Jenny Right-Side
Paddling in the Ottawa Valley and all over the world!
How to Enjoy Gauley Season on a Budget
$10 for two nights Gauley Fest camping
$10 festival entry fee
free Fri night dinner for volunteering
free beer
free Sat night burgers @ festival
free showers @ festival
$5 showers at Mt Nebo Gas Station
free camping up to 14 days at Summersville Dam
free Internet at Cathedral Cafe in Fayetteville
free put-in/take-out Gauley River
$10 all-you-can-eat pizza and salad @ Pies n Pints Tuesdays in Fayetteville
$40 from Summersville to Friendsville
$10/site camping at Garret State Forest
$15 day pass for ASCI whitewater course day pass
free dinner for volunteering/competing at US Nationals
free put-in/take-out Upper Yough
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
Low Water Upper Gauley
What do you do in betwen Gauley releases? Run it anyway!
Jeremy in the Room of Doom, now with More Room, Less Doom
Jeremy paddled into the Room and noticed that the walls were scribbled with blue plastic. Someone in a blue boat got completely obliterated in there at one point. If it was you, send me an email, I’d love to know the story!
The mail slot was now a slot to balcony (there’s a wide rock on the downstream side of the slot), Don’t come in here Jen!
Neither of us lost our paddles at Lost Paddle, Jeremy ran the crack at Iron Ring upside down and I flipped on the hole and rolled up in time to run the last drop (a 5ft chute) backwards. Our excitement for the day!
Jeremy scouting Iron Ring
Sweets was a no-brainer, dildo rock was to be avoided, and now we could see why.
Yes! I made it!
The rest of the river we attempted every crack and ledge we could, often getting stuck. At the end, I tried to get Jeremy to give me a high fiiiive (a la Borat) for a successful run down the river, but he just wasn’t as excited to make it out alive as I was.
He was even less excited when I told him I forgot the key to the truck at the put-in and when I finally showed him that I had it, he felt the need to push me out of my boat into the water. Not nice Jeremy!
Jeremy and I giving each other a high fiiiive!
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
Squirtboats Make me Cry…
But dang it looks cool!
Jeremy is the squirt master.
Jeremy and I took my newly chopped boat out to low-water Halls of Karma on the New, but the boat just hurt too much. So we were on a new mission to make it less painful for me. So what did we do? We altered my neoprene socks, adding a foam donut so the fiberglass boat crushing my foot knuckles didn’t hurt so much. We also put a wood block in the bow to try and raise it a little (quick fix for an over-chopped boat).
Resting my everything! The face of a squirtboater right there.
Feels good so far!
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
H2O Paddle Testing at Pushbutton
River: Ottawa
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
Peak UK Creek Top How-to (with special cameo by Billy Harris)
I am super stoked to give this drytop a try, especially now that we aren’t chasing rain, but right in the middle of it.
Now I’m not a stupid person at all, but when I received my Crick Top the other day my emotions went from ‘YES!!’ to ‘my brain is too fried from a long day at work to figure this out’.
2. The small single piece of armour (fig A) is for the upper spine, and velcros onto the inside of the drytop. Slide the piece of armour between the latex neck gasket and the neoprene outer gasket.
3. The two pieces of armour with the rounded bottoms (fig B) are your elbow pads. They slide into a pocket on the arm, and are attached with velcro to the inside. These ones might need to be squeezed in and then flattened out as the fit is tight.
4. The last two pieces of armour (fig D) are your shoulder pads, and they slide in between the latex and neoprene neck gaskets as well. The are attached with the provided velcro once inside.
5. Now you’re done! Your top is ready to go over the gnarliest drop you can find! (Which I am hoping to do this weekend on the Oxtongue River).
6. One final test before you get on the river is to give the rockin’ removable armour a go on the nearest test dummy. In my case, a one Billy Harris was loitering around and I had to see if the armour was good. Yes, the armour works great!
* Disclaimer: Billy Harris was not harmed during the making of this How-To Article
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
Oxtongue Madness
I was a little nervous at first, as I get when I run anything new, but felt comfortable that the run was going to go well. I am still working on learning and improving these technical skills that you don’t gain spending all of your time on the Ottawa River big water. I’m excited to announce that I am getting better; on the Ottawa it didn’t matter if you flipped. Here, however, it mattered a lot!
I got to try out all sorts of new gear today, my new creektop (which was very comfortable with great range of motion, considering), my new rescue vest, and my new H2O riverrunning paddle (a little longer than my play paddle with the riverrunner blade - powerful!).
What a great way to deal with a hangover! 
Photos by Rich and John Hevesi!
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
Bienvenido a Costa Rica!
Joey shows Marzella how to drink from the sweet coconuts!
Wheelbarrows anyone?
The hottub at the hotel Flamboyant!
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
Day 2: Pozo Azul “Blue Pool”
Breakfast Costarican style!
This was something that I told myself I was going to do, no matter what. I had run an 18 footer on Big Sandy Creek in West Virginia, and was ready to raise the bar a bit.
The drive from La Fortuna to the waterfall was about 2 hours, so we stopped for lunch at a rainforest species reserve where I was able to get photos of many flowers and plants.
The hike into the waterfall was muddy and steep due to a lot of rain the past couple of days. We weren’t sure what it would be like, but Joey and Chad were pretty sure we’d see more water than last year. We just hoped it wasn’t TOO much water.
Say hello to my little friend! from the put-in
Andrew and Bill navigate the steep path
Joey passes down a boat, using a throwrope as a guide-line
I peeled out of the eddy, passed the rock on the left, looked ahead to my reactionay and green tongue, leaned forward and started driving my paddle strokes. My line was perfect. I ws soaring through the air and down, but freaked a bit and forgot to tuck my paddle to the side. Last minute I raised it out of the way so it wouldn’t hit my face. I didn’t even feel the landing, the water was so aerated, but I wasn’t holding onto my paddle hard enough. It ripped out of my hands. Damn! I tried a handroll. Almost up. This time I HAD to get it. I twisted my hips, reached for the sky and rolled it! Whew! That could have become embarassing! I looked for my paddle, got it and waited for the next paddler.
Splat. Splat. Splat. Broken paddle. Brutal. Splat. Splat. Another imploded skirt. What a gong show! But everyone had huge smiles on their faces.
The way out was fun rocky, boogie water. We took out just as the Costarican sun disappeared behind the mountains.
Tonight we stayed at a unique little resort called La Quinta del Sarapiqui. Covered breezeways led to tiny cottages with private porches. Fran, Marzella and I relaxed on our rocking chairs nad hammock for a while before dinner. Before we ate, Marzella and I explored the jungle trails at night and then enjoyed delicious chicken, salad, beans and fruit.
What a day!
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back
C-c-c-cold Weather Paddling
Yes, an open boater joined us on this adventure!
We went to the Lorne, ran shuttle and put on the river. By the time we put on, the temperature had risen to -8 degrees! The guys in playboats immediately started rolling and flatwater looping. Rich and I decided to paddle creekboats; Rich because of his bum shoulder, and me because I had a horrible chest cold for 2 weeks and really didn’t want to make it worse.
Geoff, Alex, Bobbie and Bryson played for a short while at Garb while Colin took pics and Rich, Laura and I went down to Pushbutton. The whole group ran the rest of the river together, enjoying company and the rapids of the Main Channel. The paddle was cold, but not THAT cold. Only my fingertips were frozen and the rest of me was pretty much fine!
The only place I thought I might stand a change at flipping was at Coliseum, but it went off for all paddlers without a hitch! We upped the anti to about $60 for Geoff to jump off BFR, but he didn’t go for it.
At the end of the day our gear was completely frozen; Laura couldn’t get her PFD off, Geoff’s noseplugs looked like one of those invisible dog leashes, and Colin’s pelican case for his camera was frozen shut!
Laura tries to get her PFD zipper down!
When we put on, everyone was complaining about the temperature, and making comments on how *I* could cancel the event at any time, and asking whose brilliant idea it was to paddle on such a cold day. After the paddle, no one complained, and no one had any regrets. Even Bobbie, Alex and Geoff went back to McKoys to surf Corner Wave and Babyface!!
Snickers and I helping Rich get his PFD off!
All photos by our team photographer, Colin.
Next up: skiing!
Original post by Jenny and software by Elliott Back