Heuumm...
A hell of a start of season for me.
Last year at this time, the mounties were chasing me and my kayak down the parliament.
Instead, lots of first for me, yesterday.
First descent of the season, first spring descent, first time down the Archigan, first time with the "A" team.
(Ah and oh! first swim too...)
The "A" team...the guys didn't say if it the "A" stood for Ancient or for Admirable...or something else...
(While the "AA" team was running a double feature not too far including the Booniebrooke..)
By far the weakest link of the group, I got excellent support and camaraderie from my fellow paddlers.
The Achigan is deep into French territory with a slew of very nice French "riverains" and snakes it way between many cottages propped on the steep banks.
I really enjoyed the talks in my native language with the owners of the lands we leveraged.
In preparation for my return to roots, I had brought some reading material for the long ride; a couple of very typical French comic books: Achille Talon and Asterix et Obelix.
As I got dressed and equipped, I was thinking:"This is crazy, what are you doing here? There is still plenty of snow and the water is freaking cold."
On top of that I was using my unfamiliar big GT8.1...Lots of apprehension getting in...
First rapid is looooooong. Not used to that. Numbed and frozen fingers from the cold - better to get gloves.
Any way, the GT seemed to know where it was heading and I just followed it; that thing floats like a cork.
We arrived at a cascade with several meters (15m?) of successive and dispersed drops.
Engaged a long talk with the land owner who welcomed us to come back, while the others where scouting and moving their boats into the appropriate positions for their level of adventure. Rob ran most of it but to first drop. Most ran the last section...including my somehow bolder self.
What a treat that was...around the rocks into a creek-like leg.
Around lunch time we all hit a rapid with a solid 3 waves wave train ending with a big hole...Can I make the line? Thanks to Don, I saw that either side of the 3rd wave worked.
Well, looks like I did it fairly well, hit the right spots - but not all in great style like my peers...
I think the next one was the elbow section..."Just hug the left, close to the big rock and then punch the big rooster tail, then hard right in the eddy before you engage into the next part" said Bill with a lot more confidence that I was feeling at the time...Thanks to my floating cork, I bobbed my way through. Fiou...
Let's see past the elbow now....and then the typical error while looking down stream - I got my guard down and got pushed again a partly submerged rock and leaned the wrong way. Boy that water is cold for the hands and feet...Thanks Dave! Thanks Bill.
Collected my gut, cold self and boat a tad lower to move left side as the next drop was a tough one.
Everyone but Dave, Larry and Rob got out and watched them. Rob tried to boof and was stopped to a still on the sharp edge, then some quality time upside down below...Larry engaged 2 feet to the right and barely made it, saving himself from instant shame and refreshment...then Dave, our silent Dave, hit the perfect line... Well done buddy!!
The watch gave me enough time to drip the extra cold water I carried and then...hop back on the saddle for a long combo of "planioles", rapids and strange housing habits.
Bill says they have been coming back to the Achigan for the last 8 or 9 years...I can now see why...
LD