et
k INSTRUCTION OUTFITTERS
Ashlu, continued from page 37— stretch of river has now
been transformed into a composition of concrete
mar
structures designed to control the flow of the river.
Soon the Ashlu will have a two-way valve, where wa-
ter can either be directed through the gaping maw
r
apid
of the diversion tunnel or released into the canyon
below. Big excavators are digging the foundation
for a building to house the computer controls.
eter Mather
P
We drop over the weir one by one and realize the
same water we are floating on will soon be used for
Photo:
Come experience
electricity. Once diverted into the cavernous tun-
nel the water will be sent thundering through the
the Yukon!
mountain, spinning three giant turbines to power
www.upnorthadventures.com
up to 20,000 homes.
The Box is directly downstream. It’s entrance
is guarded by a tricky 10-metre waterfall named
SERVICES
50/50. Every time I see the falls, I think of a trip
I took down the river with Willie Kern in 2006. An
Best place to stay on the Ottawa!
icon among expedition paddlers, Kern has more
A paddler’s dream guesthouse. Paddle to McCoy’s,
than a decade of paddling experience on rivers
the Main or Middle channel from your doorstep! around the world. Together with his twin brother
and five other team members, Kern bagged a first
descent of Tibet’s Tsangpo Gorge in 2001, widely
acknowledged as one of the greatest kayaking ex-
peditions of all time. His reputation has led to a
belief held by many of his contemporaries: “If the
Kern brothers won’t run it, nobody will.” That day
o
m
on the Ashlu, Kern told me the waterfall should be
o
in
tg
u
es
th
o
u
se
.c
named “10/90…10 per cent of the time you look at
w
w
w
.p
io
n
ee
rp
it and don’t run it and 90 per cent of the time you
613-582-7011
walk right past it.”
We all hop out at the calm pool above. Instantly
Madawaska River Rentals
people start talking about wanting to run it. We for-
mulate a plan and scout the line while the rest of
• Complete whitewater canoe rentals the group portages around to the ledge below. A
• Lower Mad shuttles
The best equipment. calm green path leads into the lip with not even
• Camping equipment rentals Right on your way.
a small wave or ripple in the way. Then you fall
Quadeville, Ontario • 613.758.2165 through the air becoming engulfed by the falls it-
www.madriverrentals.ca
self before getting spit out in the pool below. In a
Subscr
ib
e & S
av
e
matter of seconds the run is over. Four of us run it
you
can
paddle f
ore
ver
Canoe
roots/
Family
Camp
ing
Adventur
e Kayak q 3 years 12 issues $46.95
BOATS // PADDLES
and one manages to come out upright. Today we
Rapid
q 3 years 12 issues $46.95
q 2 years 8 issues $32.95
are 25/75.
q 3 years 12 issues $46.95
q 2 years 8 issues $32.95
q 1 year 4 issues $17.95
q 2 years 8 issues $32.95
q 1 year 4 issues $17.95
q 1 year 4 issues $17.95
qvisa
qmaster
card q
amex
Over the past few years I have surrounded my-
________________________
_____________________________________________________name
(please print)
________________________ self with paddlers who enjoy running rivers. Not
cc#
____________________________________________________
_____/_____
street addr
ess
just people who want to go paddle whitewater, but
exp date
____________________________________________________
prov/state
postal/zip
________________________
city
d
name on car friends who share the passion for exploring, work-
Media does not
____________________________________________________(W
e’ll email r
enewal notices. Rapid email information.)
sell or distribute customer mail or in U.S. q
cheque enclosed
phone
email
esses please pay
an funds. U.S. addr q
bill me later
ing as a team and using kayaking to travel through
esses please pay in Canadin Canadian dollars.
Canadian addr
edit card billing will be i
funds. U.S. cr
ww.rapidmedia.com
subscr
ibe online at w the world’s most majestic places.
A sense of exploration with unpredictable as-
pects is ultimately what we are after. The chal-
lenge of having to pick apart the river and being
rewarded for getting it right are second to the
wilderness experience and camaraderie found in
remember these?
paddling as a team.
It is hard to stomach the loss of rivers like the
Ashlu. Our battle to keep wild rivers wild parallels
No more inserts. less clutter. Saves trees.
the plunge we took at 50/50. Up against a power
company and the government in our fight to save
the Ashlu, our chances of success may have been
50/50. River runners everywhere need to continue
to work hard as a team to plan our lines through the
myriad of proposed power projects. If we don’t, be-
fore long we may find ourselves walking them all.
subscribe at
www.rapidmedia.com
BryaN SMItH is a filmmaker based in Squamish, British Columbia, and
or by phone (613) 758-2042
a veteran of expeditions in India, Peru and North america. His award-
winning films 49 Megawatts and Pacific Horizons are available through
reelwaterproductions.com and
therangelife.com.
Rapid
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