Canada! what to do and where to go (as a euro Cboater)

insolence · Post by **insolence** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:55 pm

Hi folks

I will spend september in Canada, actually it's a road trip, but I would love to try getting on some rivers........Any hints? what best to do and to try for one- day (or two days) trips on moderate whitewater (we paddle on European scale 3, BIG MAYBE a class 4) and touring. We will have to rent the complete gear since we can't bring anything, so I'm grateful for any information if it's possible to rent gear - especially as I need a canoe or c1. For touring a kayak would do, but in whitewater I don't know how to paddle a kayak at all

Our trip will also lead to Nova Scotia where the skookumchuck wave has it's home. Probably I won't be skilled enough for this one until then, but getting some information will never be for the worse anyway. Anyone knows it? I've heard it's pretty dangerous and some kayakers died riding it.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:09 pm

Canada has four seasons, almost winter, winter, still winter and August.

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:21 pm

insolence, where in Canada will you be? East Coast? West Coast? Center? It's a BIG country! Just to drive from Toronto to the Manitoba border in the West takes a full 24 hours of driving.
Once you give more specific details, like what provinces and even better what area's in certain provinces you are going to be at, people will be able to help you.

Also, Skookumchuck is not in Nova Scotia, it's in BC on Vancouver Island, exactly on the opposite coast. There is however Reversing Falls, another tidal rapid (never seen it, so I don't know any details)on the Saint John's river in Saint John, New Brunswick, which isn't too far from Nova Scotia.

TGG!

insolence · Post by **insolence** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:39 pm

oh, winter, Louie!!!!

Training parcours,the temperature is -10 degrees celsius:
there is a thick ice coat on my slalom canoe, pfd and paddle, and I have to defrost my knee belts before training because they are frozen from the day before. My slalom canoe searches its way trough the (icecoated) gates while the whole world around me seems to be dead, frozen, frozen in midmotion.

I don't paddle the hard things then and avoid rolling, but some technique and endurance sessions work very well

at five degrees plus (as we had today):
I hop into my play canoe, and head to that nice stopper , where I end up upside down the first time I try a move , cursin' like a trooper - only in mind of course, since I'm a lady who doesn't speak out such words - because it's so cold in the water, roll up and try that move again, failing again and having a lot of fun...........

that's winter to me

of course, I'm always wondering what the hades I'm actually doing and how it could come to my crazy mind to go boatin now :wink:

Open Gate · Post by **Open Gate** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:53 pm

Hey Insolence !

You forgot to answer the Great Gonzo... where will you be ???

Our Nation's capital Ottawa/Gatineau area has superb(warm) white water at that time of year, and contrary to mexico Louie saying, water is warm here a solid 5 months / year. Tons of OC outfitters also.

And we have water here in our rivers, no dam release, no precipitation required, due to our BIG rivers !!! And yes we paddle 12 months / year with appropriate gear. No mexican trip required

Come paddle in ESQUIF land where OC's are born and very popular. I'll be happy to show you the way down the Ottawa, Gatineau, Rouge, Petawawa, Madawaska, Petite Nation and others...

Gaétan

marclamenace · Post by **marclamenace** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:12 pm

Hi Insolence!

You are sure welcome to drop me a message some time ahead of your trip, see if we can setup something if you are around the province of Quebec area.

There is an interesting website here you may want to check out if you want to paddle some river in Quebec; it's got river descriptions, maps, directions etc. Even a forum where people (mostly yakers though) are sending their last minutes destinations and how to meet them. All in french unfortunately... (I see you are from germany)

Let us know anyways in which area you are planning to travel.

C ya!

insolence · Post by **insolence** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:17 pm

oh, I had posted an answer to great gonzo, bot obviously, something went wrong....so here again ;)

I had a reason for not saying where we will be: we don't know yet!!!
The only thing for sure is that we start and end in hallifax! But there are no further plans. We have nearly whole september to drive around all Canada. Our co-travelers on this roadtrip aren't paddlers, so they will want to see some specific city and area(Quebec or/and Montreal, and MAYBE once across US border???) but the plans are not made yet, so we (my boyfriend and me who are both addicted paddlers) can throw in our wishes, which will be any destination wich is good for us to paddle!
Well, that's why I didn't specify any area because they are still to choose!!

And you, Open Gate, you did just what I hoped to hear: you suggested an area wich is good to go for when one wants to paddle - thanks!!!

insolence · Post by **insolence** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:26 pm

Ottawa area, Quebec - that sounds all good

thanks marclamenace, for the offer and for the link - french is ok, I can cope with that

thanks a lot!

marclamenace · Post by **marclamenace** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:38 pm

Oups! I just realize I mentionned the website but didn't posted the address!! Sorry about that.

www.myosis.ca

Oh, and have a great trip!

Marc.

dan. · Post by **dan.** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:13 am

One month is definately not enough time to drive from Halifax to Skookumchuck and back. It is a 5-6 Day drive each way.

+ The praries suck for paddling.

BTW Gonzo, skook is on the sunshine coast of BC near sechelt not on the Island.

For reference: Driving from Halifax to Sechelt is like driving from Paris to Iran

jakke · Post by **jakke** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:01 am

Hi Insolence,

Great, a full month of Canada! Hopefully you get a couple days of paddling. I think Canada has plenty of options, unfortunatly I can't advise you any since I've never been in Canada

.

Brave woman btw, getting out playboating on waves in this weather! I am happy to be able to go out for a paddle if rivers have enough water. Flatwater drills are quite impossible at this moment since most flatwater transformed into ice!

I wouldn't like to roll, even if I could do with this ice water. Stay upright is even more a goal during winter then during other seasons!

insolence · Post by **insolence** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 4:57 pm

sorry for me having twisted some things on Canada's map

I have to admit I had some things mistaken, sorry

@jakke: I'm not really brave - cold weather paddling is just what everyone around here does. The slalomists anyway, they have to, and there's also a bunch of freestylers who sometimes ask me to come along - who can say nay when they ask you come boating

the great gonzo · Post by **the great gonzo** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 5:12 pm

Hi Insolence, yes if you want to visit the Eastern part of the country, then as far as boating is concerned, the Ottawa river valley and Qubec are the place to be.
Depending on when excatly you are here, you could even participate in an open canoe slalom, as the Gull River Slalom in Minden ON is usulaay held on the 2nd weekend in September, my guess is this year would be September 12/13.
Minden is about 3-4 hours from Ottawa.

If you need boats or someone to show you down a river, get in touch, I have a dozen boats sitting around, pretty much everything from squirt all the way to tandem, all C1 or OC1.

thanks for clarifying the location of Skook dan. , I don't really know BC well, only Revelstoke from boarding.

TGG!

Paddle Power · Post by **Paddle Power** » Thu Feb 05, 2009 7:25 pm

+ The praries suck for paddling.

FYI, the prairies offer world class paddling!

Open Gate · Post by **Open Gate** » Fri Feb 06, 2009 1:46 pm

Paddle Power wrote:
+ The praries suck for paddling.
FYI, the prairies offer world class paddling!

May be our lack of knowledge on your great part of our country made me think the same has Gonzo...

Do you have any links or recommendations for futur WW trips in your area ? Educate us

We're thinking Nahanni in a few years, pit stop in your area would be even more fun !

See how big our country is Insolence

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Canada! what to do and where to go (as a euro Cboater)

Canada! what to do and where to go (as a euro Cboater)

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