Watch out for the old C.P.R. Dam just
a short way from the launch site. You should begin to hear it just
after you pass under the Rail Bridge. We found the right side offered a
portage. A trail leads to a backwater pool where you can re-embark.
There is still a great deal of turbulence but it can be easily managed
by keeping to the right along the bank.
Always watch for fences approaching the
stream - some stop at the bank - others often have one or two strands
of wire stretched across. They are extremely hazardous in fast water.
We found none on our last trip but I suspect that high water may have
broken them loose.
This might well make a pleasant trip in low
water as well, but one would have to allow much more time, and be
prepared to walk through or around many rocky areas. The river has wide
meanders and tight twists as it makes its way down the wide valley.
Looking down at the Little Saskatchewan valley a few miles northwest of
Kirkham's Bridge.
Historical Notes
The old C.P.R. Dam near Rivers was erected
to provide a source of water for steam engines. The "pump house" still
exists on the site.
About 2/3 of the way down you might be able
to recognize the site of an old bridge. No structure remains visible
from the river, but the access from the right looks like this:
