Friday, September 19, 2008

Holy Canada!

OK. It's official. Im moving to Canada someday- the rivers are epic (and close to eachother), the people are the friendliest Ive ever met, and the wildlife is....entertaining. Bear country=fun country for sure!

Our first day in Canada was spent on the Upper Cheackamas and the Callighan- both are classics in BC that ya just cant miss. This is where I first learned that silty water and contacts make ya unhappy. Ha ha note to self for next time! Anyways, we didnt get any pics of the Cheack but here are some shots from the Callighan- a sweet class 4/5 creek with blueberry bushes all along the side of the river :) Enjoy!


Oh ho! This has got to be one of the best drops....the log drop(below). There has been a log in this drop for a couple years and ironically this year it washed out....only to be replaced by a log falling into the exact same place. River Gods are funny sometimes. Here is Josh giving the ol' log a nice bump:
Photo: Christina Russell


(Below) after taking shots of everyone else, and seeing some manky lines, I fired it off myself with a successful boof next to the log....but not too close!
(Below) Just in case you miss the drop, check it out from farther away....

Just downstream of the log drop is the cleanest thirty footer you could ever run. You cant really portage so one of our friends fired it off as her first waterfall ever! Awesome! :) (Below)This is a shot of me on my second run down.
Photo: josh Mckeown
(Below) Josh on the 3o footer
Photo: Chrisitna Russell

(Below)Our always smiling, trusted guide while we were in Canada- Danny

The Callighan is about 3-4 miles long but that's just a guess. Im bad with distances. We put on around 3pm one day and got off at 5:30 so if you have a guide it makes things go faster. If you knew the run like the back of you rhand I would bet you could run it in just under an hour.

The Callighan was a great run and our group made the trip awesome. Special thanks to Danny and Annie of Vancouver , Dan from everywhere, and everyone we met along the way. It was a privelage to paddle with you all!

Check back soon for pictures from the Ashlu!!!!

Happy Paddling,
Christina

6 comments:

Jaime said...

Great pictures! Each paddler had a DSLR camera in the back of the boat? What kind of dry bag are you using? I'm new to kayaking, but have been an amateur photographer for a while, and am looking at ways of taking pictures without killing my DSLR. Could you give me some advice??

Anonymous said...

that log only arrived in about winter 2006-2007 not since as long as memory. like the waterfall on the cheak that only came in 2005

Jaime said...

Great pictures! I'm assuming you're using a DSLR to take those pictures. I was wondering how you keep it safe and dry. I'm an amateur photographer and recently I took up kayaking... I'd like to be able to document my trips without destroying my equipment. Could you share some tips? Many thanks in advance!

Unknown said...

actually that's a new log this year... the old log blew out during high water in the spring and then another one drop in almost the exact same place! I like the new log better though, I seem to have better luck avoiding it (although I've done some railsliding on the new one too)

Christina McKeown said...

For Jaime-

I carry my Nikon D60 in a pelican case that specifically fits that camera. it is a very snug fit but I can carry my lenses, filters, adaptors etc. Many people just place the peli case in their lap and pray they dont swim. If you are confident that swimming will not be happening, I would suggest the same. However, if swimming is possible, consider securing the case (if it is small enough) to the water bottle holder in your pillar. I am currently working on finding a way to secure my camera to myself so if I swim, I dont have to worry about losing the camera that is a. secured to my boat now floating away, or b. floating freely (or sinking) out of my boat. Hope that helps....oh and btw, if you get a DSLR, make sure you but filters for all your lenses. its a great way of protecting the lense and keeping it clean!

Jaime said...

For Christina,

Thanks for your great note. Glad to know you're a Nikon Lady as well! I have a D200 myself but I usually place it in the back of the boat inside a Watershed Ocoee secured with a carabiner and compressed by the flotation bag. I want to sort of benchmark and see if I'm doing things the right way. I do swim quite a lot so putting it on my lap is not an option right now. I was actually amazed that was a popular option! Don't know how comfortable it would be to have it secured against the pillar. Those front options do seem to make it easier to access. Oh, I do think the Pelican case offers better protection.

Regarding lenses I just bring one of those do it all lenses... I don't dare to bring more stuff due to size, weight, and the replacement cost of getting new F2.8 glass. Funny thing is that "do it all lens" is the only one that doesn't have a filter yet!!