2009 Roundup

As I turn 50, I'm very happy to still be boating, and even happier that I get to do so much. When I moved to Washington in 1999, I wasn't boating consistently. Joining Washington Recreational River Runners and finding a group of inflatable kayakers who enjoy boating frequently made a huge difference. Also, finding a great company that makes custom drysuits (OS Systems) has made it possible for me to boat year round. I have a great group of boating friends, and I am very fortunate to be in the position of being able to get out on the river so easily.

I ended up making it to 72 days, making 2009 my 4th most prolific boating year ever. I got in 5 new runs, and I got to do 14 nights of river camping. This is really great considering that I injured both shoulders, dealt with tendinitis in both elbows, and hurt both of my feet. I need to work hard to avoid injuries. I only had 10 flips this year, but I did have a few more wraps that I would have liked (even though only one of them resulted in a flip).

In 2010, I will be taking a break from being on the WRRR Board of Directors. I've been on the board for 6 years, including 3 years as President. Not having to be at every club event will make it possible for me to do some other trips that I might not normally get to do.

My goals for 2010 are to get in at least 50 boating days, to get in at least a couple of catboat runs on the Sky, to get in at least 6 new runs, to self-rescue on every flip, and to learn to use my whistle more often.

If you are a fellow whitewater boater, have a great year boating! If not, get out on a river and have fun!

72 - 12/27 - EF Humptulips Overnighter (Day 2)

Dropping into the Gorge

We got up after the sun was up. There was frost on all of the boats, and it was cold, but the sun was out and the day would get much warmer. We had a great breakfast and got our gear loaded.

After a half mile or so, we came up to a rapid that is formed by logs across a slot in some rocks. We decided to portage this, but it was a trivial portage. The moss on the rocks made it easy to walk, and we could float the backs of the boats most of the way. After another few minutes, we came to the Falls. The other guys did a quick scout and I went on through. Portaging the Falls took only a few minutes and we headed downstream.

I was most concerned about the possibility of wood at the bridge, which separates the Falls and Gorge sections, but there was no problem. After a couple more miles, we headed into the Gorge. There are lots of little rapids in the Gorge, and lots of waterfalls coming in from the sides. We had to think fast and watch for wood, but still enjoy the scenery.

Near the end of the Gorge, there is a large drop called Surf 'n' Turf. The left side is a twisty, narrow turning drop. The right side is a ledge formed by two rocks. I chose the ledge because I had made it over fine the last time I ran this, and I thought there was more water this time. Either there was less water, or the extra weight of the gear had an effect, but I ended up stuck between the two rocks. It took me a couple of minutes to wriggle my way out of this. I was submerged up to my waist, but I knew my best bet was to stay with the boat and get out. Once I was out, the rest of the Gorge was easy.

Out of the Gorge, the rapids ease up and the scenery goes back to the usual Pacific Northwest rain forest. We got to the takeout a little after 1PM and packed up for the drive home. It was a great weekend of boating and camping.

71 - 12/26 - EF Humptulips Overnighter (Day 1)

Winding our way through the little gorges

The weekend after Christmas might seem an odd time for an overnight kayaking trip, but there are places where it can work out just great. The East Fork Humptulips is one of those places. We had a good flow - a little more would have been nice, but I only got stuck a couple of times. The weather during the day was sunny and in the high 30s where we were. The rapids on the first day were mostly class II with a couple that might have been easy class III. We didn't have any problems and there were no portages.

We had a great dinner of pork roast, grilled peppers and onions, and mashed potatoes. We had just enough wood to make a nice campfire for the night and saved some dry wood for the morning.It was a pretty cold night - the weather report said the low in the area was 18, but I stayed plenty warm with my fleece sleeping bag liner in my old Cat's Meow bag. I do think it's time to upgrade to a new down bag.

70 - 12/19 - Middle Middle

I was starting to think I might not get in any trips in December. The weather was really dry, and then it warmed up and was supposed to rain a lot, but it was just a tease. Finally, on Friday night we got enough rain to bring up the Middle Fork Snoqualmie to a good level, and one of my friends was available for a quick trip on Saturday.

We had about 1600 cfs on the gauge, but with the creeks coming in it was more like 1800 cfs down in the thick of things. We passed a large group of kayakers at A-Frame Drop, but that was the last we saw of anyone. I took the opportunity to take a few alternate routes, but luckily I didn't run into any trouble. It was just another fun trip on the river.

Dry Spell

If things had gone as planned, I'd be sitting by a roaring campfire right now, waiting for the day to warm up a little before packing up to go down the river for a second day. Even if the backup plan had gone through, I would be finishing packing up to drive to the river for an overnight trip. Instead, I'll be spending the weekend catching up on some work.

A group of us had planned a 3-day river trip for this weekend. We knew it might be cold and rainy, but we were prepared for that. However, the rains of November stopped before the month ended, and we've had basically no rain for over 2 weeks, and we've had lows in the teens. None of the rivers we were interested in have much water. Our last backup plan was thwarted by a burn ban. It's one thing to sleep in the cold, but at least if you can have a nice campfire, it's still fun.

On the positive side, tomorrow is supposed to be the beginning of a solid week of rain. It's supposed to slow down at the end of the week, and the temperatures will be higher all next weekend. That means we'll at least have a chance at running some local rivers.