Redearth Creek

Last Friday I paddled Redearth Creek with Scott Feindel and Chris Mctaggart. This rarely paddled gem is a short, intense run located just outside of Banff, AB. We walked up the river right shore at the canyon rim so we could scout everything on our way up, and you want to scout every corner as any log jams in there could turn your trip into a nightmare.

Crossing a sketchy bridge while scouting for wood

Scott and Chris scouting Jugbuster

We walked up to Jugbuster Falls, a great 30 footer into a tight pool, which on this day had a rootball guarding the exit. Scott went first. He drifted up to the lip, caught the stern of his boat on the autoboofer rock, penciled in and flipped, getting pushed up against the river left wall. Like a champ he snapped off a quick role and paddled away unscathed. Next up was Chris who put his slalom stroke to good use and powered off the lip. He flew into the pool and right past the log into the eddy. I was up next and was able to get the best of both worlds. I paddled up with a good consistent stroke, hit the flake and it sent me flying into the pool at a perfect 45 degree angle. I was so happy with my run that I forgot about the log and drifted right into it sideways. Luckily I escaped with nothing more than a bruise to my ego and side.

Scott running Jugbuster

Chris on Jugbuster

Mikkel on Jugbuster

After Jugbuster, you paddle through a beautiful class II canyon right to the lip of Railslide, a nice 20 footer angled to the right. All you have to do is paddle to the lip, maintain a bit of right angle, and you will slide right into the big eddy on the right. Alternately, there is a river left line over a rock shelf before dropping off to the right but the little undercut and rocky looking slide make the river right line the preferred option.

The Canyon between Jugbuster and Railslide

Mikkel running Railslide

Scott Running Railslide

We ran into trouble downstream of Railslide where a log is currently barring the entrance to the canyon below. While Chris was attempting to roll over the log he managed to lose his paddle and get his stern caught on the log. Stuck upside down without a paddle, he was forced to swim. Scott and I had no way of chasing after him and he was swimming towards the next drop, a 20 foot slide called the Gripper. I ran up around the cliff band and back down to the river trying to find him. I found his paddle floating in an eddy and I could hear him whistling so I ran up around on river right and spotted him standing in a little eddy just above the Gripper on river left. Scott and I walked back upstream, crossed the sketchy bridge (definitely the scariest part of my day), and proceeded to lower a boat to Chris so he could paddle out.

Everything went well after that. I walked back around, got my boat, walked around the log, and paddled the Gripper. When scouting from the canyon rim this looks like a nice little easy slide but when you get to the lip and look down you realize just how big it is. That being said, it is one of the best drops on the creek. I found Chris and his boat in an eddy below mini Gripper where his boat was pinned to a rock. We managed to get it off the rock, get Scott back in his boat and paddle the rest of the run to the take out. There was only one more drop after this and it's an obvious walk as it's an 8 foot drop into a swirling cauldron with a really narrow escape. All in all it was an exciting trip and a good experience as everything turned out well. Thanks to Chris for buying beer and nachos afterward.