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CdB Whitewater Paddling Club Discussions => Paddling => Topic started by: DaveH on May 18, 2009, 09:27:01 AM

Title: Shorter driving routes to the Ottawa than Highway 17
Post by: DaveH on May 18, 2009, 09:27:01 AM

Larry's post below about Phaffing about on Bates Island (one can get arrested for that, but that is really none of my business) was mentioning that there are going to be likely delays along Hgwy 17 near Renfrew this coming summer. Here are a couple of alternatives:

1)According to Google Maps when heading from Bates Island to River Run it is about 19km less to travel through Quebec (107 km) than through Renfrew (126 km). The Quebec route crosses back into Ontario at Portage-du-Fort. This route is not only shorter but:
- It is more scenic
- It has more poutine stands along the way for any visiting German friends.
- It goes by Quoyn Falls park and huck.
- One does not need to go by that hideous contraption called Scotiabank Place.


2) One should also be able to bypass Renfrew while staying on the Ontario side by turning off Highway 17 shortly after Arnprior and hooking up with River Rd (via Dewars?). I've often wondered if this would be a better route even without delays on 17. It would be about 10 km shorter, and that is a hell of a lot when you are tugging a kayak up river behind your bicycle.

A potential added benefit on this route is stopping and scouting 1st Chute on the Bonnechere River. This drop is slated for extinction soon due to civilizations desire to air-condition sidewalks:
http://www.wesa.ca/en/data/files/download/News/1%20-%20Welcoming%20Document.pdf (http://www.wesa.ca/en/data/files/download/News/1%20-%20Welcoming%20Document.pdf)
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.501704,-76.557578&spn=0.001703,0.00545&t=h&z=18 (http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=45.501704,-76.557578&spn=0.001703,0.00545&t=h&z=18)
http://richardmcguire.com/photos/bonnechere/pages/DSC03614.htm (http://richardmcguire.com/photos/bonnechere/pages/DSC03614.htm)

The drop has been run before and has it been called a 4+. There might be a playspot at higher levels at the bottom of it?? I don't know about access as I've only been there in the virtual world so far.

note: I started a new post here instead of distracting from the important issue of phaffing about in Larry's post. I do majorly agree with him there, although I've probably been a little guilty myself at times.

Title: Re: Shorter driving routes to the Ottawa than Highway 17
Post by: Bill Schlarb on May 18, 2009, 11:49:41 AM

After doing some comparisons through Google Maps it seems that if you use Bates Island (Champlain Bridge) as a starting point, it takes about the same length of time if you go by the Quebec or Ontario side (taking River Road through Braeside west of Arnprior). Travel time is about 2 hours. Here are links to Google maps for each:

Quebec side:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Kayaking+waves+off+Bates+Island+in+spring&daddr=Route+148+to:45.59314,-76.691093+to:Grants+Settlement+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FXvltAIdEQt8-yGO6xyNm0Ebjg%3BFQ78tgId7j93-w%3B%3BFeR4uQIdaAxt-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=13&via=1,2&sll=45.590257,-76.695042&sspn=0.058501,0.11055&ie=UTF8&ll=45.48902,-76.220398&spn=0.937693,1.768799&z=9

Ontario side:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Kayaking+waves+off+Bates+Island+in+spring&daddr=King%27s+Hwy+17+to:Division+St+S+to:45.45712,-76.398067+to:River+Rd+to:Grants+Settlement+Rd&geocode=FXvltAIdEQt8-yGO6xyNm0Ebjg%3BFTwvtQId2nZy-w%3BFWxZtQIdDrty-w%3B%3BFQYOtwIdPFVu-w%3BFRZ-uQIdkAdt-w&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4&sll=45.458565,-76.395836&sspn=0.058638,0.11055&ie=UTF8&ll=45.448571,-76.272583&spn=0.938366,1.768799&z=9

Out of curiousity, I checked the detour that we used on Saturday morning through Renfrew to bypass the two bridges and found it to be almost the same timewise as the River Road route:

Hwy 17 Bridges bypass route through Renfrew:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Kayaking+waves+off+Bates+Island+in+spring&daddr=King%27s+Hwy+17+to:45.441104,-76.470337+to:King%27s+Hwy+17+to:Gillan+Rd+to:O%27Brien+Rd+to:Stewart+St+to:Grants+Settlement+Rd&hl=en&geocode=FXvltAIdEQt8-yGO6xyNm0Ebjg%3BFTwvtQId2nZy-w%3B%3BFTTNtQIdHNRu-w%3BFZu4tQIdL4Nu-w%3BFVDetQIdEDtu-w%3BFUT0tQIdlrBt-w%3BFRZ-uQIdkAdt-w&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4,5,6&sll=45.470003,-76.494541&sspn=0.117253,0.2211&ie=UTF8&ll=45.488298,-76.620026&spn=0.117215,0.2211&z=12

Title: Re: Shorter driving routes to the Ottawa than Highway 17
Post by: DaveH on May 18, 2009, 01:01:54 PM

The Ontario route I was visualizing is a little bit different from yours Bill. It turns off of the highway a little bit farther past Arnprior and doesn't hook up with River Rd. nearly as soon. Google gives it 3 km shorter and 6 minutes less (Google Maps is not always consistent though).

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Kayaking+waves+off+Bates+Island+in+spring&daddr=King%27s+Hwy+17+to:Campbell+Dr+to:45.482521,-76.490936+to:River+Rd+to:Grants+Settlement+Rd&geocode=FXvltAIdEQt8-yGO6xyNm0Ebjg%3BFTwvtQId2nZy-w%3BFQ9qtQId-vpx-w%3B%3BFQYOtwIdPFVu-w%3BFRZ-uQIdkAdt-w&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4&sll=45.453147,-76.450939&sspn=0.102115,0.217667&ie=UTF8&ll=45.453147,-76.450939&spn=0.20423,0.435333&z=11 (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Kayaking+waves+off+Bates+Island+in+spring&daddr=King%27s+Hwy+17+to:Campbell+Dr+to:45.482521,-76.490936+to:River+Rd+to:Grants+Settlement+Rd&geocode=FXvltAIdEQt8-yGO6xyNm0Ebjg%3BFTwvtQId2nZy-w%3BFQ9qtQId-vpx-w%3B%3BFQYOtwIdPFVu-w%3BFRZ-uQIdkAdt-w&hl=en&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=12&via=1,2,3,4&sll=45.453147,-76.450939&sspn=0.102115,0.217667&ie=UTF8&ll=45.453147,-76.450939&spn=0.20423,0.435333&z=11)

There used to be a really good pizza place on the east side of Arnprior.

Title: Re: Shorter driving routes to the Ottawa than Highway 17
Post by: Larry W on May 21, 2009, 05:47:58 PM

Actually google maps is more accurate than you might think since it takes into account the posted speed limit.

For example:
Google maps indicates the distance between the 416/417 interchange and the end at Arnprior is 49 km taking 29 minutes ...
Some quick math = 102 km/h or very close to the posted speed limit

But most travel at a slightly higher speed limit
110 km/h which would take 26 minutes
120 km/h  which would take 24 minutes   a whopping savings of 5 minutes.

Of course that savings in time is eaten up since the rest of way to RiverRun you sit behind a caravan of campers traveling at 90 km/h or the posted speed limit.

So Papa Bear says that Google Maps gives a 2 hr drive time from Bate Island to RiverRun. I doubt it can be done in 1.5 hrs.

The Pizza place is called PJs ... it's still there.

Larry