This 4th of July Weekend is truly
the Rock Island Special for the Jackson family!
July 5, 2004
The weekend started off a day early as
the North Fork of the Chic came up to 6.85 on Friday. Dane,
Tanya Talbert, Don Klein, and Chris from Rock Creek all got
to the put in at 10am for a 12 mile “Fun” paddle.
We put in on Cain Creek and ran it into the North Fork of
the Chic. Tons of fun rapids in that 12 miles; truly a Walden
Ridge classic. Dane in his Fun 1, Tanya and I in Funs, and
Don in a Super Fun- Don will paddle the 4 Fun next time.
Saturday: Rock Island Dam Spilling- 10,000
CFS!!!! Run the Left side of Great Falls with Dane and Tanya
dropping a sweet 21 feet into a 100 foot wide hole that is
shooting spray everywhere. Meet Emily below the falls. We
surfed the wave at the seal launch for a spell, then ROCK
ISLAND HOLE!!! A long session in the hole (massive wave/hole)
produced huge FUN air. Big air screws landing flat as a pancake
and surfing straight upstream again was the most fun of the
session. I was hooked on that move. Helixes, huge air blunts
and backstabs, and crazy entry moves in the oversized foampile
that makes your hair stand up the first few tries.
Sunday: Rock Island Dam Spilling at 6,900
CFS!! Oh yea- this time Dane, Mark from NH, and I did the
left side of the falls again- not so much of a hole at the
bottom, but a very nice straight over the top vertical drop.
Mark and I also ran the big rapid from the bottom of the first
part to the end with the two biggest holes, rapid known as
Sieve City. We found a line to the right of both of the major
holes that was interesting on the first one. The eddy wall
falls hard into the hole and the hole is one even I wasn’t
interested in surfing today, followed by a second nasty hole.
The move was simply to bust the eddywall and stay high enough
on it to get past the hole before getting pushed back right.
Both Mark and I made it with out any hole action. Dane and
Emily boofed the far left of the last drop.
Then we surfed the hole again- for about
two hours. By the end I was doing big entry moves and holding
tighter to the foampile for some big air. Even Emily started
surfing the corner- I was impressed. Dane went all of the
way into the hole and was trying to air blunt but was out
of control on his bounces. I wish I was in a Fun 1 and was
only 60 pounds! I got some sweet big air screws, often landing
a little sideways but my head never touched the water once.
I did get some nice straight on screws, leaving flat and going
all of the way around and landing flat again.
We are on the way to the “Chattanooga
Lookouts” Minor League Baseball game at the stadium-
fireworks in the stadium afterwards, cool.
Man- I want to go back out and throw a
few more big moves before the 4 of July high water disappears!
