July 8, 2006
What can be expected from the upper Beaver River? Three Days and 58.8 Kilometres
About 50 beaver dams with roughly 20 percent having runable pourovers or breaches.
6 Six Foot high Bison Fences, 4 of which will need to be portaged and 2 where a kayak may be squeezed beneath (a canoe will probably slide under)
Several Barbed Wire Fences which will be paddled over as well as about 4 requiring portages or getting out of the boat and lining it beneath the wires
4 portages ranging from 5 metres to 150 metres
1 lining through shallows
1 rock crossing at a clogged culvert (3 metre portage)
2 or 3 bridges blocking the river which will require a portage
Numerous low water crossings requiring dragging the boat – most are associated with beaver dams having been removed where the River flows through a bison farm.
An area teaming with a variety of wildlife.
You can experience all of this while paddling the upper 58.8 kilometres of the Beaver River while retracing a historic trade route. There are still several kilometers of Beaver River north of Bridge 1 before reaching Beaver Lake which I did not paddle, but the goal of the Voyage to the Bay expedition is to retrace and draw attention to a historic trade route. This has been done.
The most important question answered while retracing David Thompson’s route over the height of land and into the Churchill River Drainage is the discovery that this route is still mostly navigable. Red Deers Creek was not attempted. Yes, there are some challenges along the way, but when he discovered the route, with the help of Aboriginal people, he too encountered challenges.
This route is not only of historic significance. Alberta Highway 55, from Lac la Biche to the Alberta – Saskatchewan provincial boundary and beyond, follows a trade route pioneered over 200 years ago. The difference today is that we travel the ridgelines, not the river corridor. We are still using the legacy of David Thompson’s route for trade.
The Mad Trapper was likely correct in his assertion that the route was well maintained during its period of use, but routine use of the river trade routes likely ceased about 130 years ago. Since that time they have become overgrown, not because of a lack of interest but a change in transportation systems. The trade route is still impeccably maintained for our automobiles.
The current renewed interest in the historic trade route is part of a culturally expected cycle. It was a good route in its time, but we developed a ‘better’ method for transportation. The energy of past generations went to creating the best possible system for sustaining a way of life. They put all their energy into creating this new system – the highway system. Now we look back, with a desire to understand where we came from and how we arrived at our current situation. This leads to a renewed interest in our history. With the momentum of this interest it is now possible to retrace some historical routes. With the community pride the Lac la Biche area has about its cultural past it would take just a little effort to reopen the centuries-old trade route on the upper Beaver River.
While visiting the La Biche Mission, Lac la Biche and the surrounding areas I discovered there is a healthy interest in Beaver River. For instance, while guarding the expedition’s mountain of gear many individuals stopped to learn what we were doing. One individual, Steve, expressed his interest in canoeing the upper Beaver River but before doing this he figured a winter trip through on a quad to clear a river path would be a good idea. Steve had foresight we did not. He probably knew more about the path of the Beaver River then we did before arriving on 16 June 2006. If Steve or the community were to clear a river path from height of land near the south end of Field Lake south to just beyond Beaver River Bridge 2 on Highway 55 there would be a very pleasant, but still adventurous canoe trip.
There would still be beaver dams to cross. The beaver with its instinctive, engineering skill is the life-giving force of the Beaver River. The Beaver River without beaver dams would lose its character, but more importantly become difficult or impossible to navigate. It is the small pools and lengthy stretches of flat water between dams that give the Beaver River its charm, make it navigable and most importantly, sustain special and unique riparian and wetland habitats.
The Beaver River to the east of the Highway 55 between Bridges 2 and 3 may be my favorite section of the river. I was impressed by the wetland habitat tucked away in this river bend. The open lakes and surrounding cattail marshes were spectacular. Determining a route through the wetland proved a challenge I was not expecting. It was not difficult passage but the route was obscure. Being greeted by a river otter family unit simply crowned the experience
The section of River from Highway 55 (Bridge 3) to the Beaver River bridge on Township Road 653 (Hylo Bridge) will continue to be a challenge for paddlers because of the numerous fences in place to allow rotation and containment of the private bison herd. The removed beaver dams have made sections of the river unfloatable. There may also be one section of river which may naturally be a stream channel – where the fur traders built dams then broke them to ride through on the surge of released water. This 250 metres of river will always require lining or portaging of canoes or kayaks.
Below Township Road 653 to Highway 36 the river is indeed a very pleasant float. The area is teaming with wildlife. There is enough current and the river is wide enough to make an easy float. There will always be beaver dams to contend with. River obstructions will always be present but that is part of the Beaver River experience. Duckweed will always be present but it is unpleasant for only short distances behind river obstructions – beaver dams and bridges or sharp river bends.
From the Highway 36 bridge to the Range Road 132 bridge I found the easiest and most enjoyable section of river. There were a few cattle along the shore, a clear cut to the river’s edge, historic homesteads, a gravel pit and gravel crossing, as well as the worst stretch of duckweed trapped behind a bridge that I encountered. Regardless, I still thoroughly enjoyed the paddle adventure. A rock barrier with a clogged culvert needed to be portaged. The area teamed with waterfowl. There were deer along the banks. It appears to be a reach sportsmen use.
From Range Road 132 to the confluence of the Beaver and Amisk River I found the most undeveloped section of river. The gradient increases and the current gained speed. The river narrowed and some of the bends tightened until reaching Misty Meadows. There were several beaver dams to contend with. Not far below Road 132 is the only area where I had to line my kayak through a riffle; a spot where beavers were unable to contain the river drop. It was a great lunch stop as well as provided the perfect opportunity to lie back in the cool water on a warm summer day. Once out of the narrow draw the valley opens up again. There are several beaver dams to contend with as well as the Calnash Flatbed Trailer bridge. You will know the journey is ending once you start feeling the throb of the Talisman Energy compressor site – but the compressor does not run continuously. The group camped near the compressor on the 19th. At some point during the night the compressor went silent. How welcome the silence was!
Below the confluence the River continues to be navigable. I was not on this part of the trip but heard there are a few places where they had to walk their boats through riffles on the first day. There were no beaver dams to be crossed. The water quality changed below the confluence. The water flowing in from the Beaver River was noticeably more clear then the turbid water joining from the Amisk River. There was a clear line of demarcation between the waters from the two rivers visible from the Briereville 866 Road bridge. Further down the Beaver River fresh water became a treasured commodity. The river’s waters became more and more dirty –livestock residue? The group looked for cleaner water coming in from the various Beaver River tributaries or trapped behind tributary beaver dams, even begged water from passing motorists – motorists they happened to know. It was hard to have enough clean water to maintain appropriate hydration.
Would I do the trip again? Absolutely!
I enjoyed the river and what it offered, but the Lac la Biche community is one of the most friendly I have visited. The rural atmosphere with people still caring about their neighbors, caring about their heritage, caring about the outdoors and doing whatever possible to help out still exists in Lac la Biche. This is what truly made the area a pleasure to visit.
Visit http://voyagetothebay.cauc.ca/ for the complete story of the nine other voyagers.
