We ripped a trip to Quebec. It took 10 days. This is how we did it.
Itinerary
Declaring day 1 to begin on a Friday after work, a paddle down the Coulonge can be done on just one week of vacation. It went a little like this:
- Toronto to Esprit (A Friday)
- Esprit to Lac Pomponne
- Lac Pomponne to Chute Perley
- Chute Perley to Riviere de la Corneille
- Riviere de la Corneille to Chute du Diable
- Chute du Diable to Rapides Enrages
- Rapides Enrages to Chute a L’ours
- Chute a L’ours to Esprit
- Whitewater rafting on the Ottawa River
- Esprit to Toronto (The following Sunday)
And that’s it.
Oh - yeah, a few more details below.
The River
The Coulonge is a 217 kilometer long river that feeds into the Ottawa River, where it merges in about an hour northwest of the city of Ottawa. In that span it endures a 260 meter elevation drop, making it a popular river for whitewater canoeing. It’s a great intro for new paddlers - a novice could make it through without capsizing - paired with some amazing campsites along the way. It’s often travelled similar to the Dumoine or the Noire, rivers that run parallel to the Coulonge and share the same watershed. Alright - that’s enough quoting Wikipedia.
Getting There
Luckily, where the Coulonge river merges into the Ottawa you’ll find Esprit Whitewater, a rafting company ranked as one of the best in the world. Nice. They were the centrepiece of the whole plan, as our be our parking, accommodation, outfitters, chauffeurs, drinking buddies, and guides through the various parts of this trip, respectively. They’re based in Fort-Coulonge - about 115km northwest of Ottawa.
So - leaving on a Friday night, The Guys (members of the trip, herein described as “The Guys”), hopped in readied vehicles on a rip out to the Esprit lodge. Here’s what packed in the cars:
- Personal packs
- Tents
- Paddles (Flatwater/whitewater)
- Dry & fresh food
- Camp Kitchen
- Maps & Safety Gear
- Beer
- Barrels
- The Guys
More or less. Now let’s drive.
It was a long haul, but there was still a ways to go before we got onto the river. Our sleep on Friday night was short, waking early fore a shuttle to the rivertop the following morning.
Packing into the shuttle were also all the big things we rented from Esprit:
- Canoes (They came with airbags and thigh straps. Sweet.)
- Remaining barrels needed
- Safety-related stuff (Throwbags, InReach)
- Anything anyone was missing!
These were arranged with Esprit beforehand. Having everything be turn-key from Friday night to Saturday afternoon made our lives much, much easier.
All going well, we hopped on a river shuttle Saturday morning to get started on our adventure.
Don’t let Google Maps fool you - these were backcountry Quebec dirt roads. The drive was… much longer.
The Guys packed in a van with a trailer hitch carrying canoes, nestled shoulder to shoulder. Our real starting point was at Lac Pomponne, by the mouth of the Coulonge River.
Step 1: Arrive. Step 2: Exhale. Step 3: See below.
The Fun Part
For the next 6 days we travelled an average of 36km. On our journey there were some sweet sets, blessed meals, and lovely evenings at beautiful campsites.
When we do, The Guys will have made it to the Ottawa River, right back where we started.
What I suppose I could do is describe the sites where we’ll be staying along the way.
- By Lac Pomponne: Our first campsite doesn’t have a name. From what memory serves, it’ll be a beachy landing on the right bank, just after a quick swift. Nice spot.
- Chute Perley: Among a pine grove by a waterfall. Jump off a small ledge and into the current for some fun. Portage on river left.
- Riviere de la Corneille: A more elevated site, situated where the Coulonge collides and consumes the Corneille River. Plenty of space.
- Chute du Diable: Heard before it’s seen - portage on the right side to the base of the large falls. Possibly one of my favourite campsites, the falls are truly a gander. A fisherman’s paradise.
- Rapides Enrages: Set beside a cascade of large water. Portage on river right. Rained while I was there, so my tent confinement disserves my memory of it.
- Chute de L’Ours: The dream campsite. Large, with a beach to hang out on and a series of sets to play in. Take a boat out and surf, or go swim.
It’ll be good nights at these sites with fine sights. Not much more I can do until the spring but plan - you’ll find those below.
Update - We Did it!
In the COVID summer of 2020, we got it done. Turns out canoe trips are surprisingly easy to organize when international travel isn’t a thing. Big shouts out to Esprit for being total gems!
