| Author |
Message |
ashbylaker
Member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - 1:24 pm: | 
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Hi Brian,
I’ve been reading a lot of your material over the past few years! Love ottertooth.com – it has been an invaluable source of info during trip planning. Not to mention CC routes…
The latest trip starts Aug 14th, ending September 1st. I have a question about one section of my route that I hope you can answer/give me some advice.
We’re planning on climbing the Sturgeon River between the Stouffer Lake Portage and Solace PP. I am mildly concerned that with the high water lining/pulling our canoe up the river through this stretch will be very difficult. I don’t want to get caught in a situation where we have no choice but to walk in relatively high, fast water. I’ve seen the pic of the Sturgeon on Ottertooth you took… I only hope the bugs are down the last two weeks of August – I should not have to wish for that!!!
In addition to the water levels on that stretch of the Sturgeon, do you happen to know the condition (existence =) of the Stouffer Lake to Sturgeon River Portage?
Many thanks for your time,
Maybe I’ll see you ‘around’ between the 14th and 1st!
Tom
Ottawa |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 933
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - 6:56 pm: |
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Well, the good news is that the water level has come down half a metre since I took that photo. You can check out the water levels by navigation to the "Sturgeon River at Upper Goose Falls" on this map.
http://scitech.pyr.ec.gc.ca/waterweb/selectProvinc e.asp
And the flies will be down by the time you get out there.
There will be some short fast stretches to paddle up between Kettle Falls and Ghoul Lake. I hope you are strong paddlers.
Below Kettle, as I recall, everything tough will have a portage. Going upstream through here is rare. The one safety concern is between the two portages found between Perkins and Renfrew lakes. They are close together in a rugged, rocky stretch. The lower portage is around a chute. There was a powerful wash coming out of the upper rapid between the trails, all bouncing off a rock face with a small sweeper on it. There is a strong line between the wash and the upstream eddy near the upper portage landing, which is obscured by low hanging branches. If you screw up here, there is really little to no safety in the fast water going into the chute. However, the water is down so it may not be such a concern. Just don't know.
Here's the chute:
http://www.ottertooth.com/Temagami/newsbriefs.htm#au6
The Stouffer-Sturgeon portage was fine, a flat walk.
Ha, going up the Kettle Falls portage in the first 50 feet will be fun.
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ashbylaker
Member
Post Number: 2
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, August 7, 2008 - 3:14 pm: |
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Thanks for the info Brian.
Going upstream is always fun =) We wound up changing our route on the fly last year and climbing - really climbing at some points - the Makobe R.
Looking forward to it all - easy and hard.
Cheers,
Tom |
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Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel