DESCENTS

BIGGIE SMALLS, HIGH WATER ROUGE RIVER, QUEBEC, CANADA, APRIL 2019

uring spring run-off, Stakeout connoisseurs frequent the Rouge River to paddle a short section with a roughly one-kilometer-long highlight rapid. The aptly-named Gauntlet has hosted both the Whitewater Grand Prix and Unleashed boatercross events, yet neither has managed to hit it at peak flows. Yes, you are reading that right. What you have seen gets bigger. The section roosts as the water rises, keeping kayakers hooked and craving more. In 2019 the water levels rose and rose, roads were being cautioned, and homeowners were driving through the river in their front lawns. On April 25th, the area was emergency evacuated because the decommissioned, 100+-year-old Bells Falls Dam was at risk of failure. The dam was engineered to withstand 1000 cms. The day of the evac the online gauge read a record 987.9 cms; the news reported some 1300 cms going over the dam while other sites reported less. A couple of kayakers had just finished lapping the rapid above the Seven Sisters waterfalls and were planning on surfing the newly emergent "Biggie Smalls" wave when the Mayor of Grenville-sur-la-Rouge rushed toward them, shouting, "The dam has collapsed!