In July 1997 I canoed down the Missinaibi River from Mattice to Moosonee Ontario. This is a trip report describing what it was like, how to get there and things to do. I?m not going to go into a lot of detail on running specific rapids, information like that is well documented in Hap Wilson?s book on the Missinaibi River. Hap?s book is basically "the" book for getting down the river.
The Missinaibi River is pure magic! Each day will bring a new treat, and it is one of the best river trips I have done. I highly recommend this one. The whole trip from the drive up, to rapids, sailing, animals, history, and the train trip out is pure enjoyment.
WHEN TO GO
In 1995 we tried to go at the end of August and met with disaster and had to bailed out after a day. There were no rapids and we heard of a couple guys who ended up dragging their canoe over 80Km at the lower end of the river. I do no recommend August at all. This river is low even in July. I could put my paddle in and touch the bottom most times during the trip. The best time would be the middle of June to Middle of July to be safe.
HOW TO GET THERE
We took Hwy #11 North of Toronto right up to Cochrane. This part of the drive took 10 hours including stops. Once you arrive in Cochrane, visit the Ontario Northland Train Station and ask when the "Little Bear" train leaves Moosonee. Your whole trip is geared around this train, and the only train that will take the canoes. When we called the 1-800 number we kept getting different times and days of the week (It only runs a few times a week). When you ask at the train station you?ll actually get the "correct" times and dates! Never trust the information you?ll get from the 1-800 number, phone 10 times and see if you?ll get the same answer, and you won?t. It?s best to call the Cochrane station directly! Also note, the Little Bear train only runs "once" a week, after the September long weekend?check everything out.
At the Cockrane Station we also found out the bus times from Cochrane to Mattice. What we did was drive the two cars to Mattice (another 2 hours) dropped the gear off, then the two drivers drove back to Cochrane. We parked our cars at the train station (free parking). The drivers then grabbed the 11:00pm bus from Cochrane to Mattice, getting there at 1:30 am!! The cost of the bus was $26 one way, I think. The Ontario Provincial Police Station is near the Train Station, you can leave a trip report with them if you wish.
MATTICE
This is the town you?d usually drive by and never know it until you see it later on the map. There is a park on river right, beside the Hwy#11 bridge where you can camp for free. To get there drive down 1st street ( or is it 2nd street??)There is also a run down hotel before town where you can sleep for $40. Look for the Dinosaur!
This place is very French. Bon jour is said before a hello (good for them!). We ate at Chez Deodoy and the owner, Bob, loved talking to us and says he wished more people would canoe down the Missinaibi. Breakfast was real cheap, I had tea, eggs, toast, home fries for around 4 bucks.
In case you forget something there apparently is an outfitter just north of town on Hwy#11, Missinaibi Outfitters 705-364-7312.
Launch your canoes right from the park.
THE TRIP
As mentioned at the beginning I?m not going to get into the technicalities of the river, I?ll leave the guide books for that.
Day 1 (July 20th) 40km
We put in at 10:30am. First we paid our usually respect to the river with offering of tobacco and christened our boats with the water of Missinaibi. We asked the River God for a good trip and we were off. With in minutes we saw a family of Fox staring at us at the side of the river, this was a big treat so early. Was the River God wishing us well??
The first major set of rapid was Rock Island rapids (by the way the best rapids are the first 2 days). Rock Island rapids CII, had good volume standing waves, the type you have to dump your canoe after to get the water out. The next set was Black Feather rapids which we arrives around 1:00pm, a CII with lots of little eddies to peel out in. I really liked this set. The next major set was Beam Rapids, which we ran with no problem and little water intake. The first 3 major rapids would probably be quit difficult in high water so be careful. There are other rapids but they aren?t worth mentioning. Oh yea?portage Kettle Falls!
I?ll save you the trouble and tell you that there are no little orange "camp" signs indicating camp sites (there are some, but few). This is a good thing if you like the "wilderness" feel. Unfortunately the first day we looked and looked and probably paddled by 5 sites before camping at the end of Alice Island around 8:00pm. What I liked was some campsites you wouldn?t even know they are sites, they are grassed covered or just pebble beaches.
Day 2 (July 21st) 19km
We left camp around 10:00am, the other canoe party (Gord and Pete) hit a rock within 30 seconds! After a few rapids we came to the famous Thunder House Falls! If anyone knows anything about this river?STAY LEFT for the portage. We paddled to the 2nd take out down, because the water was low enough we could paddle there safely. The portage is 1.5 km and pretty easy, it is here and only here, that we met other canoeist. This place is amazing and well worth a day or 2 or even a week! Bring lots of film and be careful walking around the cliffs. The best campsite, which we didn?t get L , looks right over the cliffs. It is the second last site, I think, and has no access to water (a small price to pay).
A note to everyone: I was a little disappointed with "garbage" around the campsites at Thunder House. I found it hard to believe that people coming down this river, who would have lots of camping experience or they wouldn?t be there, would leave garbage behind! We burnt all the garbage we found at our site and carried non-burnable out. We left it clean again and I hope it stays that way.
Do me a favour while you are there, throw rocks at the "Tour" helicopter that buzzes by a couple times of day now. This is a spiritual place and should be free of modern man even in the sky!
Day 3 (July 22nd) 22km
This was the day of portaging. First a 700m then a 2.3km. You have to take a look at the gorge at Hells Gate (do not run these rapids!) which we saw from the campsite at the end of Hells Gate. The best view apparently is halfway down the trail, through the bush, to the edge of the cliff. I saw orange markers leading that way so I guess that?s the way. This trail is muddy! A perfect rainy day trail.
At the end of Hells Gate the scenery is spectacular, a post card. You can say good bye to the Canadian Shield after Bells Bay. Bells Bay is a great place to camp but we didn?t (as usual). The scenery changes dramatically now, sandy cliffs replace rocky outcrops. There is evidence of mud slides along the banks, be careful where you camp on a rainy day. We camped along the river bank where Coal River meets the Missinabi, bug city! We did hike up the creek to find the historic trading post, but the brush has over grown everything making it impossible to see anything. Well worth walking up the river though.
I forgot to mention, watch out for leeches, bring salt to get rid of the little guys. One of our party (Gord as usual) was a magnet for the little buggers!
Day 4 (July 23rd) 48.5k
The day of the animals! This day was special, we left early and within minutes saw a Moose standing in the river. Then we rounded the bend and saw 2 wolf pups playing along the bank. 30 minutes later another Moose on the bank and somewhere in there we saw an Otter. This was a great day, most of the day we lashed our canoes together, drifted and swam. We camped at a great spot where the Soweska River meets the Missinaibi. This was probably my favourite camp spot on the trip.
Day 5 (July 24th) 50km
The day we built a ship. Today we a built our sail boat. The prevailing winds are in line with the river around this part?take advantage of this.
We lashed a branch to the back of the back seats and a branch to the back of the front seats. Separated by about .5 meters this held the 2 canoes together to make a catamaran. We then lashed a branch to the centre of the front support and a cross brace on top to hold the sail. We used lots of rope for the rigging and an old tent fly for the sail. A group we met at Thunder House were going to use an old parachute with a few panels removed. Our boat was solid and needed no more than a couple ropes tightened during the course of trip. When the wind picked up we "flew" down the river. One guy steered while the others slept or read. The only time we worked together was going down rapids?yes rapids can be run tied together working as team. I?m not sure where we camped this day.
Day 6 (July 25th) 50km
Today I sliced my leg open with a knife! Don?t play with sharp things kids! Let this be a lesson to all wilderness travellers, carry a well stocked first-aid kit and take a course on how to use it. I fortunately had a good kit with the stuff necessary to close the wound properly. Be careful and remember there is no help for days on this trip, so be prepared!
We sailed/canoed for 50km this day. To navigate here you must use the river bends and creeks as your guide. Pay attention to the bends and creeks running into the river and you will know exactly where you are, if you miss something you may get lost for a few days!
We came to the end of the Missinaibi, what a sad day! We camped on an island where the Missinaibi meets the Moose River. We were about to cook dinner when a storm hit, the neat thing is the land is so flat the sky is bigger and you can see these storms coming in and be ready for them.
One interesting thing about both of these rivers, they are a fossil finders heaven. You?ll find 350 million year old coral, snails, teeth and other stuff all along the banks. If you know your geography this area was once an ocean.
Day 7 (July 26th) 45km
The Moose River is wide and shallow, Ontario Hydro controls the level at this point and your water level depends on what the boozos are doing up stream. If you are lucky they may have opened the damns and you?ll fly down the river. The wind died a bit so today we had to paddle most of the time lashed together. We came to the bridge and just missed a train going over, by the way if you are tired you can take out here and flag the "Little Bear" down and go home. The Little bear stops for flag downs. This is a good spot to unload an injured person for help.
The Gypsen Caves (what caves?) were cool. We ate lunch here then paddled/sailed to an Island somewhere down stream to camp.
Day 8 (July 27th) 27km
Around this point you?ll start seeing the Cree in their big green cargo canoes coming up the river to fish and hunt. One stopped us and asked if we were "Pirates",I guess a sailboat isn?t common in these parts. None the less they are really nice people.
We paddled/sailed for a while and saw a black bear along river left, one sound and it was high tailing it into the woods. At lunch we disassembled our beautiful ship, how sad that was. It was fun, while we were tied together, talking to everyone and letting the wind do most of the work. The reason we dismantled was we knew we were coming to the "big" rapids. The K (something) rapids. The low water didn?t make them as dangerous as we read but they were big and worth being cautious about. We stayed left and by passed all the canoe swamping standing waves in the right of centre. Scout these puppies first if you can. It?s weird because the Moose has little tiny rapids mostly and then there are these big ones canoe swampers!
We camped on Hancock Island around 2:30pm.
Day 9 (July 28th) 20km
Today, for the first time, we actually had a head wind! No matter, by 1:30pm we were in Moosonee. Stay left the whole way to get there. As you approach you?ll wonder, "Where the hell do I take out??" Let me help you; Paddle about mid way in town, you?ll see a dock with a bit of activity, with green cargo canoes and similar water craft. This is the water taxi dock to get to Moose Factory which is before the "Polar Princes" tour boat dock. This is a great spot because there are 2 hotels right there or if you feel energetic your can paddle across to Tidewater Park after stocking up. Also the main street is there to check the train schedule (more later).
I have to mention the spiritual thing that happened the last day. An hour before the trip ended a fox appeared at the edge of the river, it looked at us then took off into the woods. Isn?t it strange that foxes saw us at the start our trip, and watched us at the end our trip? Was the river God looking after us to the end??
After dinner we paid our respects to the river again, thanking it for a successful trip. We offered a mixture of tobacco, sweet grass, cedar and sage (the 4 sisters).
MOOSONEE
The gateway to the Hudson/James Bay corridor as I like to put it. This town gets all the supplies by train then, it is shipped by plane or barge to the isolated communities along the coast. Moosonee is a little different then most towns, for somewhere isolated by roads they sure drive a lot! My hometown has less traffic!
We stayed at the Moosonee lodge for $86 for 2 beds. A nice treat to sleep without bugs. The hotel even let us put our canoes in their garage. There are two hotels beside each other both of the same owners. The Polar Bear Lodge had a room that could hold 4 for $111 including tax, we lost out because we were debating what to do when the Polar Bear Express train came in and everybody took the rooms?.act fast!
The train station is at the end of 1st street. Before you do anything send someone there to confirm the train times and maybe you can talk to the crew and get your canoe on early. By the way the last day we got a taxi to take 2 canoes and all our gear to the train station for $20. Okay, we cheated, but portaging was not in the cards that day!
For dinner/lunch there are only a few places in town. All close at either 8:00pm or 9:00pm so don?t plan on a late night of drinking or eating. The prices are surprisingly comparable to down south. There are no bank machines in town so bring enough money or use Visa.
Now that you have paddled this far, and James Bay is only a stone throw, what do you do? We chartered a plane for $125 including tax, which took the 4 of us to James and up the Moose River for about a 30 minute flight, well worth it. It?s a great way to see where you came from and the landscape beyond the river bank. Cheap too!! There is a better chance to see the Beluga Whales this way. The Whales hang out just off the coast where the Moose River drains into James Bay.
The other thing you can do is get on the "Polar Princess" (I think that?s what it?s called). The office is right where I mentioned to take your canoe out. They offer a 6.5hr trip to James Bay, lunch and a 2 hour stop over at Moose Factory all for $43.50 per person. This trip leaves every day at 9:00am. Or you can get a Cree in a big green canoe to take you out for $20 each. Do not paddle beyond Moosonee. The tidal currents take effect here and you could get swept out to visit the Beluga?s, unintentionally!
Here is something really exciting to do, you can take a "Bus Tour" of the town of Moosonee. Can you imagine?! This tour is $8.50 per person and departs at 8:00pm.
What is worth while is seeing the Ministry of Natural Resources building. They have great displays and you?ll read about the geography and wildlife you saw on your trip. Also there is a little museum celebrating the fur trade (I can?t recall the name but its on the way to the MNR building). Remember that the fur trade actually built this country, hence the canoe, so pay your respects!
BUG REPORT
Bring your bug coat and wear long pants?this place is deadly when there is no wind. When there's wind, enjoy!
ANIMALS WE SAW
2 Moose
2 Bald Eagles
2 Otters
5 Fox
2 Wolf Cubs
Lots of Red Tail Hawks
1 Arctic Tern
1 Black Bear
1 Sandhill Crane
Leeches
Ducks
Toads
Woodpeckers
WEATHER
23-33 Celsius
Hot, humid and sunny with 2 Storms at night
Water was 25 Celsius (nice and toasty!)
PHONE NUMBERS
Moosonee Lodge 705-336-2351
Osprey Country Inn 705-336-2226
Sue Powel B&B 705-336-2864
Bushland Airways Ltd. 705-336-2966
Northland Ontario (train/bus) 1-800-268-9281 (good luck!)
Northland Ontario – Cochrane Station 705-272-4228
Northland Ontario (Bus) 705-472-4500
Polar Princess 705-336-2944/2521
Ontario Provincial Police (Cochrane) 705-272-4391
Ontario Provincial Police (Emergency) 1-800-661-6777
Missinaibi Park 705-234-2222
Tidewater Provincial Park 705-314-1717
EMERGENCY PLAN
This is isolated wilderness. Bring proper safety gear. We brought:
River rescue kit
Comprehensive First-Aid kit with metal splints
Flares
Strobe
3 throw bags, one with a tow line.
There is no communication that I know about. Cell phone ends past Hwy#11. Check into radio frequencies if you have one. The only communication in the event of an emergency is a PLB. This is an international satellite emergency beacon which will activate the Search and Rescue response team in Trenton, Ontario. Basically if you don?t have one of these just pray nothing happens! Hey that?s the wilderness!
Emergency takeout spots are; the Moose River train crossing and Moosonee itself.
Leave a detailed plan with someone back home and/or check in with the Cochrane OPP. They are responsible for that area.
Be Safe!
Joe Bourgeois; Akuni Adventures Inc.
www.Akuni.com
