Sirens usually trigger a flight response in humans—running for shelter from disaster. Conversely when the siren sounds on the Puntledge River, kayakers grab their paddles and boats and start running to the source of the sound.
Along its 16-kilometre course Vancouver Island’s Puntledge River drops and meanders among sandstone rock cuts and waterfalls from the dam at Comox Lake through the happening little recreation mecca of Courtenay before spilling into Comox Harbour. At times of heavy rain or snowmelt, BC Hydro opens the sluice at the Comox Lake dam releasing a torrent of water and raising river volumes from a benign 8 to 15 cubic metres per second (cms) to a thundering 80 cms.
“It’s the shit when it’s on but it’s only on 20 or so days a year,” explains island paddler Mike McCulloch.
West Coast whitewater pioneer John Noble, who lives just a 10-minute commute between his coffee maker and the Puntledge, says the river lays the boots to the Clearwater, its closest competitor in B.C. for surfing.
The key is knowing when to make a trip to this fickle but coveted river. And that’s where McCulloch and his paddling buddy Shayne Vollmers come into the picture.
Vollmers has been somewhat of a crusading kayaker during the past year, arguing that paddling is part of the island’s tourist economy and therefore paddlers should have their hedonistic needs considered in water management plans. He has been aggressively lobbying BC Hydro to notify paddlers about upcoming water releases so that people have more than an hour’s notice and can be packed and ready when the magic volume of 80 to 100 cms arrives. In addition, he wants the power company to schedule occasional weekend releases so that weekend warriors like himself can also indulge.
WHEN TO GO
Now that the lines of communication have been greased, Vollmers and other locals are working on another interesting project that involves building a permanent play feature that will go off year-round regardless of water levels. Stay tuned. For now, summer paddling on the Puntledge is a non-starter. Things can get exciting when the fall rains arrive in early to mid-October and decent paddling opportunities can occur throughout the winter and early spring.
WHERE TO GO
Drive up Lake Trail Road from Courtenay. Turn right on the Comox Lake logging road and drive until you reach the Timberwest logging camp. Turn right onto the Duncan Bay logging road and continue until you pass over the pipeline. There’s a gravel pull-out on your right next to a yellow gate. Park it. After marching down the pipeline for 350 metres, you’ll con- front your first technical challenge—the access trail that disappears into the trees on the left. Slither down this steep and muddy chute to the river’s edge.
This article first appeared in the Spring 2004 issue of Rapid Magazine.
