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RAFTING OR CANOEING THE KOOTENAY RIVER |
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5 Day Trip Itinerary |
| Day
1: 8:00 AM. Coffee meeting to talk about
the trip and organize the shuttle of vehicles to
Canal Flats. Packing the canoes and rafts, lunch and a safety talk before departure will follow this.
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Once on the river we will enjoy the Kootenay’s easy flow and warm up with some practice strokes. Less than an hour before camp we come across the
first of many interesting features the River valley has
to offer. This one is a
45m high wall of gravel left behind by a retreating
valley glacier. This intriguing wall of intact gravel
has survived through the ages due to it being cemented
together by calcium carbonate from the limestone
ground-up by glaciers. Our destination for the afternoon
will be the Cross River just outside of Kootenay
National Park. An attractive campsite is created at the
junction where the Cross River exits a steep walled
gorge before joining the Kootenay. The Cross River flows
west into the Kootenay from White Man Pass. Its name is
derived from the actions of Father Pierre De Smet, who
crossed the Rockies in an attempt to establish peace
among the warring Indians of the region. At the top of
the Pass he erected a large wooden cross in 1845. Our
first trip of the evening will find us enjoying a hearty
meal and relaxing around an open campfire.
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| Day 2: Our morning will start
with an optional hike up a scenic 2.5 km trail along the
north side of the Cross River to a natural bridge. On
the trail various impressive water falls can be seen
dropping into deep plunge pools. Paddling the Kootenay
this day we will be challenged by four sets of
whitewater. These are Bridge, Ledge, Boulder and
Horseshoe Rapids. Our options for negotiating these sets
are many. After scouting them, we may either line,
portage or run them. Whatever way you take them, these
rapids present a great opportunity to develop your River
running skills. Camp will be made this afternoon on a
small island on a remote part of the River. |
| Day 3: Following a leisurely
morning we will paddle to the Tufa deposits. These are
composed of calcium carbonate left by percolating ground
water which surfaces digesting insects. Beautiful yellow
Lady's Slippers flourish here early in the season.
Today's journey takes us through a deeply incised reach
of the River with numerous S bends. The S bend present
fun waves and exciting moments on a rushing River. A few
strokes from the Palliser Rapids we will stop to camp at
the mouth of the Palliser River. The afternoon will
provide opportunities for hiking up the Palliser River
to explore its gorge, swimming, fishing or just relaxing
in camp. |
| Day 4: Today starts off with an
impressive view of Pedley Falls. Just upstream of the
falls, the River enters a narrow gorge which is about 50
m. deep. Several hundred meters along the gorge, Pedley
Creek flows into the Kootenay. Pedley Creek has been
unable to down cut through the shale bedrock as deeply
as the Kootenay River because of its flows erosive
capacity is considerably less. As a result the creek
enters the gorge about 25 m. above the Kootenay River,
forming a beautiful, cascading waterfall. Our lunch stop
this day will be at the mouth of the White River. At
Gibraltar Rock the River has dissected a high but narrow
ridge of limestone. Its pitted surface give this immense
rock a volcanic-appearance. We will pick from a number
of options for camping in this area. . |
Day 5: Our last day on the River
will find us making our final 27 kms. into Canal Flats.
On the way the Kootenay valley opens up as the River
flows into the Rocky Mountain Trench. This area has an
interesting history around the local development of a
now abandoned canal between the Kootenay River and
Columbia Lake, the head waters for the River by the same
name. We take out at the bridge for highway 95. While
the dRivers retrieve vehicles from McLeod Meadows, the
rest of us will take a short walk into town for
ice-cream.  | |
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