Bonaventure River: Solo Canoe Trip on a Wild Québec River
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ม.ค. 2020
- In September of 2018, I paddled Eastern Quebec's Bonaventure River. Water levels were extremely low, leading to bony, technical runs instead of the pushy waters this river is known for. However, the amazingly clear waters remained!
This was a short trip as I was in the region to compete in Raid Raid International Gaspésie, a 4 day, 300km staged adventure race. Teams from around the world took part in the challenging race which athletes paddle, trek, run, bike and climb through the breathtaking Gaspé Peninsula: Full video of that here: • Raid International Gas...
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Bonaventure River is one of the best places in the world for see kayaking🤩
Wow, so nice. Great drone shots, water looked amazing.
Nice scenery, that's for sure. Thanks, enjoyed it!
Très cool les boys ! Enjoy the beau pays of Kébec !
Very gorgeous scenery. Looked like a fun trip.🥰
The entire region is mesmerizing!! Wish I had more time (and flows) to do a longer trip! Next time....
You may or may not know how good you guys have it over there. Amazing scenery!
Stunning scenery. Looked like a perfect little trip. 🤘
Awe yeah! Thanks!!
Canada is God's country.
Nice video, beautiful to see that clean water & pristine forest around you - dont ever take it for granted I have seen that change in South Africa in 25 years - thanks for chill time Mate.....
Hey, thanks for watching! Disappearing wild lands near you?? 😥 How is the paddling in South Africa?
Beautiful! Downstreams that river seemed like the perfect combination of adventure, relaxation and beautiful nature. Good production too 👍 Keep it up, I really like your content 🙏
Hey thanks for watching 😁 You got that right, it was the perfect combo! Highly recommend a paddle here. Thanks for stopping by, take care!
Wow, Thanks for showing me a part of the wilderness I haven't thought much about. The things I passed up on in my youth that are hardly possible at 80. Thanks Brian 79
Hey Brian, thanks for watching! Always happy to share 😁 Glad you enjoyed.
We really enjoyed this. Our adventure last year was fishing flounder and mackerel from kayak and paddle board off Cape Breton. We traveled south of St. Laurence river. Hope to do a northern route next year and take a ferry across to Gaspe. Thanks for sharing your beautiful adventures, we love them!
Wow! Now that's sounds like a lot of fun! Haven't got out to Cape Breton, but it's on the endlessly growing list of places to check out!
The drive around the Peninsula itself is worth it. The north shore is really stark; where the mountains directly meet the ocean. Take a drive through the park in the centre too. Well worth it! Happy exploring!
Loved it that you can chill the beer in the frigid waters of the Bonadventure river man!!
Haha, oh yeah! It's, "take your breath away cold". Super handy tho 😁😁😁
Wow, awesome footage! What beautiful scenery!! Thanks for sharing it. Thanks to your inspiration, we just booked our Bonaventure river adventure with Cime. So stoked for the Bonaventure!
Wow!!! So great to hear! You're going to love it! How much of the river are you going to be paddling? Enjoy! There's so much to see out there, hopefully you have some extra time to explore the coast and the Chic-Choc Mountains too.
@@ExploreTheBackcountry We'll be 7 days in the Gaspe region, 2 1/2 days on the river (lower part). Can't wait! Your trips always inspire us to try your routes, so keep paddling and posting!!
Awesome! Enjoy! You're going to love it out there!!
Great content man, really glad I stumbled upon your video! I’ve been longing to take a trip to Quebec, it’s been a while since the last one!
A great video to start the new year. Looking forward for the next one. Happy New Year.
Thanks so much Rene! Happy new year!! Hard at work on the next one 😁😁
What a beautiful river. Nice trip man, thanks for sharing.
Thanks man!! The entire peninsula has amazing rivers like this. Awesome tripping destination. Thanks for watching!
You always make some great videos. I've enjoyed watching them!
Hey thanks! Glad you've enjoyed them 😀😀 more on the way!
Wow that is such a beautiful and inviting landscape. Excellent video!
Thanks Matt! Really is, hopefully you get out that way one day to explore for yourself 🤙
What a great trip! Along with the scenery you lucked out with great blue skies 👍 awesome stuff!!!
Oh yeah! Even the clouds and mist during the morning hours were wonderful to paddle through too!
Oh wow, I’ve set the reminder. Can’t wait....
Awesome! See you there 😁
Beautiful river, great video. Thanks!
Thanks Miah!
What a beautiful river! Great idea to ride the bike back!
Haha, well when the shuttle service won't cooperate, you look for alternative methods 😁 Plus, Who can turn down a ride through the mountains?!
@@ExploreTheBackcountry Yes I imagine the ride must have been quite scenic too, and added some more fun to the entire adventure!
Got the right 😁 gravel and narrow 4x4 roads. Lots of fun!
And I wasn’t disappointed. Nice Brad, very nice.
Haha, glad I didn't disappoint Paul 😉
Great little 2 day trip... I may need to look this one up but I would need more than 2 days to get some fishing in... Dennis, Canoehound Adventures
That really looked like fun. What a beautiful river. Nice drone shots.
Oh yeah! Tons of fun 😀😀 Thanks for watching!
Awesome production, as usual, loved the part about the "crystalline" waters... and that intro (haha)!
Thanks!! Glad you liked it! :) Hahaha, my mastery of the french language really shone here ;)
Clarity of that water is incredible. Beautiful sparsely inhabited country you have there, I can only dream! If that river was in England there'd be signs every few kms saying ‘no landing’ ‘no canoes’. Greetings from England.
Ahh, there are countless of these clear rivers all along this coast, and that's just a tiny sample of what we have over here across the pond. Glad you enjoyed it! Hopefully one day you can venture over and experience it for yourself!
I would love to paddle up in Northern Scotland though... Have read some very interesting trip reports.
You've got some awesome content! Keep up the great work!
Thanks Rob!!! More on the way 😁
Very well done fantastic looking area
The Gaspésie region is stunning. I've been 4 times, keep on returning.... Thanks for watching!
Great job man!
Thabks dude!
Great video again as always Brad.
Where you finished, at the Bay of Chaleur, that too has some nice paddling. I did a solo trip in 2001 from the New Brunswick/ Quebec border down to Nova Scotia years back. Followed that up with another solo paddle from the New Brunswick/ Maine border right up into Moncton New Brunswick.
In between though was a "Brief" 1700 km solo bicycle tour basically around the perimeter of New Brunswick with a couple short hops into Maine and Quebec.
what a wonderful country we live in to explore hey!
Thanks Joe! Heck yes, I've paddled the Bay quite a few times. It has been a part of Raid International Gaspésie, which I've races 4 times. Have covered +1200km of river, mountain and coast out there as part of the race series. Gorgeous region. Never disappoints!!
Did you ride trail or mix surface on your perimeter trip? Lots of great MTB trails out that way, but would love a big tour as well!
@@ExploreTheBackcountry My ride was done on a mountain bike with front and rear panniers. Mostly paved back roads with a mix of gravel thrown in.
When doing it again, or in another province, the goal would be to be on pavement as little as possible, trying to do the majority on dirt/ gravel roads, trails etc.
For several years now I've toyed with the concept of trying to piece together a coast to coast bike trip on mainly gravel roads, dirt, trails etc and to make it cover as remote a route as I can come up with.
Very nice.... A different river in June with high water.. We have done the full length twice, amazing adventure...
Very jealous Jim! Wish I had the time and flows to have done the entire river. Hopefully one day. It's such a stunning landscape!!
Loved it.
Thanks Jason!! 😁👍
You gotta check out the Restigouche river in the Gaspesie following the Quebec and New Brunswick border. 90km stretch taking about 3 days. More mellow than the Bonaventure
Yeah !! I've paddled about 25km of it out to Matapedia before. Really nice river. You really can't go wrong with any of the rivers in that region.
@@ExploreTheBackcountry if you ever get a chance. Try the stretch of the restigouche river where the kedgwick river and restigouche meet. Much more pristine. Also another spot id like to check out is lac temiscouata. 45 km long 5 km wide lake. Cheers, have a good one
Wow breath taking. ..
Certainly is!! 😁
Thanks for great content brother
Thanks man!! That's a great part of the country to explore
I love most of your adventures, but they are usually a little too "bushwacky" for me... But this... This is my cup of tea!! added to the list! thank you for sharing!
Haha fair enough 😁 Its a magnificent river. Hope you get out and paddle it one day!
I actually tend not to film the majority of our non-bushwhacky adventures. Only 1/3 of our trips make it to TH-cam. But noted, maybe I'll toss up some more in the future!
Awesome video. ✌️
Thanks 😁😁
The coast of the Gaspe is crowded during the summer. The interior is incredible, saw snow on several peaks, in July, years ago. With the weather you had, you should have done a 3 day trip.
Ah I so wish! Original plan was for 3 days and further upstream, but the shuttle got cancelled and there was a big washout, so I opted to self shuttle via bike. I was out there for a race so I had limited time to work with. I've been out there 4 times and all throughout the interior, all during mid-September after the majority of crowds dissipate, thankfully! Such a gorgeous region!!
Very Cool!
Thanks 😀
Yes! Hope you do more trips in Québec. This river looked beautiful and you captured it well. One point on pronunciation: you kept saying “gas-pee-zay” when it’s pronounced “gas-pay-zee” :) Gespeg is a Mikmaq word for Land’s End.
maybe its Canadian dyslexia with a mikmak twist?
Have got a few more potentially in the works 😉
And thanks! Haha, I struggle with proper french pronunciation. Good to know! It's a fitting description for the region, especially with the cliffs and rivers meeting the ocean in such a stark landscape.
Dream trip, my dad is from the town just after Bonaventure, many summers spent in the area
Awesome! It's such an amazing area. Love the little communities along the coast too. Very warm and friendly.
Keep sending videos , this where I will have my ashes dumped ..Canada!
Looking forward to this. Happy New Year!
Happy new year too you!! 😁
Hey man, nice little trip there! Great scenery. Gotta put the Bonaventure on the list now.
That moose looked somewhat ravaged with engorged ticks! I've seen this in Algonquin on occasion, some years worse than others.
Now on to the Magnetawan vid... one of the last vids with Buck in it I suppose :-(
Jason (Tumblehome)
Hey Jason, thanks for dropping a comment!
I think you'd really dig the Bonaventure. July is probably the best time to hit mild but decent whitewater without scraping like I did. The spring can get crazy!!
I wasn't sure about the moose if it was the flies, leaches or ticks? If it's ticks, that's horrible. I was under the impression this was north of their range, but they've been steadily spreading 👎👎👎
Poor Buck. So glad I got to meet him on a trip. That dog was something else. 😰
@@ExploreTheBackcountry Sounds good Brad. I'd need a proper boat for a trip down that river. The ticks on the Moose are not the same Black Legged ticks associated with Lyme etc. The're Moose ticks... bit bigger and not a threat to humans (they say) There's been a bit of an epidemic over the past few years... some moose are found with many thousands on them and it kills the weaker animals :-(
It's becoming more of a problem as the overall temps climb.
Have to do the lake to ocean trip. 5 Nights is lots of time. June is best time for water levels.
Very nice video Brad. wish I live there in Ontario or Quebec. The 10' deep snow and 6-7 months of 12 being frozen keeps me here in Georgia usa.
Haha, yeah that's a tradeoff indeed. Southern Ontario is milder (not like Georgia), but you dont get the wild places. Here in the north the winters are indeed bitter, but winter camping and winter sports do make up for it somewhat! It's about this time of year when I start going stir crazy for ice out though.... Thanks for watching as always!
Pity !
A dinner with steak , potato and salad ,,, with just --- one beer,,, LOL ,,, one beer , c'mon now , let's get with it !!!
Another great video Brad! Two questions: Why, in September, do you think the water was so cold. Also, how would this be for a sea kayak trip, possibly in August when the water levels may be a bit higher. Thanks!
Did you ever try the MOISIE river .sometimes referred to as the Nahanni of the east ?I It empties into the gulf of St. Lawrence north of Sept Isles I believe. I hear that it is a legendary wild river that not to many Canadians know about . I know someone who experienced river and she raved about it .
Love the water colour! How long is the drive out there?
Yeah, so clear. Most of the rivers out there are like that. The volume in the spring can get pretty big too with all the mountain runoff. Would love to return and paddle it from the headwaters at higher flows. It's about 18hrs from Timmins. I think 14hr from the GTA? Can always combine with a few other rivers too. Been out there 4 times now. The backpacking in the Chic-Chocs with the caribou is amazing too. Really love the Petite Cascapedia River too.
Wow, that water, reminds me of Nellie Lake, great video. Looks like a good river for beginner ww paddlers.
Oh yeah, definitely is a good beginner friendly river (except during the big spring run off). Yeah, really similar to Nellie in terms of clarity. The Bonaventure has a bit of iridescent green too. Really spectacular!
Cool! We missed the opportunity last spring due to lingering snow in the region. Oh well, Next time!
Hey David, always another year! I'd love to return in the spring and do a run of the entire river. I hear early June is usually a safe bet for ice while still retaining pushy waters.
@@ExploreTheBackcountry For sure! It would certainly be nicer with higher water. Ahhh, yeah, early June. That's exactly when we wanted to go and there was still too much snow!
Bummer dude... Crazy how much change occurs in so little time.
Big comparison; The Rio was so low for our trip. Doing some edit research for narration and I looked up some of those rapids at high flows. Damn. Wish we had those...
I recently discovered your channel and I'm now a subscriber. I really like and enjoy your content! Question..why a canoe and not a kayak? Just curious because a kayak seems easier to maneuver and portage.
Hey good question! In short, the canoe is far superior (in my experience) to the kayak for a long trip through interconnected lakes and rivers. Your load capacity is far greater and you can easily get in and out of the canoe when faced with myriad of obstacles that require lifting over or lining (log jams, beaver dams etc). Portaging is also a breeze with a canoe. A good yoke will perfectly balance the canoe on your shoulders and it's quite nimble. You can paddle solo, tandem, or with more in a single canoe too, depending upon the hull design.
For big open waters, a kayak is better, though, as canoeists, we still paddle our canoes on lakes and oceans as we prefer the craft.
Looks so amazing, so jealous, I don't think we have anywhere, where you can do this in Australia.
I knew a company that offers backcountry trips over there. I'm not sure where they're located though. I know Tasmania has a few options for sure. Mainly kayaking, but did see the odd canoe trip post.
Don't you guys use crocodiles for canoes down under?
“Clear water with salmon” gets excited
“Not fishing this trip” ....
Beautiful river, would love to be floating over salmon in water that clear.
Love the self shuttle method.
For a second, I thought you got a hat cut lol
The permit process in the ZEC is pretty regulated with certain areas you can and can't fish. You book pools I believe. It was too much of a hassle for such a short trip, unfortunately.
The bike method is the best! Originally I wanted to take the shuttle bus, but they have a minimum occupancy and if you don't meet the criteria, they charge you through the nose. It was either $300 or free with some physical exertion.
Haha, the hair comes and goes. Summer 2019 footage is the longest I've had in a while. Just wait untill you see that mess.... Lopped it off again last week though. It will never be shorter than 3" unless I really start to thin 😁
You got a new subscriber! I have been binge-watching. What kind of paddle is that? It looks like it cuts water.
Awesome!!! Really appreciate the support! Glad you've enjoyed the vids.
That's an Aquabound Edge Carbon. Great for river travel with whitewater and big wavy lakes. Been using it for 3 years now.
wow!!!! thanks
Thanks for checking us out!
Subscribed.
Only experts with excellent equipment should try this river in June or you may die. My friend and I almost did. We are experienced paddlers, but not experts. The gentle paddle in this video is not representative of the wild and treacherous river in Springtime when the waters reach the grassy banks.
Long 'wavetrain' stretches of huge haystacks, breaking waves, and voracious whirlpools dominate the straights, with strainers at every bend in the river and Keeper holes at every ledge. Miles without an eddy to pause. Our canoe was overwhelmed by standing waves multiple times. On the fourth rainy day, the canoe was submerged and then held vertically in a maelstrom in the middle of the floodwaters and we were stranded alone in the chilly rain on a rocky shoreline with no food or gear except what we were wearing. The next day, expert local voyageurs paddled by serendipitously and rescued us from freezing to death. We were fortunate as few are foolish enough to hazard this remote river in a wet June.
And don't trust the scoundrel outfitters at Cime Adventure. ☠
Brad, please set up a Patreon account so that your Superfans (like me) can contribute back to you for doing all the hard work of filming and editing your amazing adventures. I have watched your Lake Superior journey through Pukaskwa several times already (had traveled there last year myself). Your work is amazing, keep it coming.
Thanks
Matthew O'Keefe (Light Expeditionary)
Hey Matthew, thanks for the kind words! I never entertained the idea of a Patreon account because I figured we weren't 'big' enough and it's a just for fun thing to do for us. However, I'll look into setting one up now. We're looking to upgrade some of our video and editing equipment, with the hops of going 4k at some point in the near term.
Thanks kindly. Hope you enjoy some of the upcoming releases. Happy adventuring!
Brad
@@ExploreTheBackcountry I'll be the first to sign up! As an example, check out Erik Aandrea, his sailing adventures in the North Sea are epic! He has a patreon with several 100 contributors. He uses the money to buy drones, camera equipment, and to fix up and add gear to his sailboat. Keep the movies coming, very much appreciated!
@@ExploreTheBackcountry th-cam.com/users/kjolevannspumpe
th-cam.com/users/kjolevannspumpe
Perfect! Thanks Matthew! I'll be looking into all this over the weekend. Really appreciate your continued support. It means a lot to me and Wayne that folks enjoy what we put out.
oh wow
Bonner adventure been calling it that since jim Baird did it. I also thought Bonaventure was when you kneel on a canoe. I thought it was a technique 🤣
Hahaha, ol' Jimbo getting everyone confused with his dwarl haha. Great river to paddle (or pole).
very nice place. I was hiking in chic-choc on the same date.
Ohhh awesome!! Love it up through there. Did you see the Caribou in Parc national de la Gaspésie?? I was lucky enough to see one when I took a day hike through on my travels (it's in the intro sequence). Wonderful mountain range!
@@ExploreTheBackcountry I go hiking once a year in this park. I see caribou about once in 2. This year, I saw 2 on Mont-Albert. The Mont Jacques-Cartier sector has more caribou
Nice! Only been through the Jacques-Cartier section and that is indeed where we saw them. Great place to hike!
I do a lot of solo canoing and I learned to sit almost in the middle of the canoe.
Yup! This is a 16ft. I'm sitting in the bow facing the stern, so as close to the centre yoke as I can get while staying seated (vs kneeling at the thwart). The decked canoe has a reversible bow cockpit to facilitate solo paddling. The pack in the front (stern) helps to counter balance. I find I can get a nearly even trim this way.
what kind of canoe did you use on this one? would a fiberglass canoe work?
I’m watching this because I want to go kayaking on my bday…..September 2nd. Coincidentally the video was recorded on Sept 2nd. I’m meant to kayak….lol.
I did a couple of time the end of the river. And you now you can drink the water most of the way.
Paddling down at the mouth?
Are there any good places to park at the beginning and the end? Some friends and I are planning on kayaking this as well.
Yup! There are numerous, depends on which section of the river you paddle. Check out CIME Aventures (Outfitter). They had a map on their website under the Bonaventure tab.
Awesome. Thank you!
Is there a list what you’ve brought gearwise?
Hmm not really. I could probably put something together. It changes slightly depending on the trip type, season and duration but about 70% is the same.
How did you like that beer?
I think it was La bitt a tibi?
From what I can recall, it was enjoyable and refreshing after a long day of paddling 😀
I always try to pick up local craft or regional brews when I'm out!
@@ExploreTheBackcountry I'm from Abitibi, its an amazing beer crafted from one of the best natueal sourced water in the world. I know you're planning more trips in quebec soon, you should chek out abitibi-témiscamingue.
@@jkulrty I'm a stones throw away from there! I'm pretty sure I bought this in Rouyn-Noranda on my way east too. It's been a region I've been eyeing and northwards to Matagami as well
I was actually recently looking if any loop trips were possible near Val-d'Or.... Kipawa, Ottawa, etc
Damn that moose has a LOT of ticks on it. Poor gal
Solo trip? Leah couldn't go? She would have enjoyed it.
Yup, solo. I was out on the East coast for a race and managed to squeeze this one in before my teammates arrived. She was jealous though. We both traveled through the area a few years back. Hoping to get back and run the entire river in the future though!
Fuckin awesome vid, Ive only watched the first 5 mins, superb. Hey I miss you're partner, she is a wonder woman , if only I could have a women like that on my wild country trips. They are so strong, its an education.
canoes that are balanced fore and aft work better in wind
a lot of fun. One day responsibility will release me from its prison and I will be free to do something like this
But look at the poor moose female, she has wounds on her back legs at 10:03 minutes in the vidéo... either wolfs'bites or a cancer...
Fishing would increase your rations and you would need to pack less , it would take no effort if you just dragged a line from your canoe.
The permit process in the ZEC is pretty regulated with certain areas you can and can't fish. You book pools and sectors I believe. It was too much of a hassle for such a short trip, unfortunately. Also, costs upwards of $250 for the licence, as its a world renowned salmon fishery. I fish on some trips - e.g in the NW of Ontario this year, on 20 days of tripping, I ate fish every other day. I always pack an emergency fishing and snare kit though. On some trips, the pace and obstacles don't warrent much time to fish. Majority of my meals on long trips are self dehydrated and take up little weight or space. On a short trip such as this (without Portages), I'm not too concerned about food weight.
There's salmon in the river and your not going fishing? Wtf
Crazy permit process and expensive. It's like $200. Was only on the river for 2 days and on a whim as I was out there for a race.
Let's canoe down this nice river and enjoy nature. Bursts my ear drums with loud music. Bahn-avahn-cher. Psh.
My eardrums are just fine. You may want to get that checked though.... I eagerly await your sequel Spielberg. Psh.
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This is all that truly matters.
@@EM-mr8ys happy to hear that you in agreement 🙏🏼☺️🕊
just what i hoped for,crappy music on a great day to photograph a canoe trip,bye,bye
Great trip on a great river BUT……….the music kills it for me!! When are you guys going to realize WHY folks watch these vids?? The sound of the river is sufficient.