CANOEING NORTHERN QUEBEC AND LABRADOR
Kogaluk River
My article, Losing the Trail:Wandering the Quebec and Labrador Barrens about our trips on the Kogaluk, is in the Spring, 2016 issue of Nastawgan. You can see a pdf version of it HERE.
We've been down the Kogaluk River 3 times. It flows from The Quebec-Labrador highlands to the Labrador Sea.
We fell in love with the stark, barren country we travelled through to reach the river. It was like we were walking among the bones of the earth.
In 1992, Al and Wendy and Dick Irwin travelled from Schefferville to Nain on the Labrador coast following the De Pas River to Indian House Lake and then went overland through several ponds and lakes to Lake Mistinibi. From the east end of Mistinibi, we headed north to get to the south rim of the Kogaluk River
We fumbled our way down to the river from the rim of the 800' deep canyon. At the mouth of the river, we stopped at a fishing camp owned by Chesley Anderson. He arranged a motorboat ride to Nain for us (and our canoes) so we could catch the coastal ferry down to Goose Bay.
Two years later, in 1994,we went back to the Kogaluk. We started again from Schefferville and made our way to Mistinibi Lake, following a different portage route out of Indian House Lake. From the west end of Mistinibi, we headed north, eventually getting to the headwaters of a northern tributary of the Kogaluk. This was very remote exquisite country with few signs of previous travel except for a few ancient tent rings and a scrap of green canoe canvas on a hillside.
We visited the river again in 2000. This time we followed a portage route out of the De Pas River to the Upper George. We followed the George down to the junction of the Dumans River, went up the Dumans, and then portaged into a southern bay of Mistinibi Lake. From there we followed our route from 1992.
All photos by Al Stirt except as noted: DB - Dave Brown, WS- Wendy Scott, DI - Dick Irwin.
Kogaluk Routes
The 3 routes we took to the Kogaluk.
Waiting to load the canoes and gear. WS photo.
On the De Pas. DB photo.
Dave and Ann on the De pas, 1994.
Portage out of Indian House Lake, 1994. DB photo.
Taking a breather.
Wendy found a half made paddle on the portage route.
Wendy enjoying the black flies.
Rocky portage route, 1992. WS photo.
A frozen section of stream on the portage out of Indian House Lake.
Dick and Al hauling on a frozen stream, 1992. WS photo.
Heading towards an esker where we'll camp for the night. WS photo.
Glad to be on shore after a rough crossing.
The black flies find Wendy.
Al & Wendy above the confluence of the George and Dumans rivers. DB photo.
Dick and Al on an island in Lake Mistinnibi. WS photo.
Figuring out the route on an esker on Lake Mistinnibi.
Heading off after the snowstorm.
Paddling on Mistinnibi after the snowstorm.
Hawk Lake on the traditional route.
Scouting for the best route in the barrens, 1992.
Dick on a small stream section.
Wendy near the southern rim of the Kogaluk canyon, 1992.
Tracking upstream heading for the northern tributary, 1994.
Wendy on windy Lake Brisson, 1994.
Portaging overland, 1994.
On the Quebec/Labrador border, 1994.
Sometimes your stream has more rocks than water.
Dick with the firewood boat.
An expansion on the northern tributary.
Heading overland, 1994.
Northern tributary rapid.
Caribou crossing the east arm of Mistinnibi.
Ducking under the canoe to avoid a hailstorm on the barrens, 2000. DB photo
Southern rim of the canyon, 1992.
Sitting around a half-buried hearth on the northern tributary.
An esker crosses the northern tributary.
Southern rim, 2000. DB photo
Northern rim of the canyon, 1994.
Scouting a way down from the northern rim, 1994.
Islands on the Labrador Sea.
Passengers on the coastal boat.
We took the Taverner down to Goose Bay, 1992.
The Northern Tributary Of The Kogaluk River