Hotel Charley 3 tour hits Big Kimshew!

Photos

By Jesse Coombs

Hi Everyone,

We finished the first third of our Hotel Charley 3: The Lost World film tour. So far we have visited: Boise, Billings, Bellingham, Seattle, Hood River, Bend, Portland, Ashland, Arcata, Salmon, Mt Shasta, Chico and Sacramento. The day of the Sacramento show I picked up Pedro Olivia at the airport who had just arrived from Sao Paulo Brazil. Pedro was a principal kayaker in the new film and the key figure behind the world record waterfall attempt. Pedro joined me for showing Hotel Charley 3 in Sacramento and then we drove back to Chico with high hopes of paddling. The next day we had a much anticipated day off in the Chico with local Taylor Robertson, and that always means epic paddling. Big Kimshew just came in that week, and word spread quickly. The crew grew quickly and we ended up with a strong group consisting of Taylor Roberston, Devin Knight, Ryan Knight, Pedro Olivia, Chris Corbulic, Chris Gabrielli, Johno from New Zealand, Darin McQuoid, Ben Stookesberry and myself. I have been dreaming about hitting the California Classics for many years, and Big Kimshew is arguably one of the best one day runs in the state. As we were driving to the river I could sense a nervous energy in myself and I unquestionably had a healthy respect for the river. Obviously that was a good thing, as Big Kimshew is a river deserving of much consideration and respect.

Luckily for us the road had been plowed and graded so access this year has been earlier than usual. We met up at the river in 4 cars and consolidated for the shuttle. After dropping off Taylor’s small pick up, Ryan’s Outback, and Chris’s full size truck at the take out we piled up everyone’s gear on Devin’s full size diesel pickup with tubular work rack. This was no small feat as we had to fit 10 boats, 10 sets of gear and 10 guys in one truck. That meant 6 boats on top, 2 boats tied to the sides and two boats in the bed. We then packed 6 guys in the cab and 4 guys in the back. After driving 45 minutes up to the put in we were ready for a short hike down to the river. Because of having such a large group and putting on around 1pm we decided to shorten the run a little by putting in at the island portage rapid. This meant that we skipped a mile of warm up boogie water and went right to the 6 miles of goods. With such a big group we chose to split into two smaller groups.

After portaging island rapid, we headed into some amazing rapids. I was quickly introduced to the fact that if you have a good line in Big Kimshew you are rewarded with amazing white water and big clean drops. And if you have a bad line you will pay the price. This river cannot be described as forgiving. Bad lines in here mean bad hole workings, pins, hard landings and broken paddles.

I got spun sideways in one unnamed rapid and the strength of the water pushed me over and onto another rock several feet below me. As my body was flipping toward the rock I pushed my paddle and hands toward the rock below me, used a hand brace to finish the maneuver, recovered my orientation and finished the rapid. The message for me was clear. A good line is rewarded with smooth whitewater and big fun. A bad line will quickly become painful.

Early on is a rapid called LJ’s. It is a very cool and busy rapid that starts with a folding slot entrance where you have to keep your braces going and speed up. From there you punch a small hole and then a larger sticky hole. Taylor went first and greased it. Ben went next and had a good line except for getting flipped in the sticky hole. He hit a quick role as he was just past the hole and lined up for the slide below. Darin when next and got flipped in the hold and worked there. He was doing a good job of fighting through it and it looked like he was about to get out, but then it pulled him back in. I went running over to help him concerned that he might swim. But he just kept working at it, and eventually found a soft spot in the hole as he got flipped and escaped the grip of the hole. He hit a quick roll and headed for the slide below. Chris G. did not like the results of the hole and decided to walk it. I thought that if I worked to keep up my speed and pulled through the hole I would get through it. I headed into the folding top and did a good job of working through this section. I was completely faced washed by the white water and was going on feel at this point. I hit a hole and greased right through it. In my head I thought ‘Wow, that bottom hole was a lot easier to punch than I thought.’ And then I got a bit concerned that maybe I wasn’t through the sticky hole yet. I was right. I then hit the sticky hole and immediately got back endered as well. I hit a quick role, was glad to see I wasn’t in the hole and headed off to the slide right below. Big Kimshew has many holes like this that require you to hit them with speed and keep paddling hard or pay the price.

When we got to the bigger drops Darin headed off with his camera for the best photo angle. Darin did this on pretty much every rapid, and I can’t explain clearly enough how much I appreciate Darin. He is as motivated to paddle as anyone out there. He takes amazing photos and always has his camera out to capture the best images. He is better than anyone I know at being responsive to requests for photos and making them available for sale. And he is one of the nicest and most positive guys I know on the river. Darin is truly a great person and a great friend.

We soon came to a 20 foot falls that was too sweet. The move here is it to get up on the right and then separate from the falls. Too fun! We all had good lines and enjoyed the big time fun Big Kimshew has to offer those willing to get try their skills.

Big Kimshew falls is an amazing 50 foot slide falls that is as smooth as butter with the right line. Luckily I had Taylor telling me the lines, and he knows them better than anyone. After showing us the line he got in his boat and ran it perfectly. Chris G. was ready to go next and had a great line also. He entered the bottom of the falls steeper than Taylor, and the result was spectacular. While Taylor’s line was a quick entrance into the pool and resurface, Chris G. plugged it more and resurfaced two boat lengths down stream in the pool upright and shedding the water he had been pushing for 15 feet below the water. Pretty cool! With two good lines before me and a clear understanding of the line I headed off to recheck my entrance. I double checked the land marks I would use to enter the falls correctly, got in my boat and headed for the lip. I hit the line exactly as I wanted and was rewarded with a great falls and soft landing. Too good. Darin went next, and unfortunately experienced one of the biggest down sides of paddling in a large group.

Have you ever played the telephone game? The idea is to tell someone a phrase, and they tell it to someone else and so on. When you get 4-5 people deep into this the phrase invariably gets changed and shortened. Taylor told Chris G. and myself the line directly, so we knew exactly what to do. Darin heard the line second hand from someone else, and all he heard was to keep his nose up. Therefore he ran the falls too far right and had to do some quick adjustments to keep his boat straight for the entry. He did a great job of pulling it off and keeping it clean, but he worked harder than should have been necessary. When ever I am doing a serious run like this that I have never done, I try very hard to make sure I get the directions first hand from the person who knows the lines well. Second hand directions or following someone who does not know the run can quickly lead to trouble.

The fun does not stop there as there are a lot of great slides and drops to numerous to name. All of which would have big time names on most rivers.

Next we got to triple falls which is quite beefy! Most people do not run this falls, and even those that run it don’t run it very often. Taylor said he has run it twice, luckily with good results both times. The line if triple falls is to get left and stay left. You first take a green flake at the top and drop into a folding seam on the right. Next you head over the second ledge where the water truly gets thrashy with boils. Taylor said this is usually where you stop seeing the paddler. Then you head over the third ledge hoping to resurface on the left where the river exits. If all that wasn’t enough there is a penalty box on the right. If you resurface too far on the right you get pulled into a recalculating eddy on the right that is impossible to exit and feedback into the falls. Ben decided he wanted to run it, and I portaged and went across the river to film. Devin also portaged and set up safety at the penalty box in case someone when in there. Ben went first and made it look too easy. That is what happens when someone runs something really well. They just make it look easy. Chris C. went next and started great. But in the second drop his nose got turned sideways and he went off the third ledge a bit sideways. I thought he was going to be fine, but he quickly ended up in the penalty box. Luckily Devin was there and is VERY experienced on the river. Devin knows that you don’t throw someone a rope until they are asking for it. Chris took a couple trips in the penalty box getting pulled toward the falls and back away from it again. After two trips in this very unfriendly circuit, Chris looked to Devin for the rope. Devin handed him the rope and then hunkered down to help him. The hard thing about holding a rope in a kayak is that it wants to pull you over, especially in a place full of crazy currents and boils like the penalty box. Chris did an amazing job of puling himself toward Devin and keeping is boat upright. It looked many times like he was going to tip over completely. Chris got himself to shore with the rope and pulled himself out of the boat. The team gathered up Chris’ paddle and boat in the pool below and we all hiked to the portage spot to continue down the river.

Again there were a lot of great slides and falls before our next big feature.

Frenchy Falls was a much anticipated rapid as well. Ben had run it the previous day, and both Scott Ligare and him had hard landings off this 40 foot falls running it on the left. If you run it a bit too far left you catch an auto-boof flake that sends you flat into the green eddy on the left. The other concern about this falls is that the right side falls toward a wall. Therefore, like every other line on Big Kimshew, if you hit the thin line you get a great soft drop, and if you don’t will probably get a painful result. Taylor went first again, and nailed the line perfectly. One interesting thing about Big Kimshew falls and Fenchie falls is that you don’t need to take any stokes at the lip. You just get yourself to the right spot and let the river do the rest. Taylor had a perfect line and resurfaced perfectly. Devin went next, also had the prefect line and made it look great. Chris G. and I were both on the fence about running it. Chris G. decided to head for the portage, and after looking at two good lines and decided to give it a go. I did the seal launch into the pool below and made the mistake of launching straight ahead. It is best to drop into the pool with some right angle, but with my straight angle I went right into the down stream current. The preferred way to enter the falls is from the right eddy above the falls. After catching the right eddy you head to the left side of the falls without being too far left. Once I was in the current I decided to head straight for the falls. The good news was that I didn’t spend much time thinking about this 40′ falls. The bad news was that I didn’t have the right to left momentum to help me get left. I entered the falls more on the right which is closer to the falls. I adjusted in the air a bit by rotating slightly to my left and tucking on my deck. I landed nicely in the pool below upright and headed left toward the others. Darin when next, hit the line perfectly and we all headed down stream with big smiles.

After some more great drops and a quick portage we were at the final falls. This is a great drop run on the left and we had just finished Big Kimshew!

It was a great day with a little carnage and the team definitely feeling the bumps and bruises of a river that leaves its mark on you when you get in there. I am really glad to have done Big Kimshew. It is one of those rivers I hold at a high level of anticipation, excitement and respect. Truly a great run and a great bunch of friends!

Jesse