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.)