Diving in the Canyon - a Photo Gallery
Boys of Summer
What is it about boys and summer? Boys and water? The Capilano River Canyon near North Vancouver used to be a favorite summer spot for kids. What better way to spend the long hot summer afternoons than jumping off a cliff?
Free Falling
I visited the canyon with my friend Susan who lived near by. We went for a long walk on a hot August day along the trails high above the fast flowing river. We walked across a beautiful bridge and when we looked down river from the bridge we could see kids jumping off a cliff a little further along so we kept walking and I snapped these pictures.
I'm trying to remember what camera I was using. I think it was my Dad's old Zenit E, a Russian prototype of the Pentax, but don't quote me on that. I really wasn't much of a photographer, but this photo opportunity was too good to pass up and I did my best.
Danger Zone
I know the boys seemed happy to have their pictures taken while performing these death defying leaps and I can't help but wonder now who they were and if they made it to the end of summer alive. I should have got their names and an address to send them each a pic but it was not that kind of interaction. They were just there, and we watched them from the safety of a viewing platform protected from falling in ourselves by a sturdy railing.
Youthful Folly
Looking at these photos now I can see the pure joy and adrenaline rush it must have been for these young lads in their cut-off jeans and longish hair playing jungle boy in the canyon on the last long hot days of summer.
I know I am romanticising about this now looking back through so many years. It was actually a dangerous thing to do, fraught with peril, so many youth have been injured, or drowned doing this same thing. Some hitting their head on an unseen rock. Others swept away by the strong current or snagged by a sunken tree limb.
Joyful Abandon
But the pure joy of the flight is what I'm seeing now looking back and I wonder if I feel this way because it parallels and reflects the leap I was taking in my own life at the time.
I had just completed a first year at University and decided instead of going back I would take some time out from my education and go live in the bush in the wilds of Northern Vancouver Island. It was an exciting time to be young and carefree and looking for adventure off the beaten track on that 'Road Less Travelled'.
Just a Memory
I've hung on to these pictures all these years and never thought much of them. They surface once in awhile when I'm sorting through photos looking for this or that. I always felt a little puzzled why I even have them. These nameless boys in flight.
I think at one time I did display them on a wall or bulletin board above my desk. I know this because a couple of them were taped together in a sort of panoramic full length shot.
So they've stood the test of time and survived to tell the tale as I have myself. I am really pleased to see them published here today.
© 2011 Verlie Burroughs
Comments
- AUTHOR
ahorseback, Thank you for the page view, and leaving a comment. Yes, it was a memorable day, so thankful I had my camera along to tell the story.
Ah to be a child again ! Don't I wish . Awesome day for you, yes ? .........:-}
- AUTHOR
Thank you Debbie, yes jumping off a cliff is definitely a youthful thing, glad the pics brought back good memories. :)
I love the pictures... and it look like so much fun. reminds me of my youth. .. I love this hub..
Debbie
- AUTHOR
Thank you Audrey! This one is Zzeed, but I left it up, appreciate all your reading of my hubs today, so encouraging. :)
This is a wonderful photo essay!
- AUTHOR
Thank you Docmo, I am glad you enjoyed the photo gallery and the writing. Really appreciate you checking out my Hub. :)
A stunning photostory- I love the spontaneity of these pictures and the sense of flight and leap captured by your camera. Thanks for sharing these moments of. Magic with us - your writing compliments these captivating images equally well. Awesome, indeed!
- AUTHOR
Hey Ms Peg, thanks for the visit. It is so fun to have Hub Pages to share these photos with you. That possibility would have never entered my mind when they were taken so long ago. :)
I love your analogy of taking a leap in your life and education to these boys taking a leap off the cliff. Ah, yes, cutoffs and longish hair would be the 70s for sure. Wonderful story and great photos.
- AUTHOR
Thank you Derdriu, you've made my day!
Snakeslane, What captivating, intriguing, stunning photos of the reckless joys of diving off rocks into welcome streams! The photos are sufficient unto themselves. But at the same time, they encourage speculation. They make me think of "A Separate Peace," which tells the chilling consequences of diving off tree branches.
Thank you for sharing, etc.,
Derdriu
I had a cheap one that I used when I didn't have a way to hang on to it. I also have my Minolta. An X-370. I still have it and the extra lens'. I can get some wonderful pictures with it. The macro-zoom lens is wonderful.
- AUTHOR
Hi guys, Ian you are a cheeky boy this morning (still morning somewhere).
And Becky, just as well. Kind of hard to keep track of camera while you're busy jumping off a cliff!
No, I forgot to take a camera with me that time. I only had 4 of them.
Ian, you don't need to worry about whales or sharks in a river.
Watch out for killer whales, Becky. There's nothing that they like so much for lunch is a seal.
- AUTHOR
That's so cool that you did that Becky! Did you take pictures? Thanks for the visit, so nice that you can relate so personally.
- AUTHOR
Thank you very much Marlin 55, so glad you enjoyed the photos.
I really enjoyed these photos. I have jumped in from the top of a cliff like that. It is so much fun. Of course, I swim like a seal. Funny since I come from NV but I lived in the wet part. I was raised in Reno.
Wow! this is great Snakeslane. I can identify with your photos since I was a teenager in those years, but what I think makes your photography so special in this case is that it is timeless. I don't think just about everyone can identify with plunging into the cool water on a hot summer day. Beautiful photos and thank you for sharing these. Up and Beautiful.
- AUTHOR
Aww Thank you Rosemay! Odd feeling being a winner for something that happened in 1974!
A belated Congratulations you deserved to win with this one
- AUTHOR
Hi phoenixarizona, thank you very much. I've just been looking at some of the photo galleries entered, wow, some really great pictures. Inspiring.
Congratulations on your win snakeslane! I'm so very happy for you!
You truly deserve it!
- AUTHOR
Thank you so much Ian, for leaving such a lovely comment.
Lovely hub, snakeslane. I almost feel as if i had done those dives and been there. Very evocative, and many, many congratulations for having your efforts recognised.
There is something really peaceful about these,,, i know they are actions shots, but you have arrested time and I like the way you have drawn parallels with your own life at the time.
- AUTHOR
Thank you Purple Perl, these boys are awesome.
Beautiful pics, made me feel like diving in myself. So much fun these boys are having.Boys just need to strip and dive in.Congrats too on the win.
- AUTHOR
Hello Peggy W, it's so nice that you've been to Capilano so you would get a feel for the poem. These guys are in another world aren't they. Thank you!
I remember walking across that swinging bridge at Capilano Canyon. You certainly live in a beautiful part of the world. Those boys look like they are having the time of their lives! Congrats on the daily draw win!
- AUTHOR
Thank you so much for your lovely comment moiragallaga.
The photos are great snakeslane. The gritty texture of the images and even the colors manages to effectively enhance your story and your message with its classic looks. It's a beautiful hub.
- AUTHOR
Wow I am doing a poor job of saying hello to the beautiful people that have commented here. I am so sorry.
Denise Handlon, so nice to see you here, glad you enjoyed the photos.
And Movie Master, thankyou so much for your kind comment. I know, how can something so much fun be dangerous? It's not fair.
- AUTHOR
Thank you so much Makusr. I really enjoyed putting this one together. The boys in flight. I am so happy you are so interested. And happy you are enjoying the the photos.
snakeslane, That is really good. These photographs speak a lot. They convey a message of happiness. In India also you can see these things in mighty river Ganga. Thanks for sharing.
With warm wishes,
MAKUSR
Congratulations on winning the daily draw!
Great photos, it does look dangerous, I guess you have no fear at that age!
Cool photos. It appears they came to a good end after all! Thanks for sharing.
- AUTHOR
Good Morning Thought Sandwiches, good to see your big nose on my page. Funny that you should mention the Zenit E. I was going through some family papers last night and found one of my dad's old notebooks. He'd written a brief description of the camera he was buying, and I quote: "Zenit E - interchangable lens, built in meter - $84.95 with case. I think I still have the camera in storage, must have a look now that it is "famous" and a lucky prize winner to boot. The $50 prize almost pays for the cost of the original camera, sweet.
Glad you enjoyed pictures, thanks again for voting up. I hope you will come to Canada. Been to Reno once upon a time. I have pictures of the bright lights.
- AUTHOR
Thank you RoseMay!
snakeslane...
I believe that the Russian prototype, and you, performed perfectly on that day! Great pictures and if I am ever allowed in Canada I will love to check it out!
Congrats on the daily! Voting many buttons upward.
Thomas
Beautiful photos, it looks very dangerous. it They must have brought back a lot of memories for you.
Congrats on winning the daily.
- AUTHOR
Yes Vinaya, it was lucky. Now I have to figure out how to download and print out the form you have to sign before they can make the payment. My printer is out of ink too. I guess there's no rush.
- AUTHOR
Hello Frannie Dee, thank you, it didn't seem too dangerous at the time, I guess I wasn't really thinking about that, I figured the local kids would know the best spots. But yes it's amazing that many of us survived our youth. I remember some pretty close calls including swimming near drowning experiences. Just lucky some bigger kid was there to pluck me out of the water.
Really? Lucky you!
Great Hub, good depiction of the daring young. Hope they get to see this some day and remember that feeling. It reminded me of some of the crazy things I've tried myself.
- AUTHOR
Hey Vinaya it's not chosen. they just pick a winner out of a hat from all of today's entrys. It's just a random pick. anyone could win it, I was just lucky.
I had thought Two Sides to Every Story will be the winner, but anyways this one also deserves to be the chosen one. Congratulations.
- AUTHOR
Hello WannaB Writer. Thank you! Yes, I was wondering the same thing, but what are the chances heh?
I know what you mean about having pictures and no one left to ask about them, that hurts. The old home town pics are always good to hang on to for sure, sometimes the museum will be looking for something, or the local newspaper sometimes will do a history page, so hang on to those. Thanks so much for taking a look at my photos Wanna, really appreciate it.
Congrats on your winning the daily draw. I hope the boys survived, since they probably continued to do this year after year if they were local. Teens think they are indestructible, but they aren't. They think only other people get hurt.
I have a box of slides at home that may have historical value of when my dad built a conveyor belt for a company in Malaya. That's about all I know about the pictures. Wish he were still around to ask about them. I was only six when he took the trip and was gone for six months. I'm also thinking even the pictures I take of my home town may be history in a few years as buildings come and go.
Looks like you may have preserved some history here. Wouldn't it be interesting if those boys someday see this hub and identify themselves?
- AUTHOR
Thank you emichael, kind of fun to revisit.
Oh these are awesome. Definitely brought back those warm summer memories. Well done :)
- AUTHOR
Thanks mckbirdbks, it's a long story.
hello snakeslane finally made it. Very nice photographs. Thank you for sharing them.
"go live in the bush in the wilds of Northern Vancouver Island" - now this is the story
Have a good evening
- AUTHOR
Thanks anglnwu, I was so surprised!
Haha, small rock maybe? That's what I'm talking about. Congrats on your daily draw!
- AUTHOR
Hey FloraBreenRobison, I really like how you keep an eye on things. Did I win the daily draw? That is so cool. Thanks for letting me know that.
- AUTHOR
Thank you anglnwu, so happy you enjoyed. It's been a long time since I jumped in a river just for fun, and never off a cliff, a small rock maybe.
- AUTHOR
Oh really? Wow, thanks Simone, glad you enjoyed! You are welcome.
Congratulations on winning the daily draw
Makes me want to jump into a pool of water too. Capilano River seems like a beautiful place and you've managed to capture the joy of these boys. Thanks for sharing these lovely pictures.
What a joyful collection of photos! I get goosebumps just looking at them because they're bringing back so many of my own fond memories. Thank you for sharing these!!
- AUTHOR
Thank you very much tillsontitan. Boys heh, you know it all too well. Really appreciate you stopping by, glad you enjoyed the photos.
The photos are lovely and capture the abandon of those boys so well. There is a rush when diving, we have some spots around here and my boys (not I) have taken advantage of them most likely for that purpose.
- AUTHOR
Thanks Hyphenbird, I love your new look. The photography element to this Arts contest has me really digging in the archives. I'm enjoying it and happy to find something to contribute.
- AUTHOR
Wow phoenixarizona. Thanks so much. I'm so happy you enjoyed this photo story. It was good to get in on the page. You have a great day too!
- AUTHOR
Hi FloraBreenRobison, thank you for checking out my photos. I'm sorry they make you nervous, they make me a little nervous too. I'm not much for swimming either.
snakeslane, these really are a reminder of youth and that innocent belief that we are invincible. As children this was a favorite past time for us. This is why photographs are so important and I am so pleased you shared them with us.
What fantastic photos and narratives! Snakeslane I love this hub! The whole concept along with the photographs are phenomenal.
Good luck with the contest! This is definitely a winner! Have a great day!
Phoenix.
I have family in Victoria and Nanaimo. These photographs make me tense. They are beautiful but I am stressed over what these people are doing. Even if I could swim-which I can't-I'd be afraid of not jumping out far enough and hitting the rocks. (shiver)
- AUTHOR
I am on northern Vancouver Island.
I just realised, forgetting, that you're actually a west-coaster, used to dealing with people from back east and the States, are you on the Sunshine coast per chance?
- AUTHOR
Thanks, Ercolano. Whichever it is, I'm sure one canyon is as dangerous as the other.
Hmmm, sorry I did mean to say Lynn Valley before though, where I walk the dog, my bad; maybe that's why I don't recognise the bridge from there, could be Capilano, been a while since I hiked over that way.
- AUTHOR
Thank you nellieanna for finding this photo story. I love these images. Yes we are surrounded by awesome beauty here on the West coast of British Columbia. I'm glad you enjoyed this. And yes, so many stories still to tell.
- AUTHOR
Hello Vinaya Ghimire, thankyou for sharing this canyon diving story from Nepal. I guess boys are the same the world over, risking life and limb for the thrill of it.
- AUTHOR
You know Ercolano, you have me wondering now if this is Lynn Canyon near Capilano? It could be, I'm not sure now after hearing your comments. I'm happy you enjoyed the photos. This was 1973 or 1974.
What a beautiful place. Every thing I've seen about Vancouver bowls me over with its beauty.
The diving, too - wow. I like your parallel of that with a personal leap in your own life at the time. That is another story needing to be told, I bet.
You really put this one together well!
I have never dived in the canyon though the scenes like in your pictures are very common in Nepal. A shiver went down my spine because we get to hear lots of deaths in canyon. Well actually, people searching for the bodies make lots of money.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Very interesting for me especially, Capilano somewhere I walk the dog a great deal. Yes, you are right, there are deaths every single year with kids doing this, all of these areas are blocked off now, and huge warning signs put up, but still the kids do it, some swept away by the current. I don't think that little bridge in one of the middle photos is there anymore though; don't recognise it at all. it's very structured around the whole area now, and a huge tourist attraction. I'm glad you found a place to put these up, wonderfully old pics. Well done.
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