Findlay Creek: Paddling for SAR

This creek mission started out as a phone call from local Search and Rescue (SAR) to Rob Porter, the owner of the local paddling shop in our area - Just Liquid Sports. The underlying reasons for getting out there are a little on the tragic side: SAR Teams search Findlay Creek for missing man

 Findlay Creek is a steep creek averaging 10% gradient and topping out at a whopping 22% in 2x200m sections. Picture great whitewater with lots of steep drops, with the added bonus of nature throwing in massive rocks right in the middle of your line, either pinching it to a boat width sized boof, landing on rocks, or redirecting you into the canyon wall. It's home to a lot of must make moves around dozens of sieves and a swim would be catastrophic. 



That all being said, SAR called Porter to ask a favor of getting together a local crew and paddling the canyon to look for the missing man. SAR tends to work out of rafts and their swiftwater technicians are trained as well as any of us, but that training in shore based rescue, along with a raft, only allows them to safely accomplish so much. The lower Findlay canyon is solid class V whitewater, and many of the lines would be harder/impossible to portage and scouting is difficult at the best of times effectively making it a Search and Rescue nightmare. 

So, Rob sent a text and out we went. The end result was that we didn't find anything - no clues, signs, etc. What we did find was some pretty rad whitewater, and what might be my new favorite creek. Check out the photos below!