Flat and Moving Water Canoe Trips
Joy and release: bipoc presEnce on the water - Algonquin flatwater
4-Day Algonguin Flatwater Trip
NEW in Summer 2024!
We’re grateful to be travelling within unceded Madoueskarini Algonquin territory on this 4-day flatwater canoe trip in Algonquin Park.
This trip is designed to provide space for trans people of colour, non-binary people of colour and women of colour to connect with the Land, themselves and each other. We are aiming to create a space of knowledge-sharing and mutual care that will help build capacity and confidence while bringing joy to our hearts.
For those interested in pursuing careers in outdoor education, guiding, or working within an interdisciplinary leadership framework, Joy and Release: BIPOC Presence On the Water offers a unique opportunity for folks to learn relevant skills through a hands-on, land-based approach.
By weaving in skills development, this flatwater canoe trip offers a sharing of tools and resources needed for leadership, education, and advocacy work.
This is intended to be an introductory or refresher canoe trip that will include opportunities to learn basic flatwater paddling, orienteering and backcountry camping skills. No paddling or camping experience is needed to join this trip.
All meals, camping and equipment rentals are included in the price.
Dates: August 2-5, 2024 Cost: $1450
Recommended Skill Level I-II
This trip is designed for beginners paddlers with no requirement for you to have experience paddling in canoes or camping. We’ll teach you! We have found that having some experience sleeping in tents and camping can make your experience more comfortable, as it allows more space in your nervous system to take in new information and be able to relax when we’re in camp! Don’t sweat it if you don’t have any experience, as we see our role as supporting you to learn and enjoy time with the river and the Land. If you’re feeling unsure if this trip is for you, contact us for more information. but our job is to support your learning, so don’t worry!
Women+ with the water - Quetico flatwater
4-Day Flatwater Quetico Trip
NEW in Summer 2024!
We’re connecting with more watersheds this year and we are so excited to be travelling within the headwaters of the Hudson Bay watershed. Quetico Provincial Park is near the southern edge of the Canadian Shield, some of which is among the oldest exposed rock in the world, and contains numerous "young" lakes (only tens of thousands of years old) that are held by this ancient bedrock.
From the Gakijiwanong, formerly Lac La Croix, First Nation’s website "the name Quetico comes from the Ojibway word, ‘Gwetaming.’ This refers to how we view this sacred land. There is a place in the park that is named Quetico Lake. The lake is sacred, meaning it is occupied by living spirits that have been here since time immemorial…‘Gwetaming’ means we sacredly respect that area for the spirits that dwell there.”
This trip will find us travelling between lakes, learning how to paddle canoes, read maps, fish, swim and spend time in the special kind of quiet that comes from being surrounded by ancient bedrock and sacred water.
All meals and camping are included in the cost.
Dates: July 19-22, 2024 Cost: $1450
Recommended Skill Level I-II
This trip is designed for beginners paddlers with no requirement for you to have experience paddling in canoes or camping. We’ll teach you! We have found that having some experience sleeping in tents and camping can make your experience more comfortable, as it allows more space in your nervous system to take in new information and be able to relax when we’re in camp! Don’t sweat it if you don’t have any experience, as we see our role as supporting you to learn and enjoy time with the river and the Land. If you’re feeling unsure if this trip is for you, contact us for more information. but our job is to support your learning, so don’t worry!
Meet the river - Madawaska Moving Water
4-Day Madawaska Moving Water Trip
This 4-day canoe trip was originally touted as our flatwater trip, but our dear guests have since lovingly renamed this “gentle whitewater.” This section takes us on a journey with our home river — the Madawaska — in the heart of Algonquin territory. This gem holds a special place in many paddlers hearts for being a very “friendly” river to learn and grow with. We’ll begin our journey within the Lower Madawaska Provincial Park at Buck Bay and end in Griffith, travelling with a calm river flow, around cascading waterfalls and through playful swifts.
On Day 3, there’s a rest day for us to enjoy Crooked Rapids, a campsite nestled amongst small islands and hypnotizing currents. There is an opportunity to take a hike to the top of Blueberry Hill to see a more expansive view of the river valley and stretch our legs. The pace of this trip is beautifully gentle, allowing for lots of space for fishing, playing, swimming and deep, sacred rest.
All meals and camping are included in the cost.
Dates: July 12-15, 2024 Cost: $1450
Recommended Skill Level I-II
This trip is designed for beginners paddlers with no requirement for you to have experience paddling in canoes or camping. We’ll teach you! We have found that having some experience sleeping in tents and camping can make your experience more comfortable, as it allows more space in your nervous system to take in new information and be able to relax when we’re in camp! Don’t sweat it if you don’t have any experience, as we see our role as supporting you to learn and enjoy time with the river and the Land. If you’re feeling unsure if this trip is for you, contact us for more information. but our job is to support your learning, so don’t worry!
TRIP FLOW
Pre-Trip: Setting intentions
After booking, take some time for yourself to reflect on what inspired you to join this trip. What are you hoping to learn or experience? What relationships do you hope to nurture? (e.g. With yourself? If so, which parts of yourself? With other women+? With the land?)
Two weeks before our trip, we’ll meet virtually to chat about our weekend together and take the time to answer any questions. This will be your chance to introduce yourself, share your questions, concerns, fears, hesitations, excitements, hopes, and intentions for the trip. When you share your intentions, it gives the rest of us an opportunity to support you.
Remember that at any point before the trip, you are always welcome to call Braiding Rivers with any questions or concerns.
DAY 1: settling
We will meet at our respective locations, where we will leave our vehicles for the duration of the trip. Once we’ve met each other, we will load up all of our gear and either take a van shuttle to our starting point, or launch from where we’ve parked.
Our first afternoons are spent getting to know each other, the river, learning how to paddle and enjoying our beautiful campsite.
DAY 2-3: our journey
Every day will look a little bit different depending on the weather and river flow. We will usually aim to be finished drinking coffee, eating breakfast and packing up camp around 10 AM. Don’t worry, paddling in the morning is beautiful - you won’t regret it! Generally, we aim to eat dinner between 6 and 7 PM, and spend our evenings in a variety of activities - music making, story telling, learning, crafting and connecting.
Our days are gentle, with lots of time to swim, fish and relax in between sites. Depending on your trip, there may be portages, optional hikes, or rest days. Everything else is a negotiation between us and the water. Every trip is different with a unique collection of women+ with unique visions for their time with the river.
DAY 4: going home
We finish our trip with a shorter day, aiming to reunite with the outside world sometime around lunch. We will unpack, enjoy a last celebratory meal together, and say our goodbyes mid-afternoon, leaving directly from our cars to our respective homes!
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