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Alaska: Riding the Wild RapidsBy Maywin LiuAdventure? If you’re looking for it, Alaska has plenty of it. One of the many options for a guaranteed adrenaline surge is white water rafting. I ended a week of adventure riding the Class III-IV rapids of Six Mile Creek with the Chugach Outdoor Center on the Kenai Peninsula. Earlier in the week, it did not look good for our rafting trip. Six Mile Creek, a misnomer for this fast flowing river, is very dependent on rainfall. There had been little rain and the water levels had dropped below the minimal safe rafting level. Luckily, rain fell steadily for several days before our trip and the river marker read just over 9 feet. The trip was a “go”. Though Six Mile Creek is not a glacial river, it is snow fed so the water is very cold. We are provided dry suits to wear. These suits are designed to keep water out but do not provide any warmth. We are advised to wear heavy fleece clothing and 2 pairs of socks underneath. To top off our outfits, we are given sneakers and helmets. Looking like a group of Michelin tire people, we take a short drive to our launch point. There, we “burp” our suits and receive our safety lesson. Matteo tells us the signals and the language of rafting. Because there is always a real risk of falling out, he shows us how to pull each other back into the raft. We are also cautioned never to stand up in the river except in the shallow eddies. Otherwise, our feet could become trapped between the rocks and we could drown as the strong current pushes us forward and under. We then plunge into the creek for our swimming tests. The test is to see how well we swim, follow instructions, and to get us familiar with the cold water. We launch into the water, swimming freestyle towards the center then flipping onto our backs in the rescue position. We have to remember to pull our bottoms up since we would otherwise hit the rocks in the shallower sections. We then flip back over and swim to the shore when they give the signal.
Greg prepares us for the first set of rapids – Seventeen Ender, named after a hapless kayaker who went around 17 times before getting dumped. The company has renamed it Matteo 17 after the other guide who has been dumped there 17 times in a row. He tells us what to expect and where to go should we fall out. Then we’re off. Our raft goes first and we plunge headlong into the rapid. Greg calls out “forward two” and we paddle 2 strokes hard forward. He calls out “back one” and we paddle as instructed. The two of us in the front are smashed backwards by the water rushing into the raft. I plant my foot tightly into the foothold and grab the “chicken wire”, the rope running along the outside of the raft as the water pushes me back. Looking over I see that the woman beside me has been knocked back and in danger of falling over. I grab her suit and help hold her in. We plunge almost immediately into the next rapid. Greg calls out instructions to navigate the rapid. And we are safely through! We wait in an eddy just beyond the rapids for the other raft. As they come into sight, the guide is pulling someone in the raft. Everyone else is in the water. By the time they reach us, all are back on board. We grab for their paddles as they float down to us. One of the rescued rafters is white and bleeding on his nose. He finally signals he is all right and wants to continue.
We attack each of the rapids eagerly, following Greg instructions carefully. At each of the most difficult areas, another guide waits on the shore with a towline in case someone falls out and needs to be pulled in. Luckily, no one needs the help. When we reach a flat area between the canyons, we have a chance to catch our breath and rest. Greg tells us about the creek’s history. It was involved in the Alaska’s gold rush. Gold flakes can still be found there. Greg tells us that a 3 ounce gold nugget was found in the creek recently. We look around carefully as wildlife, including moose and grizzly bears, often visit the creek. Greg has seen a grizzly with her cub on previous trips. But we are out of luck today. Greg tells us to get ready as we enter the second canyon. He tells us it is shorter but much faster. The canyon narrows rapidly at the “Anvil” rapid and I am nearly thrown into the canyon wall as our raft is tossed by the rushing water.
Back at the lodge, we shed our rafting gear and are given welcome cups of hot chocolate. Our guides congratulate us on a job well done. What a fantastic way to end the week! Details: Chugach Outdoor Center is located approximately 70 miles from Anchorage. For an additional fee, they can provide shuttle service for 2 or more people from Seward, Girdwood, Copper Landing, and Whittier. Photos by Maywin Liu |
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TM
I
am given the signal a little too late. By the time I flip over, I am nearly past
the pull-out area and can’t make up the distance. I am swept downstream and flip
back over into the rescue position. Upstream, one of the guides launches a raft
to pick me up. He catches me after a few yards and instructs me to go to the
side of the raft where he pulls me in. The water is frigid! We wait for the
others in a nearby eddy.
Our
raft attacks the next set of rapids and again we drive through the cold water,
bouncing up into the air, nearly falling out again. But we make it. We all laugh
and congratulate each other on staying in. We watch as the other raft navigates
the rapids and this time all stay in.
When
we reach the end, it has been a thrilling, heart-pounding ride. Despite being
knocked around, everyone in our raft manages to stay in through the entire ride.
We are cold but happy.