A campsite protected from the winds was found on a gravel beach. Ron Chase photos Powerful northwest winds had been blowing us downriver since we began the trip. Five of us were on the second day of a Grand Cascapédia River expedition.
Located on the Gaspe Peninsula in eastern Quebec, the mountain river flows east through the spectacular Chic Choc Mountains to Chaleur Bay in New Richmond. Some of us were veterans of paddling trips through the Grand Canyon. While the terrain is markedly different, the majestic Grand Cascapédia has remarkable similarities.
Every bend in the river introduces a new breathtaking view. And we were experiencing one exciting whitewater rapid after another. An additional exceptional aspect of our trip was the speed that we were traveling downriver.
Although unsure of our location, we were clearly ahead of our anticipated schedule. We planned to be on the river for at least four days and the shuttle driver had suggested we should expect five. Based on our best estimate, we were more than halfway through the trip in the middle of our second day.
High water and the relentless tailwind were the primary reasons. Breathtaking views of the Chic Choc Mountains are almost constant on the Cascapédia River. Another factor in our unexpected progress was the prevalence of countless long, exciting whitewater rapids.
We had completed what was reputed to be the most difficult rapid, Porcupine Falls, earlier in the day. However, we continued to experience rapids.
