No real post today, total filler. But it’s fun filler, because it solves a year-old mystery.
A year ago I did a post about run-off in which I mentioned that Little Cottonwood Creek runs right outside my office. One day a kayaker showed up, and I included a couple of photos in the post, mentioning that I had no idea where he took out. Now I know.
Yesterday he showed up again as I as walking out of the building and I stopped and chatted with him. His name’s Dave, he’s very cool, and he lives about a mile downstream, right by Wheeler Farms. So he walks up to our office, pulling his kayak on a skate. Then he puts in, plays in the eddy, and kayaks home.
But kayaking home means not only that he goes under the overpass shown in this clip, but that he runs the creek through the covered viaduct that routes the creek over I-215. The guy kayaks over the Interstate!
Last week the run-off was even higher- the highest we’d ever seen it, and supposedly running at levels not seen since the early 1980’s. Dave says that to run the creek when the water is that high, a kayaker has to flip over as he approaches the viaduct (and a couple of other underpasses) and stay flipped over till emerging at the other end.
Back to regular posting tomorrow.
7 comments:
I've done a fair bit of kayaking in my time, he's a brave/foolhardy guy to run long covered channels blind without a partner. There could be any old branches or debris in there that are forming strainers and could trap you. Even scarier doing it whilst flipped - just one misplaced brach could get you and if there's not enough room to roll up then it's goodnight Vienna.
I mean just look at the branches and crap in the second video piled up against the bridge stanchion. Crazy guy.
Isn't it more precisely called an aqueduct rather than a viaduct? Not to pick on you, I just like the word aqueduct.
Ah yes, you are right- it is an aqueduct, not a viaduct, a mistake which I will attribute to my strict policy of not doing any fact-checking for filler posts. (I know, I know- you're thinking, "And you do fact-check for the other posts??")
Although, after P65's sensible commentary, perhaps "Tunnel of Possible Watery Death" is a better moniker for the structure in question...
Good filler, I liked the videos.
I'm with P65, floating head under water through a tunnel sounds risky.
I'd like to try kayaking. I love water and it looks like fun.
Incredibly unsafe, the type of stuff you read in "culling the herd". One large branch caught in the aqueduct could tangle this fellow to the point of drowning. If he doesn't get tangled a real hard thump on the head is a very real possibility. Ever get thumped in the head upside down in water? It's not much fun.
Please, no one should copy this fool hardy approach to travel. Sometimes its OK to just get home by walking.
Bill:www.wildramblings.com
Oh my goodness, that sounds scary going through channels when flipped upside down. I know a good spine surgeon for when he needs one :)
But, it is a very cool way to commute, or kayute...
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