WILDWATERS: Upper Magnetawan River Whitewater Canoe Trip
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- I team up with Alex from Northern Scavenger and Jim Baird - Adventurer for an epic canoe trip. Watch as the three of us, plus Buck (of course!), join forces to paddle some gnarly high flows on the Upper Mag. Such a rush!
The Magnetawan River flows 175km from Algonquin provincial park to Georgian Bay, but it's the wild and scenic upper and lower sections that attract canoeists. Our adventure begins at Poverty Bay Chutes. Paddling downstream to Wahwashkesh Lake, our journey will take us through numerous rapids, swollen and churning with unseasonably high water levels. Over the course of our 28km trip, the river tumbles nearly 55m over chutes and run-able rapids, of up to class IV difficulty.
Needless to say, we couldn't wait to get on the water and experience the thrill of the river for ourselves....
TEASER TRAILER: • Upper Magnetawan River...
Jim Baird's channel: bit.ly/2Pq8QqH
Alex from Northern Scavenger's channel: bit.ly/2P2eG2f
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Thanks for watching.
Trail mix baby! Whoooo! That was a good time despite the weather and we did hit some nice rapids.
Jim man, I think you need to do a shirt with that and a face full of trail mix on it!! LMAO! Seriously though, great trip. Good rapids and great company. Until next time!
Those rapids you portaged looked very runable, just need to work on your braces. I always like to carry a spare paddle.
That dog is the hero of the trip. Unbelievable!
Hotcore Outdoor Products he is! Haha.
Buck is a champ! Amazingly trained and chill
Any trip with Jim Baird would be awesome. I just realized you got one of the best crew ever.
Haha, yeah real fun crew! Was great to get together on the water. So glad we could be joined by the late and great Buck!
OMG...the bugs...reawakening nightmares for me but still can't dampen the thrill of whitewater
Heck yes! Whitewater always outweighs bugs!!
Cracking vid boys! It's got to said the pooch stole the show!
Haha, gotta agree with you on that one. Buck is amazing!!
What a friggin amazing video. Some pretty great paddling over those rapids.Was so great seeing Buck again. I had watched Jim’s video but somehow missed this one. Great time to get caught up on all of you’s. Thanks for sharing😘
working as a white water guide for the first time this summer and running the mag.This video is getting me super excited!!!
Wow! Nice gig! Black feather? It's a sweet river to run. You're gonna love it. All my favourite rapids are on the stretch below Wawashkesh Lake. You go through some impressive (for South-Central Ontario) canyons. Enjoy!!
Couldn't stop smiling. Great job with the edit on this as usual Brad!
Haha, love to hear that Matt! Glad you enjoyed it!!!
Hometown River! The Mighty Mag! Love this river. I beat it most of the time but she gets me back every once in a while. Great vid boys! Glad you enjoyed the trip
Really nice river to paddle!! I have done the Lower numerous times, but this was my first run down the Upper! It didn't disappoint!
Awesome trip from another perspective! Thanks!
Jims dog is awesome! I can't believe you guys found that paddle. Jim is a mad man. This is a rad video. Those bugs were crazy! I like to eat well on my adventures as well. Just subbed ya
He's leaving, but he's going the same way as us........lol
This looks like a blast of a run! Might consider doing it in September, any chance you can share when this was recorded?
I just can't deal with those mosquitos! After growing up in mosquito heaven MN I now enjoy the bug free mountains in CO... Never going back! But dang those rivers look fun!
Fantastic trip dudes! You guys are braver than me. I would just not stand that much bugs around me and eating me alive like this . That alone would ruin my day, no kiddin. I loved seeing buck bravely doing his part of the job dragging his tail in the water when needed ! Unsinkable cool and proactive dog ! Lol
Buck is a legend. He's tougher than all of us combined ha!
My two favourite TH-cam paddlers paddlin' together. Sweet. :D
Great trip, solid dudes, beautiful location. Jim is a different breed all together. “Buckin’ around”😂
Haha yeah Jim is a beast!! Was a blast to paddle with him and Buck! Great crew!!
Great stuff boys! Baird handling mosquitoes like a champ!
Haha, yeah they were pretty excessive. I haven't worn bug spray in years, thankfully we have the bug jackets and shelter for sanity!
As a whitewater kayaker some of these "portage rapids" look like a great time XD
Oh man! For sure! You could run everything on this river. Would be a blast on a kayak
As a whitewater canoer some of these "portage rapids" look like a great time XD
Very nice video with great editing. I enjoyed it.
Hey thanks for watching 😁 The edit took quite a while on this one!
This was spot on needed tonight thank you guys.
So glad! :)
White water, up to class 4... with a dog!! Impressive Brad.
Buck is a beast! He walks the bush along some of the biggest rapids and always comes back to the canoe!
You guys make that look so fun! Too much for me though. I'll stick to watching. Thanks for sharing
Haha, thanks for watching Mark. Always a blast to paddle some whitewater 😁
Jamming! Love it!
Yeaaa!!
Fun video! I think Jim stole the spot light though with his “trail mix baby” bit. That’s some gold content. Awesome job on the video.
Haha! He came right out of nowhere with that! 😅🤣 Too funny!! Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it! 😀
Excellent video, thank you!
Yeah! Boys that was a ball!
Heck yeah dude! Woulda been great to have you along for the first part too. The lower section looked awesome as well!
Really enjoyable watch. Nice to see the animal (Jim Baird) joining you on the trip. He adds another layer of fun and entertainment (I remember his epic west to east trip through Algonquin with his brother … savage). As to the dump you had in the rapids, my theory is that it was all the dead weight of mosquitos you had on you that caused an imbalance, followed by the spill.
Hey thanks for watching! Haha, Jim is a blast to have along on trip. Great times, lots of laughs!
I like your rapid theory, I think we'll stick with it 😉 The skeeters were mighty bad for June though...
Excellent video Guys.
Thanks Doug!!
Enjoyed seeing the three of you get together on this one...and finally see Alex again! You been hiding lately 😂
Thanks Paul! Yeah. I think Alex has a fair excuse!
@@ExploreTheBackcountry Oh? Hope he's alright!
@@PaulSchortemeyer oh yeah. They crossed Labrador on a big canoe trip and have been busy with the edits ever since.
Awesome video.
Thanks!!
I love the rain. I was hoping I would see it the entirety of your video.
Haha, being out there in it... we were so glad when it finally passed. It had rained for 30hrs straight!
@@ExploreTheBackcountry I understand what you're saying, but it's the rawness of everything that makes a super video. The stuff that makes it riveting and exciting. Thank you for this.
Awesome to see you back again and with a great group. Great vids like this prolong the season as I stare out the window at all the snow and -35 C, is it summer yet? Thumbs up.
Oh yeah! Had a great summer paddling around. This trip was hella fun!! Winter is the best time to edit, so more videos will be coming out over the next few months 😁.
just went on my first river canoe trip and had a blast! this is such a great video, great job documenting, i know first hand it's a pain in the ass haha.
Wicked!! They're addicting. You'll be back for more trips hands down!!
just subscribed.. great video and soundtrack ...
i’ve paddled a lot as well but not done the upper Mag, beautiful area for sure !!!!!
Thanks!!! 👍👍
Upper Mag is a great run. You can keep going down to the Bay or loop via the Island Lake and Noganosh systems. Great little corner of the province to paddle!
I love long canoe trips, but those mosquitos, damn! The worrrst! Reminds me of the Boundary Waters in MN! -_- I was sad you didn't run any of the bigger rapids though! (Even more sad that you didn't at least show footage of all the rapids you portaged!)
Thanks for watching. The only rapids we really skipped were Cody and Ross, both C IV. Was pretty sure Ross was a guaranteed dump so we portaged it while Jim flipped, lol. Cody was iffy. I scouted it and was hesitant for 45mins. At these levels there was a pushy wall shot and only a 1ft wide slot between that and a boulder that screamed pin, we ran the bottom though, which is in the vid. The constant rain and bugs made it hard to film at times and the other chutes we bypassed had trails too far away from the canyons, there are a few shots of them sprinkled throughout.
Great video
Thanks!!
Awesome video 👍👌
Thanks!!
Big Jim! Nice to see your guys prospective, that was sick! When/how did you get into whitewater?
Wow awesome! I have been really loving your videos! Which bug suit are you guys wearing? I have the Eureka 13 no bug zone and I think I need to also get a suit. I am so glad I found your channel I paddle with my German Shepard Lila in a 16 nova craft bluesteal prospector...That tough stuff expedition is a beast! Thanks!
Sweet trip!
Thanks man!! Awesome river to run!
The best parts of the river are down river from Wahwashkesh, you should plan a return visit. My video from July 2013 shows some of it. I was expecting to see an overhead shot from the Cody bridge as the boats ran under the bridge, what happened there? It wasn't much of a time or distance saving for you going through the Maple Island culvert when you could have paddled around the corner without getting out of your boats. What were you thinking there? Hoping to see you on the river -- DonMcM
Don't know if anyone asked yet but what was that bug shelter. It's the eureka but what was the size? We are heading to Temagami this summer and are in need of a new shelter.
Oh yeah, that's a Eureka! VCS 13 with mesh. I believe it has been replaced by the new model NoBugZone. It's a great system. I don't know how we ever tripped without it!
Awesome vid! What is the model and make of the canoe you are using?
Definitely made a good trio + Buck! I’ve got to get more ww under my belt.
Great crew, Buck was the real MVP though! Haha, we had an awesome time.
the puppy dog
With all the outfitting for the boys, but nothing for the dog!
You'd have to talk to Jim about his dog, Buck. Buck's been on some serious expeditions, he's a mighty seasoned pup.
@@ExploreTheBackcountry My wife said, "You guys are experienced and all decked out with lift vests on so why is it different for buck?" Thanks for responding. Merry Christmas
Awesome video!! What are those bug jackets you guys have they look great? Might need to grab one
you guys are so freaking cool
👍
Alright guys ! That looks awesome.
Hey what about one of those doggy life vests they make, just in case pooch drops out IN the rapids. It's possible to spill 'yer beer even if you know 'yer lines...if 'ya know what I'm sayin"...
You'd have to ask Jim about the lifejacket for his dog. I have definitely seen them in use before. It's a pretty great idea!
That’s about the worst mosquitos I’ve ever seen! I thought for a second that might carry you off.
Awesome video and channel, subscribed. ✌️
Unreal, thanks 😁
Enjoyable. I have passes the Mag on the way North many times. Thank you for the high water view. How is/was the toe?
It's a great river! Lots of enjoyable stretchesnif rapids and fantastic scenery!
Ah the toe took a while to heal (3 mo). I can still slightly feel it in the joint but I have full functionality again. That's my third time fracturing it too 😒
Gentlemen, gret film. I am from Michigan and wondering if there is enough flow to run this stretch in August at low water? Thanks!
Hey thanks for watching!! I have run the lower Mag in August. It's a better stretch for later in the season as the portages are in better shape and you can make a loop out of it. It would depend upon the year, but in low water/late summer, you'd be doing more walking/lining than running.
Очень красивая река!
Yeah! Really is! Those canyons are magnificent!
Is that Pauli Shore??
Wow, found a doppelganger! haha
Love the paddling and scenery. Why do so many wilderness adventure videos seem to come with obligatory soundtracks. Your footage speaks for itself. We don't put on headphones and listen to music when running rapids. It's like some MTV
show with all the music trying to cue people's emotions.
I respect the difference of opinion, it's really just a personal editing style. I make a film in the manner as to how I want to remember and relive it. Editing is half of the fun for me as I get to express some creativity and produce a product I enjoy watching and reliving in the end.
There are plenty of music free videos out there if that's what your searching for.
Explore Dudes: (In full on bug suits) The bugs are brutal, we are getting dive bombed!
Jim Baird: (No bug suit) What Bugs?
Lamooo. Untill he swallowed a dozen or so 😁😁😁
Really nice. I'll share this if you don' mind.
No prob!! Go right ahead. Thanks for watching 😁
"Let's go blueberry " 🤣🤣🤣
What if the dog falls in?. Where’s its life jacket?
Not to be too judgmental & I understand that fun is where you find it.; but you guys are crazy. Brian 79
Haha, no judgement passed Brian. Whitewater is a ton of fun 😁 Getting the skill set up ensures plenty of thrills. Still lots of work ahead for me personally too. Can never stop learning!
Awesome videos, you guys need to invest in some mosquito repelant.
Awesome video Brad, looks like a great time!! Bugs aside..lol
Thanks! Was an amazing time! Good company, lots of laughs and great whitewater! Bugs and the rain were miserable for sure. Those bug shelters are worth every penny!
How can I download to watch off line? Ron
I think you need YoutTube premium to do that. There are third party browser plugins you can also use.
You've superb thing listed here.
Thanks!!!
theres so many rapids
Magnetawan has a bunch of sets. It's a great river to do a multiday whitewater trip on!
Yikes! Those bugs had me squirming...
Sad part is, they weren't the worst of the season either.... Was a horrid year for the insects
Wellcome to Siberia))! Less mosquitoes!
Would be a really cool region to visit! I have often looked at the most for possible paddling options over there 😁
Sweet...although you should be fined for feeding the mosquitoes. One more thing, looks like your butts are on the seat, get on your knees for white water it will be revolutionary for your boat feel and handling. Way more control and much harder to get tipped.
Everyone was kneeling and our canoes have some nice knee pads and thigh straps (which you can only use while kneeling but give you nice stability and control). The spray deck masks this by covering it up though. However, in fairness, I have a pseudo kneel going on as I had knee surgery a month prior and had not returned full flexibility yet, so one knee was fully bent while the other was half/stretched. Awkward, but manageable for this trip. I was able to regain full flexibility by the end of the summer .
I couldn't make out your faces, from the mosquitoes.
Ha.... yeah the past spring and early summer was one of the worst bug seasons in recent memory. This wasn't even the peak....
Great trip! What model screen/bug tent is that?
Thanks! That is a Eureka! VCS 13 Tarp and Net. I believe it was replaced by the No Bug Zone.
Run. The. Rapids. .... Have. Some. Fun. .......Portage. To. The. Car......lol
No helmets and no pfd on the dog!
We were all wearing helmets on the rapids as shown.
Poor pooch. idt either of my girls would be happy with me after that.
Friggin bugs eat lots of garlic.
Bugs can beat you up big time. Swallowing them isn’t fun. Your breakfast looks like someone dumped pepper all over it.
need koi fish in those rivers. they eat mosiqitoe lava
Skeeters on the Mag are no joke. Some of the worst I have ever seen.
Oh yeah, they could almost carry you away! Made worse by all the spring rains. Was a horrific season for bugs all around.
fucking hell jim
so much sketch needs a pad and pen
Haha, I see what you did there 🤣 Might steal that for future use.....