For the fourth consecutive day, six of us awoke to glorious weather while on a Petawawa River expedition in Ontario, Canada.
The weather had been phenomenal. The days had been hot and sunny with light winds and the nights cool but comfortable. A brief rain shower the night before had been the only imperfection. Even more remarkable, black flies had been nonexistent.
We were camping at Natch Rapids, the last of three demanding sections of whitewater. With the exception of chipmunks and red squirrels, wildlife sightings had been rare on the trip. But early that morning, a bull moose crossed the river just above our campsite.
Natch Rapids consists of two falls, the first being the most difficult. Four of us had lined our boats around upper Natch the previous day.
Two of our companions, Ken Gordon and Eggman DeCoster, had decided to run the steep two-stage descent first thing in the morning. We set up safety with throw bags on both sides of the river in anticipation of their attempts.
The falls begins with a horizon line, so locating the correct entrance is problematic. Paddling a canoe, Eggman missed the preferred route and scraped down a narrow chute between two boulders but stayed upright before plunging effortlessly over the second ledge drop.
Ken navigated his expedition kayak down the correct channel, angled left to avoid an ugly pour-over below. He was unable to correct his boat angle and plummeted diagonally over the lower ledge, but landed smartly at the bottom.
Buoyed by their successful descents, our steadfast band proceeded through a narrow canyon toward lower Natch falls. Bill and Sally Blauvelt had previously scouted the two-stage pitch so we followed them in their tandem canoe.
They flawlessly negotiated down the twisting rapid and everyone replicated their route one boat at a time. The river description rates both Natch rapids Grade 3. I consider the upper significantly more challenging than the lower.
Below, a series of well-spaced waves provided the perfect opportunity to play. Eggman executed a superb wave-surf in a loaded canoe while everyone cheered him on. Shortly after, vertical cliffs that exceed 300 feet in elevation marked the end of the canyon. Rare ferns reportedly grow on the cliffs.
Following an extended section of flatwater and a few easy rapids, we arrived at the beginning of Schooner Rapids, a two-mile stretch of almost continuous whitewater we had enthusiastically anticipated.
The very entertaining rapids lived up to our expectations. Midway through, we passed under Hydro Line Bridge, the first sign of civilization since the beginning of our journey.
After Schooner Rapids, we entered scenic mile-long Coveo Lake. Five Mile Rapids began at the outlet of the lake. We stopped at a cluster of rocks at the top for lunch.
From that vantage point, feisty waves at the start appeared very inviting. As expected, navigating through them was very stimulating. Unfortunately, they gradually diminished over the next two miles, not five.
Subsequently, strong currents propelled us along at a rapid pace. We were surprised when several islands were encountered in an area where the river widens. A review of our maps indicated we were ahead of schedule and had unexpectedly arrived at the top of Whitson Lake.
After careful inspection, we selected the best of four campsites on the south shore of the lake. The spacious location provided plenty of room for five tents and included a large communal area with a fire ring. This was the best site since our first night. Every campsite we stayed at on the Petawawa included a wooden box toilet, a much appreciated amenity.
The exceptionally good weather continued for our final day. Sunny skies and mirror calm waters facilitated easy crossings of Whitson, Smith and McManus lakes. Short exhilarating rapids separated the lakes.
We easily found the takeout at the northeastern end of McManus Lake where Algonquin Portage Outfitters had delivered our vehicles. Our vehicles were a welcome sight.
The six of us parted company for our separate road trips home. We had the satisfaction of knowing we had experienced a truly remarkable wilderness river trip with phenomenal weather, an abundance of excitement, great friends and no black flies.
My book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine” narrates six outstanding Maine river expeditions.
