View topic - Looking for advice on rivers...

Hey folks,

My plans keep changing, a combination of a shifting crew with different abilities and my own schedule. I was planning on doing the Ashuapmushaun for 6 days starting July 7, but the river gauge is falling fast and has for about a week. Right now it’s at 180 m3/s and with limited rain the forecast, I am expecting it to follow further.

The feedback we have received from the ZEC is it will be bump and grind, especially on the lower end. Have people run it at 160 m3/s before? What were there experiences?

Second question, I am now looking at backup rivers, which include the Spanish and the Lievre, but one of the crew tossed out the Bastiscan, which right now is 45 m3/s. Anyone run it at this level? Whitewater Quebec indicates that it’s the minimum. Further, the limited research I have done to this point, suggests is too low… Anyone with any thoughts, comments, experiences you can share?

Oh and one final question, we got 9 days starting July 7th, door to door from Ottawa… we are intermediate paddlers, with a sprinkling of beginner-intermediates. Any suggestions re other rivers… I am leaning to the Spanish if we can make the logistics work because we have never done it, but open to suggestions…

Thanks everyone!

Steve

If in doubt because of water levels take in the big Lake Superior or Georgian bay.
Jeff

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Choosing to save a river is more often an act of passion than of careful calculation. You make the choice because the river has touched your life in an intimate and irreversible way, because you are unwilling to accept its loss. — (David Bolling, Ho

Looking at the Gatineau (upper) gauge....it's pretty low. Same for the Lievre gauge, it's at 65 which would be "ok" (I've been on it at 45 cms which was REALLY low and boney. There is no gauge for the Bazin but you can infer from the other two that it will also be low.

I've been on the Spanish many times at all levels, it can be run even at very low levels (East Branch) although there might be a short section above the Forks that you you would need to walk. The West branch at low water makes some of the rapids completely unrunable and others very rocky but runnable.

Looks like everything in Ontario and western Quebec is low this year

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"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915

I think the Batiscan is out. If I recall you're supposed to take a factor of 65% of the gauge. I've only run it at spring levels but I've read it's not good with low water.

The Lievre is always a fun trip but a little short for your timeline. I did one trip on it in the low 70's. It wasn't boney but it was missing a lot of the action of higher levels. Its probably a good level to take a intermediate down. I was with Recped on the mid 40's level trip. Passable but pretty dry. I wouldn't go this low again.

The Dumoine is one of the better low water options. I've been down it when it was in the teens. You can start from 10 mile with reasonably affordable ground shuttle to fill out your timeline.

Spanish is always a safe bet.