June is the month to paddle the Bonaventure River located in the Chic choc Mountains of the Gaspe peninsula of Quebec, Canada. Canoe the Wild provides fully outfitted and guided canoe trips 7 days and 6 nights on the river with the day prior involving driving up from Maine and staying overnight. Here are pictures of our early June trip, high water and no bugs…it’s the best time to be on the river! See our 2020 schedule for this trip!
June in the chic Choc Mountains of the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec is the time to paddle the Bonaventure River. With lots of lively but not over the top whitewater, A 7 day and 6 night trip is ideal. Here is a group of mostly college age students from a church youth group in PA. It’s not too early to star making plans for 2020 on the Bonaventure River! Contact Dave Conley of Canoe the Wild for more information!
Another great whitewater canoe trip on the NE Mistissibi River in Quebec. The trip offers lots of lively class I-III rapids. Visit Canoe the Wild to check out this and other trips in Maine and Canada for 2019
Our 1st of two NE Mistissibi River Canoe trips in Quebec, Canada this summer with Canoe the Wild. This group of girls paddled 70 miles of whitewater in 10 days learning lots of skills along the way. Other great canoe trips here in Maine include canoeing on the Allagash and St. Croix Rivers, 3 to 6 days. A guided canoe trip lead by fun, friendly registered Maine guides make for great Maine summer family adventure vacations and help make your trip safe and enjoyable. See our 2018 summer schedule here.
June 9-16, 2018, A week long whitewater canoe trip on the Bonaventure River of Quebec! Good water level, awesome weather, great people and virtually no bugs! 16 people, all ages. Great fun for the whole family and makes for a great Maine summer vacation. Please visit our summer 2018 schedule to join us on a Maine adventure, 3 to 6 days in duration on the St. Croix and Allagash Rivers. Contact Dave Conley of Canoe the Wild for more information.
Master Maine Guide and owner of Canoe the Wild, has been paddling the rivers of Maine and Canada since 1985. During the school year, Dave teaches an outdoor education program at East Grand High School in Danforth, ME, host to the annual East Grand Adventure Race. In the fall, guided moose hunts are offered in northern Maine.
I grew up in the mid coast Maine town of Boothbay Harbor with my parents, Ervin and Jane Conley, and three siblings, Tari, Jan, and Mark. I have fond memories in the fall at the age of 11 getting up hours before sunrise to travel to Pemaquid Stream with my father to go duck hunting. We would launch our wood canvas canoe well before first light, paddle up the Pemaquid Stream, setting out decoys and wait for first light. I think it was here that I fell in love with being outdoors on the water, and I am so thankful for a father that introduced me to hunting at a young age.
As a teenager, my passion for the water continued when my father loaned me $2,500 to buy a used 14’ wooden flat-bottom lobstering skiff, new 25 HP Evinrude outboard motor, and 25 lobster traps to get started. I was able to pay him back in just two seasons. This passion of being on the water continued through my high school years, spending summers on the Sheepscot River pulling traps by hand.
During my college years I worked summers in the family business but longed for a place less crowded than the mid coast region. I found what I was looking for in northern Maine. It was here I developed and oversaw a canoe tripping program in the East Grand Lake area for a summer camp. I enjoyed 21 summers paddling the rivers of Maine and Canada in my Old Town canoe, introducing others to the great outdoors while assisting with developing outdoor living and paddling skills.
Obtaining my Maine Guide license in the early 90’s was a prerequisite to starting my Canoe The Wild guiding business. The tripping season here runs from late May to mid-September, leaving time for other ventures such as guiding moose hunts in the fall from remote camps, overseeing an outdoor education program for students at the East Grand School since the mid-90’s, and selling Christmas trees and wreaths in Central Virginia for the past 27 years.
What I’ve discovered with the guiding business is that there are plenty of people looking for the exact same feeling I experienced at a young age on Pemaquid Stream, a desire to experience the outdoors with a break from daily routines. People of all ages and experience levels take part in our guided canoe trips. Many will take part in canoe camping for the first time this summer. Trip highlights include young people (freed of electronics) flourishing on the river and around the campsite, taking in a simpler way of life such as collecting fire wood, learning to use a saw and ax, building a campfire, catching a fish, hanging around the campfire, star gazing after dark, spotting and identifying wildlife such as moose, and experiencing the song of the loons.
I see a lot of recent growth within the guiding industry for a few simple reasons. Guided trips provide people with a quality, safe, and well-organized experience. Families, private groups and individuals choose guided trips to leave the pre-trip planning, logistics, gear and meals for the guide to take care of.
Each season, we offer about 12-15 trips with 3-5 day trips being the most popular for first timers, and the more adventuresome choosing a week or longer on a whitewater canoeing trip in Quebec.(see 2018 summer schedule).
For more information about Canoe The Wild, Dave’s guiding company, visit their website for at www.canoethewild.com. Be sure to check back in May for Dave’s first educational article!
https://www.oldtowncanoe.com/blog/article/canoe-tips-dave-conley
by Vance Gustin,
Deep into the wilderness of the Gaspé Peninsula of south eastern Quebec and nested in the foothills of the Chic-Choc mountains lay the crystal clear headwaters of the famed Bonaventure River. The shuttle up to the headwaters began by weaving its way up along the neighboring Cascapédia river on a paved road that seemed like the twisting back of a giant snake. As the road turned from asphalt to gravel the ride became quite a bit rougher and the canoes on the trailer bounced around with a muted thumping akin to the eager beating of our hearts. For some the journey had started in such faraway places as Wisconsin while others had made the somewhat shorter trip up from Portland Maine.
Far below the crest of the hill our tents appeared no larger than a child’s toys and the lazy wisp of smoke from the campfire was barely visible in the dying light of the sun. Liam and I had raced up the rocky slopes of a hill adjacent to our campsite to catch the beautiful vista of the Bonaventure river valley at sunset.
“We should start heading back down before it becomes hard to see.” I said to Liam.
He quietly nodded and we began the trek down to camp. About halfway down we met Bo, Bence, Steve and Josh on their way up and I quickly snapped a group photo before encouraging them to join Liam and me on our descent. The first day on the Bonaventure had been interesting: we’d crossed both Lac Bonaventure and Petit lac Bonaventure and made our way down a narrow mountain stream to the gravel bar we now called home. Over the course of the next couple of days we’d be paddling through the maze of dry-ki (standing or fallen weather beaten timber) covered banks and shallow class one and two rapids.
Three boats were manned by father-son teams; Bo and Bob whose names I always confused usually were the first boat behind Dave who was paddling solo and the lead guide. Bob had just retired the previous Friday and had plans for many different river trips this summer; he and Bo always seemed to have a smile on their faces as they weaved their way down between the rocks. The second father son pair was Steve and Bence who had done this river together some thirty odd years ago. The final father son pair was Brian and Liam; Brian was introducing Liam to canoe camping for the first time and it was awesome watching them take their canoeing partnership from its fledgling stages all the way up to a fully functioning team. The other boats in our entourage were Chris, a master of the Black Spruce pole, Josh and Tim who were very funny and warmhearted and myself. The group was a mixture of family and old friends. Most having paddled with Chewonki over the years, a shared experience across the generations of the joys of the wilderness, a passing of the torch.
The trip down the Bonaventure River is an experience we won’t soon forget. Early in the morning the birds start to sing their melodious sonnets and the fresh smell of spruce and fir trees mixes with the smoky smell of the fire. Soon the coffee would be ready and the warm feel of the cup in your hands was a welcome counter to the crisp cool air of the break of day. After a hearty breakfast had been served, gear was packed and loaded into the canoes. The river itself was a translucent flow of water over a kaleidoscope of slate grey, reddish-brown and white striped gravel and rocks. At times the water was so clear and calm it seemed as if you were floating on air. The river seemed to murmur gently encouraging the dancing canoes as they navigated the swift flowing waters. We ate lunch on gravel bars, occasionally skipping a rock or two across the river. Tim, Bo and Bob were always on the lookout for the legendary Atlantic salmon and many a dark shadow or flash of silver was quickly investigated. Some of the bigger class two and three rapids were scouted from shore and Dave would usually set up at their base to take pictures. The Bonaventure gorge had a couple of drops which the water level would not allow for safe passage and we promptly lined our boats along the shore. The lower section of the river transitioned from shallow mountain stream to wide river cascading between salmon pools. A large rapid would be followed by a deep pool and occasionally a friendly fisherman in his boat.
The second to last day on the river a thunderstorm sprung upon us from the south and we spent an hour or so huddled on shore in a stand of alders. Dave and I lit a fire to warm our companions and provide a distraction from the storm raging around us. Tim and Brian managed to gather enough firewood to burn down a small village while Bo and Bence picked around the gravel beach looking for souvenirs. Chris, Bob and Steve quietly conversed while huddled under their rain jackets.
“The storm’s about to let up” Tim would say in a hopeful voice during each small break in the rain.
Eventually the storm did pass but not before Tim had hopefully proclaimed our salvation a half dozen times. The day did an about-face and the sun burst from the clouds in radiant joy. The river cooled by the rain immediately released a thick fog about six feet high which lent an eerie feeling to our afternoon paddle down to camp.
Our last day on the river was an early morning affair with breakfast being finished before 6:15 AM. A long drive lay ahead for all of us and we were eager to once again join the world of the twenty first century. It was a bittersweet feeling shaking hands and heading our separate ways. However, I am sure that it won’t be long until we all once again heed the call of the river.
Vance has a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, E.I.T., and is currently a Graduate Research Associate at the Ohio State University, William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular engineering.
Visit Canoe the Wild for more information on paddling the Bonaventure River, Next trip scheduled for June, 2018
Partnered up with Mike Patterson and the Wilds of Maine on the Cascapedia River Canoe trip, Gaspe Peninsula, Quebec. Had great water level and perfect weather! Check out Maine canoe trips offered through Canoe the Wild on the st. Croix and Allagash Rivers.
Bonaventure River Canoe trip on the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec Canada, a day’s drive from Maine. This was our 13 trip on the Bonaventure River. Students from East Grand & Topsfield school took part. Students gain numerous camping and canoeing skills as they canoe camp for seven days and six nights. Trip involves 80 miles with lots of lively water, class II and a few class III rapids. A great river to canoe pole. Trips can be for adults and families and can be shortened to five days. Contact Dave Conley of Wilderness Canoe Trip with Canoe the Wild to plan a trip on one of Canada’s favorite rivers!
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