River Lover

Two days and 4,577 miles later, I had finally arrived in St. Johns, Newfoundland. In a season when most head south for warm weather descents, I chose to head a different direction.

A lot of people have asked me, why Newfoundland, isn’t it cold and wet this time of year? Yes it is, and in planning there was something unexplainable that drew to me to Newfoundland. The first time I heard it mentioned I didn’t even know where it was, and with the promise of many unexplored creeks in adverse conditions I decided this unknown land was my destination.

After initial trouble getting people onboard, I somehow managed to sell this dream to a lot of people, and Chris Korbulic flew in with me for a week of exploration before we are joined for a few weeks by Ben Stookesberry, Jesse Coombs, Nick Troutman, EJ, Joel Kowalski and possibly others.

Our new and hopefully trusty vehicle loaded to the hilt.

The bridge during our first shuttle…..

Chris Korbulic getting a taste of what Newfoundland has to offer.

Gigantic horizon lines, massive gorge walls and schwackin’ galore.

This was literally the clearest spot of hillside we had seen in two hundred feet of near vertical slope, and for another two hundred to come.

We knew it was going to be tough, camping in the rain for over a month, dealing with cold weather and more and more rain. So far it hasn’t disappointed us, but we are focused on keeping a positive attitude and seeking out more first descents. Full write-ups of runs will be forthcoming.

My three favorite pieces of gear on this trip:

Hennessy Hammock Ultralight Backpacker Asym - dry camping in the rain.

Nikon D200 with Nikkor 50mm 1.8 lens - great for low light.

Jackson Punk Rocker - durable and light.