After having the opportunity last year to travel out to the Hood River area in Oregon, I couldn’t miss another year of fantastic whitewater in the Northwest. As May rolled around, exams were finishing up, and school was ending, Taylor Cofer, Ryan McAvoy, Will Rudisill, and I loaded up the car right after our last exam and headed on the long road west. This year we arrived to some truly spectacular water levels in the Columbia River Gorge. Upon arriving to the Gorge, the Little White was at a fluffy 4+ feet and Eagle Creek was going at a roasting flow!!! After driving 40+ hours we started off our trip right, by starting the hike up Eagle Creek. Our first day was incredible falling off Metlako and Punchbowl, but the flow was one of the highest I had ever seen, making the pool below Metlako insanely dangerous and rowdy.
Typical scene of on the way out to the West, out of gas…
Coming into HIGH water Metlako after the 40+ hour drive. Braaaapppp!
Fred setting down the landing gear off Metlako, day 2. Photo- Dylan McKinney
mmmm Punchbowl.
The beginning of our trip was followed by a excessive amount of Little White Laps. Yes, go ahead and do your self a favor and get out to the LDUB, it is hyped up for good reason. No doubt one of the best runs on Earth!! Check out a few images from the Little White!
Myself getting Spiritual off of the Iconic Spirit Falls. Photo- Taylor Cofer
Floating off of Boulder Sluice.
Boogie down the LDUB. Oh. So. Good.
Stove pipe Rapid.
In-between being eddyed out in Hood doing LDUB and White Salmon laps, we made the journey north to Leavenworth where we did a fair bit of camping in the truly gorgeous cascades, took a soul lap on the Skykomish, and went on a true mission on Nason Creek with the crew and fellow Pyranha teammate Clay Lucas. After leaving Leavenworth we made it up to the classic Robe Canyon, just north of Seattle. Robe (possibly the Linville Gorge of the Northwest??) was such a spectacular place surrounded by a fantastic boating community! Just before heading back east we camped out by the White River, near Bend, OR and sneaked in a clutch stealth dawn patrol mission at 4:30 in the morning so we could grab the iconic Celestial Falls.
…and the spectacular light during our dawn patrol of Celestial.
A spectacular view of the Cascades on the Skykomish! Good for the soul.
Camping out in amidst the Cascades, just outside Leavenworth.
The brutal and unexpected portage on Nason Creek.
Check out the short I put together up on EpicTV of our trip!!
— http://www.epictv.com/media/podcast/paddling-the-fine-line-between-kayak-heaven-and-kayak-hell-%7C-everlasting-flow-ep-5/277575
Having too much fun in route to Celestial!
Thanks everyone for your gracious hospitality in the Northwest, especially Clay and Hayley Lucas, and Preston (P-Money) Brown!! Till next year!
Cheers,
Dylan