C-11 Putahow River
Geographic Location:
- Northern Manitoba
Name of Trip:
- Putahow River
Major Lakes/Rivers:
- Wollaston Lake, Cochrane Ruver, Fort Hall Lake, Putahow River, Kashmere Lake, Nueltin Lake, Windy Lake, Windy River.
Source of Information:
- John Buchanan, 1997.
- Books:
- “Sleeping Island” by P.G. Downes
- “A Naturalists Guide to the Arctic” by E. C. Pielou.
- Maps: 64N14, 65C3, 65C6, 64N16, 64N15, 64N15, 64N10, 64N4, 64L.
Duration of Trip:
- 10-14 days paddling.
Total Distance:
- 190 kilometres from Cochrane to Nueltin.
River Rating:
- Class 3.
Portages:
- 20+, depending on rapids you decide not to run.
Start (Put In):
- Drove to Hidden Bay on Wollaston, then barge to the hamlet of Cochrane River.
Finish (Take Out):
- Nueltin Lake via airplane. Returned by scheduled airplane.
Remoteness:
- A wilderness trip.
- One other group encountered. No motor boats encountered.
- Hypothermia precautions are required.
Comments:
- There is no registration for this trip.
- There were adequate campsites (no designated campsites).
- Quality of the water: clear, cold, potable without boiling.
- Fishing was excellent, mostly lake trout and grayling. (could have had fish everyday).
Of Interest:
- Geological features: eskers.
- Flora: ripe wild berries.
- Fuana: barren groud caribou migration route.
- History: HBC and Revillon Freres trading posts. The posts have now disappeared but some artifacts remain. Inuit and Native campsites.
