Men's Journal

If you’re seeking an unspoiled wilderness adventure at a bargain price, grab a paddle and head to the Bloodvein.

By Diane Selkirk

If there’s a middle of nowhere, Canada’s Bloodvein River runs through it. Winding 200 miles through canyons and marshes before emptying into Lake Winnipeg, it’s the perfect blend of rough and relaxing. “It’s not a raging Colorado or a peaceful Saint Lawrence,” says Cameron White, owner and chief guide of Red River Outfitters. “It’s an isolated mix of quiet lakes and challenging whitewater.” Paddlers meandering
through the pine- and birch-edged marshes are more likely to run into Saulteaux-Ojibwa hunters (or moose, bear, muskrat, or beaver) than other travelers. Because it is shallow and its red-streaked granite bed dark, the Bloodvein is relatively warm, so dumping your boat in one of the 85 runnable rapids won’t kill you. But you might wish you were dead if a swarm of the infamous butterfly-size mosquitoes gets you, so don’t forget the bug spray. Anglers will find a pristine river laden with walleye, bass, and jackfish.

From its headwaters in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, 370 miles northwest of Thunder Bay, the Bloodvein — reachable only by canoe or floatplane — flows through a nearly inaccessible section of the Canadian Shield, a broad region of Precambrian rock that forms the bedrock of North America. Remains of aboriginal civilization are everywhere, and a trip down the Bloodvein is like a history book unfolding. Each mile reveals physical records of an earlier time, from 1,000-year-old red ocher pictographs of ancient hunters to ruined fur-trading posts that chronicle an era in which rival companies fought for control. Little has changed on the river since voyageurs last traversed the Meekinako rapids, and as a Canadian Heritage river, it’s protected as a sportsman’s paradise. The trip ends with a visit to the Bloodvein First Nation Reserve, on Lake Winnipeg’s shores, where you can participate in a traditional sweat lodge ceremony and enjoy a feast of local moose and fish.

Who To Go With
To save yourself the cost of chartering a plane to fly in your gear, book with Red River Outfitters ($1,380 for eight days, including transfers from Winnipeg, food, guides, and gear; redriveroutfitters.ca).

Day To Day
The outfitter’s custom trips let you set your own pace, paddling four to six hours a day with plenty of time for fishing for pike and bass and exploring the forest.

Permits
All fishing licenses are provided by the outfitter.

Food and Lodging
Nights are spent in wilderness campsites, where you’ll dine on fresh grilled fish and hope for a flash of aurora borealis.

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This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Men’s Journal.