(Note: this is a suggested itinerary only. Conditions on each trip may vary)

Itinerary:
Day 1: Flight from Stoney Rapids to Rennie Lake/Elk River. Set up camp. Hike, explore, relax, read, fish …

Day 2-4: Rennie Lake, Elk River, Damant Lake to Elk River exit. 60 km, 1 swift & 1 Class 1 rapids. Scenic paddle, many islands bays inlets, Lovely campsites. Great hiking and fishing.

Day 5 (km 20): Where the Elk River exits Damant Lake there are a set of rapids and swifts. The first set of rapids is class I or II and can be run easily just avoid the ledge. The set of swifts comes up a short distance later and is run with a rock garden at the bottom, a bit of a bump and grind in low water. The river widens into a lake expansion after the swifts. After the lake expansion, the river narrows. Here there are a series of technical, but runnable, class II rapids. boulders to the right and left of the main tongue. The next set, class II is runnable. Following this is a chute with a meter drop. Depending on water-levels we may run, line or lift around. Some swifts and class 1 rapids follow. A campsite occurs where the river opens into a small lake.

Day 6 (km 7): Beyond the small lake there are a series of rapids and a chute where the Elk begins a northwesterly direction opening up into a lake expansion to the west. The first two of these we will run, the 3rd may be run or lined. The 4th probably lined. After the rapids, there is a sand esker on river right which makes for a great campsite and offers wonderful walking/exploring options, often with nesting birds and sometimes a fox or wolf den.

Day 7 (km 21): After the westerly paddle across the mid-sized lake the river narrows and swings back to the northeast. There is a set of class II rapids here that is runnable. From here the river opens into a set of lake expansions. At the end of these expansions the river narrows into another set of rapids. There is an excellent campsite here on river right. As with most of the Elk River the fishing is excellent. Grayling for supper?

Day 8 (km 29): The rapids near the campsite are class II and can be run. A swift follows below the rapid and then a longer rapid (class 1-2 with a complete “S” bend. Often these rapids are scouted as they are long and hard to see. The next section of the river is above the tree line and the tundra is more exposed. The river has a current, so paddling becomes a lot easier than that on the large lakes.

Day 9 (km 26): The river in this section begins with swifts and straightforward class I rapids through stunning beautiful small canyons. These rapids can be run on the fly with boat scouting. It is a great fun section of the river, routes are easily visible and non-technical. The topography in this section is characterized by canyons and dramatic white sand eskers. As you approach a narrowing of the river following the lake beautiful Granite cliffs are visible. Here, where the river takes an easterly swing there begins a long set of rapids that continues 2 km. through a series of bends. The rapids are class II+ (III-III+ at some levels). At some levels, they can be run/lined. We may make camp here.

Day 10-11: Granite Falls Portage. We’ll continue down the Elk to Granite falls and make the 1.5km portage around Granite Falls to the Thelon River. This is a wonderful place to camp/fish/Explore. This is an impressive 7 or 8 step cataract through which the water drops 15+m.

Day 12 (km 15), Granite Falls to Jim Lake. The final day will be spent paddling down the mighty Thelon from Granite Falls to Jim Lake.

Day 13: Charter floatplane pickup back to Stoney Rapids.
* Please note: It is the nature of bush plane flights that such factors as weather, pilot judgment, fire, mechanical problems etc. can dictate the schedule of flights and can cause delays. Wanapitei cannot control these factors and accepts no responsibility for lost time.