Solo on the Shelburne: When Plans Break and Canoes Bend

by Timothy O’Brien

In 2023, my summer vacation plans were cancelled at the last minute, so I decided to paddle the Tent Dwellers Loop from Kejimkujik National Park, down the Shelburne River, across Lake Rossignol and up the Mersey River back to Keji. I added a run up the Shelburne to Cofan Cabin and skipped the side trip to Tobeatic Lake. Due to the short notice, I did this trip as a solo and I did extra risk mitigation, including the decision to not run any whitewater…

I spent the first night at Jeremy’s Bay campground to get an early start the first day. I took my time and arrived at Mason Cabin with nothing more exciting than scaring a bear on the Big Hardwood Carry. The second day I headed to Cofan Cabin. It was a long day paddling upstream against unseasonably high water. Seeing the Canadian Heritage River plaque was interesting, and the route was pretty clear, although I lost a lot of time hunting for portages. I arrived at the cabin at dusk, very thankful to have just glimpsed the chimney.

The third day I ran downriver to Irving Lake. It was a fast run, even with area below Pebbleogitch being blocked with downed trees. I did in four hours what took me twelve the day before. Knowing where the portages were helped as much as the downstream current did.

I camped on the peninsula in the southwest corner of the lake. It’s one of the nicest wilderness campsites I’ve ever seen.

The fourth day I left Irving Lake and entered the next section of the river down to Sand Lake. The first kilometer or two were fine, but when I got below the second set of falls, I made a mistake. I decided to paddle through a few riffles thinking what harm could happen. I hit a rock I couldn’t see in the dark water and turned sideways. I wasn’t fast enough correcting and ran broadside into a rock. Hopping out of the canoe I didn’t lean downstream and so the upstream gunnel went under. The boat quickly wrapped around the rock. It’s an old 16’ Royalex Mad River Explorer and watching the wood gunnels crack as the boat turned inside out was heart breaking. What was worse was watching my large pack, my daypack and the attached map float downriver. They weren’t tied in because I had been taking them in and out of the canoe all morning.

 I spent the next three hours trying to pry the boat off, but was unsuccessful. When I gave up, I started walking river left to look for my packs. All I had was my lifejacket with survival kit, a paddle, rope, and a folding canoe seat. I wasn’t too worried because I just had to follow the river to Sand Lake to a logging road I had seen on the map. I knew there was supposed to be an abandoned logging road paralleling the river, but without a map, I wasn’t about to risk leaving the water.

I found my large dry-pack washed up on an island a kilometer downstream. I took only essential gear, stashed the rest and continued hiking. I camped that night, and the next day accidentally found the abandoned road.  I followed it and other logging roads to the north and east and finally came out at the DNR Bridge on the Mersey. A very nice couple helped me out letting me use their cell phone and driving me to Caledonia. (Coincidentally, their nephew had been my boss a few years earlier). My son picked me up that evening. and I headed home if not wiser, much humbler.

Eventually, I went back, got the canoe out, and rebuilt it. My small pack was found and returned to me by acquaintances the next spring. This past May, I got to complete the trip in the same canoe, but those stories can wait.