50 Years of Umko 1966 - 2016 1966 - 2016 | Page 48

No.5&6 - 2007 ©Jon Ivins

A Big Rapid to shoot - or not

No.5&6 rapid has tight turns and narrow channels and places where you can
go wrong. Long and sleek racing craft sweep around the bend and cannot
always make the turns. However, varying water levels open up different
options at 5&6. Some paddlers opt to carry around it regardless of water
level, especially in the old days as it was early in the marathon and with
over 100km still to go they didn’t want to risk damage. Today it’s 48km into
the 68km marathon but still many portage it. Maybe they’ll mumble “Well,
I needed to empty anyway” or “I needed to stretch my legs / have a leak
anyway”.

UMKO 50 Years

The rapid has changed considerably over the years. In early
times the river had a dependable right channel that would fill as the
level rose and run to the right of the rapid proper to 100m below it,
making it unnecessary to weave through the trickier main channel.
Subsequent floods have scoured out and deepened the main channel
and silted up the right bypass channel so the river no longer flows
there. This is the only rapid race officials have made a compulsory
portage on a marathon race day.

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