Lava Falls

I was fortunate enough to borrow a Spot device from my work to send out messages from camp to let our loved ones know that we were OK (actually we were HUNKY DORY). It was a nice way to check in, and I've heard from folks on the trip that their friends and family really loved watching our progress down the river. This link is my favorite spot message from the trip, taken right above Lava Falls. You'll need to make sure the satellite image is turned on and then either zoom out, or scan to the rapid just downriver (left) from the spot, and you can see the beast.

Plus, aerial imagery is cool.


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Lava is a large rapid, to say the least. I had dreams about it the night before we were going to run it. I felt like I was going to puke when I heard its roar from upstream. But when I got up to the scout to see it, I calmed down a little bit. Jeremy had been rowing so well during the trip that I had full confidence that he was going to nail the bubble line and we'd have a great run. As I got back to the boat to get my dry suit on, I realized we were going to run four and four to take photos, so I watched as the first four pushed off. Only from the hoots an hollers did I know that they had great runs, as I was tucked in behind the tie off for the scout.

Next it was our turn, and Jeremy and I were going last as sweep. As we were dropping down in, we saw Matt and Mel flip in the top hole. It was terrifying to watch and even more terrifying for them to experience. We were in rescue mode, so I actually don't remember our run as well as I would have (but I still screamed like a banshee). What I do know is that by the time we were at the bottom of the rapid, we hardly had to turn the bilge pump on. It was a great run.

Matt and Mel were rescued by Seth in his kayak. The boat was flipped back over a mile or so downstream. The only thing lost that day was an oar.