whitewater rafting

[an nguyen]

I plan to make this my first rafting trip on sat may 7: http://www.hyak.com/rivers/chilliwack.html
If you’d like to join up, please email me.

may special, only $95 day trip

class level:
III- MEDIUM: Waves numerous, high, irregular; rocks; eddies; rapids with passages clear through narrow chutes requiring expertise in maneuvering rafts and kayaks  
IV- DIFFICULT: Long rapids; waves powerful, rocks; boiling eddies; powerful and precision required.

[Marty van den Bosch]

You will freeze  :shock:

Too early in the year.

I go every year, but in August.

BTW: very first time - Level III ?   :roll:   Make sure you have a will  

[an nguyen]

they provide a wetsuit but i didn't check if it's full length yet.  What if i wear snowboard shell pants and jacket over wetsuit?  
how likely will ppl pop out of the raft?  

i was thinking it'd be safe since they run school trips in may/june on the chilliwack:
http://www.hyak.com/school-trips.html

thanks for any more tips!

[Marty van den Bosch]

they provide a wetsuit but i didn't check if it's full length yet.  What if i wear snowboard shell pants and jacket over wetsuit?  
how likely will ppl pop out of the raft?  

i was thinking it'd be safe since they run school trips in may/june on the chilliwack:
http://www.hyak.com/school-trips.html

thanks for any more tips!

Odds are very good you will go over at least once. (that's 1/2 the fun)
Don't worry about going over, you have a helmet and a life jacket - nobody has died in over 10 years.
You want to cover your chest and legs (wet+wind on the river=frozen boy)
Do not wear anything cotton either.
Wear shoes that will stay on your feet, have a rubbery bottom, and that you don't love.  Shoes you can swim in  :wink:

[John Hartman]

The Vedder river is fed by Chilliwack Lake.  This lake in turn, is a Glacial melt!!  Even in June the Vedder is pretty cold.  In mid July-Aug it warms up, but only on the surface.  Get a few feet deep and its frigid again.

In May there is still TONS of snow up at the far end of Chilliwack Lake Road, all melting into the river.  

Just an FYI.  If you have the gear and experience, go for it, but I think I will sit this one out.

That said, you are welcome to pop over afterwards for some chow and a place to change if you like.  I live less than 1 min from the Vedder bridge.

[an nguyen]

thanks for the offer john, i may take u up on it =)

[an nguyen]

fun!  The guide was key to our safety as he steered us away from nasty spots and told us when/which way to paddle.  I was in the splashy front w/ 3 other guys; the 2 girls opted for the back and we had a 2nd guide who went along for the ride.  Most exciting part was when we went downstream sideways and got stuck on a boulder.  The guide yelled “over right” and I and the crew on the left side all jumped to the right side to prevent the raft from flipping over.  We were stuck for a minute but the guide got us loose.  No one popped out on the 3.5 hr trip (w/ lunch break).  Paddling was a lot of work but easy floating probably accounted for 2 hrs.  good thing we had helmets cuz my head got whacked by an oar =).

There were some kayakers there too; brave and skillful!
Water was cold but I stayed warm in my cold water dive gear (7mm wetsuit, 5mm gloves, 6mm booties).  

I’ll be doing the thompson but that season won’t start til july.

[John Hartman]

hey glad it was fun

You never stopped by and you were a whole min away.  Turkey!  

[an nguyen]

i'll probly go again may 28 or 29.  
john if u'll be around let's meet up for food (3:30pm or so)

[John Hartman]

sure, can't be 100% about time etc right now, we are getting closer to posession date with the new place.

[an nguyen]

john, i'm opting for this instead of returning to the chilliwack =).

recommended by a coworker, this is advertised as "far more exciting than the Thompson, Chilliwack or any river near Whistler."

2.5 hrs away; i'm sold =)
http://www.reorafting.com/site/rive...ch/classic.html

[Ryan Furnemont]

I've done the Nahatlatch a few times, its awesome, and if you get to do the Canyon run as well it's even better .  I'm doing a run through Reo in August too, not sure what it's called, but you have to reserve NOW (or earlier, not sure), and it's expensive, but it's all class 5 rapids with a few class 6 sections which you have to walk past :shock: . Anyone done this trip before? It's 2 days, first day training on the canyon run of the Nahatlatch and then the 2nd day is the actual run.

[an nguyen]

it was high water last sat. so we didn't raft the dicy parts; still, much bigger waves/splashes than the chilliwack on may 7 (med water).  reo took us on 2 runs of km 21~17.

i'm told there should be lower water levels in july/aug, when reo will raft to the canyon (km 10?)

i hiked the canyon trail; now i know what class 5 rapids look like:
http://www.justinliew.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=45&pos=0

http://www.justinliew.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=45&pos=1