The Fireduck; An Origin Story

by Benjamin BaberApr 11, 2021Design, Latest

Let me take you back in time to a far-away land. A land travelled by few but revered by many. For those who dare to venture into its furthest reaches, the rewards are existential. You may get battered and bruised, covered in mud, and very lost along the way. So let me save you the hardship and instead, regale the tail of the Fireduck from the comfort of your own home.

Fireduck, more than a clothing brand.

Adelaine B.

Author

Addie is an avid whitewater kayaker originally from Ontario. She developed a passionate love for big water and big beatdowns on the Ottawa river. After many years abroad, she is currently shredding in British Columbia, with aspirations to explore more multi-day kayaking adventures in Canada. Addie also has a small custom clothing business, Fireduck Productions.

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Fireduck Animated logo by Peak Adventure Media

Our journey begins with three friends travelling north into the region of francophones. A common goal unites them: the Muteshekau Shipu River also known as the Magpie Ouest. This river journey is a multi-day expedition renowned for its indescribable landscapes, spectacular whitewater, and remote accessibility. In preparation for this adventure, months are spent dehydrating leftover dinners from a particular rafting companies’ kitchen (which will remain unnamed to protect our author’s integrity).

Also featured in this photo Nick Stead & Fraser Capella

As summer turns to fall, the kayaks are packed and the truck is loaded for the drive. A group of new-found friends rattle north, bouncing along Quebec’s “impeccable” network of roads. Indecipherable signs in a bizarre language try to de-route our adventurers. But with the aid of modern technology, they arrive in Sept-Îles, a once mining/industrial town now growing roots in the outdoor community. Despite the team’s best efforts to find accommodation and shelter from the rain on tinder, they end up pondering a cozy place to sleep in a nearby Tim Hortons. Day turns to dusk and at last, they are rescued by a local kayaker who offers shelter and very useful maps. He regals trips past on the Magpie River. Dreams run wild in anticipation of the early morning train departure north. Our story will now continue firsthand to protect the integrity of the tale.

Bleary-eyed, we wake up and take the last shower for many days. We board the train towards Shefferville operated by Tshiuentin Railway Transportation. We are grateful for the opportunity to travel across the land integral to indigenous peoples who passed here long before us. Our train ride is the most spectacular, scenic ride I have ever experienced. I can only equate it to what it must feel like to take the train to Hogwarts. Hours pass and the landscape changes from the Canadian shield to the boreal forest as we pass raging waterfalls and travel closer to the Torngat Mountains. Our boats are unloaded on the rail side at a point called “Eric”.

Things look promising as a small creek gurgles below the bridge our train crossed. We kick, jam, and shove everything into the kayaks, weighing in at 65-75 kg each. Eleven days’ worth of food and gear does not come lightly.

As we paddle downstream, signs of humankind dissipate. We’re rewarded with increasing remoteness, stillness, and wild blueberries, an absolute plethora of wild blueberries. One hundred kilometers later after meandering currents and paddling across Lac Vital we reach the start of the real deal class four whitewater.

At last! How exquisite. We quickly mesh as a team and develop a pattern of scouting, giving directions, and having a damn good time. A routine develops, wake up, make a fire, cook oats, break down camp, paddle, riverside lunch, paddle/portage, then choose from the abundance of impeccable spots to camp. Many spots have caribou moss so soft it beats sleeping on a Thermarest. We see moose and wolf tracks amongst our campsites.

Days pass seamlessly as we near the outlet of the Magpie Ouest into Lac Magpie, the last long hurdle before the Magpie River pours into the St. Lawrence River. The day paddling the last stretches of the Magpie Ouest is a strenuous one. Challenging whitewater with lots of stops to scout makes for a long day. We arrive worn down, at the last portage late in the afternoon. Fraser (aka Patchy) contemplates kayaking it. I contemplate dinner and a warm campfire. Head down, I bush bash through the portage. It starts to rain. Nick (aka Squawk) keeps the status quo. We all regroup at the granite seal launch below the portage. The rock is slick. Nick slips and knocks a boat towards the river, luckily it wedges itself between two rocks.

I begin to climb into my kayak. I stubbornly decline any help from the slick rocks. Bam. I start sliding towards the river with legs out of my boat, first aid kit flailing in my hands, and no paddle in sight. A swim is inevitable, or so it seems. Nick javelin throws me my paddle and I manage my way into an eddy downstream to drain my waterlogged boat and coddle my ego.

Dusk begins to fall as we paddle together into Lac Magpie, not much to be said between us. A big bull moose leers downstream. We drift towards him. Moose can’t swim upstream, can they? It doesn’t matter. It’s shallow enough for this bull to walk. He continues to advance towards us, it’s mating season and there’s no messing around here. We group up and slap paddles on the water. He tosses his big rack back and forth in the current, head down. We float. About fifty meters away, we seem less interesting, and he lumbers to the riverside and meanders away with a simple glance over his shoulder. All of the tension from the day dissipates and we all crack a smile. We exit the mouth of the river as the sun touches the tops of the boreal forest. Camp is the first patch of sand we find.

The next morning we’re welcomed by immense fiords and looming granite cliffs. It’s stunning. Unreal. I patter around camp as the sun rises. In the distance, I hear a distinct sound, “walla-walla-tooowet”. The fireduck. I glance over my shoulder just in time to see it take off from the surface of the lake and soar towards the rising sun. Truly the most majestic animal on our planet. A master of all four elements, waddling on land, swimming through rapids, gliding high in the ski, and of course, breathing fire.

The lads awake and we rig our boats together pirate ship style, using a tarp to sail across the lake. As we make camp the following night, our best option is a patch of mud. We do our best to raise a dilapidated shelter to keep out of the drizzle. Periodically throughout the night, rain would pool on the tarp until it gathered enough droplets to form a substantial puddle which would then travel off the tarp onto my face. In this new, damp environment an idea was born. An ideal for a functional base layer made of a quick-drying material, similar to a duck’s feathers. Alas, Fireduck Productions. A small, driven company dedicated to making cozy, funky base layers to keep the cold out but maintain function and comfort under drysuits, base layers, or ski jackets.

After the challenges upstream, we cruise down the last section of river over the next couple of days. We take time to soak it all in. The massive, un-runnable waterfalls, lush forest, and of course, best friends. We came for the adventure and left with promises to explore as a team again in the future.

So concludes our trip down the Muteshekau Shipu. Patchy, Squawk, and Blond Beard go separate ways but keep in touch. From this trip came the origins of Fireduck Productions. An outerwear company dedicated to bringing authentic, practical base layers to the whitewater and outdoor community.

If you have questions about planning a kayaking trip down the Magpie Ouest, feel free to contact me. Here is a good, informative starting point: http://canadariversguidebook.ca/section/magpie-ouest.

You can support my small business by checking out the variety of Fireduck Productions fleece t-shirts online and email me to purchase your custom tee today!

Email: addiebertoni@gmail.com
Instagram: @fireduck_productions

Some links may be affiliated.

Photo Credits: Nick Stead & Fraser Capella
Photo Editor: Ben Baber

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