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*Pictures & Video compliments of Rodney Kickle
Click
pictures to enlarge
This was my 1st Tomcat run. After running shuttle for Bruce, Dave & John, who were running the Back Fork, I met Rodney, Amy and the others I would be paddling with at Baker's Island. The plan had been to run the Down Elk after the race was over. Plans changed and we were now going to run the race course section. Bruce and I had previously discussed this section and he wasn't sure that this section should be my first true whitewater run. I was pretty much in agreement but after Rodney and Amy (both very experienced paddlers) explained that I would be with a lot of very good paddlers who would show me all the lines and help me if I got into any trouble, I decided to give it a go. I am so glad I did! I was very nervous. I had seen pictures of Parcoal (PX) and Cherry Falls on AW and was pretty scared of both, PX in particular. Amy assured me that I could easily portage PX.
Don't remember much other than following Rodney through some big waves and semi-long rapids and I had to punch some holes because I wasn't angled good. Even though I didn't know it at the time, I sneaked PX down the far, far left. I found out while waiting for the others at the bottom of the rapid. Amy came over and asked if I had portaged it. I told her I hadn't even realized that it was PX.
| Me at PX |
| Click hyperlink to view PX video |
Continuing on down stream, I ran some good lines following Rodney over the first & second ledges of Cherry Falls.
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| Me & Rodney at Cherry Falls |
I then got ahead of him before the third ledge, didn't know where to go, didn't paddle hard enough and went over at the worst possible spot and right into the hole. I immediately got stopped, couldn't get out and got turned sideways. It was all over from there. I quickly flipped over. Amazingly I managed to hold onto the paddle and grabbed onto my boat when I came up. I was so proud but then realized everyone was yelling at me to let go of everything and get to shore before I had to swim the fourth ledge. I did manage to get safely to shore while the others rescued my boat and paddle. I got back in the boat from shore and continued to follow Rodney the remainder of the run with no more swimming. At the take-out everyone congratulated me on my great run and told me they would paddle with me anytime. I was in seventh heaven and couldn't wait to get back to the cabin to tell Bruce and hear all about his killer run on the Back Fork.
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| Slab Side | Bruce & Rodney |
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| Fire at the Barn | Bruce & Me at the Barn |
After a fun night of partying at "the Barn" where I had the opportunity to meet many, many great people, I was ready to tackle another section of the river - The Down Elk. There was only one problem: I had left my booties behind! Fortunately, I wouldn't have to paddle in my socks; Mike Surbaugh had an extra pair I could borrow. Bruce had been telling me that paddlers were great people and this weekend I quickly found out how fun, kind and generous they could be. I was definitely very excited and honored to be welcomed into this awesome community.
This was a really fun run at a good level. The waves were big and the rapids were pretty much continuous. I got to see many different types of rapids from wavy rock gardens to creeky sections with some gradient. The water was really moving and a little pushier that I was used to. I tried to follow Mike S. and Bruce as much as possible but made a few mistakes, of course. I ended up swimming when I didn't angel my boat to the right far enough up stream to avoid a pourover with a mean hole at the bottom and went into the hole sideways and got flipped. DejaVu from yesterday! I swam for quite a bit because the rapid was long and wavy. I think I could have punched the hole if I had gone through it head on. I had some trouble with boat control and angle but managed to avoid swimming again. I was scared to death of the final rapid because there was a must make move into an eddy and after 11 miles and a semi long swim, I was dead tired and not sure I could make it. I don't really remember how I got through it but I do know that I missed the eddy and had to turn the boat fast to avoid going into the drop sideways and swimming again - mission accomplished! The sandy beach take-out was right below this rapid and boy was I happy about that. At this point I really needed to get off the water. After another round of congratulations, we changed, loaded the truck and head back to Camp Caesar. I was able to see a lot of the river on the way back and upon viewing some of the rapids I had gone trough I was in awe. I really couldn't believe I had done it.
My goal for next year is to hard boat both of these sections.
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