"We accept it as normal that people who have never been on the land, who have no history or connection to the country, may legally secure the right to come in and by the very nature of their enterprises leave in their wake a cultural and physical landscape utterly transformed and desecrated.......We take this as a given for it is the foundation of our system, the way commerce extracts value and profit in a resource-driven economy. But if you think about it, especially from the perspective of so many other cultures, touched and inspired by quite different visions of life and land, it appears to be a very odd and highly anomalous human behavior."
-Wade Davis in The Wayfinders

Petit Mecatina Beta

For these rivers the best time of year to go is late August/early September. No bugs, good water levels, and lots of blueberries.

Petit Mecatina River:
Length: ~100 miles, plus 20 miles on the ocean
Difficulty: V(V+) and lots of flatwater. I remember only a few other portages besides the stuff in the canyon.
Flow: 200-350 cms @ "The Split" gauge
link to gauge- http://www.cehq.gouv.qc.ca/suivihydro/default.asp you will have to navigate a bit to find it. Click 07-Saint-Laurent nord-est and then the second red dot from the right.

The canyon is the crux. It is possible to portage on river left, but skilled rope work and time are the issue. This was done on the late 80's descent. The (V+) describes the ferry for life move in the canyon. Waterlevel could make or break this section, it is very committing and highly consequential.


Alternatively, it is possible to land downstream of the canyon in the first big flat water section near Iles de William (51.14' N, 59.42' W). This misses some of the more difficult whitewater on the upper river, but still makes the run great IV-V with no unportageable rapids, and one could spend a whole afternoon surfing at Rapid de Pahtapistnakan which would also be a great camping spot.

The skinny about "The Split". If you go left try and hook up a boat ride to Harrington Harbour. This way puts you more in the middle of nowhere, but closer to Harrington Harbour. If you go right you end up at Chevery, a small fishing town and can pay someone to give you a ride out to Harrington Harbour. You are farther from Harrington Harbour, but I don't know of any kayakers that have gone this way so perhaps some good whitewater and definitely a fifty footer into the ocean. The canoe trip in 2003 went this way.

-stole this off Google Earth, Netagamiou Falls near Chevery
[Photo]
Ferry Information: Relais-Nordik operates the ferry from Natashquan-Blanc Sablon. On Saturday it docks in Harrington Harbour on the way back to Natashquan. Reservations are required and they will give you the number for Harrington Harbour. Larry Ransom is the wharf manager and a good contact for boat rides out of the Mecatina. Relais-Nordik phone numbers are 418-723-8787 or 418-692-5000 or Toll-free 1-800-463-0680. In 2007 the ferry cost about $70 CAN per person with kayaks

Flight Information: Labrador Air Safari operates the only float plane in Natashquan. 418-538-3866
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