Kesagami River
General Information
Maps Required: 42 H/9, 42 H/16, 42 I/1, 42 I.9, 42 I/16, 32 L/13, 13 M/4, 42 P.1, 42 P/8, 42 P/7.
Driving Directions to the put in on Upper Kesagami Lake: North on Highway 11, to Cochrane. Continue North on Highway 652 which turns into detour lake road. Put in is between kilometer marking 118/119 on the left. Bus can turn around and park on the right. There is a portage trail down on the left to the water, across from the bus parking/campsite. It is approximately 200m.
Emergency Access Points: There is no driving access between Detour Lake Road and Moosonee. On some of the small lakes in the creek section there are some hunting cabins. Lake Kesagami and some of the larger lakes in the creek section can be accessed by floatplane or helicopter. There is a lodge on Lake Kesagami (Kesagami Lake Lodge) that is used in July (however some trip reports say there are less people there in august). Kesagami River is largely inaccessible until about Goose Camp however if you hike away from the river a couple kilometers the brush clears out and there are some places where you may be able to land a small rescue helicopter in the case of an urgent emergency. We found one at the campsite on day 12.
Total Paddling distance: Approximately 300km
Number of Days: 24 (including 3 travel days and 2 rest days)
Number of Portages: Approximately 30 depending on water levels
Water Levels: Very low for July but overall average to low.
Elevation drop: 295m
General camp site information: Mostly bush crashes along the creek with some established sites (e.g. at the power lines and on Cooke’s pond). Lake Kesagami has very few established campsites. The Kesagami river has many established campsites (basically at every portage or falls or major rapid) however some are smaller than others so space may be tight for larger groups. Along the bay Netitishi point, Long Point, and ship sands island are the best places to camp (since they are not directly in a marsh) but you could camp anywhere else along the bay if need be.
Pace of trip: average, some long days near start.
Level of difficulty: Average to challenging.
General Weather: Mostly sunny days and no wind bound days on James bay.
River General Comments:
The whitewater on this river is amazing however it should be approached with caution due to the remote nature of the river and the larger number of falls/large R4+ ledges which also have sets directly above them. We found it helpful to know where the large waterfalls were and to exercise caution if running sets anywhere close to them. Lots of sets can be scouted from the boat and there are also usually scouting trails around more major R2/R3’s. The whitewater can change drastically depending on water levels so be careful not to follow trip reports too closely. It is always better to scout rapids for yourself. The first part of the river is more continuous in nature but the second half is more “drop-pool” which makes rescues easier. However if you do loose gear down the river most often it can be found days later recirculating in eddies. Most portages around major rapids/falls are one-boat unloading and are located 10 feet from the top of the falls which can make them quite sketchy to unload boats. Some portages directly above falls have good eddies to unload in and others do not so sending boats one at a time is usually necessary. It is useful to know in advance which side of the falls the portage should be on so you can sneak down the side of the river.
Tips for James Bay:
Day 1- July 5th – Travel Day
Campsite: Kilometer marking 118/119 on detour lake road.
T.O.W: zero
Distance: Zero
Weather: Rainy
Day 2 – July 6th Buggy and Creeky
Campsite: Bushcrash on creek 445 115, 42 I/16
T.O.W: 6 hours (we had a long lunch)
Distance: 14 km
Weather: rainy and grey
Tech: Lots of underwater pillow rocks throughout. Lots of lift overs and beaver dams. At 455 115 on 42 H/16 there is a very shallow section requiring dragging.
Day 3 – July 7th - The big race to get away from the bugs
Campsite: beach on Cooke pond
T.O.W: 10.5 hours
Distance: 40 km
Weather: Buggy and Grey
Tech: Lift over large tree at 423 201 (rough estimate).
Day 4 – July 8th
Campsite: 542 541, on 42 I/1
T.O.W: 8.5 hours
Distance: 27km
Weather: Cloudy
Tech: 510 552- is a big swifty technical section. We had to line parts of it. All day there were swifties that were very rocky.
Day 5– July 9th – In which we had headwinds on Lake Kesagami
Campsite: 588 696, on 42 I/8 – the worst bush crash do not camp here.
T.O.W: 6 hours
Distance: 16km – due to heavy head winds
Weather: WINDY- headwinds –wind bound for 5 hours
Tech: none
Day 6 – July 10th – Lake Kesagami Part 2
Campsite: 603 876 42 I/8
T.O.W: 8 hours
Distance: 18km
Weather: sunny and hot
Tech: none
Day 7 – July 11th – First day of Whitewater
Campsite: 658 969 42 I/9
T.O.W: 8 hours
Distance: 17km
Weather: hot and sunny
Tech: Swifties/ current all throughout the day.
Day 8 – July 12th – REST DAY
Campsite: same as yesterday
T.O.W: zero
Distance: zero
Weather: rainy
Tech: only cooking
Day 9 – July 13th
Campsite: 659 004 42 I/9
T.O.W: 7 hours (1 dump which took us about an hour to rescue)
Distance: 3.5km
Weather: hot and sunny
Tech:
Day 10 – July 14th – A colder day
Campsite: 658 020 - camped early due to low energy and weather
T.O.W: 6 hours
Distance: 2km
Weather: cold, rainy
Tech:
Day 11 – July 15th – A large portaging day
Campsite: 682 085 – on a lift over… great kitchen and there is room for tents on a small beach just after the put in. is a very small site.
T.O.W: 9 hours
Distance: 7km
Weather: started cold then sunny
Tech:
Day 12 – July 16th, 2016
Campsite: 690 115 – just before 3 ledges. Is a bush crash but a nice one. Excellent kitchen. Also if you hike up the hill there is an excellent place a helicopter may land. We camped early due to low group morale after the dump.
T.O.W: 7 hours
Distance: 3km
Weather: hot and sunny
Tech:
Day 13 – July 17th
Campsite: 676 162 – RR across from end of portage – nice!
T.O.W: 8.5 hours
Distance: 4.5km
Weather: sunny and started to rain as soon as we got off the water.
Tech:
Day 14 – July 18th
Campsite: 885 202
T.O.W: 7 hours
Distance: 4.5km
Weather: mix of sun and rain
Tech:
Day 15 – July 19th - HALF DAY!
Campsite: 685 220
T.O.W: 4 hours
Distance: 2.2km
Weather: sunny with clouds
Tech:
Day 16 – July 20th – ANOTHER HALF DAY
Campsite: 694 236
T.O.W: 4 hours
Distance: 1.5km
Weather: sunny
Tech:
Day 17 – July 21st – Last day of Whitewater and The Day of Thunderstorms
Campsite: 788 411 – 32 L/13 – confluence of Bodel and Kesagami. Was flagged and a nice campsite.
T.O.W: 9 hours
Distance: 21km
Weather: thunderstormy but sun late in the afternoon
Tech:
Day 18 – July 22nd – Goose Camp
Campsite: Goose Camp 875 621 32 M/4
T.O.W: 7 hours
Distance: 17km
Weather: cloudy
Tech: None!
Day 19 – July 23rd – Bay Day #1
Campsite: beach on little Netitishi point
T.O.W: 5am-6pm – 13 hours
Distance: 27km
Weather: cold and rainy in the morning turning to sun
Tech:
High tide 5:30am, low tide 12:00pm, high tide 6:00pm. We left goose camp an hour before high tide so we could get out to the mouth of the bay at high tide. We beached ourselves for 2.5hours so we didn’t get too far from shore and also to maximize the distance we went that day.
Day 20 – July 24th – Bay Day #2
Campsite: Ship Sands Island – nice beach
T.O.W: 12 hours
Distance: Approx. 26km
Weather: Cloudy
Tech:
high tide 6am, low tide 2pm, high tide 7pm. We were beached from 10:30-2:30. The tide came back in really fast for some unknown reason today – we think our tail winds blew it in very fast but are unsure. Ship sands island is much nicer than long point if you can make it – its less marshy, and actually has firewood.
Day 21 – July 25th – Up the Moose River and Arrival in Moosonee
Campsite: Tidewater Provincial Park
T.O.W.: 4.5 hours
Distance: 13km
Weather: All types – sun, rain, massive thunder storms all around. Head and tail winds.
Maps Required: 42 H/9, 42 H/16, 42 I/1, 42 I.9, 42 I/16, 32 L/13, 13 M/4, 42 P.1, 42 P/8, 42 P/7.
Driving Directions to the put in on Upper Kesagami Lake: North on Highway 11, to Cochrane. Continue North on Highway 652 which turns into detour lake road. Put in is between kilometer marking 118/119 on the left. Bus can turn around and park on the right. There is a portage trail down on the left to the water, across from the bus parking/campsite. It is approximately 200m.
Emergency Access Points: There is no driving access between Detour Lake Road and Moosonee. On some of the small lakes in the creek section there are some hunting cabins. Lake Kesagami and some of the larger lakes in the creek section can be accessed by floatplane or helicopter. There is a lodge on Lake Kesagami (Kesagami Lake Lodge) that is used in July (however some trip reports say there are less people there in august). Kesagami River is largely inaccessible until about Goose Camp however if you hike away from the river a couple kilometers the brush clears out and there are some places where you may be able to land a small rescue helicopter in the case of an urgent emergency. We found one at the campsite on day 12.
Total Paddling distance: Approximately 300km
Number of Days: 24 (including 3 travel days and 2 rest days)
Number of Portages: Approximately 30 depending on water levels
Water Levels: Very low for July but overall average to low.
Elevation drop: 295m
General camp site information: Mostly bush crashes along the creek with some established sites (e.g. at the power lines and on Cooke’s pond). Lake Kesagami has very few established campsites. The Kesagami river has many established campsites (basically at every portage or falls or major rapid) however some are smaller than others so space may be tight for larger groups. Along the bay Netitishi point, Long Point, and ship sands island are the best places to camp (since they are not directly in a marsh) but you could camp anywhere else along the bay if need be.
Pace of trip: average, some long days near start.
Level of difficulty: Average to challenging.
General Weather: Mostly sunny days and no wind bound days on James bay.
River General Comments:
The whitewater on this river is amazing however it should be approached with caution due to the remote nature of the river and the larger number of falls/large R4+ ledges which also have sets directly above them. We found it helpful to know where the large waterfalls were and to exercise caution if running sets anywhere close to them. Lots of sets can be scouted from the boat and there are also usually scouting trails around more major R2/R3’s. The whitewater can change drastically depending on water levels so be careful not to follow trip reports too closely. It is always better to scout rapids for yourself. The first part of the river is more continuous in nature but the second half is more “drop-pool” which makes rescues easier. However if you do loose gear down the river most often it can be found days later recirculating in eddies. Most portages around major rapids/falls are one-boat unloading and are located 10 feet from the top of the falls which can make them quite sketchy to unload boats. Some portages directly above falls have good eddies to unload in and others do not so sending boats one at a time is usually necessary. It is useful to know in advance which side of the falls the portage should be on so you can sneak down the side of the river.
Tips for James Bay:
- The water on James Bay is salt water, muddy and undrinkable. So fill water barrels and any available bucket (e.g. lunch bucket, rehydration bucket) with extra water. The water at the confluence of the Kesagami and Kattawagami rivers is fairly clear and is the last available spot to fill up on water before hitting the bay. Water rationing especially for dishes is necessary as you use a lot more than you think. Also plan meals that use little water in advance. You can get water at the Sky Ranch or at the Ecolodge near moose factory while in Moosonee.
- When you get to Goose Camp put a large stick in the mud near the shore to figure out when high tide is (tide charts are not always accurate!). Check it every 15-20mins. The paddle from goose camp to the bay takes about 2 hours (since you need to be at James bay as close to high tide as possible you are usually paddling against the tide), so you need to leave goose camp a couple of hours before high tide.
- Bring a pack full of firewood from Goose Camp – long point has very little wood and it’s always nice not to have to collect firewood if everyone is tired.
- Be sure to bathe at Goose Camp – it’s the last opportunity to do so. We asked about showering in Moosonee for medical reasons and were told there were no public showers.
- Days on the bay are more exhausting than you would think so ensure you have meals prepared in advance, a couple of snacks, quick breakfasts and meals that use little water. You will not have the energy to cook extravagant meals on the bay.
- Marked shoals (or sand bars) on the map can be deceptive and change each year… when in doubt go around.
- Morning and evening tides are not always at the same time. High tide in the morning usually increases by about 45minutes every day.
- Early Morning starts are often better, you can beach yourself near low tide at mid-day (so you don’t get too far from shore and also for a nap) and then you have plenty of light at the next high tide for which to see a campsite with.
- Weather changes extremely quickly and the temperature can very so pack lots of layers. Also you are very exposed to the elements so hats, sunscreen, and various ways of wind protection are useful. We set up a sail to block the wind both days while beached.
- Have your GPS and compass out – navigation is difficult however you can always follow the rapidly growing sand bars and make sure you are never more than half a paddles depth from shore.
- The first obvious point you see on the bay is Michapishau point, the second is netatishi point and the third is long point.
- Plan to beach yourself according to the following factors:
- Distance from shore - being over 3km from shore is very far and feels very sketchy.
- Potentially bad weather – if it looks like a thunder storm is approaching never go very far from shore.
- Distance needed to cover that day – e.g. if you have not made at least half your planned distance it may be necessary to continue padding/ dragging longer in an attempt to make it to your planned campsite.
- Beaching is a great opportunity to rest and eat food.
- While we were on the bay there was about 45minutes of time after the expected high tide where the water levels did not change that much.
- Bring an alarm clock – helpful for early morning wake ups
- To get to Nunavut island (which is the only island in the area on the bay and is just out from Michapishau point) you must get there at low tide on bay day #1 – otherwise making the rest of the distance is a challenge. Beach yourself on Nunavut island.
- Leave long point (or ship sands island) at low tide (or just before) so you can ride the tide up the moose river into Moosonee.
Day 1- July 5th – Travel Day
Campsite: Kilometer marking 118/119 on detour lake road.
T.O.W: zero
Distance: Zero
Weather: Rainy
Day 2 – July 6th Buggy and Creeky
Campsite: Bushcrash on creek 445 115, 42 I/16
T.O.W: 6 hours (we had a long lunch)
Distance: 14 km
Weather: rainy and grey
Tech: Lots of underwater pillow rocks throughout. Lots of lift overs and beaver dams. At 455 115 on 42 H/16 there is a very shallow section requiring dragging.
Day 3 – July 7th - The big race to get away from the bugs
Campsite: beach on Cooke pond
T.O.W: 10.5 hours
Distance: 40 km
Weather: Buggy and Grey
Tech: Lift over large tree at 423 201 (rough estimate).
Day 4 – July 8th
Campsite: 542 541, on 42 I/1
T.O.W: 8.5 hours
Distance: 27km
Weather: Cloudy
Tech: 510 552- is a big swifty technical section. We had to line parts of it. All day there were swifties that were very rocky.
Day 5– July 9th – In which we had headwinds on Lake Kesagami
Campsite: 588 696, on 42 I/8 – the worst bush crash do not camp here.
T.O.W: 6 hours
Distance: 16km – due to heavy head winds
Weather: WINDY- headwinds –wind bound for 5 hours
Tech: none
Day 6 – July 10th – Lake Kesagami Part 2
Campsite: 603 876 42 I/8
T.O.W: 8 hours
Distance: 18km
Weather: sunny and hot
Tech: none
Day 7 – July 11th – First day of Whitewater
Campsite: 658 969 42 I/9
T.O.W: 8 hours
Distance: 17km
Weather: hot and sunny
Tech: Swifties/ current all throughout the day.
- 634 893 42 I/8 – swift RR of island
- 655 925 42 I/8 – start of continuous R1’s plenty of eddy’s. Several R1’s and R1/R2 sections. Rocky.
- 669 959 42 I/8 – R1
- 667 967 42 I/8 – lined a small channel RL around R3. Possible portage on RR. Swifties to next portage.
- 660 968 Portage on RR (15m) – we lined down on RR then portaged 15m around a ledge. There is a 200m portage on RL midway down the swifty that we did not see until we were too close to the ledge. That 200m portage is flagged and ends in the campsite where we camped.
Day 8 – July 12th – REST DAY
Campsite: same as yesterday
T.O.W: zero
Distance: zero
Weather: rainy
Tech: only cooking
Day 9 – July 13th
Campsite: 659 004 42 I/9
T.O.W: 7 hours (1 dump which took us about an hour to rescue)
Distance: 3.5km
Weather: hot and sunny
Tech:
- 661 981 – R1 ** all grid ref’s are on 42 I/9 till day 17
- 661 983 – R1 above falls. We shot river right then eddied on the right to portage.
- 661 987 – portage (200m) around falls. Put in half way down into an R1. The trail continues for another 100m then is blocked by tons of fallen down trees so put in at the first available put in.
- 661 990 – R1 continues after falls.
- 661 992-997 – R1’s around islands.
- 660 999 – R2 – shot tight left and had 1 dump. Rest of the group lifted over on RR.
- 659 004 – portage on island to campsite.
Day 10 – July 14th – A colder day
Campsite: 658 020 - camped early due to low energy and weather
T.O.W: 6 hours
Distance: 2km
Weather: cold, rainy
Tech:
- 658 005 – R1 leading to the famous island portage hug RL shore and catch the large eddy on RL. To get to the island portage you ferry from here across to the island. However in this eddy there is a flagged portage which you can do instead of the sketchy island one. We did the portage on RL. It is 500m and is very bushy. The put in is especially bad and leads into a rocky R1. It is potentially better than the island portage… your call.
- 658 001 – lined first ledge (25m) and portaged around the other ledges on RR. Ran R2 after portage
- 658 011 – very long R2 minimal eddies, hard to scout. We broke it into two sections 1st RR to RL and the second was RL to RR.
- 658 005 – R1
- 658 020 – big R2 wave train. Portage is 25m above set in an obvious eddy. It is possible to run/line in lower water.
Day 11 – July 15th – A large portaging day
Campsite: 682 085 – on a lift over… great kitchen and there is room for tents on a small beach just after the put in. is a very small site.
T.O.W: 9 hours
Distance: 7km
Weather: started cold then sunny
Tech:
- R1+ after portage – shot center
- R1’s/R2 to portage
- 669 045 – portage 100m on RR above falls. Some swifties before the portage and there is a common campsite at the bottom.
- Lined the R2 on RR after the portage. There is an island where you could line or run the right side in higher water.
- 669 052 and 671 056 - Two R2’s before the next portage.
- 675 061 – portage on the right (100m) with a steep hill at the end. Followed by swifties.
- 676 066 and 677 067 - Two R2’s – shot center down both. The second had a large ledge.
- 679 068 – 150m portage on the left. There is a take out higher up than expected before you go around the corner.
- 679 069 – 150m portage on the right. Put in is for 1 boat and in a large R1/R2.
- R1s and R2’s
- 682 085 – 20m lift over. Camped on the lift-over on the left. It isn’t really a campsite but it was late.
Day 12 – July 16th, 2016
Campsite: 690 115 – just before 3 ledges. Is a bush crash but a nice one. Excellent kitchen. Also if you hike up the hill there is an excellent place a helicopter may land. We camped early due to low group morale after the dump.
T.O.W: 7 hours
Distance: 3km
Weather: hot and sunny
Tech:
- 681 009 – R1’s
- 678 100 – R1+ ran just left of center island.
- 677 105 – R1 – rocky ran left hand channel. Had a dump but was due to a miscommunication and inexperienced paddlers. The rest of our group ran the set after the dump was dealt with.
- 677 106 – falls. Portage on RR. 25m
- 678 107 – R2 lined over ledge on river right then scouted the rest of the rapid and decided to line (mainly due to low group confidence after the dump and tons of pillow rocks).
- 679 113 – portage 200m RL - muddy and bushy. Put in is in the middle of the rapid. Long R1 after portage.
Day 13 – July 17th
Campsite: 676 162 – RR across from end of portage – nice!
T.O.W: 8.5 hours
Distance: 4.5km
Weather: sunny and started to rain as soon as we got off the water.
Tech:
- 679116 - lined down 3 ledges on RL
- 679 117 – R1 on RL followed by an R2 (at 679 118) with large exposed rock. Ran RL.
- 679 128 Islands – 4 channels. RR channel had massive exposed rock in the middle of wave train and the center channel to the right of the largest island had two ledges. All looked un-runnable in our water levels but previous trip reports had run them. Scout from largest island or RR shore. We ended up lining down some boney stuff on RL of the largest island.
- 676 133 – R1 directly above falls. Super fun! Run center down the “V”.
- 676 134 – lifted over 15m on the right. Steep put in. can portage if you want. Is also a large unloading area above falls.
- 676 138 – lined on RR (directly above next ledge). Can portage part way through the ledge but we were able to start paddling where the portage started and ran a sneak route down RL.
- 676 139 - hobbit campsite portage (25m). One boat unloading
- Very bony long R1’s (not many eddy’s). Should be run ducky due to lack of eddies.
- 675 152 - Lifted over ledge on RL (10m) – very sketchy take out right above ledge.
- 675 153 - 1.5km portage – take out RL. One boat unloading. First half (or 2/3rds) or trail is muddy but the last bit is a great trail. Trail is clear and flagged. We did 12minute intervals (which worked out to splitting the portage in half). We camped at the campsite directly across the river from the end.
Day 14 – July 18th
Campsite: 885 202
T.O.W: 7 hours
Distance: 4.5km
Weather: mix of sun and rain
Tech:
- 675 165 – R2 ledge. Leader lined RL.
- 676 166 – R2+ shot RR of island on RR.
- 679 169 – R2 big waves in center driving left to right in the center down final drop.
- 679 178 – 400m portage on RL – very nice! Around turtle rock falls Semi steep put in but multiple boats will fit.
- 678 181 – R1 wave train
- 682 192 – R2 shot R1 ledge RL
- 682 195 – 450m portage on RR. Is a leg workout! Very very steep put in but it can hold lots of boats.
- 685 202 – R3 can line RL or portage RR to R2 or portage the whole thing.
Day 15 – July 19th - HALF DAY!
Campsite: 685 220
T.O.W: 4 hours
Distance: 2.2km
Weather: sunny with clouds
Tech:
- 685 202 – ran bottom of R2+
- 685 208 – 50m portage RL. Has large take out and put in. around a falls
- 685 209 – 50m portage RL. Horrible take out and put in. also around a falls
- 687 212 – 100m portage RL. Two boat take out around a falls
- 687 212 – R1 ledge ran center (narrow)
- “Island combo” starts at 688 218. At the top there is one island. RR channel has a large falls at the top so we lifted over in the RL channel on the island. We then crossed over to a center channel and ran a narrow R1 chute (you could also stay on RL and drag through some shallow stuff). There is an R1 ledge 100m after where we took on a lot of water followed by a pool then an R3 ledge which you may be able to run empty boated. We did not run it and instead camped the island right beside it. Scout all the island because there are many channels to choose from depending on your water levels.
Day 16 – July 20th – ANOTHER HALF DAY
Campsite: 694 236
T.O.W: 4 hours
Distance: 1.5km
Weather: sunny
Tech:
- 685 223 - R1 + ledge – ran center left
- 688 227 – 30m portage on RR
- 689 230 – lift over on island around R3. Possible to run in higher water
- 690 232 – R2+ with so many options. A) run RR, B) lift over RR, C) line or run the R1 RL then run RR of island, D) portage 200m with a cliff-like put in (we did this).
- R1 ran center
- Island – ran RR (R1+)
- 694 235 river splits. Take RL as RR is more technical. There are 3 main drops on RL: A) R1+ ledges – ran RR of the main island. B) R2 ledge - ran center (campsite beautiful). C) R2 we will run tomorrow far RL and that ends in a swifty.
Day 17 – July 21st – Last day of Whitewater and The Day of Thunderstorms
Campsite: 788 411 – 32 L/13 – confluence of Bodel and Kesagami. Was flagged and a nice campsite.
T.O.W: 9 hours
Distance: 21km
Weather: thunderstormy but sun late in the afternoon
Tech:
- Ran ledge just after campsite tight RL (sneak route)
- R1 RR of island
- 693 243 – 50m portage. Take out on RR
- Pick and choose R1’s – very rocky
- Long braided section of river. We portaged it all (approx. 500m – was faster than lining and running and lifting over a bunch of ledges individually). Take out on RR at top of ledge after quick swifty. Eddy is very small. 1 boat at a time
- R1s at end of portage – rocky
- 200m portage – really bad trail. Fallen down trees everywhere and you have to put into a creek to finish. Boat carriers literally dragged the boats most of the way. Due to low water levels we dragged/lined the string current in the creek. END OF WW!
- Some swifties in the long flat water section.
Day 18 – July 22nd – Goose Camp
Campsite: Goose Camp 875 621 32 M/4
T.O.W: 7 hours
Distance: 17km
Weather: cloudy
Tech: None!
Day 19 – July 23rd – Bay Day #1
Campsite: beach on little Netitishi point
T.O.W: 5am-6pm – 13 hours
Distance: 27km
Weather: cold and rainy in the morning turning to sun
Tech:
High tide 5:30am, low tide 12:00pm, high tide 6:00pm. We left goose camp an hour before high tide so we could get out to the mouth of the bay at high tide. We beached ourselves for 2.5hours so we didn’t get too far from shore and also to maximize the distance we went that day.
Day 20 – July 24th – Bay Day #2
Campsite: Ship Sands Island – nice beach
T.O.W: 12 hours
Distance: Approx. 26km
Weather: Cloudy
Tech:
high tide 6am, low tide 2pm, high tide 7pm. We were beached from 10:30-2:30. The tide came back in really fast for some unknown reason today – we think our tail winds blew it in very fast but are unsure. Ship sands island is much nicer than long point if you can make it – its less marshy, and actually has firewood.
Day 21 – July 25th – Up the Moose River and Arrival in Moosonee
Campsite: Tidewater Provincial Park
T.O.W.: 4.5 hours
Distance: 13km
Weather: All types – sun, rain, massive thunder storms all around. Head and tail winds.