We're off within the week to revisit this lovely prairie river. Forced off last year because the water was"turned off"
Going to start at Whiskay Gap again.......don't want to miss camping at, what we named Meadow T, touching that rock that looked like rough granite but was smooth as glass, spending an evening or two with that huge King bird family. Yeh.....we really did loved it down there. Taking our husbands with us this time and hope to spend a couple of weeks on the river .
Watching the flow rate and river forcast , with our fingers crossed!!
Any one paddled down stream of Deer Creek or Writing on stone?or a # for land owners for access and parking permission?

Laura P

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Keep your paddle in the water and lean downstream!

I'm jealous! I miss the Milk River and Poverty Rock.

My Pics & Logs

If you pm me with the dates you want to finish I'll try one of my contacts and get you the phone number of the ranch well below the park.

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"It's all part of the adventure"

I'm jealous too! I've tried to get down it twice already this year and couldn't make it work both times (failure to secure a boat and weather this last time)... Hopefully soon.
I don't know if this is helpful or not but everything is still pretty waterlogged here in Lethbridge but the Oldman is starting to recede. It was higher than 02 but not as bad as 95. I imagine it'll still be mucky when you head down.
Please let us know how you make out

WOW what a beautiful trip. Whiskey Gap to W.O.S. Incredible diference from last year. More moisture......more green!! and we were a month earlier too. So different flowers in bloom.....ttttttoooooonnnnnns of wildlife and water in all the creeks that flow into the river and water at the confluence too. after about 4 or 5 days we really slowed down and stop at anything we wanted to . Snack or eat, rest and nap, and to just plain goof off looking at.........whatever. Des and I have decided that we're going back again. oh man!! life is good to us!

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Keep your paddle in the water and lean downstream!

Just arrived home from Ft.Chip (Athabasca River)

Sounds like the Milk was perfect for you. Care to share any info or pictures?
How many days?
What is camping like above the town of Milk River?
Are there any rapids above the town of Milk River?
What was the water level and what was the river like at this flow.
etc...

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"It's all part of the adventure"

How was camping on the lower Athabasca? Two years ago, there were plenty of sandbars and mud flats, so I didn't have to haul up the banks and into the bush.

If your northern Alberta is anything like my northern Alberta this year, the water's up...

Finally made it out myself! went Jul8-9. Milk River to WOS. First overnighter in a long time and I don't think I could have found a better river to ease back into it. It IS everything you guys say it is! I never thought that a prarire river could have so much action on it.
There seemed to be alot of room for a canoe to get through even with my rusty skills. We got hung up on a gravel bar just once but I could see that only 4" lower could cause problems in alot of areas.
The flows at the time were 19-20 I'm not familiar enough with the river to know if its level is normal or not but it looked to be at least down a foot - but we have had allot of rain before

DR - I could try to put some pics up but I'm not sure how to do it. You've got the section I did well covered anyway... How about something on your trip? I'd like to hear more from the both of you

mark

I'd love to hear more about the Milk or the Bow/Little Bow.
in 1966 I canoed the Old Man from outside Pincher Creek to Taber and would't mind an excuse to come back that way.

thanks Ted

Thank you all for the great info!

A quick look here, and to the links provided, and we're all set with info on tranportation/shuttles, detailed route times/distances, route description, info on water levels, tips like 'bring drinking water', etc. I don't need to ask anything more! And I'll add more if I learn anything, we hope to go on an overnight (MR - WOS) later this week.

Here is the link for the river levels:
http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/water/basins/BasinForm.cfm
I couldn't read the figure, so looked at a table for MR at MR, it's at 18cms, which will be fine.

Now to rent a boat and organize a shuttle (MR Raft Tours 403-647-3586) . . .

One question: Is there no unorganized camping along the way? Too cliffy? Say between Coffin Bridge and Poverty Rock? If we do MR-PR day 1, approx. 51km or 7-8hrs, it doesn't leave much, 20km or 3-4hrs, for day 2. Or, if we get a late start on day 1 , Gold Springs, 18km or 2-3hrs, isn't very far to go, and then leaves too much for day 2. What are the possibilities for camping just past Coffin Bridge, perhaps at a rapid?

Cheers, P.

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Learning to paddle is like learning a language:
It's easy to learn the basics, but will you be understood in a strong wind?

Some trip logs for ya if you'd like.
http://www.darinzandee.wildrec.net/Milk%20River.htm
http://www.darinzandee.wildrec.net/Oldman%20River.htm

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"It's all part of the adventure"

You can check out the reports too.
I'd be interested in seeing some pictures. You could email them to me. If you have some good ones I could add them to my Milk River page if you like.

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"It's all part of the adventure"