Jimmy Martinello paddling into mid-winter 'bonyness'.
Date: Feb.16th, 2012
Location: Elaho River, Squamish Valley, BC
Water temp: Glacier cold, ball-shrinking, head-freezing
Rapids: Class II-III
Photos by Todd Lawson
The Squamish Valley is chalk-full of pristine wilderness — the epitomé of West Coast rainforest beauty and home to the Elaho River, arguably to Sea to Sky’s most enchanting waterway. Nature is king in these parts, and those who choose to paddle the river take the risk of long, cold swims in often fast-moving water.
But in the dead of winter the river rages less large, and normal Class IV (sometimes V) rapids are reduced to a fraction of their normal selves. The whitewater becomes mellower but still fun — and perfect for a test run with inflatable Stand-Up Paddleboards (iSUPs).
Three of us from the Mountain Life crew headed up into the valley last Thursday. Publisher Jonny Burak has ran this river hundreds of times as a raft guide over the past 15 years, but never in the dead of winter, and never on an iSUP. The snow crunched underfoot as we inflated our boards at the put-in just above a rapid known as ‘Steamroller’. Big flakes came down from the sky, which made the change-up from warm, dry clothes into a wetsuit not so tantalizing.
You'll want a 4x4 up here. The put-in above Steamroller. ©Todd Lawson
The Steamroller did its job handily, knocking us all over on the second set of rapids, but we bounced back and, with frozen fingers and wet heads, gathered ourselves for the fun ride that lay ahead. The river was a picture of contrast, throwing fun sections of Class II-III rapids at us quite frequently, and letting up just enough for us to glide our boards silently underneath massive trees filled with perching bald eagles.
Before getting rolled over by the Steamroller.
This guy is really tall, but not so much when getting swallowed by a hole.
West Coast rodeo style!
Thick banks of fog hugged the shoreline, while towering thousands of feet above stood the peaks of the Tantalus Range, blanketed in winter white. We paddled for about 12-15 kms., never once bored of the river or the stunning scenery on both sides of the valley.
Stopping to refuel and warm up.
Mini-portage with eagles in the background up in the branches.
Bald eagle beauty...a few of the dozens we saw along the river's edge.
Lawson air to flatwater. He did not stomp the landing. ©Jimmy Martinello
Martinello air to flatwater, almost stomped.
In the summer, the Elaho is THE whitewater rafting experience in the Sea to Sky, and for a good reason. But in the winter when to water level lowers to a sane level for stand-up, it’s on. And it’s a blast.
Burak air to flatwater, stomped.
Lawson heading for log-limbo land. ©Jon Burak
In Whistler and Squamish, you can rent C4 Waterman iSUPs from the Escape Route.
