The Upper Reaches of the Little
Whale River
Whale River
The first kilometer saw the team fighting a stiff crossing headwind while struggling to
round a point and enter a bay being drained by the outlet of Lac Mollet. After a nice
workout of a half hour paddle we rounded a point, the wind shifted to our backs and
pushed the boats towards the outlet. A few boils and whirls were the first indicators of
current and soon the edge of the lake was draining towards its outlet stream. From
water level the whitewater looked even larger than it did from the air. The first set
came in a left hand turn and sped out of site. What could be seen was a series of big
waves in the center that would be sure to swamp an open canoe. The current was
running fast but everyone was able to eddy out on river left to get out and scout.
I ran first and found the swift current to be a little intimidating, but getting into the
groove always takes little time. At the bottom of the first rapid I eddied out and
beached the canoe on a rock in a strong eddy. From this perch I took another cast
and quickly hooked a good sized trout. The fish was reeled in, unhooked, and tossed
into the bottom of the canoe were it was quickly dispatched. The next few casts
produced similar result, but the fish were let go since there was plenty of food on the
expedition. Phil and Barrett came down and saw the fish. A big grin spread across Phil’
s face and in a few seconds he had his fishing gear out and was landing square tails.
The next rapid came shortly after and required another river left scout. While the
middle of the river was blocked by big holes and huge waves, another tight sneak line
led down river left. Again I ran first and eddied out on river left near the bottom as the
storm approached and began to spatter drops of rain. The rain increased and the
wind picked up as dark clouds swirled in and the temperature dropped down a chilling
ten or twenty degrees. The squall passed quickly enough and the temperatures
rebounded.
round a point and enter a bay being drained by the outlet of Lac Mollet. After a nice
workout of a half hour paddle we rounded a point, the wind shifted to our backs and
pushed the boats towards the outlet. A few boils and whirls were the first indicators of
current and soon the edge of the lake was draining towards its outlet stream. From
water level the whitewater looked even larger than it did from the air. The first set
came in a left hand turn and sped out of site. What could be seen was a series of big
waves in the center that would be sure to swamp an open canoe. The current was
running fast but everyone was able to eddy out on river left to get out and scout.
I ran first and found the swift current to be a little intimidating, but getting into the
groove always takes little time. At the bottom of the first rapid I eddied out and
beached the canoe on a rock in a strong eddy. From this perch I took another cast
and quickly hooked a good sized trout. The fish was reeled in, unhooked, and tossed
into the bottom of the canoe were it was quickly dispatched. The next few casts
produced similar result, but the fish were let go since there was plenty of food on the
expedition. Phil and Barrett came down and saw the fish. A big grin spread across Phil’
s face and in a few seconds he had his fishing gear out and was landing square tails.
The next rapid came shortly after and required another river left scout. While the
middle of the river was blocked by big holes and huge waves, another tight sneak line
led down river left. Again I ran first and eddied out on river left near the bottom as the
storm approached and began to spatter drops of rain. The rain increased and the
wind picked up as dark clouds swirled in and the temperature dropped down a chilling
ten or twenty degrees. The squall passed quickly enough and the temperatures
rebounded.
. In due time, the first real runnable rapid on the Little Whale was
reached in a sharp right hand turn. Here the Little Whale made its way
through a hundred yard long class III rapid that flowed out into a lake
expansion almost a half kilometer wide. There were some real big
waves out in the rapid, but several clean and dry lines presented
themselves. While heading back to the canoe I planed out a line that
would drive across the lead in ramp of flow and into a big eddy before
the rapid started kicking up waves. This was a tricky move, but I made
it e and started to learn what this quick and nimble canoe was capable
of. Below the eddy I ran the run out of the drop and eddied out on the
right, only to make my way back up along the rocky shore from where I
could watch the other canoes come through the pitch.
The other boats made their way down and while the runs were
successful. By the time I was back at the canoes Phil and Barrett had
taken to fishing and they were catching a good mess of trout.
reached in a sharp right hand turn. Here the Little Whale made its way
through a hundred yard long class III rapid that flowed out into a lake
expansion almost a half kilometer wide. There were some real big
waves out in the rapid, but several clean and dry lines presented
themselves. While heading back to the canoe I planed out a line that
would drive across the lead in ramp of flow and into a big eddy before
the rapid started kicking up waves. This was a tricky move, but I made
it e and started to learn what this quick and nimble canoe was capable
of. Below the eddy I ran the run out of the drop and eddied out on the
right, only to make my way back up along the rocky shore from where I
could watch the other canoes come through the pitch.
The other boats made their way down and while the runs were
successful. By the time I was back at the canoes Phil and Barrett had
taken to fishing and they were catching a good mess of trout.
Shortly after lunch the expedition made its way out into the
Little Whale River. At this point the Rivier Petit Beleine was
already a very large river. Wide flatwater sections
alternated between short big volume ledge rapids. The first
few were easily boat scoutable and presented no real
difficulty. The first obstacle was a horizon line divided by a
rocky mid river outcrop. The drop here was about four or
five feet, but the ledge was steep and resulted in a sharp
class IV pitch that was not possible to run or line on either
side. Instead of unloading the canoes and making a full
portage, the loaded boats were dragged up and over a
point of land covered with moss and low blueberry bushes
which protected the bottom of the have boats. While
unorthodox, the drag over method was definitely a time
saver, and while not efficient, considerably quicker than
unloading and reloading the canoes for such a short carry.
Little Whale River. At this point the Rivier Petit Beleine was
already a very large river. Wide flatwater sections
alternated between short big volume ledge rapids. The first
few were easily boat scoutable and presented no real
difficulty. The first obstacle was a horizon line divided by a
rocky mid river outcrop. The drop here was about four or
five feet, but the ledge was steep and resulted in a sharp
class IV pitch that was not possible to run or line on either
side. Instead of unloading the canoes and making a full
portage, the loaded boats were dragged up and over a
point of land covered with moss and low blueberry bushes
which protected the bottom of the have boats. While
unorthodox, the drag over method was definitely a time
saver, and while not efficient, considerably quicker than
unloading and reloading the canoes for such a short carry.
The second day out started with a sky full of defined gray clouds.
A light breeze suggested that this weather may move out as the
day wore on. The first four kilometers saw the team making its
way through many big rapids with plentiful sneak lines along the
shore. This section held some gorgeous granite scenery and
open landscape. The big whitewater was consistent with what I
had seen on previous expeditions in Quebec, but it was a little
unnerving to some of the guys less familiar with rapids.
Everything was boat scoutable until a heavier class III was
encountered and I could not see ahead to the bottom of the
rapid. From water level, it was obvious that running down the
center of this long rapid would lead to a dump. A river right
sneak looked very promising, but the scouting looked simple and
it was not worth running this section blindly. Good judgment is
essential in the wilderness, and any mishap here could lead to
the loss of essential gear. About half way through the scout I was
lucky enough to find a massive caribou antler that would end up
staying with me for the remainder of the trip. A sneak route did
indeed exist tight to the right shore, but it involved some tricky
maneuvering in order to miss a few big waves and a couple of
well placed rocks.
A light breeze suggested that this weather may move out as the
day wore on. The first four kilometers saw the team making its
way through many big rapids with plentiful sneak lines along the
shore. This section held some gorgeous granite scenery and
open landscape. The big whitewater was consistent with what I
had seen on previous expeditions in Quebec, but it was a little
unnerving to some of the guys less familiar with rapids.
Everything was boat scoutable until a heavier class III was
encountered and I could not see ahead to the bottom of the
rapid. From water level, it was obvious that running down the
center of this long rapid would lead to a dump. A river right
sneak looked very promising, but the scouting looked simple and
it was not worth running this section blindly. Good judgment is
essential in the wilderness, and any mishap here could lead to
the loss of essential gear. About half way through the scout I was
lucky enough to find a massive caribou antler that would end up
staying with me for the remainder of the trip. A sneak route did
indeed exist tight to the right shore, but it involved some tricky
maneuvering in order to miss a few big waves and a couple of
well placed rocks.
After the quick hike the river continued on through more forested
terrain with long sections of flatwater broken by occasional class II
– III rapids to provide some excitement. At one point the canoes
had to be lined past a complicated rapid formed by several ledges
and subdivided by numerous outcrops. The fishing here
continued to be excellent, although the average size of trout
diminished significantly. Park-like scenery dominated as we
paddled into a hillier country. The Little Whale River lies in an
ecological transition zone, providing ever changing scenery and a
mixture of two types of flora and fauna. For much of its length the
river is lightly forested, but as we proceed to the coast it will
become more and more barren until it is lined only by stark rocky
hills, with clumps of trees holding on only at the margins of the
water. Therein lies part of this river’s allure.
The day ended with a big rapid that was snuck along the left
shore. This drop led to a piece of quickwater that terminated in
another horizon line accompanied by rising mist and a deep
thunderous roar indicative of a major falls. A massive area of
open ledge on river left provided an easy place to land the
canoes and scout out our best course of action. The falls turned
out to be a long sloping class V rapid dropping a total of twenty
feet and ending in a large hole. The numerous tent sites, open
rock, amazing falls and late hour made camping here an easy
decision. We even took the time to make pizzas for dinner.
The morning brought perfect weather and the cloudless blue sky
allowed the sun to heat things up quickly. Two kilometers of
flatwater led to a smooth horizon hiding a big class IV rapid
featuring a massive breaking wave and series of holes that would
have been great fun in a kayak, but prevented the canoes from
proceeding. Again, an open ledge on river right provided an easy
stopping place and allowed the canoes to be lined past the rapid
with ease. Later in the day a long a booming class I rapid was
reached/ While running this in a kayak would have been
exhillerating, our canoes were no match for the drop. River left
would allow us to use a combination of lining and dragging the
canoes to pass this section at river level without resorting to a full
portage.
terrain with long sections of flatwater broken by occasional class II
– III rapids to provide some excitement. At one point the canoes
had to be lined past a complicated rapid formed by several ledges
and subdivided by numerous outcrops. The fishing here
continued to be excellent, although the average size of trout
diminished significantly. Park-like scenery dominated as we
paddled into a hillier country. The Little Whale River lies in an
ecological transition zone, providing ever changing scenery and a
mixture of two types of flora and fauna. For much of its length the
river is lightly forested, but as we proceed to the coast it will
become more and more barren until it is lined only by stark rocky
hills, with clumps of trees holding on only at the margins of the
water. Therein lies part of this river’s allure.
The day ended with a big rapid that was snuck along the left
shore. This drop led to a piece of quickwater that terminated in
another horizon line accompanied by rising mist and a deep
thunderous roar indicative of a major falls. A massive area of
open ledge on river left provided an easy place to land the
canoes and scout out our best course of action. The falls turned
out to be a long sloping class V rapid dropping a total of twenty
feet and ending in a large hole. The numerous tent sites, open
rock, amazing falls and late hour made camping here an easy
decision. We even took the time to make pizzas for dinner.
The morning brought perfect weather and the cloudless blue sky
allowed the sun to heat things up quickly. Two kilometers of
flatwater led to a smooth horizon hiding a big class IV rapid
featuring a massive breaking wave and series of holes that would
have been great fun in a kayak, but prevented the canoes from
proceeding. Again, an open ledge on river right provided an easy
stopping place and allowed the canoes to be lined past the rapid
with ease. Later in the day a long a booming class I rapid was
reached/ While running this in a kayak would have been
exhillerating, our canoes were no match for the drop. River left
would allow us to use a combination of lining and dragging the
canoes to pass this section at river level without resorting to a full
portage.
After the big rapid the scenery opened up. Trees became more sparse
and ledgy outcrops became more frequent. Great views greeted the team
around every corner and a few straightforward heavy rapids kept the
paddle interesting. The weather had become magnificent as temperatures
rose into the mid to upper seventies. A steady headwind made paddling
the long sections of flatwater tough, but the absence of insects more than
made up for the inconvenience.
As mid day approached a long esker followed the Little Whale on river left.
The long narrow ridge of sand and stones running parallel to the river was
about thirty feet high and its top was lightly forested. The open top of the
esker provided a great lunch spot, exposed to the wind and sun, totally bug
free, with a great view up and down the river. Paddling after lunch
carried us past more open land, with outcrops and cliffs jutting up from the
water. One point of land was a tall rock wall rising at least sixty feet straight
out of the river. That night camp was made on a smooth piece of ground in
a wide flat spot of the river.
The fourth day of our trip brought hot weather. The early lunch stop lasted
for nearly an hour and saw everyone swimming in an attempt to beat the
heat that must have been in the upper eighties or lower nineties. Days on
end of such perfect summer weather is extremely rare in northern Quebec,
but none of us were complaining. Swims in the north are often rare and
frigid, but not on this trip. As noon rolled around someone suggested
paddling on and while the temptation to linger at the beach was strong, the
canoes were boarded and the rest of the lake tackled.
A large island split the Little Whale River at the outlet of the lake. The
majority of the water went right and the maps indicated a long set of rapids
or falls. Going left provided a more appealing option since the drops
looked more spread out on the maps, which would probably make them
easier to deal with. Paddling a few hundred meters down the left channel
brought us through some easy class II rapids to the lip of a fifteen foot
falls. Alders grew down to the water’s edge forcing a portage that led
through low bushes growing up in an area that had been burned somewhat
recently. The carry was short and after catching a trout in the eddy below
the drop I headed out to catch the others who had already started paddling
away.
Immediately downstream our side channel turned ninety degrees to the
right and flowed to a group of islands and ledges were we stopped to relax
while trying to catch a glimpse of the rapids in the main channel of the
river. All that could be seen was the class III runout of what must have
been a bigger series of drops. The river right bank looked open and from
this perspective it seemed like a lot of lining could have been done over on
that bank. Regardless, the obstruction was passed and everyone was
happy to spend some time relaxing. I eyed a large shallow eddy with lots of
current between some islands and a few deep eddies off of the other side
of the ledge outcrop our boats were beached on. A few seconds of fishing
produced a large brook trout, followed by many more. Interestingly, lots of
the fish came from the shallow rock bottomed eddy. Once Phil started
seeing me haul in fish he grabbed his rod and had ten minutes of
productive fishing in the deep eddies opposite of the big shallow eddy.
Little streams of current spilled over the ledge in places and this is where
the trout were hanging out. The fishing was so hot that Phil took the time to
assemble his fly rod. He was in heaven as he landed trout after trout with
the light action fly rig.
A few easy rapids were run after this fishing spot and the river ran much
faster in a narrow riverbed. Another horizon was reached and an open
ledge provided easy regress from the river. A big class IV+ rapid blocked
the river, and although the drop was only a few feet the waves and
hydraulics produced were enormous. A high hill of several hundred feet
rose up in a steep rock face with huge piles of talus at its base. Open
ledges allowed the drop to be easily lined down a smooth wet ledge. River
right here was actually an island of sorts with an overflow channel dividing it
from the true river right shore. This site was elevated with lots of open
ground covered in caribous moss with only a few trees. It was the perfect
camping site and since another huge class IV drop lay just below the eddy
we had lined our boats into everyone decided to stop and camp. It was so
hot this evening that everyone spent a fair bit of time in the frigid waters of
the Little Whale River.
and ledgy outcrops became more frequent. Great views greeted the team
around every corner and a few straightforward heavy rapids kept the
paddle interesting. The weather had become magnificent as temperatures
rose into the mid to upper seventies. A steady headwind made paddling
the long sections of flatwater tough, but the absence of insects more than
made up for the inconvenience.
As mid day approached a long esker followed the Little Whale on river left.
The long narrow ridge of sand and stones running parallel to the river was
about thirty feet high and its top was lightly forested. The open top of the
esker provided a great lunch spot, exposed to the wind and sun, totally bug
free, with a great view up and down the river. Paddling after lunch
carried us past more open land, with outcrops and cliffs jutting up from the
water. One point of land was a tall rock wall rising at least sixty feet straight
out of the river. That night camp was made on a smooth piece of ground in
a wide flat spot of the river.
The fourth day of our trip brought hot weather. The early lunch stop lasted
for nearly an hour and saw everyone swimming in an attempt to beat the
heat that must have been in the upper eighties or lower nineties. Days on
end of such perfect summer weather is extremely rare in northern Quebec,
but none of us were complaining. Swims in the north are often rare and
frigid, but not on this trip. As noon rolled around someone suggested
paddling on and while the temptation to linger at the beach was strong, the
canoes were boarded and the rest of the lake tackled.
A large island split the Little Whale River at the outlet of the lake. The
majority of the water went right and the maps indicated a long set of rapids
or falls. Going left provided a more appealing option since the drops
looked more spread out on the maps, which would probably make them
easier to deal with. Paddling a few hundred meters down the left channel
brought us through some easy class II rapids to the lip of a fifteen foot
falls. Alders grew down to the water’s edge forcing a portage that led
through low bushes growing up in an area that had been burned somewhat
recently. The carry was short and after catching a trout in the eddy below
the drop I headed out to catch the others who had already started paddling
away.
Immediately downstream our side channel turned ninety degrees to the
right and flowed to a group of islands and ledges were we stopped to relax
while trying to catch a glimpse of the rapids in the main channel of the
river. All that could be seen was the class III runout of what must have
been a bigger series of drops. The river right bank looked open and from
this perspective it seemed like a lot of lining could have been done over on
that bank. Regardless, the obstruction was passed and everyone was
happy to spend some time relaxing. I eyed a large shallow eddy with lots of
current between some islands and a few deep eddies off of the other side
of the ledge outcrop our boats were beached on. A few seconds of fishing
produced a large brook trout, followed by many more. Interestingly, lots of
the fish came from the shallow rock bottomed eddy. Once Phil started
seeing me haul in fish he grabbed his rod and had ten minutes of
productive fishing in the deep eddies opposite of the big shallow eddy.
Little streams of current spilled over the ledge in places and this is where
the trout were hanging out. The fishing was so hot that Phil took the time to
assemble his fly rod. He was in heaven as he landed trout after trout with
the light action fly rig.
A few easy rapids were run after this fishing spot and the river ran much
faster in a narrow riverbed. Another horizon was reached and an open
ledge provided easy regress from the river. A big class IV+ rapid blocked
the river, and although the drop was only a few feet the waves and
hydraulics produced were enormous. A high hill of several hundred feet
rose up in a steep rock face with huge piles of talus at its base. Open
ledges allowed the drop to be easily lined down a smooth wet ledge. River
right here was actually an island of sorts with an overflow channel dividing it
from the true river right shore. This site was elevated with lots of open
ground covered in caribous moss with only a few trees. It was the perfect
camping site and since another huge class IV drop lay just below the eddy
we had lined our boats into everyone decided to stop and camp. It was so
hot this evening that everyone spent a fair bit of time in the frigid waters of
the Little Whale River.
The next morning was hot from the get go and a pleasant one
kilometer paddle led us to a heavy rapid that had a class II sneak
down the river left side. Six kilometers of narrower river with good
current sped us along for the next hour. High sandy banks rose
up on river right with very few trees, making for prime wildlife
viewing. Despite the perfect terrain no animals were spotted,
most likely since the heat of the day was probably limiting their
activity. By nine thirty or ten the day was almost unbearably hot
and I took off my bug jacket to allow more air flow over my body. I
even paddled without a shirt for long stretches, something almost
never possible in the bush.
Later in the afternoon the flatwater formed a narrows not more
than twenty meters wide. A swirling headwind had set up and the
warm breezes had the ominous feel of being the prelude to a
storm. White puffy clouds started to build taller and taller, taking
on the classic shape of burgeoning thunderheads. As time
passed some of the clouds grew darker and bands of rain could
be seen falling in several places. Winds shifted and began
blowing towards the clouds, a result of the convection occurring
in the storm center.
I kept an eye on the sky while paddling and watched as the
darkest cloud, already producing rain, drew closer and closer. A
few distant rumbles of thunder were heard, but t he actual storms
still looked like small showers. Eventually a point of land was
reached and instead of heading to shore we paddled out to cross
a small bay not more than a few hundred meters wide. The
darkest cloud that was producing rain appeared to be less than a
mile or two away. Phil was reassuring us that this would be
nothing more than a brief shower when we looked up just as a
vivid bolt of lightning flickered and slammed into the summit of a
nearby hill. Crackling thunder followed and everyone started to
sprint for shore. Another bolt hit close by just as the canoes hit
the beach and the first drops of rain fell heavily. The canoes
were dragged up into the woods and tied off before we spread
out in the forest and crouched down to prepare for the storm.
The sky grew very dark and suddenly the storm was on us. A few
lightning strikes seemed real close and spruce trees doubled
over as a strong wind blasted across the land. The icy rain was
making me regret the decision to go shirtless in this squall, but
within ten or fifteen minutes the storm had passed over and the
sun popped out, quickly driving up temperatures and humidity.
Shortly after more storms seemed imminent and we set up a nice
camp above a small falls dropping into a terrible hydraulic.
Tomorrow we would enter the whitewater section of the Little
Whale and we were all eager to see what lay ahead.
kilometer paddle led us to a heavy rapid that had a class II sneak
down the river left side. Six kilometers of narrower river with good
current sped us along for the next hour. High sandy banks rose
up on river right with very few trees, making for prime wildlife
viewing. Despite the perfect terrain no animals were spotted,
most likely since the heat of the day was probably limiting their
activity. By nine thirty or ten the day was almost unbearably hot
and I took off my bug jacket to allow more air flow over my body. I
even paddled without a shirt for long stretches, something almost
never possible in the bush.
Later in the afternoon the flatwater formed a narrows not more
than twenty meters wide. A swirling headwind had set up and the
warm breezes had the ominous feel of being the prelude to a
storm. White puffy clouds started to build taller and taller, taking
on the classic shape of burgeoning thunderheads. As time
passed some of the clouds grew darker and bands of rain could
be seen falling in several places. Winds shifted and began
blowing towards the clouds, a result of the convection occurring
in the storm center.
I kept an eye on the sky while paddling and watched as the
darkest cloud, already producing rain, drew closer and closer. A
few distant rumbles of thunder were heard, but t he actual storms
still looked like small showers. Eventually a point of land was
reached and instead of heading to shore we paddled out to cross
a small bay not more than a few hundred meters wide. The
darkest cloud that was producing rain appeared to be less than a
mile or two away. Phil was reassuring us that this would be
nothing more than a brief shower when we looked up just as a
vivid bolt of lightning flickered and slammed into the summit of a
nearby hill. Crackling thunder followed and everyone started to
sprint for shore. Another bolt hit close by just as the canoes hit
the beach and the first drops of rain fell heavily. The canoes
were dragged up into the woods and tied off before we spread
out in the forest and crouched down to prepare for the storm.
The sky grew very dark and suddenly the storm was on us. A few
lightning strikes seemed real close and spruce trees doubled
over as a strong wind blasted across the land. The icy rain was
making me regret the decision to go shirtless in this squall, but
within ten or fifteen minutes the storm had passed over and the
sun popped out, quickly driving up temperatures and humidity.
Shortly after more storms seemed imminent and we set up a nice
camp above a small falls dropping into a terrible hydraulic.
Tomorrow we would enter the whitewater section of the Little
Whale and we were all eager to see what lay ahead.
Brad Bassi holding a brook trout a kilometer down the tributary
leading from Lac Mollet to the Little Whale River.
leading from Lac Mollet to the Little Whale River.
John and James run the first rapid on the Little River, a solid class III rapid. The big volume of
the Little Whale made for some big water.
the Little Whale made for some big water.
Our team progresses down some flat sections on the upper Little Whale River.
Brad holding a large caribou antler found while scouting a tricky class II+ rapid. Many
antlers were found on the trip, but most of the animals were far to the north at this time of
the year.
antlers were found on the trip, but most of the animals were far to the north at this time of
the year.
Phil and Barret line a typical ledge drop on the upper Little Whale River.
Brad posing at the top of a hill we hiked during lunch on the second day of the trip.
Phil Royce making backcountry pizzas at the end of the second day.
A canoe paddles away from a sizeable falls that was portaged.
Out crew moves down a flat reach on the upper river.
Thunderclouds building in the heat and humidity experienced during the first part of
our expedition. Such warm weather is not common in the north.
our expedition. Such warm weather is not common in the north.
Everyone scrambled into the bush when this fierce but short lived storm struck on a
wide lake like expansion in the Little Whale River.
wide lake like expansion in the Little Whale River.