Skook Numero Duex

After finding most rivers too high or roads washed out. We gave up hope and headed back out to skook where rain clouds quickly dispersed into Sunshine. Our second time this trip to Skook was much better the lower tides meant the surfing was more friendly...and less whirlpools.

Our Private Dock

Cheryl Catching the First surf of the Day at Skook

Si throwing down some moves

Skook is perfect for viewing wildlife and I managed to get some cool pictures of some starfish...they come in so many different colours. Another highlight to Skook is seals unfortunately they don't like posing for pictures although they playfully follow your kayak if you do the "tour".

Ferocious Wild Animal attacks Astro!!

At about 8pm Sunday night on a small pullover in the middle of nowhere in BC. We had just finished our dinner when we were jumped by a ferocious animal out of the woods. The attack lasted for about an hour and we barely escaped with our lives. Thankfully we took pictures of the confrontation... here is the evidence. Watch out you could be next!!! This one took a particular like to Pasta and Carrots.







Aside from animal attacks, we visted the Othello tunnels a disused railway which runs along sides the beautiful Coquihalla River.




The picture below is from "Hells Gate" on the Fraser River. A mass of boiling surging water and right now really high. Rafting on it usually starts June time, this year they aren't planning on starting till at least mid August!!

Rain, Rain and More Rain....

After the Sun and Fun at Skook, BC weather changed for the worst..Rain rain and more rain.

Our first BC river was the Mamquam a low boney class 3 creek... although we were informed there is some nice 60ft falls down stream. We are sure they will feature in the next YGP movie!!

BC unlike California is not suffering such low water, As we scouted river after river all in high or flood conditions our only option was to head back south..

Here is the Ashlu...in crazy high water. To even get to the Ashlu now is difficult, the Ashlu is under dam construction, the kind security guard let us through for a peek...crazy for even thinking we would paddle it

On our way South we hid from the rain in a cinema... On our exit from the cinema we now realize Astro is really special and transforms into a 60ft Robot complete with Kayak carrier..

Normal Astro

Super Astro !!

Due to a " landslide" we where held in traffic for 2.5 hours and got these stunning pictures during a short sunny period.

Our journey South took us to multiple sections of the Chiliwack river.We thought this would quench our whitewater appetite until the higher rivers had chance to come down. Expecting mellow class 3/4. We had our nerves handed to us on a plate on the first section. Non stop action in a narrow tree strewn, no eddy roller coaster ride. The second two sections we chose were definitely more mellow less tree strewn and we were able to relax and enjoy it alot more. This section includes the candian slalom teams training ground Tamihi rapid...this is one tough slalom course. Big volume, holey boulder garden that feels like it goes on forever. One advantage to the chilliwack is its free Camping and spectacular sights. Wondering about how we are shuttling in our new keep fit regime (in order to obtain Rambo physique see further down) we are now putting our walmart super bikes to full use and in the last three days we (Si) have biked over 30km.

Fed up of rain and no showers we headed to HOPE (or as the guide book describes abandon all hope). Hope was the only place we could get a hotel room. Hope is famous for being used in many Hollywood films (if the rain clouds would lift for a minute we would see the beautiful surrounding mountains). The most famous film being Rambo First blood... we did the one street tour in Astro tonight.

Si after the bike shuttle!!

Skook

We have spent the last two days at the Skookumchuck Wave, An awesome ocean wave. The rapid is formed when the tide comes in and goes from quiet calm water to a raging boiling mass of white water and forms one of the world best play waves.

Campground Sunset

Simon

Alex

Cheryl

David

An unfortunate part of the skook rapids is the whirlpools...Cheryl managed to "Take the tour" and was eaten by a rather large whirlpool, the down time was about 20 - 30 seconds but it was long enough for Cheryl to depart ways with her kayak...and a rather long and cold swim followed...she didn't take the tour again..

Northern Washington

From Mt Rainier we headed north through Washington. Enjoying a heatwave, we were looking for some play runs as a warm up for skookumchuck, and to cool down.

First run we came to was the Middle Fork Snoquolomie, which was an enjoyable class 3 run. We were joined by our friend Jonny from Vermont, who had flown into Seattle for a Wedding in BC the next week.

Next we headed over to the Skykomish, were we found a higher volume run, with one significant class 4 rapid, still the awesome play was eluding us.

Big Rapid on the Skykomish

Jonny Enjoying the playboating on the Skykomish

Following the Skykomish, we headed up Stevens Pass and over to the Wenatchee. We looked at Tumwater Canyon of the Wenatchee, and also a popular creeking run Icicle creek. But decided that it may be better to leave Tumwater for lower flows, and not all of us had creekers for the Icicle……. Anyway, we were staying near Levenworth, a Bavarian themed town

when another friend joined us for the Lower Wenachee. This one finally delivered the pay we were looking for. High volume, and numerous good surfing possibilities, both on the fly and with eddy service.

Cheryl surfing the first good wave on the Wenachee

Alex surfing a couple of nice small waves on the Wenatchee

Simon, Alex and Jonny on Granny wave on the Wenatchee

A repeat of the Skykomish, and we headed over the border. We said goodbye to Jonny, and the US for the moment, and started our drive via Vancouver to the legendary Skookumchuck tidal rapids….

Washington Mountains and Apes!!

MT Hood

MT St Helens (Still active volcano)

Mt Rainer

At the base of MT Rainier Snow Angels can be found.

Ape Caves

(Okay so it there wasn't any apes but it was a 1 mile hile underground through a lava tube)

Washington Pictures are slowly being uploaded to Webshots under the Washington folder