Wapiti's Drop
Wapiti (Bill Smith) prepares to drop down the 4 ft falls on Sleeper Falls
The river moved in to a still area. It was like the river abruptly stalled.
The distant roar of falling water the only indication current would return.
As I forcefully advanced my vessel toward the deep roar, the river was no
help, but that would change. I started to feel uneasy about the audible
abyss. The river churned its aroma and fury through the air. Ahead I could
see jagged rocks peering out of the steel gray water like mountain peaks
reaching through the clouds, concealing unseen excitement. As my
seventeen-foot Boreal kayak approached the roar, it seamed the river ended
into mid air. In an attempt to diffuse panic over what came into view I
concentrated on a plan. In my mind I mapped out the trail I would take,
knowing I blazed a trail nature would soon erase. I was looking at a seven
foot water fall spilling into massive boulders, fast water that flowed over
75 yards of rapids then over a four foot waterfall following through a
narrow canyon. My kayak stopped as the rocks at the crest of the falls
added marks of experience to the underside. The mental pain was prolonged
like a bandage being slowly pealed from my skin (bringing newly created skin
with it). I took advantage of the time to converse with Jesus and to assess
the falls. Jamming my paddle into the submerged rock beside me the kayak
started to teater for a brief moment before the drop. I watched as the bow
disappeared into the rivers' froth and turbulence. As the river had her way
with me I did my best to please her. The bow of the kayak disappeared while
the frigid river rose to my chest, almost stopping before acceding to breach
the surface. The worst was over, though I thought. Running the rapids
tortuously with success on my face I paddled hard to reach the far side of
the next falls. There was only one way through and that was to hug the
canyon wall, paddle on my side and pray. After completing the last falls,
running through the narrow canyon. Russ was against the far wall facing me
in his kayak. While showing him my expression of success I didn't notice
that my bow hit the canyon. The kayak started to climb the canyon wall with
the footing of a goat. The stern caught by the swift current hit the
opposite wall, while the bow kept climbing. Soon there was enough of the
kayak out of the water and I had lost surface tension and the kayak rolled
down stream. As I sat upside down still seated in my kayak, (which this
position was not foreign to me, it felt foreign). I instinctively reached
for my Jesus Loop (Release strap on the front of a spray skirt) I noticed
my
hand was out of the water. When my kayak rolled, the bow was climbing and
the stern, which has a metal rudder on top, had stepped up on the ruff wall
of the canyon. The kayak was hanging inverted above the river. I wished
this were being taped, knowing the odds of this happening again. When I
released the spray skirt the rest of me fell into the water. After coming
up-right I spun the yak off the rocks still keeping the it completely dry
inside. Russ told me he couldn't believe his eyes. After emerging from the
canyon I swam the kayak to shore meeting up with the rest of the yakers.
This seemed like a great opportunity to have lunch and relax.