Lawagamau River
| LOCATION - Ontario, Canada Route - Source to James Bay Distance - 180 miles Duration - 10 days Date - June 2001 |
Overview
The Saint Lawrence University Outdoor Program was looking
for a challenging wilderness river to paddle to James Bay for a
June 2001 trip. The Lawagamau River has a long section of
steep gradient marked on the maps and our strong team was
eager to explore this run. By the time we reached the end of
the river our group was completely blown away by the sheer
number of high quality rapids encountered. Day after day of
picture perfect weather, open ledges, few portages, and
phenomenal whitewater, combined with a complete lack of
insects, made this one of the best wilderness trips many of us
had been on.
The Saint Lawrence University Outdoor Program was looking
for a challenging wilderness river to paddle to James Bay for a
June 2001 trip. The Lawagamau River has a long section of
steep gradient marked on the maps and our strong team was
eager to explore this run. By the time we reached the end of
the river our group was completely blown away by the sheer
number of high quality rapids encountered. Day after day of
picture perfect weather, open ledges, few portages, and
phenomenal whitewater, combined with a complete lack of
insects, made this one of the best wilderness trips many of us
had been on.
Group - Brad Bassi, Phil Royce, Mike McDonnel, Dan
McDonnel, Steve Herlihy, Bill "Goose" Parson, and Brian
Russel.
McDonnel, Steve Herlihy, Bill "Goose" Parson, and Brian
Russel.
The Headwaters
In June of 2001 we were lucky enough to assemble a strong team of
paddlers with no weak links to tackle the Lawagamau River in Northern
Ontario. The river reportedly had mile after mile of amazing whitewater and
everyone was excited to see what the run had to offer. After the drive to
Chocrane our first order of business was to find our shuttle driver Rick.
Once he was located we drove another hour and half to the headwater lake
for the Lawagamau River. At the lake there was a seasonal campground
maintained by the Ministry of Natural Resources and it was full of local
fishermen on this particular evening. Rick expressed some concern and
after a conversation with some of the guys he returned and said that if we
were going to stay here the locals wanted a few bucks from each of us.
This didn’t sit well with anyone in our group since it was a public
campground. After one more conversation we had purchased a few cases
of black market beer and were in tight with the local crew. Once they
figured out that we were into having a few beers (and willing to pay
outrageous prices for them) they opened up and said that they had heard
there were big rapids downstream. We sure hoped so.
The next morning dawned cloudy and cold with a blowing mist that gave the
stunted spruce trees a rugged and bleak look. After catching a few small
fish on the lake we proceeded downstream and were pleased to find that
the Lawagamau was a fair sized river from the start. The high water levels
made the first sets of easy class II rapids fluid and simple to negotiate. The
match stick like spruce were still small and clinging to life in this harsh
environment. The frigid weather made it an easy decision to light a fire and
roast a fish for lunch. Calm water followed interspersed by a few easy
rapids. By the time we set up camp in an old burn that evening the skies
had cleared and a pleasant evening was had.
The second day of the trip was mostly flatwater snaking through a
progressively taller spruce forest. A headwind was battled and after
covering much ground camp was bushed in thick trees on the shores of a
small lake. The following morning we crossed the lake in a building wind
and found the river exiting the other side to be significantly larger. Again a
headwind was fought, but by the early afternoon we found ourselves at the
head of the first of many significant rapids.
At this rapid the river poured over a ledge roughly six feet tall and ran
through two fairly large holes. The line was tricky and the best move
required a hard drive to the right to miss the hydraulics. I ran first and
ended up off line, but some hard paddling carried my boat over the top of
the big holes without swamping. I eddied out on the right and watched the
others come through with varying success. A few swamps and a swim were
had, and the rapid left us wondering what we were getting into. A few more
easy drops were run before coming to another sizeable ledge that
everyone ran cleanly. A short pool lead to yet another horizon that we
scouted from river left. The scout showed a great looking line and a
fantastic open campsite on a shoreline ledge. We set up camp here and
everyone decided to run the rapid in the morning.
In June of 2001 we were lucky enough to assemble a strong team of
paddlers with no weak links to tackle the Lawagamau River in Northern
Ontario. The river reportedly had mile after mile of amazing whitewater and
everyone was excited to see what the run had to offer. After the drive to
Chocrane our first order of business was to find our shuttle driver Rick.
Once he was located we drove another hour and half to the headwater lake
for the Lawagamau River. At the lake there was a seasonal campground
maintained by the Ministry of Natural Resources and it was full of local
fishermen on this particular evening. Rick expressed some concern and
after a conversation with some of the guys he returned and said that if we
were going to stay here the locals wanted a few bucks from each of us.
This didn’t sit well with anyone in our group since it was a public
campground. After one more conversation we had purchased a few cases
of black market beer and were in tight with the local crew. Once they
figured out that we were into having a few beers (and willing to pay
outrageous prices for them) they opened up and said that they had heard
there were big rapids downstream. We sure hoped so.
The next morning dawned cloudy and cold with a blowing mist that gave the
stunted spruce trees a rugged and bleak look. After catching a few small
fish on the lake we proceeded downstream and were pleased to find that
the Lawagamau was a fair sized river from the start. The high water levels
made the first sets of easy class II rapids fluid and simple to negotiate. The
match stick like spruce were still small and clinging to life in this harsh
environment. The frigid weather made it an easy decision to light a fire and
roast a fish for lunch. Calm water followed interspersed by a few easy
rapids. By the time we set up camp in an old burn that evening the skies
had cleared and a pleasant evening was had.
The second day of the trip was mostly flatwater snaking through a
progressively taller spruce forest. A headwind was battled and after
covering much ground camp was bushed in thick trees on the shores of a
small lake. The following morning we crossed the lake in a building wind
and found the river exiting the other side to be significantly larger. Again a
headwind was fought, but by the early afternoon we found ourselves at the
head of the first of many significant rapids.
At this rapid the river poured over a ledge roughly six feet tall and ran
through two fairly large holes. The line was tricky and the best move
required a hard drive to the right to miss the hydraulics. I ran first and
ended up off line, but some hard paddling carried my boat over the top of
the big holes without swamping. I eddied out on the right and watched the
others come through with varying success. A few swamps and a swim were
had, and the rapid left us wondering what we were getting into. A few more
easy drops were run before coming to another sizeable ledge that
everyone ran cleanly. A short pool lead to yet another horizon that we
scouted from river left. The scout showed a great looking line and a
fantastic open campsite on a shoreline ledge. We set up camp here and
everyone decided to run the rapid in the morning.
The Whitewater
The middle reaches of the Lawagamau River contained the greatest
concentration of canoeable whitewater that I have seen on a river in
the James Bay watershed. Words fail to describe the intense beauty
of the many ledges in this part of the river. While there are larger and
more difficult runs out there, in my years of boating I may never have
seen a stretch of water as perfect as this part of the Lawagamau. For
the next five days we paddled countless rapids each day. Nearly
every drop on this river is composed of bedrock ledge making for
exciting slides, big waves, and multiple routes. Scouting was as
simple as driving the canoes up onto the smooth rock above a drop
and strolling along the wide open ledges that line the river. The
strong sun and lack of bugs meant that it was easy and enjoyable to
lounge around and watch your friends run each drop. Lower water
may have made for some scrappy places, and high water could have
turned many of the ledges into stiff class IV rapids, but we seemed to
be here at the perfect moment.
To this day I can’t really understand how it was possible to have sunny
skies and warm temperatures with no bugs in northern Ontario, but
that is exactly what we experienced day after day on the Lawagamau.
Certainly being able to stay on the water and the wide open ledges
made a difference, but scarcely one fly was seen for the entire trip.
Rapid after rapid followed, each producing a distinct horizon line.
When approaching each horizon we would be certain that a portage
was coming up, but more often than not we found low angle ledges
creating fun class III rapids. As the trip progressed we continued to
surprise ourselves with what we were running in the loaded canoes.
Most of the team was paddling sixteen foot Mad River Explorers
turned backwards. Doing this placed the solo boater closer to the
center of the canoe. The load in each boat made them quite stable
and we were able to pick our way through some drops that would have
been exciting even in kayaks. All of us were shocked with the high
quality whitewater and the fact that so much of it was runnable. The
great thing was that if anyone had decided to not run a rapid lining or
portaging would have been a simple affair owing to the wide open
ledges. Even when we did not run a set of rapids there were no
instances were it was necessary to head into the bush to portage. It is
as if this river was designed for canoeists.
The first section that was unrunnable came where the river divided
into several smaller channels and dropped perhaps thirty feet in a
short distance. Still, the low angle nature of the ledges did not
produce a big falls. Had someone been very motivated they could
have taken a line down this class IV drop. As it was, our competent
crew was able to quickly and easily line the canoes down the sides of
this impressive sliding falls. More fairly big drops followed, but again,
all were safely run with style. By the end of the second day in the
whitewater it seemed like no big deal to quickly scout a big sliding
drop, peel out, and run it. In places the waves were large and we
bailed frequently, but the pool drop nature of the run made this no big
deal. Since there were so many drops that required scouting we
never covered more than twenty five kilometers a day through the
whitewater section, but this was adequate and at camp each night it
felt like we had accomplished something.
By the third day of rapids we were used to taking advice from each
other on a line and the pace quickened. The culmination of what we
would run came at a sliding falls about twenty feet tall that had a tricky
lead in and a significant hole at its base. At first we assumed that this
would be a portage, but since everyone had been paddling so well we
gave it a serious look. The ledge was so smooth that there seemed
no real reason to not run this and one by one we all fired off great
lines. The eighteen foot tandem canoe even made its way through
the technical lead in and styled the drop. No one would have guessed
that we would be running drops of this magnitude on the Lawagamau.
If a canoe tripping heaven exists then this could be it. The weather
remained sunny and the bugs remained in hiding. A better group of
people couldn't have been assembled and each day seemed better
than the next.
The middle reaches of the Lawagamau River contained the greatest
concentration of canoeable whitewater that I have seen on a river in
the James Bay watershed. Words fail to describe the intense beauty
of the many ledges in this part of the river. While there are larger and
more difficult runs out there, in my years of boating I may never have
seen a stretch of water as perfect as this part of the Lawagamau. For
the next five days we paddled countless rapids each day. Nearly
every drop on this river is composed of bedrock ledge making for
exciting slides, big waves, and multiple routes. Scouting was as
simple as driving the canoes up onto the smooth rock above a drop
and strolling along the wide open ledges that line the river. The
strong sun and lack of bugs meant that it was easy and enjoyable to
lounge around and watch your friends run each drop. Lower water
may have made for some scrappy places, and high water could have
turned many of the ledges into stiff class IV rapids, but we seemed to
be here at the perfect moment.
To this day I can’t really understand how it was possible to have sunny
skies and warm temperatures with no bugs in northern Ontario, but
that is exactly what we experienced day after day on the Lawagamau.
Certainly being able to stay on the water and the wide open ledges
made a difference, but scarcely one fly was seen for the entire trip.
Rapid after rapid followed, each producing a distinct horizon line.
When approaching each horizon we would be certain that a portage
was coming up, but more often than not we found low angle ledges
creating fun class III rapids. As the trip progressed we continued to
surprise ourselves with what we were running in the loaded canoes.
Most of the team was paddling sixteen foot Mad River Explorers
turned backwards. Doing this placed the solo boater closer to the
center of the canoe. The load in each boat made them quite stable
and we were able to pick our way through some drops that would have
been exciting even in kayaks. All of us were shocked with the high
quality whitewater and the fact that so much of it was runnable. The
great thing was that if anyone had decided to not run a rapid lining or
portaging would have been a simple affair owing to the wide open
ledges. Even when we did not run a set of rapids there were no
instances were it was necessary to head into the bush to portage. It is
as if this river was designed for canoeists.
The first section that was unrunnable came where the river divided
into several smaller channels and dropped perhaps thirty feet in a
short distance. Still, the low angle nature of the ledges did not
produce a big falls. Had someone been very motivated they could
have taken a line down this class IV drop. As it was, our competent
crew was able to quickly and easily line the canoes down the sides of
this impressive sliding falls. More fairly big drops followed, but again,
all were safely run with style. By the end of the second day in the
whitewater it seemed like no big deal to quickly scout a big sliding
drop, peel out, and run it. In places the waves were large and we
bailed frequently, but the pool drop nature of the run made this no big
deal. Since there were so many drops that required scouting we
never covered more than twenty five kilometers a day through the
whitewater section, but this was adequate and at camp each night it
felt like we had accomplished something.
By the third day of rapids we were used to taking advice from each
other on a line and the pace quickened. The culmination of what we
would run came at a sliding falls about twenty feet tall that had a tricky
lead in and a significant hole at its base. At first we assumed that this
would be a portage, but since everyone had been paddling so well we
gave it a serious look. The ledge was so smooth that there seemed
no real reason to not run this and one by one we all fired off great
lines. The eighteen foot tandem canoe even made its way through
the technical lead in and styled the drop. No one would have guessed
that we would be running drops of this magnitude on the Lawagamau.
If a canoe tripping heaven exists then this could be it. The weather
remained sunny and the bugs remained in hiding. A better group of
people couldn't have been assembled and each day seemed better
than the next.
The first real portage the group experienced was at another point where the
river divided out into three distinct channels. This was one of the most
unique things I have ever seen on a river. The Lawagamau ran up against
a wide ledge and spread out into many channels before cutting through the
rock in three narrow cracks. Our portage ended up taking place on river
right and involved jumping over one of these cracks that couldn’t have been
more than three feet wide. These clefts must have been very deep for them
to be so narrow and still accommodate all of the flow.
Below here ledgy domes covered with scraggly spruce and tamarack rose
up as the river entered a bedrock trench. This trench contained countless
class II and III rapids. Just when we had thought the river couldn’t get any
prettier it had. Near the end of the steep section we had been in for the last
few days the geology changed slightly, the drops became steeper, and the
final half day of whitewater produced the most lining and portaging. At one
point while making a carry I lowered my canoe down a cliff and realized that
it might be taller than the boat was long. Just as the weight of the canoe
was about to drag me over the edge of the cliff the bow came to rest on
rock and I was able to delicately climb down as planned.
The most tense part of the trip came in one of the very last drops. After
running a blind class III corner we landed on river left and looked at an ugly
falls slamming into an undercut right bank as the river swung left. It would
be possible to slide the boats down a wet ledge to an eddy at the base of
the drop before running the outlet rapid. One member of our group had a
different idea and eyed a ramp of water in a side channel that rounded a
corner and fell perhaps ten or twelve feet into the eddy. We were all a little
shocked when this guy came charging over the ramp. The canoe flipped in
mid air, dropping the paddler into the eddy, and almost landing on his
head. Luckily the water was deep enough to prevent injury, but it raised the
intensity level a little beyond what we had planned for the day.
river divided out into three distinct channels. This was one of the most
unique things I have ever seen on a river. The Lawagamau ran up against
a wide ledge and spread out into many channels before cutting through the
rock in three narrow cracks. Our portage ended up taking place on river
right and involved jumping over one of these cracks that couldn’t have been
more than three feet wide. These clefts must have been very deep for them
to be so narrow and still accommodate all of the flow.
Below here ledgy domes covered with scraggly spruce and tamarack rose
up as the river entered a bedrock trench. This trench contained countless
class II and III rapids. Just when we had thought the river couldn’t get any
prettier it had. Near the end of the steep section we had been in for the last
few days the geology changed slightly, the drops became steeper, and the
final half day of whitewater produced the most lining and portaging. At one
point while making a carry I lowered my canoe down a cliff and realized that
it might be taller than the boat was long. Just as the weight of the canoe
was about to drag me over the edge of the cliff the bow came to rest on
rock and I was able to delicately climb down as planned.
The most tense part of the trip came in one of the very last drops. After
running a blind class III corner we landed on river left and looked at an ugly
falls slamming into an undercut right bank as the river swung left. It would
be possible to slide the boats down a wet ledge to an eddy at the base of
the drop before running the outlet rapid. One member of our group had a
different idea and eyed a ramp of water in a side channel that rounded a
corner and fell perhaps ten or twelve feet into the eddy. We were all a little
shocked when this guy came charging over the ramp. The canoe flipped in
mid air, dropping the paddler into the eddy, and almost landing on his
head. Luckily the water was deep enough to prevent injury, but it raised the
intensity level a little beyond what we had planned for the day.
James Bay
That afternoon the whitewater ended as suddenly as it had begun, and a long
stretch of flatwater lead to the confluence of the Kesagami and Harricanaw
River. We scarred a couple of bear cubs up into a tree in this stretch and saw
an Osprey take a fish from the water. It was also in this stretch that we
encountered a strong incoming tide that forced us to shore. For a few hours
we waited until it was possible to paddle again and made our way to a river left
campsite a few miles upstream of where our river, now two hundred meters
wide, emptied out into Hannah Bay at the southern end of James Bay.
Somewhere in this stretch we were supposed to locate a Cree fishing camp
and call for freighter canoes to come from Moose Factory to shuttle us across
the sixty mile stretch of James Bay that lay between us and civilization. The
next morning we put the call in and it was arranged for a few boats to come get
us later that evening. A big wind set up during the day and we were forced to
line our canoes along shore until the camp was reached a kilometer away.
The camp we had found was little more than a log frame covered with canvas,
but it was enough of a landmark that we were confident the guys coming to get
us would find it. We were worried that the waves out on the bay may be too
large for them to come, but we waited patiently.
Around dinner time the drone of an outboard was heard and shortly two
freighter canoes were shored up and we were talking to Sinclair Trapper an
elder Cree and a couple of younger guys. We loaded up our gear and they
motored us through the heavy swells at the mouth of the river and turned up
the Harricanaw for a few miles to the site of an old Cree Goose Camp. These
guys were working here building an impressive looking lodge that was
supposed to function for eco tourism. The company was interesting and we
were excited to have our ride set for tomorrow.
That afternoon the whitewater ended as suddenly as it had begun, and a long
stretch of flatwater lead to the confluence of the Kesagami and Harricanaw
River. We scarred a couple of bear cubs up into a tree in this stretch and saw
an Osprey take a fish from the water. It was also in this stretch that we
encountered a strong incoming tide that forced us to shore. For a few hours
we waited until it was possible to paddle again and made our way to a river left
campsite a few miles upstream of where our river, now two hundred meters
wide, emptied out into Hannah Bay at the southern end of James Bay.
Somewhere in this stretch we were supposed to locate a Cree fishing camp
and call for freighter canoes to come from Moose Factory to shuttle us across
the sixty mile stretch of James Bay that lay between us and civilization. The
next morning we put the call in and it was arranged for a few boats to come get
us later that evening. A big wind set up during the day and we were forced to
line our canoes along shore until the camp was reached a kilometer away.
The camp we had found was little more than a log frame covered with canvas,
but it was enough of a landmark that we were confident the guys coming to get
us would find it. We were worried that the waves out on the bay may be too
large for them to come, but we waited patiently.
Around dinner time the drone of an outboard was heard and shortly two
freighter canoes were shored up and we were talking to Sinclair Trapper an
elder Cree and a couple of younger guys. We loaded up our gear and they
motored us through the heavy swells at the mouth of the river and turned up
the Harricanaw for a few miles to the site of an old Cree Goose Camp. These
guys were working here building an impressive looking lodge that was
supposed to function for eco tourism. The company was interesting and we
were excited to have our ride set for tomorrow.
The morning dawned clear and a magical light hung on the land. Leaving early was necesary to time the tides correctly. We ended up leaving
our canoes back at the campsite for some other Cree to come pick up later in the day. I was in a boat being piloted by the younger kids and we
followed Sinclair most of the way out of Hannah Bay until the deeper waters of James Bay were reached. The ride was bumpy and cold as the
fiber glass boat slammed into swells. In about two hours we had reached the mouth of the Moose River and the boats were turned up this
massive waterway towards Tidewater Provincial Park and town. When turning into the channel the kids driving our boat managed to slam into a
huge buoy marking the route and I thought for sure that the impact was going to sink the canoe. Those guys thought it was super funny though.
By noon we were deposited at Tidewater Provincial Park with no canoes and told that our stuff should be there soon. We were skeptical since
we hadn’t passed any other boats out on the bay going in the opposite direction, but there was nothing to do but wait. A water taxi was hailed
from the dock and we made a beer run to help pass the time. Dinner came and went, and the beers dissapeared. By seven we recruited Dan to
catch another boat to town to get some more drinks. Dusk came and we lit a fire, but the canoes had still not materialized. No boats meant that
we would miss the Saturday train and be stranded in town for almost a week, not a good option. Finally at ten o’clock we heard motors coming
into the dock near our campsite. The friendly Crees helped us unload our stuff and when asked where they had been they said that the fishing
was good that morning so they postponed the pick up until this afternoon. In the north schedules and time are not relevant, and one must get
used to this kind of thing happening time and time again.
The following morning we ran into some trouble in town while carrying our gear past a group of locals that had been out drinking all night. The
offer of cigarettes smoothed over any tensions and the train was loaded in time. The ride south was uneventful and another unreal trip to the
bay was finished. The Lawagamau is certainly a fine piece of water. If this river were located closer to population centers it would certainly be
one of the most popular runs around.
our canoes back at the campsite for some other Cree to come pick up later in the day. I was in a boat being piloted by the younger kids and we
followed Sinclair most of the way out of Hannah Bay until the deeper waters of James Bay were reached. The ride was bumpy and cold as the
fiber glass boat slammed into swells. In about two hours we had reached the mouth of the Moose River and the boats were turned up this
massive waterway towards Tidewater Provincial Park and town. When turning into the channel the kids driving our boat managed to slam into a
huge buoy marking the route and I thought for sure that the impact was going to sink the canoe. Those guys thought it was super funny though.
By noon we were deposited at Tidewater Provincial Park with no canoes and told that our stuff should be there soon. We were skeptical since
we hadn’t passed any other boats out on the bay going in the opposite direction, but there was nothing to do but wait. A water taxi was hailed
from the dock and we made a beer run to help pass the time. Dinner came and went, and the beers dissapeared. By seven we recruited Dan to
catch another boat to town to get some more drinks. Dusk came and we lit a fire, but the canoes had still not materialized. No boats meant that
we would miss the Saturday train and be stranded in town for almost a week, not a good option. Finally at ten o’clock we heard motors coming
into the dock near our campsite. The friendly Crees helped us unload our stuff and when asked where they had been they said that the fishing
was good that morning so they postponed the pick up until this afternoon. In the north schedules and time are not relevant, and one must get
used to this kind of thing happening time and time again.
The following morning we ran into some trouble in town while carrying our gear past a group of locals that had been out drinking all night. The
offer of cigarettes smoothed over any tensions and the train was loaded in time. The ride south was uneventful and another unreal trip to the
bay was finished. The Lawagamau is certainly a fine piece of water. If this river were located closer to population centers it would certainly be
one of the most popular runs around.
Mike McDonnel in one of the shallow class II rapids just below the put in for the
Lawagamau River on Detour Mine Road.
Lawagamau River on Detour Mine Road.
Part of the group heads out into the flatwater reaches on the second day of the
Lawagamau River. This gives no indication of the quality whitewater to come.
Lawagamau River. This gives no indication of the quality whitewater to come.
Dan McDonnel dumps out some water after running the first major rapid of the
trip, a heavy class III.
trip, a heavy class III.
Steve Herlihy running a typical rapid on the Lawagamau River.
Brian Russel and Goose bring their tandem canoe through another nice rapid on
the Lawagamau River.
the Lawagamau River.
Mike McDonnel running a nice class III ledge. Countless drops like this are
encountered on the Lawagamau River.
encountered on the Lawagamau River.
Dan and Goose scouting out a section that required a quick and easy portage
over open ledge.
over open ledge.
Another day and another great rapid on Ontario's Lawagamau River.
Dan is seen here aiming for a dry line to the right of the biggest waves.
Dan is seen here aiming for a dry line to the right of the biggest waves.
Mike McDonnel cruising through the hole filled run out of a nice class III rapid. The action in the middle parts of the Lawagamau
never eases up.
never eases up.
Portaging the mysterious cracks on the Lawagamau River.
Steve Herlihy lining up for a fast chute on the Lawagamau River.
Steve making the move around a substantial hydraulic.
Eventually the Lawagamau flattens and runs out to James Bay.
One of the freighter canoes that was hired to motor us across James Bay back to Moosonee getting ready to leave
shore for the two hour crossing.
shore for the two hour crossing.