The Punt Ledge River Fest

Kanami and I.

Ok all great plans hit bumps.

I had hoped that this year I would finally go spend some time surfing at skookumchuck narrows. I had a bunch of mates keen and the flows sorted (it is a tidal race, which makes the sea a river). But three days out everyone pulled out for unforeseen reasons. Not happy to paddle the huge rapid by myself with the Trak. So I changed plans I wanted to now head to Squamish to run a river in the Trak kayak, namely the mighty “Elaho River”. “Maybe next year for the Skookumchuck rapid!” I’d been saying that for the last 6 years.

I packed up my stuff and headed across on a ferry, drove to Squamish to meet Kanami Anderson, a rafting friend of mine. Only to find the rivers had dried up virtually overnight due to a sudden freeze that halted the snow melt and the rivers had turned too trickles. Hmmmm a sign maybe? So we ended up taking the kayaks out on a local lake for a putts around, then had a great dinner and some drinks with her and her boyfriend, talking traveling stories and skiing.

I guess No rivers for me! "Or are there?"I was planning on flying to Calgary to paddle the Kananaskis River, which was also looking bad option. Though while staying with my old mate Shaun from NZ in Vancouver, I found out about the Punt Ledge River fest back on the island. The Punt ledge is a dam released river -

Shaun and I.

-(guaranteed flows and warm water!) so I changed my ticket and prepared to hit the fest for its first day. I Left my car with some friends Nal and Christa for the summer, loaded my gear and boarded a ferry back to the island. Where my mate Kerry Onno (another sea kayak guide) picked me up and we made plans for the River fest.

Nal and Christa

The kerry Mobile!

The river fest was great; I had no boat except the Trak. I was torn about using it; despite now having the chance I was looking for, as it was pissing with rain all day and I had to fly to Norway the next day. If it got wet and I couldn’t dry it all in time plus my gear, it would weigh too much and I may have trouble getting it on a flight to Norway. I had to make the hard choice to not run the river with the Trak. Grrrrr! However I scored some demo boats to use and ended up running the river a couple of times and spending allot of time on the play wave called Tarp ‘n’ Play.

Was a great day I boated from 9 am till 7pm. Hung out with a couple of great guys one namely Kevin and old hat at play boating and a past Canadian surf kayak team member. I felt very rusty back in a play boat after all the years of neglecting it for sea kayak expeditions, but loved it all the same.

Came back to camp to find a portable hot tub set up, so naturally jumped in for a soak and a couple of beers before the prize giving. Sweet deal

I Meet a couple form the states, Don and Darcy who run a white water kayak lodge in Ecuador www.smallworldadventures.com . They invited me to come see them and paddle some of their amazing rivers down there. I will put that near the top of the list for sure. Kerry and I got to bed at 2am after beer drinking with some Aussie’s and kiwis and some guitar playing with some Canuks (Canadians). Kerry and I had not spent much of the day hanging out as she was playing with the white water clinics and helping teach. Though had both had a blast?

In the morning it was a rush to pull my tired still drunk head off the couch, pack my semi dry kayak gear into my bags load them all in Kerry’s van and head for my 12.30pm flight to Calgary and then on to Norway. My bags got on Just, even though they were both over weight and the Trak being over sized for the west jet flight. It luckily didn’t cost me a thing; some would say it is the kiwi charm, others that I look poor! Ha ha!

I was sad to be leaving BC, with every summer for the last six years been spent here, I felt a bit empty leaving to work in Norway for the summer, though excited as well at what adventures will come! here i come world.

J.

All my gear for kayaking and traveling for the next year!