Kayaking Spirit Falls, Little White Salmon River, Washington

 

“Snowflakes were sticking to my eyelashes and blurring my vision throughout the day,” recalls kayaker Todd Wells, seen here running Spirit Falls on the Little White Salmon River. “So one final time before the falls, I made sure to clear my face of any accumulated snow. Paddling class V rivers in sub-freezing temperatures is never very comfortable, but as soon as my hands become numb the cold doesn't bother me as much.”

The Washington State native wore two full-body fleece suits to stay extra warm, and an Immersion Research dry suit to keep dry. Having first run this waterfall when he was 14, Wells has now descended its roiling class V rapids about a hundred times. “Paddling these waterfalls is risky and avoiding injuries is always on my mind,” says Wells, who now lives in White Salmon, Washington. “But I think that becoming comfortable on a variety of different smaller waterfalls has been the best way to stay safe on the bigger and more challenging drops.
“Spirit Falls is my favorite backyard waterfall,” he says. “For a solid class V paddler, Spirit is just about an hour's paddle from an easily accessible bridge, but spectators must scurry down a poison oak infested scree field to access the falls.”
Getting the Shot
“I get anxious when I know there is an opportunity to capture something amazing,” says photographer Eric Parker. Parker has run and photographed the rapids on Little White Salmon River for years, but typically, the scene is not snow covered.
“Generally you feel as if you are paddling through a green tunnel among the lush forest. That day, temperatures dropped and eight inches of fresh snow ...more