Petawawa Wild Water - YCCC May Long Weekend Trip

There were lots of high water firsts on the Petawawa River, between Lake Travers and McManus, such as

... running Big Thompson on river left with the dam washed out (what dam??)

... running Little Thompson tight right & swamping, as well as an awesome eddy turn ON the centre rock, was unusual... running below Crooked Chute required a toughest ever forward ferry to GET OUT OF THE EDDY, onto the middle, and AWAY from the ugly elbow rocks, requiring technically advanced stern paddler skills to also power forward and pry simultaneously on every stroke to support mega bow power

... and needless to say, Rollway Rapid was spectacular.

Algonquin Portage store provides boats (and usually has used boats for sale), complete with thigh straps, bring your own spray deck, center air bags, throw ropes, balers and foot pump. When setting off at 10 a.m. from Lake Travers, it takes a couple of hours of pleasant paddling to reach Big Thompson. Crooked Chute is usually the end of the first day, though in fine weather, with a tight group, pushing on to Rollway or even the Natch is possible, to complete the river in only 2 days.

After running Big Thompson and Little Thompson, over-confidence builds. Checking out Crooked Chute from the first take-out is advisable. This year, an enormous tree was toppled into 2nd take-out, obliterating that portage sign. As well, an island forms just above 2nd take-out which can be confusing. After scouting, it is usually safe to paddle on to the last 3rd take-out above the chute, depending on the violence of winter storms that may blow enormous pine trees far out onto the river.

Crooked Chute is the biggest run in Algonquin Park, unnavigable in high water except by extreme kayakers & solo probes, however there is a put-in below Crooked Chute which is fun at any water level higher than bare bones, and features a calm receiving pond. As a caution, this section is littered with boulders, just beneath the surface that can break bones, particularly the coxis if flat-out floating is not deployed after dumping.

Rollway Rapid is the most reknowned rapid in south central Ontario, with a reputation for giving paddlers a wild ride, pumping extreme adrenalin logistics at swamping canoes. The top section of Rollway submerged even the best paddlers under heavy waves, forcing them towards river left, where it can become impossible to recover. In high water, putting in below the top is preferred by boats without spray decks, to avoid the tremendous power of Rollway Rapid as it sweeps over the first entry ledge full force towards river left, AND there is an ugly can opener rock lurking just below the surface. Rollway is notorious for pinning canoes at intermediate and lower water levels, because there are masses of boulders in this rapid. Running Rollway ledge river left or tight right is only possible at lower water levels, so the challenge was fighting monster waves in the center of the river to fight back towards eddies on river right to bale, if you chose to run from the top, then hoping to get far enough right to catch the channel between the hole and that fishing hut sized rock. Below Rollway, even in high water there is a stretch of slower water for assisted or self rescue, before the Petawawa boils over the Natch ledge.

Running Natch Ledge on river right was so washed out it was even easy. Lower Natch featured an impossible roller coaster tongue, providing plenty of practice steering a fully submarined craft. Surprisingly Schooner was completely washed out. Last but not least, Five Mile Rapid actually had no visible rocks and offered ultimate rock & roll in fun & splash waves.

The 5 Petawawa monster rapids between Lake Travers & McManus Lake - Big Thompson, Little Thompson, Crooked Chute, Rollway & the Natch - are reasonably safe with time to recover turtled crafts. These Petawawa Rapids have easy access portages and sections that can be run by intermediate WW paddlers, even by intrepid WW novices prepared for dumping, as well as spectator and support assistance fun. Second night camping on Whitson Lake is a dash to the best locations, and leaving early with a westerly breeze ends the trip at 11 a.m. The final car shuttle takes 1 1/2 hours so pre-arranging a shuttle by Algonquin Portage may be well worth the cost. See ya'all on the rivers for more whitewater fun.