Over the weekend paddlers gathered on Canyon Creek as they do on many weekends during the rainy season. As we geared up to descend the creeks tight canyons and rapids no one really knew of the surprise waiting down stream. A few had come form out of town for their first run on the classic stretch. These paddlers would run creek with blissful ignorance never knowing the monumental change that occurred to Canyon Creeks river bed.
For the locals who know Canyon Creek intimately the change in store would be a huge surprise.
The Boulder Garden as it is called is one of more challenging rapids on Canyon Creek. The long Boulder Garden climax's with two ledges. The first is a ramp style ledge with a large whoop de do. The second is a 8ft non vertical ledge with a hole that has the reputation of being sticky and retentive. Many paddlers have been caught off line and paid the price at the final ledge.
Like many other times before I approached the first of the two ledges and lined up so I would be in a good spot for the final ledge as approached the 2nd ledge and prepared for a boof I was astonished to find no more ledge.
What was left in its place was an easy flume style rapid with no hole. The consequence was gone and the ledge's reputation for being a crux move was no longer appropriate, the threat of getting a beat down was gone!
Part disappointment with part relief.
As I sat in the eddy with the rest of the group the appropriate eddy buzz could be described as stunned! The old days of nervous paddlers hoping for good lines through the final Ledge of the Boulder Garden would only live in photos and in memories......
For those of you that never saw the final Ledge here it is. For those of you that new and loved that last drop in the Boulder Garden here is a few pics to remember it fondly.
I think we should name the new rapid "Cake Walk"!
The NEW Flume Rapid that replaced the old sticky ledge
The old rapid know as the 2nd or final Ledge of the Boulder Garden
Thats all for now!
1 comments:
Luke,
We really enjoyed the post about Canyon Creek. One our team has ridden that stretch so it was good to get the update. We’d like to invite you to participate in an exclusive field test we’re conducting this spring for our new defense against Soggy Shoe Syndrome…
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