In 1995, out team was graced with some of the most spectacular scenery the Nunavik Region has to offer. The 150-mile Clearwater River expedition began as our floatplane touched down near the center of the western basin of Clearwater Lake. We immediately ran into problems with the wind and spent the first day and a half of the trip stuck on an island. You should always have your floatplane drop you near the shoreline on big lakes. Large islands in the middle of these lakes provide great views, but wind is almost always a concern. Land near the shore, and venture out into the lakes if the weather permits.
Descending the blue-green waters of the river was very challenging. The Clearwater is a classic drop-and-pool river, with frequent falls and rapids often requiring multiple portages in a single day. There is also a sizeable gorge that begins with a thunderous waterfall (70-80 feet high), which should be portaged on river left. Unfortunately, we became frustrated with the extremely thick brush on river left and were unable to locate any semblance of a portage route, so we opted for the higher ground on river right ... our boat didn't hit the water again for three days! Take our word for it ... portage on river left.
We safely navigated the Clearwater and reached its mouth on the eastern end of Richmond Gulf. We had smooth sailing across the gulf due to near glass conditions but were met with difficult wind and tidal conditions at its mouth on Hudson Bay. We managed to get through the strong channel current by timing the wind and tides correctly after many hours of observation.
From the coast of Hudson Bay we used our bush radio to contact the Cree village of Chisasibi to set up a boat pick up for the following day. The Cree we spoke with over the radio was manning the Chisasibi roadblock. He used a nearby telephone to call the village of Great Whale to relay our request for a boat pick up. Two Cree guides arrived in freighter canoes early the next morning and we were motored to the village of Great Whale; which is also referred to as either Whapmagoostui (Cree) or Kuujjuarapik (Inuit).
Number of paddlers: 2
To see photos from the expedition click on the albums below:
Photo Album 1
Photo Album 2