Topic: Tropic North around Big Joe

[Micratech]

Louis - thanks for posting the pics - so good to paddle with the Montreal
chapter of the CdB!

After getting a bum steer from my friends who live in Lachine - who pointed me
to 6th avenue in *Lachine* - I finally got properly navigated to the famous Lasalle
rapids (heh? isn't that supposed to be the *Lachine* rapids?) 

Louis expertly navigated Dom and me past an island into the current, which consisted
of big, pushy waves very reminiscent of the Colorado, except that these waves were
green and warm (the Colorado being primarily brown and cold).  After navigating around a few
holes in some big wave trains to our destination we arrived at the eddy for Big Joe. 
Getting on the wave is quite easy - just grab the feeder wave; it feeds you into a rather
large calm area where you have forever to back on to your selected wave.  We had 3 primary choices:
a) left side Big Joe,
b) right side Big Joe (aka the Pit)
c) Pyramid, which is a triangular mostly glassy steep wave. 

I chose the classic left side Big Joe, choosing to avoid the Pit, which can become
trashy and is subject to random surges.  The left side of Big Joe is excellent -
big, stable, wide, and fast!  Several paddlers had long surfs, about 10 minutes, so wait
times were long.  Behind Big Joe are several other large waves (some of them surfable) but the
river gets quite calm afterwards for a long stretch.  The ferry back up involves navigating
over very shallow water and some rock shelves, which I chose to wade through rather than put
more gouges into the bottom of my boat.

After paddling Dom showed off his unparalleled culinary expertise over "late dues" beers and
several paddling and climbing stories. 

Thanks again, Montreal chapter - let's do this again soon!

\MR

[LouisD]

Mike acquiring the special skills involved at Big Joe...
And Pyramidale, mostly green, hidding Big Joe.

[LouisD]

Posting pictures...
Mike incognito in Montreal amongst the Frenchmen.

[LouisD]

After a day of volleyball tournament, then dropping at Camp de Base store to acquire a few interesting paddling goods during their end of season sale, Dom and I finally hooked up with Mike Rabe - not counting an additional good hour for Mike to figure out that there is more than one 6th Avenue in Montreal, but only one Bishop Power street.

All good and reunited at the Chevalier de Colomb parking lot, we warmed up by paddling the large pool before entering the current around the point. A few good big waves - leaping for some air time for me, then it was time to line up cautiously for the entrance to the Big Joe area.

Still all good with Dom and Mike following. A quick intro for Mike and hop we went...and miss. Darn! Qu'a cela ne tienne, the next round was much better. The way back up the rock shelves and ropes to cross the ridges didn't appeal too much to Mike, looks like he preferred to slush knee or waist deep.

I will let Mike provide his own impressions on the waves (Pyramid, Geatan and of course Big Joe).
We finished the day after the long ferry at Dom's parent place with some quickly improvised dinner with beer(s) owed by Mike...
And a promise to do this again very soon...

Hey hey hey, not a bad day. Not bad at all...

LouisD
For the Montreal branch