I have been boating quite a bunch. made another trip of the narrows, Hit up the North Fork, Getting to know Wautaga really well and have since run Hydro and styled it if I do say so myself…

Through my role with SGS, I was offered a spot as the Ambassador to WK Asheville region! Im pretty Psyched (will be even more when the site is mac friendly). I’ll be hosting 3 slalom survivor competitions this summer at ledges ww park.

So lets get back to boating… I do have some good photos from Tallulah. I’ll get them posted up here. Week one, sat I went with much apprehension. Actually, it took everything I had to make the hike down the stairs and not turn back around. I was still recovering from a bad run of events the prior weeks (Cracked ribs, damaged shoulder, broach pin upsidedown requiringn a HOG rescue from Taylor. So my nerves were running a little light.

Got down to Oceana… My goodness, this is an amazing raapid. I was all set up to run it and then I watched 3 bad bad BAD lines in a row so I walked it (A decision that plagued me for the rest of the week). Well the rest of the trip went well. I ended up running Ocoee that sunday and had a change of perspective on kayaking (for the better).The next week I was back and had one of my best days on the water ever. I stomped every boof I tried and yes fired up Oceana. Both days.

(Click on Pics to enlarge)

Some shots from Oceana

Boofing over the ugly hole at Bridal Veil

Setting up the top boof at Lynches Wrench

The last couple weeks have been chill. Been heading out getting some quality playboat runs in on Class 3-4 water and loving life. With the creeking season drawing to a close (pending some much needed rain), I can look back at an educational 5 months. I have learned how to creek, read steep technical whitewater. Been lucky enough to get my boof on every weekend and run some sweet classic SE whitewater. Now that its getting warmer I can look forward to summer runs on the Green and plenty playboating in the meantime… Did I mention its going to be 80 this weekend?!?

Little Compilation of some video I shot over the last few months

Until next time…

Pray for rain and SYOTR

Since moving to Asheville Nov 07 I had a drive to eventually run the Green River Narrows. Yesterday that day finally arrived

Sun morning came early with a set rondez vous of 08:45 at Fishtop. I met up with Milton, Christine, Scott, Liz, Charles and Taylor. Liz was running the Upper and taking out before entering the narrows. For a first D run at the narrows there is really no better way to get a good warm up than the familiar Upper Green before venturing below.

Great lines were had by all and soon we arrived at the take out/ put in. We said our see you soon’s to Liz and I took my standard nervous pee.

Plenty of warm up water similar in nature to the Upper brought us to bride. This is where the river starts to steepen up. Bride requires a little slot move between some guardian rocks then boogie out. All ran just fine.
Once we arrived at Frankenstein I was pretty jacked up. I have hiked into the narros but never got further upstream than whale tail so I felt truly lost. Milton had Taylor show me the viewing area on River Left. Scott, Christine and Milton showed us the lines that were available. I opted for the non-race line which was a poor choice in retrospect. I ended up blown left of the pyramid boof rock and had to land in the choss pile and ended up stuffed into the undercut. Oh well. This turned out to be about my worst line (of the monster mile at least).

Pin Cushion was tight but close to m best line of the day and really got me feeling loose and happy. The boogie felt great down over the whale tail and into the set up eddy for Boof or Consequences.
I opted to follow Christine through the right line at Boof. Something so surreal about running a drop and not taking a single stroke, yes that’s how you run it and wear elbow pads. It felt great but it was super fast and I really don’t know what happened.
The eddy below Boof is the set up for Go-Left. A tight boof to the right placed me in the squeeze and safely past Go-Left waititn in the eddy. Taylor had been deciding if he was going to go left today. He styled it, mad props boy… Going left on run 5 takes nards brother.

Milton had me get out and walk Zwicks. Without thinking I walked the entire thing and not just the 1st hole. Next time though Im hitting it for sure.
Christing showed me the sneek at Chief over on River Right. Soon we were sitting in the eddy above pencil sharpener. Nothing beats sitting in this eddy knowing whats right below you. The sound of the water and being at a lever where I could see right into the notch without a safety net per sey… Incredible and terrifying. Just as stressful as ferrying over to the Left to portage Gorilla.
The team JK crew were shooting at the monkey and it was just such a sweet feeling to be sharing the river with the icons of the sport.
After several minutes we launched into the flume below Gorilla. I had every intention of taking a peek at Gorilla from the water but I was a little too engaged once in my boat to remember.
The slides are much more shallow than I thought they would be but super fun. I intended to get Right to run super boof but ended running the left side with the two slides of Nieces Pieces. Powerslide went smooth and soon we were rounding Rapid Transit.

I took a little too much power to the hole at the top and ended up throwing a big side boof to the left into subprime mortgage. It was soft today and fed me back center into the hole where I had to make a roll.
The rest of the trip was running well. I was a bit gripped about Col’ Dicks but that went without incident. I got a bit of a whooping at All American Boof. I broached on the rock below the boof, was flipped upstream and literally sucked out of my kayak resulting in what I believe to be a cartilage injury to my lower left ribs. Christine was fast to get me a rope and I was assisted to my boat. The pain from the ribs left me unable to run Hammer Factor safely so I walked that one (next time). I was given my Green Baptism and finished up with smiles and cheers.

The Green is truly an amazing run. Steeper than any of the other runs I have hit to date. I can see how it becomes a paddlers river of choie.
Big thank yous to Milton, Christine, Scott and Charles for leading me down and setting such great safety. And to Tayor for harassing me into maning up and heading in…
Thanks Guys

For full River description go to
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_1080_

Ill Add some more pics as soon as I get the emails

Until then Pray for rain and SYOTR

Although It appears that winter is falling onto us early this year, was still able to get out for a quick weekend paddling.

Friday dropped some rain around the reigon and although nothing really jumped up well Wilsons Creek raised up for some low water action. I met up with Bruce, Scott and Chase to get a quick day of creeking.

The gauge was low showing neg 6 but still as runable as my last trip. After making 3 laps a couple weeks ago I was feeling fired up to get back at it. I now have fallen in love with this river and feel good to lead runs too. Also had plenty chances to dial in my boof and it is feeling good to go (big thanks again to Wes).

I got in a total of 4 laps before it got dark. Below are pics from our first 2 laps

*Click on pics to enlarge*

Me pushing through the entrance

Me at the top of 10 foot

Chase Boofing it up

Rattling through the mank above 10 foot

Chase Sliding 10 foot

Bruce (Yellow Habitat) Qued up above boatbuster

I have to say it again. I love Wilsons Creek! I cant wait to get back…

Song for the day
“The good left undone”
By Rise Against

Pray for Rain and SYOTR!!!

Firday was looking sparse as far as rain was concerned. The local forcast was looking rather bleak and when I went to bed fri night nothing was up. Regardless of this I still set an early alarm and drifted off to sleep. 0600 came about and like a child on Christmas I jumped onto boatingbeta to see what the Gauges had in to tell. Scanning down through all the red my heart sank. At the bottom of the page I noticed Wilsons Creek and the Watauga Gorge were in the Green! I called a buddy Taylor and told him to get in the car and get to Asheville… By 7 am text messages were flying and Wes told me he was going to Watauga.

Watauga Gorge was once one of the toughest ccreek runs considered boatible, as time passed by It is still highy respected for its continous steep nature with non-stop action similar in nature to the Cheoah. There are more rapids than I can remember but in essence The river gives you 1/2 mile of warm up boogie. Then it starts to stomp, back to back class 4 drops bring you to Haydro. Hydro is a solid class 5 rapid with an insanely retentive hole at the bottom that resembles a natural lowhead dam. Being this was my very first creek run and still having several miles of water ahead of me I opted to go high and dry on the left bank and set up boat safety below the rapid. Jen (Wes’s fiance) set up with a rope beside the hole.

Plenty of Boogie and class 4 drops brought us to my one of the best moves on the river. The crew call it airplane boof. You start center and make a hard left boof turning 90 deg through the move… very cool and nailing it makes you feel like a superstar
Hitting the airplane boof

Dont remember where this was… anybody???

The climax of the river is a rapid named stateline. class 4 rapid above a 16ft waterfall, dont swim… Shallow drop off the left side. Hit it with hard left to right momentum nad a big left boof stroke… Awesome!. Im still buzzing over this one and I got beat down below it leading to a shameful swim… Next time. More boogie led us to the Wautage initiation, rewind. Tradition tells us that you have to run this approx 8-10 ft steep slide backwards for your first run. We all did even Wes who accidently went the wrong side and had to get out above a sieve and carry for a little bit.

Song for the day
“Anna Molly” by Incubus

Full River Description
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_1143_

Next day Wes called again. Wilsons although low was still boatable and we headed off to get in a few runs. Although not nearly as difficult a run. Wilsons is a must make river when the water is running.

Plenty of boogie water with some great class 4 rapids along the way. Mank above 10 foot, 10 foot falls, Boatbuster ( best boof on the river), Thunderhole, Bilboard (aka get a room after Jen boofed onto Wes), Tripple falls, Razor back. Im not sure if this order is correct and I might have missed some.

My first run was pretty shakey. including a pretty good broach /pin where I had to bail. Wes gave me a few creeking tips which opened up the doors to the creek world as far as Im can tell. Runs 2 and 3 went really well in spide of me getting pinned above 10foot. We hard charged getting some pretty good non-stop runs. Total about 750 vert feet in a short afternoon… All in all an amazing river. One of my new favourites.

Songs for the day
“Dont Stop” by Innerpartysystem
“Mice and Gods” by Clutch

Full River Description
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_1146_

Had luck been a little stronger I would have prefered run Wilsons then Watauga. After Sat I was not too sure if I was ready for another run down the Watauga. After Getting my chops together on Wilsons… I cant wait to get back on Watauga.

Big thanks to the sexy kayaking beasts crew… Showing me down these rivers has me totally hooked on SE Creeking!!!

Until next time…
Pray for rain and SYOTR

I was having a hard time embedding video sooooo here are the links to some good ol’ footy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FIHJ_f9fGs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrXRQsO28lA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FT8BFkXGn8

Had the chance to make the second last release of the Cheoah for 2008. My personal first d. For those out there who have not had a chance to run the Cheoah, get out there and run it. The 9.5 mile stretch from Joannes store to teh lake is with few exceptions one long continious class 3-4 rapid. Be-Boping throught trees (there are lots of trees on this run), countless boofs, munchy holes and some more trees, all make up for what iis argueably one of the best whitewater runs in the south east. Best of all, the entire river is read and run. The lines down are whatever tickles your fancy. The final 2.5 miles from bear creek falls is where things really step up to solid class 4. the bottom of the river drops out and the pace is kicking. tossing in a schweet 13 footer for good measure. More steep water to follow all ending in a lake.

The bottom 2.5 (bear creek and below) was actually so inviting that 4 of us loaded up and fired it up a second time. Better lines for sure (especially in my case) and just as much fun we made our way through the lake at the take out.

All in all an amazing run. Non-stop action, great features, total unknown river run and everybody got off safe… what more could you ask for?

Total run approx 700 ft
last 2.5 miles approx 300 ft
Total approx 1000 vertical feet (my most in one day)

Song of the day:
Stretch Armstrong, “faces”

Full River Description
http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_3146_

Peace, Love and PCN
Laddie