Adrenalin Anyone?

It was a typical West Kootenay autumn afternoon......warm sunshine and bluebird skies, with a mix of that indefinable surreal tranquility known as Indian Summer. Veteran whitewater kayakers Carl Jacks and Chris Ryman phoned to say hello and tell me they were in my neigbourhood to run a “small waterfall” on the Kaslo River. They asked if I’d like to join them and photograph their little shindig. Hey, it’s what I do guys.....I’ll be there!

The Kaslo River is a pure gem. It flows out of the high alpine of Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park and journeys downward through the lush green forests and deep quiet valleys of the pristine Selkirk Mountains before spilling its crystal clear water into Kootenay Lake at Kaslo. (which is where I live for the time being).

An old ski buddy of mine attempting to be profound with brew in hand once commented, “Extreme sports are all about challenging and pitting yourself against intense terrain, under intense conditions, at an intense level of experience.....whether it be skiing, mountain biking, climbing, whitewater kayaking or whatever. But whitewater paddling (and surfing) are a real bitch, because the terrain actually moves under you. And that movement can change on any given day which makes things extra scary. There’s just no time for second thoughts, because everything is fluid and raging.”

Point taken....which is why I’ve stuck to mountain biking and skiing. And being an Aries fire sign I’m not a water baby anyway.

By the time I arrived and scrambled down the steep bank with my camera gear, Carl and Chris along with friends Bradd Tuck and la femme Laurence Bachand we’re scoping out a planned route through the falls from the bluffs above.

I’m a photographer and photojournalist. I would describe myself as a storyteller. Every good image tells a story! Even an engaging portrait speaks of the subject.

The slide show that follows is a story of a few hours shared by friends. It tells of the fear and excitement (often the same thing), exhilaration, camaraderie, elation, personal accomplishment and fulfillment. It was a sharing of special time enjoyed by all...photographer included. A captivating little river dance!

CLICK SMALL SQUARE IN LOWER RIGHT CORNER OF WINDOW TO VIEW

FULL SCREEN (BEST)
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Chris Ryman owns Endless Adventure in Crescent Valley, BC on the banks of the Slocan River. http://www.endlessadventure.ca/

Carl Jacks is president of Borderline Boaters here in the West Kootenay. http://www.borderlineboaters.com/

A bit of a digression. A few years ago Carl and Chris along with some other elite Kootenay paddlers formed a group called the Endangered Creek Expeditions. Their agenda was to paddle the high flow creeks across BC threatened by proposed private hydro development (IPP’s), an initiative of Gordon Campbell's ill-conceived BC Energy Plan.

Their goal was to show the people of BC the beauty of these incredible natural places by filming their experiences.

It was also an attempt to draw attention to certain clauses within the federal Navigable Waters Act, which placed restrictions on construction of industrial structures on watersheds considered "navigable". Paddling these raging creeks, considered by both government and power producers as "unnavigable", brought this issue into question or so they thought.

This past year Prime Minister Harper introduced legislation that significantly changed this act (which dates back to confederation), basically opening up all our Canadian watersheds to industrial development.

Smells of a very timely collusion between Ottawa and Victoria during the current push for private river power development in BC. But that’s another story!