Vancouver Island Classic…..Gordon River

Gordon River… Upper and Middle

Easter weekend extravaganza. THis was a wicked weekend. With a number of other boaters, great levels and some serious driving, the Copper Canyon on the Chemainus river was done at 35cms and I also got a run on the Upper and Middle Gordon river, a classic Vancouver Island Run.

Over 700kms of driving for two very worthwhile rivers. The Chemainus river had heaps of rain coming down while I was there, The river was rising, hence no photos. We had a couple of portages, one due to wood in the middle of a drop, the other was the normal portage below the Headwall rapid. Having been to the Copper Canyon a number of times in the past it was neat to run it with higher flows, as the rocks that normally show in the drop weren't there. Imagine a 800ft wall reaching up on river right and a sweet drop directly ahead of you with a walk option on river left. Just sweet. The rapids were all pretty clean with a bit of push to them. The bonus on this river is at the end you have the opportunity that you can run Bannon Creek Falls. A Cool 42ft waterfall with a slide to drop to slide to drop to slide exit. Pretty cool. Will have video up soon.

We had one swimmer on one of the last rapids of the day. The rescue went fine even though he swam through the rapid below.

I spent the weekend with family as the group ran the Harris river a couple of times and Cameron creek. Joining up for them again in North Cowichan and the mighty Gordon river and its sweet classics of the Upper and Middle Gordon.

We had sweet flows and quickly polished off the Upper Canyon. Afterwards we dropped into the middle. Starting with Loop Creek falls, which at this flow wasn't very nice so we did the slide/ chute thing on river right. It is about a 15ft drop. then straight into a nice chute. It was an amzing day with loads of cool rapids, some scouting a couple of portages and some fun photo taking oportunites. It was unfortunate when we got to the end of the canyon to find that they had logged to the edge of the Canyon rim, and a number of large trees had fallen into the river. Could be cause for caution in later days.

© Dave Prothero Photography/ Rafting Life 2010

Thanks to Braden, Jakub, Albert, and Chris for the fun times.