Island Class IV

Adam running Mill Bay Creek 2nd drop

Friday night I got back from a late Chilliwack canyon run to find that my buddies Geoff and Charlie were headed to Vancouver Island to hit some runs out there, and had invited me along. So I got up at 4 AM and still managed to miss the early ferry somehow, ended up taking the 7:45 to Duke Point where I met the boys after they'd already hit up Mill Bay Creek along the way!

Geoff on the Koksilah

   Adam running something





Adam landing the 2nd of Triple Drop on the Upper Gordon

We finally got underway and met the rest of our party to head out Upper Gordon, playing some hide-n-go seek with cars along the way...we got to the put in and I felt incredibly reassured to hear phrases such as 'I've never seen it this high before' and 'wow, it's pretty high'. I was still feeling good going into the run, and happy to hit some higher water after the first class IV runs I'd done were all at lower water levels, I was up for the challenge.

                                    

                                         

Gauge on Upper Gordon indicating high apparently

Adam boofing something on the Upper Gordon

We ran the first couple intro rapids fairly clean with a few flips and rolls, I was on my game. I don't remember much before we hit a rapid I believe called 'Intimidator', just before triple drop, it had a big piton flake in the middle that was jetting water straight up which you had to run left of, then angle right and pass the rock wall before riding out some beefy water. I went in a bit too fast and far left, shooting right into the rock wall and getting thrown upside down, my roll failed me in the churning water afterwards. I ended up swimming, my first swim in the Pure in anything of note...luckily that river karma payed off and I went right into an eddy with all my gear, but it was a turbulent eddy pulling me either back into the current or down under a large boulder it felt like..which wasn't good. I had to get my boat out of there and luckily it grabbed the eddy right on the other side of the rock, I threw my paddle onto the rock shelf but couldn't get out with nothing to grab hold of, Glen came along and gave me a hand out of the micro-eddy just as I was getting sucked away it seemed. I did have some visions of my prior failure on the Lower Gordon back in January I think, but stopped myself from thinking too much into it.



Famous Kokish Trestle being restored on Koksilah



On we went, after ferrying across we looked down on triple drop, the second drop was quite intimidating...it had an odd space into a boof flake on the left which would hopefully shoot you out right clear of the bad looking hole. After watching a couple people hit it well and listening to Charlie consider walking it I decided to pull up my big boy shorts (brand new drysuit), man up and take the plunge. I was confident I could hit it and had identified one thing I'd been doing wrong until this point, and that is charging to fast into things taking away from my ability to correct my line and adjust as needed, when I didn't need the all out speed. Well in this instance, speed was of the essence, I hit that rock fast, nailed my boof and flew it seemed across the river to the right landing perfectly flat and well clear of the hole. The third drop was a piece of cake and we gathered in an eddy where I could shore up and practice my roll for a good bit. Glen up and jumped off the cliff above, and impressive 60-70 foot drop, maybe higher.

The next couple drops were a load of fun, good, clean, waterful riverrunning at it's best, much of the run reminded me of what I imagine Canyon Creek of the Lewis would be like with more water. Finally we pulled in to get a look at Terminator, the final rapid of note. We looked at it quite a bit, but it seemed quite anti-climactic compared to the rest of the run, most people ran it clean on the left, I managed to go far left and deflect off the rock, 360ing me through it and rolled up just fine.



Charlie on Koksilah



On the way back to Victoria we stopped at a roadside waterfall we'd seen on the way in and started hucking it, I sat this one out as I wasn't happy with my non-rolling performance on The Gordon and decided to take video with my new camera. Most people seal launched into a small pool above the falls then did them, Tim got held up in the hole a bit there. Charlie ran the mank slide down into the falls au naturel.

That night we stayed in Vic and woke up Sunday wondering what to do, Copper Canyon on Chemainus was at a perfect flow (20 cms), then Geoff went off for Mother's Day at his parents, Charlie and I headed off to Mill Bay Creek to crank off a few laps and await Geoff. Mill Bay Creek is an amazing little park and huck 4 rapid chain just below the trans canada south of Duncan that runs right out into the ocean via Mill Bay, with a salmon hatchery at the bottom. There is a small slide into an 8 footer, then a 40 foot slide into a hole, a triple drop with a bigger hole in the middle and a final 25 foot slide with a few kicker rocks that will either throw you sideways or into the air. It was at I believe a medium-low flow Sunday. I was some scared to run that second drop I tell you, I'd never really done a slide and felt a lot better once Geoff arrived to make 3 of us.



Geoff running Mill Bay Creek first drop



Wow, what a feeling, so much speed so fast down that! I tried to boof, but most times ended up plopping and stroking right into the hole. The 4th time down I actually ran far right and hit a rock that flipped me tumbling the last 6 feet or so into a 6 foot drop upside down, put a bruise on the shoulder alright.

By now we realized we didn't have time for Copper canyon, and it propably wasn't the best idea considering our group. Instead we headed to Koksilah River Canyon under the picturesque and being rebuilt Kokish Trestle. This was a big deal for me, I'd always wanted to see this trestle and didn't make the connection until I saw it! I'm a huge train buff, and rebuilding is fully underway on this behemoth, some beautiful views afforded from river level, but we were in a pinch and didn't have much time for pictures unfortunately.

Koksilah was a good one time run, it had a few memorable rapids with some technicality to them, but for the most part was a flat water float that was incredibly scenic...fine if you have time, but we had to plough through to make the ferry back home!



Geoff on Mill Bay Creek 2nd drop



We barely caught the ferry after returning the shoddy, but much appreciated shuttle vehicle we were using, and skipped across the pond back home! Another amazing weekend of boating!

Photos courtesy Geoff Dunbrack, Charlie Beard and the author.

 





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Tim boofing Terminator on the Upper Gordon