Blog Archives

Kootenay River Raft Support SUP Trip!

9/10/2022

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of…

Turquoise blue water flows from the headwaters at Castle Mountain in Southeastern British Columbia, meandering towards the Columbia River through fabled landscapes.

At 780 km long the Kootenay River often coined the affordable Nahanni, provides the perfect setting for stand up paddle boarders to develop their skills and experience a multi-day trip of a lifetime.

With the support of a raft, SUP riders have the opportunity to surf waves, run rapids and go with the flow without the burden of heavy boards.

Kootenay Quest

To those who seek solitude in nature there is no greater stage than the mountains, allowing us to feel minute and as we feel small physically our problems shrink exponentially with it.

As we made our way to the put-in at McLeod Meadows in Kootenay National Park. Anticipation was at a pinnacle, the warm sunny days ahead we’re setting us up for a perfect trip. As we approached the river and began getting our gear out it almost seemed surreal what we were about to embark on.

Our first day we had a deadline to meet, make our way out of the National Park to make camp for the night. It is unlawful to randomly camp in a pristine wilderness park such as the Canadian Rockies unless it is in a life threatening survival situation. In order to maintain its beauty the park designates campsites to use.

As the valley began to close in around us making our way towards Cross River. Our group settled in on the current. Rosie The Raft and her companion unicorn Estevan were a sight to behold on the water.

Nothing in life should ever be taken too seriously, except river safety but Rosie and Estevan were safe at all times on the water with their trusty guide Reta from CANRVRSUP and unicorn wrangler/photographer Ashley Voikin.

Silent Night

Although this is a well-travelled river people are respectful of each other’s space and finding a peaceful spot for the night was not difficult.

We made our way to the river right for the night to set up camp, being on this side allows us to wake with the sun and have the warmth of its rays soak into our skin as we began the next day.

Settling into camp eating supper with the sound of water running over rocks and the promise of three more great days ahead of us.

Always Learning

With the upcoming section ahead we had a few rapids to navigate. This was a great time to practice our skills of eddy turns and ferrying the river.
Even on a trip such as this developing and practicing skill is imperative to having an enjoyable time. The more confident a person feels on the water, the less fear, the less worry = way more fun!

As we paddled through the day we planned to stay upriver from the Palliser Rapid so we could start the day fresh and ready for a big run. Setting up camp for the night we began to notice that the water levels were rising. I marked the water level with a stick and we carried all of our gear up to the high water mark to ensure we would still have everything come morning.

Willy Wonka’s Cheerleaders

Morning dawned and the crystal blue waters now ran chocolate brown like Charlie In The Chocolate Factory sans the edible flavour. With this came the opportunity to send the Palliser Rapid at high water.

As the raft approached first to the rapid, a massive camp on river right of paddlers noticed the eccentric group of people coming down the river. They were so stoked to see us that they ran and lined the edges of the river bank cheering on Rosie, Estevan and the SUP paddlers hitting Palliser Rapid.
With each person through they supported us screaming for the clean sends and total carnage swims with equal delight. To say this was a trip highlight is an understatement. Their stoke and enthusiasm boosted us for the rest of the day. But wait it’s not over.

Party Wave

As we departed from our cheering squad, we approached the Palliser River and in stark contrast glacial blue water was flowing into the muddy Kootenay. At its confluence was a perfect surf wave creating photo opportunities like no other.

We surfed, we laughed, we swam and when you thought it couldn’t be any more epic than the scenery the adventures kept adding to the awesomeness.

Making our way to the White River Valley where the two rivers meet, we had prime camping with sunrise and sunsets in both directions from this open area. Although this place is accessible by vehicle we had the whole place to ourselves.

With endless stargazing overhead, a touch of sadness was in the air as you know there’s only one night left to drink it all in.

Gibraltar Rock

An epic adventure requires a fitting farewell, the final day was not without its own majesty. The water ran clear on this day and we again had a jewelled vein to follow past the monolithic rocks.

Rosie and Estevan quietly drank in the views as Ashley continued to capture them with her lens. We approached the final take out slowly, with reverence for the landscape we were able to spend the past three days in.
Spirituality occurs naturally in the outdoors, feeling part of something bigger is felt deep in the soul out on the water. Being able to return again is always a gift, never to be taken for granted.

Reta Boychuk
Kokatat Ambassador
Lead Guide / Owner CANRVRSUP
Compiled and Edited by Lisa Stocking
BADFISH SUP • WATERSHED DRY BAGS • NOMAD NUTRITION • KOKATAT • WERNER PADDLES • AQ OUTDOORS
SHUTTLE IN STYLE WITH A GMC AT4 COCHRANE GMC

Join us AUG 2023

1 Comment

GROWING DOWN THE RIVER.

9/1/2022

0 Comments

DREAM ON!

The meaning of life is to find your gift; the purpose of life is to give it away…

With deep ancestral ties to the North Saskatchewan River, I feel a special attachment while paddling it. The past 3 years of developing programming, safety protocols and garnering knowledge to guide paddle boards on it has finally come to fruition. I’ve dreamt of sharing this river with others for as long as I can remember.

Being a guide is not glamorous but it is hugely rewarding. Similar to a duck swimming calmly on the surface of the water, there’s so much going on underneath it all. Unless you’ve lived it most people are not aware of how much work is required.

Between pre-trip planning, packing, organizing, safety, de-briefs, ensuring others are having a good time, safety, taking photos, mitigating risks, adapting to changes in weather, making good campsite choices, along with managing 6-8 people’s emotional and physical ability there is an endless stream of thoughts in my head at any given time while on/off the water.

It is my life purpose, to give this passion away. For others to explore, experience and empower themselves while paddling on moving currents. After this trip it is cemented even more in my soul that this is what I’m meant to do.

My parents were able to meet us at the river and assist the trip by setting up shuttle for us. This past year involving them more in helping host my events has been so fun for all of us. They’ve never been able to see the paddle community in action; they now feel so welcomed by the people they’ve met along the way.

I feel that life has come full circle for my family starting with when my great great grandparents ran rafts built from trees they harvested, on the North Saskatchewan River to bring supplies to our settlement from Fort Edmonton over a century ago.

SUFFER ON!

Sometimes the only way through suffering is to go right through it…

It takes courage to sign up for an adventure such as this, there’s always some tentativeness when we push ourselves out of our comfort zone. SUP touring on rivers is a relatively new niche.

Eight women came together, of all different skill levels, ages and backgrounds for this unique experience. After a warm up paddle Thursday near Rocky Mountain House we set off into the wilderness from Nordegg the following day.

There were nerves and excitement but immediately the teamwork began. Learning along the way the group started to identify hazards to avoid as we progressed with the flow. The women who just a day ago were mostly strangers to each other, bonded and flourished while supporting each other through every challenge presented to them.

Oftentimes the most memorable trips are ones where everything doesn’t go right. This river tour was the perfect example of this. We had rain, heavy loaded boards, gear struggles, flips, fails and the ever changing wind either being our friend or foe. We laughed, we cried and we howled in unison as we conquered all 101 Km of paddling.

The impossible became possible. Suffering is a vehicle to help us grow as individuals; I can safely say we all grew through the obstacles we faced together. It becomes a reminder not to take ourselves too seriously, we chose to be out on the river, we sought out this experience and all that was attached to it.

ROCK ON!

The end was bittersweet as we said our goodbyes, not one person in the group had a low to describe in the debrief; only highs. We all left feeling inspired, empowered and forever connected through the last four days of memories. Sometimes a group creates its own special energy that lasts in your heart for life, this was definitely the case for us.

This trip could not have been possible without the impeccable co-guiding of Jackie Stefaniuk who celebrated her birthday on the river with us that weekend. She loved our serenading or so she says! We both look forward to seeing which rivers these strong women conquer next.

That is the ultimate goal for us at CANRVRSUP; to help you feel accomplished and empowered in a safe environment where you can test your limits physically and mentally while smiling.

Check out our upcoming 2023 programs and trips (officially launching in November 2023). We’d love to help you find your flow in life!

Reta Boychuk
Lead Guide / Owner CANRVRSUP
Compiled and Edited by Lisa Stocking
BADFISH SUP • WATERSHED DRY BAGS • NOMAD NUTRITION • KOKATAT • WERNER PADDLES • AQ OUTDOORS
SHUTTLE IN STYLE WITH A GMC AT4 COCHRANE GMC

Trip Testimonials

"So glad that I found the CANRVRSUP team to get me into SUP this summer! Their lessons combined fun, skill building, and safety awareness that had me wanting to get out for more. Joining the Intro to River SUP Touring trip was the highlight of my summer. Being outdoors on a beautiful river, learning, improving, achieving, and sharing good food and company while receiving guiding and coaching that was supportive of all abilities in the group was a great experience. Looking forward to more paddling!" -Lise V

"An experience of a lifetime! The lessons and techniques I learned on this Intro to River SUP tour will help me on other adventures and will stick with me for life. Money well spent, a great story to tell and lots of knowledge gained. Not to mention, a whole lot of fun! I can’t wait for the next opportunity to do something like this. Shout out to Reta, the best paddle instructor ever!" - Wyatt