So on the way back down from Skookumchuck, we stopped at punchbowls falls again, and lapped it a couple times. All was well until my last run in which I had a decent line, with about a 45 degree landing, I just landed on my edge weird. Right away I knew something was wrong, I felt my lower left ribs were killing me. I figured I had either broken a rib or separated the cartilage bad. It turned out to be the ladder.I haven't been in the water for 4 weeks now, and it has been rough. I have been going to physical therapy, and I have just been released to paddle flatwater, and class 2. So for these past few weeks I have been the eye behind the lens. Shooting video and pictures on the sidelines while Jake and Alex kayak.
Jake had run barrel at high water a week before with LP palmer, and said it was big, and scary. This was definitely true, with the Colorado running about 11,000cfs through the canyon. With alex being gone for a year in china with no kayaking, he wasn't feeling solid in his boat. Jake seal launched in, with alex right behind him. Jake styled lower death, Alex on the other-hand did not. He flipped soon after the seal launch, and ended up running almost the whole rapid upside down before swimming towards the bottom. It didn't help that he had an underwater housing with our small camera strapped to the front of his boat. Obviously shaken up a bit, He didn't want to run barrel springs, so he set safety at the bottom, While jake styled the entire HUGE rapid that is Barrel Springs at 11,000cfs. It was sick.
Looking up the canyon at Upper Death with Jake and Alex mere specks on the right bank.
Jake and Alex scoutin' the stout, alex looking good in my gear.
Jake balls deep in Lower Death
Jake again punchin through the huge wave, lower death
For our senior project, Julie "huckfest" Singer, Becker Anderson, and i headed to British Columbia to make a video outlining the issue of logging in the Skookumchuck area, or Egmont, BC. On our visit we talked to many locals who knew all about the issue, and were willing to give their opinions. We made a short(15min), documentary style video to present to CRMS(our high school). Anita Horovenko, who runs Friends of Egmont (www.ravagedegmont.com) set us up with some great interviews, and we were able to get a pretty good outline of the entire issue. We shot 7 or 8 interviews that were pretty in-depth. Right now the only edit we have done is the one we made for school, however once I get some time, I plan to do another edit that is more in depth, and gives the entire spectrum of the issue. Keep an eye out for that on the blog. We shot about 13hours of footage so it is def. quite a task to edit it all. Luckily my ex-film teacher at world class, Karl Moser met us up there, and helped us. The issue of logging in the area is quite complex, so ill give you a quick overview.
The Clear Cuts across from the wave.
Skookumchuck rapids brings about 30,000 tourists to Egmont each year. Egmont, originally a logging, fishing, and mining town now gets most income from tourists who visit the rapids. The logging you see across the inlet from the wave, although does not directly affect the wave, is affecting tourism in the area, none of the tourists we talked to liked it at all. Egmont, thriving on this tourist-based economy could lose income, and its way of life if future logging affects tourism enough. As kayakers, i think we should all feel some attachment to the environments in which we go kayaking, and at least try to preserve their wild aspects.
Oh yeah, we paddled too!! SKOOK IS AMAZING!!
Me Goin Left On the mighty Skook, mmmmm
The wave is by far the best wave i have ever surfed. It changes from being a wide foamy wave to a periodically changing green/foamy tall, steep wave. The perfect mix to go huge, and stick your moves. If you have never been to skook, and you are completely addicted to kayaking as we are, i would say it is one of those places you must go before your boatin days are over. The whole skook experience is super fun, you get to experience a beautiful rain forest, a rediculously amazing wave, and the natural beauty that is British Columbia, Canada is pretty cool, Eh!
Krazy Karl Moser goin HUGE, this guy throws down.
Skookumchuck is in one of the most amazingly beautiful places i have ever been. British Columbia is a crazy place, where huge peaks go straight into the ocean, seals play in the inlets with you, and starfish cling onto the rocks right near the wave. It is pretty wild compared to most countries, with some islands and peninsulas that dont even have cars on them. It is a bummer logging is such a big industry up there, because the forests there are amazing, although i suppose the US, and most of the world has to get wood from somewhere. I just hope it all isnt clear cut in the future because it is truly a beautiful place.
I froze that day, but at least it was sunny!
SKOOK, mmmmmmm
The marine life in BC is super cool, some sunfish here (at first we thought they were octopus, i guess i dont know much about the ocean)
Julie "Huckfest " Singer Slaying the mighty skook.
Me with a lofty right blunt.
Karl going Clean
mmm lovin the skook
Local paddler Drew, this guy throws down with the best of them, he is crazy good. A huge Pistol Flip with a 900 degree paddle spin.
Karl yet again showing his crazy good pan-aming skills.
Drew with a sweet clean, vertical thingy.
Julie "huckfest" Singer reppin the starfish, its the new style.
YET again, reppin the starfish, its what all the cool kids do!
That crazy Moser guy doing it again.
Of course the Bro-Bra Surf, me and the moser.
Pretty sunset behind the Wave.
All pics By Becker Anderson, and Julie singer
Here is the kayakin vid, keep posted for the one about logging.
For our high school senior project at CRMS, Julie Singer, Becker Anderson and i set out on a mission to make a documentary stye film of logging across from the Skookumchuck narrows. On our way up to BC, we were in need of some adrenaline, and out-of the car time, so after being shutdown on Celestial Falls, we drove north to Hood River, where we had lunch with one of my former kayak coaches at world class, LJ Groth. He said Eagle Creek was the best hike, park and huck in the area, with a sweet 30ish footer on it called Punchbowls falls. We hiked about an hour, came to the falls, i was the only one to run it because Julie hurt her knee and didnt want to hike with her boat, and Becker doesnt kayak, his mission on the trip was to take amazing photos. I ran while Julie and Becker shot photos and vid. This is different from any other waterfall i have ever run. The curler just gives it a whole new dimension. You have to punch the curler with a right stroke, and then try to ride that stroke off off the lip, the curler turned me 90 degrees, i wasnt expecting it at all, i reached the lip and felt like i was going to pitch-pole, so i threw in a quick stroke, and before i knew it i was completely flat about to hit green. Definetly an interesting waterfall. It is also a really beautiful hike, and very pretty even if you arent boating. All photos thanks to Becker Anderson, Skook, and puchbowls video coming soon.
I boofed the shit out of it, and yes, it hurt.
The ten footer below the big one.
It is a beautiful hike up a classic northwestern canyon.
The water is crystal clear, and very refreshing after two full days of driving.
At the lip i though i was going to pitch-pole, however i just ended up boofing the hell out of it.
Skook update soon, along with more exciting punchbowls happenings.
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