17 Days in the Wilderness | A River Untamed | Ep. 2

Episode 2 of Where The Waters Begin
Where The Waters Begin documents a 300km canoe expedition through the geographic heart of Quebec and expansive wilderness of Eeyou Istchee. The route begins in the remote Otish Mountains with a descent down the Tichégami River. Following in the footsteps of the Cree peoples, our journey would guide us along headwater courses, who shepherd us across the height of land and out beyond the abyss of Quebec's largest lake.
Teaser Trailer: • Where The Waters Begin...
EP I: • 17 Days in the Wildern...
EP II: • 17 Days in the Wildern...
EP III: • 17 Days in the Wildern...
EP IV: • 17 Days in the Wildern...
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[@raymondcava4669]

Awesome trip, a lot of research went into this one, looks like everybody was compatible. Awesome scenery, the best part is you have a record of this. Make extra copies so you don’t lose the original.When you guys are in your 70s you’ll get to relive this and many other trips.❤❤❤❤❤❤I love KZbin

[@colepef4902]

These episodes are incredible!! Thanks so much for sharing this adventure with us! Really enjoying it

[@Canadian-Bacon]

You two are fuggin awesome together. So great watching you do rapids.

[@cs6032]

What really shines through is your unwavering positivity and relentless perseverance in the face of adversity. You see the best in the worst of situations. You and Leah are a perfect team and a great example of how to kick ass. So awesome!

[@jimhanson7476]

One of the best videos I have watched on a canoeing adventure, enjoyed every minute.. well done all

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Wow, thanks for the high praise Jim! 😃

[@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors]

I need a nap after watching that 😅 That was intense 👍🏻 Awesome

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Haha! We all slept well those nights!

[@T3PinR]

WOW! - the sunset shots at the end were awesome. Hats off to you all - looked like a great trip but above me in ranks of paddling skill, bug & weather toleration, and stamina. Maybe when I was your age. I thoroughly enjoyed watching

[@leontijpavlov4689]

Класный сплав.красивые места.красиво снято.большое спасибо.за путешествие.

[@SoloSchmitty]

Great vid! Looking forward to the rest!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Tyson!

[@CanoeTheNorth]

Well part two certainly didn’t disappoint. As a couple that doesn’t really tackle white water It’s always really cool to see you two bombing down rapids. What an amazing place to paddle and explore. Sincerely enjoyed the video and am looking forward to the next episode. 🛶 🏕️

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks! We'll have to take you two out for some whitewater one day! Best way to learn is tagging along with a group. Adds a lot to the dimension of a trip. Granted, it's not for everyone, but it really adds to a trip high. Thanks a bunch see ya at EP III 🛶

[@stephenbouchard8075]

Wow!

[@nathanandrews1752]

Really loving this series so far. What an amazing trip. I love how you work together as a couple. Just a beautiful series so far. Already looking forward to the next episode!! Thank you for sharing.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Nathan! Really helps with the highs and lows of a trip knowing your partner has you back through the thick of it!

[@carolguezen5829]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I am speechless on your adventure.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thank you Carol! I can assure you the trip left us speechless at times too!

[@hotkev691983]

These are the types of canoe trips I love doing and this river is certainly on my list. As always, beautiful cinematographic which captures the essence of your trips.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

The best of the best. We're always craving those trips that break us down and build us back up. Already looking ahead to 2023... So many rivers! Happy paddling!

[@jaythomas996]

Another awesome episode! Thanks so much! Stoked for next Thursday.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Jay! See ya at EP III!

[@trishaharrison6183]

This one by far had the most epic scenery and paddling. Leah has become so amazing to watch and just power-housing through those rapids. Great to see the trust between you’s. Keep up the amazing work.🥰

[@Racing1954]

Quite the group wanting to do this to have fun. The adventure of it all. Great video capturing the scenery

[@dieselstink1964]

Love it !!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Dave!

[@ripplesandleaves]

Really enjoyed this video. What a heart pounding adventure to watch. I'm so impressed with the skills, and mental toughness of you all. Thank you so much for filming and sharing it!

[@The-Real-Ando]

Bugs, heat, cold, rain, wind, lining through slimy rocks, smashing your way through the rock gardens and a bit of bushwhacking still looks like a lot of fun to me. Great scenery too, you guys are lucky to live in such an unspoiled country but you’re making the most of it which is the thing that matters. 🇨🇦🇳🇿 P.S. you guys say ‘eh’ the way we do in New Zealand eh.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Wouldn't have it any other way! You never seem to talk about the trips with perfect conditions.... effort equals reward. Ha, I'm personally guilty of saying eh a lot. Didn't realize it was also a thing over in New Zealand! Cool!

[@The-Real-Ando]

@@ExploreTheBackcountry eh is a huge thing in NZ, less but also Queensland, Australia.

[@montybarbee8128]

Pretty darn epic. Thanks

[@looking4leasuretime]

Thanks for doing what I currently can't do, and filming it for us to watch. High 5's

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks for your generous support and so glad you've enjoyed the adventure so far! Many thanks!

[@Patrick-si2id]

Thanks for taking us along on this stunning trip. Look forward to the continuing adventure.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Patrick! We'll see you in the next episode then! Cheers

[@weatherincorporated6088]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!

[@davidmodeland429]

Dang that was some awesome whitewater!!! This episode was everything I was hoping for and more! You two are a great paddling team, it was very enjoyable and even informative to watch you two navigate those rapids together. I found myself rewinding a lot just to study the water and what route you chose and the moves you pulled to make it. When you got to that canyon, oh man, that was gorgeous. And a perfect ending to all that madness there on the beach. Stellar episode guys, that was truly entertaining, thank you!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks David! They we're super technical sets. Doesn't appear to be as heart pounding on screen as say a pushy set, but our hearts were in our throats for a lot of these runs. Picking lines on the fly is certainly a skill that take years to hone. Canyon was one of the big highlights on the trip for us too. Unexpected but welcomed. Thanks for watching as always!

[@michaelbroyer3918]

Great first two videos. The geography is magnificent!!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

And it keeps changing too! That aspect really blew us away. So much change in such a relatively short amount of distance travelled.

[@CanadianSledDog]

What a wild ride, weaving those boulders looked intense mentally and physically. Epic teamwork between the pair of you.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

The pushy stuff always looks more intense on camera, but I always find these boulder runs more taxing and with a higher risk of something going sideways.... certainly draining and we all slept well those nights!

[@ralphmason706]

Wonderful video. Upper Tichegami looks just amazing. Our group of 8 flew in to the Tichegami to a little lake just north of the river about 5 miles upstream from the confluence with the Moon River. Hey, in 1998 there was no road past Albanel and we didn't have as much time - flew out from the Eastmain a week later. I look forward to the next installments. Just fabulous stuff.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

That's awesome! Sounds like an amazing trip. The lower Tichégami to the Eastmain looks nice. I considered continuing down and looping up to Lake Mistassini via the Rupert, but it stretched our timeline beyond what we had to work with. The new road extension really helps with access options. There's plans to extend it to the Trans Taiga now too.... We'll be back. Already looking ahead to next summer....

[@Ironbark_Bushcraft]

28°C a "scorcher"!!!! 😂 In Australia here i hit my strides, working, in 40°C+. Love this series. Keep it up. 🤙

[@looking4leasuretime]

Thanks!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks kindly for your support!!!

[@Mike_the_Machine]

Amazing

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@ralphmason706]

Oh, we used Bill Seeley's log from Keewaydin too. Thanks Bill.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Lots of great info on those logs. Has led to much trip daydreaming and planning!

[@downeastprimitiveskills7688]

A lot of this looks fantastic to run with a pole, sure saves wading up to your waste and risking a bum leg. Nice river even at low water. Thanks for saving this for the winter viewing.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Yeah there would definitely be some sets that could be poled here. It was a pretty constant mix of scout, run, line, wade, eddy. Just back to back switching things up as the river kept changing.

[@TheOutdoorSeeker]

What a RIDE! Good for you, I much rather prefer calm waters. The bugs look insane too.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Ha, yes the bugs were a bit relentless. The bug shelter was a key item for trip sanity. Only a few minutes to setup, doesn't weigh a lot, but affords you a few hours of calm at camp. Even with nets and shelter, some members had some severe swelling - Emily's ears swelled shut and nearly one of her eyes too which I wish I got on camera, but we sent her to bed with meds.

[@pmsheridan1492]

This is great. The non gopro cinematography a step up from the other Canadian adventure channels. Well done.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Patrick!

[@kevinmackenzie560]

Excellent adventure, you guys and gals work hard, but it looks like a lot of fun too.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Always a reward for the hard work! These are the types of trips we seem to always find ourselves craving. A bit of a push really makes the reward all that more worthwhile!

[@jimf1964]

You know, for fly fishing we often use felt soled boots for traction on slippery rocks. It sounds totally counter intuitive, but they work amazingly well. I wonder if some sort of strap on felt sole would be worth the effort to use for long stretches of walking the canoe. It would definitely be safer, and a broken ankle up there is a pretty big deal, but still, it would take up critical space and weight when wet.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Great suggestion. We looked into it and Leah found a few. May try something out next year to see how it performs!

[@jaynefought1268]

If you haven't heard of the brand Astral, check them out. Soles strick to wet Rock like glue.

[@jimf1964]

@@jaynefought1268 Are they designed for that, or just work pretty well? The felt soles not only work on wet rock, but submerged rocks covered in algae. They do have obvious limitations though, because once out of the water, they’re total garbage.

[@MnNative]

Like a lot of multiple part videos, it is hard to find the sequence of the videos. Usually you meet with .... i went back to channel page. I think you skipped one of the group.... maybe I looked down. I first saw you on Lost Lakes. Never forget the hair. Great job by all.

[@jakepankanin9908]

Love it! Obligatory comment for the Al gore rhythm

[@hermano8160]

I just can't imagine what the animals must think, when there are three flipped canoes with legs walking through their front yard.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Hahaha, could only image the conversation we kick off as we trudge along...

[@papacampoutdoors]

Beauty run on the rapids! what class were those?

[@leahjennings8694]

Mostly a mix of technical class two and three

[@JB50713]

All those rapids would be physically and mentally exhausting.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

We certainly slept reallllly well those nights.

[@mccluskeyp]

Do you have any information about the manufacturer of the spray deck on the green canoe? In particular how the paracord loops are attached to the hull? For your own spray deck, what kind of life expectancy do you get out of the North Water loops before they fray?

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

That deck was a one-off prototype made by Maggie-lee's brother. He had(s?) a gear repair business and built them a deck as a proof of concept. I'm not sure how they had them anchored in. I haven't had any fraying on my North Water loops in ~4-5years of owning it. I have had my deck on for the majority of trips and they've faced a good chunk of bushwhacks too. Only thing that went a bit was some daisy chain loops near the bow and stern, but we likely overloaded their capacity.

[@NikonF5user]

What is the make of the red canoe? I keep trying to see, but it goes by so quickly and the orange labeling sort of blends in with the boat. I can see that it is a prospector, but I cannot see the manufacturer name...

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Red one is an Esquiff Prospecteur

[@scoutjohnson1803]

The water levels look like you are in Australia!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Haha! Undoubtedly so. They do get better, but we could have for sure used a bit more water in those upper reaches....

[@CriticalInsightsRealizations]

by any chance are you guys italian ??

[@benweir665]

Comments for the algo

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Much appreciated!

[@treecareEdm]

"You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. “ The third of the Ten Commandments forbids taking or using the Lord’s name in an irreverent manner because that would indicate a lack of respect for God Himself.

[@tsocanuck]

where is the catch and cook?