Canadian Canoe Routes - A Meeting Place for Canadian Wilderness Paddlers

Routes | Route Description Terminology

We use a somewhat abbreviated system for describing routes. As you browse through these pages, you'll see something like this.

North then east through George Lake
P 50 m into Smith River
P 150 m R around small falls
P 230 M L around rapid or CBR
West through Jones Lake
Return via same route

The intent of the route description is mainly to enable users to "trace" the route on a map. Some items may require a little explanation.

When you see a description like:

P 50 m into Smith River

It simply means that the water ends and you've got a 50 metre portage to get into the Smith River. These tend to be an overland carry not adjacent to a river - in that case we would normally say what side of the river you portage on. For example:

P 150 m R around small falls

This means that the portage is 150 metres long, and it is on the right side of the river. This is 'River Right,' which means the right side as you paddle along in the direction of the description.

Then we find a line like:

P 230 M L around rapid or CBR

I've received more email about the 'CBR' abbreviation than anything else on the site. Let's clear this up for once and for all. CBR does not mean:

Canoe will Bust on the Rocks
Canoe will Bottom out in Rapids

And it most definitely does not mean:

Can Be Run

The abbreviation CBR means:

Check Before Running

This does not mean a rapid is runnable. It means that it has been run in the past, and might be runnable when you get there. How do you know if it's runnable when you look at it?

It's kind of like the adage about buying a Rolls Royce. "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it!"

In a similar vein, when you look at a section of whitewater, if you have to ask whether it can be run, you should probably be on the portage trail.

Whitewater conditions can vary wildly from season to season, sometimes even from day to day. Before you run any rapid, you had better be certain that your equipment and skills make the grade. A rapid which is described as CBR may be runnable in the summer, but not in the spring. Then again, it may be runnable in the spring, but not the summer. There's only one person who can make that call, and that person is you.

These route descriptions are not intended to be adequate for navigation.

They are simply an abbreviated description which will enable you to trace the route on a topographic map.

For navigation purposes, you need the appropriate topo maps and/or other detailed route information.