Mission: Upper Palguin, fear and consequence

Mission:  Upper Palguin

This Run has scared me for quite some time.   I am not worried about me, but my people.  I have to manage the skills, the desire and the safety.  All things that I find easy to do on a river I know.  But I had not got to run the Palguin before the trip.  I had to trust the word of my Friends, Dave Hughes and Kurt Casey.  I trust them, but perspective has a fickle eye.  We pulled out at 9am for the top of the river and put in on the land bridge.  The Run was “SPORTY”.  That’s my word for tough.  It took them all to the brink.  We didn’t have any swims, we had 3 popped skirts however all paddled to shore.  I am going to let the photos do the talking but hat’s off to Christo for moving from B team to K team and doing it in style.

Pictures.

 

Mission: Loosing is often winning, the rescue And PG 13 required!

Mission: Loosing is often winning, the rescue And PG 13 required.

Princess Leah, stompin it.

Christo, "Logan Greyling" Dad Showing why Logan is the way he is... NUTS...... and yes they are clones.....

Lenny always quiet, always funny.

Christo sporting some Tribe. on a waterfall scout

As a kayak intructor one might think that students getting their butts served to them on a silver platter cordially offered by yours truly would be a bad thing but it was a perfect day.  I remember looking up the river at a series of 25 footers, 10, 8’s, 16’s and more thinking these guys have their hands full today and they did and they  didn’t.  Wayne, Louis, Leah were running the very edge of what they could do and did most of it in style.  We have been going hard, maybe too hard the last 5 days running rivers pretty constantly.  Louis from CDB was the first to break, he broke his paddle at the bigger drop, managed to roll up, Wayne decided to have a creek-boat rodeo in a small but powerful little hole.  As usual looking back upstream at the girl or even the cascading montage of crystal blue water and its raw power.  Leah took a swim about 3 more drops down in a powerful river wide ledge only a big set of arms could propel you over with. Exhausted she carried on, the next rapid Louis turn.  Louis got dragged into boulder hell at high speed and was forced to pull the pin just above another 16 footer.  The bag found its mark and pendulumed him in just above the next falls and his boat tore down stream and got caught in a sive thankfully on the immediate right, within our reach and on our side of the river.  Louis safe and sound, Leah broke out after me hit her boof early and ended up in the curtain of the 16 footer.  Her boat is still behind the curtain as I type this and actually I have to go back and get it right now…… TBC.

Boat helm maybe?  we fit.  look for the Frenchman.

Ok, I could only take a couple people so as not to make a gong show at the waterfall.  I got Christo(ropes), Lenny(power), Kurt(river sage), and the Frenchman all down to the waterfall.  Christo set up the ropes with Lenny, Louis and Kurt sorted out the Inflatable and the plan was to go on line paddle me into the waterfall curtain at its weak spot and pull the boat out of the curtain Kurt on power me on the bow grab at the front of the raft.. 

Kurt Casey Watching my ass. During the Boat recovery.

We couldn’t see the kayak but it was there and we all knew it.  Kurt while scampering about found a little hole behind the waterfall and peered in.   He called me over and said, “ you can get in there”.  I managed to crawl through it Kurt holding me via rope, just between the curtain into the room behind the drop.  I Crawled about 20 feet Kurt feeding me line just in case the Curtain caught me.  I came around the bend just out of sight and there was the boat.  I cracked out our preplan whistle and the boys hauled it out and we were back in Business.

Thermal Springs...  they went forever.

I took a shot of the rescue team all mooning the camera that was in the back of leah’s boat and left it on her camera.  I would show you, but someone, not naming names (starts with chris and ends with toe) might have mooned a bit too much rear end for the interweb to be seeing…….  Happy times, good beer great company and fantastic paddling. 

Havin a mission

EDITED FOR PG13 eyes ONly.

Mission: Headaches, traveling bands, breakdowns. Classic mission.

 

Mission: Headaches, traveling bands, breakdowns.  Classic mission. 

Running a trip has a certain stress about it that comes from a place within I call my empathy curse.  I love making a trip go well and determining the outcome of the trip on my attention, work and determination.   The problem is I feel empathy, way too much of it.  I put my self in the position of every complaint, every mix-up every problem and when I am running the trip its everything that I can do to be sure that I am operating at my fullest potentia.  Not just to make people happy but to avoid the feeling of not doing a good job or worrying about a complaint.  The Trip has been awesome, loving It.  But its not always perfect.

My Suburban blew a wheel bearing yesterday.  Held us up for hours.  We suffered in the hot sun while eating a meal at a gas station, behind the gass station against a pile of bricks.  We ended up finding a cattle truck of all things, riding in the back of it in the less than glorious style of air-conditioned comfort we were growing accustomed too.   My head in my hands shaking back and forth silently saying, “why me” We picked up a bunch of guys on the road hitchhiking and Chuck got the guy to play in the back of the truck as we crept along at 40 kms’ per hours. We were sweating like mad, listening to this guy playing away, while I held him up so he could play without falling over.…  Its all turned out great, got everyone off the Trufel Trufel before a class 5 plus drop with no eddy’s, which stressed me out so bad I think that I may never get them to drop. But we made it back just fine, happy and tired.

I could say a lot more, just check out the photos…..  Special thanks to Dave for keeping an eye on the details running the place smoothly and keeping everyone happy.

Billy Harris no question on a mission.

Mission :Arrival

Mission:  The Arrival.

Well it is in my nature to kind of be a bit unorganized.  I have always had my wife to help me make good plans and set a schedule.  I am sitting here early in the morning making plans and feeling pretty good about them.  I will see how they work out but I have to say I am feeling pretty confident so far…….  I have a great group, the K team and the B team.  K is for Kurt Casey, my guide here. B team is for Billy.  Kurt and the K team is an  Amazing guy, first D’d most of Chile and an amazing resource for the group.  He’s got all kinds of knowledge, stuff you just can’t know unless you live and have a family here.  There isn’t another person I would want to have on our team.   

Loading up gear, drinking coffee with the father in law and just happy as hell to be here.  It’s everyone’s first night and it worked out great. 

Chucks Take

Well, I’m just finished breakfast and waiting for the official start of Day One. It thundered and lighteninged last night for a long time, which is very unusual for Chile, but we awoke to a bright sunny day with a predicted high in the high 20’s.  Billy was up earlier than normal and stressed out as he has a right to be. It’s his first trip to Chile with clients, and he is bending over backwards trying to make sure that they are looked after properly. I am sure that it will all work out, and there will be hiccups, but everyone is working hard to make sure that this trip is a success. David, the owner the Pucon Kayak Hostel, is very accomadating. Kurt, the other guide is a fountain of knowledge, both about the rivers and local lore and legend. We have a mixed group of people with varying interests and backgrounds. Everyone is excited to get started, some with a bit of apprehension, but eager and ready to go. The K Team is off for a full day on a class IV. The rest of us are doing two short runs today. I am in the B Team and here to learn a bit and enjoy myself. So far, it’s been great, and I am sure that it will continue to be so.

Mission. Chile, wild shower scene and the Oldies take!!

Mission.  Chile, a wild shower scene and Oldies take!!

We should have flown out on the day we booked our flight out for.  Toronto Pearson International shut down for 3 cm of snow, embarrassed to say I am Canadian that day.  JKF flew most flights during the storm of the season….  What it all boiled down to, was that I was snow bound in a small handicap room, one bed and no place to go for zero reason.   I tried to have a shower with the sitting chair in the shower room with no curtain, who’s the clown that thought up that stupid system.  I couldn’t even soap my own butt, for holding the wand.  It had too much power to stay in the holder, which I found out during a fully clothed, warm up.  I had water every-where, mirrors, me and not to mention that I almost killed myself getting up and down off the dumb chair holding the spray nozzle.

 Gawd I am stuck in a room with the guy right now.  He’s reading Martarese Circle by Robert Ludlum and no question at all that he found that book in a dump, green painters tape holding the spine together, dog eared pages from a million other readers of such dribble and a magnetic bookmark that has nothing to stick to, but joyously sets off the metal detector wand ever time.  This stunt almost always holding us in the exam room forever while we search his belongings.  Ultimately dragging me down with the steadily sinking ship.  I can hear his old guts turning in the quiet din of our room at Pucon Kayak Hostel.  Bifocals all tweaked for ample page coverage, and the slight hint of Bengay floating about the room.   He’s got a book in his hand, he’s snoring his brains out.   I admit, I am tired, grumpy and I want to go to bed too, its been 36 hours and 3 hrs of sitting sleep on a plane.

Chucks Perspective.

It is fun traveling with Billy, or should I say it is an adventure. I learned that you never count on what he says that he is going to do until the operation is in progress. Normally, it is Billy that causes all of the hassles in the airports, like carrying prohibited weapons through carry-on, etc. I thought we were off to a different start when we had our ticket agent almost laughing out loud as she finagled our seats so that we could sit together. She had her fun, and then ours began. Instead of Billy getting stopped, it was my carry-on searched for a non-existent bottle of water. In Santiago we had to switch planes, so we had to claim and transfer our luggage. After moving to the opposite end of the terminal and up three floors, and in the process of checking into our next airline, I noticed that my gear bag was missing. Three bags checked, and off we go backwards through the airport and customs, etc. Then back to check my mislaid bag and get our tickets from a non English speaking agent that couldn’t understand why 2 guys only had one bag to check. Then the airport metal detector,  It detected something. Not sure what, maybe the magnetic bookmark in my purchased used book, not dump found, although my local dump does have a recycling table with lots of treasures. If you can’t leave with as much as you brought to the dump, it can be depressing! So after 3 tries, and removing my jacket with the book, we were off again. I also forgot to mention that while we were waiting for our bags, Chile has sniffer dogs roaming. Guess whose carryon was questioned, again. I had a bag of roasted, salted almonds in a pocket on the bag. These are trained food sniffing dogs. My dog at home is a food sniffer too, but she is self-trained. I had to re-write my customs form. The nuts were ok to bring in, I just had to declare them. After an uneventful flight and a 2 hr bus ride later, we made it to our lodgings. I was hoping to crash, but Billy wanted to go into town to run errands. I had to go with him to keep him out of trouble, naturally. Ten hours of sleep later, we have had coffee and are on the run again into town. The adventure is continuing!

On a mission with billy and th old boy

Mission: CHILE BOUND/Kurt Casey and the Father IN LAW!!!

I got off the phone with Kurt Casey, Kurt runs the website http://riversofchile.com the best Chile based website I know of.  From what I have been told he knows more rivers and had done more first descents there than anyone.  I talked to David Hughes at http://puconkayakhostel.com/ set me and the Crew I have going with me down there with Kurt and with every boat we need for the trip. Dave helped with  Logistics, Drivers, a cook and Chilean super guide Kurt Casey.  I have been pretty lucky to have him on the trip, and Dave for that matter lighting the way.  

Its been 2 communications now with Kurt and my trip plan has been augmented on 2 fronts to accommodate some (special experience).  Kurt writes, "Also would like to get the stronger part  of group or maybe everyone  on the Truful Truful.. http://riversofchile.com/rio-truful-truful/ One of my favorites I guess its a bigwave run, easy for your crew to handle from what you have told me.  It should be a great trip and very worthwhile doing. "

I am going down early to be sure that things are organized, food menu is perfect and vehicles and plans are sorted out. 

The Trip is an educational one as much as at tour of Chile.  Each day we are going to set up our day like I would run with the good old boys.  Someone takes lead, that leader rotates through the day.  That way we don't have anyone just following.  Leading is key to learning, you see, you experience you learn.   First we take on boofing, I do a sweet learn to boof clinic that sorts out that issue, then we practice it and get used to RT/LT boofing and timing.  The next is group rules of conduct!  Gear, clearing rapids, setting up possible safety locations, and basic safety strategies.  Fire up the details like getting out with a throw bag in your hand.  Simple small details that make a crew run well or a floating liability..

AND THE GLITCH....

Picture this guy looking over your shoulder..(chuck norris)

The Glitch in the plan is My father in law.  YEP.  he's coming early with me.  Very similar people him and I.  I am calling him the trip target or pinyata not that I spell it right.  Hopefully everyone picking on him, might take the pressure off me to get everything just right.  I know he will be watching.  "Who did my daughter marry"?  Is hopefully the one question he dosen't ask......  ok who am I kidding, that question has come up before today.....


POWERED BY JACKSON KAYAKS
Written By:Billy HARRIS

Billy Harris, on a mission...

BIlly Harris 2010 a Year in Review.

I

ts hard to sum up a whole year, My head was shaved, my dog's been skunked, I managed to cut loose bear mace in my car...... my wife got a job as a sugar momma, I lost team trials. Its been horrible, its been great, Its been a great summer, and fall, however I have been hiding a way a bit not gonna lie. Sure I made my rounds as Billy Harris the kayaker visiting shops in, Calgary, Quebec, NY, and all over including boater boards and all that. But I have been hidden away a bit at the same time. Now the Moose fest was a blast, riding coolers down a hill, missing phones, toilet papered rooms and cars. I just watching the hijinx of the festival that doesn't exist anymore flourish without the vendors. The event running on the nostalgia and an attachment to how things were once, and where they will be again one day. The festival was fantastic, but so were many of them this year. That being said, festivals took a hard hit with water levels this year in Canada. Some of the big festivals didn't go due to water. The biggest of the festivals did go though, hundreds of new paddlers being introduced to the sport at Rapid Magazine's great “Palmerfest”. Dry suits, warm gear, and nice weather for a change, made for the most successful Palmerfest ever held. Teaching and growing the sport, despite the economic downturn was the goal and one that made it clear that the community still thrives and flourishes. 

A lot of my summer was dedicated to training in the early morning, teaching all day and hitting the gym at night. The fun part was having the river to me and the girl in many cases. I train quite often in the early morning dawn with my wife. The Ottawa river being a wave style river made it a bit harsh at team trials though. Many of the great wave surfers in the valley crashing pretty hard into the stark realization that they are different disciplines holes and waves. They are different types of balance and both take an every day approach to training.

The other bummer thing about early mornings is I am over 200 lbs and despite my seemingly athletic lifestyle the, 2 cream 4 sugars I inhale several times a day have taken their toll on my waistline. Being 36 years old might have something to do with it, but being in full denyal, and the lack of grey hair has supported that denial to date. I am not saying I look like a pile of tires or anything, lets be clear about that but there is defiantly more of me to love these days if you know what I mean. My room mate says “you have man boobs”. Nobody but my wife and I like her so I ignore her for the most part. But if I were to reply to such an evil little woman I would say that I may or may not pass some stupid hold the pencil test under my pec's. I started out at a slim 165 lbs when this show started. The positive and beautiful part is that I am fitting the super star better than I ever have. Creeking in a boat that fits me perfectly has been a pleasure as well. I like the big boats “and I can not lie”, I always have. But the new Villain and its volume and size are perfect for me, and I feel like the boss when I paddle it. (still not the boss around the house)

Canadian Team Trials were awesome up until the last round. I was so confident that I would win I bet Kelsey his sparse and ratty looking mustache to a thick and proud Mohawk that I would whoop is little quasi-eastern ass. He scored a royal donut the first run, and things were looking up for old billy. I was even making faces at him during my rides. It was like the ski-ward lord of all things saw this and then the evil god struck me down. It hurt more not because he wasn't as consistent as I was, I had consistency scored pretty high. In the end he just paddled better on that day, nothing hurts more than the truth. I am a mans man, Marlboro style, no mustache cowboy if there ever was one. I like doing manly things. I shoot guns, I drive an SUV, its covered with mud and I like it like that. I would shoot a handgun too if my wife would let me have one in the house... But being a man's man I really like to win. I have to say I have always been a bit greedy on that front. I take loosing as a personal insult. I feel its a testimate to the effort I put into things. To summarise my year in review, I win, I loose, I win, I loose and I will win again. My 2010 season with Jackson Kayaks.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN???????

Coverage.

Paddling Films and Filming:Locals only Film. 

YouTube Hits

Videos Uploaded: 22
Video Views: 24,984 

Channel Views: 1,455 

Events/Festivals

ZOAR river Festival, Red deer river Festival, Moose festival, Palmer Festival, King of Clubs  

Team Trials:  Canadian Team (since 1997)  3rd.

Shop Visits:

Undercurrents, paddle shack, Boatwerks(no/pk), Gull River Shop(no/pk)

Postings:
15 Posts, 6 product reviews hundreds of email reply's.

Schools:

Taught Advanced to beginner Clinics to over 200 people this year, worked at WT teaching,
NRA taught for a week.
Free Clinics:
Palmer Festival, Boatwerks, Zoar, Red Deer, Moose. 

Books Sold:
   un-knowan Over 50+ Given away or handed out at festivals to beginners.