It's that time of the year when the "fun and games" of the Summer expeditions are just a fond memory, and it's time to strap on your Grandpa boots. As in previous years, Hotel Charley really opens for business during the North American fall and winter when we set our sites on the last vestiges of unknown class V river canyons left on the planet.
Newfoundland... just the name adds a bit of intrigue. Darin McQuoid and Chris Korbulic set there sights on this ultra obscure paddling destination during the summer of 07 and they simply haven't been willing to take no for an answer. "Many first descents, massive slides and waterfalls, access to the ultra remote Labrador Peninsula..." was a line of rhetoric that simply trumped other would be plans. With the additions of my partner in crime Jesse Coombs and Team Jackson stalwarts Eric Jackson, Nick Troutman, Joel Kowolski, and phenom Dane Jackson how could I say no.
Darin and Chris K have already been putting in the hard work (scouting, logestics on the ground on in NF) and offered this via email.
The bad is the underbrush is very BC/Mexico thick, visiblity down to 2' at times. Canyons are steep and rugged. The good, it does have the business. We have done one run so far and ran some nice bedrock drops and one 20' waterfall, and then ran into a gorge straight off a 40-45 footer that we couldn't see the bottom of and had to portage. After the big portage we hiked up at river level and found it good to go with a perfect lip....so the action is here, the camping and hiking are rugged.
And so an expedition to Newfoundland will kick of my 7th consecutive season, traveling the globe in search of Hotel Charley rivers for that Hotel Charley sort of good time.
cheers
Ben
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