Whirlpools

My first trip out to the Isle Pierre rapids (with Chad, Katrina, Rob, Scott, Devin and Mel) was a completely different experience to the Willow - normally rated at class II/III the levels were again very low, but what made things entertaining were the frequent whirlpools. We put in and ferried across to play about in a large eddy on river left, before heading down. The Nechako River at this point is fairly flat between rapids, and the weather was pretty damp and chilly.

Things soon started to improve when we came on the first big rapid, more than 50 metres or so of continuous white water. The volume was much greater than on the Willow, with fairly large wave trains to negotiate. I followed Chad and the others and found myself having a hard time staying forward in the kayak - I'd hit a wave, lean back and the bow would bob up and I'd lose control a bit. Just when I was thinking I'd got the better of the rapids, there was a huge eddyline - like a wall - next to a long rock in the middle of the river and it flipped me straight over. I was a little better prepared than I had been on the Willow trip but my first two attempts to roll up failed miserably, and I knew my roll just wasn't strong enough yet to overcome the current there. As the second roll failed, I caught a glimpse of the rock looming up fast and for some odd reason, stuck my hand out to fend it off. I didn't hit anything, so composed myself and gave the third roll attempt my best hipsnap. I rolled up, and had time to paddle clear of the rock before I hit it.

Looking back I realised I had crossed further into the eddy, making my third roll easier... I was convinced if I had stayed on the eddyline I would have had to swim. We sat for a bit in the eddy behind the big rock and practiced turning out into the current, over the big eddyline. It got easier after a few attempts. But what amazed me was the swirling current, one moment it was sweeping you downstream, the next you were heading to river right and then upstream! At one point, a small but fairly powerful whirlpool sucked the back of the boat into the water which made me jump - it can't have submerged more than a few centimeters, but I was convinced I was going to be pulled under backwards :)

The remaining rapids were equally entertaining, but nowhere near as powerful and whenever I was flipped over I was able to roll up pretty easily. It started to bother me that my brace was more or less nonexistent - I was either right way up or upside down, and not really able to stop myself getting from the one state of affairs to the other. That small annoyance aside, I was pretty pleased that I finished the day without having to swim.

Excellence award has to go to Melanie though, on her second ever river run she was tackling the same rapids as the rest of us and making it look easy. At one point she got capsized and hung in there until she was rescued by Chad without having to swim. Cool.

By the time we got back to the cars it was baking hot and the flask of coffee I'd packed in the cold dawn seemed far less appealing :)

Pic at the top is Dev looking to surf a hole with Katrina, Mel and Scott queued in an eddy.

Frase.