Skookum Creek is an undertaking. If you'd like to find out how to participate, click here.
This was one of the rivers high on my 2009 hit list. A soggy day in mid June and it all came together - a few of us from Vancouver made it up there, along with a large contingent of Czech boaters here to sample the waterways of BC. It was a good day.
Not a lot of words about Skookum today - it's a great mission, but one that I'm not likely to return to this season - maybe next year after the memories of the walk in and the portage around the 50-60 foot waterfall fade back into the recesses of my mind. If you do find yourself going to the Skookum, get ready to scratch the shit out of your car, have a good bash down to the water, run some rapids and then some big waterfalls. There's a perfect one, and a bigger, not so perfect one. While the wood at the bottom was a great excuse to not run the big guy, I'm humble enough to admit I was also afraid of it because it's huge and lands in an eddy. Maybe next time!
Early on in the shuttle adventure - a little overgrown.
And it only got worse.
Ian was not afraid of the road - here he is fully enjoying the truck-assisted bushwhack.
Climbing down the side of a cliff - the only way in is to grovel and hope you don't slip and fall.
The first rewards.
More canyons to run - could this be the one that TRL spent time trying to chop a giant old growth out of?.
The first waterfall - there's not much else to say about it.
Proof that I kayak. This is the last waterfall that Everest will ever run. Thanks Jakub for the nice photo!
One of the scariest portages I've ever been involved in. Running the waterfall and dealing with the wood would probably been much safer.
The Skookum ends like this... Careful, those rocks are sharp!
8 comments:
if you walk about 15 mins up from where you guys managed to park(i always walked that road) there should be a steep gully that takes you to river level and above the TRL gorge without using ropes and isn't too bad a walk. it is possible to come in from the river right side as well but that was one hell of a hellfuck. also there are rumours of more waterfalls upstream if someone wants to explore. It also has been run much lower then levels you had including the big fall/slide (1D completely blind by accident)
The walk in from where we parked wasn't long - it was mostly slow because we were a group of 10. We thought right there was as good as anywhere else, but it's good to know it's easier upstream. One of the guys had scouted the right side and said the same - it was horrid getting in.
There is a lot more upstream, with at least one waterfall in the 20-25 range. Something for next time.
I wouldn't want much less water in there, although like you say less would be fine. We could however paddle around the wood at the bottom of the big falls after a dicey seal launch however if it were even an inch lower the wood would fully block the channel making the big one 100% a no-go as well as making the portage that much worse. Good news is it's not wedged tight and will probably flush during the next flood event.
Yup - remember the old moto for bc from Daniel DeLaverge.
If is high you die - Low good to go.
Looking at the pictures it looks like you ran it at a burly level.
At a lower level the second huge fall is not as intimidating and you can actually relax in the plunge pool.
Looks like a fun day! I've run Skookum at low flows twice and that looks like a MUCH MUCH BETTER flow! I would love to run all that stuff with a little cushion like you boys had. Plus the big'n would be softer which would be nice
The wood bellow the big one was definitely the decisionmaker for me. I think it was quite dangerous at the flow we had given that the pool was outflowing really really fast There was only small margin for error. I'm quite sure that we would run it at lower flows.
Steve, can I use your pictures on my blog? Thanks, Jakub.
nice one... skookum is go to go man... i had two people in my group portage that falls as well. lets say we met them at the take out an hour later or so... the wood made it scary but i dont think thats a skirt popper.
http://egcreekin.blogspot.com/2008/09/skookum-creek-praise-rains.html
check out that link for some more shots of the run. Was Mamquam falls running with good flow???
Ahh, the portage was so horrible - if I were to walk it again I'd try on the right. No doubt your buddies were far behind...
We didn't go scope Mamquam falls that day.
Jakub - use them all you want - if you want the originals shoot me an email.
nice write up steve, your still takin good shots bro, u make it to cali this year?
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