Canoeing The Red Deer River - Forestry Trunk Road To Wysenchuk's Crossing
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- Опубліковано 26 лип 2024
- Canoeing the Red Deer River in western Alberta. Put-in at the FTR bridge near Mountain Aire Lodge, and paddled 16 km to Wysenchuk's Crossing. Flow was 41 cm/s. July 23, 2023. Hope you enjoy.
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![Lp. Последняя Реальность #107 РОДНОЙ ДОМ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IK3QKzKUlHM/mqdefault.jpg)
Nick - Thank you for the video. Although I haven’t canoed in many years, I can say in all honesty that this reach of the Red Deer is one of my favourite of all the river sections in Alberta. Not only was the paddling enjoyable, but the ‘river accessories’ like wildlife burned indelible memories in this old man’s brain - e.g. several bear encounters; being camped on an island and awakening in the middle of the night to the sounds of a small herd of Elk moving through camp; almost loosing one of our canoeing cohorts when he struck some deadfall and went under (literally) the log jam instead of over it. I was never so happy to see anyone one my life, before or since when he popped up on the other side. His first words were ‘… not recommended…’ as he spit out a stream of the Red Deer.
You could paddle this reach three weekends in a row and each time you could swear you were on a different river due to the changing dynamics of water volume resulting in changing river characteristics.
Your video brought a river of memories to this old man..
Thanks again…
Michael Bradley
It's my pleasure Michael, I glad you enjoyed. I can see why you would say this is a favorite reach of yours. I've paddled it twice now and thoroughly enjoy it both times. The first time was 32 cms, and this time was 41 cms. There was quite a difference in the features even with only 10 or so extra cubic meters. A very dynamic river like you said. It sounds like you have had some wonderful (and some scary) times on this river. A camping trip would be great, I just need to get familiar with the lower section and it's ledges. What were your experiences like with the Double Ledge? And thanks again Michael, I'm always happy to try and bring back good memories on the river.
Thanks for sharing your video. I was thinking back to when I ran this section in Aug of 1988. The water level was lower but still exciting. I didn't expect to see that part of the river again. We didn't have any way of recording when we ran rivers back then. I was paddling a 16' Mad River Explorer in those days.
Awesome!! Always nice to hear from someone who's paddled here. I've only done this run twice, but the river seems to change dramatically between different levels. Right on, glad you got see a river you hadn't seen in years. Thanks for the comment Mike.
Hiya Nick,
Nice to watch your canoe, video journeys. Stay safe ❤️🙏🏼Just finishing my last firecamp rotation for summer season.
Thanks Miller, great to hear from you. Yes summer is coming to an end, I hope you have a nice winter. Take care.
looked like a good day on the water thanks for sharing
It was a very good day on the water. Thanks for watching Willy, I hope you are doing well. Great to hear from you. Take care.
❤Memory Lane… I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I paddle here. Used to paddle this river almost twice a year. Getting old now 🤣. Haven’t forgotten the highlights though. Gooseberry ledge to kick it off, exciting Jumbo’s staircase hasn’t changed too much, S-bend looking good, Nationals fun times, Sauna hole 👍🏼, and all the little play spots in between. Had to watch this twice. Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Thanks very much, I'm glad it brought back good memories. Yeah it is a very exciting stretch to canoe. This was my second time here, first time was two weeks ago. I can definitely see myself coming back. Haha, yeah not getting any younger here either... I wish I had gotten into this twenty years earlier :) Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. Take care.
Above my skill level 😅, great video !
Thanks Udo. Just being on the water is the most important thing. I hope you are doing well and getting some canoe time... or any kind of boat :) Take care my friend.
Sweet, I bet you’re bailing bucket got a work out also Nick… well done
Yeah it is definitely a wet ride. A lot of time and energy is spent draining water from the canoe. I hope you are doing well Jim, thanks for taking the time.
Hiya Nick,
Haven't watched any of your stuff in awhile.
Back at Fire Base for the Summer, lotsa fires this summer, some really bad!
Safe travels n pleasant journeys ❤️🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼☀️
ps. nice to see you back at whatcha love doing!👍🏼
Thanks Miller it's great to hear from you. Yes another bad year for fires, thank you for the good work you do.
It is always a pleasure to be canoeing on a river.
Right on , Thanks Nick … Red deer river for us is a great place to play…. Have a great day 👍🇨🇦
It is a very exciting river!! Thanks very much, I hope you have a great day as well. Take care.
Oh that was fun to watch! Nice paddling!
Thanks very much Jerry. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
Awesome video Nick. I was thinking … it’s starting off a little hairy … but it will calm down … nope! Wow …that was pretty thrilling to say the least. I thought for sure you were going to go overboard a couple of times. What cracks me up … no matter how intense it gets … you‘re as quiet as a mouse. I don‘t think I could possibly remain so restrained lol. Excellent ride and thanks for posting. Looking forward to your next river adventure 😊
Thanks very much Robbie. Yeah this is a very exciting run in a canoe, definitely a wet ride. I thought I was going to swamp the canoe one time for sure, but got a little lucky. All in all, it was a great day on the river. Thanks for taking the time, I hope I can get out a few more times this summer.
Well done shooting the ledge at the 3:30 mark. Lots of reverse hydraulic action on this river. Powering through those ledges seemed to be the best way to clear them. Wouldn’t want to get stuck in one of those holes. Great work as always Nick! You make it look too easy man! Great video!
Yeah it's a very exciting section to paddle. The ledge at 3:30 is the largest drop I have run, and I took the easy/safe line. With plenty of ledges and holes, this stretch has a few commercial whitewater rafting companies operating. It's definitely a blast in an open canoe!! Thanks so much for taking the time, take care.
That looked a lot of fun, one of those ledges looked a bit sketchy but the others very doable.
Yes, it is a very enjoyable stretch. Nothing over class III, so everything is quite doable. I took the safest line over the larger ledge. Thanks for taking the time, take care.
3:21 You handled that drop like a pro, I'd be going over.
Thanks very much. Yeah it was a good day on the water, such a great river. Take care.
Nice river and a very good paddler , I was impress to see you go down that small fall ! Alway's happy when I see one of your video on my notification , thank's !
Thanks very much. Yes it is a very nice river, and that ledge was probably the biggest one I've run. Great fun!! Thanks again for the nice words. Take care.
Good line through the Double Ledge. I have taken the center portion a few times and ended up swamping in the big pillow😩
Thanks Rick! The Red Deer is definitely exciting in a canoe. I hope to paddle the lower section to Coalcamp next summer. Thanks for taking the time.
sweet run. looks tricky at times
Thanks very much. Definitely an exciting run, with some tricky spots.
Thanks Nick. Great to see you back👍
It's my pleasure. Thanks for taking the time. Take care.
Always a pleasure watching your videos. I am getting back into hiking - long story but I have done very little since 2020 but I remember watching your videos back then. Really inspiring as a fascinating way to experience the outdoors
Thanks very much. If I can inspire anyone to get out there, that is the biggest compliment I could ever receive. I hope you find the time to get out hiking. Take care.
*_Great canoe trip and beautiful landscape all around. It was interesting to see and I enjoyed it. Many greetings from Germany, Angela_*
Thanks very much Angela. Yes it was a fun day on the water, with nice views of the foothills. Take care.
Nick
Great to see you out there Nick, gorgeous scenery and impressive skills as always enjoyed the vid.
Thanks so much Connie. It is really great to hear from you. I hope all is well in beautiful B.C.
I don’t watch all of your videos Nick because I just get jealous and frustrated 😂 However this trip just looks awesome, I might have to try it this summer or next. Thanks for sharing
, a guy that lives nowhere near the mountains.
Well... sorry about that... that was not my intention :) Yeah it is a great river, and felt like a step-up for me personally. Gooseberry Ledge is the biggest drop I have run. While there is nothing exceeding class III, some of it might be difficult is a 17' Prospector. Or maybe not, but it will be a wet ride for sure.
@@nickharland3795 … if this was a step up for you I won’t be trying it! I don’t have the experience; however Gooseberry ledge could be portaged?
Gooseberry can be portaged on river left. That was the step up for me, the other rapids were more straight forward... and incredibly exciting.
Thanks Nick
My pleasure Laurie. Thanks for watching.
I really enjoyed this video. It's always exciting when the boat is taking on water.
Yeah it is a blast. I thought I was going to swamp there at one point, got a little lucky. Thanks for watching.
Thanks Nick, that was great.
Have a safe summer❤🙏🏼
Thanks again Miller. Same to you , have a great summer!!
Another Great Paddle With You Nick ! Hoping All Is Well Out Yonder ! Bring Us More Soon, Friend. ATB T God Bless
Thanks very much Terry. Yeah it's been a busy summer, hopefully I can get out more in the next couple of months. Take care my friend.
Nice. One of those paddle where you're always navigating , no still waters to just relax.
That's pretty much it, no relaxing on this part of the Red Deer River. Thanks for watching Darrell.
Beautiful!
It is a beautiful river for sure. Thank you for watching.
nice.
Thank you! Cheers!
Great job. Nice stretch.
Thanks very much Douglas.
You have some awesome paddling skills. Thanks for posting. What's the specs on that canoe. ?
Thanks very much Jerry. It's a Mad River M.E. from 1988. It is 15.5' long, weighs about 50 lbs and has 8" of rocker.
@@nickharland3795 Thanks
Very nice videos 👍 success frend 👍
Thanks very much, take care.
Thanks Nick, really enjoyed the run. that was a well chosen line at 7:15,.Did you know before hand or was it a quick read? Great time again.
Thanks BD. I scouted it and had a line on river left in mind. It pretty much went as I had hoped... only needed a couple of small corrections. They used to host the National championships at that rapid back in the 70's. Thanks for watching, take care.
Hey man, love the videos! so awesome seeing you tackle all the waterways I have grown up loving, I am an avid cliff jumper, on your travels have you come across any bridge spots that looked deep enough to jump? they are awefully hard to find in AB
Thanks very much. Off the top of my head, I seem to remember the Snake Indian River at Celestine Road in Jasper was like a deep pool in a canyon. I'm not sure what is directly down river of the bridge though. Possibly the North Sask River at the Glacier Lake Trail bridge in Banff. It is just after a class III rapid in a small canyon. Most of the other rivers I can think of are generally shallow. Hope that helps a bit. Take care.
@@nickharland3795 Hell yes! thank you so much, definitely going to check that out, cant wait for more videos! cheers
Great video. I'm thinking of running this stretch (flows permitting) in a couple of weeks and this definitely helps set some expectations. From your memory, were there any visible and decent lining or portaging options on the larger ledges?
Thanks very much Gerhard. The only large ledge on this run is Gooseberry ledge. You can portage it on river left. Everything else was moderate. Further down river, there are a few large ledges including Double Ledge and Coalcamp Ledge. I have not paddled there yet, but I believe you can portage those on river left as well. I hope you have a great trip, take care.
i'm a bit older and run rivers with my armor ski sea doo conversion instead of canoe or kayak. do you see jetboats up that far? i think they run that stretch but i could see alot of damages occuring. the falls looked really cool. nicely navigated.
Apparently a couple weeks ago, someone got a jetboat to just below Gooseberry Ledge (the first big drop at the 3 or 4 minute mark).
What model of mad river canoe are you paddling? I've paddled a mad river explorer 16 and a Nova craft prospector 16, not sure which one I prefer, especially in more complex rivers, would love to hear your opinion on favorite canoe to paddle.
This is a Mad River M.E. from 1988. It is WW canoe, 15.5' long with 8" of rocker. Honestly, I don't have much experience paddling different canoes. This Mad River M.E. is the only WW canoe I've ever paddled, so I have nothing to compare it to... but I absolutely love it!! It is purely whitewater though, and would be miserable to paddle on a flat water trip. My Clipper Prospector 16 is a fine canoe, and is perfect for big rivers and lakes, and up to class II rapids. But there are times I wish it had a bit more rocker than the 3" that it does has. That said, it has been a great canoe for me, and taken me down some amazing rivers. Hard to choose a favorite, but if I had to choose between these two, I would take the Prospector because of it's versatility. Personally, I always liked the look the Esquif Canyon and Pocket Canyon, but have yet to paddle one.
@@nickharland3795 thank you for your reply, I appreciate your feedback. Happy paddling😃🛶
Nick, have you ever canoed on the South Saskatchewan River?
I haven't yet, but hopefully someday. I think I'd like to try and complete the North Saskatchewan first. So many rivers... never enough time :) Thanks Lance, take care.
@@nickharland3795 No problem. 😉
Hey Nick, when was this??
This was on July 23, 2023.