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crash
Member
Post Number: 18
Registered: 07-2010
| | Posted on Friday, April 13, 2012 - 1:23 am: | 
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Planning a nice easy trip for my 10 year olds frist trip with dad. Herd the Montreal river from Elk lake to Latchford is an easy trip with just a couple of easy rapids. Anyone know what kind of distance that would be and any decent camp sites on this stretch of the river. Also is there good fishing along the river. She loves to fish. please let me know if anyone has}}}}} any info thanks.
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grncnu
Member
Post Number: 192
Registered: 08-2010
| | Posted on Friday, April 13, 2012 - 10:31 pm: |
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sounds like an excellent choice for what you are after. there is one dangerous rapids beside the lodge at mountain chutes. the portage is through the lodge grounds. if you're an expert you can leave the kids and gear on the portage and run them, (i've never had the nerve).
not a huge number of campsites though, but they are well spaced out and in my experience the route is not that well used by canoeists. last time i was through there was about 10 years ago and the campsite on indian lake had a lot of garbage left by local fishermen- on the plus side i guess that means the fishing is good!
excellent for spotting beaver, otter, moose, herons etc. if you're quiet. below mowat landing the river narrows and becomes shallow in places, some of which were formerly major rapids (the river was flooded for hydro in the 60's).
opposite latchford on bay lake you can hike the 3,000 yard portage to anima nippissing, a nice hike with several points of interest.
get the 1:50000 maps-- several of the campsites on this route are quite hard to spot and it's easy to lose track of where you are... |
curly
Member
Post Number: 334
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, April 14, 2012 - 9:01 am: |
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Last I heard, the Mountain Chutes lodge owners were not happy about canoeists portaging across their land (even though the portage was originally there...). There is a portage on river right, on public land. |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1419
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2012 - 2:06 pm: |
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And Montreal River flooded, not 50 years ago, but a hundred. |
grncnu
Member
Post Number: 194
Registered: 08-2010
| | Posted on Sunday, April 15, 2012 - 10:20 pm: |
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sorry brian, i was thinking of the the lower notch dam constructed in 1971, which is what flooded the lower part of the montreal river under 200 feet of water and generates the vast majority of the power... however i concede that it was the dams further upstream (hound & ragged chutes) that flooded the area north of latchford like pork rapids.
re mountain chutes, i am aware of the lodge owner's attitude towards canoeists, i just do not respect it.
the makeshift "portage" on the west side is not the real portage. the real portage is on the east side where it's been for probably thousands of years, much longer than the current owner of the lodge, which has frankly been deserted every time i've seen it... |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1420
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 16, 2012 - 9:10 am: |
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I suspect there was also an old tram way between steamer docks on the lodge side. I also suspect the portage right of way still exists. |
crash
Member
Post Number: 19
Registered: 07-2010
| | Posted on Monday, April 16, 2012 - 6:43 pm: |
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Thanks for the info. I was just looking at some maps today and now I'm wondering about a new route. The route I'm thinking about now is from Gowganda to Matachewan or to Elk Lake. It seems a little more remote but is it a good route to do with my 10 year old daughter? If anyone has info on rapids, portages and campsites please let me know. Thanks.
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ed
Moderator
Post Number: 1168
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 16, 2012 - 7:27 pm: |
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Look for Route #16 in Wilson's Book, page 106.Canoeing Kayaking and Hiking in Temagami. |
grncnu
Member
Post Number: 195
Registered: 08-2010
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 - 12:37 am: |
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sorry crash haven't done it although i have always been curious about it too.
brian, that's interesting, now that jou mention it i think i recall seeing some ancient concrete ramps or footings on that portage. how far did the steamer go north and south? a couple of years ago i came across some old photos from cochrane's camp on lake temagami, including a photo of portaging either the upper or lower notch, i can't recall which. It was a very spectacular spot! |
brian
Moderator
Post Number: 1421
Registered: 02-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 17, 2012 - 9:11 am: |
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The steamers ran between Latchford and Elk Lake during the silver rush. |
rambo
Member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 08-2012
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 1, 2012 - 8:55 pm: |
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Did you do the montreal river from gowganda - elk lake trip. We're thinking of doing the same thing & wondering what it is like.
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Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel