Lens Creek, Vancouver Island

The Lens

Last weekend the flows were running good enough to get in a trip to Lens Creek. This is an absolutely fabulous run. Setting stuff up with Jakub Drnec and Joe Box. I left Comox at 7:30am, knowing it would be a long day with great returns.
With great music and my trusty Honda Accord the drive went fairly smoothly. A couple of stops for good coffee. Met up with the lads at the Park and Ride on the North Cowichan turn off.
From there we drove out into the San Juan Peninsula heading down the Harris main and then into the woods on the Lens Creek Main. First down the West Main which we discover is closed. Boy was it ever, logs and a big ditch. No Passable way through. From there we took the East, which was in fairly good condition. We made it on to the river by 1:00pm.
The Put-in was a nice spot to enjoy a nice little rapid. The action starts downstream a little ways where you drop into the first Canyon. This one is pretty short with only a handful of rapids. We had good flows with the rock at the put in being almost covered.
This provided great action in the second canyon. This is where the goodies are. Loads of sweet rapids with a bit of mank. Had some great light for photography. As Joe said " there is always sun on the lens". It made for a four or so hour day on the river with a nice float out in the end.

Cameron River Vancouver Island

Cameron River

Located on the way to Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. This is a great creek. The call came from Shayne Vollmers that it would be running around 5-6 on the gauge. This is a very nice level for the Cameron. Provides nice consistent cushioning and nice flow so you can bomb down a lot of stuff. We met up at the gas station just outside Qualicum. Picked up a bit of fuel(read coffee) and we were on our way. Read through the rest of the story by pictures. Little write ups under some.

Filling up at the local gas station. Coffee to go, habitat loaded.

Dan Dunn ready to go for a paddle. View of the take out.

Steve Hunt hiking into the put in. About 30 ft up the road.

The lads on the river with a view of snow covered Mt Arrowsmith in the background.

Puntledge River Paddle Festival 08

Looking toward the Beaufort range and the Comox Glacier

Local Kevin Lewis going for a loop at tarp and play.

The 4th annual Puntledge Festival was a great success. With over 130 participants from Vancouver Island, Mainland, and beyond it's one of the largest river paddling festivals in BC.

The river consists of three different sections to meet the needs of different paddlers. BC Hydro releases water for the two days, ranging from 85-110 cms.

The Power line section to the lower fish hatchery is class 3-3+ at these flows. The section below the fish hatchery is class 2-3 at these flows.

From the first morning there were shuttles going to both put-in's from 9:00am, the last people getting off the river at around 8pm on Saturday evening, after two or three runs.

The main waves that people play on are The Three Little Pigs just after you put in on the river. Downstream is the Tarp and Play wave, this has a nice eddy with room for 15 boats. Above the lower fish hatchery there is also the river wide wave/hole, for those a bit more daring, ladder hole, and some smaller waves down to the hatchery.

For the lower run you will find Hatchery wave on river right, the Puntledge park surfing waves and Grahams waves, a little ways above the take out.

All of this makes for a nice day out.

Volunteers enjoying a nice day in the sun. Cam going for a bit of air time on the wave.

This year the event took place at Maple Pool Campsite, the camping was on a big grass area with fire pits spread around. The take out was an easy walk back to the camping spots. There was a mix of different crafts around from play boats, open canoes, closed canoes, creekboats, and one raft.

Though not part of the festival coverage there is, for the more experinced paddler, the upper Puntledge run and the Browns river to paddle on in close vicinity. The upper Puntledge consists of nine different slides ranging from 30 ft to over 200 ft. Most notable is Stotan falls which has two 16 ft drops thrown in for fun. I would like to see a race down this as a seperate event for next year...looking for suggestions and ideas.

Jiri following Jakub Drenc over the river left line on the first drop of Stotan falls.

Waking up at 6:30am to take some early morning photographs, found that a trailer needed to be constructed so, Shayne picked up some wood, Wayne drilled, Jeff held and tied it down, and voila a trailer was born to hold 20 plus boats. Not bad for early morning construction.

Wayne and Jeff hard at work early in the morning.

The trailer completed and boats being loaded. Look close and you can see the extra protection of duct tape. Thanks Shayne.

People enjoying a few drinks around a campfire on the first night.

Waiting for a turn on the wave.

Glen Geddes thrown down in Tarp and Play wave.

Al Leighton is glad he made the trip down from Prince George.

Stylish surfing on Tarp and Play.

And the winner of the wet-suit contest is....!

One of the UVIC kayak club putting on a bit of a fire spinning show Saturday night.

Saturday night once everyone had gotten off the river, there was a round of prize draws from all the sponsors of the event. Afterwards there was a talk by Jakub Drnec of the BC Creek Protection Society on Run of River projects that are happening around BC. Next up was a video on kayaking on Vancouver island followed by one on rafting in Iceland and Honduras.

Dog hanging out while out does a bit of playing in the sun.

Will enjoying a morning cup of coffee.

Snail out enjoying the sun on one of the trails down to the river.

Jeff Lewis going for a flip turn.

Charlene Rosen surfing it up

Lots of people lots of good rides at the Maple pool Campsite.

Jiri running the first drop on Stotan falls as the boys and Jakub look on.

Kevin Whiting running the 2nd drop on Stotan falls, from here you go left and down the 90ft slide below.

Play boats galore.

Jiri on one of the other local runs in the area. The upper Browns connects to the Puntledge at the power lines and is a class 3-4+ creek run with a couple of portages. Though people do run it in play boats, it's good to go with a guide and watch out for wood. Photo courtesy of Jakub Drnec.

Photography by David Prothero

Dave Prothero Photography c2008