Come and explore the Rivière Dumoine
“Part of the experience, to me, is flying in above the roads – to settle in quickly and quietly to the romance of the river; to camp a day or two in the calm before making the descent; to breathe deeply of the essence that defines these Quebec gems.” Hap Wilson
The Dumoine River, located at the border of the Témiscamingue and Outaouais regions and is considered one of the best white water rivers in Eastern Canada. It is known for its consistent flows and is more than adequate for white water throughout the summer. The river is mostly Grade 2 with some Grade 3′s thrown in to keep your attention. It also has some beautiful lakes to relax in.
Our pace will be leisurely to enjoy the wilderness and spectacular scenery. We’ll have free time for photography, swimming, sunning and relaxing, or for day hikes to the cliffs and waterfalls.
We will provide 2 guides, transport, most meals and equipment – you will only be responsible for your personal equipment and sleeping bag.
DATES: 9th July – 20th July 2011
Cost: £850 per person
Itinerary:
| Day | Activity |
| 1 | Meet in Toronto |
| 2 | Drive via Ottawa – stop offs to include the Canadian Canoe Museum |
| 3 | Meet with other participants in Ottawa |
| 4 | Begin Canoe journey by taking a float plane to Lac Dumoine A practice day in some Grade 1 and 2 rapids |
| 5 | A steady day of white water |
| 6 | More white water and exploration |
| 7 | Another day of white water and a beautiful paddle to Grande Chutes |
| 8 | A day to relax and enjoy the spectacular beauty of Grand Chutes |
| 9 | Paddle from Grande Chutes to the last falls on the river |
| 10 | A nice paddle through high Appalachian ridges and across the Ottawa River to the end point Drive to Ottawa for the night |
| 11 | Visit Algonquin Park |
| 12 | Journey back to Toronto for celebration meal out! |
Who is this trip suitable for?
This trip is suitable for people with no or limited canoeing experience as well as those with experience. You must be reasonably fit and prepared to spend 6 nights camping – sleeping mats are highly recommended.
Who else will be on this trip?
There will be no more than 10 people on this trip including the two guides. We strongly believe that small groups result in a better experience for all – more time with your guides, less waiting around and a reduced impact on the communities and environments visited.
Each group is generally made up of like-minded travellers – with singles, couples and friends all joining in together.
Will I get to meet the other participants before I go?
We will be organising a 1 day canoe trip in May where you can meet the other participants and learn more about this adventure.
What is the food like?
While canoeing, all meals are provided from supplies brought in the canoes. There is nowhere to buy food en route. Your guides will ensure that you get plenty to eat both at meal times and a supply of snacks during the day. You will almost certainly be pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of food that it’s possible to create while camping in the wilds!
You will be responsible for your own meals when we are not canoeing although breakfast will be provided every day.
How can I pay?
A deposit of £200 is required at the time of booking and the balance is due before the end of May. Payment plans can be arranged by Direct Debit. Bookings made after May must be paid in full at the time of booking.
Will I be safe?
Most definitely! Your main guide has extensive experience of leading canoe trips in North America as well as various locations throughout Europe.
The Dumoine is a well used river with maintained campsites and access by forest roads in case of emergence; and we are always 100% focused on your safety.
Am I insured?
Our Insurance Policy automatically provides cover for all activities undertaken as part of this trip. However, it is an essential condition of joining this trip that you have a valid travel insurance policy, not only to cover the cost of medical treatment, but also to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.
What about flights?
Air Canada and Lufthansa offer direct flights from Dublin – currently just under £600 return. www.skysscanner.net is a very useful tool for sourcing the best deals.
More background on the Dumoine:
The Dumoine is one of seven wild rivers that flow into the Ottawa River off the southern edge of the Laurentian Highlands. The Dumoine is an ideal river for learning and improving your white water skills. It is also considered one of the prettiest rivers of the Ottawa Valley so makes for a great camping trip.
Falling 500 feet in 50 miles, the river descends from Lac Dumoine through an area dominated by a forest cover of black spruce, white and red pine, and pockets of white cedar and white and yellow birch. As the Ottawa is approached on the southern reaches of the river, maples and ash become a more significant part of the forest. The fauna of the Dumoine River Valley includes moose and black bear as well as a variety of smaller mammals such as beaver, muskrat and otter. Fish, particularly pike and pickerel, can be caught along the river. Bass, speckled trout and lake trout live in the deeper pools along the river or a few miles back in the tributaries.
The river has played an important role as a north-south transportation corridor in the economic history of early groups of Canadians. The Hurons and other central Ontario tribes who wished to avoid paying the toll which the Allumette Natives charged for portaging across the island used the Dumoine as an alternate route to the Ottawa River on their way to Montreal. This also allowed the agriculturally oriented Hurons to trade their products with the nomadic Algonquins who inhabited theKipawa and La Verendrye region to the north but who rarely came south for fear of encountering the Iroquois.
During the French domination of the Ottawa Valley trade routes, a French fort was built at the mouth of the river. Undoubtedly the Dumoine Fort was deserted by 1701, when Alexander Henry Sr. passed by on his journey west. The river remained a fast route out of the fur country, despite the demise of the French establishment.
Sheerway, halfway down the river, is the site of a number of buildings begun as early as the early nineteenth century when the Hawkesbury Lumber Company began cutting and driving timber on the Dumoine. By 1870 there were 11 ‘stations’ – a station being anything from a dam to a slide way on the river. Evidence of this prosperous and colourful lumbering activity includes the Sheerway buildings, the dam and log chute at the head of the Dumoine gorge, and the numerous huge white pine stumps along the river. After 1890, the peak of the lumbering in the Dumoine valley passed. In 1918, the Dumoine Rod and Gun Club was established at the Sheerway site, using many of the Hawkesbury company buildings. The main structure, once combination hotel, post office, and homestead became the main lodge of the club.
The set of rapids directly above Sheerway, the "Big Steel", was the scene of lively competition in the heyday of the timber trade. The entire run from the top of Big Steel to the bridge at Sheerway was known as the "horserace." The name originated with a challenge between the lumbermen and the Indians. The lumberjacks would race the natives to the bridge from the top of the run, driving their wagons and horse teams while the natives paddled their canoes. History does not record the results.
Further downstream the massive Dumoine Gorge drops more than 150ft in less than a mile as the river plunges through a series of falls and canyons. At the beginning of the 20th century the log chute that descended the gorge was still operational, though deteriorating. The top still exists today upstream of the dam and road and if you walk the scenic gorge trail you can still see remnants of it in other locations. A story is told of a lumberman who was sent on a special mission from Lac Dumoine to the Ottawa River given only two days and one guide to do it. Upon reaching the gorge the lumberman was less than enthusiastic about portaging the rough shore trail and welcomed the guide’s suggestion to run the chute instead. He claimed to have done it several years before with a barrel of pork in his canoe. The first portion was relatively flat, but then the drop off was soon reached. The chute took several turns in the course of its descent. As the two approached, the Indian guide turned to his companion, and pale with fear, advised the lumberman to hook his paddle over the right side and "hold on for dear life". The next turn had no real left wall and if they could not ride the "right rail" they would be thrown out into the gorge below. Hurtling past this hazard, they reached the bottom, only to have their canoe severely damaged as they exited the chute into mid air a number of feet above the water. The aftermath of the event was an afternoon of canoe repair and late reaching of their destination.
The scenic lower reaches of the river include the "Bald Eagle Rock" a massive formation that springs from the edge of the river and towers 600ft up to a pin -crowned summit. There is one final scenic falls before the Dumoine empties into the Ottawa River. Because of the Dams on the Ottawa at Des Joachims the river is backed up in this section forming a large lake which flooded the lower few km of the Dumoine and allows boats to reach the bottom of the final small falls.
Drop us an email to info@theadventureteam.co.uk if you would like to reserve your place 
