14 day Seal River Trip - Detailed Itinerary
Trip Date: August 11 to August 24, 2011. This trip is suitable for canoeists with some canoeing experience. The Seal is one of Manitoba's most remote rivers. Starting at Tadoule Lake in northern Manitoba it flows through a northern boreal forest littered with eskers and other glacial deposits. The eskers stretch for kilometres inland forming links and highways for the Kaminuriak caribou herd, wolves, black bear and other wildlife. The Seal is a large volume river that will thrill you and fill you with wonder at the vast northern landscape. True to it's name, numerous seals are found as far as 180 to 200 km inland, sunning and gorging themselves on the plentiful fish. There are stretches of class 2 to 3 whitewater that continue for 2 to 4 kilometres. Rapids such as Bastion Rock and Deaf Rapids make every day exciting. After Great Island we cross the forest/subarctic tundra transition zone and enter the "Land of the Little Sticks". Our final days bring us to the barren tundra of the Hudson Bay lowlands and Hudson Bay itself. The Seal river's estuary is the calving and feeding ground for 3000 beluga whales. It is also home to the magnificent Polar Bear who are commonly seen as we near Hudson Bay. The end of this wilderness canoeing adventure brings us to Churchill. Polar bear, whale watching, walking and birding tours can be arranged to complete your Northern experience.
Pre-trip: Wilderness Spirit clients should arrive in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada a minimum of 1 day before your trip starts. We will pick you up at the airport and transport you to your hotel. Wilderness Spirit will drop off your waterproof barrel so you can pack your gear prior to the start of the trip (day 1 of the trip). At this time we will respond to any unanswered questions and notify you of your departure time on Day 1 of the trip. Hotel guests will be able to leave suitcases or backpacks at the hotel free of charge until you return from the canoe trip.
Day 1: Wilderness Spirit will pick clients up at their hotel to drive to Winnipeg International Airport. We will check in and board our flight to Thompson, Manitoba where we change airplanes to fly to Tadoule Lake community on Tadoule Lake in northern Manitoba. The flight from Winnipeg to Thompson is approximately 90 minutes, and our flight to Tadoule Lake is another 90 minutes. At Tadoule Lake we will load up a truck to drive us to the Seal River, one of Canada's premier Heritage Rivers, about 5 kilometres away.
Day 1: We cross through Tadoule Lake, a large, clear lake and into Negassa Lake which is separated from Tadoule Lake by 2 sets of class 1 rapids. Negassa and Shethanei Lakes are divided by several excellent high volume class 2+ rapids. On his way to the Coppermine River Samuel Hearne spent some time camped near the point where the Seal enters Shethanei Lake in the 1800's. Shethanei Lake, over 60 km long, has extensive eskers, beaches, a bedrock drumlinoid and glacial blowouts we stop to hike and explore. Some eskers stretch inland for many kilometres. One esker has 4 graves estimated to be approximately 100 years old. The rolls of birch bark at a nearby campsite hint at the age of birch bark canoe construction.
Days 2 to 9: Upon leaving Shethanei Lake the Seal's strong current becomes immediately evident. Its pebble bottom seems to fly past as the river carries us downstream. We wander through islands and several easy rapids before reaching the confluence of the Wolverine River. It is common to see seals at this point, about 200 km from Hudson Bay! The arctic grayling fishing is tremendous here and that is likely one reason seals stay here for extended periods. After our first encounter with seals we will see them frequently as we move down river. We pass by a plaque that honours Bill Mason, perhaps the most important figure in Canada's modern canoeing history. Thirty metre gneiss walls line a short gorge that contain big water class 2 rapids. As we continue towards Great Island we encounter numerous class 1 to 3 rapids that speed us down the river. At Great Island, the Seal River splits into two channels one going north and one south. We stop at one of the incredible camp spots found along the western edge of Great Island before continuing downstream. Remarkable granite and sedimentary rock formations line much of the river bank along Great Island. Eskers split in half by the river remind us of the water's power. The boulder strewn rapids characteristic of much of the Seal River increase in frequency as we paddle the 40 km south channel around Great Island. The rapid at Bastion Rock is a narrow 30 m squeeze and is one of the more difficult rapids on the river. The riverbank is lined by impressive 10-15 m slate cliffs. At high water the middle of the river is a wild class 4 rapid. It requires some manoeuvring to travel the safest route. Bastion Rock itself is a large island that splits the river, forcing it to tumble through a narrow channel. Not more than 2 km downstream of this is Peninsula Rapid, another excellent class 3 rapid with some very large standing waves. Numerous native artifacts have been found on the esker that dominates the shoreline along Peninsula rapid. Approximately 10 km past this beautiful site is Nine Bar Rapids. This 4 km long stretch of continuous class 2-3 rapids is a challenging finish to our route around Great Island. After Great Island the northern boreal forest fades, and trees become progressively smaller and scarce. Heath and tundra vegetation begin to dominate as we enter the subarctic transition zone of the "Land of Little Sticks". There are numerous beaches along this stretch and plenty of current to push you along. We enter a 4 km stretch of bouldery class 1-2 rapids which lead to a raised peat island that towers above the water. "Peat" island is treeless except for a small thicket that clings to one corner. Discontinuous permafrost has arranged the soft, saturated peat into distinct polygons. This island offers a tremendous view of the surrounding tundra.
Days 10 to 11: Approximately 30 km of easy-flowing class 1 water flows northeast with some remarkable beaches and wonderful vistas. The river rambles through the subarctic transition zone and into the Hudson Bay lowlands during the last few days of the trip. A 12 km long stretch of Felsenmeer (boulder garden) ends with Tambany Rapids, one of the last long stretches of rapids on the Seal River. It stretches for over 4 km until the Seal enters a small archipelago. Numerous tundra islands, with dropped caribou antlers scatter the widening river. One island shelters an old prospectors camp, the remnants of which are still visible in the peat and trees. As we near the river's mouth the river widens further, islands choke the water's path and the current picks up on its final dash to Hudson Bay. These last few days are the start of Polar Bear country. However, they are rarely seen until we reach Deaf Rapids which we run during our last full day on the river. Deaf Rapids is a large volume class 4 rapid with some extremely large waves or can be run down the left as an easier class 2. It's roar drowns out most other sounds and can be heard from afar. The river's tidal estuary is a mesmerizing maze of islands and rocks. We pick our way through to the Seal River's mouth and the huge expanse of Hudson Bay. With a tidal ebb and flow that fluctuates between 3-5 metres, the tidal flats can stretch for kilometres at low tide. We have some time to explore and photograph the maze of wildflowers, sedges and boulders that adorn the Bay's shoreline. We commonly see polar bears, beluga whales, seals, and many shore birds and migratory birds along this shoreline. Depending on the time of year the northern wildflowers are in bloom and offer a colourful distraction from the flat, rock-filled estuary and it's surrounding area.
Day 12: On our last full day on the Seal River we will stay on the Hudson Bay shore and go on a hike to view the wildflowers and incredible shoreline views. We'll catch a ferry from the mouth of the Seal to Churchill, Manitoba. In Churchill we will stay at the Aurora Inn, a hotel close to all amenities and services in Churchill. Hot showers and large comfortable rooms await!
Days 13 and 14: While in Churchill clients will be treated to a whale watching tour of the Churchill River estuary, home of thousands of white beluga whale and hundreds of seals and other marine mammals. There is an amazing Arctic Museum in Churchill where the cultural and natural history of the surrounding area comes alive in the form of artifacts and displays from the various cultures that have lived in and around the area. Helicopter tours and walking tours are also available if clients desire. We take the train back to Thompson the evening of day 13 and catch our flight to Winnipeg on the afternoon of the 14th day. Paddlers will arrive at their hotel in Winnipeg at approximately 6:00 in the evening of the 14th day. Wilderness Spirit will wait at the hotel while you unpack your barrel to return it to us. At this time arrangements are usually made to meet later in the evening for supper or drinks, to say goodbye and to rehash the time on the river.
Post-trip: Wilderness Spirit guests should make plans to leave Winnipeg on or after the 15th day of your stay in Manitoba. Due to weather problems and potential delays on the river it is safest to book your flights out of Winnipeg at this time to avoid missing flights due to unexpected delays. This has never happened, but to avoid airline charges when changing flights it is a good idea to book your flights after the 14th day of the canoe trip. Of course your hotel room in Winnipeg is included.
In
North America call tollfree 1 866 287 1591 or 1 204
452 7049
or email info@WildernessSpirit.com
Wilderness Spirit,
696 McMillan Ave., Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada R3M 0V1
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