4 Day Wilderness Camping Trip on a Lost and Forgotten River

[@jimburns6528]

When you are deep enough into the back country for a lynx to stare at you because it has not seen anything like you, there is not such thing as a "sneak line" when running rapids. Getting through the rapid is the only real priority. :) Nic video as always.

[@Julie-l7r]

Omg that Lynx catch was awesome 👌 👏 👍 such a beautiful animal ❤

[@dwrivers47]

Wow, that Lynx was amazing. The river was pretty special too. Thanks for taking us non WW paddlers on a great trip 😊

[@NikonF5user]

Missed you guys!!! Keep 'em coming!

[@kevinthewild]

Incredible lynx sighting! Wow. Such a beautiful animal. Thanks for sharing another great adventure.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

I've only ever had them cross in from of me rapidly. For it to sit still and watch us from the bank was really surreal. Such an incredible encounter!

[@Barret-paddles]

What a trip! The lynx was jaw dropping 😳 Many challenges but that’s the beauty of it right?👊🏻 Great group and thanks for another wonderful ride! 💜

[@JN-cy9qt]

Awesome content as always, stoked for what you guys have planned for 2024!

[@PaddleTV]

Awesome adventure! The Snapping wasn't on my radar... but now it is! Look forward to the next video.

[@maximbudnick]

Awesome video man! I am really glad that you took your sweet time putting this one out cause somehow its really nice to look back at it now. Reminds me what a good time it was. Lets do it again!

[@esthermae8710]

It's like our Christmas present.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks buddy! Spring 24, let's go!

[@JB50713]

Wow that's a rare sighting of a lynx caught on camera! Awesomeness, glad you captured that so I could enjoy it! Lol Wicked video. ✌🏼

[@suezaple4950]

It's quite the river, of rapids fast water's But nice wilderness area up there, Yup rugged, Indeed the falls in levack are gorgeouse for sure. Nice footage of your route. an exciting adventure Down the Onaping.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

I really love this area of the province. Always seems to contain a good amount of falls with the all the upland topography.

[@carolguezen5829]

Nice to see you guys back on the water. Love your adventures…your spirit…and your great team work! Looking forward to forward to more

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Carol!

[@CanadianSledDog]

The pros at work again, awesome!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Wooo, thanks!

[@edzeppelin933]

That Lynx was amazing! What an experience!

[@trishaharrison6183]

Amazing trip and scenery. ❤

[@kevindavis1281]

Right on! I was hoping you had something new coming up. That looked like a lot of fun!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Kevin. Was a super fun trip. Even if the flows are low, you can't beat a whitewater run down the path less travlled!

[@CampWithMatt]

Sooooo. Am hoping from the "first trip of the year" references, this means you've got a bunch of trips in the can, and we'll get them over winter! Great vid, loved it, keep 'em coming!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Matt! Yup! And there's even a few from the year prior I've gotta put out. I've already started on the next one and have a few other outdoor video projects to upload soon too!

[@CampWithMatt]

@@ExploreTheBackcountry Keep them coming! Editing is a pain, I'm sure. But you might find your get decent traction on the videos by pushing the content out in the off-season when most people are winter camping rather than canoe-tripping.

[@JeffMacCullough]

I live on Vermilion lake and this river intrigues me. I seen a video of Max going down it in the past. It is way above my current skill set but not forever. Great to see a new video, great crew.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Yeah, Max's video was from the same trip here. I had binned this edit one for a while. Super scenic river though. Work up the skills and you'll no doubt have a fun time on it!!

[@pamalvestad3848]

Epic river run

[@jimhanson7476]

What a great run, very exciting and the scenery was amazing, well done all

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Jim!

[@raymondcava4669]

Thank you for posting love the drone point of view. Been in my 60s I’ll pass on this one😂

[@GreybeardAdventures]

Love the video guys! Seeing that lynx is amazing - so lucky to spot one like that, and he didn’t even seem all that bothered by your presence! Great trip! 👊💥

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks a bunch! Only ever had them quickly dart away in front of us, so having it sit still was pure magic!

[@GreybeardAdventures]

@@ExploreTheBackcountry Pure magic for sure! Great video, as usual!

[@mattymieds]

Thanks for taking me along on this trek, Always wondered if the river was navigable when going up the 144. Also do you have the link for the 4 person utensil and cooking kit? I want to make sure I get the right one!

[@alanbierhoff6831]

How do you make a Brad and Leah video even better? Get Max Budnick to join in the fray. 😊

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Max is such a great dude. Was great to get out on a trip with him!

[@alanbierhoff6831]

@@ExploreTheBackcountry He’s seems that way 💯 I just got done ordering that GSI kitchen kit you showed. I’ve been eyeballing it for a while now. Anything you endorse goes on my wishlist asap. Today I was able to get it 👍🏻

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

@@alanbierhoff6831 Leah had been eyeing that kit for soooo long too! She was getting sick of my ratty old plastic bag for storage (plus now she has a smaller zester for her backcountry cocktails) 😂We were introduced to the GSI scrubber-scrapper on the Tichegami from Maggie-lee and Jacobe and it was a game changer for kitchen clean up. Seems to tackle the hardest baked on stuff no problem.

[@janevalentine6391]

​@@ExploreTheBackcountryDifficult baked on stuff happens at home too and I just boil water in the pan for easy clean up...have for 5 decades 😊.

[@TheOutdoorSeeker]

I really liked the lynx. Amazing creature. The trip would have been worth it for me just for that moment.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Was such an unreal experience. Probably the highlight for us as well!

[@davidjennings6937]

Very enjoyable.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks David!

[@evanhammond7305]

Brad looks more like a grunge band drummer then a canoeist. I guess youtube has me thinking you gotta be 250lb red head with a bad temper or a 6'4 bean pole with a sweet hat to be a conoeist. The coolest thing about sports is all walks of life join in the fun. In my jiu-jitsu days i would roll with a millionaire and high-school kid all in one night. I suppose this is no different. Love the video dude i will definitely be watching all your vids. Cheers from The Foothills of Alberta

[@cathyhull5595]

Another great video, but we don't consider the Onaping River a lost river by any means! Many people paddle above high falls and lots of people paddle and tube down the lower section towards the vermillion.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

That section is well travelled! The portages below Levack were nice. From the lake to Levack it's a lost route with just a few whitewater paddlers every so often attempting. You're most certainly correct for the section near high falls and towards the vermilion. We took out at high falls and it was packed full of people! Great river!

[@WVWes]

Those Budnick boys are so handsome! Lol

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Lmao, almost like they're plants by the modeling industry or something.....

[@CedarAshCanvas]

Thank-you. Looks like lots of fun. Canoed Moncrief/Bannerman Cks. down to the Spanish many years ago as a whitewater day trip. Part of the flow of the Onaping out of Onaping Lake has been diverted west to the Spanish to support increased power production on the Spanish, historic water levels on your portion of the Onaping would have been higher, presumably. Beautiful country.

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Could only imagine at high flows - or if you time it for when the dam is open. Moncrief/Bannerman intrigues me as a spring day trip or a longer trip combined with the Lower Spanish,. The views from 144 alone look pretty scenic.

[@janevalentine6391]

What an awesome trip this was, such fun. The scenery was stunning...the lynx was the icing on the cake. You guys are growing on me 😂, I'm very partial to Jon and Xander, so when i view other videos i have to force myself not to compare 😂. Your videos are excellent though, I really am enjoying them😊!!!

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks Jane. Those lads are gems too. Also fun to trip with!

[@Sayitaint_So]

onaping was of interest to gold prospectors back in late 1800'as some kind of big loop circling from Capreol down the Vermilion and towards Meteor lake and back to the headwaters of the Vermilion.... read about it in geologist Coleman reports... awesome area - did not know it was that choppy - would have been nice to see you guys run high falls 🤕🤠

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Cool history! I've seen some of the old gold camps in the bush on other trips through the region. Not much left beyond rusted remains and pits. Imagine lugging all that heavy equipment through there back then.... Ha! We took out at High Falls. Was full of tourists, so much so that I didn't bother filming it. Can't say I blame them though, they're an incredible set of cascades!

[@eprohoda]

how goregous picture~ sleep well, ✋

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Thanks!

[@michaelbroyer3918]

Wondering about that white light shining on the little island at the 4:10 mark??

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

I think it's a crude navigation light on Lake Onaping (like a solar patio light). We only got a few km from the launch before the storms blew in.

[@neilcampbell5369]

What week/ month did they do this trip?

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

May 24 weekend

[@wayfinder105]

Maybe a month earlier would be ideal 😄

[@alexs3447]

Heard of the river as I'm originally from Sudbury . But knw nothing of it . Looks too rough anyway .

[@ExploreTheBackcountry]

Yeah, lower flows and it's a a lot of dragging, higher flows and its super pushy. Needs a crew to cut and clear a ton of portages. I think there were once close to 20. There were really only some very rough ones around the falls.

[@kevinharding2099]

Terrible music! Just distracting noise.