New year, new club exec, hopefully some blog updates!

Well it's been a quiet year for the Brigade, at least on the club 'blog, as most people seem to have taken to the club's Facebook page.

Members got out on local rivers, and it was quite the year for PG whitewater as the early warm weather followed by the rains in summer meant that the river levels came up and stayed up. We also got out to Smithers, Clearwater and Likely paddlefests.

Now the paddling gear has been packed away for the winter, the club held its annual general meeting and elected a bunch of fresh new faces (as well as some grizzled old ones):

President: Kim
Vice President: Kyle
Treasurer: Rick
Secretary: Mark

Additionally there are new directors:

Gear: Alex
Safety: Carli
Media: Fraser
Member at large: Duncan

We will be posting up dates for the club's winter pool sessions shortly but in the meantime, have a fun filled winter season!

Fraser.

Eastline has begun!

 Norno, Al, Freezer, Nevin, Chris and Curt made the first of the annual pilgrimage to McBride for some Holmes and Dore action. Holmes was a good warm up as it was a little on the lowish side from previous years when we normally run it in flood. The run was full of its normal holes with a massive one formed at the top of the first rapid but easily avoidable on the left or right. The white kilometer was not as big with the lower water levels but was fairly technical. There was enough going on that it made Al pull of his first combat roll in his Karma, pretty good since he's had the boat for a few years. Beaver falls never disappoints with a few different lines tried and most coming out un-scathed. 
As always in McBride, the main course is the Dore. Level was 1.7 which is lower than previous years of 1.9 and 2.2. River temps were a little warmer. The lower levels made for a very technical run to avoid the uncountable holes and made for a few last minute boofs to get out of a bad spot. Hail to the big volume creeker....The crux rapid below the bridge had the normal line blocked by wood so we took the "Nacho" line to left which required a few moves to avoid "Nacho's Hole." Even with the lower levels, the rapid before the take out was still fluffy with a few boats subbing out in a few beauty holes. 
Good day on the river with the fellas with the return trip already in the works.
- Words By Curt 

Chris in Beaver Falls - Photo Freezer

Is it spring yet?

The NWBPC official pool sessions have come to a close. There was a great turnout and it was good to see a lot of new faces and old.  As a reminder if you want to support the brigade and get involved join the club!

Thus far spring has been... interesting. We have had a mini freshet with low elevation snow pack getting an head start on melting at the end of March followed by cold nights and a reduction of flows. With precipitation in the forecast and and warmer temperatures (as I type the long range forecast is calling for snow...) some of the spring runs will hopefully come in.

With the Bowron stalled and the Willow hovering about a foot above play a trip to Likely was in order!   A good group hit the Upper Quesnel at a friendly level and found solid boating and some subtle changes in best drop that allow for a nearly straight shot between the top two holes.  *** The Constriction (Devils Eyebrow) has a nasty piece of WOOD in it.  The portage is not ideal and if Deep Throat or the holes that follow kick your ass the wood in the constriction could very well be a career ender***

Richard at the notch - notice the wood... Photo: Chris David

This is also the time of year to look for gear - keep an eye on the facebook page as there are a few boat swaps coming up and there tend to be some online deals as the more needy gulp back the koolaid and sell their older gear to finance the next new thing.   I know I moved into Kokatat's new Idol Dry suit and have to say it is way nicer than an old wet suit and drytop combo!

Remember the water is cold, and wood is a real possibility. Be prepared.

We'll see you on the river!
NWBPC on Facebook

Pool Sessions!

It's that time of year when the Brigade boaters shake off the ice and snow and head to the PG Aquatic Center to get our roll on. It is a great time for new or newer paddlers to come along, say hello, and get rolling in the nice warm pool. 

Details this year:
Where - PG Aquatic Centre. When - March 11th to April 15th, Wednesday evenings, 9-10pm. How much - First session will be $25, which includes membership of the Northwest Brigade for one year and insurance via CKBC. Subsequent pool sessions $5. If you are a seasoned paddler or just fancy trying something new, come along. 
Beers after 

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Summer time...

First off the Willow is prime for play so grab your boat and get down there!

Two generations setting up for synchronized loops - Photo Kim

Looking back at a great spring... 

Bowron Boating

The Bowron river saw a bunch of boating as the Boulder Section is a great early season spot that provides a great bouncy class II run with minimal shuttle needs (bike, hike or drive all are good!). With some new boaters and SUP'ers out on the water and whole lotta fun to be had.

The Portage Canyon Section also saw some action and a bunch of hiking as well.  The road to the take out has degraded to a fun 4x4 with Al and Phil roughing it out so it was passable.  The log jam that use to sit river left in the canyon is gone and at high flows left, right and even a boof over the big rock middle left are possible... although I would recommend the standard middle right line.  

P.S. Now that the wood is gone the wave in Portage looks nice and green... 

East Line

The annual pilgrimage out to the McBride area hit full swing this year with the Holmes and Dore seeing several runs in  the cold snow melt leading up to the annual paddlefest. 

Not much to say other than YeeeHaw! (and mind the holes)

Bouncing Down the Dore - Photo Norno

More Dore - Photo Norno

Nacho in Beaver Falls - Photo Norno

   

Road trippers

Al and I made the trip out to Grande Cache for the Paddle fest and had a great time.  Met up with some of our friends from Alberta and got on the Musky, Smokey and Sheep.

I know I'll be going back as the boating was top notch! (although my photography is not)

The Cottonwood saw a trip as well with some carnage in Jimmy Jack Joe and some great boating with the Quesnel crew.

Graham leading into Kickoff

Jimmy, Jack Joe

Nevin getting ready to meet a hole...

Annual PG Paddlefest 

Once again we headed east to take in the Robson Valley and the great hospitality of Loos.

A small turn out and some higher water on the Morekill didn't bring us down as a good crew pulled of a run on the Morekill below the falls.

Grade 5 hike to put on

Last words before the put on

Scouting Horseshoe falls

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 And runs on the Dore and Holmes rounded out the fest until next time. (or until I get some more pictures and video).

Winter and warming up to Pool Sessions

Winter in PG can be cold, snowy and offers surprisingly few kayaking options besides hitting the road and heading south or out to the coast. 

That doesn't mean the Brigade stops or there is nothing going on. Folks are hitting the pool or getting in some time on the snow to keep them out of trouble.

Of course it is also fun to sit back kill a few cans and watch the videos that were put together last season featuring some brigade boaters, local ish rivers etc...

http://vimeo.com/81907282

http://vimeo.com/79009269

https://vimeo.com/72396003

Winter is a great time for new boater to spend some time thinking about boating, looking into gear and getting into the pool to work out one of the fundamental skills for whitewater kayaking... the roll.  The interwebz is full of really good instructional videos that break down the roll and provide insight into some of the techniques that are integral to getting down the river. 

Chris at H2O Dreams has a great set of videos that cover all sorts of kayaking stuff (from gear and how to get into it to big playboating moves) check ‘em out.

http://www.whitewaterdreams.com/

Another great source for instructional style videos:

http://vimeo.com/jezjez

And there are a host of paddling blogs worth checking out.

http://www.unsponsored.co.uk/press/

http://demshitz.com/

http://www.kayaksession.com/
http://www.whitewatergrandprix.com/
http://www.canoekayak.com/

We're not just a whitewater kayaking posse

This past summer (August 2013) Leanne and I (pictured above) had an opportunity to paddle the Broken Group Islands in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. The Broken Group are a network of approximately 100 islands off West Coast Vancouver Island. The network of small islands allows for sheltered sea kayak touring on an otherwise exposed coastal region. West coast Vancouver Island is, in general, a rich ecological and cultural area. It is home to five different first nations and tribes, many of whom live in isolated coastal areas. Most noticeable during our visit was the fact that we were recreating in a temperate rainforest. In nearby Port Alberni (100kms West of Ucluelet) the weather was as dry or drier than the Okanagan. The Ucluelet, Tofino, and Pacific Rim regions were lush this past August. This was an advantage we revelled in to enjoy midsummer, beachside campfires (campfire bans restricted opportunities for fires in most southern part of the province for most of the summer months). 

We opted for a guided day kayak tour with Majestic Ocean Kayaking for our adventure. A torn left rotator cuff injury was a factor in seeking ways to avoid long crossings from Vancouver Island to the Broken Group. Options for manageable crossings do exist. I found a great resource in a superb guide book authored by John Kimantas. In preparation for our trip I purchased his book "The BC Coast Explorer." The book offers great trip advice, invaluable info on the cultural and ecological significance of many areas, and detailed, kayak touring specific maps that aid in trip planning. However, local knowledge for any paddling trip should never be underestimated. The assistant guide on our trip described an easy, efficient, launch and route for reaching the Broken Group not described in the most recent guide books.

Majestic Ocean Kayaking provided a sea taxi to the Broken Group. Two proficient guides led us through a maze of islands and calm, and sheltered waters. They interpreted the sea life below us, and allowed us to leisurely enjoy the rugged landscape that revealed itself around each point we navigated. Despite the constant rain throughout our tour, we enjoyed our experience. The taxi operator had recently taken an interest in crafting traditional Greenland-style touring kayak paddles and had offered his prototype to the assistant guide to try for our tour. The guide subsequently offered the paddle to me. After a few awkward strokes, I couldn't put it down. I initially doubted it's ability to efficiently propel me through the water. However, after paddling with it for five minutes I was amazed by the single piece of cedar's ability to "pop" out of the water, and the effortlessness involved with each stroke. The smell of of the cedar paddle was also a reprieve from the carbon fibre contraption and over-used/under laundered gear I was accustomed to.

Leanne and I used a combination of Bed and Breakfasts and campgrounds for accommodations during our trip. The B&B's were "hit and miss." We had an exceptional experience at the tour operator's accommodations http://www.majesticoceanbb.ca/. Private accommodations and a much needed soak in the seaside hot tub awaited us there, along with a comfortable room and a great breakfast the next day. For supper in Ucluelet we recommend Hank's http://www.hanksucluelet.com/. They serve great local fare on a menu that is constantly evolving. We also stayed at Wya Point Campground during our time on West Coast Vancouver Island. Although somewhat dysfunctional as an operation, this is probably the best private campground camping available in the country simply due to it's location. We camped beachside, with crashing surf and the smell of the ocean outside our vestibule. We relaxed evenings with a campfire and the sound of crashing surf as we nursed craft brews from Tofino Brewing Co. (Leanne's fav was Reign in Blonde while mine was Tuff Sessions).

We had a great time on the West Coast of the Island. Expect rain even if it's bone dry for the rest of the province. The advantage is that you'll still be able to have a campfire and you'll enjoy lush scenery wherever you go. A sea kayaking course is recommended if you intend to navigate coastal waters on your own (Paddle Canada Level 2 skills award recommended). Otherwise, guided trips are the way to go.