Churchill River #1 Boreal Primer Expedition
Dates | # of Days | Cost | Skill Level |
|---|---|---|---|
Aug 5 - 13, 2025 | 9 | $4500 | Beg/Inter |
Get Signed Up For This Activity
Aug 5 - 13, 2025
Start Date
9
Duration (days)
$4500
Cost
Beg/Inter
Skill Level
Itinerary
Day 1 - August 5 Travel to Missinipe, SK
Rendevous in Saskatoon SK (YXE), where we have a shuttle service booked to take you to our base in Missinipe. Departure will be 11am from Saskatoon. Alternatively you can drive yourself and meet the group in Missinipe.
5 PM: Pre trip meeting, gear check, dinner
Overnight at CRCO's Paddlers Lodge (accomodations included)
Day 2 - Charter Float Plane upstream Churchill River
Breakfast
Charter flight to Black Bear Island Lake on the Churchill River
Canoe Journey begins!
Day 3 to Day 7 - Paddle the Churchill River
The unspoiled clear waters of the Churchill flow through a number of lakes and rapids. There are many fun runnable rapids, and a few small waterfalls which will be portaged. Each night, we will camp at a new site, surrounded by ruggedly beautiful scenery.
Day 8 - End of the Adventure
Paddling ends at Devil Lake or Otter Rapids.
Shuttle back to Missinipe
Group Dinner and overnight in Missinipe
Day 9 - Travel Missinipe to Saskatoon
Group shuttle from Missinipe to Saskatoon ariving in Saskatoon by 1pm
Guides
5:1 ratio
Meals
Tasty meals & snacks from Day 1 supper to Day 9 Breakfast
Canoeing Equipment:
Prospector expedition canoes
Paddles, PFD, helmets (you may bring your own)
Throw lines and other safety accessories
‘Kitchen’ - tarp, fire box, cooking stoves, utensils, dishes, etc
Safety Equipment:
First aid and repair kits, communications equipment (satellite phone)
Canoe rescue gear
Local Transportation:
Charter flight to Needle Falls from Missinpe, Saskatchewan
Transportation of guides, group gear, canoe etc to and from trip
Accommodations
1 night in Missinipe on Day 1
1 night in Missinipe on Day 8
What Is Included
Saskatchewan tax: GST 5%, PST 6% of the trip fee
Personal clothing and gear - recommended clothing & equipment list will be provided
Travel between your home and the trip rendezvous - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Accommodation and Meals in Missinipe SK after the trip
Any additional expenses or costs incurred as a result of delays to the trip caused by factors beyond our control - i.e. weather, unsafe paddling conditions, forest fire, pandemic, etc
Any costs associated with your emergency evacuation from the trip - please contact us at CRCO for more information
Gratuities - we recommend $20 per day per guide who has gone out of their way to help create and exceptional experience
Tents (Available upon request) standing custom expedition dome tents - 2 per tent
What Is Not Included
Let the aroma of a fresh-brewed coffee draw you from your tent to a buffet of fresh fruit and granola while bacon and eggs sizzle on the grill! Shore lunches include a curated selection of gourmet meats, spreads, cheese and bread. After a great day of paddling, enjoy a nutritious, hearty meal with a tasty dessert while you sit around the fire to tell tales of your adventures.
Our focus is on fresh, local ingredients to cultivate a menu that is unique to our home in the boreal forest. From sourdough bread with saskatoon berry jam to Saskatchewan wild rice with Chanterelle mushroom gravy, our delicious eats will have you going back for seconds every time.
What is the Food like?
Fly to Saskatoon SK (YXE), From Saskatoon, you will be picked up at 11am by CRCO staff and shuttled by Van (5 hrs) to Missinipe which is our home base and the launch point to the expedition. Alternatively you may drive to Missinipe yourself. Missinipe is located 480 km north of Saskatoon SK.
How To Get To This Trip
The Churchill River is unique in its form. It is a series of lakes joined by rapids or falls. Flowing over the Precambrian Shield, it passes through a forested landscape of rock outcroppings and muskeg. The many lakes making up the Churchill are sprinkled with tree-covered islands. The rapids are generally short and shelf-like in nature. The more difficult rapids can be easily portaged by those without the skills to run them. The total trip length of the route is 105 km, which is covered in eight days. The Voyageur Highway passes through some of the most beautiful country. You may see bald eagles and white pelicans fishing below rapids, moose wading in the shallows, black bears wandering along the shore, and enjoy evening concerts by common loons at sunset.