View topic - Keele River

Any of you folks ever paddle this river? Comments? It is on the list of rivers under consideration for our aging tired old paddlers group next summer.

Rob

We paddled the Keele this year, from just below the Natla confluence to Tulita (from where we got a boat ride to Norman Wells).
marscanoe is writing a report but had to drop it for a while to attend to CCR business.
I can try to answer questions.
Yours in paddling, Allan

_________________

If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all. (AJ)

My wife and I did the Natla/Keele to Norman wells. The keele part was fairiy easy, the Natla is probably the hardest river that we have done in the MacKenzie Mountains. We have done the Mountain, the Nahanni from moose ponds, Bonnet Plume, Wind, and Snake. The Natla was very small and technical, quite a handfull.

As you know water levels are the major factor. Higher or lower levels may make it easier or harder.

I agree with Joel that the Keele below the Natla confluence is fairly easy. We ran into bad boils and whirlpools (almost flipped once) in 4 places though. And most of us lined through another.
Hiking is good; we really loafed it down the Keele.
Yours in paddling, Allan

_________________

If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all. (AJ)

As our Canoe Gang will be doing the Keele in July, 2011 has that trip report ever been posted? Any tips, advice or comment? What is the best way to get food? Buy in Norman Wells or bring in ? What Cloths worked best to paddle in ?
TIA
Stay safe
OAF

My wife and I did the Keele with Blackfeather three years ago. It was an easy trip -- sunny and warm (25ish) and moderate water levels. However two weeks earlier it had rained steadily and the water levels were 3 m higher! A different river altogether.

The only river feature which was in any way remarkable was the "Canoe Sucking Eddy." This was an "eddy" on river right across from a small bend and cliff compressing the water at the end of a slide of about 500 m. The guides insisted we line down the slide and I went cursing all the way as I could see this very nice eddy at the bottom that would be easy to hit. However, when I got to the bottom the "eddy" turned out to be a whirlpool! The centre was about a half meter lower than the rim along the shore. Anything that went in was going to end up in the centre with a hard paddle/swim uphill to the rim. That said, if you stayed on the tongue by the cliff face, you would have been fine.

Unfortunately, I wasn't navigating so I don't have maps or even a journal to tell you where this rapid is. Perhaps a more organized and professional tripper can help out.

marscanoe posted her Keele report in Nastawgan a year or so ago.
You can find copies at the Toronto Public Library.
I'm away from home and can't access my files.

_________________

If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all. (AJ)

Thanks Allan. It is about 200km from Kemble to the Toronto Public Library could you or some other kind reader of CCR scan the article and e-mail it to me?
I am a member of Wilderness Canoeing. My library of Nastawgan does not go back far enough.

Much appreciated
Stay safe

OAF

I'm away from home and my files at the moment.
I'll scan and send it when I get back.
If you don't hear from me in 3 weeks, please PM and remind me.
Regards, Allan

_________________

If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all. (AJ)

I had to change quite a few settings to be able to upload this & I had to do it it 2 parts as I couldn't make uploading size big enough to send it as one article...but here is the article I wrote on our Keele River trip - the one Allan is referring to. It was a wonderful trip on a great river in a beautiful region! Hope it helps!

Oh WOW
Thank you. Thank you



Stay safe
OAF

Marilyn what a great report on the Keele River. This river is definetly on my bucket list within the next couple of years. I have often wondered how one would transport all the gear via commericial airlines especially now some of the rulles have changed. I noticed in your trip report that it was stated Air Cargo was used. What does that mean? Are there other methods of shipping gear up to Norman Wells. Looking for some input on this issue

Just to be explicit, Marilyn drove from the Toronto area to Yellowknife with our two PakCanoes plus nearly all our gear and food.
We rented one canoe in Norman Wells.

BTW, it was a real tsunami.
With ordinary waves, there is no horizontal movement of water, only up and down motion.
In a tsunami, a wall of water moves horizontally.

Great trip, great report!

_________________

If it's not worth doing to excess, it's not worth doing at all. (AJ)