USAF Snoqualmie WhiteWater Lesson

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of spending a day on the Snoqualmie River (Powerhouse section just downriver from Snoqualmie Falls ) with Chris, a great guy and Major in the USAF, Western Air Defense Sector.

Chris in a Necky Jive. (Photograph by Jason Goldstein)

Our objective was to get comfortable in a river environment, teach river reading and safety, and kayak techniques for paddling in dynamic moving water. Chris had the advantage of a previous private lesson with me in an ocean kayak and was ready to progress to white water. Also it was preparation for Chris who was about to head to Montana and participate in the Peaks to Prairie Adventure Race This is a grueling 9 mile run, 43 mile bike, and 23 mile paddle on the Yellowstone river! I was happy to instruct and let Chris take a beating in the race! Hot off the press Chris finished the race and as we Kiwis say was “buggered” at days end and delighted with finishing, and his lesson with me proved worthwhile! Participant race photo link here: Adventure race photos

An excellent ferry angle with great body position! (Photograph by Jason Goldstein)

The powerhouse section is a fantastic place to learn, and we had sunny weather, and picked several spots ideal for learning to “ferry” across the river, and also worked on “peel-outs” – a method paddlers use to enter and exit from calmer water to moving water. We also spent time on catching eddies, which are great places for paddlers to rest, and scout rapids downriver.

A great spot to learn peel-outs, ferrying, and river reading. (Photograph by Jason Goldstein)

Learning to read the river flow/dynamics I’m sure helped Chris on race day. The river was flowing at over 4000 cfs so occasionally we had to dodge the logs coming from upstream! At day’s end were both happily exhausted. It was nice to be back on a river, and the Snoqualmie is one of my favorites.