ASHUAPMUSHUAN 2010

The three of us .Vin center and Konstantin on your rt.

Me at the "Chutes" .Monster haystacks!

Vin checking out upper Engoulevent. We all ran this RR.

The "beach" campsite day1. We would soon get tired of the sand, which gets into everything..

Ashuapmushuan Canoe trip Sept 12-18 , 2010 . Average flow about 300 cms at gauge .


Day 1 .
We start this day in Plattsburgh New York where the three of us met yesterday by agreement and we checked in to the Golden Gate motel where we would spend the night , at least until 1 am since we had to drive a long way to reach our destination at the reserve office in Quebec later in the afternoon .
The three of us are myself, Vin and Konstantin . I paddle a NC Supernova , Vin a Dagger Legend and K. is in an inflatable kayak – my first experience tripping with this kind of craft . This is an official trip of the Mohawk Canoe Club of Philadelphia /Central New Jersey origins, and the Appalachian Mountain Club a big organization in the NE U.S. . I belong to each organization and advertised this trip to get some others to go with me because they don’t let you paddle the Ash with one boat and besides I’m sociable . Vin and I paddled the Petawawa in ’08 so I’m comfortable with that . K. is a complete unknown as well as his method of river transportation so I am a little hesitant but he’s on board so we’re all in it for the duration .
We roll out of Plattsburgh a little groggy and start the long ride into Quebec . Montreal we get through before dawn and the traffic is light . The sun comes up at last and we’re in rural Quebec past La Tuque and heading for the Reserve office in La Dore’ . This is Sunday and the office is closed but I have called ahead and in broken French arranged for our shuttle man Luigi to meet us there . It all works out and we all go to the put-in a mile or so on the left PAST THE BRIDGE off Hwy 167 where all the gear is taken out and we load the boats . Konstantin pulls out his electric air pump and fills his boat’s air tubes and we’re set . Luigi drives off and we’re alone . The river is breezy and the headwinds make the going tough at first . After passing the bridge and some minor rapids we pull over to the “Grand Plage “ campsite and set up camp . The ground is very level here and there is enough room for 50 tents . The sand is a nuisance as it gets in everything . While we are there a flotilla passes us by on the river : 3 tandem boats and a kayaker – so despite the late time of year we’re not alone on the river .
Switching to past tense

Day 2

We got on the river in good time and made it down the first Cl IV uneventfully . We were careful and scouted this rapid from the portage trail on the left . It’s fairly straight forward , just keep to the Rt all the way, avoid the central haystacks at the bottom.. It rained a little . Campsite was on river RR just past the confluence of the Riviere du Chef – a nice little site tucked away in the trees . It decided to rain again .

Day 3 ; This was the “slow” section of the river with no major (IV) rapids . We ended up camping just up stream of the other group rL . The next day would really test our mettle with two “major” rapids to run .


Day 4 . We started earlier than the other group and passed them by as they were getting ready to break camp . Soon we reached the biggest runnable rapid , The “Rapide des Isles “ and everyone did some serious scouting . Vin and K. decided to sneak, line and eddy hop river left while I decided to go for the whole enchilada and run it in one shot from extreme left to far right . The other group arrived at that time and watched us perform . As leader I was the first one to go and everything went just as according to plan . After the first C IV drop at the top(extreme L) of the rapid I worked my way over to center and ran the “highway" in the middle past some big waves and holes ,then worked like mad to get the boat over to the right and avoid the monster 8 foot wall of water in the center at the bottom . This was the most hard slogging cranked up back ferrying I have ever done - but it all went well– just misssed all the bad stuff at the bottom and “coasted” the last Cl III wave train river right . Whew, what a rush!!

I watched as the rest of my crew made it successfully down their chosen routes – K did a little flippy-do but clambered back in unassisted and we all assembled on a rock down river where we could look up at the rapid . The other group started out with their kayaker who ran it successfully but the next boat dumped and sent its crew on a long bumpy swim . They made it to shore just above us and we left the scene to continue our day’s journey .

The next big rapid was “Rapide de L’Engoulement “ . The top we all ran on the right then worked our way over to the left and scouted the bottom drop . Konstantin and I did the lower drop on rL then manouvered to center left running between the center monster haystacks and the diagonals coming off the bank. Vin decided to ferry over to rR and capsized right at the bottom on the last Cl IV but we got him out in the quiet water and immediately started to look for a campsite . The one we chose was on the left bank about a mile downstream from the rapid , across from an island where we also could have camped – finally no sand under us !

Day 5 . We arrived at the portage trail of the “Chutes de La Chaudiere “ in good time and spent a good part of the day doing the long I mile portage .The campsite we chose was right at the Chutes in the little park area so we had the luxury of a picnic table to dine on . The chutes are an awesome spectacle .

Day 6

We got the boats down into the water and proceeded on our way . It was a nice day and relaxing as we new the toughest rapids were behind us . Our last campsite was a real palace with dining pavilion and two picnic tables . We got a roaring fire going and everyone was happy .

Day 7
Our last day on the river was relaxing and fun . The sun shone and after the last Cl III the water slowed down and we paddled to the takeout . The truck was right there . While we were loading up the other group paddle dup and we all said hello and shook hands . After spending asome time trying to find the key to the back of the truckcap we loaded up and were off. Great River !
Stats : when we started the trip the river was running about 375 cms …the day at the Rapides des Isles it was probably doing about the low 300's cms …at the end of the trip it was maybe 260 ....good levels. We finished on day 7 around noon . That's about the right amount of time for this river . I used a spray deck for the first time ever on this trip and thought it was useful in keeping things drier in the big water sections...saved me some bailing for sure .

worth doing again, for sure .

Rivière du Lièvre Day One START HERE

Day 1—Sunday, July 18, 2010

Drive through the Laurentians to Mont-Saint-Michel and Zec Normandie where Eric shuttles us to put-in 662 miles from New Jersey home; whitecaps and storm on Lac la Culotte.

After overnight in Plattsburgh, New York, breakfast north of Montreal and then five hours more drive through the Laurentians and Mont Tremblant where the towns get small and smaller. After a turn off of 309 north of Mont-Saint-Michael, the road becomes gravel, albeit cars and trucks are travelling at 40 mph. We check out the take-out, which is on the way to Zec Normandie where we will meet our shuttle driver at the prearranged time of 3 p.m. Pay $37.50 camping fee (CAN$) and $75 for the shuttle. What a deal! Chemain Parent (road to Parent) is the road to the put in (mostly, there are a few turn offs toward the end that you have to navigate). Gets narrower and narrower. Only passable in a truck, in our opinion. Could wreck a small car. Pass through interesting little collection of cabins called Waterloo. Very very bumpy ride.

Arrive at put-in on schedule, and are in the water by 5 p.m., paddling across Lac a la Culotte. Nice and calm—for the first 45 minutes—until the wind picks up and we are in a rainstorm, whitecaps and all. A hard paddle the rest of the 5 miles to the first night’s campsite on the far side of the lake. Rain stopped enough to get tent up and dinner made—dried Italian sausage enhanced by a pacakge of sauce and spaghetti noodles, freeze-dried vegetable medley.

Rivière du Lièvre Day Two

Day 2—Monday, July 19, 2010
Long (and only real) portage in difficult mud around a Class IV ledge, rainy lunch, Lac Adonis, A-rated campsite, swimming in rapids.

Woke early to the sound of the white-throated sparrow. Usual morning prep but skipped the fire and used camp stoves instead. Came upon rapids on the river right away. Scouted a few and lined two. Ran the rest; some good whitewater. Scouted part of a series that was to be Class II, III and a IV ledge. Took the portage trail to try and see the bottom of the series. Trail was long, boggy and muddy. When we got to end with one trip of gear saw a true IV ledge (falls) with very very fast water and not at all runable. Finished the portage, during which it rained heavily. Took shelter under a cedar tree with a moss floor for lunch of soup and cheese and crackers (our usual mid-day sustenance). Some fishermen were tryig their luch at the bottom of the ledge and then a grandpa and kids and poodle with a powerboat. With the river going into and out of lakes, we saw more civilization that usual or than we would later in the trip where it was all river-only access.

Finished the day with two hours on Lac Adonis, a little headwind but an early day into camp and a beautiful A campsite (our rating) on top a ridge with good water access and great swimming in the nearby shallow rapids. Later that night, around 8 p.m., we heard a ruckus on the lake side of the camp, just before the rapids. Two guys had anchored and were yelling in French to other boaters. One guy held up a huge lake trout, three feet long, possibly 25 pounds, showing off his catch before releasing it back into the lake. Before long a few more boats joined the festivities, fishermen talking loudly and casting lines every which way. As sun set, they left around 9. It got quite cold overnight and we slept in caps. A couple degrees cooler and we would have wanted to have 35 degree bags instead of our 45 degree ones.

Rivière du Lièvre Day Three

Day 3—Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Series of Class I, II and III rapids, Lac Bacon and Lac de la Table, lined Class IV ledge.

Usual morning fog and haze over the water. Two quiet fishermen where the boisterous ones were night previously. On the river before 9 for a series of I, II and III rapids as well as two lakes with pretty long flat water—Lac Bacon and Lac de la Table. Scouted the IIs and ran a couple. Would have been rougher and more standing waves if there were just 6 inches more of water. Scouted a IV drop on nice big flat rocks. Had lunch at the top, lined part and then ran the bottom, which was a Class III. All told, paddled 20k or about 12.5 miles.

Missed a recommended campsite and found discrepancies in the map we were using. Ended up in a decent one on an old logging road, a little narrow but interesting. Rock area for a bath. Hearty dinner of chili (from all dry ingredients—hamburger, red beans, white beans, tomatoes and Doug’s secret spices).

Rivière du Lièvre Day Four

Day 4—Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Toughest day, flat-water Lac Pine, rain, together ran Class IV rapid, Class IV ledge, bushwhacked campsite.

Seems like there is always a tough day and this was it. Lots of flat lake paddling and relentless rain. No rain jacket is 100 percent but fortunately the rain was not cold. Come midday and we are looking for anywhere we could have our hot soup lunch out of the heavy rain and wind. As if answering a prayer, we come across a fishing/hunting camp. If anyone was there we would have asked if we could just shelter for 20 minutes on the screened porch. But no one was about and fortunately the porch was unlocked. Thank you, thank you.

Somewhat fortified, we paddled Lac Pine, which was interesting with many islands. We checked the grasses to make sure we were going with the flow of the water. Ran the rapids at the bridge fine and then started a Class II, III, IV succession of rapids ending with a ledge that came up so fast we had to take it. Scouted and sucessfully ran a Class IV ledge that at first looked impossible but with planning proved a hoot. Checked out the “grand campsite,” (as termed by others at 280 km) and didn’t find it grand at all except that it could accommodate many tents. Poor fireplace. It was still raining so we decided to go a mile and a half to another campsite that was supposed to be at the end of the island on the left. Never found a sign of it. But, en route we did see two bull moose. Wonderful peaceful creatures that let us get close since we were so quiet. Also interrupted a beaver who had pulled a fresh branch to the lodge.

Came to a Class III ledge and started looking for anywhere to camp, briefly considered a sandbar in the rapids but them came across an abandoned site, all overgrown with moss and shrubs but with the vestige of a fire ring. Didn’t really like it but could not get back upstream past the ledge to reexamine where we might have missed the other site. Quickly set up tent on the bushwacked site and cooked on camp stoves, eating on the rocks because there was no place else. Tent was on very lumpy ground but tried to situate bodies to accommodate. A worn-down tree stump makes a pillow if you are tired enough. Rained hard that night but at least we were dry. In the morning we found an inch of water in the drinking cups.

Rivière du Lièvre Day Five

Day 5—Thursday, July 22, 2010
Doug ran Class V ledge with duffle, great whitewater II, III and IV, dramatic IV ledge, sunny private lake and A-rated campsite.

First thing in the morning, had a class V ledge with good portage on the rocks to the right. We were going to carry the whole thing but Doug decided to sneak it with one duffle as his seat and the rest of the gear carried. Ran fine but got briefly stuck on a rock at the bottom. Ran a good ½ mile of II, II and IV (brief) whitewater with only minor snags due to rocks and the water level. Some big waves, too. Fast going. We were determined not to miss the campsite around 268 km. There wouldn’t be another one until the take out. Scouted and ran a couple IV’s Ran series of II, III, all a hoot, culminating in a big IV banger at bottom boat scouting only. Scraped a small rock , but no sticky. Pulled over into an eddy because we had taken on some water. Sure enough, as promised, just around the right bend, was our campsite, the best yet, we rate it A.

An early day off the river, beautiful lagoon, no other boats around, sun to dry the gear on the huge expanse of high rocks. Took a dip in the deep refreshing water. Enjoyed log seats and a work table. Time to relax before salmon croquettes with Teriyaki rice and vegetable medley. Another cool night. Good sleeping weather.

Rivière du Lièvre Day Six

Day 6—Friday, July 23, 2010
Fantastic five miles to takeout, ledges and 1.5 miles of great Class II and III whitewater, would have been IV with more water.

Last day on the river, just five miles to takeout and we will be sorry to see it end. Used the camp stoves for breakfast and were on the river before 9. What an exciting stretch of river. A great reward for coming this far. An “easy” IV with a tricky sneak on the left. Then 1½ mile of endless excitement Cl III rapids that kept going and going. Heart-pounding beaucoup d'excitement! What a great way to end a fantastic river adventure. Mileage at takeout was 707. Picnic lunch (soup again) at Ferme-Neuve town park. On to Mont-Tremblant for a hot shower, rest at great B&B called Au Bois Jolit, and dinner in the old village at Milly’s (highly recommended.)