Looking for Adventure?
Carolina Paddler brings you Paul Ferguson’s invitation for Adventure from May 5, 1995.
Note from the Editor: This is a reprint of an invitation offered by Paul Ferguson and sent out to prospective companions for a trip on the Notakwanon river in Canada. The invitation and briefing went out on May 5, 1995; the trip was planned for the fall of that year. Four people made the Notakwanon (pronounced No TAK Wa Non) trip and Carolina Paddler will soon post Paul’s full report on their adventures. Reading this, you will quickly discover Paul, the writer of the impeccable “Paddling Eastern North Carolina” and “Canoe Kayak South Carolina” guidebooks, is very attentive to detail. He also has a wry sense of humor. Here are a few reasons he gives why a person should do this trip:
- You get to hear your paddling buddies become whiners when the going gets tough.
- You like to scratch your blackfly bites for months after the trip and be reminded of good times.
- Your religion requires pain and suffering.
- Your life has been going too smoothly. You need a change.
Please enjoy Paul’s briefing and consider, “Would you accept an invitation like this?”
Looking for Adventure?
Over the years I have frequently thought about doing a trip on the Notakwanon River in Labrador. Phil Leider led a group of 8 Coastal Canoeists in 1980 bound for the Notakwanon. They met with bad weather in Goose Bay for days and could not fly. The trip split into two groups and ran other rivers. Tom McCloud led a trip in the mid-80s with a plan to avoid the fly-in by going down the George, up a tributary, and over the height-of-land to the Notakwanon. They also met with bad luck when a guide towing them across the Smallwood Reservoir could not locate the proper outlet. Because of the difficulty of access, few people get the opportunity to run the Notakwanon.
I am planning a trip for August 1995. Read on and decide if you want to go.
The First Documented Trip
The April 1977 issue of Canoe magazine carried an article, “Labrador’s Unknown River” written by Davidson and Rugge. Their trip was in August. It did not take long for sleuths armed with maps to figure out that it was the Notakwanon River. Here are some excerpts:
“This is a trip that begins with a vow of silence… Harry Collins gave us what we’d long been looking for: the archetypical wilderness river. The river flows through country uninhabited since the Indians abandoned it some two generations ago. It begins in an unnamed lake in the barrens and descends through a canyon 1,000 feet deep to an isolated stretch of ocean coast a couple dozen miles from the nearest settlement, itself an Indian village. The highlands are caribou calving grounds. Rapids drop up to 100 feet a mile and yet it remains runnable in open loaded boats.
Every wilderness trip has its own set of imponderables — the elements of chance that are impossible to plan adequately for in advance. Our first imponderable was the condition of the rapids in the upper river. Harry, who had run the set the year before, had told us that these rapids — 30 continuous miles of them — were borderline runnable in open canoes. An increase in river volume might push them beyond the limits of navigability.
Set after set of negotiable water, some easy enough to run without scouting, and others that required a good hard look and some deliberate plotting. Only once was the pace interrupted and that by two sharp 90-degree turns where the river steepens and then falls in a 100 foot free fall. The pool at the bottom is enclosed on three sides by cliff walls before the river again takes a 90-degree turn and continues its rolling course. The portage was a mile-and-a-half around the cliff’s rim.
It began to rain. The first showers caught us atop one of the 2,000 foot plateaus, and we were glad for it. This is bug country as only the North knows bug country. The rain continued solid, steady, hard all through the night and all through the next day. Downstream, a three-mile set of “easy” rapids, all supposedly sneakable toward shore was now totally unrunnable. Back to bushwacking. On the far side, a smoother channel appeared runnable, but it was unclear whether we could make it over there by ferrying. If the first boat swamped, could the swimmers make it to shore in the 42-degree water? We decided to ferry, and our gamble paid off. From here it was an afternoon’s paddle to the wide delta that spread fresh water into the salt of the ocean.
We learned that the tides averaged only four feet, which was reassuring since a little farther north they reached 40. Even so the ocean would be different. Narrow channels along our way that had at first looked safe to us turned out to be rattles— i.e., small outlets to large bays where even our moderate tides would push through breaking currents of 10 to 15 knots. Prudent boaters prefer the open sea to rattles. Otherwise, we didn’t have to worry about breakers because the shoreline, except for an occasional cove, was more vertical than horizontal.
The first day’s paddle on saltwater went well. We covered nearly half our distance despite some stiff winds and whitecaps. But then a second, unaccounted-for, three-day howling gale set in and we had to take to the tents. Finally, with the third day came sun. “Only moderate suicide” was Brad’s cheerful assessment. The waves grew big enough to force us to quarter them, and the swell strong enough to put a constant pressure on the boat to go completely broadside and swamp. But the Labrador Sea was the place of all that we’ve canoes that we couldn’t afford to capsize. Water temperature was 38 degrees, we had no wet suits, and in this sea just staying upright was itself beginning to look chancy enough without trying any rescues. There was no alternative to a successful crossing.
The wind gradually diminished, and the remaining daylight hours were spent on easier swells. Camp that night came on a spit across the bay from the Indian village, our pickup point.
Other River Information
I have a rough draft of some information Phil Leider obtained for his trip. It appears to be from an out-of-print booklet covering rivers in Labrador. I would guess it was written in 1979. Note that they talk about pickup at the mouth of the river by plane and do not describe the sea run to Davis Inlet. Here are some excerpts:
The Notakwanon River is the ultimate in white water canoeing. The rapids that cover approximately half of this lengthy canoe trip are often at the limit for open canoe paddling. An even steep gradient is maintained throughout much of the river. A mid channel course is often too violent for canoeing and a course must be carefully followed down the river’s edge, maneuvering through the many boulders and tricky cross-currents.
The valley of the Natakwanon is strikingly beautiful with its tall white spruce forests, and rugged landscape of towering walls. Caribou are likely to be seen in the headwaters of this river but wildlife is scarce along the river valley. Ranger seals may be encountered well up from the river mouth.
One outstanding feature of the Notakwanon River is a thunderous, 30-meter waterfall into a deep canyon. There are few portages besides the carry around this waterfall if canoeists are well equipped and suitably experienced to meet the challenges of the river. It is recommended that the party be picked up at an appointed time at Merrifield Bay to return to Goose Bay.
Length of Trip: 160 Km (100 miles)
Time Required: 6-9 days
Gradient 2.8 meters/km , 15 feet/mile
Number of Portages: 5 Minimum
Total Length Of Portages: 1625 meters
Campsites proved generally good though not abundant along the river. Most sites are found on sand or gravel beaches, but forest floor sites were reasonably comfortable.
Firewood is abundant along the river and the water quality is excellent.
The river does not seem to have a substantial salmon run, and thus is not posted as a scheduled salmon river. Arctic char, brook trout and lake trout are found in the river.
Group Size
Minimum size for the trip is two people and two boats. Maximum size is eight people and eight boats.
Solo versus tandem paddling
We must make a choice of paddling solo or tandem. Most of us have more skill at solo paddling so we have better chances for good whitewater runs. Portaging is slower with a solo because each portage requires at least three trips per person versus two for tandem. Paddling on the sea leg of the journey would be easier tandem if we have wind and current.
I have assumed in the cost estimates that all paddlers are solo. The most flexible option is the single engine Beaver plane. It carries two canoes and two paddlers plus gear. For two tandem teams, the single engine Otter is a possibility from Goose Bay. It carries four paddlers plus two canoes. The price per person would be about $200 less per person than flying in two Beavers. My vote is for solo paddling. Let me know how you want to go
The Drive to Labrador
Recently a road has opened allowing driving to Labrador City and Goose Bay. Much of it is dirt road, but it allows us to avoid having to take a long ferry ride as required before the road existed. The road up from Quebec City and along the St. Lawrence to Baie-Comeau is good. It is about1250 miles from Raleigh, NC. From Baie Comeau we take Route 389 up to Labrador City. This road is in good condition with about a third of the 350 miles consisting of gravel surface. From Labrador City to Goose bay is called the Trans-Labrador highway and is mostly dirt, about 300 miles, and takes about 10 hours to drive.
Total mileage from NC/VA is about 1850 miles and will take about 41 hours.
Flying Into the Headwaters
We have two options for flying to our put-in.The first option is to drive to Goose Bay and charter float planes with Labrador Airways. They are a large service offering charter and scheduled flights. They look like the best option for return to Goose Bay with their scheduled service from Davis Inlet to Goose Bay. However, the price is higher to fly from Goose Bay because it is more air miles than flying from Schefferville (our second option) and Labrador Airways has a higher per mile charge. See the cost estimates for comparisons.
The second option is to fly via Schefferville which is closer than Goose Bay, but there is no road to Schefferville. It is served by train from Labrador City weekly. We would leave our vehicles in Labrador City and take our canoes and gear on the train. We need to get our vehicles in Goose Bay for our return from Davis Inlet. The best option is to pay drivers to fly from Goose Bay and drive the vehicles back. The road between Labrador City and Goose Bay is about 300 miles and takes about 10 hours to drive.
The air service in Schefferville is Air Saguenay. The costs I have from them are supposed to be confirmed soon, but they have not yet delivered their firm quote.
Consider the pros and cons of the two options. The fly in from Schefferville is cheaper by about $250 depending on the group size. Some paddlers think that flying weather from Goose Bay might not be as good as from Schefferville because of altitude differences. I do not know if this has much validity. I mentioned this to both air services, and they did not have a strong opinion. Schefferville requires catching the train and being without our vehicles if we get weather bound and cannot fly. Air Saguenay is smaller than Labrador Airways and we face a bigger risk of delays due to mechanical problems.
I am willing to go with either plan, but from what I know my vote would be to fly from Goose Bay. Let me know how you vote.
Davis Inlet
Davis Inlet is the Indian community where we can fly out of or catch a ferry. There are no tourist services there like inns or organized camping. There have been news reports about problems between the Indians and white people. I talked to the owner of a little general store at Davis Inlet. He said the media has distorted things and there is no real problem. He lives there and is married to an Indian. Maybe marrying an Indian improves your reception. Any volunteers? He was quite helpful and said some canoeists have slept on his floor. Unfortunately, he and his family will not be there during August. He said there are no problems camping near the airstrip or on a little island near the wharf.
Getting Back from Davis Inlet
There is a ferry service from Davis Inlet to Goose Bay. It runs every eight days, and it is a two day ride. For a person and canoe, the cost is about $140 with a berth. Having to wait 8 days if you miss a ferry, is a big penalty. Labrador Airways has a scheduled service Monday through Friday. They use twin Otters with capacity of 18 people. Cost is about $100 per person with a 40-pound baggage allowance. There is also air freight service daily with a very reasonable charge. We could have our canoe and extra gear shipped for an additional $100. The scheduled service is usually full so we must buy tickets well in advance. The tickets are refundable.
Schedule
I looked at going in August or September. I thought maybe it would be a bit cooler and the bugs would be less active in September. I have historical weather data for points near the mouth of the river. It shows that August looks better. There is a bit less rain in August and there have been traces of snow in September. For August the mean maximum temperature has varied between 54 and 63. The mean minimum temperature has varied between 38 and 45. Note these are mean readings and are from the coast. The headwaters are at 1500 feet elevation.
If the weather cooperates, we can do the trip in three weeks. Here is how:
Drive to Goose Bay 2 days, Check in with air service 1 day
Fly to headwaters lake 1 day, Canoe to mouth of river 10 days
Canoe to Davis Inlet 4 days. Fly to Goose Bay 1 day
Pack-up 1 day, Drive home 2 days
Total: 22 days
For the Schefferville plan I added two days for the train. I also had to add one day to the river trip because we must take the train on Thursday which puts us ready to fly from Davis Inlet on Sunday. There is no scheduled air service on weekends. This would be a total of 25 days
The time allotted for the river run seems generous. Ten days is 10 miles per day. The draft report mentioned says it can be done in 6-9 days. Four days for the sea run to Davis Inlet seems very generous if the seas are calm. It is a thirty-mile run. This gives a couple of days to sit out weather at the river mouth. If we can fly in on time, we will be able to take some easy days on the river with time for fishing and side hikes. If we are delayed by 6 days on the fly-in, we can still make our Davis Inlet appointment if we do not have any delays on the sea trip.
I think the best possible plan is to go assuming a three week plan but reserve an extra week on the end for a worst case buffer.
Here is a schedule with dates:
Fly from Goose Bay — Leave August 4 (Friday evening) and return on August 26 (Saturday evening)
Fly from Schefferville — Leave July 31 (Monday morning) and return August 24 (Thursday)
I am open to moving the dates slightly to fit the majority of people wanting to go.
Costs
See the attached spreadsheet for estimated costs of our two options. Note that the cost depends on how we can fill the planes. If we have an odd number of paddlers there will be vacant space cost shared by all. If we have two tandem teams to fill a single engine Otter, their cost would decrease. The limiting factor with most types of planes is the number of canoes they can carry. The plan is to apportion expenses by canoe and share the expense of any unused canoe space.
In the cost estimate I have recommended that all vehicle expenses be shared by the people using the vehicle. The cost will be determined by a charge per mile. Each person using the vehicle (including the owner) pays their share. The owner receives all the money and pays for gas/oil. Money remaining belongs to the owner to cover depreciation and maintenance. Of course, this is only a suggestion and if everyone in a vehicle wants to make a different arrangement that is fine.
We will have group suppers. Breakfast and lunch will be on your own.
I have not included any expenses in the estimate for non-group meals, hotels, and other miscellaneous travel expenses.
Here is a summary of the total cost assuming four paddlers and four sharing a vehicle:
Group size of 4.
Flying from Schefferville: Tandem Paddling $999. Solo Paddling $1086.
Flying from Goose Bay: Tandem Paddling $909 Solo Paddling $1388.
We need to determine exactly how many people and boats are going. There are other options to be considered that will lower the cost. For example, four solo paddlers could charter a twin-engine Otter in Goose Bay at a saving of about $150 per person. This could require nesting canoes together.
Use the spreadsheet costs as the best estimate until we have the group size determined.
Risks
Many. The big imponderables are weather and water. If the weather is bad in the beginning we will not be able to fly. We will be playing cards in some air hanger watching the clock tick. If we get a lot of rain, the river could be a portage. If we get bad weather near the end we will be camped out waiting for the sea to calm. If we get bad weather at Davis Inlet, we can wait for air service to resume.
Rewards
I do not know of any. Why do we do this? Is your life to comfortable? Do you want to be punished by uncertainty and the elements? You like bugs and portages?
Here are the top ten reasons for going:
- You love the smell of DEET
- The gourmet food with the dirt and insects gives new value to your old home cooked meals.
- You get to hear your macho paddling buddies become whiners when the going gets tough.
- You like to scratch black fly bites for months after the trip and be reminded of good times.
- Your religion requires pain and suffering.
- Your life has been going too smoothly. You need a change.
- You enjoy trying to explain to your non-paddling friends why you are going to do this.
- You enjoy trying to explain to your paddling friends why you are going to do this
- You hate to take a bath every day.
- Life is short and you want to be remembered by your friends with statements like:
“He just missed the pullout before that 100 foot drop.”
“He froze within seconds of dumping in the Labrador Sea.”
Back-Up Plans
I do not have any. I am set on running the Notakwanon and willing to hang in for a least a week if we get bad weather and cannot fly-in. Some people may not have the time to wait it out and prefer to run a different river nearby or in Quebec on the drive back. In this case we could be prepared to split the food and have separate trips a la the 1980 trip. I am willing to run the Notakwanon with as few as two boats. We could have a day-by-day vote on alternative plans. If you run into time trouble on the return leg of the trip and must fly back, I will do whatever I can to get your canoe and gear home.
Be optimistic. We will have perfect weather and water for the entire trip.
What You Need to Do
You need to decide if you want to go. We do not have much planning time left and reservations need to be made. Let me know by 15 May. If you are going, send a deposit of $300 to be used for air tickets from Davis Inlet and group expenses.
Paul Ferguson
Attachments:
Map and Dist/Elevation plot
Spreadsheet of costs