Manitoba's legendary Grass River is one of the best subarctic canoe routes WI has ever offered, featuring numerous highlights, including Manitoba's finest ancient Indian rock painting site, the province's 3 most resplendent waterfalls, the region's top-rated walleye lake, caribou, lynx, moose and extraordinary concentrations of wildflowers. This historical river has been roamed by Native people, European explorers, fur traders, and missionaries for centuries. The area's oldest artifacts are the Tramping Lake cliff paintings -- images of animals, humans and trickster spirits -- thought to have been created 1,500 - 3,000 years ago by ancestors of the resident Cree and Ojibwa First Nations. Join WI's co-founder Paul Schurke on this spectacular trip.
Sample Itinerary
Please note: While the itinerary presented is an accurate depiction of what your trip will be like, it is only an example. Our trips are real adventures in the outdoors--not pre-packaged tours that happen on a schedule.
Day 1: The trip will officially begin in Winnipeg in the afternoon. Drive west and stay at a campground.
Day 2: Continue north on our approximately 9-hour drive to Grass River Provincial Park. Camp at Reed Lake Campground.
Day 3: Paddle eastwards across Reed Lake, enter the Grassy River, portage around Devil's Elbow Rapids, and camp on Tramping Lake to explore the ancient Indian cliff paintings and try our luck on one of Manitoba's "Top 5" lunker walleye lakes.
Day 4: Continue eastwards to Wekusko Falls and portage into Wekusko Lake. Depending upon wind, this large lake crossing may be our 'team building' challenge. Camp near the Herb Lake 'ghost town' where the Grass River exits the lake's east end.
Day 5: Paddle eastward along a scenic & intimate stretch of the Grassy River, perhaps camping along beautiful Kanisota Falls.
Day 6: Continue along a stretch reputed to be the "finest river paddling in the province" with scenic stops at White Forest and Whitewood Falls.
Day 7: Rest day at river junction near Pakwa Lake for R&R and/or day trip options for fishing or site-seeing.
Day 8: Continue past historic Cree cemetery, cross Setting Lake and meet our van shuttle at Wabowden campground around midday. Drive towards Winnipeg and camp along the way.
Day 9: Drive to Winnipeg where the trip officially ends late morning to midday. For those continuing on to Minneapolis, expect an evening arrival.
Route summary: 100 miles of downstream river canoeing (with 2 large and 2 small lake crossings), 8 portages (most under 25 rods), 5 days of paddling plus 1 rest day and 1.5 days road travel to and from.
Travel, Terrain, Etc...
TERRAIN/ROUTE CHOICES: This area lies on the western edge of the Canadian Shield, characterized by exposed granite with a thin layer of top soil, the result of glaciers scraping and grinding as recently as 10,000 years ago. The western edge of the shield has more sand beaches that were deposited by glacial Lake Agassiz after the glaciers receded. Visitors can expect difficulty at times (rocks, mud, logs, etc.). Generally, though, the lakes and rivers make this area quite accessible.
TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: You will travel in 17-foot We-No-Nah Champlain canoes, which hold two to three paddlers, plus all necessary gear. An average day's travel consists of 3-6 hours of paddling, depending on the weather. Travel distances vary from 9-20 miles per day with the exception of scheduled layover days. There will be portages (short trail crossings) through the course of the trip. Portaging can be challenging, but it also offers a chance to get out of the canoes and enjoy the woods. To protect the environment, WI uses Leave No Trace camping techniques.
WEATHER: Temperatures in the summer months range from 35 F to 85 F. Rainfall can vary, but you should expect one or two days of wet weather.
LODGING/BATHROOM FACILITIES: This is a camping trip. At night you will sleep in a comfortable Eureka tent. Typically, there are 3 people per 4 person tent (although other arrangements can be made). We recommend that you bring your own personal sleeping bag and "camprest" foam core inflatable mattress (a limited number of sleeping bags and mattresses are available as loaners for individuals who need them). Bathroom facilities consist of a latrine in the woods--we travel light! We make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness.
GROUP SIZE: The group size ranges from 7 to 9 participants, plus 2 Wilderness Inquiry staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities.
CAMP CHORES: Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however, we ask that you pitch in when you can. Part of the adventure involves participating in daily camp activities such as cooking and dishes.
EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: If you are new to outdoor activities, you need not spend a lot of money on gear. Wilderness Inquiry will provide all necessary canoeing and camping equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as clothing and a sleeping bag. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation. If you need to borrow personal gear, that can usually be arranged.
The fishing is excellent on the Grass River. We encourage you to bring a collapsable rod and reel. Walleye and Northern Pike bite on 1/2 to 3/8 oz jigs and various spoons. You will need to purchase a non-resident Manitoba fishing license for about $20. These can be purchased en route.
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: While not technically difficult, this trip can be strenuous. We do not recommend it if you are in poor physical condition. No previous experience is needed to complete this trip, but you do need to be able to carry packs and items across difficult trails.
BORDER REQUIREMENTS: This destination is in Canada, and you will need a valid passport to cross the border.
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Wilderness Inquiry is proud to serve Caribou Coffee on all our trips. Great food, great coffee, and great company are just some of the ingredients that make Wilderness Inquiry trips special.
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A River on the Edge (NOTE: This is reprinted from Great Canadian Rivers.Com)
Granite meets limestone. Uplands meet lowlands. Black spruce and jack pine meet white spruce and birch, and murky, tea-stained waterways meet transparent, turquoise-blue lakes.
Like an outline on a physiographic map, the Grass River defines the meeting point of 2 geological zones and ecoregions. It marks the uneven boundary between the ancient North American Precambrian Shield - commonly known as the Canadian Shield - and the vast boreal plain of the Manitoba Lowlands, underlain by flat beds of softer sedimentary rock.
To the north and west, where the river washes over the Shield, it barely covers the granite bedrock. Its shallow lakes and pools are sprinkled with protruding islands and rocky outcroppings, and the water has a brownish tinge, darkened by the tannic acid that seeps from its geological foundation. But along its southern shore, where the Grass skirts the northern edge of the Manitoba Plain, its lakes sparkle with a brilliant blue. Their limestone bottoms act to neutralize the acids and keep the water clear.
The geological dividing line of the Grass River also corresponds to differences in ecological character. While most of the waterway lies in the ecoregion known as the Churchill River Uplands, its southwestern reaches dip south into the Mid-Boreal Lowlands:
Permafrost in the Palsa Hazel Ecological Reserve
Vaguely hinting at a harsher, colder climate to the north, a wetland complex in Grass River Provincial Park, in the southwestern watershed of the Grass River, contains fens, peat palsas and palsa scars. Palsas are peat mounds, 1.5 - 6 metres high and up to 100 metres in diameter, with permanently frozen cores. The Grass River palsa site marks the southern limit of the discontinuous permafrost zone, more commonly found in the Hudson - James Bay Lowlands area. The Palsa Hazel Ecological Reserve is one of 16 provincially-designated reserves in Manitoba. Ecological reserves are intended to preserve unique and representative plants, animals and geological features, natural landscapes and ecological processes, and are intended to serve as outdoor laboratories. Recreational activities in these highly protected areas are prohibited.
Churchill River Uplands
• Located along the southern edge of the Precambrian Shield in north-central Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
• Marked by cool summers and very cold winters.
• Part of the continuous coniferous boreal forest that extends from northwestern Ontario to Great Slave Lake.
• Predominant vegetation is black spruce, jack pine, with a shrub layer and ground cover of lichens and mosses.
• Permafrost is distributed throughout the region in organic deposits.
• Small to large lakes comprise 30 - 40% of the land surface, with drainage northeastward via the Churchill, Nelson and Seal river systems.
• Wildlife includes caribou, moose, black bear, lynx, wolf, beaver, muskrat, snowshoe hare and red-backed vole.
• Bird species include raven, common loon, spruce grouse, bald eagle, gray jay, hawk owl and several species of waterfowl.
• Major urban centre: Flin Flon.
Mid-Boreal Lowlands
• Located in the northern section of the Manitoba Plain from the eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg to the Cumberland Lowlands of Saskatchewan.
• Marked by short, warm summers and cold winters.
• Part of the boreal mixed coniferous and deciduous forest extending from northwestern Ontario to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
• Flat, low-lying region with extensive wetlands covering approximately half the area.
• Predominant vegetation is trembling aspen, balsam poplar, white and black spruce and balsam fir.
• Permafrost occurs in isolated patches in northeastern sections.
• Wildlife includes moose, black bear, wolf, lynx, and snowshoe hare.
• Bird species include waterfowl, pelican, sandhill crane, ruffed grouse.
• Major urban centres: The Pas and Grand Rapids.
One of the greatest contrasts between the granite bedrock of the Grass River's northern reaches, and the limestone pavement of its lower watershed, is permeability. While the hard rock of the Canadian Shield resists the penetrating effects of rainfall, the exposed sections of the carbonate bedrock of the boreal plain are subject to dissolution, crumbling and collapse. A series of underground caves and channels in the lower reaches of the Grass mark the areas where the limestone of the lowlands has begun to give way to the forces of nature.
A hollow, honeycomb-like "karst" landscape feature is formed when carbonate rock is dissolved by precipitation. As rain falls through the atmosphere, it absorbs carbon dioxide. Over time, the resulting solution of weak carbonic acid eats away at the limestone. Cracks and crevices form, and pores enlarge. More and more water pours in, accelerating the dissolution process, and creating a lacy, underground drainage network of channels and pipelines. Gradually, the fractured subsurface becomes filled with vertical shafts, underwater springs and underground caves. In some cases, the growth of the void below leaves only a thin roof of rock above; the roof collapses, and a large, gaping sinkhole appears in the ground.
Tracking Manitoba's Woodland Caribou
It's a habitat made for caribou: old-growth forests with abundant lichens, islands and muskegs for protected, predator-free calving, and a sparsely-distributed human population. The Grass River watershed is within the range of Manitoba's boreal forest woodland caribou, a 14-herd population that totals 2,000 - 2,500 animals. (The province has 2 additional coastal woodland caribou herds near Hudson Bay.) Although the Manitoba caribou herds do not appear to be experiencing the steep declines of several western populations, there is increasing concern that mining, forestry and other industrial developments are beginning to place some herds at risk.
Caribou tracking programs in Manitoba are being carried out as part of the provincial government's Woodland Caribou Range Management Strategy. Regional committees, such as the Northwest Region Woodland Caribou Management and Research Committee, have been established as joint projects of government, the forestry industry, conservation groups and aboriginal nations. Radio-telemetry tracking programs and field observations are being used to generate precise information about herd sizes and ranges, and to develop a management strategy that directs development away from critical caribou habitats.
In the Grass River region, more than 2 dozen caribou have been equipped with radio collars that transmit signals to airplane receivers. Using modern technology, airborne wildlife biologists are able to track the movements of the animals and identify their wintering and calving locations.
For more information, visit these links:
The Grass River
Waterfalls of the Grass River
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