Norththumberland

1 - Bass River

The Bass River of Five Islands is the natural step up from the Folly River. Not to be confused with the Bass River of Bass River this class IV-V creek requires a little bit of work but the pay off is well worth it. The ideal time to do this run is in the fall before the snow hits because the put in road is often too soft and snow covered in the spring to make it close to the put-in. This doesn’t mean that it’s not worth going in the Spring, just expect to hike further than usual and bring a four wheel drive vehicle if possible.

When you make it to the put-in you’re greeted with a bridge and little sign confirming that you are indeed in the right place. Once on the river a short class one stint brings you to the first drop…which most people will portage although it has been run successfully. Scout and portage on river right when you come to a left hand turn with an obvious horizon line. This unnamed drop is about an 8 foot ledge with a really messy lip that is difficult to get a stroke in on and a nasty hydraulic at the bottom during high water. Next you’ll come to a few read and run drops before arriving at Crap Chute. Scout on river left when the entire river falls into a four foot wide slot, you can portage high up the bank on river left or seal launch from the ledge beside the drop.

Now you’re done with the manky drops and can really start enjoying the rest of the run as you float into Split rock; a drop that is split in two by a rock island and followed closely by a ten footer. Run both on river right but it’s worth having a peak first, scout on river left. After the ten footer is a small ledge, stay right on this one as well. The left slot looks great but lands on a rock that could make for a really bad pin and has made for some nasty pitons, right is a simple boof. Next up is the most continuous bolder garden section. Most of this is boat scout able with good water reading skills and lots of eddy hopping. Keep an eye out for wood as this is where most logs get caught up on the run.

Now you’re at the glory drops, As Good as it Gets and Three Blind Mice. These are the cleanest drops on the river. As Good as it Gets can be scouted on river left and Three Blind Mice is just that, blind! It is possible to scout on river right from about 100 feet up but it’s really hard to gauge what the drop is actually like from here. At low water you can scout from river left with difficulty but most people run it blind which I’d recommend. Stay tight to the right wall with some speed and boof, it’s all good!

After one more three to four foot ledge you’re done and can relax as you float a couple of km’s downstream to the take out. Be sure to take out at the first bridge that goes over the river. It is on someone else’s property so be courteous and park out on the main road. Paddling down to the second bridge seems like a more responsible plan since it’s on public land but there are several beaver dams on this section of the river and it’s a huge pain to get around them all!

If you’re styling the drops on the Folly (you don’t have to be running Toblerone and Face Plant) you’re ready for the Bass but be sure to bring a little extra safety gear because of it’s remoteness.

Hazards

The run starts off with a good sized rapid and a couple of nice holes to punch. Shortly afterward the river splits into two separate channels, the left more of a creek style slide and the right more of a river running scoot. Afterward the two channels reconnect before splitting again at the next drop. This time river right brings you to a tighter more technical section of small drops and boogie water while the left channel holds the runs crown jewel. On the left channel you’ll find one of the cleanest slides in the province that is good to go at almost all levels when run center left. The last rapid is a short ways downstream and has a hole in the middle that can dish out a mean beat down at high flows. Either than that is relatively straight forward. Take out after this rapid.

Low water– class III (Below 2.5) High water class III+-IV

Although more of a river than a creek the North requires solid river skills and the ability to read more difficult whitewater. All lines should be scouted, and care should be taken especially during high water.

Access

From Halifax – Take Highway 102 North to Truro. From there take Highway 104 West towards New Brunswick. Take the Masstown exit (exit 12), turn right towards Great Village on 4 west. Turn Left on highway 2 North/West towards Great Village/Bass River and stay on this road until you’re in Five Islands. Park on the shoulder of the road beside Taylor Lane, this is the take out. You may want to go up the road/driveway to get an idea of what the bridge looks like you’ll be taking out at. Once a shuttle is sorted head back east on highway 2 then turn left (north) onto New Brittan Road. This will continue to get smaller and smaller until it’s too soft/snowed in/crappy to go any further. (stay left at all forks) Park wherever you can find a spot and start hiking. You’ll come to an ATV trail on your left shortly after you pass a couple of outhouses on the right. This will take you to the put-in. Note: a good four wheel dive vehicle can make it to the ATV trail so be sure you don’t pass it!

From New Brunswick – Take Highway 104 East to Nova Scotia. Take exit 11.Turn right onto highway 4. Turn right on highway 2 North/West towards Great Village/Bass River and stay on this road until you’re in Five Islands. Park on the shoulder of the road beside Taylor Lane, this is the take out. You may want to go up the road/driveway to get an idea of what the bridge looks like you’ll be getting out at. Once a shuttle is sorted head back east on highway 2 then turn left (north) onto New Brittan Road. This will continue to get smaller and smaller until it’s too soft/snowed in/crappy to go any further. (stay left at all forks) Park wherever you can find a spot and start hiking. You’ll come to an ATV trail on your left shortly after you pass a couple of outhouses on the right. This will take you to the put-in. Note: a good four wheel dive vehicle can make it to the ATV trail so be sure you don’t pass it!

Gauge

Great Village River Scribble Hill. This isn’t directly linked to the Bass but is in the area and usually a good indicator. Anywhere above 1.4 is run able but not ideal, 1.5 and higher is perfect.

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2 - Chiganois River

The Chiganois only has a few drops on it but they are some of the nicest in the province. There are two branches, both have been run but the west branch is the one you want to put on. Putting on the East Branch means dealing with almost no water for quite a while before reaching the waterfalls that are at the confluence. The best option is to put on the West Branch and then hike up to the waterfalls on the East Branch once you reach the confluence. It’s a short and easy hike and is well worth the effort, especially if there’s no snow in the woods.

Above the confluence the West Branch of the Chiganois has a few minor class II drops. Once you reach the confluence you can see the two waterfalls that you’ll be hiking up to. These two drops are about as clean as they come. The first is a 15 foot auto boof into a huge pool. The second is a smaller wider eight foot drop. After this drop the two branches meet and float downstream until you reach Sam Higgins Falls. This is one of the best sections of whitewater in the province. The falls consist of four main drops, each of which have a pool in-between them with each pool getting smaller the further downstream you travel. To scout/portage the falls get out on river left on the corner of the river bend. The portage is steep and can be fairly difficult, It’s possible to scout the fist two drops from river right as well.

The first drop is a small ledge and the easiest of the four. Boof on the right. The next drop is a slightly more complicated ledge that is best run on the left. From here many people portage the next drop. The entrance is a tight s-turn with a hole in the middle of the second bend. This is closely followed by an off vertical drop where the majority of the water pushes into a wall, this is the crux move of Sam Higgins. Once through this drop a short pool follows into the finale. A narrow entrance with vertical rock walls on both sides opens up into a great drop that is best run on the right.

From here you have a few kilometers of class I to paddle to the take out. Be aware that near the take out there has been barbed wire across the river in the past. This is located beside a cow field and can be difficult to spot so stay alert.

Difficulty: The majority of the rapids are class III-IV with the hardest being class V. Paddlers should carry all appropriate safety equipment for a more remote day as access to roads once in the river gorge can be difficult.

Hazards

Access

From Halifax– Take Highway 102 North to Truro. From there take Highway 104 West towards New Brunswick. Take the Debert exit (exit 13), turn right towards Debert on Macelmon Road. Turn right on Plains Road toward Belmont. Turn left on Belmont/Masstown Road, the river will be on your right. Turn right on Graham Road and park on the side of the road, this is the take out you should be able to see the river down a hill to your right. Drop a car here then continue up Belmont Road towards the putin. Stay right on Upper Belmont Road, turns to dirt road. Stay right at fork. Put in on tiny feeder creek, sometimes it looks like a ditch.

From New Brunswick– Take Highway 104 East to Nova Scotia. Take the Debert exit (exit 13), turn right towards Debert on Macelmon Road. Turn right on Plains Road toward Belmont. Turn left on Belmont/Masstown Road, the river will be on your right. Turn right on Graham Road and park on the side of the road, this is the take out you should be able to see the river down a hill to your right. Drop a car here then continue up Belmont Road towards the putin. Stay right on Upper Belmont Road, turns to dirt road. Stay right at fork. Put in on tiny feeder creek, sometimes it looks like a ditch.

Gauge

Great Village River Scribble Hill. This isn’t directly linked to the Chiganois but is in the area and usually a good indicator. Anywhere above 1.4 is run able but not ideal, 1.5 and higher is perfect.

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3 - Drysdale Falls

This 40 foot waterfall located on Bailey’s Brook is one of the cleanest in the province. Situated just around the corner from the Folly River this waterfall is an excellent addition to a high water run.

With very little Whitewater on the river other than the falls, Drysdale is the definition of park and huck, especially with a sandy beach to take out on and stairs cut out of the bank that take you back to the top. Just above the waterfall is a five foot ledge that is at 90 degrees to the main drop making the lead in a bit trickier.

Note: Although the falls have been open to the public in the past they have recently been closed because of people being disrespectful, leaving broken bottles and vandalizing property. The falls are on private property so if you plan on going to them be sure to keep a low profile and be respectful, especially in summer…the RCMP have given tickets!

Hazards

Access

From Halifax: Take Highway 102 to Truro, exit right (#14A) onto Onslow Street towards Tatamagouche. Turn left onto Route 311 North to the town of “The Falls”. Turn left and follow Route 256 to the bridge over Bailey’s Brook; back track and park on the side of the road just after passing over the river, there should be an old gravel pit on your right. From here there is a trail up to the falls, about a 5 minute walk upstream.

From New Brunswick: Take highway 104 to Nova Scotia. Take the Wentworth Valley Scenic Loop exit (# 7). Turn Left towards Ski Wentworth. Turn left onto Route 246 towards New Annan. Turn right onto Route 256. Drive past Willow Church Road then look for Bailey’s Brook.

Park on the side of the road just after passing over the river, there should be an old gravel pit on your right. From here there is a trail up to the falls, about a 5 minute walk upstream.

Gauge

Use Great Village River Scribble Hill, this isn’t directly linked to Bailey’s Brook but is in the area and usually a good indication. Anywhere above 1.5 is run able but not ideal, aim to do this one at flood, the higher the better! This is checked hourly by @whitewaterns, if it’s up it’ll tweet about it.

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4 - Folly River

Nova Scotia has several North Rivers but New Germany’s North river takes the prise…for sweetest North river I guess. When all of the creeks in the Cobequid Mountains run dry many river running and creeking enthusiasts set their sights on the North. This short but quality run has it all, big water, a great slide, creek lines, and some nice beat down potential at high water. The various forks and channels make for a “choose your own adventure” style run that is sure to please.

Hazards

The folly river is not run very often due to it’s rainy-season only good water levels, and higher technical level required for the run. As such there may be unexpected trees / wood in the river as it may have been more than a year since anyone has run the river.

Beyond normal hazards the remoteness of the river can make hospital access, or rescue more complicated. This river should be run by experienced paddlers with sufficient knowledge and gear to comfortably paddle Class IV/V rapids.

Access

From Halifax– Take Highway 102 North to Truro. From there take Highway 104 West towards New Brunswick. Take the Folly Lake exit, turn left towards Ski Wentworth. You’ll pass a Cemetery on your right, this is the take out. Park on the shoulder of the road on the far side of the Cemetery to set up a shuttle. Just before you get to Folly Lake, turn right at the bottom of the hill. You’ll soon come to a bridge that goes over the river. This is the first put-in. For the second (more popular) put-in take a right just after the bridge down a road that follows the river. Park where the road forks and the better route turns 90 degrees away from the river and goes up hill.

From New Brunswick– Take Highway 104 East to Nova Scotia. Take the Wentworth Valley Scenic Loop exit. Turn Left towards Ski Wentworth. Pass Folly Lake and take a left to the put-in just after the lake before going up a large hill. (To get to the take out continue on the main road until you see a Cemetery on your left. Park on the other side of the road just before you get to the Cemetery.) You’ll soon come to a bridge that goes over the river. This is the first put-in. For the second (more popular) put-in take a right just after the bridge down a road that follows the river. Park where the road forks and the better route turns 90 degrees away from the river and goes up hill.

Named Rapids

The Folly River is a class III-V creek located 30 minutes from Truro. The Folly’s easy access, straight forward lines, continuous white water and option to walk any drop are quickly making the river a classic run. There are two put-ins for the Folly, the first is directly below Folly Lake at the bridge that goes over the river and the second is just above the first major drop Grandfather Clock. The take out is the same for both of these. Most people choose to use the second put in because there is only one drop above it and a lot of wood that forces you to get in and out of your boat a lot. To get to the second put-in follow the road until you reach a culvert going under it. Then follow the small brook down the hill to the river where there is a mossy area perfect for getting in you boat.

Kelsey running Grandfather Clock on the Folly

Grandfather Clock

A short walk down to the river and the action immediately begins. The first drop, Grandfather Clock, is the perfect warm up and one of the nicest drops on the river. An s-bend with a few small ledges brings you to a 15 foot drop at the end with a deep pool. It’s possible to scout this drop before putting on. This drop is followed by a mellow but continuous section of white water where all of the drops are easily boat scouted and quite fun.

Ian running Toblerone – Folly River

Toblerone

The next significant drop is Toblerone, an almost pure balls drop that is rarely run. The river drops close to 25 feet with an angled rock wall coming down one side that leaves little room to get by. All the water at the bottom pushes into a cave below that would make for a very unpleasant swim. When you see a big horizon line and some mist you’ll know it’s this drop. Get out and scout on river left. To portage carry down over the rock ledge beside the drop. This is where the river gets really good! The rest of the run is super continuous and leaves your heart pumping and teeth showing. Boat scout this section, there are lots of eddies to catch, although it’s really tempting to bomb it. Once you come to a horizon line where you can’t see much you’ve arrived at S-Turn. Paddle this drop from right to left. The current hit’s a reactionary which turns you to line you un for the exit.

Kelsey passing the can opener – Folly River

Can Opener

The next horizon line has a large rooster tail sticking up in the center. This is Can Opener, scout on river left. This can be portaged around if desired. You can run this drop right or left of the rooster tail. From the bottom of Can Opener you can see the final drop, Face Plant.

Kelsey Faceplant – Folly River

Face Plant

Eddy out on river right to scout this drop. At lower water you can portage down the rocks beside the drop but at higher levels go down in-between two trees at the edge of the tree line. This drop turns 90 degrees at the top followed by a two tier slide that drops around 20 feet. Below Face Plant the river widens out and slow moving current brings you to the take out, an old bridge abutment. Take out on river right and follow the four wheeler trail back to the main road where you should have left you car.

Gauge

The closest hydro data is in Great Village River Scribble Hill, this isn’t directly linked to the Folly but is in the area and usually a good indication. Anywhere above 1.3 is run able but not ideal, 1.4 and higher is perfect. This is monitored hourly by @WhitewaterNS

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5 - Salmon River

A great beginner river, with enough play to make it interesting. The salmon river is a quick rising, and quick dropping river that runs through Truro NS. You can mix-and-match your run, making it as short or as long as you would like. There is some wood at the very edges of some of the corners, but even at high water it doesn’t normally extend more than a few feet into the river, and does not pose much of a risk.

The river can be shallow at some points, so be aware that your head might scrape the bottom if you flip and attaining up the river can be hard a times due to the lack of water to paddle in.

Hazards

This river has minimal hazards until you get into town. In town expect garbage in the river which might create a strainer hazard.

Access

There are varying runs, short medium and long available on the salmon.

Short Run (Blue) At mid water, this is a good run that’ll let you play on corner wave, train wave and brass monkey’s ghost. Put in at the Bridge on Valleydale Rd where it crosses the river. There is a visual river gauge under the bridge, to help you double check the water level(s) for the runs.

Medium Run (Yellow) At higher levels, you can head up and catch the Blackrock feature. Drive up Valley Rd from the bridge on Valleydale Rd until to come to a sharp left turn that climbs up hill this is the put in. This road is dirt/mud with lots of potholes, low clearance vehicles not recommended. At the corner there is an ATV trail that leads along the river follow it until it goes into the river. Put in here and paddle across to the other side where the ATV trail continues, follow it across the bend in the river to the beginning of this run.

Long Run (Red) This extra long run has only been done a few times, by Mike Malley. It takes a few hours, and is only really runable during very high water. Because it’s only run very rarely extra care should be taken for fallen wood, or other hazards. The third put-in is at the bridge on Riversdale Rd

Take Out The bottom take out is at Murray Siding, river right at the Salmon river rd. bridge . There should be enough room to park your cars on Old Courthouse Branch Rd.

Map

Named rapids

Mike Malley – Blackrock

Blackrock rapids

To get to this rapid, put in at the medium put in point and then paddle across the river attaining as much as possible, on river left you should find an ATV trail. Hop out of your boat and walk along the trail until it crosses the river again. This is Blackrock rapids, there are various waves and holes some with eddy service some that are only catch on the fly. This rapid only comes up at high(er) water levels, but allows for a lot of different options to play most of which have eddy access.

Mike Malley on Malleys wave

Malley’s wave

This feature is on river right where the river takes a sharp turn to the right right after a hard left turn. The primary play feature on the Salmon, named after Mike Malley, this feature appears in various forms at the different river levels. In general there are at least two decent surf waves at this location. The top wave is larger and often requires you to get out of your boat and carry back up to drop in on it. At some levels you can manage to get up from an eddy on river left. The bottom wave at this feature is the one that is surfed the most, it has excellent eddy access river right just below the rapid. At higher levels the wave has a large amount surging / and a reactionary component which can make for a wild ride.

Train wave

Named for it’s proximity to the train tracks this tiny feature with eddy service is on river left as the river lazily goes drifts to the right. At high levels the whole is retentive enough for minor play boating moves but only about one boat wide. There’s space for about 5 playboats in the small eddy. This feature exists at lower water levels, with a slightly less retentive foam pile

Brass monkey’s ghost

The rapid formally called brass monkey, has been renamed Brass monkey’s ghost as changes in the bottom of the river have warped and diminished the original feature. This series of waves, and minor holes is just above the take out at the bridge, as such you could do a form of park’n’play, if you’re willing to walk back up after every run. There is no eddy service for a majority of the waves here. The waves and wave/holes are decent for front / back surfing, however surfers should be aware that it’s very shallow, in this part of the river, while front surfing your boat may actually hit the sandstone ledge forming the feature as you surf down to the bottom of the wave.

Gauge

Anything below 2.4 on the gauge is likely extremely bony, and lacks sufficient water for the slide. As the water level rises the mid-sections will become less bony, but the rapids will also get more intimidating. 2.45 is a good level for a intro creek run.

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