We ran this the other day and our friend, Zech, snapped a few pics of Tyler (who did wave-wheels on his way down), Troy, my brother (Mike - in the inflatable) and I.
Looks like water is going to be running in this section until around Sept 22nd. I’ll sure be looking to hit this section a couple more times this year!!
I just got this update from Devon Barker -Gary-
Dear Friends, I wish you could all be here with me. Enjoy the photos and thanks for all of your support!
Devon
Scootering, biking, and kayaking in Thun, Switzerland
It is amazing here in Thun. The wave is just down stream of a covered bridge decorated with flowers. The bridge has gates to release the water from the lake that makes Thun a wonderful summer time attraction. Many of us are camping on the lake 4 KM from the wave. There are free bikes or scooters for use during the day but cost 10 Swiss Fr. if you want to keep them over night. Ruth Gordon and I are biking back and forth. I scootered the first morning but it was a long trek. The bike ride is along the lake with castles on the shore and scattered beaches and houses along our route. The wave is a wonderful color blue but a little flat. It is a little like Couch wave at the low levels but the scenery does not look like the Salmon River in Idaho at all! The VW Multivan River Jam is the third event on the World Cup Tour. Prelims begin on Thursday and we wrap up the event on Sunday. Enjoy the photos!
My best to all of you from my tent on the lake in Thun, Switzerland!
Devon
Greeting from Augsburg, Germany.
I have been here, the site of the 1972 Olympics andamp; 1995 Freestyle World Championships, for a week. It has mostly rained but the famous feature, Washing Machine, is great. The loops are super fun and the super clean cartwheels are the best. I was in 7th but ended up in 10th after semis. I would have like to do better but this World Cup Tour has been a blast with lots of great training.
The camping in the rain is a little hard but on a few dry moments we have been able to play uno, monopoly, and I borrowed Jason andamp; Karen Craigandrsquo;s scooter to go to town in the sunshine this morning. Enjoy the photo as they speak more to our experience here in Germany than I could write.
Live from the campground in Augsburg! Devon
…the Selway is a unique wilderness. It is is locked in by the high ridges of the Bitterroot Mountains and deep canyons blanketed by thick forests.
You quickly notice that the land is so unlike other parts of Idaho. About 1.3 million acres of the Selway-Bitterroot country was designated wilderness in 1964.
Read Zimo’s entire Idaho Statesman article HERE!
Come join us tomorrow, Thursday, August 21st - registration at 5:30pm, BUT BEST TO REGISTER ONLINE HERE. We meet at the Gutter near Horseshoe Bend. School starts soon - so come on out! If you need directions or have any questions feel free to contact me at gary@worldkayak.com
Devon Barker sends this news from the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking…
August 10, 2008
Today is the first day of my travels to Europe for the World Cup of Freestyle Kayaking. Traveling from Idaho is a little bit harder than many other places. I flew this morning from Boise (BOI) to Las Angles (LAX) to Vancouver, BC and then I will fly to London, England, to my final destination of Prague, Czech Republic. I am in Vancouver with a 5-hour layover.
I went to Tim Hortonandrsquo;s, the equivalent of Star Bucks but in Canada and got coffee and two donuts and now am working on a little bit of internet work before I go out for lunch to pass the time. When I get on the plane at 5 pm it will already be 1 am in Prague. They will serve us a quick dinner and we will go to sleep to try and acclimate to the new time zone. I will be 8 hours ahead of you the whole time I am in Europe.
The last time I was in Prague was in 2005 when I traveled with Lenka Novonta for three freestyle competitions. Lenka is on the Czech Team and lives just outside of Prague. I met her on the Payette River in 2001 while she was in Idaho working as river guide for the summer with Cascade Kayak and Raft. We will travel to Augsburg, Germany and then Thun, Switzerland together for the rest of the World Cup tour. Then, back to Prague, 8 hours from Thun and I will spend one last night before flying to home. My return trip is a little better; I fly Prague, London, Vancouver, Portland, and then Boise. To my students, I will see you on September 4th! Study hard and learn lots about Europe. I will be bringing back pictures and video to share with you!
You can follow the world cup tour at http://www.kayaksession.com/intro-WC2008.php and at www.jacksonkayak.com.
Ms. Devon
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August 13, 2008
Kayaking as Gateway to the World
I just finished my first training session at the Prague Whitewater Canoe and Kayak center. This course was built in 1985 during the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Czechoslovakia, now two countries the Czech Republic and Slovakia were under communistic rule for a long time. These countries split in 1991 shortly after the end of the communism. The Russians occupied Czechoslovakia from 1948-1989. This course was built as a training center for salmon kayakers so they could dominate the world in paddling. A man named Dufeck trained very hard and won the first round in the 1953 World Championships in Italy but then threw the race so the limelight would not be on him. He could have won but without the attention on him he was able to escape by paddling to another country. He paddled his way away from communism to freedom. It is so striking to me to not be a World Champion Gold medalist because it was more important to choose freedom. It is stories like this that help me to realize how lucky we are to be Americans our whole lives. I know not the struggle for freedom.
When I left Idaho this year I was homesick before I left. I am usually homesick a few weeks after being abroad but then I am okay, as I know I will be coming home soon. I was welcomed here by many of my friends from around the world and that helped me to feel a little more at home.
During my training session I was reunited with Marsha from St. Petersburg, Russia who I met while paddling on the Nile in Uganda, Valrie and Erik from Canada/Norway (she is a citizen of both countries), we paddled in Spain together eight months ago, Jessie Stone from New York, but spends most of her time in Uganda running Soft Power Health, Ruth Gordon from Canada, and many of my Czech friends I have not seen in three years. The international atmosphere is amazing here. Meeting my friends from around the world helps me to be a little less homesick and knowing that I have the freedom to travel to anywhere in the world to see them is an amazing. I think my next stop might be to St. Petersburg to paddle. I will leave you with a few Czech worlds and another website to check for video of Prague and the kayaking at the course.
Cau- Bye for now, Bless you all for your support. Devon
Thank You- dekuji
Toast- nazdravi
Hello- Cau, Ahoj, Dobry den
To Play- hrat si
Check out www.southmainkayakteam.wordpress.com for a map link, (World Cup Map), video, write-ups, and pictures for the World Cup Tour 2008.
Devon Barker P.O. Box 4445 1005 Woody Dr. McCall, Idaho 83638
C-208.413.0319 H-208.634.2581 www.barker-river-trips.com
Call or check these links for DARE TO KAYAK presentations for schools andamp; youth groups
http://www.jacksonkayak.com/teamjk/teamm…
http://www.nrsweb.com/team_nrs/team_memb…
http://www.hughesriver.com/devon-barker….
Check out my great sponsors and their gear and services for an Idaho Vacation!
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” target=”_blank”>www.smithoptics.com www.wernerpaddles.com www.brundage.com www.salmonrapids.com www.gratefulheads.com www.nrsweb.com www.jacksonkayak.com andamp; www.murkywaterkayak.com www.RiverRanchMcCall.com andamp; Back Country Chiropractic andamp; Wellness Center McCall, Idaho
The water of the Payette’s NF is very warm as it pours over the top of the Cascade Dam. The first two miles are populated by a few small class II’s until you get to Tresstle Rapids. After this long set of wave-trains there is another couple of miles of slower water until you get to WetSpot (look for great lunch spots in this area!)
After WetSpot it is pretty busy water all the way through Howards. This part of the river meets back up with the road and passes under the beautiful Rainbow Bridge. After running Howards sit back for a slow cruise for the last mile to the takeout at Cougar Mt. Lodge (Cost is $5/vehicle but you can also park at the turnout at Howards.)
Check out the map of the run HERE!
Gauge info can be found HERE!
A short clip of Howards Plunge
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