CdB Forum
CdB Whitewater Paddling Club Discussions => Paddling => Topic started by: Larry W on June 15, 2014, 12:31:33 PM
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http://kipawariver.ca/?lang=en (http://kipawariver.ca/?lang=en)
Some of us are heading to the Kipawa fest.
Information including directions, pictures of the river and costs can be found in the link provided. But it doesn't include the sound of black flies constantly hovering around your head, the feel of cool fresh bottom fed reservoir water splashing in your face, or the cheer of the crowd as you descend Hollywood.
The general plan is to take Friday off work or at least the afternoon, in order to arrive at Scott's (the take out) at a reasonable time in the evening to set up camp. The drive time is around 5 hours.
The river is classified as III/IV+, so you must have solid river running skills to make the trip enjoyable for you and the group. Somehow describing the river as drop/pool is misleading ... since the pool or slack water is a couple kilometres downstream. So I will add another classification and apply a rating of AMFYOYO to some of the rapids. (acronym for Adios My Friend, You're On Your Own, you can substitute MF with another less family friendly phrase).
Things to remember:
bugs - they are really bad this year
bring cash
fish fry Saturday night for dinner - fresh fish caught, cooked and served in the bug free lounge.
Depanneur in Laniel - gas, beer and chips ... do you need anything else
there is also an AGM in the evening. If you attend, keep your hands in your pocket so you don't accidentally raise your hand and become VP :-)
Larry
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It's regarded as one of the best intermediate rivers in North America, it is not an expert run. You can read the description here:
http://kipawariver.ca/?page_id=40&lang=en
It's mostly big wave Class III with a few Class IV harder spots. Whatever is too intimidating can be easily walked. It's better to run it in a bigger boat, as it is a long day on the water and you might get tired in a playboat...
I am not a particularly fast learner, and I did this river at the beginning of my 2nd season, after buying a Necky Blunt from Paul Potvin. At the time, it was slightly above my skill level, so I missed all my lines and had to roll maybe 10-12 times. But it was still enjoyable. So in my opinion the only skill that is really necessary is a 99% reliable roll: if you miss 1 in 100 rolls, you should be ok... Of course other skills like bracing and river reading can be handy too to ensure a pleasant run.
Bug spray, bug lotion, bug shirt...
Oh, and last: try to keep your gear weight and size (paddling gear, tent, food containers, beer coolers etc.) to a minimum. The take-out, lodge and camping area are on the lake shore, separated from the parking area above by a long and very steep unpaved hill. You've been warned!
--Christian
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Luc, Annie, Sandra and I are headed up on the friday! see you all there.
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Do we need to bring a tent (etc) or will we be staying in cabins?
Sharing meals?
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Bring a tent... first come, first serve for cabin space/rooms. They are usually taken very quickly and are somewhat noisy since the cabins are communal.
Bring food for breakfasts and lunches. Dinner (assuming you participate in the fish fry) is taken care of Saturday. Friday night, well, that depends if you're still driving like we will be. Oh, and the cabins have full kitchens and there are BBQs for your convenience too! Same thing for cutlery, etc. All supplied.
It's a beautiful place, here's to hoping the weather is nice.
Emphasis on the hill.. they aren't kidding. LIGHT gear.. minimal gear.
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Do we need to bring a tent (etc) or will we be staying in cabins?
Sharing meals?
Jim, is this going to be a new river for you?
--C.
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It doesn't matter. Jim doesn't remember the river nor the lines, so each time it's a new river. :-)
Jim, is this going to be a new river for you?
--C.
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Ha Ha! This is my 2000th post! Amazing!
--C.
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I remember the names, lines well don't follow me - right Larry.
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Jim, you have yet to lead me astray ;D
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Jim,
I agree with Luc. Bringing a tent is better. Since the cabin are shared, you may not decided the time you want to go to bed. Also, people use them during the night for the bathroom. Because of the bugs, after sunset, people usually hang out inside them and can party very late.
Also I would like to repeat that packing LITE is the key here. Unless you are looking for an extra workout, going up the hill that leads to the parking lot from the camp site is not an easy thing.
We are planning to leave in the afternoon on Friday and stop for dinner on the way there. We will also stop for dinner on the way back. Luc knows a good place in Mattawa for Sunday night. We stopped there last year.
I highly recommend the Fish Fry on Saturday night. Previously, it was 20$ for fish the owners fished themselves and cook. It is really good and it is all you ca eat. On top of everything, it is less food to carry down the hill. You just have to bring your drinks.
Hope to see you there
Annie
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hi
Bruce (Mr. Room of Doom) and I are heading up ... leaving Ottawa around 2 pm Friday
Jim ... use your canoe pack to carry your gear up and down the hill.
If the road is dry the better chance Scott will drive your stuff up the hill. It's is better to have it contained in one bag rather than scattered in the trailer.
Choose your tent site wisely, not too close to any of the cabins or the partyers will keep you awake.
I normally bring my simmerlite just in case I want some hot water or toast my bagels in the morning.
Larry
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Hey guys!
Cindy and I are still wondering if we are going or not... she is coming back from the Gunks (7h long drive) tomorrow and we are leaving after, probably late afternoon. I leave from Kingston to pick her up in Gatineau and then we head to the Kipawa. That's a lot of driving for us, so we are looking for a third driver to come with us and split the driving, gas, etc, etc. car is standard (and is fun fun to drive!!) we will come back on Sunday after a run of the river.
it is also possible that she decide to come back tonight so we can leave earlier tomorrow.
anybody interested?
Renaud
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Yes! In case you need to call to discuss details: 613-737-7600 x 3504 (office) or 613-608-6471 (cell).
Dani
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Hi Dani,
I don't have access to a phone right now, but you can email me.
renaudslr (at) hotmail (dot) com
when do you finish work (when can you leave) tomorrow? where do you live?
Renaud
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Thanks to all of you coming to this remote place and making the Kipawa trip such a wonderful experience once more!!!
Barbara and Dirk, could it be that you took my stinky neoprene socks home with you? They were hanging to dry on your throw-rope, and I noticed you had the same brand, so maybe you have 1 extra pair now?
Looking forward to seeing you all on the river again soon!!!
Dani
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Great weekend indeed. And bugs weren't too bad.
Jim, I have your water bottle.
--C.
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So here I might be exagerating, but not much: it's almost worth the trip just to hit the last wave of the Zipper. As they say, 'hit it moving right for maximum effect.' Those who have done this know what I'm talking about. However I suspect that Larry was not in a position to see much of what was going on...
Luc demonstrated where not to go in the very first rapid (a Class IV business to be fair) on the first day. A blind run, in the order: Luc (I think the line is on the left), me, Jon (who had never even seen the rapid before) and Jim (I don't remember--we'll find out). As the rest of the crew was on shore to scout, I faintly heard Jon, who had listened to a description of the rapid earlier, behind me over the roar of whitewater, 'he's wayyy too far left!' Indeed Luc was, as I saw him disappear completely. With a last ditch effort to hit the green tongue, I went by, looking at the bottom of a red Dagger Nomad which--no exageration here--was a good 5 feet vertically lower than me, being trashed in a huge pourover hole. Not until I finished the rapid and eddied out that he emerged from the hole and manage to roll up in the Class III wave train below... And Jon, as you saw it's ok to hit the 2nd massive wave/hole!
Not to be outdone, Larry demonstrated yet another way not to run the same rapid: a rocky shallow creek-style line suited for a creek boat. He'll probably need a new skirt, perhaps also a new thumb.
I found out that sometimes coincidences happen. For instance, Matt Hamilton was paddling with us all weekend, and we discovered that I was paddling his old Burn. Thanks Matt for helping pull the boats up the portage climb--it really helped! The other coincidence: if you say just before entering a certain rapid that once you had to find a way to punch a massive hole because you had no choice, well, sometimes you might finally roll up to discover that you have one paddle stroke left before said hole... Let's say that a Pyranha Burn is good at punching big holes...
Something else that should be said: Dani now owns the Kipawa river. She got all her lines. And no sneak lines for her: ran all the meat. Very impressive! Everybody remained in their boats the whole river both days. Of course there were close calls... Somebody might need
one of those plastic balls for the skirt grab loop... And kudos to Jim--running a river blind, with no recollection of his previous run many years ago, all this one year from retirement!
This year's festival was a success. Credit goes partly to the nice weather, but mostly to the people who organized the event, and who negotiated with Hydro Québec a nice release for the whole weekend. The organisation has a new executive, and the past president was even able to paddle both days even though his car, boat and gear was in a garage in Deep River. The weather was amazing, insects were manageable and Scott allowed us to bring our vehicles down to the lodge which saved a lot of efforts... And everybody's belly was full after Saturday's fish fry dinner.
I wrote earlier that it was an intermediate river, not expert. But out of the 16 rapids, 4 of them are definitely a notch up in difficulty. Still, this leaves 12 amazing Class II-III rapids where it's ok to hit all the waves! That's two Ottawa rivers in a row, and you get to do it twice in two days. Something to consider next year if you want to bring your paddling up a notch! And bring a big boat. I am sure Larry and Bruce slept really well afterwards...
--C.
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There is no proof of that event which involved me. It's not like somebody has video proof of what happened.. right Jon? Right? *nervous laughter*
It was indeed a fantastic weekend. The weather really helped too. My calves are feeling it today with all of that hill climbing during portages and the hill at the campground. I opted for my car this morning instead of my bike. :)
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There is no proof of that event which involved me. It's not like somebody has video proof of what happened.. right Jon? Right? *nervous laughter*
There will certainly be some forensic work done on that GoPro footage. Seeing red boat and paddler drop off the horizon: priceless!
--C.
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This was honestly one of the best weekends I have had on the river ever.
Thanks to everyone who made it so!
The video I quickly put together is uploading as we speak I will post it when its done.
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what happens at the Kipawa, stays at the Kipawa ... at least until the videos and photos appear.
There should be a photo of Jon and the breast implants soon to be circulated. Yah always fun at the Kipawa weekend
Just to report ... skirt repaired, paddle should be as good as new in a couple days, and the aches and pains will dissipate in few days.
Larry
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Here is my quick edit of the saturday run.
http://youtu.be/s3BEhTtCSvI (http://youtu.be/s3BEhTtCSvI)
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Here is my quick edit of the saturday run.
http://youtu.be/s3BEhTtCSvI (http://youtu.be/s3BEhTtCSvI)
Great video!
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That is an excellent video!
0:27--I see red plastic... First rapid, Rock'n'Roll. By the way, this line down the rapid is NOT mentioned in the description (http://kipawariver.ca/?page_id=40&lang=en).
0:32--Yes, it's ok to hit the 2nd wave...
0:52 to 1:46--Tumbling Dice, three nice wavetrains where you try to hit everything.
1:47--Buttonhook! That can be a tricky one. Paddle left, do NOT follow the main current! Not seen on footage: two massive holes to avoid...
EDIT: No! Paddle right at Buttonhook! Duh! And make the big butt eddy there!!!
3:29 to 5:38--Lots of fun stuff, lunch spot...
5:39--Zipper! Big fun wave at 5:54. Remember, Jon is in a 8' 8" kayak, and the camera makes everything look small...
6:18--Lower White Pine. Fun stuff.
6:42--Picnic! If you know the line, that is. Big hole on the left not shown...
7:00--La Grande Chute. 90 feet of pure craziness. We sent a friend down to check...
7:20--Elbow. Put-in just below the falls, and paddle left. I mean it...
8:15--Hollywood. The End. With crowd cheering. Litterally, from the cabin balcony. Here also paddle left!
--C.
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Weird that we apparently found a new line, that turned out to be very easy.
I swear I stayed upright through it the second day.
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Weird that we apparently found a new line, that turned out to be very easy.
Perhaps I am not reading properly? Here, emphasis mine:
"Named by a river guide from Wilderness Tours on a low-water run in the mid-’80s, Rock and Roll is routinely walked by boaters who don’t like its steep rocky character. The typical run is to enter right of centre, just to the left of a couple of very small holes reacting to a rock shelf near the surface. Move right then straighten out to run a narrow deep water channel that passes to the right of all the big holes out in the middle. Move left, back out to the centre of the drop as soon as you pass the big hole. Alternative run at levels from very low up to 100 or 110 cms (140 or 150 cms old value), is to start from just left of centre and work left down a slide drop so that you work to the far left of the rapid about half way through it, then run the bottom half hugging the left shoreline through a steep, abrupt hole. This is an easy run at low water when you can actually eddy out half way through. It gets progressively tougher the more water there is."
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If this were football and you ran the buttonhook curling to the left, you would have been benched. If you ran the same pattern at Button Hook rapids curling to the left, you would have been surfed in the holes.
The route is down and curl to the right into the eddy ... just like this guy running the football pattern
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK6kSUGGb0o (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK6kSUGGb0o)
Larry
1:47--Buttonhook! That can be a tricky one. Paddle left, do NOT follow the main current! Not seen on footage: two massive holes to avoid...
--C.
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Ah yes, paddle right. Duh.
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Hi Dani,
ups, we stole your socks, indeed. They have been washed in the meantime and are ready for pickup on our deck (where we had the bbq). You can pick them up anytime, or I can bring them to the next river outing.
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Couple of familiar faces on this guys site!
Great pics too!!
http://mamaphotography.ca/ (http://mamaphotography.ca/)
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Jacques, c'est de ce site dont je te parlais en fds, on voit une photo de Christian aussi.
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...de dos...