River Kayaking: Part 2

Karen embarks on the Riviere du Nord

Considering how many updates I made to my first installment on river kayaking, this is probably part five...anyway, we keep finding great new places to kayak and I figured I'd create a new entry for the latest trips we took during our September 2014 holidays.  This time, we had identified two new river segments (well, new to us) in both St. Jovite and Val David.

The first we did was Val David, and planned an over-nighter for this one.  We stayed at La Maison de Baviere, a charming German-inspired B&B built on the foundation of an old stone house, right on the rushing waterfalls of the Riviere du Nord.  It's also right beside the P'tit Train du Nord for easy access to cycling, and about a 5 minute walk to the main street for dining.  We did a bit of cycling the first afternoon and made a mandatory stop at Le Baril Roulante for a pint or two of the best Quebec microbrews.  That night we had dinner at Les Zebres, trying to carb up for the adventure the next morning.

The river empties into Lac Raymond, beach to the left!

So our kayak trip began just a little bit down river from our B&B, so we had the ideal location to start this trip (although you're never too far from anything in Val David).  Planning a kayak trip like this is a bit like those logic problems where you have to get a fox, a chicken and a bag of feed across the river with just one boat.  We were equipped with two kayaks, two mountain bikes, two sets of bike locks and a roof-racked car.  Here was the solution:

1. Drop the kayaks at the starting point.  There is an official entry point just at the end of Rue St Olive where it meets Chemin de la Riviere.  Lock up the kayaks with the bike locks (although who's going to make off with our boats?  How quick a getaway could you make?)
2. Drive to the finishing spot, which is at Lac Raymond.  There is a parking lot just off of Chemin de la Gare, complete with a small beach for easy disembarking.  We left the car here, hopped on the bikes and cycled to the P'tit Train du Nord which leads back to the B&B, from which it is a 60-second cycle along Chemin de la Riviere back to the kayaks.
3. Back at the kayaks, we now put the locks on the bikes and embarked down the river.  It's a crazy winding river where at one point, you actually head back north toward where you started, after which you sweep back south.
4. As the river empties into Lac Raymond,  hang a left and arrive at the beach.  Drag the kayaks to the car, secure them on the roof racks and drive back to the bikes.
5. Unlock the bikes, back into the car and head home!

   

   We made it...success!

The whole rigmarole took about 2.5 hours end to end...probably sounds like a big hassle but it isn't really. And the opportunity to explore a new segment of river is always worth the effort.

So speaking of new segments of river, we also kayaked the Diable River route that extends south from St. Jovite.  In our first post on river kayaking, we recounted our experience on the amazing trip that starts near Old Tremblant at the pont de fer (iron bridge), finishing just behind the new townhall in St. Jovite.  This time, we started at the town hall and continued south.  Funny thing is, we always figured that we could probably just keep paddling and disembark near the covered bridge south of town.  The Tremblant outdoor gods were listening and now it's an official route!

Karen eases into the crystalline waters

The same logistical problem applies to this trip.  Our approach:

1. Drop the kayaks behind the St. Jovite townhall
2. Drive out to the extraction point at the covered bridge.  Head south on Rue Leonard (Hwy 327) for about 4-5km and watch for chemin du pont Prud'homme on the right.  The red covered bridge is just a few hundred metres down the road and there's a small parking lot beside.
3. Leave the car here and cycle back to the kayaks.  Seems like a long way but not even 6km!
4. Lock up the bikes behind the townhall and kayak away!
5. Extract, load the kayaks, drive back and pick up the bikes.
6. Have a quick pint at St. Arnould on the way home.

When you start the kayak, you enter such tranquil waters that you wonder whether you're actually experiencing any current at all.  That though vanishes quickly once you approach the rapids that splash under the first bridge.  You're passing under the Trans-Canada highway (Rte 117) and these are the roughest rapids on any of the official river routes.  Nothing to worry about, no capsizing risk, but I did take on a bit of water!

Beautiful views of mountains and farm from the beach

Like much of the Diable river upstream, this route is gentle and picturesque but now you are in farm territory.  No golf courses, cottages or trailer parks.  You are drifting through the valley, mountains on either side.  We also encountered a few hunters perched in a treetop duck blind, so we had to shout in our best French that we were approaching (ne tirez pas!).  About two-thirds of the way through, we found a beautiful sandy beach.  It was about 22 degrees on a sunny September afternoon, so we stopped for a quick snack and to feel the warm sand in our toes.

Prud'homme bridge, the dock on the left

Back on the water, the river straightens out a bit now after twisting its way through the valley.  Turn a corner and there is the beautiful historic covered bridge...and for your convenience, a dock for easy extraction of your kayak.  The river bank is quite steep so there is even a wooden ramp to assist in dragging your boat to the top, complete with a crank if you need the help.

When you're done, you're likely to see a few people standing around the covered bridge with cameras, looking about in amazement.  There's nothing flashy or dramatic about this spot, but there's something idyllic about the countryside and we highly recommend you experience it for yourself!

Oct 2015 Update:
Read about our kayaking on the Rouge near La Conception in River Kayaking Part 3!