The rain continued into the night. I woke at 3am to thunder and lightning, heavy rain hitting the tent, and a gushing sound close by. I reached for the tent floor above my pillow hoping for the reassuring feeling of solid ground, but instead I felt a bubbly texture of water under the tent – much like how a water bed feels. The bubblyness was quickly spreading in all directions from one corner of the tent. In the darkness I grabbed for my head-lamp. We had a serious problem. The tent was now quickly filling with water. A flash flood from the heavy rains meant that our tent was now pitched in the middle of an overflow pond from the newly created stream flowing a few feet away. We were now both awake and on full alert. Erin’s first concern was for our boats on the beach. She left the tent and went running off into the storm to make sure they weren’t floating away. Crouching in the tent, between the floating platforms of our sleeping pads, I grabbed our blankets and stowed them into dry bags as quickly as I could, to stop them getting wet. There was now a good two inches of water in the tent. The rain was easing, but the flood was not. We evacuated the rest of our belongings from the tent. There were now quite a few people awake. We crafted a drainage channel to release the water from the newly created pond, and we got some help to empty the water from out tent and move it to higher ground. Thunder and lightning continued until morning as we lay trying to sleep on wet sleeping pads.
The next morning was cold and wet. It had been quite a night. We had been barraged almost continuously throughout the night by some seriously fierce storms. The storms most intense moment culminated with the brightest flash of lightning and loudest crash of thunder most of us have ever experienced, magnified further by canyon walls surrounding us.
We had breakfast at 6:30am and then a delay until out next move was decided. As the storm clouds subsided, the call was made to move out. We put on wet gear and packed up our stuff, including a very wet and sandy tent.
The first rapid was not far from our camp. It was Granite rapid (rated 7-8) at mile 94. The river here is especially fierce after the storm. The rapid runs down a steep 18 foot drop alongside the canyon wall and I had decided to try and run it. Wow! I have never experienced anything like that before! I followed Andy’s lead. We entered near the wall at the top right. There were big powerful waves coming from multiple directions. You need to brace into them or they will knock you right over. Andy flipped quickly and disappeared into the swelling water. I continued on, occasionally catching a glimpse of his upturned boat amongst the white water and breaking waves ahead of me. Then a lateral hit me from one side, then the other, and then in a flash I was upside down as well. I didn’t even know what hit me. Upside down in my boat the water was turbulent. I felt my boat being pulled forcefully this way and that. I waited a couple of seconds before trying to roll. I got a gasp of air, and then I was back under. I tried again without success. It felt like I was being circulated. Now was the time to pull the cord and eject. I surfaced holding my boat, but I’d lost my paddle. The fierce water and strong currents in the rapid were swiftly carrying me downstream. I caught a glimpse of my paddle in the swelling water and quickly decided to release my grip on my boat in favor of a chance to get my paddle back. I released my boat, but now I had lost sight of my paddle. I kicked my legs and grabbed into the water where I’d last seen it. To my relief, my hand made contact and I had my paddle back. Now I caught sight of Andy who was close by. He expertly maneuvered his boat into position and I grabbed for the handle at the back. He towed me out of the rapid and towards shore as I coughed out the water I had swallowed.
Erin had been on shore and had blown her whistle to raise the alarm. Michael had gone after my boat which was now out of view. Once on shore on river right I made my way across the sand and rocks downstream to find Michael and retrieve my boat. He had pulled into an eddy on the other side of the debris fan. After my boat was drained, I was back on the water. Wow! The adrenaline was still running. Granite Rapid was an experience that I will never forget. It was the most challenging rapid that I’d ever attempted. I was very glad I’d made the decision to try it, and also slightly disappointed that I didn’t make it through without swimming.
The video below was shot by Erin and shows (at half speed) some of the action in the first part of the rapid. Andy is in the first kayak and I am in the second:
Erin put her boat on the water below Granite after portaging from camp. The next rapid of the day was Hermit Rapid were Erin swam after flipping near the top. I made it through unscathed; now with a taste for the big water. After Boucher rapid came Crystal (rated 7-10) rapid, and is one of the hardest on the river. Scouting took a long time. Lunch was followed, and then Tim, I and Jim took the sneak route down the right side and thereby avoiding the majority of the rapid. Max also took his raft down the right side and got stuck between two rocks so that he had to be pulled off.
Several more rapids followed, Tuna Rapid and Lower Tuna where I was flipped and managed to roll on my second attempt (was very pleasing). After a riffle or two, Sapphire Rapid (rated 6) was quite challenging, but I made it though. After Turquoise Rapid it was getting late and my arms were beginning to ache. We eventually found a campsite at about 6pm (30 minutes before sunset) at Emerald just above 104 Mile Rapid. After unloading the boats, I setup the tent which involved some creative guy lines to work around rocks, and Erin was on the cooking crew.
It was a great day. My best yet! I’m feeling more comfortable in my boat and in the rapids. Excellent! Now I just need to get some sleep for more tomorrow.
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