Seidel's Suckhole + Playboating Salida Colorado

	Unknown kayaker playboating in Salida's upper wave.

Kim, met at a previous Summit Paddle Club outing, invites me to accompany her and friend Ross on a paddle down another new run for me. Ross is an Arkansas River local who paddles the Ark regularly.

Some refer to this area as part of the Brown's Canyon run, but it is just the tail end. It is a step up from the Milk Run.
I froze my brain in the calm waters near the put in, doing multiple rolls in the "unbelievably" cold water. I wanted to make sure I would be okay if a combat roll was needed.

There is one rather well known rapid on the run called Seidel's Suckhole. We got out to scout it. Ross said in all his years of paddling on the Ark, this is the first time he could not see an obvious good kayak line through Seidel's. The water level was extremely high today. Although usually eager to rise to the occasion, this is only my 3rd day back in a river this season and I elected to portage around a rapid for the first time in my short kayaking career.

I was less concerned about the Suckhole than I was the drop and swirly area above it. I was worried I might flip just above the hole. I was not afraid of getting stuck in the hole for a while, but I didn't want to start out in it upside down. I am sure I will have many more chances to run Seidel's Suckhole in the future.

Ross makes a bold and interesting decision to paddle through the rapid, but bypass the hole entirely. He thinks the extra high water has opened up a narrow sneak on the left side of the river that is normally not available. Sure enough he runs it successfully. His boat is upended as you can see in the movie file below, but he is not flipped.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the camera on during a more dramatic scene that occurred just as we arrived to take a look at Seidel's. A raft was grabbed and sucked under by the hole, flipping and tossing everyone out. I did shoot the next raft that came through. You can see it get held briefly by the power of the hole, but they are more successful than the previous raft.

	Raft before this one was flipped in Seidel's Suckhole.	Russ runs a normally impossible line.

After paddling with Ross, Kim and I elect to stop in at Salida to check out the waves in their park. The Arkansas river goes right through the middle of this small town and Salida has placed massive boulders under the water to create a couple of ideal surf waves. People drive from long distances just to "park & play" in the fun waves at Salida.

Kim and I spend some time in the smaller lower wave. As you can tell from the clips below, Kim is a much more accomplished boater. I can't do much in the wave, but it is a great place to practice surfing and a great place to practice rolling in whitewater. I am sure I will be returning to Salida.

If you view the clip of me surfing, notice the courteous unknown kayaker in the blue boat. He delays his turn on the wave to come after me when I miss my first roll attempt because of bringing my head up too early. Fortunately I did succeed in my second attempt, but I was oblivious to his offer to assist until viewing the movie file later. I am sure there are some unpleasant people to be encountered on rivers, but for the most part everyone is eager to help friends and strangers alike. It is nice to be involved in an activity that is so personal in the challenge it offers, yet still encourages and even demands camaraderie.
-Dan

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