Muddy Waters

I've been slacking in the world of blogging. People have asked for some updates on recent rides/event, they've asked for some gear lists and tips and they've asked "why don't you blog more?" So, here's some updates and I hope to keep this as updated as possible.

Muddy Waters - A Bikerafting  Overnighter on the Noire River, in Western Quebec. 

I recently took my raft along for the ride. This is something overlooked by many who wish to explore areas that take them into true backcountry settings. But why not take a raft, or more specifically, a packraft, that is a small inflatable vessel able to carry both bike and person and weighs no more a few liters of water and rolls up small enough that you might mistake it for your sleeping pad? In the context of self-propelled exploration, it just makes perfect sense to pack a raft along for the ride.

Today's packrafts come in all shapes and sizes and vary in durability and ideal uses. Some are clearly designed with the whitewater enthusiast in mind, making it ideal for steep creeks, drops and some surfing and even the occasional eskimo roll. Other models are more apt for flatwater travel, tracking a straighter line in the water and making for a more efficient paddling experience where less current is present.  

I live in the Ottawa Valley. Surrounded by farmer's fields filled with soy, corn and the odd crop of canola. The "valley" as we locals like to refer it as, is also home to some of the countries top whitewater rivers, including the Ottawa River, Petawawa River and the Madawaska River, to name a few. Bodies of water surround us here, with countless lakes that feed and empty those rivers, creeks that snake their way through farmers fields and marshes that support our sensitive wetlands. Our chosen route on the Noire was a 1 hour drive from Beachburg, ON (www.borcatrails.com) to the Black River Inn/Outfitters. We parked there for $10/night, geared up and rode another 35km up river (west shore, river right) to the second bridge. From there we launched and paddled a couple hours to a random camp (endless sandy beaches). Day two we paddled for 9 hours, making for a long day on the water but well worth it given that we had ample snacks, sunshine and some class II rapids to navigate with loaded boats. 

Scott MacGregor is owner and chief editor of Rapid Magazine and he was my partner in crime for this mini-adventure. He brought two new AIRE Expedition bakrafts. At 10' they were a great choice for this route, as it offered us the chance to paddle some class II whitewater but also, the length of these boats allowed for some speed along the flat sections. The AIRE boats inflated using their stow-bag. It took about 25min to get boat blown. The bakrafts proved to be very worthy from a bikerafting standpoint as they have a self-draining inflated floor with webbing loops around the perimeter of the floor to attache gear. These 10 footers also came with an inflatable seat and thigh straps for when the water gets bigger. Supposedly one can eskimo roll these bakrafs with the braces however we did not attempt this feat with loaded boats. Traditionally, bikes are stowed at the front of the boat but at 10' the AIRE bakrafts had ample room to secure the bike frame and wheels to the stern. This made for ample room up front, with the ability to stretch out the legs. 

For bikes, Scott had the new Norco Ithaqua carbon fatbike and I rode the carbon Fatboy Expert from Speciliazed. This was Scott's first attempt on a fatbike, with gear and this bike proved to handle it all, including a rider new to handling a loaded bike on rough ATV trail. Needless to stay, I think he's hooked.

We rolled the bakrafts up so they measure about 3' across and 8" in diameter and place them in the Specialized Burra Burra Stabilizer bar harness system. At 10 pounds, the bakrafts aren't the lightest model out there however the bar harness system held up perfectly. The rest of our gear was packed using the Burra Burra bikebag system, including the Framepack 8 (a Primus ETA pot/stove fits inside!), the Stabilizer Seatpack 20 and the Top Tube Pack. Using lightweight and some ultra-lightweight gear, we had ample room for a comfortable overnighter.

Here's a gear list:

1. Specialized Fatboy Expert

2. AIRE bakraft

3. Burra Burra bikebags

4. Aquabound 4pc paddles

5. Specialized Utility SS Shirt, Shorts

6. Specialized Ambush Helmet

7. Specialized Rime Elite MTB shoe (the Vibram sole was key to successful walking on wet river bed and shoreline)

8. My favorite piece of gear on this trip was the Specialized Merino Tech LS shirt. Soft, doesn't get stinky and trim fitting. 

9. Sleep system: OR helium bivy, MEC Scout tarp, Xtherm pad and Western Mountaineering Summerlite bag. 

10. I also packed a light toque, gloves, cozy camp socks, Gore-tex rain pants/jacket and a lightweight synthetic jacket (temperature dropped to 0C overnight)

For food, we packed a few Backpacker's Pantry meals and homemade oatmeal mixtures. We purified water with http://www.aquatabs.ca/. 

Stay tuned for an article in Rapid Magazine coming in their Spring issue. 

Next time:

1. pack an NRS K-pump for quick inflation

2. longer paddle length for greater efficiency

3. paddle drip rings to minimize in-boat dripping of water off of paddle blades