North Cascades River Expeditions

Story Time: Page 2 of 6

The expedition took shape. Jack would paddle Tim's Prijon T-slalom kayak. Tim built a frame and set up one of our Avon Professional Mark V's. I would row "Hurricane", a Northwest River Supplies' Sport II made by Achilles. Jerry Reddell (known as "The Blade") readied his Campways' Miwok. Jerry was a veteran guide, itching to experience new and exciting whitewater. Two exceptional first-year guides rounded out our team. Phil Youngblood, who had recently given up a 15-year career as a Los Angeles police officer, would ride with Tim. Brad Languille saw rafting as a way to leave Semi-Pro football behind while he could still walk. He would wave blast with the Blade.

Our plan was to run 135 klicks (84 miles) in 5 days. We would put-in on the Taseko on the Nemaia Valley bridge. From there, it would be 68 klicks to the Taseko-Chilcotin confluence.The Wrights' description of the Chilko and the Chilcotin left us confident that only the Taseko would pose significant hazards.

Twelve hours north from Seattle, we finally reached the put-in late on Saturday, July 25. We could hear the mighty Taseko. Next morning we could see it. The Wrights had underestimated again. They had given 500-6,000 cfs as the volume range. The Taseko was running glacial green and was flowing at least 8,000 cfs.

Day one was first fun, then awesome, terrifying, exhilirating, peaceful, and ultimately unsettling. The river was wide, deep, moving very fast, and, above all, beautiful. The first 15 klicks offered constant big water class 2 with a couple of class 3's tossed in. We christened one rapid Redwall Slide, because of the sheer red rock that preceded a tongue of half a dozen 6-foot haystacks. This was fun! In mid-afternoon, our kayakist, Jack, spotted a couple of creeks we had noted on the topos. The weather cooled and we donned our wetsuits. From what the Wrights had written, we expected to hit a stretch of class 4 to 5 rapids soon.

Jerry and Brad agreed to go first. I took the second spot, since I had no companion to assist with stopping. Tim and Phil would sweep. Jack would select his spot in the order as he saw fit. His two concerns were to avoid being run over by a raft and to avoid becoming separated from us.

Soon the valley narrowed, the river bed slanted, and we were crashing through 8 and 10 foot waves. I tried to follow Jerry past a mid-stream boulder but didn't make it. I high-sided for all I was worth and caromed off the rock into a safe chute. I struggled to straighten my boat as the rapids roared through the narrow gorge oblivious of my plight. A powerful feeling of vulnerability washed over me as I considered our isolation in a trackless wilderness, at the mercy or monstrous waves treating "Hurricane" and its precious cargo, me, as just another piece of flotsam.

I had run enough of the Taseko by the seat of my pants. I signalled to Jerry "Eddy out!" He was able to make the left shore with Brad's help. Brad helped me in also, and Tim and Phil pulled over. Jack was still with us and easily made the eddy.

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North Cascades River Expeditions
PO Box 116
Arlington, Wa 98223
360-435-9548 fax 360-435-0796
Toll Free: 1-800-634-8433
email: rafting@cftinet.com