Pearl Harbour

You will only paddle through Pearl Harbour on the first day of the 50 Miler (unless you miss the Saddles take out on the Dusi). It is another long series of channels ending in a drop just before the second Saddles Portage. In lowish conditions, if you don't have a favorite line saved to memory, your best option is to keep left the whole way down and then at the very end of the rapid where the real action happens AVOID the left. The left drop has some nasty bricks under the water that can stop you dead in your tracks.

There is a safe easy line down the main drop in Pearl Harbour keeping left in the main centre channel. The only tricky part is knowing when you are actually approaching the drop. If you memorize the key landmarks 99% of your challenge is done. Besides the valley opening out, there is a very distinct tree on the right bank almost inline with the drop (see image below). If you are on the correct line you will wonder what all the fuss is about.

Approach from river right with the intention of hugging the left side of the wide centre channel, exiting river left.

Upstream view below.

VIDEOS

Medium Water Level