First Descent of Toaroha Canyon

This misson started like most missions do when living in Murchison: through Skype. After a couple of chats to Jordy during the week, Jess and I decided to head down to the West Coast to paddle the two day Perth. We had completed most of our drive down to Hokitika when we got a text from Jordy saying "We are saving the two day Perth for another day and heading into the Toaroha Canyon". 

We headed to Zak's house to find out more. JV and Zak were in the process of cooking an amazing BBQ meal when we showed up. Over dinner we asked them for some more information about the trip... "Mostly grade 4 with about two hours walking to get there". We were keen.

The next morning was a bit of a slow start because of a few gins the night before. We met at the normal take out for the Toaroha run. The first hour of walking took us along a well formed track in the bush then up along the river bed. Before the track went away from the river again we had a bit of a break, making the most of the readily accessible water and getting ready for the next part of the walk.  

The nice gentle river bed before the uphill

Photo: Jordy Searle

From the river bed the track disappeared into the bush, climbing steeply. At this stage I was wishing for my carry system, which I had left at home (because we were going flying). I think we had also well passed the "two hours of walking" mark.

Jordy doing it the hard way

Photo: Zak Shaw

 Zak getting close to the end of the uphill

Photo: Jordy Searle

Once we were finished with the uphill, the hard bit started. Access back to the river was down a big slip; loose rocks on top of loose rocks making it very slippery. A few sections were very steep and needed the use of throw bags to lower the boats closer to the river. At the end of the downhill we were greeted with the roar of the waterfall, nice cool water for drinking and the committing gorge downstream. We spent a while contemplating the 50 footer at the put in, but no one was keen to go first.
 

The 50 footer and the put in

Photo: Zak Shaw

Once we were on the water the rapids just kept on coming. They were all very clean with one portage and funky seal launch. 

Keith Riley on the first rapid of the day

Photo: Zak Shaw

Kev England on the first clean boof of the day

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Zak Shaw following into the tight gorge

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Zak riding the wall of water into a tight slot

Photo: Jordy Searle

Tight and steep... The rapids stacked up around me

Photo: Zak Shaw

Riding the wall, trying to stay high and dry

Photo: Barny Young

Jordy and I with not that much space around us

Photo: Zak Shaw

Charging into the cauldron... A late boof will get you through

Photo: Zak Shaw

Keith clearing the cauldron

Photo: Jordy Searle

JV keeping his speed

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Barny, post seal launch around the portage

Photo: Zak Shaw

Keith Riley, with all cameras focused on him

Photo: Daan Jimmink

JV boofing like a champion

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Zak hitting a clean centre boof

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Enjoying some boogie water

Photo: Jordy Searle

Just another big hole

Photo: Jordy Searle

The rapids kept coming in pretty quick succession, all of them being scoutable (some with a bit of imagination). There was a high commitment factor with this trip because of the number of must-runs with sketchy places to run safety. We got to the big rapid of the day which dropped into a very tight gorge at the end (just for something different). At the entrance to the big rapid by back band broke leaving me a little looser in my boat than I would have liked.

Me probing the big one

Photo: Barny Young 

Barny on the big one, JV running safety

Photo: Zak Shaw

JV stonking the big one

Photo: Daan Jimmink

Me on the last drop of the trip, a funky lead in to a cleanish 20 footer

Photo: Jordy Searle

The Toaroha Canyon is an awesome addition to the kayaking of New Zealands' West Coast. The down sides: you have to walk for it, you have to commit from the start and that if you have a swimmer in there it might be difficult to deal with. The plus sides: it is a low water run, you don't need to fly, you can call it tramping as well as kayaking, the scenery is outstanding and the quality of the rapids is high.

I think it is a classic and can't wait to get back in there.

Cheers for everyone who canyoned the run earlier - very helpful to know that it was good to go. Thanks to Zak Shaw, Justin Venable, Kev England, Barny Young, Jordy Searle, Keith Riley and Jess Matheson for a great day out.

Kidder Creek and the Scott River

I ventured out to Etna (Northern Cali) with the idea of doing a couple of runs around the area. PK had mentioned that the Scott River was a great trip out at a good flow. Rush suggested doing Kidder Creek as well. Sounded like a good day out, two new runs in a day. 

Kidder Creek was the first on the list. It's a small creek that flows into the Scott River . To get to the put-in you take a road towards the mountains, between Etna and Fort Jones. The road takes you next to the river most of the way. On the drive up I was surprised at how small the run was, not a lot of volume in a very small gorge. There was maybe 200 cfs at the put in, maybe less. It has a couple of very cool rapids and it also had a little bit of braided river bed. Jess and I joined Zak, Rush and Ben for this run. Rush was the only one in the group who had done this run.

The first part of the run has lots of small, tight drops with some good boofs in a tight little canyon. Around the halfway point of the run we came to a tree that crossed the river. It had a sneak chute on the right under the tree, and a smashed up jet boat on the left. The jet boat was a crazy thing to see on this run because the river has some reasonable gradient in places, is narrow in lots of spots and had only just enough water for our kayaks.

Jess and I on the first rapid

Jess lining up a boof

Nearing the end of the first rapid

The tight exit of the first rapid

Lots of cool chutes

Jess

Looking at the jet boat from upstream

And looking back up at the jet boat

Jess almost getting pulled back by a sticky hole

From here Zak, Jess and myself drove towards the Scott river to do a 20 mile section. The style of this run was good but the quality of the water was a down side. The water was very murky - this is mostly from local agricultural run off. I prefer pristine water ways that you can drink. The whitewater was more of a river feel with lots of big holes and pour overs. 

At the take-out we were met by an angry local. We were about to take out on his land, which he wasn't at all happy about. As soon as we started talking to him he chilled out a lot - this way mainly due to the fact that none of us were from America and he had been watching the news story about the stranded Emperor penguin in New Zealand which he was eager to talk about. 

Rock rail slide on the Scott

Jess leading the way

One of the many big holes

Lining up another hole

Zak getting air

And yet another big hole

Bridge Creek (Cal Salmon)

Rush put out the idea to head into Bridge Creek. Bridge Creek is a tributary of Woolly Creek, which is one of the biggest tributaries flowing into the Cal Salmon. It had been on the cards for a couple of days, but the water was still high. With the arrival of Ben Marr we had a solid team of four to head in there. To get to Bridge Creek you first need to navigate your way through the old forestry blocks. We arrived at the end of a road which marked the start of our trail to the river. With a good solid hour hike behind us we were ready to put on the river. Bridge creek is a very funky run. It has a lot of manky rapids, lots of rocks that come at you from everywhere and lots of wood. The rapids that were big were also mostly very clean. 

Rush and Ben on a very cool slide

Rush hitting the kicker

Ben on a funky 20 footer

Rush on the same drop

Me on the same drop

Me on a triple drop
(One that Ben had also decided to fall into and swim down... Rush bagged him)

A clean granite gorge

Nice boofs all over the place

The last one; straight down the middle and 25 foot blind drop

Bridge Creek saw only a few incidents. Zak Shaw took a hit to the ribs (which I believe broke two of them), Ben Marr slipped into a rapid while scouting (fortunately he had a good line and was rescued before the next drop) and Rush broke a paddle (not paddling but during a throw-and-go). 

At the end of Bridge Creek we paddled into Woolly Creek. This is an awesome run on its own, with lots of cool moves, a big water feel and some holes that had some punch. It was a great finish to the day. 

The more my memory fades and my muscles relax (mainly from the hour downhill walk to the river) the more I think that going back into Bridge Creek would be a good idea. The rapids that were runnable were awesome and getting to do Woolly Creek without the six mile hike in is a great idea.

Thanks Ali for the shuttle.