting for us here of course we took the barrel that didn't have anything we are headed back to get it now we're officially on a vlogging road for about just over maybe a little over one over one kilometer in okay so bada falls is in that gorge there of course you couldn't see it and there's the installation where they're generating power and they built this uh sorry this bridge here for i don't know i guess servicing yeah it's just to service the lines here power lines here but you can see the rapids the final drop has some butterfalls wow it's beautiful crazy butterflies here i don't know they're all over the road in certain sections it's hot that is a welcome sight hey oh yeah you use that just seemed like it went forever oh thankfully we're done you can bet we were glad to finish the portage we took time to cool down and relax as well as snack and rehydrate beside the river and because we were ahead of schedule and wanted to see on bottle falls we also decided to stay and camp here for the night so apparently there is a trail to see the falls and it looked like it started like a trail but quickly looked like it wasn't but it says it goes by the water so we're not really sure if this is the right way but it apparently goes by the water it goes by the station and it continues on over to the falls so we'll keep going and see if we can find it the trail indeed was rough and overgrown rarely effused we got spun around a few times but eventually found our way to the power station interestingly we found some displays that provided information on zambada falls dam and like the dams we encountered earlier on the river this also was a partnership except this one between the ojibwe of pick river first nation and a utility company we continued on past the power station it made our way back into the forest this part of the trail was different it was still overgrown but it was easy to follow as we could clearly see the well-worn path this was likely the original portage that skirted on bottle falls before they created the much longer 2.3 kilometer trail so we definitely passed the falls we didn't see any sign indicating where the viewing platform is as you can see falls is right there just goes over the edge we're pretty sure go and check it yeah we're pretty sure that was an old portage it makes sense we paddle up to here and then portage right past the falls and down now that we were here we decided to look around before heading back this hydroelectric installation is different from the previous two we encountered this is a run-of-the-river power plant which is supposed to be less harmful to the environment primarily because it doesn't have a large head pawn and dam instead it uses a weir to create a much smaller head pond which in turn allows water to be fed into a diversionary channel this eventually makes its way further down the river into the power plant nonetheless it is obvious that both these power plants irreversibly impacts and changes the landscape forever on our way back we searched anything that looked like a side trail many led to dead ends but we finally managed to find the correct one despite the difficulty we're glad we took the extra time to locate it it's a little difficult to find but we finally found it there's no sign to tell you to turn off of it but here's the viewing platform and ben's already whoa look at that what a beauty incredible you can see on bottle falls is fairly small factors likely due to the season but also undeniably due to the dam just how much we weren't sure we had seen pictures of it when it was substantially bigger nonetheless it was still incredible to witness and experience we were just thankful we made the effort to see it as it was totally worth it it was a long day in terms of walking but it was rewarding not only to see embodied falls but to also put the long portage behind us we enjoyed a savory noodle dish for supper with walleye fillets in the broth and then cap the knight with the campfire before finally turning in we woke up to a cool morning sprinkling rain and wind not conditions most would prefer to be paddling at canoe however there was one prospect more than anything else that concerned us good morning ben hi what's your prospect for our second last day cold and probably wet and what do you think lake superior's gonna look like breezy very breezy today we would enter a paddle on the white river as it exits into lake superior which was our biggest concern due to the current conditions but with more rapids falls and a canyon to deal with we focused on the tasks at hand it would deal with lake superior when we got there before we began the day we had a couple things to do first sign the guest book at hydro rapids this was done on the bridge by many hundreds of paddlers bill mason not sure about that one and secondly then run hydro rapids okay another late departure but just didn't want to get up when it was gray cold and rainy and windy but uh we're just at the top of hydro rapids and uh we're gonna run it here we go okay yep with that taken care of we continued paddling down the white river and soon came to the park boundary where we would now be paddling through pakistan national park it wasn't long before we came upon the first set of twin rapids we paddled past the portage to see if we could run it we decided against it due to the risk and the bigger set below it so we headed back it's an interesting put in just uh scrambling on rocks over logs to our pudding but you can see there's another big drop over there that's a second set of twin rapids surely probably not of rapids small falls after the carry we decided to check out the rapids we bypassed they were huge and worth going to see these were the final two sets in this series of three then there was a short paddle to the next portage which definitely had to be carried around except this portage had a little surprise for us at the end i just narrowly avoided getting stung by white jackets there's a slog that is at the base of the drop and you literally have to put your hand on it um but on our way back ben went first and he must have knocked it and he heard buzzing but didn't know what it was and then when i came i saw the nest and like dozens of white jackets all out of the nest and then they started coming at me and luckily my hat saved me a few bounced off my hat and i ran away so problem is we can't go that way on our way down because for sure with the canoe you will hit that log so we're gonna find another way to get the canoe down so we can avoid getting stung before tackling the last carry we checked out the second set of twin rapids and like the first definitely not runnable but certainly beautiful in the short canyon-like stretch of the river so then it was time to get the canoe and the rest of the gear to the put in we ended up bushwicking off the trail near the end and sliding the canoe down a rocky drop off this was definitely more work but preferable than getting stung we had a bit of a paddle before we came upon our next obstacle but the continual wind had us constantly thinking about lake superior and what conditions we'd find out there here come and get me next we came upon hook falls the only problem was there was no portage no sign no trail no nothing so we pulled up cautiously near the brink and portaged it alongside it being a part of the park i was surprised there was nothing here with the current water levels we managed okay but i could only imagine what it would be like coming upon this in high water before tackling more rapids falls in the biggest canyon of the trip we fueled up with our favorite wraps for lunch before setting off again based on the map there should have been a set of rapids with a 220 meter portage on river left but surprisingly there was nothing at all although what was evident was that the shoreline was abruptly rising up on either side and we could hear the roar of big water ahead we suspected this was the falls that was marked past the missing rapids but we weren't totally certain so we approach carefully this is no rapid this is a very big pump you can see it just drops over the edge yeah we're definitely heading over to the portage right over that way so we pulled out before porchage and wanted to check it out because it just seems like it's such a significant drop it's worth seeing you just hear it thundering down it's not just a rapid now witnessing this massive cataract combined with the portage sign it was irrefutable what this was and that the rapids simply did not exist this is not a mistake any canoeists would want to make no doubt we portaged around this which even included a set of stairs but at the puddin we couldn't resist seeing the falls from the downstream side and walked along shore to try and get a better view the scene was incredible but some of it was still blocked by vegetation so we decided to get in the canoe and paddle up river to get a better angle it was definitely worth it probably one of the best display of the white river the massive falls next to the sheer granite wall it was stunning you were truly coming to understand why this river was so acclaimed but there was more we soon came to our next portage the last one of the trip which would take us around another waterfall in a deep canyon lined by 100 foot granite walls here the river would take its last tumble as a white narrowed and toppled down shigami winikum falls through an incredible gorge no doubt it was another highlight of the trip an experience that truly brings to light why this river is worth canoeing [Music] but like all good things they unfortunately have to come to an end in the end came with a tough 700 meter carry around the canyon that winded us but we made sure to sign the real guest book before completing the final portage of the trip but considering what we got to see and experience it was definitely worth it and ben just finished the last portage of the trip nice job in the pain kb [Music] nice job i made it buddy all that was now left was a four kilometer paddle to lake superior where the white would finally end its journey we were still nervous as to what kind of conditions we'd find at the end but before we concluded our time on the white river she had one last surprise for us something we thought it was a snake oh yeah ben decided to troll along the final stretch of the river when he hooked onto something initially he thought he got a snag as he couldn't reel it in it didn't help that the wind was howling and the canoe was being tossed around but then things got crazy whatever was on the other end decided to run the line as a rod bent over and the spool screamed in protest it didn't help that ben was using my lightweight rod and reel so he did his best to minimize the drag and carefully work the fish but it wasn't easy we knew at any moment the line could break as ben worked the fish i did my best to control the kill on my own as we were being pushed backwards by the wind driving down this deep narrow valley we had a few close calls when the fish almost ran all of the line off this bull but ben carefully managed to work him back every time he was nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time and we were dying to see what was at the end of the line then we finally got a few glimpses of it it was a pike a very thick pike at just over two feet long it was a powerful brute that just wouldn't give up and often dragged our canoe at the same time we discussed our limited options as there was neither a suitable place to land the canoe nor did we have a net due to the challenging circumstances we decided to just pull the lure out of the mouth with a forcep when it tired enough but in the end it did it for us as we were trying to position the fish by the canoe he gave another violent thrash and finally freed itself of the lure and slowly made its way to freedom we would have loved to let this bite go under a different scenario but it wasn't meant to be nonetheless what a rush and what an incredible way to remember our final moments on the white river [Music] this is our first glimpse of lake superior it's right at the end of my paddle to handle right there right now we still got a tailwind so right in this little junction here is supposed to be a campsite and a little portage to the other side of lake superior so um it's for people who are trying to get out to lake superior and if it's too like the water is too crazy with waves and and uh and the current then they can easily portage out to lake superior this way so we're gonna check it out just to see what the conditions of lake superior is if it's really bad then we'll probably try to stay here at this campsite unexpectedly and thankfully we found lake superior to be in almost the ideal conditions to paddle with all the wind we experienced throughout the day this was nothing like how we thought this large freshwater ocean to be like so he got back in the canoe and paddled the final kilometer of the white river to its mouth well it is calm we can do it we made it yeah still until it hits lake superior not long after it was official we're finally in the inland sea [Music] oh it's getting cold yeah okay yeah yeah we got the swells now oh okay now it's freaking cold that's all it took oh yeah here's that swell very typical of lake superior after eight days dropping 765 feet over 192 kilometers we paddled portage and dragged the entire length of the white river from lake naguazu to lake superior we finally made it after all the unexpected setbacks surprises and challenges along the way we couldn't be happier as we paddled the final strokes of this incredible forgotten river into the inland sea even though our time on the white river ended our journey wasn't over just yet ben and i have paddled many stretches of this inland sea and are quite familiar with lake superior's temperament so we still couldn't let our guard down we were thankful the conditions were okay for us to continue on from the mouth so we ended the long day in picture harper for our last night [Music] but it's a beautiful night on superior and we got some good news we uh found out we got the rubber report from ben's wife and actually the waves are going to be less uh than today and the waves aren't too bad today so it means that tomorrow we should be able to get out without any incident we were relieved to get good news regarding the weather and water conditions for the next day so we were able to relax and enjoy the last supper while chatting and reminiscing about the trip we slept soundly that night knowing we'd be able to paddle the final stretch to hattie cove without issue even still i woke early listening intently to the wind and waves if you've ever paddled lake superior you know exactly what i'm talking about you never ever really let your guard down the day started a bit overcast and cloudy but it soon gave way to another beautiful day then we continue with the same routine we've been following for the last nine days having breakfast and then packing up but today it would be the last [Music] all that remained was five more kilometers of paddling we still had a long open water crossing around plateau harbor but the conditions were generally as forecasted and despite some bigger waves in chop it wasn't a problem we enjoyed the final paddle on lake superior like we often do when it is calm as the clear green hued waters contrast with the barren rocky shore then we made the final turn into hattie cove where we could see the visitor center across the water and now knew for certain that we not only made it back safe but the trip would officially be coming to an end [Music] it's always mixed feelings when i end a canoe trip i miss my wife and our pups at home but i longed to continue paddling seeking and exploring waterways well-known and forgotten ironically the white river was both a river popular and well known in the paddling community years ago but forgotten for over a decade due to the construction of the dams is a white river still worth battling my answer is yes but it has mixed feelings too many of us long to escape the urban life we often do that by heading to places that are still wild the white river unfortunately isn't as wild as it once was no doubt you will come across clear evidences of that but in large parts not only does it remain wild but the essence of the river still remains white water wildlife canyons and impressive waterfalls will continue to awe and remind you why this river was highly acclaimed but now you know and it is your decision to make the white river has a story a story only as good as the one you let it tell you you

Channel: The Pursuit of Passion

Views: 95,531

Rating: 4.8973346 out of 5

Keywords: dams on the white river, canoeing the white river in northern ontario, falls and rapids on the whiter river, whitewater canoeing, forgotten canoe route in ontario

Id: Sr1hLwSjQKU

Length: 96min 7sec (5767 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 30 2021