The Lower Reaches of
the Little Whale River
the Little Whale River
A good flatwater paddle just over an hour long started the
day. While moving along this smooth section of the Little
Whale the clouds cleared away and were replaced with a
crystal clear bluebird day. The cooler temps came with a
strong breeze out of the northwest, which is direction of the
predominant wind in this area. Eventually the river necked
down and squeezed between some high hills. The first
horizon line of the day approached and everyone scouted
from a barren burnt over knoll. The hills were more open
now and the rough class IV rapid gave the area a rugged
feel.
This drop consisted of two huge hydraulics in the center of
the river. On river right it looked possible to line past the
first hole into an eddy, from which point a class II line along
the shore lead to the bottom. We did this in little time and
by passed the big rapid with minimal effort.
Below this rapid the river swung to the right and enters a
land that is almost totally devoid of vegetation. As if to add
to the drama of the scenery, the Little Whale soon slid
down one of the most spectacular falls on its course to the
sea. The river made a quick turn to the left and cut
through a ridgeline in a dramatic sloping falls roughly fifty
feet tall. A large hill rose up on river right and a sweeping
open ledge rose away from the river on the left. From the
top of the drop we had a bird’s eye view of the landscape
and the scene was nothing short of spectacular. Halfway
down the drop a huge rooster tail of water kicked up a
wave over ten feet tall. The display of raw power here was
incredible. The ledge on river left had been polished so
smooth by the erosive force of water that the canoes were
slid down the rock fully loaded. The only problem was that
the last twelve feet of drop were vertical. To deal with this
Phil and myself climbed down to the rock pile at the base of
the ledge and guided the canoes down as the other guys
lowered them to us on ropes. This was quick, efficient, and
not particularly harmful to the gear.
day. While moving along this smooth section of the Little
Whale the clouds cleared away and were replaced with a
crystal clear bluebird day. The cooler temps came with a
strong breeze out of the northwest, which is direction of the
predominant wind in this area. Eventually the river necked
down and squeezed between some high hills. The first
horizon line of the day approached and everyone scouted
from a barren burnt over knoll. The hills were more open
now and the rough class IV rapid gave the area a rugged
feel.
This drop consisted of two huge hydraulics in the center of
the river. On river right it looked possible to line past the
first hole into an eddy, from which point a class II line along
the shore lead to the bottom. We did this in little time and
by passed the big rapid with minimal effort.
Below this rapid the river swung to the right and enters a
land that is almost totally devoid of vegetation. As if to add
to the drama of the scenery, the Little Whale soon slid
down one of the most spectacular falls on its course to the
sea. The river made a quick turn to the left and cut
through a ridgeline in a dramatic sloping falls roughly fifty
feet tall. A large hill rose up on river right and a sweeping
open ledge rose away from the river on the left. From the
top of the drop we had a bird’s eye view of the landscape
and the scene was nothing short of spectacular. Halfway
down the drop a huge rooster tail of water kicked up a
wave over ten feet tall. The display of raw power here was
incredible. The ledge on river left had been polished so
smooth by the erosive force of water that the canoes were
slid down the rock fully loaded. The only problem was that
the last twelve feet of drop were vertical. To deal with this
Phil and myself climbed down to the rock pile at the base of
the ledge and guided the canoes down as the other guys
lowered them to us on ropes. This was quick, efficient, and
not particularly harmful to the gear.
Below the fall the river swung back to the right and headed into a long stretch
of flatwater being berated by a steady headwind. River right was walled in by a
tall mountain range with cliffs leading down to the water in several places.
Making progress in this stiff breeze required us to paddle no more than a few
feet from the broken shore which provided a bit of a wind break. While working
down this flat section some low hanging thin black clouds were seen moving
upstream and eventually burning away. The clouds were not storm like and at
first we were confused about what was causing them. However, the answer
soon became clear. We were finally close enough to Hudson Bay so the
weather was directly influenced by this large body of water. The frigid water of
the bay were producing a thick blanket of fog that was blowing inland. We just
happened to have the point where the heat of the land was burning away the
mist, and the effect was a little startling.
Struggling against the flatwater through the headwind was difficult, but progress
was made. The river eventually narrowed and a large gray cliff rose up to out
right. The lichens growing on the rock face gave it a pale mint green color in
places that offset the rugged look of the jumbled talus pile and water stains
running down its face.
of flatwater being berated by a steady headwind. River right was walled in by a
tall mountain range with cliffs leading down to the water in several places.
Making progress in this stiff breeze required us to paddle no more than a few
feet from the broken shore which provided a bit of a wind break. While working
down this flat section some low hanging thin black clouds were seen moving
upstream and eventually burning away. The clouds were not storm like and at
first we were confused about what was causing them. However, the answer
soon became clear. We were finally close enough to Hudson Bay so the
weather was directly influenced by this large body of water. The frigid water of
the bay were producing a thick blanket of fog that was blowing inland. We just
happened to have the point where the heat of the land was burning away the
mist, and the effect was a little startling.
Struggling against the flatwater through the headwind was difficult, but progress
was made. The river eventually narrowed and a large gray cliff rose up to out
right. The lichens growing on the rock face gave it a pale mint green color in
places that offset the rugged look of the jumbled talus pile and water stains
running down its face.
A horizon line confronted us and sent us to river left
to scout. This would the side of the river that we
dealt with all of the drops in this first day in the
whitewater section of the river. From here to Hudson
Bay the Little Whale would drop precipitously in a
series of pool drop type falls and rapids. The site of
this massive river plunging over waterfall after
waterfall in such a stark landscape made it one of the
most dramatic rivers I had ever seen.
A quick scout showed that the first rapid dropped
about five feet over several small ledges. Most of the
flow went right and dropped into some surprisingly big
waves and holes. Even though river right was so big,
we were able to paddle some shallow sneak lines on
rive left that were fun and relatively harmless. After
this rapid there was a horizon every few hundred
meters, forcing our pace to slow as we got out to
scout, line, or portage constantly. This was an
incredible piece of river, and while time was short I
managed to catch numerous brook trout every time I
stopped to make a cast into an eddy.
to scout. This would the side of the river that we
dealt with all of the drops in this first day in the
whitewater section of the river. From here to Hudson
Bay the Little Whale would drop precipitously in a
series of pool drop type falls and rapids. The site of
this massive river plunging over waterfall after
waterfall in such a stark landscape made it one of the
most dramatic rivers I had ever seen.
A quick scout showed that the first rapid dropped
about five feet over several small ledges. Most of the
flow went right and dropped into some surprisingly big
waves and holes. Even though river right was so big,
we were able to paddle some shallow sneak lines on
rive left that were fun and relatively harmless. After
this rapid there was a horizon every few hundred
meters, forcing our pace to slow as we got out to
scout, line, or portage constantly. This was an
incredible piece of river, and while time was short I
managed to catch numerous brook trout every time I
stopped to make a cast into an eddy.
On of the most memorable drop was a fifteen foot broken ledge
drop with numerous channels. The river right shore rose almost a
hundred vertical feet above the river and had dropped massive
blocks of granite into the water. The fog bank blowing in off of the
bay was growing thicker and had the effect of giving this drop a
particularly sinister feel. We lined and portaged on river left. One
of the drop required some very delicate lining down a side channel.
It included scrambling up and over boulders while precariously
balancing and trying to hold onto the canoe’s bow and stern lines.
The side channel we were using to line the boats down ended in a
clean ten or twelve foot ramp that we dragged over very quickly. I
fished a little in the eddy below this drop and managed to land and
release a bunch of medium sized trout in less than five minutes.
The Little Whale seemed to be running at the bottom of a rock
trench now, with mini canyon walls rising up at the bigger drops.
Eventually we reached another big falls that could not be lined. The
portage was across open ground up on a river left hill that provided
amazing views of the drop and the surrounding countryside. Mist
rising from the rapid blew upstream with the incoming fog and made
for a most impressive scene. This carry ended with lowering the
canoes down a steep fifteen foot broken cliff, which require much
team work and patience.
Yet another drop waited for us around the next bend. The fog was
even thicker now and downstream visibility was diminished. By four
o’clock we had entered a very deep fog and travel was no longer
practical. The air had a damp frigid quality to it and another
portage was required at a massive drop. We made the tricky carry
on the left and put back in at a large pool. A large pool was
reached with relatively flat shores, so we decided to grab the first
likely camping spot. This was on river left where a small ledge
reached down to the water and a stand of good sized trees would
provide wood for a fire. Phil and I quickly grabbed a nice spot for
the tent and set up for the night.
Immediately after setting up camp I started gathering wood for a
fire. The dampness of the thick fog bank made the fifty degree air
seem even colder than it was. Wool pants and a winter hat were put
on and soon a nice hot fire was crackling out on the open ledge by
the water. Although the mist deadened sound, the last falls
upstream could still be heard. I huge cliff rose up on river right and
echoed back noises while providing a great backdrop to this site. It
was dinner time and everyone was hungry from a hard days work.
Some dehydrated potatoes were reconstituted for a snack while
spaghetti was boiled up for the main course. As if this wasn’t
enough, someone even made up a little fried dough for dessert.
By nine everyone had retired to the warmth of their sleeping bags
and the tents. A glance at the maps showed that tomorrow would
be full of rapids and big drops. Particularly interesting were two
back to back falls marked on the maps. Jim had warned us of the
80 footers and of a big canyon near the mouth of the river that took
them two days to portage. We hoped to reach the head of this
canyon tomorrow afternoon with enough time to scout it out and
figure out how to deal with it without having to make a multi day
portage. It was with exciting thoughts about canyons and falls that
filled our heads while falling asleep that night.
drop with numerous channels. The river right shore rose almost a
hundred vertical feet above the river and had dropped massive
blocks of granite into the water. The fog bank blowing in off of the
bay was growing thicker and had the effect of giving this drop a
particularly sinister feel. We lined and portaged on river left. One
of the drop required some very delicate lining down a side channel.
It included scrambling up and over boulders while precariously
balancing and trying to hold onto the canoe’s bow and stern lines.
The side channel we were using to line the boats down ended in a
clean ten or twelve foot ramp that we dragged over very quickly. I
fished a little in the eddy below this drop and managed to land and
release a bunch of medium sized trout in less than five minutes.
The Little Whale seemed to be running at the bottom of a rock
trench now, with mini canyon walls rising up at the bigger drops.
Eventually we reached another big falls that could not be lined. The
portage was across open ground up on a river left hill that provided
amazing views of the drop and the surrounding countryside. Mist
rising from the rapid blew upstream with the incoming fog and made
for a most impressive scene. This carry ended with lowering the
canoes down a steep fifteen foot broken cliff, which require much
team work and patience.
Yet another drop waited for us around the next bend. The fog was
even thicker now and downstream visibility was diminished. By four
o’clock we had entered a very deep fog and travel was no longer
practical. The air had a damp frigid quality to it and another
portage was required at a massive drop. We made the tricky carry
on the left and put back in at a large pool. A large pool was
reached with relatively flat shores, so we decided to grab the first
likely camping spot. This was on river left where a small ledge
reached down to the water and a stand of good sized trees would
provide wood for a fire. Phil and I quickly grabbed a nice spot for
the tent and set up for the night.
Immediately after setting up camp I started gathering wood for a
fire. The dampness of the thick fog bank made the fifty degree air
seem even colder than it was. Wool pants and a winter hat were put
on and soon a nice hot fire was crackling out on the open ledge by
the water. Although the mist deadened sound, the last falls
upstream could still be heard. I huge cliff rose up on river right and
echoed back noises while providing a great backdrop to this site. It
was dinner time and everyone was hungry from a hard days work.
Some dehydrated potatoes were reconstituted for a snack while
spaghetti was boiled up for the main course. As if this wasn’t
enough, someone even made up a little fried dough for dessert.
By nine everyone had retired to the warmth of their sleeping bags
and the tents. A glance at the maps showed that tomorrow would
be full of rapids and big drops. Particularly interesting were two
back to back falls marked on the maps. Jim had warned us of the
80 footers and of a big canyon near the mouth of the river that took
them two days to portage. We hoped to reach the head of this
canyon tomorrow afternoon with enough time to scout it out and
figure out how to deal with it without having to make a multi day
portage. It was with exciting thoughts about canyons and falls that
filled our heads while falling asleep that night.
The weather this morning was little discouraging. Yesterday afternoon’s fog had thickened and was we were so socked in that travel was not
possible. Since there was no sense in trying to work our way downstream through the dense fog we slept in until eight and slowly got going in the
morning. A big fire was lit out on the cooking ledge and hash browns were fried up for breakfast. As the sun rose in the sky the fog became lighter
and gave us hopes of moving at some point today. To be stuck because of low visibility at this point in the trip would have been a shot to our
morale, but rushing out made no sense. Our maps indicated that the river would continue to drop steeply today and it would be a mistake to get in
over our heads while blindly navigating through the clouds.
By ten in the morning the fog had broke enough to allow for cautious travel. Once the canoes were loaded up and launched the day was clear and
quite nice. Within a few hundred yards the Little Whale plummeted over another ledge and dropped out of sight. Steep banks made lining
impossible and forced a short but somewhat rugged carry along a steep side hill. While on the portage the sun came out and started to warm the
day nicely. The next stretch of river consisted of many ledge drops. While a few of these were runnable, most required lining or portaging. At one
drop we all lined on the right down to a large eddy from which point the bottom of the rapid could be paddled. A simple ferry out beyond a rock was
necessary to enter the main current.
possible. Since there was no sense in trying to work our way downstream through the dense fog we slept in until eight and slowly got going in the
morning. A big fire was lit out on the cooking ledge and hash browns were fried up for breakfast. As the sun rose in the sky the fog became lighter
and gave us hopes of moving at some point today. To be stuck because of low visibility at this point in the trip would have been a shot to our
morale, but rushing out made no sense. Our maps indicated that the river would continue to drop steeply today and it would be a mistake to get in
over our heads while blindly navigating through the clouds.
By ten in the morning the fog had broke enough to allow for cautious travel. Once the canoes were loaded up and launched the day was clear and
quite nice. Within a few hundred yards the Little Whale plummeted over another ledge and dropped out of sight. Steep banks made lining
impossible and forced a short but somewhat rugged carry along a steep side hill. While on the portage the sun came out and started to warm the
day nicely. The next stretch of river consisted of many ledge drops. While a few of these were runnable, most required lining or portaging. At one
drop we all lined on the right down to a large eddy from which point the bottom of the rapid could be paddled. A simple ferry out beyond a rock was
necessary to enter the main current.
A good long pool followed before the next drop. Here the river
split around a small island and ran up against the river left shore,
which was a large broken cliff before dropping into a massive hole
and sliding down a twenty or twenty five foot drop. An immense
slab of water polished rock made for easy lining on river right. The
fast and powerful current required all of our attention, but having
so much open space made the job of sliding the canoes around the
drop pretty straightforward. All of the boats were safely brought
down to an eddy, but out task was far from done. Although we had
got the outfit past the drop, a violent class III run out slammed into
a river right cliff. To avoid this would require either a portage, or a
strong ferry out into the heavy water to avid being slammed up
against the cliff in the run out rapids.
I was the first one down and ready to go. The move actually
looked kind of tough, and the idea of being plunged into the cold
water and smashed up on the river right shore was not appealing.
To complicate matter, the eddy we were going to have to launch
from was very swirly and strong, which made lining up and heading
out with the correct speed, angle, and lean pretty hard. The water
in the eddy was actually pulsing and surging, meaning that timing
would be essential. I really didn’t want to portage a call III run out
so I climbed in my canoe, knelt down and went for it. After taking a
few strokes to get into the heart of the eddy I turned the canoe
upstream and paddled forward for the eddy line. On the first
attempt the water grabbed the bow wrong and swung it back into
the eddy. I powered back into the eddy and lined up for one more
try, figuring that I had better just paddle hard out into the current
and get this over with. On this attempt my strokes were well placed
and the canoe rocketed out of the eddy. Just as the bow crossed
into the ferocious main flow I leaned hard enough to almost drip the
downstream gunnel under water. The river spit the little solo canoe
out into the flow and jet ferried me out to a point from where it was
easy to complete the ferry and avoid being pinned against shore. I
ran the next heavy class II drop through some whirlpools and
eddied out well downstream at a small rocky island to bail and wait
for the others. Everyone made the peel out and ferry successfully
and joined me at the bailing spot. Spirits were high and the
general attitude was one of excitement and awe for the beautiful
river we were getting to experience.
split around a small island and ran up against the river left shore,
which was a large broken cliff before dropping into a massive hole
and sliding down a twenty or twenty five foot drop. An immense
slab of water polished rock made for easy lining on river right. The
fast and powerful current required all of our attention, but having
so much open space made the job of sliding the canoes around the
drop pretty straightforward. All of the boats were safely brought
down to an eddy, but out task was far from done. Although we had
got the outfit past the drop, a violent class III run out slammed into
a river right cliff. To avoid this would require either a portage, or a
strong ferry out into the heavy water to avid being slammed up
against the cliff in the run out rapids.
I was the first one down and ready to go. The move actually
looked kind of tough, and the idea of being plunged into the cold
water and smashed up on the river right shore was not appealing.
To complicate matter, the eddy we were going to have to launch
from was very swirly and strong, which made lining up and heading
out with the correct speed, angle, and lean pretty hard. The water
in the eddy was actually pulsing and surging, meaning that timing
would be essential. I really didn’t want to portage a call III run out
so I climbed in my canoe, knelt down and went for it. After taking a
few strokes to get into the heart of the eddy I turned the canoe
upstream and paddled forward for the eddy line. On the first
attempt the water grabbed the bow wrong and swung it back into
the eddy. I powered back into the eddy and lined up for one more
try, figuring that I had better just paddle hard out into the current
and get this over with. On this attempt my strokes were well placed
and the canoe rocketed out of the eddy. Just as the bow crossed
into the ferocious main flow I leaned hard enough to almost drip the
downstream gunnel under water. The river spit the little solo canoe
out into the flow and jet ferried me out to a point from where it was
easy to complete the ferry and avoid being pinned against shore. I
ran the next heavy class II drop through some whirlpools and
eddied out well downstream at a small rocky island to bail and wait
for the others. Everyone made the peel out and ferry successfully
and joined me at the bailing spot. Spirits were high and the
general attitude was one of excitement and awe for the beautiful
river we were getting to experience.
Brad Bassi and Phil Royce scout a rapid on the lower Little Whale. The big holes in the middle of
the drop made running potential sneak lines undesirable.
the drop made running potential sneak lines undesirable.
After carrying the first part of the rapid pictured above our team was able to paddle its bottom
portion.
portion.
Our team standing at the top of the dramatic sliding falls encountered at the top
of long stretch full of rapids on the Little Whale River.
of long stretch full of rapids on the Little Whale River.
Brad Bassi gets an up close look at the thundering drop.
Phil and Barret run a dry line through one of the Little Whale's many ledge drops. .
Our team scouts a big falls on the stretch of the Little Whale River that flowed at the
bottom of a deep rock trench.
bottom of a deep rock trench.
James and John paddle away from another portage on the lower reaches of the Little
Whale.
Whale.
Our team loads up after a short but rugged carry around a huge class V drop.
The group crowds around the warmth of a ire the afternoon that dense and cold fog rolled
up the valley from Hudson Bay.
up the valley from Hudson Bay.
Brad Bassi portaging around another huge drop on the Little Whale. While most of the
big ledges on the lower river were not runnable the amazing scenery kept things
entertaining.
big ledges on the lower river were not runnable the amazing scenery kept things
entertaining.
Phil and Barret looking at a big slide that we weer actually able to line on river right.
Brad Bassi peeling out of an eddy below one of the Little Whale's massive drops.