Head River - From Head Lake to Monck rd.
We have been running this stretch of the Head River since we had our cottage there in the mid 60’s
It is still a very popular route with the cottagers there.
It is a very pretty stretch of river but we always ran it after ice out when the river was high and before the black flies came out.
There are very few cottages/cabins on this stretch which really gives you that remote feel to it.
The bonus to paddling it later is that there was much more wildlife along the river and it was much different than what I saw on my two earlier trips in to QEIIWLPP this year which was quite nice except for the fact having to wear a bug shirt once it warmed up.

There was never a gauge of the river till two years ago so it was hard to tell what levels where still paddle-able for most people.
It is approx. a 18km paddle and the time it takes will depend on your ability and whether you do any little side trips
My brother ran this stretch April 17, and the Gauge at Sebright was 9.65.
I ran it may 18th and the gauge was 9.25.
Gauge Link:
http://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/google_map/ ... oSearch=GoHere is a screen save of the gauge from April 1 to May 25, 2016

There is a considerable change on the river between these two readings and I would not like to paddle it lower than when I did because there would be much more walking involved.
Up until the first two rapids the river sides and bottom are very swampy and soft with few places to get out easily.
From there to the take out at Monck Rd. the bottom is much more solid in the shallows.
That was a neat discovery for me as I had never had the chance to see the bottom of this stretch before.
From a photographic perspective I found the lower level much more attractive to shoot the rapids and falls, but it was much more rocky.
For wildlife I saw 1 Green Heron, a couple of Common Terns, about half a dozen Wood ducks, a few beavers, and two moose, one a really big bull. I am sure they were closer to the river because the cooler water and less black flies. Once you got on top of the side ridges into the side ponds the flies were… hungry! Three was lots of turtles till the first rapid then I did not see any at all, which is strange considering it is a good 7k long stretch.
I was surprised a few other times, the first time upstream of the Head lake Dam on the west side I found an A T V trail that has not been used recently, I followed it a bit in both directions and I assume it runs down to the dam and it would have been what the old time farmers would have followed and that explains how the submerged old tractor got down so far on the river
Old tractor - Lat - 44°47’29.50"N
Long - 78°56’36.99"W
pics of trail


The other surprise was a very old trail but it disappeared into growth, but also a flagged hiking trail at the last rapid.
I included the Lat/Long for you people that need tech support to run a river.
For the first time since I started testing for phone service in the area I had a strong signal all the way down the river.
But also for most rapids images from both dates so you can see the water flow differences, May 18th. first, April 17th second.
The pics from April 17 are by my brother Jay.
The camp site locations below Smudge Creek are a sort of best choice available since the park boundary is sporadic again.
All the portages are on private land, please respect their property!
Camp site view above the first two rapids.
Lat. - 44°47'18.83"N
Long - 78°57'14.41"W

RAPID # 1 - Lat - 44°46'56.82"N
Long - 78°57’38.19”
Class II; Portage river left 10m above drop.
Approx. 15m long; Lift over in lower water levels.


RAPID # 2 - Lat - 44°46’55.72"N
Long - 78°57'42.61"W
Class III in high water, II in lower levels.
There is an ATV bridge at the start, at higher levels you may have to lift over the bridge to run the rapid.
CAUTION: At the bottom of the narrows, the river left shore is undercut approx. 5m long 1m. high and up to 3m deep.
In higher flows the current goes into this undercut and no reactionary wave is present.
Portage for the rapid is 15m upstream on river right, approx. 80m long.
From April 17th only.

The undercut looking upstream in 2004, drought conditions.

Smudge Creek mouth.- Lat - 44°46’47.53"N
Long - 78°57’53.98"W
Campsite: Lat - 44°46'44.91"N
Long - 78°57’55.15"W
Not a great site but it is high ground and ridge line, completely inside the park.