Hey everyone
Headed in at Mudro next week on Thursday, and intending to go up to Moosecamp thru Boot, Fairy, and Gun. Coming back, I'll be coming down the Moosecamp river back into Fourtown. Anyone got any tips for navigating over Beaver dams when running a solo rig? I am planning to dry foot this trip... if you all don't think that is feasible, I might end up wet-footing it instead...

Usually you can get over them without getting wet, but not always.
I think you would be OK with Muck boots.

quote AmarilloJim: "Usually you can get over them without getting wet, but not always.
I think you would be OK with Muck boots."

I was intending to wear tall Muck boots

Going over in the middle if you can is usually dryer than doing it on the sides.

I would check your footing before you get out of the canoe with a paddle for sure. Once out of the boat I would recheck where you plan to put your feet and pack before you pick anything up. Good luck with your trip I wish I had a trip planned for next week!

If you are asking about technique......I pull up parallel to dam and step out on dam, then push canoe end out so it's perpendicular to dam and pull canoe across the best looking spot. Once across, I re-position canoe parallel to dam and get back in. Small dams with little drop....I leave packs in. If it's a big dam with a fair drop that will cause bridging, then I remove heavy pack and place it on dam next to me.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I was expecting all of what was already said, but it's good to hear it again.

Honestly, I'm not worried about much on this trip other than biffing it over one of those dams!

quote cowdoc: "If you are asking about technique......I pull up parallel to dam and step out on dam, then push canoe end out so it's perpendicular to dam and pull canoe across the best looking spot. Once across, I re-position canoe parallel to dam and get back in. Small dams with little drop....I leave packs in. If it's a big dam with a fair drop that will cause bridging, then I remove heavy pack and place it on dam next to me."

This is a good technique for the Moose Camp River since it's wide enough to get parallel to the dam. I just did the Moose Camp last week (from Moose Camp to Fourtown). There were 4 pull-overs, 2 paddle-overs, and one broken dam that I paddled right through. I started out on the river at 8:45 AM and I was in Fourtown at 10:10.

The first dam you encounter is truly amazing! I do not have a clue as to how the beavers did it. Maybe they teamed up with the loggers way back when, or maybe they worked with the CCC. You'll see what I mean.

My feet did get wet, but I wasn't trying the keep them dry. The water was still quite warm last week.

Have fun!

Dave

In 2007 I went from Fourtown to Moosecamp. It's very pretty along there. Logging relics near the Moosecamp end. I also love the site at the north east end of the lake there. One of my all time favorites.

I dunno.......all that seems like lots of trouble. I like a running start. If you can get airborne all the better. Failing that a 1/4 stick of dynamite works wonders and gives the critters a little something to do.

I think I already showed you this pick put this is one of the main ones on the Moosecamp River. I do what Cowdoc does. I use Muck boots in the spring and late fall and love them.

quote ducks: " I think I already showed you this pick put this is one of the main ones on the Moosecamp River. I do what Cowdoc does. I use Muck boots in the spring and late fall and love them."

+2 cowdoc method and muck boots have served me well. Have a good trip!

That stream is also a good place to load up on firewood if you know what I mean. :)

Thanks everyone for the advice and recent reports! It is all much appreciated. Dry footing it is then!

Add to Cowdoc's technique is testing the dam with a paddle before steeping onto it. Sometimes they look more stable/solid then they are......sometimes.

Have fun. Leaving Thursday myself.....wot wot!


John

Moving upstream against beaver dams, Crowdoc's is pretty standard SOP.

Moving downstream, line your boat up, and RAMMING SPEED! :D

There's a chain of lakes in Ontario that are a personal fav of mine, and I don't know what got into this particular family of beavers but portaging in you pass through the craziest dams you'll ever see. One dam is over 20' tall, the others range from 12-15' tall. These damn beavers definitely eat their Wheaties in the morning.



And yeah, there's a retired General Motors line worker that has a summer houseboat at the mouth of the river, and has built landing docks along the chain of dams so him and his dog can wake up and leapfrog their way to go fishing for the day.

TomT: "That stream is also a good place to load up on firewood if you know what I mean. :)
"

Its been a while since I read 'em, but I think the regs say we should refrain from taking wood from a beaver dam.

jcavenagh: "

TomT: "That stream is also a good place to load up on firewood if you know what I mean. :)
"

Its been a while since I read 'em, but I think the regs say we should refrain from taking wood from a beaver dam."

You would be correct sir! It's OK if it's nearby, but can't take anything directly from the dam. At least that is what I remember....

Since I solo from the stern I go faster than the speed of light to get the canoe halfway across the dam. I then jump out and the weight of packs drop the canoe down the other side and then I jump back in. It works great up to about three feet. Anything higher than that sinks the bow on reentry.

bfurlow: "

jcavenagh: "

TomT: "That stream is also a good place to load up on firewood if you know what I mean. :)
"

Its been a while since I read 'em, but I think the regs say we should refrain from taking wood from a beaver dam."

You would be correct sir! It's OK if it's nearby, but can't take anything directly from the dam. At least that is what I remember...."

What about pilfering from their lodge? Hey, it keeps them busy! :)

bfurlow: "

jcavenagh: "

TomT: "That stream is also a good place to load up on firewood if you know what I mean. :)
"

Its been a while since I read 'em, but I think the regs say we should refrain from taking wood from a beaver dam."

You would be correct sir! It's OK if it's nearby, but can't take anything directly from the dam. At least that is what I remember...."

What about pilfering from their lodge? Hey, it keeps them busy! :)

Cowdoc nailed it, and do not pilfer from them. Karma...

Frenchy19: "Cowdoc nailed it, and do not pilfer from them. Karma..."

Does it matter that their tail slaps scare the bejesus out of me in the night? :)

Be careful with foot placement on the dams...

A few years back, I was a total neophyte. Never done any canoe camping, and limited paddling experience at all. I decided to do a solo trip, and entered via Stuart River. Anyone who has done this knows that the river has about 5 beaver dams to cross before reaching Stuart Lake. The first one is a big one. I remember approaching it, paddling to one side, then the other, trying to figure out how to best cross it. End result was to put the canoe parallel, and step out onto the dam. I was even smart enough to test it with my paddle. I swung one foot over and on to the dam, but slightly under water. As soon as I put weight on it, I slipped off the snot covered sticks. I instinctively grabbed the canoe by the gunwale, and watched it start to flip over with me. I made a quick decision to release the canoe and take a swim.
Maybe 20 minutes of paddling into my first ever trip, and I was floating in a beaver pond. Letting go was a good idea, as the canoe was still upright, everything in place and dry, except me. Only damage was to my ego, and then i realized that no one was around to see it anyway, and had a good laugh.
i have been a bit more cautious crossing dams since, and have not had any problems!

gymcoachdon: " As soon as I put weight on it, I slipped off the snot covered sticks. I instinctively grabbed the canoe by the gunwale, and watched it start to flip over with me. I made a quick decision to release the canoe and take a swim.
"

I took an unintended bath in black mucky water at a landing last September on a solo. It's weird when you dump yourself on a solo. First you're embarrassed but then realize there's no audience so just end up laughing.

My best dump was in 2009. I was carrying the canoe and at the end of the trail walked into the water to set it down. Well, the bottom turned out to be muck and I quickly lost my balance and pitched forward with the canoe completly covering me. I was laying face down under the canoe in 3 feet of stinky muck water. My son was hysterical. We ended up laughing at stupid things the rest of the day and had a great time. I became just a real Dad who makes mistakes instead of this so called "expert tripper" in his eyes.