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.

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.

Port Renfrew Kayaking Weekend

The Ritz, Rivers and Scotch weekend.
















This past weekend was a good one. I finished school on the friday, such a nice feeling. From there I headed off to a SRT course with Raven Rescue that took place on the Englishman and Nanaimo rivers. Good cold swimming in tose rivers. Good refresher on skills before heading off to Port Renfrew. Arrived there late on Sunday night and started to check out the flows. Love my little Ipod Touch, as it enabled me to wander down the street to check the river flows off an unrestricted wireless.
The next Moring I got up early to shoot some photos of Shayne surfing out at the mouth of the Gordon River. Nice rolling sets in his homemade surf Boat. Was loving my EOS 50D and 300mm f4 lens. Was able to sit on the beach and get a few nice shots.
By 10am we were loaded with one group heading off to the Gordon and the other consisting of Jeff, Shayne, Daniel, Denny and myself for the Harris River Canyon. If you have seen this river on the way to Port Renfrew you know it is a steep little section. Totalling 2kms long with 5% gradient it is exciting.

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.

Vancouver Island Fall Season

Vancouver Island 2009 Fall Season

The Author and Joe Box looking back up stream after the 2nd drop on Stotan Falls. One more slide to go before the finish. Then it is on to the play. Photo by Jakub Drnec.

Jakub Drnec running the first drop on Stotan Falls on the Puntledge river. Courtenay BC, Vancouver Island.

Well it has been a good season over on the west coast. Finally getting back into paddling after a year and a half off the river due to a broken shoulder, this fall has been pretty good. Huge flows on the puntledge. Some adventuring with a river board, taking my new Wavesport Habitat 80 down a number of runs a couple of new sections, a new river. Some waterfalls and lots of photography. All in all has been sweet.

Here you will find a number of photos showcasing a number of runs. A little write up about each will be included as well.
Follow the link for more

Fall Time Paddling, Vancouver Island.

Two weeks ago we had a bit of rain on the Island. It was warm, so the rivers picked up with lots of water. The Puntledge was having a release due to this and it's main tributary was running as well. A number of paddlers were in the area from Victoria, the Valley, Nanaimo, Europe and NZ.

I am still not paddling at this point but hope to be next year. I went out just to do some photography. The fall colours were beautiful and the river was at a nice level.

A few of the kayakers were keen to paddle the falls on the Browns, it is an interesting 12-15ft drop with a few different lines. The right line was a bit boxed in by a tree, the far left line is shallow in a couple of places. They decided on the middle line, Gord, Gillian, and Todd, had nice lines down the middle. The others were running safety and scoping out how it went for them. Tyler then headed up to run the drop next. Unfortunately things didn't go quite as well for him.

Tyler came off the top went a bit further to the left and ended up back under the drop. Apparently there is a rock back there as well, because that messed up a couple of his roll attempts. He ended up swimming, with Gord off chasing his boat.

Tyler was throw-bagged in, and Gord had got the boat stuck on some rocks out in the middle of the river. After a half hour or so the boat and paddler were reunited and they paddled off down to the confluence with the Puntledge. From there many play waves waited. I was able to connect with them for some shots on the lovely tarp and play wave. If you come to Vancouver Island in the early summer try to connect with the Puntledge Festival when BC Hydro releases 100cms for two days.



Fall time has arrived.

Checking the Level, also good to look here.

Short hike in from the parked car.

Heading to the put in.

Gord playing on a small hole near the put in on the Browns.

Gord and Gillian paddling down the Browns.

The boys look as Gord huck's off the drop.

Gord dropping in.

Arising from the deep.

Todd smooth sailing down the middle line.

Gillian cruising down the middle of the Browns Falls.

Tyler happy to find the boat stuck and not floating off down the river somewhere.

Gord with his catch.

Getting a rope out to the rock so we can pull the boat in.

Hmmm.......

Tarp and Play, Puntledge River.

Gillian throwing ends.

Carrie surfing it up.

Such a nice spot, Gord tearing it up.

Todd enjoying his Jackson 4Fun.

Photos by Dave Prothero Photography.

4th Annual Puntledge Festival is coming up

1st drop of Stotan falls at the festival release level. Pic by Shayne Vollmers.


Here is something to mark on you calendar for the end of May.

The 4th Annual Puntledge Festival takes place in the Comox Valley on May 30th -June 1st. This is a great time to meet up with old friends and try out one of the top rivers on the Island with guaranteed flows thanks to VIWPS and BC Hydro. You can see an article here regarding some help that is needed for trail reconstruction.

Surfing it up in Tarp and Play.

2nd drop on Stotan Falls and 1 more slide to go. Pic by Shayne Vollmers.

Other pic by Dave Prothero. c2008