Monday, July 23, 2007

Summer Flings

After four weeks of doing battle with zillions of stouts in Labrador it was nice to come home and find a few local rivers running. The best part was being able to paddle in our shirt sleeves, an experience so rare in this province that I felt positively naked floating down the river.

On Saturday, July 21, Darren, Cody, and I were able to get on Bay Bulls River. Cody assures us it was higher on Friday, but we still had a decent amount of water. Enough to float our boats. We ran a new section of the river, from the upper dam, that had some nice technical class III whitewater and a short class IV section that consisted of three back-to-back ledges. This section has classy whitewater and makes a nice addition to Bay Bulls River. Bay Bulls Waterfall was at a perfect level. Cody and I both had to roll after the manky entrance ledge, but Darren stomped the double drop on his first run of the waterfall. This was also the highest water level at which the falls have been run. What a great way to start a break from the field.

Darren just called me to say that today was a great day on Pipers Hole River today. Apparently, all the little streams that feed Pipers Hole River were pumping. A good indication that the river will flow for a few days this week. Lots of other rivers are flowing too. Locally North Arm River is running, the Northwest River in Terra Nova is rising, Terra Nova River is probably rising a bit too, and of course Pipers Hole River is at a good playboating level, which means Granite Brook is probably optimal. A list like that adds up to a good day, or a few days, off work. Sieze the moment and enjoy the rare warm-water paddling in NL.