We decide to take a rest day and…….go kayaking. Not as much driving though and we headed over to check out the Rio Tamasopo which has some neat cascadas on it. After about an hour of driving we found ourselves at Cascaditas Paradiso aka a big let down with hardly any flow coming off of them AND a twelve dollar entrance fee. We poked around a bit more in the area and took an interesting drive up the side of the canyon where the Tamasopo should be originating from only to find a dead end and some small shacks. We headed back down and up the other side of the river and found just what we were looking for in the form of a parking area that is only $2 and a short hike into a steep gorge where we found the goods. Previous videos we had seen showed really high water in the drop. In fact Adam found out from a local that during Hurricane Dean the river rose 21 feet in a matter of hours! Today however it looked absolutely perfect for a first go. We headed back up to the truck to gear up and carry the boats down into the steep gorge. We decided that Adam should fire it up first seeing as he did the research finding the place. He stomped it. The top drop is about a 12 foot vert that has a nice lip that we were not sure would have quite enough water but it did and made for some great boofing. This lands in a carved out room of sorts that has only one exit down a twisting flume on river right. However when you land the vertical drop you are on river left and have to cross a big boil to get to one of two slots leading into the flume, the first of which seems a bit friendlier. We all underestimated the force of the boil evident by the fact of how much it surges Adam as he tries to make it to the first slot. A few strong strokes and he finally punched thru though boofing the second slot into the twisting slide and corkscrewing down into the pool below. Boyd lined up next and drops the top boofer. However he seemed bound and determined to stay right for the first slot as not to have to contend with the boil and tweaked his boat to the right in midair making for and interesting looking landing. He still ends up to the left of the boil but just like Adam he managed to fight his way out. I was next and as I approached the lip I pulled a big ol’ righty and boof out flat as a pancake. When I landed I realize the we ain’t in Kansas anymore and this first drop was bigger than we all originally thought. The boil was kicking harder than I had originally believed as well but I try to fight it for a few seconds before resolving to just drop in where the other guys did. Celebrating in the pool below we were all grins. The locals that hiked into watch the show are as well. After dragging my boat up onto the rocks I swam back under the cave that is there and have quite a shock. Hands down one of the prettiest places I have ever been. It was simply amazing with limestone formations, turquoise water with the sunlight filtering thru, and bats hanging overhead. All in all a good day and well worth the effort to get there.
Stay tuned for more
Joey
Adam with an interesting line off the top drop (photo by Kim)
Adam dropping into the trough at the bottom (photo by Kim)
Boyd Mid Airscrew boof (photo by Kim)
Rumble in the jungle baby! (photo by Kim)
A look back in the cave (photo by Boyd)
Mission Accomplished! Now for the hike out. (photo by Boyd)
