The French River's Old Voyager Channel. A Historic Canoe Route with Wind, Waves and a Rattlesnake.

#rattlesnake #canoetrip #canoeing #frenchriver
Instagram @toshselfpropelled
Cooper and I head out for four days on the French River. We take the Old Voyager Channel down to Georgian Bay before turning back up the Main Channel.
As we make our way down river we enjoy all the beauty the area and the wildlife offer including a very close encounter with a Massasauga Rattlesnake.
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[@richards8916]

You’re a great storyteller & videographer. Thanks ❤️

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thank you very much.

[@tWoforgamenot1]

a Great Boat Dog . He's cool !

[@toshselfpropelled]

He's the best!!

[@CanoehoundAdventures]

Nice encounter with the Massasauga Rattler... that is pretty rare to come across and he looked well fed. Man good to see how many videos you have been pumping out and with some good collaborations as well... We should look into having you on Canoehound's Outdoor Adventure Show one day

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks Dennis. Much appreciated.

[@WanderingEyeOutdoorAdventures]

Great video. Good thing the dog didn't come across the rattler first! Cheers

[@toshselfpropelled]

Yes, thanks

[@tWoforgamenot1]

cool these are my people thank you talking me back there then :)

[@Lonewoodsmandan]

Beautiful my friend 👍 thanks for taking us along with you. Look forward to seeing you in the next trip.. stay safe brother 🏕🔥

[@shaungallagher9025]

Cool video, you must love having Cooper on your trips. Have fun and stay away from those damn snakes. Cheers!

[@toshselfpropelled]

I love having Cooper along. He's such a great companion.

[@rghoag1]

Great companion, nice job

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks 👍

[@terry3920]

Thanks for the video better than a lot I’ve seen

[@toshselfpropelled]

Glad you liked it!

[@21Swayzee]

Love historical canoe routes..rock bluffs, swifts, and pines. I'd love to see a Massasauga! Looks like you found a great chill spot. Keep on rocking it!

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thank you. I love the historical routes too.

[@RonBreault]

I'm glad you found that rattler and not Cooper! I'm not sure how that would have turned out. Another nice, relaxing video to get the mind going on possible future trips.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Yes. Me too. Glad you enjoyed it

[@tWoforgamenot1]

Fun ! :) TY

[@FreakofNature1]

Sweet footage of the Massasauga Rattler🐍 Looked like an awesome trip buddy! Thanks for sharing it with us!🍻

[@toshselfpropelled]

Cheers bud. Thanks for watching

[@matthewharris3672]

Awesome content! Beautiful Lab too!

[@toshselfpropelled]

Cheers. Thank you.

[@bobabooey4537]

Holy crap.... born and raised in Ontario (GTA, unfortunately) and always go to the French when I can. I never thought we had snakes like that in the province. I know we have the Massa-whatever Rattlesnake, but never saw one and had no idea they got that big. Thanks for sharing that part of the trip. A great dog and video...

[@toshselfpropelled]

There’s are quite a few around the French River area. Thanks for watching and the comments. Cheers.

[@henrykirsch7498]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video!

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks. Glad you liked it.

[@tWoforgamenot1]

again very nice video ! :)

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks again!

[@rayeaglenz]

Yes enjoyed your voyage, now Subscribed, thank you 👍😊

[@toshselfpropelled]

Awesome, thank you!

[@allenermey8857]

You make life look so enjoyable thank you for letting me tag along

[@toshselfpropelled]

You are so welcome

[@GAR85120514]

Some great footage. The snake was amazing. Take care.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks. You too.

[@RiverbendlongbowsOutdoors]

Beautiful snake 👍 That was great Hope to get up there one day

[@toshselfpropelled]

It's worth the trip. Such a beautiful place.

[@sstorm66]

Nice trip, Cooper was so chilled out. I wish my Lab was as mellow as Cooper. Mine acts like she is on Meth with the zoomies she does. lol

[@toshselfpropelled]

Coop can get that way too. He gets excited with new people or dogs!

[@susanscully9523]

First of all, I can't believe yall have rattle snakes up there!! I lived in Maine for a few years and there were no poison snakes there. I assumed the cold weather kept them out, but now I don't know. I'm in coastal South Carolina and we have lots of poison snakes....too many. This video was sad because Cooper was in it. He was such a good dog. Enjoyed it Tosh, thanks.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Along the French River is the only place I’ve ever seen the rattle snakes. It makes me sad to see Coop in the videos too. Thanks for the kind words.

[@simbajohn1882]

​@@toshselfpropelledrattlesnakes exist to some degree from Midland to Killarney. Also some in bog in wainfleet Ontario.

[@teriscallon]

great adventure

[@tWoforgamenot1]

i enjoyed and will be looking . your keeping real ! :)

[@toshselfpropelled]

I appreciate that!

[@tWoforgamenot1]

@@toshselfpropelled Hug :)

[@tWoforgamenot1]

@@toshselfpropelled m too be looking :)

[@wendyshick6689]

Hi tosh I've really been enjoying your videos 👍

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks so much Wendy. Glad you’re enjoying them.

[@p3outdoors]

Hi. I'm new to your channel. Just subscribed. I enjoyed watching this video and might copy this route. Thanks for the video.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks for watching and subscribing. Glad you enjoyed the video. It’s a beautiful route. Especially through the islands near Georgian Bay.

[@nittygritty9418]

A beautiful trip ty :)

[@toshselfpropelled]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@suezaple4950]

I love the French River area , there is so much history along there, It is so gorgeous with it,s rocky shores / cliffs, some of the rock looks like it has been poured so smooth, always a great camp spot's epic videography well done . Ive camp along the French and Pickerel but never down at the area you are. beauty area when you reached Georgian Bay. Maybe that metal ruin you saw on the shore at the mouth of the river and Georgian Bay was “Alligator” boat remains. I know there was a lot of logging going on around there and these could also go over land.? there were also steam ships . And as you mentioned there was a logging mill in the village , There was also a village there called Coponaning not far from the old French River village. I remember reading about this sometime back . Looks like you and Cooper had an epic canoe trip in the area of the French you were Thanks Tosh for letting us join .. I very much enjoyed this video i now have a longing to return to the area

[@toshselfpropelled]

I think you're right about the alligator remains. Glad you liked the video. Thank you for the kind comments.

[@donwilcox-outdoorsmore5829]

Thanks for sharing the trip with us. These videos help me and many others, I think, get through the winter when it’s a bit tougher to get out and do that type of adventuring. That rattler encounter was very cool. Haven’t seen one since I was a teen on a Scout camping trip up at Tobermory in my youth. So glad to see they’re still out there in the “wild”. Their habitat is constantly being squeezed. All the best.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Comments like this make all the effort of putting these videos together worth it. Very much appreciated. Thank you.

[@juanitafoster9834]

Love the trip down the French River. Thank you for sharing your trip.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks for watching

[@ausybro]

Awesome rattle snake encounter! Saw one up in Tobermory in 2020 laying on a foot path between two campsites that we were frequently walking barefoot through! Needless to say shoes became a bit more common for the rest of our visit even though never seeing it again. Those are fairly rare to come across and fortunately their venom is not very potent although I still wouldn’t want to find out first hand!

[@toshselfpropelled]

Neither would I but I was pretty excited to see it .

[@stevefrompeterborough4007]

Fantastic trip. Cooper looks like he is a great tripping partner. I am definitely going to visit The French River this summer.

[@toshselfpropelled]

He really is! The French is a beautiful place. I hope you get there.

[@AdamRomanoExplores]

Great video Tosh. I really need to get out to the French one of these days. 👍

[@toshselfpropelled]

Yes you do. It's such a beautiful place. Thanks Adam.

[@tamarawalther4524]

Sooo peaceful! These kinds of excursions are exactly what I need! I could live like that for the rest of my life!

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thank you

[@tamarawalther4524]

@@toshselfpropelled you're welcome!

[@larrylingerfelt9194]

Thank you and Cooper for a beautiful adventure. Well done.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thank you. Glad you enjoyed it

[@MKYeahBuddy]

Cool video, beautiful country! Enjoyed it.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thank you

[@TheCanadianBeaver]

Keep following your nose Tosh!

[@alanbierhoff6831]

That looked like a most excellent trip. Outstanding videography as usual. That snake encounter was awesome! It’s a good thing that you discovered the ‘nope rope’ and not Cooper. Have you read ‘Backcountry Eats’ by Kevin Ride (Kevin Outdoors). Your meals and cooking techniques remind me of many things I learned from that book.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thank you. I haven't read the book but I will definitely check it out. I'm always looking for ways to improve my backcountry meals.

[@feliciashultz3322]

That was so beautiful....except for the snake. I know they are part of nature i'm just not a fan of them. Your videos always make me want to see all that scenery in person for myself but I know through your lens is the only way I will ever see it. thank you for all the hard work you put into filming.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thank you very much!

[@BioDave1955]

Great video. Can I ask what size boat you are using and the length of the double bladed paddle?

[@toshselfpropelled]

Thanks. That boat is a 16' Prospector from Swift. The paddle is from Werner and its adjustable but I use it at it's max length. I believe it's 280mm.

[@davidmelvin3769]

French River, home of... rocks. Why was this river so important?

[@toshselfpropelled]

It was a vital trade route for a few hundred years. It, along with the Mattawa River and Lake Nipissing connected the Ottawa River to the heart of the Great Lakes.

[@jwiereng]

What canoe do do you use, appears to be tandem. Do you paddle from the bow seat in the rear when solo?

[@toshselfpropelled]

The canoe in that video is a 16 Prospector from Swift. What seat I sit in depends on how much gear I’m hauling and what the conditions are on the water. When I paddled with Cooper in the canoe I would typically sit in the stern seat on flat water.

[@jwiereng]

It is strange to see thumbs up on the kayak paddle shaft when I am used to using a seeing thumbs wrapped under. Why do you do this?

[@toshselfpropelled]

I vary my hand positions throughout the day/trip. Just depends on what is comfortable and works at that moment.

[@allenthorne2413]

I believe around 14 minutes your dog unfortunately broke his nuts

[@dwrivers47]

Such a peaceful video, gorgeous landscape. Thanks.

[@toshselfpropelled]

Many thanks!