Halfway There... Four out of Eight
Day 1 High water on the North Fork of the Feather…. The section below Tobin down to the powerhouse at 13,500 cfs in playboats. Big surfing. One teabagging. No swimming.
Day 2 Jessie comes to Chico to paddle. We take them down West Branch of the Feather… We did the section below where Jessie and Christie Dobson got nighted out and the section directly above the “Ben and Jerries” section. This is a short section but we thought it might be something for the ladies to do since everything was ricther. Jessie and Lizzy were only 1.5 hours late so I elected to run shuttle to keep us on time for Upper Butte Creek and to keep the speed freaks from stealing all our gear. The ladies said the run was lame. Dave Grove said the hike out was a killer and I was ready to go kayaking. We go to the take-out of Butte Creek and you can tell it was high. Most people run this between 650 and 1200cfs. The river was pushing 1800cfs. Taylor and I met a guy named Eric at the put-in. The ladies were gonna run Taylor’s truck and Eric’s truck down. Shuttle Bunnies are underated. From the put-in there is an hour walk down to the powerhouse(put-in). Taylor and I get a little start. I have my tote system and just want to get it ready for the season. My tote system only makes it about 15minutes and then I go to the shoulders. No worries.. I figured out the adjustments needed for my future kayak totes. We make it down to the river and it is STOMPING. I like big water but I am thinking that I should have had more than breakfast and a Red Bull because it is about 4:20pm and I could use a Snickers. Taylor says, “UH OH…” And then holds up the keys to his truck. The ladies can only drive one vehicle out, so we still get to do shuttle. We wait another 30minutes on Eric and then go. The first rapid is huge and long. Taylor describes Butte Creek at this level as “North Fork of the Payette on Speed with vertical walls.” Great... Let the games begin… We make it about ½ mile and scout this rapid with an undercut on the right with most all of the water slamming into it with determination. We decide to portage. I am winded, needing that Snickers. We get to the bottom of the rapid after playing in some poison oak. I am first to get my boat next to the river and I choose the closest spot. The entrance is a small 4-5foot slide seal launch that leads into a 5 foot pourover but it looks manageable. I even give it a second look. Taylor slides in below the pourover with no worries and then I go. I slide in, angle left and then fall into the pourover. I then get pushed in between a large hole and the pourover. I try to switch sides. I get one poor attempt to figure out where I am only to get pulled down. I try the “dummy” reaching for the current leading out… but honestly, I ran out of oxygen, panicked and pulled the cord. My first swim of 2005 and what a silly swim. But I am still swimming and getting recirced underwater at really high water. I come up gasping and stroking for the right bank and ¾ of the way there I realize that the right bank is walled in… sooo I start stroking for the left bank. Taylor makes it to me and is saying he wants to get my gear but I give him “the crazy eyes and a hell no.” I am gasping, kicking feeling like I am about to swim into some serious highwater class V without any air in my lungs. Taylors gets me close enough and then he goes after my gear. It is rolling down the river fast… It is gone. After catching my breath and walking through some oak and finding out that my gear is gone. Let’s see… One new Pyranha H3 255, a new throw rope, a new Lendal breakdown and my tote system that needs adjusting. My tote system will definitely get a new overhaul. My spring Inner Demons are back. I really thought that I was going to keep them in the “Quiet Box.” Not this time. I am super bummed. I start hiking up and out. Luckily for me there is a canal that California uses to Pilfer water from the river and I use this to backtrack to the put-in. I did get the keys to the truck and at least the Truck is waiting on me. It only takes me about 1.5 hours to get to the truck. The entire walk I try to figure out why this happened to me and the only thing I could come up with was the following…
I should have tried harder and rode longer and not swam.
I should have ate something more than breakfast and Red Bull.
I believe everything is for the best but I can think of better things.
I should have not ran shuttle for the ladies and then not been able to paddle Butte Creek.
I suck at kayaking and I should give up and quit and take up Yoga.
I will continue to believe that all 5 had their place at some point in my loss of ego and loss of gear. Demoralization in California comes sooo easily with high water.
I get to the take-out, the girls have beer and burritos. Taylor and Eric are smiling. Dave Grove is happy because he opted to hold out on going from couch to High Water Butte Creek(Who says Dave is not smart? I beg to differ).
Day 3
Sad and broken and boatless. I sit. I sulk. I wonder if I am any kind of kayaker. What to do? Yoga? What to buy? Rapid Air? I just don’t know.
Day 4
I borrow another H3 255 from my good buddy Scott Lindgren. He is in Turkey and he does not know that I have his kayak. His lovely lady Stegasaurus tells me to make sure to bring it back before Scotty returns. I promise to do so but am unsure if the High Water of Cali will not reprimand it and therefore surrender my wallet to Scott Lindgren before all is said and done.
I choose to go playboating with Stephan the Frenchman, Kipchogey, Jessica Rice, Hector and Ross. We paddle South Yuba, Washington to Purdens Crossing. 17 miles of awesome play at 3200cfs or more. There were at least 50 great play spots. My Seven O did allright but I have the one for fatties and I barely push the 150mark. No swim but still sulking about the previous day.
Day 5
Everything is still high but I need to get back into a creekboat. Jessie is considering kayaking so I talk her into kayaking the Upper South Yuba River. My pal Little Dave is in Turkey, so I only felt obligated to put in at Plavada, California. This is his latest home. He loves Cali but WV keeps calling him back. “Stuck between the Sunshine and the Coal Mines…” We paddled down to Cisco Grove without much incident. We passed some kayaker from Colorado and I still stand behind my quote…”California is better than Colorado.” I am not sure what Day 6,7, and 8 will bring but rumors of Big Kimshu, Yuba Gap and some other mediocore runs are being razzled.
I’ll leave you with some Hale words of wisdom… don’t swim, its costly and ineffective.
Day 2 Jessie comes to Chico to paddle. We take them down West Branch of the Feather… We did the section below where Jessie and Christie Dobson got nighted out and the section directly above the “Ben and Jerries” section. This is a short section but we thought it might be something for the ladies to do since everything was ricther. Jessie and Lizzy were only 1.5 hours late so I elected to run shuttle to keep us on time for Upper Butte Creek and to keep the speed freaks from stealing all our gear. The ladies said the run was lame. Dave Grove said the hike out was a killer and I was ready to go kayaking. We go to the take-out of Butte Creek and you can tell it was high. Most people run this between 650 and 1200cfs. The river was pushing 1800cfs. Taylor and I met a guy named Eric at the put-in. The ladies were gonna run Taylor’s truck and Eric’s truck down. Shuttle Bunnies are underated. From the put-in there is an hour walk down to the powerhouse(put-in). Taylor and I get a little start. I have my tote system and just want to get it ready for the season. My tote system only makes it about 15minutes and then I go to the shoulders. No worries.. I figured out the adjustments needed for my future kayak totes. We make it down to the river and it is STOMPING. I like big water but I am thinking that I should have had more than breakfast and a Red Bull because it is about 4:20pm and I could use a Snickers. Taylor says, “UH OH…” And then holds up the keys to his truck. The ladies can only drive one vehicle out, so we still get to do shuttle. We wait another 30minutes on Eric and then go. The first rapid is huge and long. Taylor describes Butte Creek at this level as “North Fork of the Payette on Speed with vertical walls.” Great... Let the games begin… We make it about ½ mile and scout this rapid with an undercut on the right with most all of the water slamming into it with determination. We decide to portage. I am winded, needing that Snickers. We get to the bottom of the rapid after playing in some poison oak. I am first to get my boat next to the river and I choose the closest spot. The entrance is a small 4-5foot slide seal launch that leads into a 5 foot pourover but it looks manageable. I even give it a second look. Taylor slides in below the pourover with no worries and then I go. I slide in, angle left and then fall into the pourover. I then get pushed in between a large hole and the pourover. I try to switch sides. I get one poor attempt to figure out where I am only to get pulled down. I try the “dummy” reaching for the current leading out… but honestly, I ran out of oxygen, panicked and pulled the cord. My first swim of 2005 and what a silly swim. But I am still swimming and getting recirced underwater at really high water. I come up gasping and stroking for the right bank and ¾ of the way there I realize that the right bank is walled in… sooo I start stroking for the left bank. Taylor makes it to me and is saying he wants to get my gear but I give him “the crazy eyes and a hell no.” I am gasping, kicking feeling like I am about to swim into some serious highwater class V without any air in my lungs. Taylors gets me close enough and then he goes after my gear. It is rolling down the river fast… It is gone. After catching my breath and walking through some oak and finding out that my gear is gone. Let’s see… One new Pyranha H3 255, a new throw rope, a new Lendal breakdown and my tote system that needs adjusting. My tote system will definitely get a new overhaul. My spring Inner Demons are back. I really thought that I was going to keep them in the “Quiet Box.” Not this time. I am super bummed. I start hiking up and out. Luckily for me there is a canal that California uses to Pilfer water from the river and I use this to backtrack to the put-in. I did get the keys to the truck and at least the Truck is waiting on me. It only takes me about 1.5 hours to get to the truck. The entire walk I try to figure out why this happened to me and the only thing I could come up with was the following…
I should have tried harder and rode longer and not swam.
I should have ate something more than breakfast and Red Bull.
I believe everything is for the best but I can think of better things.
I should have not ran shuttle for the ladies and then not been able to paddle Butte Creek.
I suck at kayaking and I should give up and quit and take up Yoga.
I will continue to believe that all 5 had their place at some point in my loss of ego and loss of gear. Demoralization in California comes sooo easily with high water.
I get to the take-out, the girls have beer and burritos. Taylor and Eric are smiling. Dave Grove is happy because he opted to hold out on going from couch to High Water Butte Creek(Who says Dave is not smart? I beg to differ).
Day 3
Sad and broken and boatless. I sit. I sulk. I wonder if I am any kind of kayaker. What to do? Yoga? What to buy? Rapid Air? I just don’t know.
Day 4
I borrow another H3 255 from my good buddy Scott Lindgren. He is in Turkey and he does not know that I have his kayak. His lovely lady Stegasaurus tells me to make sure to bring it back before Scotty returns. I promise to do so but am unsure if the High Water of Cali will not reprimand it and therefore surrender my wallet to Scott Lindgren before all is said and done.
I choose to go playboating with Stephan the Frenchman, Kipchogey, Jessica Rice, Hector and Ross. We paddle South Yuba, Washington to Purdens Crossing. 17 miles of awesome play at 3200cfs or more. There were at least 50 great play spots. My Seven O did allright but I have the one for fatties and I barely push the 150mark. No swim but still sulking about the previous day.
Day 5
Everything is still high but I need to get back into a creekboat. Jessie is considering kayaking so I talk her into kayaking the Upper South Yuba River. My pal Little Dave is in Turkey, so I only felt obligated to put in at Plavada, California. This is his latest home. He loves Cali but WV keeps calling him back. “Stuck between the Sunshine and the Coal Mines…” We paddled down to Cisco Grove without much incident. We passed some kayaker from Colorado and I still stand behind my quote…”California is better than Colorado.” I am not sure what Day 6,7, and 8 will bring but rumors of Big Kimshu, Yuba Gap and some other mediocore runs are being razzled.
I’ll leave you with some Hale words of wisdom… don’t swim, its costly and ineffective.
posted by spotyourlanding at 10:21 PM
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