Thompson (III) - 2011 Trip Packet

Thompson River 2011

August 20th & 21th

Trip Leader

Contact: Aaron Nash
Mail Code: 0X-EX
Cell number: (206)290-3054
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

River/Trip Stats:

Miles on river 1 Miles ? ? ?
Appx hrs on river 3-4 hrs ? ? ?
Drive Time 4:30

River Description:

The Thompson cuts through an enormous dry-belt canyon that is sparsely treed. Railway lines run around the clock along both sides of the river. Earplugs at night are recommended. Afternoon upstream winds are common. Why Go? Volume Dominates. Monstrous waves, haystacks, and intermittent whirlpools. From the Thompson RV Park and Campground put-in to the Lytton takeout at the confluence with the Fraser lies 15 miles of class IV water with rapids like Frog, Devil's Playground, BFW, Cutting Board, Witch's Cauldron, Jaws of Death, The Wall, and Rattlesnake. The first 4 miles down to the Nicoamen River (just above Frog) has a few minor rapids and gives paddle crews time to get their act together, and get accustomed to the feel of the volume. Most kayakers put in at this point.

Pre-Trip Work Party:

The pre-trip work party will be the Thursday before the trip at 5:30pm at the Club Garage.
Since BEWET is a club and not a commercial outfitter we are able to provide Rafting services fairly inexpensively. We are able to do this because we rely on our members and their guests to support the club by helping to share the work involved. By sharing the load, we reduce the burden on club organizers and guides. You can help. Before each trip, we tune up our equipment to insure that it is in good working condition. You are not required to have any prior knowledge or experience, just be willing to help. The tasks you will be assigned will be doable by you. We have Work Party Captains whose job it is to decide what tasks need to be done and to instruct on how to do it. If you are willing to help, please contact your Trip Leader. Work parties are a good place to meet other club members and to learn about club equipment.

Driving Directions:

Driving Directions to Put-in: Take I-5 north and cross the border into Canada on any of the three border crossings however the two "non I-5" crossings will be faster and more direct.

If crossing at Blaine, take exit 275 off of I-5 onto WA543 north. Follow the signs to the border and cross over into Canada. Once in Canada, follow BC15 north until you reach the Trans-Canadian Highway 1. Take CAN-1 east.

If crossing in Sumas, take I-5 exit 256 and take WA539 north to Lynden. Turn right on WA546. WA546 will merge with WA9, stay on this road through Sumas and across the border. The road will turn into BC11 once in Canada. Stay on BC11 North until you reach the Trans-Canadian Highway 1. Take CAN-1 East

Follow CAN-1 East through Chilliwack and to Hope. In Hope, the freeway will end; CAN-1 will turn north and BC3 will continue East. Stay on CAN-1 through Hope and continue north until Lytton. In Lytton, stay left and continue on CAN-1 for about 5km. The Kumsheen rafting resort is on the left.

Camping:

Camping Costs: A camping fee of $15 will be charged in order to use Kumsheen's facilities. Check with your trip leader to find out what the amount will be.

Dress:

Always be prepared. Bring all your cool weather gear-just in case! Even on warm or hot sunny days wetsuits and booties (while not required) are the standard apparel of whitewater rafting. You can rent a “farmer john” style wetsuit and neoprene “booties” from local dive shops. Poly-pro with a windbreaker can be an alternative.

In the early season, bring wool socks to wear inside your booties. Under your wetsuit wear a quick-drying swimsuit or lyrca shorts and top. Over your wetsuit, plan to wear wool, polypropylene or nylon pile. Don’t wear cotton shirts or sweatshirts. They hold the cold water and chill you through.

Add layers for the coldest conditions. Your outer layer should be a paddling jacket or nylon windbreaker, rain jacket or mountain parka. You may want to bring a ziploc bag to store any small items that need to stay dry. Hats are also great in maintaining body heat. Also, if you wear glasses, be sure to bring a “croakie” to protect them from being washed off your head.
Most wet suits can be rented for $15-30 for the weekend.
Suggested rental locations can be found on the BEWET website at the following link: http://bewet.org/wetsuit.htm

Schedule:

Friday

• Drive to campsite
• Campfire (if allowed)

Saturday

• 9:30am Arrive at put-in
• 10:15am Run Shuttle
• 11:00 Launch
• 2-3:00pm Arrive at take-out
• 5:30pm – Pot luck and BBQ. Bring something to BBQ and your favorite dish to share with the group.
• Campfire (if allowed)

Sunday

• 9:30am Arrive at put-in
• 10:15am Run Shuttle
• 11:00 Launch
• 2-3:00pm Arrive at take-out

Shuttle:

There will be a Shuttle Coordinator designated by the Trip Leader who will organize the shuttle and lead drivers to the Take-Out.

Raft Assignments:

Assignments will be coordinated at the put-in.

River Food:

No alcohol is permitted on the river.
We will probably not stop for lunch on the river so plan on bringing food that can be consumed on the river. Glass bottles are not allowed on the river.

Camp Food:

There is going to be a pot luck and bbq back at camp. Bring something to grill for yourself and your favorite dish (be creative) to share with the group.