O R C K A

St Mary - Environmental Flows

2011-07-09T16:22:00.003-06:00

Paddlerz might notice that the lower St. Mary is being 'ramped' - there's a gradual recession of flow. This should continue through much of the summer and flows should be paddleable through July.

This is part of a deliberate 'Environmental Flow' strategy - an attempt to promote reproduction of cottonwoods and willows, discourage some invasive weeds, and promote the aquatic ecosystem and trout fishery. With the abundant water this year, Ab. Env. and the irrigation districts are working together to try to enable some environmental restoration and the recreational paddling is an associated benefit.

The photo shows a cottonwood branch with abundant seeds that we placed at the water's edge at the start of the ramping. As the water drops, we hope that the seeds will gradually fall and land on the moist surfaces ... and hopefully a new generation of cottonwood trees will follow.

Everything's up

2011-06-12T18:35:00.004-06:00

Hey boaterz,

Hope everyone's gettin' out - all local rivers are up and there's lots more snow to melt! We should be in for a long paddling season.

An entertaining run on the Crowsnest today with about 15 kayakers from various places.

Enjoy!

Lower two medicine river

2011-05-29T15:05:00.002-06:00

There is relatively little information floating around about the lower two medicine river near Browing Montana and Cut Bank Montana. For instance, American Whitewater only has a single entry about a surf wave somewhere near Browining. "floating and recreation on Montana rivers" by Curt Thompson is the only source of information I've been able to find.

Thompson describes the section between Highway 89 near Heart Butte to Highway 358 near Cut Bank as "nine class II to III rapids. A class IV is just upstream and visible from the Highway 44 bridge.". Since maps don't clearly show where the Highway 44 bridge may be, the difficulty of this run is uncertain. In addition, translating Thompson's float grades to modern kayaking grades is uncertain. For instance, the upper two medicine describes two medicine falls as unportageable and unrunnable. It is in fact only moderately difficult and very easy if one knows the basics of a body rappel (and has a throw bag). The falls are also a straight forward V.

While the section from Highway 89 to 358 is 40 miles, Thompson describes a shorter section from highway 358 to Sullivan bridge as a 14 mile section containing two class IV and two class III.

If anyone is interested in taking advantage of the rare flows on this run this Saturday, please email Chris at cgoble72 at gmail.

UPDATE

Did the bike shuttle on the middle run (89 to 358) and then ran that section. Very flat. Scenery is nice, but gets repetitive. All the rapids are very small and would be fun in a canoe. I would definitely not call the last 9 miles "whitewater". There are some easy waves and the occasional wide ledge with a nice flat spinning wave/hole. The last rapid is a classic. Much better than it looks from the road. Well work hiking up with your boat to run.

It would be interesting to see what the lower section is like.

Costa Rica

2011-04-27T19:12:00.000-06:00

Not often do I get to post about a location outside of Canada. Never have I been able to post from a location where the water was warm! Like many of you ORCKA paddlers, the dream is to paddle warm water. I was able to fulfill this from my bucket list this week. While it wasn't extreme, since we are here before the rainy season, it was good enough! Some nice class II water with a few nice drops with sharp turns kept it interesting.

I spent a lot of time looking at the dry rivers and imagining how they must swell during the rainy season. Here is one of the smaller rivers we passed over.

Apparently, during the rainy season it gets crazy stupid with the flows and levels!
Has anyone else out there had the opportunity to hit warm water paddling? Do tell!

Lower St. Flowing

2011-04-26T19:08:00.002-06:00

Looks like the Lower St. is flowing for a while. It's at 32cms which is an excellent flow for some mellow fun. Birch hole is at its best around these flows. If I remember things don't change much from the high 20's until 70cms.

Surf's Up

2010-09-24T17:06:00.002-06:00

We've had an epic early summer on the Lower St. Mary and the dam's been opened again for the autumn draw-down of the reservoir, which looked quite full yesterday.

Sunny weather for the next while and mid-20's. Good flows and we should be out surfin' probably Monday and/or Tues. mid-day.

Hope everyone's had a good summer.

Stew & Di

Swiftcurrent Flowing

2010-07-31T20:49:00.001-06:00

Drove by Many Glacier today and noticed that the Swiftcurrent creek is flowing nicely. This is a class 1+ to !!- run. Once you hit the confluence it is a fast boulder bed flush with a few half river wide sweepers (II).

Great August run. Catch it is you can.

Lower St Mary 220

2010-06-27T19:38:00.006-06:00

(Chris C. & Di in R-n-R)

With great weather, another excellent run on the Lower. Flows are dropping quite gradually and wave trains are forming but the waves are still moving, they're not standing waves yet.
Dump and R-n-R were pretty big (for us elders), and the Hairpin Haystack was very big.

(Gary B. doin' the Mamba launch in Hairpin)

(Chris in the Hairpin haystack)

(photos by Irene & Di)

Trips June 21 - June 27

2010-06-23T15:00:00.001-06:00

Lets paddle paddle paddle. put your trips in the below comments for everyone to see!!!
See Below Posts for Mark and Clay's Lower St. Mary's Adventures!!!

Surfing below Hairpin

2010-06-23T11:32:00.001-06:00

If you get a chance, the wave below hairpin is pretty fun. It's close to river left and is easy to get on from shore. The far left is smaller and smoother with the river middle section being much bigger and bouncier! I was giggling like a school girl when I was on it the first time. It had to be at least 6ft from crest to trough so when your on top of it you're looking down a steep slope. If we didn't get such a late start, we would have spent more time playing. Here is the video.

Lower St. Marys at 300

2010-06-23T10:15:00.000-06:00

Our trip out on the Lower Saint was so much fun that we thought it would be fun to celebrate the solstice with a paddle last night. With a 7pm start and me running out of gas on the way home it was another typical adventure for the "old men". Much like at 450, most things were washed out. Rain wave was harder to surf, not that it was good at 450. The class II ledge was good, but not as wide, so a smaller sweet spot. The dump were big haystacks, not much to surf which leads us to the big two!
Run-no-Run was still big. Less washed out, so more technical. Last time we took the sneak route running right of center, but this time we ran left of center. My my.... waves sure look bigger from the kayak vs. the shore! I got a bit nervous at one point, but braced well and made it to hairpin.
Hairpin was big and fun! Better line this time, hit the tongue dead center, but this presented it's own problems. The haystacks and waves that follow the main drop are so big and turbulent that you can't judge how they'll throw your boat. Super fun but kept us on our toes. Again we managed to avoid being trashed!
Lastly, there was a wave below hairpin that ROCKED!! I thought I would post some video of it later today.
I don't think we'll hit the lower saint again at these flows, but I hope to read about some others!

Lower St. Marys at 450

2010-06-20T14:51:00.010-06:00

Here's the pictures and video from our run down the Lower St. Marys. As was mentioned before everything is washed out, but there was a ton of big waves and haystacks. The waves running hairpin felt like they were 6 to 9ft high. Not sure if that's due to the fact that I was getting worked a bit or they really were that big. Maybe something below will interest you.

Trips June 14 - June 20

2010-06-14T10:58:00.003-06:00

Lower St. Mary's is still flowing and is a great after work run! it will probably be flowing for a couple more weeks, so lets be hitting it up! BUT if you are planning any other trips let us hear about it, so we all can get out and paddle.
See ya on the river

Cameron Creek's "20 footer" from a number of years ago at med flows.

Same location. The trees disappeared a number of years ago.

TRIPS JUNE 7 - JUNE 13

2010-06-06T16:05:00.002-06:00

Lower St. is still pushing and its still a great level right now!!! Lets get our groove on and head out after work and have a ball!!! also let us know of any other trips being planned.

TRIPS JUNE 1 - JUNE 6

2010-05-31T10:21:00.001-06:00

WATER LEVELS ARE COMING UP! LET US KNOW WHERE YOU ARE HEADED TO!!!

Trips MAY 13 - MAY 31

2010-05-13T11:32:00.002-06:00

The sun is finally came out to play so if you got any trips planned let us know!!!

Trips MAY 1 - MAY 9

2010-04-23T16:18:00.003-06:00

Looks like some of the local rivers are up and paddable. The Castle is at 32cms, Belly is too low, Middle Fork is getting High (9000cfs), Swiftcurrent is 335cfs (500cfs is a good flow), and the accessible East Kootenays runs seem to be flowing well.

Post your trips here.

Early Season Road Trips

2010-04-11T22:23:00.002-06:00

If you are wanting to get in shape for the short season that is likely to happen, consider taking a 4 day weekend to one of these areas

- Missoula. The lochsa river is truly amazing, and there are lots of natural hotsprings. Expect about 9h one way. Solid class III to IV.

-Silverton - The St. Joes river is pretty nice, and the towns around the area are super cool. See american whitewater for details. Expect about 3-4h past Koocanusa (9h). Easy creek style class III to IV. Much less intimidating than the power of the lochsa.

Paddling has Begun

2010-04-01T13:20:00.001-07:00

a few people are making trips out to the KAN this Easter weekend. Also there has been some trips on the weekends to the ELK river. we are doing the distance, but its well worth it! leave your comments if you are taking any trips this pre-season time!!!

2009-11-14T18:06:00.001-07:00

Pool kayaking sessions are on in Lethbridge at the UofL Thursdays from 8:30pm to 9:30pm. The club boats are there for anyone to use. Last week there was about 9 people present.

Waterton Creeks

2009-07-28T17:02:00.001-06:00

With this recent rain it looks like the Waterton creeks may be runable. Blackiston is low but probably doable (at least today and tomorrow). Cameron is low and probably doable as well. I would suggest putting in at something nasty to avoid the low water grinds above. Boundary should also be able to be run.

Chris
cgoble72 at gmail

Trips July 20-30, 2009

2009-07-20T20:35:00.001-06:00

Post your trips for the next week and a bit...

Trips July 7 - July 19

2009-07-06T12:16:00.001-06:00

Post your trips... your hopeful trips... your dream trips ... Just let us know who wants to get out on the river and lets make plans!!!

Trips June 29th - July 5th

2009-06-30T10:05:00.000-06:00

Gear Rentals

2009-06-30T09:35:00.000-06:00

Its taken a while and I'm sorry for that. I have all the ORCKA gear if anyone is wanting to get out paddling and nothing to paddle. I'm going to try and do rental pick-up/drop-off on Monday and Thursday from 6-8pm. You'll need to call first, as I won't be there if I'm not expecting anyone.
You can call me at 403-894-0740 or email tyronesiphone@gmail.com

Trips June 22 - June 28

2009-06-22T12:03:00.001-06:00

had a beautiful weekend of paddling and heard of some great paddles that people went on during the week! so hopefully this week will also be a wonderful week, so lets get some plans made!!!

Trips June 15 - June 21

2009-06-17T07:17:00.000-06:00

Flows have been unusual this year, but if anyone is going out on the river let us know... Have fun on the rivers!

Gear for Sale

2009-06-15T20:34:00.004-06:00

In a year of building a house and taking on some other projects, having two kayaks seems a little redundant. I am selling my green Jackson Fun ($800 obo), a bent shaft Lendal paddle that has never been used/only assembled ($250 obo), and other miscellaneous gear... I'll list the other misc. stuff in the comments when I figure out what needs to go. Please feel free to use this post as a GEAR SWAP for stuff that you would like to sell/trade as well. Call me at 403-448-0311. Cheers.

Trips June 8 - June 14

2009-06-09T08:13:00.001-06:00

Water levels are great so lets get some trips and let us know of some trips if you want more company!!! See you all on the river.

Creeking Course

2009-06-04T14:45:00.002-06:00

Endless Adventure's Kayak Academy presents:
Playboating and Creeking Clinic June 13&14

Playboating Saturday, Creek Boating Sunday

One day $140
Two Days $270

Call the shop for more info or to sign up!
Endless Adventure
1.877.FUN.8181
info@endlessadventure.ca
www.endlessadventure.ca

Another creeking course was offered by aquabatics a little while ago

http://kayakhotdogs.blogspot.com/2009/06/aquabatics-introduction-to.html

Trips May 28 - June 7

2009-06-01T16:50:00.001-06:00

Post them here. Also, don't forget High Level's boater call list.

http://www.highlevelcanoesandkayaks.com/people.htm

Everything should be up and ready to go. Watch for some wood on the constriction after Fish Ladder on Cameron Creek. The usual local who cuts those things out in the spring wasn't there this year.

Glen C. and some other area boaters are looking for someone to go down Drywood (Spionokop) with. I think I still have his # - although the road access doesn't open until June 15, and the run itself may need another week to be prime.

Alberta Paddle Fest

2009-06-01T13:11:00.001-06:00

Below is information regarding the Alberta Paddle Fest; please forward this onto your club membership and anyone interested in attending.

Welcome to the third annual Alberta Paddle Fest July 11-12, 2009!
Registration for APF is now up on the website! Visit www.albertapaddlefest.ca.

Registration Deadline is July 8th at 12 am (midnight)!

Alberta Paddle Fest serves to promote paddling in Alberta. This event broadly represents the involvement and interests of paddling organizations, clubs, industry representatives and river users within the recreational and competitive paddling communities. APF is about fun activities, social networking and promoting the safety and sustainability of our paddling environment.

Hosted by the Alberta Whitewater Association in conjunction with Paddle Alberta, join us on the Red Deer River, southwest of Sundre, for a weekend of skills development, recreational canoeing and kayaking and a relaxed social event.

- Clinics and river runs for beginners to advanced paddlers
- No boat? No problem! Demo boats available from Aquabatics, Undercurrents, MEC, the U of C Outdoor Centre and Canada West Paddle Sports
- All ages and all abilities welcome
- Paddle sport demo clinics, hiking, rafting and trail riding offered by nearby outfitters for non paddlers

Paddlers and those who enjoy the river culture are invited to come out to the Red Deer River to celebrate whitewater paddling in Alberta!

To register and see updates surf over to www.albertapaddlefest.ca! For news and updates please click on “APF Updates”. Please be sure to read the APF Information page prior to APF Registration. Valuable information on instructional clinics, levels and overall event programming can be found there. For information on what to expect at APF please visit our APF Programs page and of course, please browse the rest of this site! Have fun!
Contact Saskia van Mourik at awatd@telus.net for more information.

Click Here to Place Your Vote in the Cutest Dog Ever Contest!

Please Join Alberta Paddle Fest Group on Facebook! Upload Photos and Video for Friends to See!

Cheers
S

Saskia van Mourik
Technical Director
Alberta Whitewater Association
www.albertawhitewater.ca
awatd@telus.net
skype address: saskia.van.mourik

186ft Waterfall Drop

2009-05-26T23:53:00.001-06:00

Thought I would post a link to this... kinda sick.

http://kayakwaterfalls.com/

Trips May 20 - May 27

2009-05-19T20:47:00.003-06:00

Post em here if you are taking advantage of the good water this weekend. Most everything should be good to go. Just watch out for too high water if you venture south.

10km that look just like this - "Big Creek"

Typical Rapids on "Big Creek" - Nice class III that just doesn't let up

OKAY... LET'S GET THIS SEASON STARTED!!!

2009-05-06T12:45:00.000-06:00

rivers are still low, but we want to know who's going out, cause i'm itching to go and I am pretty sure a lot more of you are just itching to go too!!!! so leave your comments of any adventures happening this next few weeks!

What To Do When Your Home Rivers Are Still Frozen!!! -- By David Stephan

2009-05-06T12:23:00.004-06:00

On a recent trip to Barbados, I attempted to do some surfing. After days of frustration and little success I decided to try what I know. KAYAKING. Unfortunately there is only one place on the island that I know of that you can get hooked up with a Kayak. As well it was my last day there and by the time I got the Kayak, I only had about a half hour to play.

The waves were big and it was definitely different from kayaking on a river. When you got flipped, you would get caught in the churn and it would beat you up, try to steal your paddle, and not want to let you go. Way more powerful than any rapid I have ever encountered on a river.

If you ever have a chance to go surfing in the ocean with a Kayak, I highly recommend it. Just be prepped for a bit of a beating.

Story and Adventure by:

David Stephan

Rapid Magazine

2009-03-20T16:05:00.002-07:00

If you pick up the latest copy of Rapid magazine, see if you can spot one of our local rapids in it. Any guesses?

New Boats

2009-01-22T23:57:00.003-07:00

New Boats

I saw this one and thought of Wilco. Maybe if he gets one of these we might see him on the river a ton this year!

ENTER A NEW Z.ONE

A descendent of the legendary InaZone, the Z.One has newly developed features that have been modernized for today`s paddling styles.
The paddler gets a substantially greater control over the movement of the kayak on the water, improved balance and a lifted knee position for more efficient paddling strokes.

Aspiring kayakers will benefit from the Z.Ones stability and manoeuvrability whilst surfing a wave or on any river features you want to play or run, whilst those returning from a few years off will find a kayak that feels familiar enough for them to engage with and get back into the sport.

Why not...?

2009-01-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well no posts in a while so here is a quick one...

Anyone get any cool paddling gear for Christmas? I got carpet and lino, not much for paddling, except it might amount to more available paddling time this spring. How about you Nathan?

Some Interesting waves from the Summer

2008-08-25T23:22:00.002-06:00

Well the Summer didn't yield the paddling I was hoping for, but we were pretty busy with home renos, my Masters and regular chores. I did however come by some interesting waves that I thought I would mention.

Powerhouse Wave

I saw this one mentioned on a website so I thought I would check it out. There are a whole bunch of signs that say not boating, so I wonder if kayaking counts? Regardless, the flows were less than those I was on the website. This wave is coming out of Gardner Dam, about 1hr north of my wife's families cabin in Saskatchewan.

This is the play wave in downtown Missoula, Montana. For a town of 65,ooo they're doing pretty good. I wish we had such a wave in our town!

Well, maybe someday we can get something like that here. Any ideas?

Interest in 2 day Kananaskis River Trip

2008-07-29T12:58:00.003-06:00

Well the season is about finished. Rivers are getting really low and the snow is finally about gone from the mountains. BUT I am not ready to give up paddling this season, so I want hit the Kan for a couple of days on a weekend trip. It will probably be a Friday and Saturday session. If you have an interest in going please let me know. Just leave your comments and a possible weekend that you can go. It will probably be around mid-late August!

Paddling July 17 - 20.

2008-07-17T11:07:00.002-06:00

So what are peoples plans for with weekend in terms of getting out and playing in the rivers?

South Fork Two Medicine Report

2008-07-10T11:07:00.007-06:00

Well Nathan and I hiked in to check out a low volume run on the south fork of the two medicine. It was definitely a lot less stressful than the high water run of last month.

The walk in from the pipeline cut by Marias pass was actually pretty easy. We parked at the cut line, and walked a few hundred meters along the cut until we hit a very good quad trail. The quad trail was essentially down hill all the way, and didn't really take too much effort. We weren't brave enough to try and find the dirt road that accesses the cabins 1/3 of the way down the run.

The middle fork of the flathead was flowing at 6800cfs. We figure a low volume kayak run on for the South fork of the two medicine would be about 10,000cfs (on the Middle Fork gauge). High water would be at about 20,000 cfs on the middle fork gauge. As it was, we had to scrape our way down. Once in the canyon we got some decent water levels, but we really missed out on some of the rapids. However the canyon does have some ledges that could get nasty at higher flows.

I would say at normal flows the run would have lots of really good class II to class III rapids. There will be about a half dozen solid class IV ledges. This is a long run that is a blend of the highwood and castle falls runs, in a remote canyon.

flood water at the put in. Middle fork Gauge at ~25,000cfs to 30,000cfs

the same location with very low flows (6,800cfs on middle fork gauge)

a little rock ledge that was buried at high flows. This was the last drop before our hike out.

typical scenery after the canyon

The first set of ledges before getting to the canyon

typical features just above the canyon

the first canyon drop. Quite a bit different looking than at high flows below.

Looking at the first canyon drop at high (flood) flows.

another one of many ledges in the canyon

the waterfall we couldn't port around at high flows.

the run out near the end. The canyon walls never seem like they will stop - making for stressful boating at high water when you don't know the river

Trips July 7 to 14

2008-07-09T16:22:00.000-06:00

Post them here. I haven't seen such a long high water season for quite a while!

Trips 30th - July 6th

2008-06-30T17:47:00.000-06:00

Family Float June 30

2008-06-29T14:00:00.002-06:00

With the lower St. Mary flowing and 34C forecast, we propose a family float through Box Canyon for Monday.

This would be similar to last year's trip as we'll bring our raft and kids and we'd have room for a few others in the raft, and others could kayak or canoe.

Nathan - are you and your kids interested in joining us?

This is a chance to bring your non-kayaker spouse/partner along on one of our favorite local runs.

If you haven't yet enjoyed the lower St. Mary, it's a II+ run with a couple of III's and then Run-no-run (III+) and Hairpin (IV). All rapids are easy to portage (the kids will walk around the 2 bigger rapids). With flow of 45 cms, rapids will be smaller but there should be good play spots and surf, and warm water.

Reply on the blog and give us a call to reserve space on the raft.

Stew & Di
403-320-9601

TRIPS JUNE 23rd to 29th

2008-06-27T14:44:00.000-06:00

Upper St. Mary's

2008-06-27T11:44:00.005-06:00

Well this year has been great for the upper St. Mary's river. We have had consistent flows of anywhere from 70 cms to 100 cms. These flows give you a variety of playing opportunities. Some of the waves get more defined and playful while others change shape and get pushier, making it harder to stay in for long amounts of time. But Everything is playful at these flows and I do mean everything. I can't say enough with words, but I have had a BLAST on all the surf waves and features that were just NOT around last year.
I have been in Cardston for the last few weeks and been able to go out and kayak this river whenever someone gives me the opportunity. I have been paddling with a number of people on this river this year. It has been a lot of fun meeting new people and seeing the different skills and abilities that each paddler has.
The public access is great for this river. The take-out is either at the Kimball River Sports parking area or at the Kimball Campground. To get to the take out you just pass Cardston heading South on Highway 2 then there will be a left hand turn that will take you past Aetna (Highway 501). Pass Aetna and keep traveling south until you cross a bridge over the St. Mary's River then take a right onto Range Rd. 250. Here you should see the Kimball River Sports parking area and office directly to the right and the campground is a little further down the road on the right through a white metal gate. You can't miss the Kimball River Sports cause they have a huge fleet of big red school buses. Once you have dropped off you take-out shuttle, take the gravel road (Range Rd. 250) that you turned onto right after the bridge, and keep heading south on it. The nice thing about this public access is that there is a sign of a man carrying his canoe with arrows directing you where to go, so follow him right to the put-in. This access is on a gravel road all the way to the river.
The river has some great features. Your first river bend to the left comes to a really nice eddy on river right that you can do some really fun Stern Squirts. At medium to high flows the first fun surf wave can catch you by surprise if you don't know where it is. Just a few hundred feet down stream of the river's first split in the river there will be a wave that rarely breaks at the top, so don't look for a white top. It is a very low profile wave that will hold you, but its not steep or a high wave. It's long and low. after this wave you will come up to a big left hand curve in the river. This next big feature is Blender. At medium to high flows an upper wave forms above Blender that is probably the smoothest surf wave of them all. I swear I was surfing in it for almost 10 minutes once (or at least that's what it felt like to me). Just below this wave is the main wave Blender which is a river wide feature. It becomes a pour-over at much lower flows, but its a big wave hole at medium to high flows. there are no eddies to paddle up, but there is always a nice bank on river left that you can paddle to and walk back up to hit the waves again and again. After Blender there are two pour-over holes called Twin Sisters. At these medium to high flows these features become fun side surfing wave holes. the top feature is known as the Twisted Sister because it is a lot bigger than the second feature. Once through these Sisters you will hit the Meat Grinder which is just a small boulder garden that creates some nice rolling waves. Here you come to a flat stretch of water that ends in a left hand curve in the river. on the river right you will find a pretty nice surf wave that has a small eddy on the right of it that helps you be able to catch the wave more than once. after this wave there are a few churning eddies along the right side of the river through this small stretch of water. After burning through that section you have Double Trouble. This feature can sneak up on ya if you don't know where it is, but when you come around a sharp left hand curve the river will start to curve back to the right and you will begin to hear the rapid. The river left side of the river becomes a steep canyon like wall then you will be able to see where the rapid is. its a nice side surfing wave hole, and is really playful with a nice eddy on river left at lower flows. A nice bonus wave that only appears at these medium to high flows is just below Double Trouble and has a nice calm eddy on river left. After you pass the cliffs its a slow flat water paddle to the end.

This video has pictures and video as if you were to make a journey down the river. Chronilogical from the start of the river to the end...

TRIPS JUNE 16th to 22nd

2008-06-20T02:30:00.001-06:00

Crowsnest River - June 14, 2008

2008-06-20T01:47:00.006-06:00

So I am finally able to tell you about the Crowsnest River trip we just had recently, but not only do I get to tell you all about it... you can live it vicariously through us in the video slide I made up at the bottom of this post.

We put in at a small pinkish bridge just west of Highway junction 507 that runs from the Crowsnest Pass to Beaver Mines. This section is a few Kilometers above the falls and lasted for about 2 1/2 hrs. It was a very scenic run, but the most scenery was actually experienced paddling backwards facing all the mountain landscape. But not to worry about us paddling backwards in treacherous waters, it was a calm class I run all the way to the train bridge a few hundred feet up stream from Lundbreck falls. The only action that we saw was a nice little wave hole that was shallow enough that even catching your up-stream edge didn't make you flip, but instead it pushed your boat down to underlying rocks that would stop you from going over. Jollin, our whitewater canoe man, had a great time side surfing this hole. Once again Jollin has impressed me with his balancing skills of such a large boat. He even got so comfortable side surfing in the hole that he was able to spin his paddle above his head for quite some time. Another little fun section of the river was still a class I, but was really cool to experience (or at least I thought so) was a really tight "S" curve in the river where you would do 2 complete 180 turns on the bend. It almost felt like backtracking, but you were still flowing down stream.
Once we go to the train bridge all, but Jeff Milner and I, got out to portage around a section of class II rapids directly above the 30 foot Lundbreck Falls. Jeff and I decided to run the smaller rapids to experience a little more to the Crowsnest than class I. We both caught our eddies with ease and got out to look at the falls.

At this point Jeff was getting the itch... I have already had the itch on more than one occasion, dropping both sides of Lundbreck (river right and river left). River right of the falls was NOT to be dropped because a tree has lodged itself directly below the line of the drop, so Jeff decided to go big or go home. Aaron and myself went to the bottom and set up safety and a camera to take the footage of the event. I will let the video tell the rest of the story!!!
We then got all our boats down the stairs at Lundbreck falls and enjoyed the Class II run for our last hour and a half of the paddle. There are a few play waves and some fun little drops to keep the last part of the trip exciting. Our take out was the gravel road bridge just off the highway, and about a 2 minute drive from the Falls. We had a lot of fun and had great weather too, so enjoy the clip and come join us next time!

TRIPS JUNE 5th - 15th

2008-06-07T21:30:00.001-06:00

Kayaks for Sale

2008-06-07T11:20:00.004-06:00

from Irene & Hubert

Kayak garage sale June 7+8
Or call whenever.....
Hubert has these boats for sale
Dagger GT XL $650 (this boat is like new)
Perception Pirouette $200
Prijon Fly $200
327-6710

(Great prices for new paddlers looking to get into the sport - Stew)

TRIPS MAY 26 - 31

2008-05-28T13:59:00.005-06:00

Hey everyone the flows are still pretty high, but they are coming down a little bit, but still remain high. So expect some squirly water and squirly eddie lines in your regular river runs, but if you are going out this week let us know and lets have some fun. But remember to be safe!

Two Medicine South Fork

2008-05-25T12:45:00.008-06:00

Well, it was quite a day for an exploratory run! High water exploratory runs may not always be the best pick for season warm ups.

The hike into the two medicine is about 3km. There were lots of fresh grizzily tracks around. We scared one the was just around the corner from where we unloaded.

The rain was fairly steady all day. However there were a number of semi-open breaks. The river starts off fairly gentle for about 4 or 5 km.

The first major rapid was a dangerous corner into a very long canyon. It was a muncher, with a nasty eddy.

river side view of the first corner muncher

We hiked up on river right to scout and then portage.

rapids just below the corner muncher that starts the canyon.

There was an impassable feeder creek on this side of the river. Clay and I looked at a 30 foot watertfall to launch back into the river, but opted instead for put in higher up and run the rapid above it. (Janson has a picture of this section).

We continued down the river with a bit of trepedation. The flows were constantly rising while our early season stamina was quickly draining. Both Clay and Chris got flipped on a ledge that followed a big hole. With so many dangerous corners, scouting each was problematic. Making the must make ferries and sneak lines was a challenge in the pushy water. The holes were large and violent, but may have may been pushing through. We decided to call it a day and hike out to the road. Dragging our boats up the first ridgeline was quite hard on our calves.

Once we reached the ridge crest, it looked like it was an easy return back to the calmer tail of the river. Instead of bashing through the trees to the road, we decided it would be quicker to rejoin the river and head back to the take out vehicle.

The scenery was truly spectacular. It felt like Scotland with all the colors.

On the lower section we had lots of big rollercoaster waves- which we avoided. There was one big set of rapids - class III+ we plowed through, and Clay had a close call with a swim, getting his role on his 7th go.

All in all, we were happy to see the bridge. The river had risen 2 feet since our put in.

Overview- I would say the Two Medicine would be good when the Middle Fork of the Flathead is around 10,000. The canyon section is fairly committing and long. There is likely to be lots of river wide ledges. I would guess a number of class III to IV drops and a river grade close to that. At these flows it was definitely a step or two up from that.

When it rains it pours!

2008-05-25T09:45:00.002-06:00

Well the rivers are flowing! Some interesting highlights are the Castle which it a high of 415cms and we thought things looked impressive at 90cms! Also, Two Medicine hit 9000cfs (255cms) the Waterton is over 200cms, the Upper Saint is over 100cms and the Upper Oldman hit a peak of 270cms!

With more rain expected thru Monday and the weather warming up for Tuesday and Wednesday, there may be some opportunities for after work paddles in the area. Feel free to post any interest in that.

It is also worth noting that as of 6 this morning, the lower saint showed 17cms. If things go up a bit more, there might be an opportunity for a short surf run on "rain wave".

See you on the river!

In Development...

2008-05-23T15:36:00.004-06:00

Over the years, Wilco has been maintaining the ORCKA homepage. In order to take some of the pressure off, we are moving to a "wiki" style site that can be maintained by several ORCKA members.

The new site will be www.orcka.wetpaint.com and it is new as of today so don't expect much. The plan is for several users to build this site up with river descriptions, paddling tips, member contact info, etc.

Expect to get emails in the near future, inviting you to join the site. With any luck this will make things easier rather than harder :)

Trips May 19 - 25

2008-05-21T10:44:00.002-06:00

I hope that everyone had a great May Long Weekend! The flows are still coming up so it is the time to go, so comment about your plans or any ideas that you want to work with. Remember to be careful with all the high flows and have fun.

Rat Wave

2008-05-20T20:29:00.005-06:00

For those of us who'd rather watch than participate in the grade V Lundbreck Lemming Leap, there's a much tamer paddle that starts at the campground below the Falls. It's an hour paddle to the take-out at the dirt-road bridge below Highway 3. A nice grade II run with 'the ledge' that's II+ or maybe a III at some flows and lots of mini-ledges. Maybe the most reliable wave is 'Rat Wave', or if you blow off the back, 'Rat's Wave'.

We've surfed it at flows above 6 cms and here it is at 22 cms, when it's flatter and flushing out.

Stew & Di

3 Rivers Whitewater Rendezvous

2008-05-05T14:32:00.003-06:00

3 Rivers Whitewater Rendezvous (May Long Weekend)

Its hard to believe that this will be the 10th RUNNING OF THE RIVERS down here in southwest Alberta this year. The Pinch-o-Crow Creekers are hosting the 10th annual WW Rendezvous on May 16-17-18-19, 2008 again this year down in the "Centre of Adventure". We will be organizing and leading trips on the Castle, Crowsnest and Oldman Rivers. There will also be chances to go paddle Cameron Creek and the Carbondale, Elk, Wigwam, Highwood, Waterton or Belly Rivers while you are down here. Only three days and too many rivers to paddle.

There will be opportunities for beginner groups to get on the water and paddle easier stretches as well as more advanced trips. We have something special planned for this year, including more sun, less snow and lots of water for all you big wave fans. Okay seriously – its always been fun and it will be fun this year too!

This year’s ww demo boats will be on site for you to try out from Aquabatics and Undercurrents and some sea kayaks are coming as well from High \Level Canoe and Kayak.

Camping is going to be the same as last year. We will be at the Castle River Rodeo Grounds. You may remember it as the takeout for the Upper Castle River run. It is centrally located and easy to find off Highway 507 between Lundbreck/Burmis and Beaver Mines, just south of Highway 3. This site is well sheltered with flush toilets and a great camp kitchen.

Drive west on Highway 3 past Lundbreck Falls till you come to Highway 507. Turn south and head towards Beaver Mines and Castle Mountain Ski Resort. Drive 8 km south, after you cross the Castle River at the top of the hill turn east to the Castle River Rodeo Grounds. The road swings back down to the river and we are camped right there.

We will again offer a bbq-burger and fixings dinner for Saturday night and the Sunday night we will have a chili dinner. There will be vege-burgers and a vege-chili for those who want it. Please let us know in advance so that we can order enough for you. We are again hosting a full breakfast each morning. Cost is included in the package.Prizes will be drawn for during the weekend.

We are building a package price for the weekend. This price includes all entries, 3 nights camping, 2 suppers and 3 breakfasts, prizes.

Paddlers - Adult/Junior $70.00
Non-Paddlers $50.00
Non-Paddling Children (under 12) $15.00
Toddlers (5 and under) Free
Families of 3 $115.00
of 4 $125.00
of 5 or more $135 + $10 for each additional adult/junior

Please pre-register this year to help us with figuring out how much food to prepare. If you want to set aside a camping spot with your friends I would appreciate knowing that in advance so we can pencil you in and rope a spot off for your group.There is no need to prepay, we'll collect when you get here.

Trips planned for Advanced and Novice

Saturday
Castle Falls to Rodeo grounds - Advanced
Crowsnest River - Novice
Castle Canyon - Advanced
Lee Lake - Novice
Elk - Advanced

Sunday
Castle Canyon to Reservoir - Advanced
Castle R Rodeo to Canyon - Novice
Carbondale River - Advanced
Crowsnest River - Novice
Upper Oldman - Advanced
Waterton Lake - Novice
Elk - Advanced

Monday
Oldman River Gap to Oldman River Dennis Ranch - Advanced
Dennis Ranch to Bob Creek - Novice

So we are building on our very successful long weekend event. In 2007 we had 137 paddlers down here, so it was a great gathering and still with so many locations there was lots of space for everyone. We hope to see you down here and look forward to paddling with you. Please pass this message along to your club members and friends.

For those of you with friends or family not paddling, there is some great hikes, mtn biking, Castle Mtn is rumored to open for the weekend??, great historic sites (\Frank Slide, Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and the Bar U Ranch) close by, flyfishing, shopping and even some cowboy adventures if you want something totally different.

Chuck Lee: Pinch-O-Crow Creekers Box 162, Lundbreck, Alberta
403-628-2336 evenings
403-632-9598 cell

P.S. If you are a brand new novice paddler, still dry behind the ears, and would like a 3 day lake and river beginner kayak course. We are making special arrangements for you this year. There will be an additional $100 cost to the weekend for you, which is a great deal for 3 days all inclusive, camping, meals, equipment and instruction. Contact me if you are interested. THIS HAS TO BE PRE-REGISTERED AND PREPAID.

If you have any further questions please contact Janson by email: orckalethbridge@gmail.com

Trips May 2 - May 8

2008-05-02T15:11:00.002-06:00

WHile most rivers are very low, it looks like the Two Medicine is releasing at Medium flows. This will still make things a bit rocky, but it is paddleable. The falls should be good at these flows (963cfs, and maybe set for one more ramp up in release).

The Bull is in the low 20's which is doable.

The Kootenai should be at extremely low flows.

I believe the Kan is still shut down

AGM MEETING APRIL 30TH

2008-04-29T00:53:00.004-06:00

TO ALL MEMBERS AND KAYAKERS/CANOERS AND FRIENDS:

Everyone!!! another year has gone by and that means that we have an AGM meeting happening this week. On Wednesday the 30th of April, at 6:30 we are going to meet at the Recreational facility of the University of Lethbridge in room PE264. I have an attatched map to help anyone find their way to the class room.

Our plan is to brief everyone on some events of the past year, coordinate possible new activities, and organize new members of the Exexcutive Comittee, but we need your help an involvement to make this meeting run smoothly and be full of new ideas. Everyone is welcome to invite as many friends as they want that might have any interest in the sport, so tell your friends, family, and neighbors.

A great plus of the meeting is that High Level and Awesome Adventures have donated some products for our "DRAW PRIZES" for anyone who comes to the meeting. Last year these local paddling businesses gave away gift certificates and a variety of accessories for your paddling experiences. SO come join us in deciding on the next years activities and fun events and you just might walk away with some fun stuff.

After meeting for the AGM we are planning to have a last pool kayaking session before pulling the boats from the university. The time for the final kayaking hour is from 8-9.So come enjoy the last paddle in the pool before we move the boats for the rivers.

Hope to see Everyone there!!

and remember to let eveyone that you know that shows interest in the sport about this meeting!!!

(here's the map)

April 16-23

2008-04-16T23:21:00.001-06:00

Looks like the flows are up. Judging from the AWA flow site, the following rivers are now flowing
-Yaak
-Middle Fork
-Swan
-Kootenai
-Elk
-Bull

The Kan will be closed until May 3.

Season Kick Off Party

2008-03-22T17:40:00.002-07:00

Just wondering what people think about having a season kick off party? I just ordered a new kayaking DVD, source, and thought this on a projector plus a BBQ and flatwater paddle may may a nice evening out. I was thinking about some time in the latter part of April. Just wondering what people think? Which is a better location, Lethbridge, Waterton or Cardston?

Kayak Swap

2008-03-21T20:09:00.001-07:00

The used kayak sale is on at Aquabatics in Calgary April 19,20

Blodgett Creek

2008-03-16T16:42:00.009-07:00

Blodgett Creek is another of the small Hamilton / Missoula / Darby area creeks. Like the others it is steep, bouldery, and requires lots of scouting because of hidden wood hazards. Blodgett has no where near the wood of Lost Horse. However, first runs down the creek require lots of scouting.

The run starts off pretty gentle.

Things will quickly pick up. A very long boat scout is in order. This picture epitomizes my view of the river.

the view from the first major scouting section

There is one rapid that is significantly larger than the others. If I remember correctly, some wood near the bottom got me portaging. This was below a cement lined diversion cannal on river right. It occurs around the bend from the first steep section. A wood line irrigation canal is found uphill on river left.

looking upstream about 2/3 the way into the first major rapid. I think the irrigation canal is just below this picture on river right - but I could be off by one rapid

There was one more stand out rapid, but I only made it 2/3 of the way down until a pin in the tight bouldery confines got me.

After that it is a long paddle to the take out. About 2/3 the way down there is a large mansion house on river right. They have a nice patio right down at river level. Watch out for logs here, and in the canyon like section below.

It is a long paddle out to your take out bridge. Lots of smaller bridges had me fooled. I kept getting out, getting changed only to find out I wasn't at the take out. Walking back to get to the car at the parking lot took quite some time. Taking a dead end shortcut didn't help matters. I started at 10am and ended at midnight. I think the flows were medium to medium high although Kootenai creek was extremely high the next day, so who knows?

This run was much less stressful than Lost Horse, but proably still a bit bouldery and pinny for many people's tastes.

Rock Climbing is probably a better option in this valley

Lost Horse Creek Montana

2008-03-16T15:55:00.006-07:00

Lost Horse Creek is situated in an absolutely spectacular front range valley. Unfortunately the creek, while pretty doesn’t have the same caliber of kayaking. This run is mainly a shallow boulder bash with innumerable logs, and overhanging willows.

a typical section at medium? flows

This makes it a painful experience at even medium flows and a really dangerous one at high flows. The steep combined with never ending boulder obstacles makes boat scouting a vegas like risk. Expect to scout most everything.

the painful parts

That being said, there are some really great rapids on this run. I don’t think, they make up for the inbetween sections though.

The road to this run was closed when I got there. I believe the upper road is closed during peak run off. The hike up is a couple of kilometers. I went past the first prominent roadside drop.

This was a mistake. There is little fun whitewater further up. I stopped at a pretty meadow and had some painful ports around beaverdams and logs.

There are two significant drops in this run. They are fairly close together. The first drops into a transverse slot.

horizon line view of 1st main drop

deceptively nice looking view of 1st main drop

This looked a bit dodgy. The second is a long slide combo. This was stellar. I would characterize it as a smaller, maybe steeper version of brave bear on nearby bear creek. A quick hike and huck to only this drop is probably the best way to do this creek.

maybe 30 -40 ft total elevation drop

There are a few very nice rapids lower on the run that are visible adjacent to the road. Because of the boulder bashing and scouting requirements, most people probably won’t be linking these sections together. If the water if chugging and you’ve fully pre-scouted for wood, the lower sections of this run would be absolutely fantastic read and run creeking.

a deceptively steep looking view of the roadside rapids. This one is immediately below a nice camping / pullout spot next to the river

Directions

Lost Horse Bouldering & Climbing

Home & Garden show

2008-03-13T13:02:00.007-07:00

Come one...Come all!!! the annual Home & Garden show is on again, showing off a lot of local businesses and other business' from other parts of Alberta. It started on Wednesday the 12th at 12:00 noon and will run on a daily schedule of 12-9 everyday intil Saturday night the 15th at 5p.m. The Home & Garden show is located at the Whoop-Up Pavilion. There is booth after booth of fun and exciting items that could grab your fansy or just crinckle your eyebrows in confusion. All in all its quite interesting and a fun place to spend some time. High Level and Awesome Adventures, two of our local business that support us here at ORCKA, have put up some fun booths showing off their boats and accessories to help people have a great and comfortable time on the lake or river! So come and support your local businesses and see what new items and fun is available for you!

Free is always good!

2008-01-29T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick link to something free. Personally, I like coffee mate for my camping supplies as it helps with coffee in the morning and you can actually add this stuff to Lipton noodles to thicken (and sweeten) it up.

"If you're looking to spruce up your coffee routine a little bit, head over to CoffeeMate.ca and sign up for a coupon that will be good for a free bottle of Coffee-Mate. After you enter your information, you will be able to choose from original or flavored Coffee-Mate in liquid or powder form. This offer is only good while supplies last. Thanks to maidennomore for this freebie!"

If your unsure about the stuff, this lady has a glowing review.

Current boat prices

2007-11-26T16:08:00.002-07:00

Someone asked about the current boat prices so I thought I would post them.

Model----Paddler Weight--Price
CFS--------110-220lbs-------$650.00
Amp-------120-200lbs-------$300.00
Jib---------50-140lbs---------$500.00
X-----------80-200lbs--------$400.00
T3----------150-200lbs-------$600.00
T4----------180-240lbs-------$600.00
Ace---------4.7 100-160lbs---$700.00
Stubby----100-220lbs-------$500.00
007--------100-180lbs--------$375.00
Sniper-----100-180lbs--------$750.00
Booster----170-250lbs--------$600.00
Turbo------90-170lbs---------$700.00
Superfun--180-240lbs-------$675.00
4 fun-------160-200lbs-------$675.00
2 fun-------100-150lbs--------$675.00
Ducky------? -------------------$700.00
Reflex------? -------------------$50.00

These are the approved prices for the 2007 season. The exec may change prices for the 2008 season, but that is usually up to them. Maybe you can find something here that will make a good Christmas present?

gear for sale

2007-11-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

I was doing some late winter cleaning, much like spring cleaning just out of season. Thought I would post some gear that I have for sale to see if there are any interested parties out there.

I have a used shortie (L) for sale 20 bucks. It's in great shape, probably used on a dozen times. I bought another one so this is extra. Great for warm days or when the Lower Saint Marys is flowing. It has neoprene on the neck and arms that are comfortable and a rubber seal on the waist.

This is a 1mm rash guard type shirt. Brand new never used! 20 bucks as well. It's a medium, I had this silly idea that because it's neoprene I could squeeze into it. Wrong....

I bought it for under my shortie and pool sessions because it gets cold in that pool! Good for people who get cold easy or for layering under a shortie top.

This is a skull cap (small) that fits well under a helmet. I bought an extra one for a friend who didn't need it so now I've got it. It's new as you can see and works great.

Climbing shoes! On a kayaking site! If your like me, your probably multi-faceted so this should come as no surprise. Bought these for the wife and they turned out to be a bit small. Brand new size 7, Euro 38. They're some 5.10 prima lace ups that are sweet shoes. If they had larger sizes I would have ordered another pair. If they fit you then congrats! Sweet deal at 45 bucks!

New medium harness. Brand new, still has tags on it and such. Bought it for my brother for a birthday gift, but he bought himself a new on a week earlier.

It's a Rock Empire Equator which sells for 44 at MEC. It's yours for 20 bucks, or buy it with the shoes and I'll sell the package for 60.

This is a mesh gear bag that fit's a kayak cockpit. It has a zipper on the top for access when attached to the boat. This thing is sweet! I loved it! Why selling? I got a new boat a Juice 7.1 and it doesn't fit. So with the choice of selling the boat or the bag... I guess I'm keeping the boat. It it fit's your boat then it's awesome. Put your wet gear in it, strap it to the roof with your boat and drive home. Pop it out at home and it carries all your gear to wherever it needs to be.

Keeping with the trend 20 bucks!

Lastly I have a pair of new columbia water shoes (size 10). They were too beefy to wear in my kayak so I'm getting rid of them. Probably better suited for canoeing or such.

I'm getting rid of these suckers for 15 dollars if there are any takers out there.

Well that's it. Maybe you see something here that tickles your fancy or you see a gift there for Christmas. Either way give me a shout if your interested.

mark_iwaasa (at) yahoo (dot) com

Beginner Kayaking Courses Available at the University

2007-11-20T22:29:00.000-07:00

Hello:

There is Kayaking courses available at the University through the winter months. It is a 6 week course with one lesson a week and the lessons are about an hour and a half. Each week you have a 30 minute in class discussion about river basics and need-to-knows. then the class moves to the pool to learn kayak balancing, bracing, hip snaps, and the eskimo roll. It is a great course to go through if you are interested in hitting the rivers in the new season. BUT please inform any of your friends about this course. Price and details can be found through the University by calling for info or calling to register for the class @ 329-2706. Below is a flyer about the dates and times offered.

Times to Remember: Lower St. Mary's

2007-10-26T13:53:00.000-06:00

There was many trips that were taken down the Lower St. Mary's river this year. It is extremely accessible and only like 30 minutes away from Lethbridge! Its a great river for confident beginners, because most of the river is class 2, but the class 4 sections (run-no-run and Hairpin) are very easy to walk around!

Anyways a great memory on this river was when Jon Low got home from his mission for the LDS church, so we took him out and invited a few others. We barley put in and was playing on the "fishing hole" right at the put-in when David was having a blast playing on this surf wave when he went for a brace hitting some rocks with his paddle. I noticed that he was struggling on his roll, which left me a little concerned that something was wrong. I finally noticed that the side of the paddle he was rolling with had NO blade on the end. I believe he figured it out as well and rolled up on his left-side. Jon and I raced down the river to catch the blade. It was hard to get because it would surface and sink again and again! BUT we retrieved it and lucky for Dave he was only about a 5 minute walk to his truck so he just packed up and left to buy a new paddle! It was too bad he couldn't paddle with us, but its better that his paddle broke at the very beginning of the run than in the middle of the run. Another great memory of that day was when Jon finished the 4 hour paddle. He hadn't paddled in 2 years and he was stiff and sore. He could barely walk and when he climbed the fence I could do nothing but laugh and laugh and laugh!

Another day we had Stew Rood write a comment on the ORCKA blogspot about taking a white-Water raft down Lower St. Mary's. A lot of us joined this trip bringing kids to go on the boat and a lot of others brought their kayaks. It was a lot of fun.

David had a new paddle and was finally going to get his chance to run the Lower St. Mary's stretch. We paddled for almost a total of 7 hours. A LONG TRIP! It was really good though. I met a lot of new paddlers that I have never met before, so that was good for me! The kids had a blast in the raft and the rest of us had just as much fun playing on the surf waves and running "Hairpin" again and again and again.... It was a really hot day and a few of us got a good burn being in the sun for about 7 hours, bu tit was worth it.

Another trip involved Nathan, Jeff and I. We made a pretty quick trip, but spent most of our time playing on the wave hole right above "run-no-run". We were all working our spins and side surfing skills. Nathan was using Ethan's old play boat (because he was waiting for his new one to arrive), so we had some fun watching him struggle with Ethan's boat. Nathan used throw bags as make shift hip pads to keep his hips tight in the boat, but they didn't work so well. So when Nathan was surfing you could tell that his boat was really loose, but he managed well getting a few spins in for the day. Jeff forgot to close his plug a couple times and spent a bit of his paddling time on the shore emptying his boat.

All in all the Lower St. Mary's had a lot to offer for the short amount of time that it was flowing. But when it was flowing we were out on it having a blast!

Times to Remember: Cameron Creek

2007-10-25T13:57:00.000-06:00

Cameron Creek was probably the most intense adrenaline rush I have ever had paddling! The section that Nathan and I paddled is about a 30-45 minute run (depending on how long you scout rapids). When I dropped "Something Nasty" I got flipped vertical and over backwards then thrown into the rock bank banging up my elbow (which hurt for a good solid month). Nathan dropped Something Nasty nice and clean (see video above). When we got to "Wild Thing" I ended up scouting (looking in fear) this rapid for about 30 minutes. I believe I said about 10 prayers on my walk back to my boat. It was an extremely exiting feature on Cameron Creek (see video below), but my adrenaline was pumping for so long that I only had enough energy left to flop out of my boat on the shore below, and not enough energy to even yell in excitement back to Nathan, who was extremely excited for me. "De JaVu" seemed easy peezy compared to what I experienced with "Wild Thing". A great ride... Oh did I mention that it snowed on us while we paddled this creek!

Times to Remember: Lundbreck Falls

2007-10-25T12:50:00.000-06:00

Max, Jon, Nathan and I took a quick trip down the Castle Canyon section to start off the day. It was a really good trip and will always be in my books... I landed my first air loop on the canyon section of the castle. It was a suprise to me that I actually pulled it off, but made for alot of screaming and giggling! he he. After enjoying this great adventure we continued our journey to the Crowsnest river. Nathan, Jon, and I all dropped the river left side of Lundbreck Falls (about 30 feet). It was a lot of adrenaline pumped fun! Nathan and Jon both dropped the falls with style, but when it came my turn... I didn't drop it as clean as I wanted to. I ended up doing half of a barrel role landing upside down in the pillowy fluff of the boiling water below. After the Falls Jon had to bolt, but Max, Nathan and I paddled the rest of the Crowsnest river down to the bridge. It was a day to remember.

Times to Remember: Carbondale

2007-10-25T12:26:00.000-06:00

Mark, Mike, Nathan, and I took a quick trip down the Castle Canyon section of the Castle River... loaded up our boats and headed to the Carbondale. We met Chris up there who became our guide because it was some of our first times and others had only gone once before. It was alot of fun. Five-Alive was a nice little drop and continued down many other monuvering rapids which brang us to the last big rapid. The river narrowed into a little canyon and dropped over a ledge that created a pretty squirley hole. We all got out to scout the drop. Chris, in his creek boat, did the drop first to show us the way, and landed a very clean boof stroke keeping his momentum to safely clear the hole. Nathan, who also had his creek boat, decided to go next. He came to the drop, but was not as successful with his boof stroke. When he hit the hole it stopped him dead in his tracks. Chris was right there to push him out of the hole, but Nathan's spectators that were paddling smaller play boats were quick to say, "We're walking!" We figured that if Nathan's bigger longer boat had a hard time making it through, our littler boats would have been stopped pretty quick with any mistake of ot making the boof stroke to get across the hole. But all in all the whole day was a blast. 2 rivers in one day!

Times to Remember: Castle River

2007-10-25T12:10:00.000-06:00

This was one of our (Nathan, Janson, David, Mark, Mike) first big trips of the season. It was a blast. We learned alot from this trip! The entrance to the falls was closed so we put in at the bridge that crosses castle river and experienced the extra hour and a half of paddling time. Also that dropping off the ledge of castle falls on river right you need to have a lot of momentum to make sure you drop into the pool, because David dropped too soon and penciled in to nail the front of his boat on rocks then hit his helmet connecting with rocks as well. He was a bit soar from it, but at least now we know! By the time we got to the end of the trip we were all really worn out and ready to get out of our boats. And Mike ended up straining his back carrying his boat out to the take-out shuttle. We all had a good giggle at his pain, but Mike was not laughing.

Times to Remember: Belly River

2007-10-25T11:36:00.000-06:00

Being able to get permission from the landowners by Belly River we were able to go a few kilometers south of the highway bridge and paddle for a while longer. The flows were at a good level for fun paddling. It had a good amount of rocking waves (for a class II river) that made the extended trip a little more exciting. I had my first experience with Jolene and Claudia in their White water canoe. I was impressed with what they could do it that big ol' boat. They were catching eddies that weren't much bigger than the canoe. They make a good team! At the end of our journey we scouted the class 5 shuttle and figured that all of us could make the run. A few of us got pretty cold, but Stew Rood was a trooper, holding on to boats and sacrificing the feeling in his hand for the safety of us all!

"KAN"- CELED

2007-10-11T11:05:00.000-06:00

This morning, to our great dissapointment, when we were about to get ready to go kayaking up at the Kan Nathan looked at the Trans Alta site (below) at the flow schedule and found out that they had changed the Saturday flows from 2pm-7pm to 11am-4pm. By the time we would have left Lethbridge and gotten onto the river we would have had only a few short hours to paddle so we decided to NOT go. Hopefully we will be able to go again here very shortly and have a much longer chance to paddle for a much longer time. So keep updated on this site for future trips this fall/winter!

http://www.transalta.com/transalta/river.nsf/.vwriverweb/river+flowby+schedule?opendocument

OPEN KAYAKING starts this month!!!

2007-10-01T08:48:00.000-06:00

We are now having the Public Open Kayaking hour at the University Pool! Starting this October we will be holding it on Wednesday nights from 8:30-9:30. It will begin this first Wednesday the 3rd. You will need to show Student Identification at the new front desk, or you will need to pay a fee for the use of the pool. Remember that if you are not a member of ORCKA you will need to bring $5 for boat rentals for the hour. The entrance to the pool is at the new recreational facility of the University. So come and join us and bomb-proof your roll for next season. ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME.

To see the Pool Schedule go to:
http://www.uleth.ca/sportrec/aquatics/schedules/schedule.htm

"High Level" are paddling in Waterton (Sorry No Demo Boats)

2007-09-01T12:45:00.000-06:00

hi,
we are having a paddle for our customers who have boats in waterton this weekend. sunday semptember second. we are meeting at emerald bay at 12:00am and going for a paddle from there in groups. sorry no demo boats will be supplied.
thanks,

highlevel canoes and kayak
any questions call 327-4506

Provincials

2007-08-29T13:44:00.001-06:00

Here is the schedule for the provincials. The novice clinic on Friday may interest a number of our paddlers, especially the ones I met at the High Level Kayak demo day.

September 7, 8, & 9, 2007
Provincials and Aquabatics Cup
Canoe Meadows, Kananaskis Country

Schedule:
Friday, September 7, 2007
Novice clinic will be offered if there is enough interest and water flow. (4:00 pm)
Any novice interested in participating please contact scad@telus.net
Course construction 4:00
Athletes meeting ?
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Demo Run – 10:30 or 1 hr after Barrier dam release
Whitewater Slalom Race – 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Novice Race following Race
Potluck- Spaghetti
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Classic Downriver Race – 10:30 a.m.
Aquabatics Freestyle Event – 1:00 p.m.

Novice Clinic TBD
Saturday Demo Run will be 1 hour after the Kananaskis river water is turned on

Registration Fees:
Slalom and Downriver Race Fee- $20.00
Aquabatics Freestyle Event- $10.00
Slalom and Freestyle Race fees combined -$25.00

Novice Race clinic TBD - please contact scads@telus.net for more information

Camping:
The fee is $25/unit, 1 unit = 1 RV, 1
large tent, 2 smaller tents, or 4 very small tents (one person each).

NOTE: Any athletes with trophies are requested to bring them along to this event.

For more information please reply to scads@telus.net .

For those still planning to go out... (Troopers)

2007-08-25T16:18:00.000-06:00

Just thought I would place this small post for anyone that is wanting to put any information of paddle trips they are planning during this later season.

High Level is having a Long Boat Kayak demo in Waterton

2007-08-14T23:17:00.000-06:00

High Level Canoes & Kayaks are having a Long boat Kayaking demo at waterton. They will be holding the demo at Emerald Bay this sunday, August 19, from 9am - 5pm. If you are interested in trying out new boats, or even trying out different styles or even trying out different makes, come and join High Level and have great time on the water. ENJOY !~!~!

My Kyaking Aventure in Vancouver

2007-08-13T17:53:00.000-06:00

I went to Vancouver for about a week, towards the end of July, to see my favourite band Silverchair and visit my uncle. I have always wanted to Sea Kayak on the coast and since I was there I had to try it. I rented a boat from a local paddling shop and took off into the Harbour. It was very scenic. It didn't have the thrills like white water kayaking has, but for what it was it was exciting. I paddled from about 10am - 4pm MAN was I tired. I paddled along the shore line and cut across to another point of land. During my journey I was able to get about 100 feet away from the big crate ships. They are extremely massive. All in all it was quite the experience, but I really miss my WHITE WATER.

Tragic Loss...

2007-07-31T11:30:00.000-06:00

Posting the comments from Stu & Di, "Linda Englehart, a Calgary kayaker who also paddled in our region and with ORCKAn's died yesterday following a mishap on the Kicking Horse on Saturday. There's some more info. on the CalPaddle blog and news reports should emerge."

This is a sad day, as always when someone so young dies. As from the Calpaddle forum

Traditional Buddhist Prayers will be held in the Chapel of Mountain View Funeral Home on Tuesday, July 31, 2007 and Wednesday, August 1, 2007 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. A Celebration of Linda's Life will be held in the Chapel of Mountain View Funeral Home on Friday, August 3, 2007 at 2:30 p.m. If so desired, memorial tributes in Linda's name, for her daughters' education fund, to be directed to the Royal Bank (#144, 250 Shawville Blvd. SE, Calgary, AB, T2Y 2Z7). Arrangements entrusted to MOUNTAIN VIEW FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY, 17 Avenue SE at Garden Road, (1.5 km east of 84th Street SE) Telephone (403) 272-5555.

I will talk to the executive about a donation to the education fund, as she was an active member of our paddling community. I'm sure many of you had a chance to paddle with her or read her postings on our blog.

Our thoughts go out to her family and the rest of the ORCKA members as they paddle this season. I know many of you will still be on the rivers this season so "Be Safe" and paddle smart.

High Level Paddle and Barbecue Sunday July 15th

2007-07-13T17:49:00.000-06:00

High Level Canoes & Kayaks are holding a public paddle down the Oldman River to Pavan Park. Following the paddle they will be having a barbecue to finish off the days activities. If you are in the area please come and support some local paddling activities. If you have any further question contact High Level @ 327-4506, or go to their website link on the side of this blog (events), or click on the link below.

http://www.highlevelcanoesandkayaks.com/events.htm

ATTENTION!!! local kayak/canoe volunteers needed.

2007-07-03T18:51:00.000-06:00

The Magrath Triathlon is asking the ORCKA club for volunteers to help with the morning swim on St. Mary's reservoir. The Triathlon will be held on Saturday, July 21st . They are holding two separate swim events, an Olympic swim, and a sprint swim. They are asking for a minimum of three paddlers per swimming event (minimum of 6 paddlers total). The reason they are asking for kayakers and canoers is because of the LOW water disturbance created by our smaller boats making it easier to stay close to the swimmers, without disturbing them, if they need help at any time. The Olympic swim starts at 8:45 a.m. and the Sprint swim starts at 9:15 a.m., but they have asked us to show up at the Boat Launch at 8:00 in the morning on Saturday, July 21st. At that point we can organize which paddlers go with which group of swimmers.

To anyone that is interested in helping in this annual event will receive a free T-Shirt from the Magrath Triathlon. So if you agree to volunteer for this event we will need to know your shirt size. We could sure use the help so please leave a comment with your name, contact information, shirt size, and any questions you might have, or call Scott Greer @ 315-0114.

The only favour that we ask of anyone agreeing to volunteer, is that you keep your commitment to volunteer on this date, but if you cannot make it for whatever reason, PLEASE find someone to take your place. Don't drop it on anyone to fill your spot at the last minute. It would be more convenient for us, and better for the Triathlon if we have our needed number of paddlers on the morning of the event.

HERE'S A MAP...

Trips June 24 - July 1 (Beginner/Intermediate)

2007-06-24T18:21:00.001-06:00

Comment your trips this week so that more paddlers can get invovled in paddling and meeting new paddlers.

ALSO... Three ORCKA rental boats are located in the Cardston area for any paddlers that would like to rent a boat(s) for the day while paddling in that area. For more information Contact JANSON @ 894-77773.

Trips June 24 - July 1 (Advanced)

2007-06-24T18:21:00.000-06:00

Comment your trips this week so that more paddlers can get invovled in paddling and meeting new paddlers.

ALSO... Three ORCKA rental boats are located in the Cardston area for any paddlers that would like to rent a boat(s) for the day while paddling in that area. For more information Contact JANSON @ 894-77773.

Castle Canyon Access

2007-06-13T15:17:00.001-06:00

Hi Pinch-O-Crow Creekers Paddling club:

Last week I talked with Chester McCrae about access to the river at the gravel pit below Castle Canyon. As most of you know this is the only decent river access below the Canyon until the Airport Road bridge. Because of this we have tried to maintain good relations with the landowners because it would stretch out a 2 hour kayak trip into 4 hours if we can't use the public road allowance to get out at this point.

Chester fenced off the road last year and seeded the river flats back to grass. He is trying his best to revegetate the land that was pretty torn up by the previous landowners.

As such he is requesting that the paddling community respect his need to control access. He is still permitting us to park at the gate and walk up from the river. But he is not allowing anyone to travel through the gate and down along the road allowance to the river. He is also asking that we be careful when parking at the gate to not block access to the roads heading away from there.

Finally Chester has requested that if you are going to be accessing the river across his property or along the road allowance that you call him on his cellphone and leave a message letting him know that you are going to be there. Chester's cellphone number is 403-327-7555. Chester and I will try to set up a meeting sometime soon to talk about public access to the river at this site and I hope to involve the MD in looking at road allowances that would give kayakers, rafters and fisherman better river access.

Thanks for your assistance in keeping a river access point available for us below the Castle Canyon.

Sincerely,

Chuck Lee
403-628-2336

Trips June 11-17 (Beginner/Intermediate)

2007-06-13T11:13:00.001-06:00

Leave a comment for all the fun kayaking trips you are planning this week. Remember if you are an anonymous person to leave your name within your comment.... thanks.

Trips June 11-17 (Advanced)

2007-06-13T11:08:00.000-06:00

Leave a comment for all the fun kayaking trips you are planning this week. Remember if you are an anonymous person to leave your name within your comment.... thanks.

Yeah... it never floods anymore!

2007-06-05T23:08:00.001-06:00

Here's an interesting story for those that are interested. Seems like flows are up everywhere. (see below)

Oldman Spillway II-	204.97(m3/s)	55	2007-06-05 20:30:00	History
Old Man II+ to IV	60.62(m3/s)	25.5	2007-06-05 20:15:00	History
Upper St. Mary's II+	49.67(m3/s)	31	2007-06-05 20:15:00	History
Lower St.Mary III to IV-	40.87(m3/s)	34	2007-06-05 21:00:00	History
Waterton II+	87.95(m3/s)	33.5	2007-06-05 20:15:00	History
Castle II to III+	71.70(m3/s)	26.5	2007-06-05 20:15:00	History

I'm curious as to what people are thinking for the days ahead. You might find me down on the Oldman after work if it gets up around 300. Currently it's around 245.

Evening Paddle on the Oldman

2007-06-05T23:06:00.000-06:00

In the interest of helping out some beginners, is anyone interested in a very beginner paddle down the Oldman in Lethbridge? I would help organize an evening paddle around 7pm to 8pm. If there are any interested takers, please post with preferred days for next week.

AWA Events

2007-06-05T08:21:00.000-06:00

Alberta Whitewater Association is great with posting paddling events across Alberta. Check out this link for dates on trainings, competitions, camps, and festivals. There are two paddle festivals and a swift water rescue course coming up this month. Good times... good times.

May Trip Reports

2007-06-03T19:42:00.001-06:00

This is a place for members to share links to photos and share picture and video links of some of their latest trips. Stew posted a link to some pictures he took of a Lower St trip we had just yesterday under the advanced trip post for June 4th-10th. Check it out here, and share some of your own stories and media. Good times... good times.

Trips June 4th - 10th (beginner/intermediate)

2007-06-03T09:05:00.000-06:00

Plan trips up to class II here.

Trips June 4th - 10th (advanced)

2007-06-03T09:03:00.000-06:00

With all this warm weather and flowing water, how can you resist. Plan class III-IV trips here.

Trips May 27 - June 2 (beginner/intermediate)

2007-05-28T13:19:00.000-06:00

Class I to II+ paddlers who appreciate life enough to not paddle with the monkeys in the advanced group, this is your post. Waterton and Upper St. are still very paddle-able, so get some groups out there. Leave comments on trips you are planning or would like to go on, and remember, paddle smiley side up... at least as often as possible :-)

Trips May 27 - June 2 (advanced)

2007-05-28T13:13:00.000-06:00

Advanced? You know who you are... okay maybe you don't, and maybe you are just pretending like me. Please let us know or just check out others trips on class III to IV in the comments. A group of us are leaving early Tuesday morning for Castle Canyon, Carbondale, and Crowsnest with Lunbreck thrown in for good measure (the flows on Crowsnest are getting up a bit, so we'll see how brave/stupid we are when we show up). If you are interested in this trip, leave a shout out in the comments.