I've always had a special little place in my heart for the winter months. I enjoy the unforgiving sensations and bleak gloominess. Winter offers solitude. I don't know if it's the snow which causes amplified silence or simply the desolate nature of being in a dark canyon, but winter calls to me.
I do love spring, playboating the Wenatchee. Icicle Creek. Little White Salmon. The long days and warm nights soothe and lead to the warmth of summer as well as the higher altitude gems that run late. The Ohanepecosh, Upper Upper Cispus, and of course the Grand Canyon Elwha which I have yet to get on. Late summer offers dam- release runs like the North Fork Payette in Idaho and Chelan. As the last of the snow melts from the peaks a feeling comes over me as I wait for the fall rains.
I first experienced the burning of winter time boating before I had my first hardshell. On a late February trip with my good friend Mike Grim, I paddled the full 9 miles of the Skykomish in 2 wetsuits and a duckie. By the time I was at the take out I could no longer feel anything below mid shin... except the most intense pain I think I've ever experienced. I crawled up to the van and trailer from the river's edge on my hands and knees. I couldn't walk. My feet hurt so BAD and were a shade of whiteish gray I've never seen since. I took my Converse tennies and neoprene socks off as I sat on the side of the trailer. I could feel my skin cells shattering as I prayed for bloodflow to return. Someone else carried my boat up to the trailer and since I still couldn't stand up I just rolled off the side into the wet sandy nastiness. I learned a reverence for the river that day I've never forgotten. In fact, I honor the river and show my respect every winter by wearing a drysuit.
I have admitted to myself this year, my addiction to rivers and have fully conceded to the hopeless pattern I am destined to repeat, year after year. Don't pray for me. I am content biding my time until the inevitable... spring melt. I like sharing my pain with all of you, my fellow Creek Siders. Whether summer or winter, Creek Siders have a similar reverence for water flowing over rock and whether on the river or on the couch looking at pictures of a river, we are usually content just the same.
Just in time for holidays, I put together a slideshow of some of the images I've captured this year. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I did making it. I included a list of most of the rivers in this presentation. Happy Holidays y'all. SYOTCS
Here is a fairly complete list of the places in this little slideshow. I'm sure it isn't perfect. If I missed one, let me know.
Top Tye
Robe Canyon (SF Stilligaumish)
Deer Creek
Ernie's Canyon (NF Snoqualmie)
Fall In The Wall (SF Snoqualmie)
Canyon Creek (Stilly)
Canyon Creek (Lewis)
East Fork Miller
Foss
Skykomish
Tumwater Canyon (Wenatchee)
Nason Creek
Peshastin Creek
Icicle Creek
Wenatchee play run
Chelan Gorge
Green Truss (White Salmon)
Little White Salmon
Clackamas River Fest
Upper Upper Cispus
Ohanepecosh
Chinook Creek
Lower Lewis Falls
Matheny Creek
Fool's Canyon (MF Satsop)
South Fork Skokomish
Wallace
Collowash
Upper Canyon Creek (Lewis)
Tshletshy Creek (Queets)
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