Canyon Creek Extreme Race
The day started off like any other day of paddling. Wake up call from the boys (Chuck Tayloer & Nate Garr) @ 7am . We were meeting at 7:30am at Next Adventure. I gathered my gear and went for coffee. I was soon swept off by my comrades and heading towards Canyon Creek.
As I rounded the bend toward the take out I saw many stickered and sponsored vehicles and knew this wasn't just another run down Canyon Creek. As we all signed up to race we knew it would be a great day. We had good weather, decent water, and great friends to enjoy the experience! We took off and headed to the put in where we geared up, ran shuttle, and attended the competitor's meeting. I was racing in the expert K-1 and Chuck and Nate were racing the tandem whitewater category, or K-2.
Soon we were off and paddling down the creek. The race consists of a twenty foot waterfall, 1/3 mile of class 3-4, then the twin falls and one last class 4 before the finish line. The first falls starts about 3/4 of the way through the run. This gives you time to warm up and anyone running a tandem 13' boat down a technical creek like Canyon Creek needs some practice. Especially Chuck and Nate.
As we approached the first class 5 entrance rapid leading to the gorge I was a little nervous about the tandem kayak. We eddied out and I went first and waited nervously for Chuck and Nate as they approached the entrance. I watched as they manuevered with precision around the log and into the gorge. They were soon sitting safely beside me in the vertical walled gorge.
We continued down stream without incident until we came to the rapid known as Terminator. This rapid has a technical lead in, then a slight bend and over a small but retentive ledge. I got out and looked for the easiest route for the tandem kayak and stood on the left bank as safety. We had two boats go ahead of the tandem and wait in the pool below. The tandem was soon negotiating the tricky entrance. But as they tried to make the bend they flipped and were being washed around the bend and towards the ledge. Knowing there might be trouble I jumped in my boat and made my way down stream. When I got to the pool my comrades were already in the process of rescue. They quickly rounded up the boaters and we were again headed down stream.
As we made our way out of the gorge we soon approached some of the bigger rapids of the run: Prelude to Thrasher and Thrasher. Everyone had good lines and we celebrated with cheers and high fives. The last big obstacle before the start of the race is the boulder garden. This is one of the longest and most technical rapids on the run. It has 2 large ledges and plenty of class 3-4. We all ran the rapid without incident, I thought, but when I pulled up to the 20ft falls where the race started I noticed Chuck bleeding above his right eye. So we put a butterfly bandage on his eye and started getting pumped for the extreme race!
I made sure to be one of the first few to race, as there were cold PBR's at the finish. As I lined up at the top of the twenty footer my blood pumped and my adreneline went to 11 on the meter. 3, 2, 1, Go and I was flying, freefalling rapidly towards the first pool. WHAM I hit the pool and sprinted quickly to the next section dodging and squeezing my way through, over, and around boulders. At this point the water felt like concrete and my arms like they were filled with lead. As I rounded the last bend I boofed over the first falls and then the second. Finally the home stretch! I put the last of my pitiful energy into the final class 4 and sprinted towards the finish with encouragement and cheers from spectators and competitors alike. I had finished!
I crawled exhausted from my boat and cracked the red white and blue can of cold PBR. I had finished the race and as I chilled out on the rocks I revelled at the day's events and smiled from ear to ear.
