, ▁the ▁Rain y ▁River , ▁Lake ▁of ▁the ▁Wood s ▁and ▁the ▁W inn ip eg ▁River . ▁For ▁the ▁route ▁in ▁general , ▁see ▁Nelson ▁River ▁bas in . ▁ ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁too ▁rock y ▁to ▁be ▁good ▁be aver ▁country , ▁as ▁they ▁needed ▁a ▁for ested ▁habitat . ▁Grand ▁Port age ▁was ▁the ▁second - long est ▁port age ▁in ▁Canada ▁after ▁M eth ye ▁Port age . ▁Once ▁over ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁land , ▁rivers ▁led ▁west ▁to ▁Rain y ▁Lake ▁and ▁the ▁Rain y ▁River . ▁Dun can ▁M ' G ill iv ray ▁called ▁the ▁Rain y ▁the ▁' most ▁beautiful ▁river ▁in ▁the ▁north '. ▁George ▁Sim pson ▁and ▁many ▁others ▁made ▁similar ▁comments . ▁▁ ▁The ▁route ▁went ▁up ▁the ▁east ▁side ▁of ▁Lake ▁of ▁the ▁Wood s ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁Rat ▁Port age ▁( K en ora ) ▁to ▁the ▁W inn ip eg . ▁The ▁W inn ip eg ▁River ▁was ▁not orious ▁for ▁its ▁many ▁port ages ▁and ▁dé charg es . ▁Three ▁were ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁D ales , ▁Port age ▁de ▁l ' Is le , ▁and ▁La ▁Riv ière ▁Bl anche , ▁named ▁for ▁its ▁white ▁water . ▁This ▁last ▁was ▁the ▁scene ▁of ▁many ▁death s . ▁Its ▁seven ▁port ages ▁were ▁all ▁visible ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁spot . ▁After ▁the ▁last ▁port age , ▁at ▁Man it ou ▁Rap ids , ▁the ▁river ▁opened ▁out ▁into ▁the ▁Bas ▁de ▁la ▁Riv ière ▁and ▁then ▁the