Huckin Duckie

Behind the Line in NZ by Jordy

2011-11-18T20:40:00.001-07:00

From Behind the Line - Upper Upper Perth

Due to its wide flow range, open river character allowing complete scouting and portaging options and the plethora of fantastic whitewater it possess', the Perth River has always been known as a classic New Zealand helirun. Two years ago, admittedly before I/ most our group was worthy, I paddled the Upper section of the Perth River with a disastrous outcome... but two years on this would be a very different story. With a plan forged in the bar the night before and a late start due to the lasting effects of a very good night, Barny, Joe Keck, Brian Urmson, Ari Walker and Myself found ourselves at the Whataroa Heli area trying to sort a helicopter.

Barny and I trying to explain B-Rain and Ari's relationship (J. Keck)

Our shuttle vehicle (B. Young)

After getting a cradle brought over from Fox Glacier township, educating the pilot to our shuttle plan and exchanging some cold hard cash, we dropped B-Rain and Ari at Scone Hut and Barny and I were dropped 'well' up the Perth River. This would turn out to be a much longer day than we'd thought. During the first couple of hours I was amazed at how much the river had changed since my last time down... little did I know we had put on about 4km higher than last time. Putting on at 2pm usually isnt much of an issue but this 'higher' put in took us 6 hours to break down and seen us rolling into the hut around 8pm tired, beaten and grinning ear to ear. Here are the photos from day one.

Landing well the the Perth Branch above Scone Hut (J. Keck)

Barny ready for business (J. Keck)

Barny lacing the first notable drop (J. Keck)

Me running the lead out (B. Young)

Barny bringing out the Fish eye... (B. Young)

Boofing another amazing drop (B. Young)

Joe Keck blending into the background (B. Young)

Joe didnt like the look but Barny and I loved the taste... stout (B. Young)

I wanted it on video so had to go first... through the lead-in (B. Young)

and boofing through the hole (B. Young)

Barny hucking into the hole (J. Keck)

Barny running a sick boof... this photo is taken from the middle of the river!!! (J. Keck)

Joe experiencing NZ at its best (B. Young)
Me getting ready to launch (J. Keck)

This photo does not, in any way, reflect how continuous the upper section is. (B. Young)

The funny thing is that all of these drops and many more not shown here are all above the section that I ran two years ago which took us 4 hours back then. This time round Barny, Joe and I flew through this section in about 2 hours with the help of pieces of Barny and my memory and some brave eddy hoping. Photos would of taken time and we were well past 6pm at this stage.. Sorry. Anyway, arriving at Scone Hut where B-Rain and Ari had the fire going and water on the boil for some much anticipatd Ravioli. After catching the last little bit of sunlight while eating dinner, some lethargic goon drinking (or lack there of), we drifted off to sleep in the fire warmed accommodation provided by the Department of Conservation.

Day two started, and as you will see finished, like a dream. Blue-bird sky, bacon and egg breakfast and pretty much dry paddling gear... this was going to be a good day. Here are some of the photos from the second day.

Scone Hut up the Perth Valley (J. Keck)

The first thing we scouted out properly (B. Young)

Joe smiling on Day 2 ... well we think he is smiling (B. Young)

Bliss-Stick Mystic (B. Young)

B-Rain boofing the hole (B. Young)

The alternate line to Pinballs (B. Young)

Ari... Boofing? (B. Young)

Joe coming through the hole... (B. Young)

NZ Pure... Straight from the river

Boofing a sweet drop towards the end of the first steep section on day 2. (B. Young)

This river trip really had it all... steep technical white-water, good friends to share it with, perfect weather and most importantly no serious incident. With three options for get-in's, the lower at Five Finger Stream(IV-IV+), Scone Hut (IV+ - V) and the Upper (V), this river has plenty of options for trips and is definitely a must do for anyone paddling on the West Coast... Check it out.

Al's SE kayaking extravaganza

2011-11-18T20:31:00.001-07:00

Photo TR: Southeast Fall Classics

Fresh off a trip to visit my good friend Joe and run some steep whitewater, I can't stop thinking about the Southeast. We scored a near perfect weekend of boating on a couple true classics, the Green River Narrows and Tallulah Gorge.

Almost everything went right on this trip, aside from a few minor crashes on the water. First, it goes without saying that the whitewater was top notch. Second, I got to test drive the new Liquid LogicStomper 90. The boat is super fun to paddle and truly combines the incredible hull of the Remix with all the features of the Jefe that have made it one of the most revered creekers to date. Also, I have to put in a plug for the local eateries and watering holes. Asheville is home to some fantastic restaurants, coffee houses, and bars. Can't wait to go back.

The photos tell it best. The first run was an afternoon run on the Green. Can't tell you how happy I was to see the Tuxedo Hydro station report on Wednesday morning saying the Green would be running for the long weekend. Being a newly minted Green local, Joe got me fired up to go left in Go Left for the first time. Some crashes ensued, but dang if that isn't a fun rapid.

Joe on Go Left.

And in the Groove Tube.

We spent day two doing back-to-back laps. With a bluebird day and the trees still holding strong color for this late in the fall, it was a standout day of paddling. We rallied down with a great local posse as well.

Groove Tube at midday. Photo: Nikki Malatin

Matthew entering Scream Machine, the beginning

of the slide series below Gorilla

Gorilla was waiting.

Third time's the charm, and it was the last lap of the weekend, so Joe decided to fire it. Green River OG and Liquid Logic founder, Woody Callaway, offered us some great advice: you come into the Notch with a plan, and then you ad lib from there to the lip. That's what happened, as we both planned to catch the eddy, but both got sent direct.

Joe in the Notch (missed the photo of his first Gorilla crash, dang!)

Rolling over the Monkey, Speedtrap, and the runout.

Slides! (so 1990s, bro)

After the Green we routed over the Eastern Continental Divide and headed to the Tallulah Gorge. We had great timing and caught a good old-fashioned festival party at Tallulahfest.

We got on the river early the next day and enjoyed watching Issac Levinson and Pat Keller lap the markee drop, Oceana. Pat was running a new line involving a hectic downstream ferry above the Thing, followed by an eddy turn next to it, and then a surf back around to the pool. Fun to watch.

What's that I spy on Joe's upper lip?

Well, it is Movember, after all.

Stomper & stairs.

Isaac on the middle line:

Pat inventing a new line:

Joe on the 'days of thunder' line:

Yeehaw:

Tallulah is definitely one of the most scenic places I have paddled. With predictable releases, occasional rain flows, and awesome autumn foliage, fall boating in the Southeast is hard to beat.

Forkin Fun

2011-10-27T20:19:00.001-06:00

So Colorado just received their first foot of snow! Cheers to a good season in the Rockies this winter and next spring. But meanwhile, I plan to continue taunting y'all with a little Southern comfort - whitewater style. I am always hungry for new personal first descents, so it has been awesome to live in a different neighborhood where they come aplenty.

Last weekend, in-between 16 hour operating room shifts, I was able to squeeze in a trip to the legendary Russell Fork Gorge. On the way there, my beta was relatively limited. I knew there was a release happening and I knew the river had bad sieves. I didn't have a guide or anyone in mind to meet. The only important piece of information, however, is that there was a water release happening - I was on my way with a cooler full of PBRs looking to make friends.

Some texting paid off and I was able to link up with a true legendary whitewater paddler as a guide down the Fork!

The Man, the Myth, the River Gypsy - Leland Davis

If you have not paddled with the River Gypsies, then you haven't been around the proverbial whitewater block. After all, they wrote the book on the classics of your whitewater neighborhood.

Speaking of classic - peering down into the Russell Fork Gorge with full Kentucky fall colors in effect

Yayaya, so it is purdy. But how about the boofing you ask? The Fork is down right boofalicious.

Rolling into Triple Drop (courtesy of www.RiverGypsies.com)

I should mention that the Russell Fork at 8-900cfs has relatively easy IV+ with a spice of V- rapids. However, it is not a place for those looking to progress to IV+. Any of the rapids could prove disastrous again as they have in the past. The sieves live up to their reputation. You're playing for all the marbles in this gorge.

Jeff Matonis laying into the Horrendous white fluffy pillow of joy

People always talk about this infamous rapid El Horrendo - spanish for 'The Horrendo'. The name brought sweat to my palms as we rolled up to the huge horizon line and witnessed the whitewater spray distorting our view of the large group of gathered spectators. Leland and I spun circles in an eddy while he described the line to me. As Andria and Leland disappeared off the lip, a little light of joy flickered in my mind. The thought brought a huge smile across my face while I remembered the legendary Daniel DeLavergne quote, "You only get one chance to run it blind!"

Some of the best Glory Boofing east of the South Fork of the Stillaguamish! (courtesy www.RiverGypsies.com)

The River Gypsies missing their faithful hound Hudson - possibly one of the most famous river dogs?

Leland proving with his Golden Stroke that he's been in the game longer than you know.

Thanks for making all these pretty pictures!

So check it out. The Fork is holding heavy with intense fall colors, glory boofs, one of the deepest gorges in the Eastern US, a sweet play wave at the takeout (bring the playboat!), and great camping. But one of the most important things in my criteria is good eats near the takeout. Again the Russell Fork comes through with an unbelievable Southern BBQ joint smack in the middle of the shuttle! Five star paddling trip, represent!

Baby back ribs, pulled pork sandwich, smoked sausage, spicy baked beans and homemade potato chips covered in a spicy vinegar based Southern BBQ sauce. Legit.

Andria, Leland, Jeff, Sean and I got into a conversation over a 30 rack of PBRs about how guidebooks are dead. People are not willing to pay for what they perceive they can find for free on the internet. These are sad times my friends. I surf the world kayaking web as much as anyone, but it has limitations.

I love guidebooks because you get tons of information from people who actually know what they are talking about unlike the internet. All the information for lots of runs is in one place (putin, takeout, nearest watering hole, kayak shops, camping, etc) The authors perceptions and stories enhance my enjoyment of the river. For a prime example, read the description of the Clark's Fork Box in Whitewater of the Southern Rockies.

Most importantly, as one author stated, "I love buying guidebooks to all regions of the Earth because the act of buying one significantly increases my chances of finding myself on an adventure."

In that thought, I bring you a list in no particular order of some of my favorite whitewater books:

...Colorado Rivers and Creeks II - Out of print. Mine is double laminated to help me keep my first guidebook forever. The book to which all others will be measured. Still has the best directions/maps for kayaking Colorado classics.

...The River Gypsies Guide to North America - Spectacular book that will get you on the classic runs all over the Continent. It'll steer you toward the nearest watering hole as well!

...Whitewater of the Southern Rockies - Probably the most complete compilation of kayaking runs ever created. Legendary stories, epic commitment. Easily the new standard that is likely to never be met again.

...North Carolina Rivers and Creeks - Continued the stellar tradition of CRCII for the Southeast. Introduced me to a whole new world.

...Canyonland River Guide - This book welcomed me to the idea of 7 days, incommunicado. Beautiful. Probably one of the best covers!

...Montana Surf - also out of print and I can't get my hands on one. Bummed. One quote for you: "Poach that Shit!" - YLA forever.

...New Zealand Whitewater 4th edition - A classic book that will help you get it done Kiwi style. Excellent illustrations and Kiwi speak. The West Coast is truly one of the best kayaking destinations in the world.

...The Kayaker's Guide to Ecuador - The best travel destination for Class II-V- boaters on the planet! This book was written by the people that made it the destination.

...Whitewater Classics - I love kayaking culture and this book brings all of the personalities into the rivers that made them.

...The Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande - My only companion and advice for 7 days on the Mexican boarder.

So go buy yourself a whitewater guidebook and have one hellva adventure! I can't wait to hear about it.

Every river should end in a huge Climax:

courtesy www.RiverGypsies.com

2011-10-11T18:49:00.001-06:00

So I recently ran into a long lost love of mine. She's truly a beauty. Possibly the one that got away too soon. As all boaters fail in attempts to verbally describe their love of the river, so it is that the words escape my tongue for the love we shared. She had her kinks to be sure. Every day I would have to touch her just right to get her to open and sometimes I had to pet her to turn her on, but she always came around. And crucial to winning the heart of any boater, she was extremely low maintenance. She reveled in being ridden hard all day then being put away wet and dirty. We shared epic sunsets on the Baja coast and found rivers from Wyoming to Arizona and across the country to North Carolina and West Virginia. Once, during a Gore lap, she was even stolen from me by another man, but found her way back even if a little worse for wear. Her name was El Toro Rojo - The Red Bull.

Not one of her finest moments.... Notice that we had to unload everything and then find rocks to pave the road Roman style for the truck to get out. Thanks E-town!

Here's an old school photo of C.Mo loading an inner tube so we could impress some ladies on the Filter Plant!

As many of you may know, I have a colorful driving record. So after rolling a Tacoma loaded to the hilt full of beer to bribe some Alta ski patrollers in the Utah desert during a blizzard, I found myself in need of a new rig. Sure enough, like lots of my very best friends in life, I found her on Mountainbuzz. A rafter was selling her with just under 100,000K. 1996 manual Xtra cab 4-cylinder Toyota Tacoma. Or a 'Yota Taco in the parlance of our times. She came fully tricked out with an Alpine stereo, 4" lift and monster BF Goodrich tires! Even had the topper, roof rack and a custom made padded bed/shelf on the inside. I became the second generation boater to own her.

She only ever got stuck twice and a Southeastern boy was driving here. Sure was a beautiful day to be buried at the South Mineral Creek road.

We had loads of fun together. She made it to the North Fork of the Crystal - no small feet. Clarks Fork Box, Embudo, Crystal Gorge, and countless other putins were no match.

Real men rock pink boats on their monster rig!

After all of the years of fun we had together, her broken AC finally forced me to shed her from my life as I moved to Texas. But like all good kayaking ladies, there was another bro waiting eagerly to pick her up. And so it was that after selling the ole Truckster to my buddy Paulie we parted ways.

Loading boats or discussing "Good touch/Bad touch" scenarios at the North Fork of the Payette takeout?

However, she has been surprisingly easy to keep up with and met me for a Labor Day weekend at the North Fork of the Payette last year. She even brought me a boat all the way to Idaho from Colorado!

Upper Gauley get-in with full fall colors in effect.

Over the last year, Paulie moved to New Zealand for some graduate level kayaking work. He passed El Toro Rojo onto a true whitewater connoisseur, Tango. I have received random text photo reports of the Truckster being at kayaking hot spots from Bailey to Stone Bridge and all places Colorado between with even some Minnesota hucking.

Pretty amazing when the fall foliage can out color a group of rafters...

Tango even rallied the truck out for Gauley season! It was hella good to see the both of them. And even though Tango's never been there, El Toro Rojo knows the way to the Green putin, so fire 'er up! So good to spend time with close kayaking friends on a beautiful river....

Represent for CO and the CKS Squad!

So always remember to show your rig some loving. Oh, the places you'll go. Tango's got El Toro up to 230,000 hard earned shuttle miles with no signs of stopping any time soon!

Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande

2011-09-26T18:01:00.001-06:00

THE JOURNEY EXPLORES THE LOWER CANYONS OF THE RIO GRANDE
Posted by Joe Keck, 05/02/2011

I am currently an avid whitewater paddler and adventurer who is living in Texas for a year while attending school. Now, Texas is not exactly known for its whitewater paddling, but while I’m here I absolutely plan to get the best of what’s around! In Texas, that seems to be the Lower Canyons of the Rio Grande. Located in Far West Texas, these canyon walls rise up 1,700 feet out of the river, which serves as the border between the United States and Mexico.

The logistics for the trip provided a stressful challenge. First, during the summer, daytime temperatures soar to 120 degrees and only cool to around 100 at night. This is the Chihuahuan Desert after all! Hence, the best time to run the canyons is during the winter, conveniently timed with my Christmas break. Tragically, epic snowfall hit Colorado this season, so I failed in my attempt to recruit fellow boaters to make the journey. I have run much harder runs solo – Gore, Bailey, Clear Creek – but I had never spent anywhere near a week solo. The trip is 84 miles and I figured if I pushed the pace, six days would suffice.Second on my list of concerns was personal security. As everyone is aware, Juarez, 200 miles to the northeast has become somewhat of a war zone between drug cartels. I tried to get as much information as possible. The shuttle driver said the Lower Canyons were safe, the locals I met in the bar said I was likely to get abducted and ransomed for $300, and the Boarder Patrol declared it illegal for river trips to camp in Mexico. However, the voice I chose to hear was that of the park ranger, Jim, at the Big Bend National Park ranger station where I obtained my permit. He said that this was possibly the most remote area south of Canada. There are no roads into the canyons for a hundred miles. Jim thought there was zero chance of me seeing anyone, much less someone that would want to tango. I did consider bringing a handgun because everyone in Texas seems to have a spare or two, but changed my mind after finding out that possession of a gun in Mexico is a felony. As scary as cartels are, Mexican prisons sound worse!My trip randomly started at the Famous Burro bar in Marathon, Texas. If you head to the area, I highly recommend a stop at this joint. After locking the bar doors and extinguishing the ‘Open’ fluorescence at 2am, we proceeded to keep the bar rockin’ until after 4am. I picked up my shuttle driver at 8am and proceeded to the Rio!There is something glorious about setting off into the river at the beginning of an adventure. The first floating strokes are freedom in its finest. Gliding into the unknown. For me, I get a bit of relief. All of the planning is done, the trip is actually happening. Nothing to do now but breathe.By the end of that first day, I knew what it was to exist in Far West Texas. Not being a cowboy, I made the mistake of bringing nice Patagonia fleece as my only pants. The enormous thistles protruding from every branch, brush and ground cover attacked. Hailing from Colorado, I had never known why cowboys insisted on wearing boots and jeans year-round. Leaving the jeans at home is a mistake I’ll never make twice in the vast emptiness of longhorn country.Through the ensuing week, I figured out a lot about the southern desert. One aspect that I completely lucked out on was my choice boat, the Jackson Kayak Journey. I had originally planned to paddle my creekboat, which would have been completely out of its element. At the last minute, Duane from T G Canoes and Kayaks in San Marcos, TX, came through with a 14 foot Journey! I was especially thrilled because my comfort level and gear storage had just doubled or tripled! The Journey is really well considered. With two dry hatches, I was able to bring all of my creature comforts and extra food. I didn’t travel light and the boat easily contained food for 9 days, a Crazy Creek chair, a backpacking stove with 3 extra fuel containers, a large 0 degree sleeping bag, extra hiking shoes, three 24-ounce six packs of Budweiser American Ale, an aluminum fire pan and four gallons of water in addition to lots of extra emergency winter clothes! Countless class II-III rapids with the occasional class IV only minimally infiltrated the dry hatches with some moisture. In fact the dry storage was so good, I only put my sleeping bag and emergency clothes into a dry bag. Everything else including food, stove and sleeping pad remained plenty dry under the hatches without the protection of a dry bag. The mesh on top kept my necessities at hand, which allowed me to make long distances without breaking. The insulated beverage holder was the perfect size to keep my Nalgene with hot cocoa warm and a quick snack accessible.Having never been in a touring boat, I couldn’t believe how fast the Journey ate flat water. The Journey I had didn’t include the optional Smart Track Rudder, but the hull design had no problems staying straight and speedy. I was also impressed with the ability of the Journey to navigate whitewater. The boat amazingly boofed tight class IV slots and sailed smooth through mandatory low-water, mid-rapid ferries. After paddling a creek boat for hundreds of days in the last few years, the edge turning naturally felt slow, but was good enough to comfortably run technical class III whitewater. The Journey has exceptional primary stability and I never once had to brace in the whitewater. After paddling for a week, it was clear that the plastic would live up to Jackson’s high expectations for durability. Every evening, I would pull the loaded boat up onto my usually rocky campsite and after six days the plastic still looked new. I even challenged the Journey with low water boulder gardens, but I have no doubt that that Jackson Kayak will find it easy to stand behind the lifetime warranty because it will be near impossible to break a Journey. After all, it has the same plastic as the whitewater kayak lineup!Even though I measure in at 6‘2” with size 11 feet, the Journey kept me comfortable enough to paddle 6-8 hours per day for nearly a week! I added two shims to both hip pads to keep me in solid contact with the boat. One recommendation that I would have for future Journey’ers is to add a Jackson Kayak Sweet Cheeks seat pad. The included seat is plenty comfortable for a couple days, but after a week I was definitely regretting that I forgot my Sweet Cheeks at home. The cockpit fits a standard XL whitewater spray skirt rand, yet provided plenty of room to stretch my legs while keeping a dry bag with a camera, hat, sunglasses, map and GPS between my legs. I was even able to store hiking shoes and two water bottles in front of the foot pegs. Paddling my creeker would have been a complete suffer-fest, but the Journey kept me smiling for 84 solid miles!My main reason for desert expeditions is to explore all of the little slot canyons that meet the main flow. From the great Deer Creek, the minute Matkatamiba, or the dangerous uranium mines of Hey Joe, slot canyons always have amazingly different personalities. The lower canyons of the Rio Grande have some standouts. The mouth of Many Tinaja Canyon shocked me because of how many cougar prints littered the soft sand as the drainage spread into the Rio. I could clearly see a set of rabbit prints cross half-way across the sand and then disappear as a set of cougar prints over-took the rabbit prints from behind. Hopefully, the lion wouldn’t be hungry as I pushed up the drainage yelling, “Here Cougar!” Not far up, the slot looked to end in an enormous tinaja, which most kayakers would refer to as a pot-hole or hollowed out area at the base of a sandstone waterfall. Luckily, nature provided an enormous tree climbing adventure to access the upper canyon…Later in the day I found myself in Big Thicket Voyagers slot. The highlight was a gargantuan double entrance cave that had been inhabited by arrowhead chipping Native Americans. There remains ancient evidence from their work with stone blades on animal hides.After hot muggy hikes, the Rio Grande offered up a beautiful hot springs teeming with minnows. At the springs campsite, I had my closest animal encounter when a skunk ambled right up to me while I was star gazing. After a tense few minutes, I managed to convince the white stripe to leave without me needing a tomato soup bath. However, the best company I had on the trip were the turtles. They were everywhere, around every bend, in every rocky piece of sunshine. I named them Yurtle.Solo kayaking is not for everyone. It significantly increases the consequences of the slightest mistake. But there is a certain awareness, a heightened acuity of the senses that comes with a solo experience. A bit of clarity that emerges out of the chaos of life.

Special thanks to Jackson Kayaks, Marty, Duane and especially T G Canoe and Kayak!

Joe

Joe Keck Reviews the Jackson Kayak Villain

2011-09-26T17:50:00.002-06:00

Joe Keck Reviews The Jackson Kayak Villain

Photo by Alex Clayon. Product testing on The Escalante.

Well, fall is here. It’s always a time to look back at the kayaking season’s great memories and triumphs that we’ve had on the river. At the end, I always think back about my gear that was all shiny and new at the beginning. Did it work as advertised or is it time to try something new next spring? Well, one piece I loved all summer was my new Jackson Kayak Villain. I am a big fan of the Rocker and last winter I waited in trepidation for EJ’s newest take on the creek boat. My first few runs in the large Villain this year were on Escalante Creek. The initial impression was that the boat was fast, really fast, the fastest creeker that I had paddled. The large Villain has more volume and is longer than my trusty Rocker, but it boofs just as easily. I relate the superb boofing ability to the increased speed of the hull.

Next, the Mank Crew started making trips down to the ultra-classic Embudo. The new hull proved itself to be just as forgiving down the rocky desert funnel as the Rocker had for years before. Thankfully, she also proved easy to roll!
Later in the season, my boat and I tragically found ourselves in Texas. No matter because we joined a crew for the first descent of Bear Creek Falls!

The Official Jackson Kayak Promo video.

Pros:

Extremely fast. It’s a huge improvement over some of the other hulls on the market.
Boofs really well because it holds lots of speed over drops.
Has a huge amount of storage space behind the seat and in front of the bulkhead for multi-day trips.
I loved the foot room. I’m 6’2” with size 11 feet, so I have a hard time fitting real creeking shoes into most boats. The large Villain was comfortable right from the warehouse with the full 3” thick foam in the front.
Even with the increased length, the boat maintains Jackson Kayaks motto of creating quick forgiving hulls that are easy to roll.
I continue to love the Jackson Kayak outfitting with the uni-shock bulkhead. If you piton, the outfitting with take most of the energy and distribute it. I have personally tested this feature from 18’ high. The Villain also has no screws through the hull and remains one of the driest boats on the market.
The cross-link plastic is still going strong!

Cons:

Photo:Bret Franson. Paddler:Joe Keck in his Villain.
The new Villain comes with one less attachment rope in the stern, which makes multi-day packing a little tighter. This is easily fixed with a few carabiners.
I didn’t get enough days in it this year!

Photo by Alex Clayton

The Verdict:

The new Villain rocks harder than Stevie Ray Vaughan playing Texas Flood! “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.” Cheers from Texas and I’ll be off to the Southeast soon for more product testing!

Photo by Alex Clayton. Paddler: Joe Keck.

2011-09-26T17:50:00.000-06:00

Motivation: New Zealand

This is your calling. Pull the trigger. Just Do It. No time like the present. Carpe diem. Rage-ing. And one of my favorites, "If you don't do it this year, you'll be one year older when you do." Last year, I was sitting in your shoes. I had searched kayak.com for months looking at flights. During a dreary eyed graveyard shift in the ICU, I bought one. I was on my way to Enzed. It was time for an escape from the frozen Colorado winter and into a summer kayaking wonderland. Here's Jordy, a local Hokitika huckster, waiting to get it started:

First, we need to discuss the rules of the road or in this case, airways. Rule #1: Always be early and waiting for the helicopter, not the other way around.

Rule #2: Never, ever, for any reason walk around the backside of the helicopter. As you cannot see below, the tail rotor is spinning so fast it is invisible to the human eye. It will remove any appendage more efficiently than a buzz saw. Always be able to see the pilot.
Rule #3: Enjoy legendary Bruce Dando airlines - it's the only way serious boaters fly!
Flying up the Arahura River:

Committed.

To help kayakers get to this point in their journey, may I make a recommendation of some important gear? Bring a serious paddle that won't break when you're in a deep gorges or thick wilderness. There is a reason all of the NZ boaters rock Werner Paddles. One of the most damaging things for a paddle is travel through the airport. Take a proper bag for protection. Finally, bring a serious lifejacket for unexpected out-of-boat adventuring!

Rule #4: Kayaking on the West Coast of New Zealand is no joke. It seems like a beautiful short journey up a river valley in a helicopter. In reality, when the bird takes off you are now miles up a true wilderness run in extremely dense bush. Getting out without a kayak would likely involve an overnight stay in the jungle. Pack emergency gear, first aid, food and breakdown paddles accordingly. The one bonus? You don't need to worry about water so much:

(Photo: Jordy Searle)

The rivers are still clean enough to drink straight from the crystal blue.

Time to get'er done! Here's me warming up with a boof on the Styx river:

(Photo: Jordy Searle)

The Styx and Arahura are a good introduction to West Coast kayaking. They both rate a solid IV+/V- with options to let the hair down on a couple solid V drops in the Arahura.

One of my favorite winter activities is backcountry hut skiing in the Colorado wilderness. One of my favorite summer activities is multi-day kayaking in the Sierras and Rockies. New Zealand has combined the two! On the West Coast, there are a handful of huts located perfectly for multi-day hut trip helicopter assisted kayaking! First order of business...have Barnabas Young negotiate a ride:

Airborne!

If you time it right, you can lay treats just as the Ratas are blooming. These bright red flowers bloom at the top of the trees at a certain altitude, similar to the changing aspens in Colorado. Unfortunately, they are endangered by the infestation of opossums from Australia. There are no natural predators in New Zealand, so the possums have taken over. The blooms vary in intensity from year to year, but I caught a great one.

(Photo: Barny Young)

It was pretty impressive putting in on the Perth above the Ratas and kayaking down through them. Absolutely stunning.

(Photo: Barny Young)

After a long day of hard-man kayaking, there's nothing better than rolling into a kiwi hut where the goon and grub had already been dropped via chopper.

(Scone hut on the Upper Perth River)

After the uber-classic two day Perth mission, we continued charging hard. Here's a couple shots of Jordy laying it down on the Kokatahi:

Apparently they lay browns off the stouts even in New Zealand:

One of the unbelievable scenes from the West Coast are the deep bedrock gorges that most rivers seem to cut through. They get super tight. Some contain extremely difficult class V+ and some contain easy class III, but they are all pure bliss. Here's Jordy assessing:

And me wilderness hucking:

(Photo: Jordy Searle)

I think it's important to notice the huge cave in the picture above. It's actually a bit hard to miss, I suppose. However, when kayaking in New Zealand, you have to remember that every single drop has a huge cave/sieve lurking. It is definitely some of the scariest kayaking I've done. Also some of the most beautiful and rewarding. After feeling good on the Kokatahi, the crew stepped it up to the Waitaha. I was boating with some serious locals, but here on Niki's Drop we all took the sneak - I took the far far right sneak, but here's New Orleans educated doctor turned ex-pat ER doc, Justin, hucking. Proof that ladies like Niki Kelly can slay whitewater with the very best of 'em.

(Photo: Niki's drop with the meat in the background by Kev England)

The Waitaha contains a sieve so big you can boat through it. The Cave Drop:

And I even managed to put on a smile in between the the grip:

(Photo: Kev England)

People say everything's bigger in Texas, but that's because they haven't been to the tiny island of New Zealand. Check out this epic scenery!

Here's a departing shot of Barny hucking a beauty:

(Photo: Jordy Searle)

So, if you're looking for a bit of adventure, some serious kayaking and the best fish'n chips on the planet then look up a little place called Hokitika. It's on the map, but you might have to look a little harder. If you need ideas or just want an arm chair fix, check out Jordy and Barny's blog:gradientandwater.blogspot.com. Did I mention you could get a beach vacation out of the deal too?

It's Finally Kayaking (off)Season

2011-09-26T17:49:00.002-06:00

As many of you loyal Colorado Kayak Supply Squad blog readers may know, I missed nearly all of the now legendary Summer of 2011 kayaking season. I was stuck in Texas. I know, you just threw up in your mouth a little and I'm sorry too. But I must have built up some pretty good Karma somewhere because I now find myself in a place that I have always wanted to be for a year.... The South East!

Now is my time to gloat because as you all sink into winter, I'm going to provide you with some impetus to get off your booty and go exploring during Colorado's off-season. We're just warming up down here.....

After unloading, but not unpacking all of the boxes from our moving truck, I did what any legitimate creeker would do. I loaded up the wife, dog, tent and paddling gear for a journey directly to Green River Adventures where I picked my very own Green River Access Key!

$60 entitles you access to the Shit, year-round!

And the beauty of the Green became mine. Sunshine, big boofs, warm water, and a ridiculous number of rapids deep in the Green River Gorge.

Gone Left, without dying even!

I know, I know. You have read about the Green. You have seen pictures of Sunshine and Gorilla and know they run 300 days each year. If you haven't been here you still can't appreciate how good the Green really is. There are still so many rapids and great boofs that people don't take the time to photograph. The depth of the entire gorge and the thick foliage are impossible to adequately capture on film, but I'll try for a few shots.

Mmmm....sorta reminds me of California - relaxed 8 foot boof.

The Groove Tube. Definitely one of my favorites. First you disappear, then you fall 10 feet.

The Southeast is of course home to many of the best creekers the world has known. I pretty much only hang out with the sickest, like Pat Keller and Toby McDermont.*

*Pat did not know I took this photo of him at Sunshine and has no idea who I am. I did give Toby a shuttle ride once and I think he even drank one of my PBRs.

Sunshine and clear water heading into the Factor

A smooth ride through the Hammer

One of the possible alternate lines at Hammer Factor

Looking down into the sweet sticky goodness of the Polk County Welcome Center

So there is another taste of the off season for all of you jonsin' Colorado kayakers. Be sure to get out and get some paddling done this fall and winter! I plan to keep assailing you with Southeastern classics, so you'll be really aching if you don't. The Russell Fork is this upcoming weekend, Gauley after that and the Talluah Gorge following. And those are just if it doesn't rain!

I did manage to get one photo of me in Colorado this spring. And sure enough, it proves once and for all that I do have 3 'o's in my booof! Furthermore, this shot also proves that if I had been able to make the Race then the Buckle would be inscribed with Huckin Duckie.

Kirk, a fellow SE boater and last year's winner, agreed that this stroke alone would have guaranteed a win. Also note the awesome CKS stickers!

And I leave you with a great parting shot that you will have a hard time finding in Colorado....

Thanks to all you wonderful people!

2011-07-14T13:50:00.005-06:00

So we had an amazing wedding thanks to all of our family and friends. We wouldn't be who we are as individuals and as a couple without the love and support of all of you. Our honeymoon was fantastic! We got some alone time relaxing on the beach with Coronas and tequila. We visited the amazing Mayan temple of Coba. We got two more unbelievable dives done in a Cenote located in the jungle. Best of all, we got some great time together as a married couple!

Then we flew back to Augusta, GA. Jess started her per diem job in the step-down cardiac unit at University Hospital, Willa got used to her new doggy door and back yard, and I am currently working 16 hour days at the Augusta Veteran's Affairs Medical Center to finish my Masters in Nursing Anesthesia. It's been brutal hours and minimal sleep, but Jess has provided great support. I'm learning a ton and got a couple intubations and spinals done in my first week!

Our new address is:

Jessica and Joe Keck
1224 Kendal Court
Augusta, GA 30907

We love you all and hope to see you soon! Cheers.

2011-04-09T12:47:00.004-06:00

Engagement Party!!

The parents of the groom, Buck and Maggie Keck, are throwing an engagement party at six o'clock in the evening of Saturday, May 28 (right before Memorial Day) at Christies of Genesse. Christies of Genesse is located at 25918 Genesee Trail Road, Genesee, Colorado (Exit 254 off of I-70). All of our family and friends, especially those that cannot attend our ceremony in Mexico, are invited to attend. Please RSVP to Maggie Keck at skibk12345@aol.com or (303) 584-5903. We are really excited to see all of you and cannot wait to be back in the Colorado spring-time.

Jessica & Joe

P.S. Keep reading below if you are looking for more wedding details.

Jessica Nitschke and Joe Keck's Wedding Blog!!

2010-10-16T11:44:00.007-06:00

For the purpose of simplicity, we have directed you to this page for information about our wedding. First a little bit about us:

Welcome to Jessica and Joe's Wedding Site!

The Bride

The bride, Jessica, grew up riding roller-coasters at the world famous Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Jessica attended Bowling Green State University where she earned a bachelor's degree in nursing. As a traveling nurse, she went west and worked in the hospitals of Phoenix, San Francisco, and finally Denver. Jessica enjoys running, SCUBA diving, hiking, skiing and especially extreme Pomeranian walking. Currently, she is working in the post-anesthesia care unit at the Audie Murphy Veterans Medical Center in San Antonio.

The Groom

The groom, Joe, grew up in the mountains of Evergreen, Colorado. Later, he attended the University of Colorado in Boulder where he continued exploring the wilderness of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. He even studied enough to obtain a bachelors in environmental biology. After beginning a career in ski patrolling at Keystone Ski Resort, he returned to the University of Colorado for another bachelors in nursing. Joe loves a good adventure, skiing, kayaking, and most other water sports. Joe's affinity for traveling has taken him on trips to 38 States, New Zealand, Ecuador, Germany, San Luis Potosi, Baja and three visits to Costa Rica. Currently, Joe is working on his masters degree in nursing anesthesia in San Antonio.

The Bride & Groom

We were introduced by a friend at the Denver Veterans Medical Center. Our memorable first dates included Rockies games, sky diving and wine at Red Rocks followed by a trip to Las Vegas for a nursing conference. We have traveled together through blizzards to huts in the Rockies wilderness and flew to the edge of the jungle for SCUBA diving on the Osa Penninsula in Costa Rica. Our current home is San Antonio, but we will be moving to Augusta, GA next summer while Joe finishes his masters program. We then plan to move to Seattle where Joe will begin his career as a nurse anesthetist. We are excited to get married on the ocean with our family and friends!

The Engagement

Our friends took Jessica out for a weekend of rock climbing, but Joe was not able to make the trip because he was kayaking Embudo creek. However, as Jessica climbed a cliff, she saw Joe standing at the top. Suprise! When she reached him, he proposed. Some of our closest friends helped us celebrate with bottles of champagne and strawberries!

The Wedding

We are getting married June 25, 2011 at the fabulous Cozumel Palace Resort on the island of Cozumel, Mexico. Our stay at the resort will be from Monday, June 20 through Monday, June 27. Jessica and I would love for you to join us for during that time for scuba diving, beach lounging and touring Mayan ruins! Also, we encourage guests to stay at the Cozumel Palace so we can all lounge together and because there is a significant fee for guests to enter the all-inclusive resort for the wedding only.

For ease of planning and the best discount on rooms/airfare, please contact our wedding planner

Pamala Quirie at pdquirie@destinationweddings.com or 864-642-9557. There is also further information about travel planning on our other website: http://www.destinationweddings.com/dw/site/main/GuestFind.asp

The password is: willa

Also note that you will need a US Passport to travel into Mexico. This can take up to three months to acquire and the process gets started at your local post office. Speaking of planning ahead, Cozumel is a well known scuba diving location and perfect for getting your open water certification. To get started, you need to take pool classes at a local dive shop.

Jessica and I are extremely excited to get married and hope to share our joy with all our friends and family!

The Pre-Reception/Engagement Party

Jessica and I hope everyone can make it down to Mexico for the wedding, but we realize that some of our friends and loved ones may not be able to come. Joe's parents, Maggie and Buck Keck, will be throwing an engagement party during Memorial Day Weekend on Saturday, May 28 in Genesee, Colorado. All wedding guests are invited and especially those that can't make it to Mexico. More details to follow.

Contact Information:

Jessica's cell phone: (419) 656-8631

Joe's cell phone: (303) 594-9733 or email JCKeck1@aol.com

2010-06-07T10:15:00.000-06:00

So, it's that time again to talk about ropes in the river. Seems like this discussion comes up every year, but it's a good one to have. Here we go:

The Tale of Rope #1.

Rope #1 has one serious problem. It's too short. The new ropes that everyone is carrying in their PFDs are awesome......AS BACK-UP ROPES! They are generally around 40 feet and simply too short for many uses. Always carry a full size - minimum 80 feet - throw bag in your boat! When you get out of your boat for any reason, but especially scouting, always take your full size rope. This is as simple as river safety gets. Don't boat with people who can't figure it out. You never know who will run the rapid first or maybe someone from another group will drop in, get pounded and need a rope.

To illustrate my point about rope #1, here is a picture of me running 57 Chevy on Escalante Creek. In the shot you can see Kyle Hagadorn digging out of the pothole on river right.

(Photo: Lori Merritt)

Later that day we watched in horror as a paddler dropped into the pothole and swam. We were gorged out below and couldn't get back upstream to help from the bank. The paddler's buddy threw rope #1 at his recirculating friend and guess what? The rope didn't reach. You can tell from this photo that it is not a long distance throw across Escalante creek. But it's longer than a chest throw bag. Thankfully, the swimmer was not being recirculated too bad, was able to stabilize himself in the pocket and then swim on his own back to shore above a class V killer rapid. No thanks to his paddling buddy.

In short, definitely carry a PFD throw bag. I've swam and then needed to rope my buddy out of the same hole with my PFD throw bag. I've swam and then needed my chest bag to pull my boat off a rock. However, you also always need a full length rope in your boat and in your hand on scouts. I've personally witnessed a long rope save a life, where the swimmer definitely couldn't be reached with a short rope.

The Tale of Rope #2.

Rope #2 is plenty long enough and was on hand while scouting/setting safety. The problem with rope #2 is that it was thrown at the wrong time. In this case, three kayakers had come cleanly through Rigor Mortis on Clear Creek and were immediately below the hole. The fourth boater came through and swam. All three remaining kayakers peeled out and were within reach of the swimmer from the instant he swam. At this point, rope #2 was thrown at the swimmer without any eye contact between the swimmer and thrower. Rope #2 landed well within reach of the swimmer, but right behind his head - he never saw it. Now rope #2 was draped across the river, nearly ensnaring the three kayakers. Have you ever tried paddling with a rope draped across your paddle? It's nearly impossible as the snare becomes worse and worse. Rope #2 definitely could have caused another swim and possibly an entrapment in this scenario.

A Shot of Rigor on a better day with higher flow

There are a bunch of lessons from rope #2. First, always make sure to get eye contact with the swimmer before throwing a rope. I will never throw a rope to a person who is not looking directly at me. They will miss the rope and you will have missed your shot at a save. Second, if rope #2 had entangled someone, it is essential that everyone has a knife accessible while underwater. Not in a pocket, not binered to something, but removable underwater. I know these accessible knives fall out and occasionally you loose them - call it the price of boating and just buy a new one every few years. Third, never throw a rope into other paddlers. Kayakers in the water are frequently the best option for swimmer safety - let them do their job. In short, be very conservative about throwing ropes. Just because you have one in hand does not make it the best option and frequently it is not.

The Tale of Rope #3.

The Mank Crew rallied up to the Poudre and set safety at Whiteline. It was running a solid medium 2.5 feet. We scouted Whiteline extensively and noticed a little spray coming out of one of the entrance holes. As my homie dropped in, he pitoned the hell out of that little spray. I also didn't realize how solid the rock was right behind the spray and thought we'd go right over it. Wrong. Homie surfed the first hole, which fed out river right. Then he dropped over the next hole with no speed. This hole is bad at that level. He cartwheeled for awhile, but lost energy and swam. Thankfully, Ben was setting safety at that hole with rope #3 because just downstream 20 some odd feet is a powerful 8 foot waterfall. After homie body recirculated for two rounds in the hole, he popped up on the river right wall headed for the waterfall. The entire time homie was swimming in the hole, Ben could see his helmet and kept yelling to get his attention. Ben didn't just throw rope #3 into the hole with the swimmer. Ben kept cool, waited and threw the rope after the swimmer came out of the hole and looked up at him. Rope #3 was long enough, timed right and a perfect throw. The strength of the current almost pulled Ben into the river and almost ripped the swimmer off the rope and into the falls, but both barely held on as the swimmer pendulum into the eddy.

Look closely and you can see rope #3 coming for the swimmer in the pic below.

(Photo: Joel Bakken)

I had the huge advantage of a second scout after the swim and got to boof the living daylights out of it. Thanks to Kevin - I do think Lefty is the way to stroke it!

Photo: Joel Bakken)

So, carry a long rope, throw it judiciously when in contact with the swimmer, have a knife handy and be prepared to take a big pull into the river when you catch someone on line. Safe lines out there and have a great season everyone!

2010-05-27T11:59:00.000-06:00

sunday, may 23, 2010

Escalaneplooza!

Oh yea, it's on! I love Escalante. It's generally the first big run of the season and it's out in the desert where we can get away from the cold - at least for a bit. Plus there's this Disney Land style to it when the flows are right. Esca is not super intimidating and generally keeps to the IV+ region of creeking. A few weeks ago the Mank crew hit it up at perfect flows! We had a campfire, some whiskey and tons of drops to go around. An all around excellent weekend.

Here's C.Mo starting it off nicely on Escalante falls.

One of the funniest thing about this canyon is that you are always herding cows when driving in and out. They never want to leave the road.

This is one of my favorites from the weekend of M.Hagadorn routing into the Magnetic Wall.

This shot pretty well demonstrates my love of the new Villain - stylin.

The Hagadorn mobile all loaded up for a weekend huck fest!

So the Mank Crew has a long standing policy for good luck - kiss the ducky at the putin. He's been saving us ever since a fateful day on Gore, years back. Joel's givin'er the smooch.

One of my happy places.

Escalanteplooza!

(Photo: Lori Merritt)

So as the flow comes up on Escalante, it mostly just gets more fun. However, the hole at 57 Chevy can start to get interesting. It's not that sticky in the traditional sense, but it feeds into a river right pocket that can start to cause trouble.

(Photo: Lori Merritt)

I'd call this flow medium. The falls is runnable casually and the Magnetic Wall isn't too bad. The boof off the top at Waterslide was marginally in. Once that boof becomes mandatory the flow is high.

Alex Clayton slip/slidding through the Wall shot by Lori Merritt.

Laying the stomp down with the Villain. (Photo: Justin Merritt)

Lori got this great shot of her husband going airborne.

Alex getting awesome seperation!

The inner gorge.

CKS Squad's very own Chris Menges laying a sick fiddler grab!

Going vertical

And I saved the best for last. Menges laying it down for all the players world wide! As MC Hammer once said, "Can't touch this!"

(Photo: Joe Keck)

In the end, I'd say if you haven't been here - what are you waiting for? The upper gorge is class IV creeking and fairly pool drop. It's a fantastic place to step it up in preparation for the season. The inner gorge is a bit more committing and difficult, but still far from hair boating. Get out there!

Get out there!

So you just never know what curve balls life will throw at you... Make sure to get out every single day possible this summer - you never know, next summer you might be moving to Texass. Seriously. It's all good though, because after just one season sucking Texan heat, I'll be off to the best paddling destinations in the US - the southeast followed by a three year stint in Seattle! So anyway, I've been charging hard as usual, including a single day Denver to Denver two time Embudo mash. Get after it boys and girls!

Onto more interesting paddling news. The new Jackson Kayak Villian is the cat's pajamas, all that 'n a bucket of chicken, or da bomb in the parlance of our times. Here's a shot of me strokin' my Villian into MJ falls by Chris Roberts.

It's really that good. The boat is extremely fast and maintains a great rocker profile for boofing ability. It's not quite as quick side-to-side as the Rocker or Super Hero, but the speed more than makes up for it. So much fun to paddle! If you have the means, I highly recommend it - so choice.

Just another bluebird day on the 'buda!

Here's Chris. He had a really bumpy line up to this point, but Golden Stroked it right over the hole. Like butta on the 'buda.

Homie and fellow ICU nurse Oliver had a smooth line through the Slots and avoided the slot jacking.

I was so close to beating McCutchen at his own ice cream game, but he pulled this brace off with help from some of the Embudo's trout.

This here is Chris again showing that the East side gots the skills to pay the bills.

It was a bit chilly on the first runs this season. We got snowed on a couple times this weekend.

But we also got some fantastic sunsets!

Paul Siratovich lining out his first Slots run.

And Ben West showing how it gets done on the river right side....

Stout - first booty of the season! The Embudo is like that. Dave here had a great day even with the booty, but some other people this season have had serious issues. Take the Embudo seriously. I've routed it with a heavy hitting 8 person crew in under two hours. I've also lost my boat and had to hike out over the course of 7 hours. Respect the river, take a real rope, first aid, headlamp and serious creeking clothes.

And finally a huge shout out to the King and Queen of the Embudo and New Mexico zone in general. You are true ambassadors to the sport and make the Embudo experience 100% than it already was. This Bud's for you!

2010-01-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Costa Rica: The Goods Part I

A mere two weeks of anticipation went into our last minute trip to Costa Rica for a week of jungle hucking. The decision to bail on all of our family obligations for the Thanksgiving Holiday was made like many great decisions… at a keg party. I managed to squeeze in 9 days to vacate, which included a day to travel on each end. Joe had 8 days, so it was clear from the beginning that this was to (hopefully) be a no-rest-day type of trip. Recruitment of a third or fourth member was unsuccessful, as was any significant planning. The day before departure I booked my first nights stay at Mi Tierra in Alajuela, begin to fight off a nasty sinus cold, and pack for my first international adventure.

Day 1

The day before consisted of two flights, from Denver to Houston, and then Houston to a late arrival in Alajuela (San Jose). After an amusing taxi ride from the airport, I arrived at Roberto Cacho’s place covered in sweat and in good spirits because all of my “wave ski” equipment made it intact. Even better is that my “wave ski” strongly resembles a large Pyranha Karnali, and with the paddle bag it only cost me $100 extra through Continental Airlines. Mi Tierra is inviting, with an open entryway in front, nice lobby and covered patio dining area, a pool, tons of plants and nice rooms. Andrey Coto Robles, the night watchman and kayaker, greets me and takes me to my room. Soon after I meet the owner, Roberto Cacho. I’ve exchanged a few emails with Cacho, and he has already come recommended as “the man” after proving himself as the driver of choice for a handful of trips that Gary Edgeworth and others have completed. He’s also friends with Ferdinand, and apparently I’m going to meet the Costa Rican paddling legend, and Olympian, in the morning. This is a very good thing.

Home base for CR hucking. Photo: Cutch

Cutch and the infamous Cacho outside the best breakfast in CR

Andrey starts it off on the Rio Macho. Photo: Cutch

The first few drops of the Rio Orosi start off with a bang. I haven’t paddled in months so it was a nice class V warm-up of a few boulder garden drops and one big hole to miss. Then a nice class IV paddle out leads to the takeout, where I promptly puke. We continue to the Rio Macho. Flows are too low for the 400fpm+ upper mile, so we hit the lower mile instead, which is still great low volume single-track creeking. Fun and I’m starting to get into the groove of kayaking once again. We stop in town for a delicious meal and head back through the traffic mayhem of San Jose to Mi Tierra, where Joe has now arrived.

Day 2

Ferdinand arrives at 5:30am. We’re barely awake and unorganized. The five of us pile into the van with Cacho at the helm, and head south of San Jose, to the top of a pass that overlooks the entire city. There’s a great restaurant at the top, and the fact that Joe and I are hanging out with three Ticos that speak English helps our Spanglish translate better. We scarf down a good breakfast and drive down a few thousand feet of twisting dirt road into the Rio Candelaria valley for what is supposed to be like an 8^th or 9^th descent, according to Ferdinand.

He should know. Our fearless leader has been at the forefront of local creeking exploration for the last 20 years. If he hasn’t been there, he’s talked to the sickbirds that have. His first-hand knowledge trumps that of the Chasing Jaguars guidebook, which I brought for the weekend because Ferdinand has plans to go to a wedding. Joe and I are hoping to persuade him to do the noble kayaking thing and bail. We’re both pretty sure that he’s testing us today, and as we charge into the first drops of the Rio Candelaria, I’m quite stoked to be the guinea pig.

Let's get ready to rumble

The CKS Squad and Ferd gonna get it. Photo: Audrey

The Rio Candelaria is a worthy find that the Ticos started running in May. We start on about 350-400cfs at the start, with some great class IV warm-up drops that get progressively steeper and longer as the canyon narrows to our first scout. As we creep around a cliff ledge we’re welcomed with the view of a mini-gorge containing a genuine slide-to-boof, followed by some burly looking ledges in sequence below. The bottom pool is probably 45 feet below us. Eddies break up the drop into three perfect steps. We scout from both sides, set safety and run in pairs with good lines by all.

Cutch says "Happy Thanksgiving!" while giving. Photo: Andrey

Andrey checks out the first of many "Best Drop of the Trip" Photo: Cutch

This rapid/mini gorge is called "Zoncho for Lunch" Photo: Cutch

Photo: Cutch

Immediately below is a drop that hasn’t been run yet, and probably will be. The scout from the top showed ugliness, so we hiked up and over the steep canyon wall, then roped the boats back down the other side for our first Costa Rican portage. At the bottom I’m overheating in my shorts, long sleeve rash guard and drytop. I brought the lightest gear I own and it’s too much, although this ends up being the warmest river corridor of the trip.

Joe contemplates high speed piton into undercut rock followed by big hole combo vs intense jungle gorge portage. Photo: Cutch

At least the portage was scenic. Photo Andrey

We meet up with Cacho at the first bridge, and regular takeout, and he’s already arranged for a ride out for us with a 4x4 jeep. We decline and continue downstream as the rain picks up. As I peel out of the first eddy and head downstream a lizard jumps into a small hole directly in front of me. I eddy out and he goes running across the river next to me. Two back-to-back class V drops serve as the crux of the next 3km, which is apparently a 1^st descent. The banks are farmland, portaging and scouting are easy, there are lizards everywhere, and life is very, very good.

Lower Candelaria first D team. Photo Andrey

We change at the takeout and Ferdinand and I walk to a nearby swimming pool and shelter, where we stock up on beers and water for the drive home. We passed the test. Ferdinand hatches a plan to head to the “Pacific” a day early, and will be picking us up at 5:30am… sharp. We don’t know where we are going, where we are staying or how scared we should be. "In Ferdinand we trust," which would become the theme of the trip.

Day 3

Ferd, Joe and I load up and hit the road early, charging through the streets of San Jose prior to the major rush hour traffic, and after a quick stop at Ferdinand’s house, we head southeast at a steady climb along the Pan American Highway. The pass tops out at just under 11,000ft. Shortly after cresting over the other side, we turn off onto a dirt road that according to Ferdinand, drops roughly 3000ft in 2.5 miles. It certainly feels like it.

This back road drops us into the Rio Buena Vista valley, where a busy creek cascades through a boulder garden riverbed with a few good vertical falls. Along the sides are pastures and farms, and we delicately tiptoe across a garden to get to our put-in. At a few points the river narrows down with some good bedrock rapids. The loose riverbed is continually shifting, partially due to a huge flood that scoured the river bottom and rolled the massive boulders into new positions. Combined with steep whitewater, we have good reason to scout a few extra times. We make good time and continue the rest of our drive to the Chirripo Pacifico for some roadside scouting of the classic boulder garden whitewater.

The first drop on the Buena Vista, which has changed since Ferd, Edgeworth, Forrest and Gordo first ran it a couple years back. Photo: Cutch

I feel really sorry for the guy who put the hole through the bridge between my Keens.

After completing the Rio Buena Vista we had officially made more class V moves than the previous two days combined, so Joe and I kind of figured the day was pretty well over. As we’re headed up the Rio Chucoyo, a tributary to the Pacifico, I start getting a sense from Ferd that we aren’t done yet. The force wasn’t as strong in the backseat of Ferd’s Suzuki, because I hear Joe crack open another Imperial at about the time I’m questioning my first. Another 4wd road later we are checking out four park-and-huck type drops and the first one is the definition of a jungle huck. A twisty, sliding entrance leads to a boof into a lateral hole that you have to punch, then turn with the current 90 degrees, and drop roughly 20 feet into a huge pool.

Or this this the "Best Drop of the Trip"? It gets my vote. Cutch floating like a little parakeet.

That night we check into a great place in San Gerardo owned by Maria. A suspended covered walkway leads to two upstairs rooms, with a shared bathroom and open hallway that connect balconies overlooking the confluence of the Rio General and the top Chirripo Pacifico. We hang our gear on the railing since there isn’t any wind. The town is quite and we sleep well. San Gerardo may not have any raging party scene, but for serious creeking aficionados San Gerardo is the Durango of Costa Rica.

Day 4

In the morning we are treated to these little tiny peppers, known as denti de perro. They bite with fire, and are a delicious addition to the pinto gallo, huevos, and fried plantains that we are enjoying at Maria’s place. It’s the kind of fire that I’m hoping will deliver me safely down the main Chirripo Pacifico.

Ferd points out the "Dogs Teeth" for breakfast.

A damn fine Tico breakfast in the jungle hideaway. Notice Cutch trying to keep the denti de perro from burning their way right out of his stomach.

Ferd says good morning on the Pacifico

The main Chirripo Pacifico is unreal. Huge boulders in a rural canyon make a maze out of the river, and the gradient keeps us on our toes. When it comes down to quality, this river ranks at the top of the list. The first moves of the day are a mere 50 yards downstream of the put-in, and class V. A few drops in and we come to a big drop that we are forced to run on verbals. Once in the rapid it’s a battle through a series of laterals and holes, complete with a 5’ drop at the end with a bad hole that I dig away from. Joe takes the first beating of the trip as he flushes over the second half of the drop upside down, and in the wrong channel after confusion on the beta. “Sorry” says Ferd. “You can’t really scout that one from anywhere.”

Photo: Cutch

We continue down to one of the crux drops of the run, Upper Beast. The line is a complex mess with a simple solution… drive right or get stuffed. We portage Lower Beast, a drop that has yet to be run in its current form, due to a huge ugly hole.

The Beast

At the lip of Ron Jeremy, we get out on an island where we beach our boats and wade a side channel to scout. Looking down from the top is a solid 200 yards of class V+ multiple-move whitewater, dropping close to 150 feet, with the tallest drop being about 8ft.

Above Cutch and Ferd fire up Ron Jeremy. Is this the "Best Drop of the Trip????"

In the lower stretch Ferd spooks a Basilisk Lizard by paddling under a branch, and Joe and I forget entirely about the whitewater to catch a look at the prehistoric beast. At the takeout Ferdinand runs shuttle while the local ticos give us a thumbs up and inquisitive looks. After we confirm that we aren’t about to do any more jungle hucking at the moment, we get on a mellower pace for the afternoon. We eat ice cream snacks and hang out in front of the gas station, checking out the action on the main dirt road before heading to the cloud forest for the rest of the available daylight. A good meal and another night at Maria’s, which is conveniently located next to a bar, makes for an enjoyable and relaxed evening.

To be continued......Stay tuned as we attempt to find an answer for the "Best Drop of the Trip."

All photos by Joe Keck unless otherwise stated. The narrative is by Kyle McCutchen except for my additions in italics.

2010-01-23T16:12:00.001-07:00

Costa Rica: Going bigger

Day 5

(Yes that is the hotel balcony and takeout for top Pacifico. Photo: Cutch)

By the time we are putting on to the top Chirripo Pacifico, the day has already been somewhat of a scenic-drive bust. We rallied early, passing through San Isidro, and heading one valley south, to the San Rafael. The San Rafael is a low volume run that is very steep and inviting, but after a thorough look we determine that the water level is too low. Now it’s mid-day, and we have finally returned to the place that we stayed last night, because it is the takeout for the top. The top is a little on the low side as well, and I start off the trip by slipping on the polished rock, and tumbling 5 ft into the river with my boat and paddle, directly above a small falls at the put-in. The Top section is 1 mile long, drops 507ft, with two scouts and zero portages. Muy contento.

(So jungle clean on the top Pacifico. Photos: Cutch)

(Ferd eliminates portages with a single swing)

Back in San Isidro we gas up and Ferdinand makes a few calls while Joe and I eat snacks and trust in Ferdinand. Our original plan was to head back to Alajuela to stay at Cacho’s (Mi Tierra) for another night. That plan was thwarted by the threat of unlicensed taxi cab drivers of San Jose blockading the roads around the city in protest (of the licensed taxi cab drivers). Instead we end up going straight to Turrialba that evening. We arrive late and meet up with the local crew in the city park, Julio Garro and Arnaldo Pérez. Tomorrow we plan to run the Rio Vereh, which according to Ferdinand has gradient in the high 700fpm range. Sounds a bit loose.

Day 6 - "El revo de la novia"

While packing for the trip I asked Tina if I could take her paddle. “If you break it you buy it.” A third of the way into the run I become inverted for the first time, floating around in a huge pool trying to figure out how to roll with Tina’s broken paddle. The 40 footer had about an 80-degree angle on it at the bottom though the hit was surprisingly soft, despite the broken paddle. I opted for the far right line, which you had to kind of pivot and drive across to get to, since a tree is still stuck in the lip. We had good flow so the left line around the log went, but the seal launch into the pool at the lip was burly, as was the drop above it that would be a stout and clean 10 footer if it weren’t for another log. I’m super stoked as I roll up and collect the other half of my paddle.

(The best drop of the trip? Naa, Cutch seemed to think Ron Jeremy was better even after this slick line.)

The day started out interesting. Breakfast was filled with the city bustle of Turrialba, in contrast to the easy mornings of San Gerardo. Ferdinand was apprehensive and thus Joe and I were inquisitive to say the least.

Chalo was originally going to be our shuttle driver, but once the championship bull rider found out we were going to el Vereh he knew it was time to crawl into his boat for the first time in two years. Three beers prep on the way to the put-in took off the edge from the night before and once he cut off the soles from his shoes to fit in the boat, we were off. Arnaldo and Julio round out our trip, both Tico river rats that work for the local raft companies. They are solid.

(Chalo - Spanish for extrie loose)

(El Vereh steepness. Photo: Cutch)

(Carnage total from this drop: 2 head shots, 1 torn drytop/shredded shoulder, 1 broken paddle, and 1 swim. Ferd makes it look easy.)

Arnaldo, Ferdinand, Julio and Chalo drop the falls as well. Chalo self-rescues from his first swim as I piece together my 4-piece Werner breakdown and we are off to tackle the whitewater below, which is stacked. Every horizon is a 5, 10, or 15-foot drop, and most everything goes with the good flow. We are getting into a rhythm with leapfrog scouting and smiles as we make our way down the canyon. The pools and surrounding is surreal. By far the most remote corner of Costa Rican jungle we experienced.

(If you ever wanted to see some mad skills, boat with this guy.)

It’s my turn to scout. I jump up to check the next horizon line to find that it is the final drop of the run, and this final 12’ grind drop literally ends in a pool at the confluence with the headwaters section of the Pacuare. We stop for lunch and celebration as the rain begins to come down, taking shelter under the lush overgrowth of the jungle. As we peel out into the higher volume Pacuare we are treated with a few miles of high-quality big water class IV whitewater that is experienced by few.

(Arnaldo's booof is so good it lands him in another river. Photo: Cutch)

We spend the rest of the afternoon and evening in a flurry of activity. Heading back to our rendezvous point, we charge into Turrialba to check out of our hotel, eat dinner, and get to an internet café before close. We pile back into the Suzuki and Ferd rocks the evening drive to his place, where we grab another bent shaft paddle. You could say that he has one lying around, since it’s here that Ferdinand manufacturers Blue Pool paddles and helmets. We arrive back at Mi Tierra late, and sleep well.

Day 7

I could have kept sleeping well for hours. If our trip were any longer, then this would surely be a rest day. Instead, we figure we should do a second descent of the lower section of the Rio Candelaria. First-hand beta from the inflatable kayakers that made the first descent told us of stout drops in the top canyon, a sieve warning, and that they were overnighted only to wake up the next day and paddle around the corner to the takeout. From the topo map the gradient looks reasonable (especially when compared to the Vereh), with most of the action in the first six miles. We are hoping for a possible access point at a trail, because otherwise it’s going to be a long paddle out (the difference of about an eight mile run, or over likely over 20). Yet, we are confident that we will run some of the drops that they portaged which will save time, and even with a long paddle out it will be okay because we have a shuttle driver and will be deep in a Costa Rican river canyon.

(2nd descent plannning session)

(Joe trying to understand Southern ways - the Count would be proud of this strappage. Photo: Cutch)

(More Candelaria action. Photo: Cutch)

We wake early in preparation of a slightly long drive to the put-in, and for the unknown factors that we may encounter on the Rio Candelaria. Joe, Ferdinand, and I look tired. We meet Miguel, and Raul who is driving Miguel’s van that he uses for a rafting business. Andre is joining us as well, and we make our way to the top of the same pass, and eat at the same place that we did on day two. It’s a full-circle kind of feeling for the trip. We stock up on food to take on the river, and hustle to the put-in. The flow is lower than our last visit here, though adequate once we negotiate the first read-and-run rapids of the canyon. Once in the gorge we encounter two stout rapids in close proximity. I get routed in first, and bring extra speed in expectation of a big hole, judging by the lip. I hit, ender off my stern, and bring it forward and to the left. The entire right side of the pool flushes into a not so friendly undercut. Joe goes next, gets back endered into the hole, and swims into the nice eddy below. After a week of relatively clean lines by our trio, I am thankful to witness some carnage, and ponder if Joe views it as a requirement to swim on all of his international trips (editor’s note – I once went to Mexico without a swim).

A rapid we started referring to as The Cube follows just below. It’s a tricky scout, and portaging looks to be pretty much out of the question. A short boof up top leads to a left channel with a nice 10 footer that I fully plug. It’s deep. The right side line is ugly, though it would still go in a pinch. Below the canyon opens up. It’s dry here, so the jungle has a Washington state feel with moss covered rocks and open gravel beaches. The sun is shining, and ten or more tributaries pour in from each side of the canyon walls in spectacular displays. The class III cruise leaves for plenty of time to enjoy them. As far as 2^nd descents go, this one is ridiculously mellow and good.

(1st descent team: Miguel lays it down on "Cubo")

We stop for lunch at an old wooden footbridge. There are ranches on the hills above us, but the road is washed out to this access point. We continue paddling off the edge of our topo map and into a lengthy paddle out through a large and remote valley. Jesus Christ Lizards walk on water, or rather, run across the river in front of us on their hind legs. Miguel smiles, “Hauling ass!” The JC stands probably 8” tall, and crosses 50 yards of flatwater without getting his head wet. A few bends later I’m sent into a flurry of backstrokes as two cows run across the river, splitting our group of five. Even the Ticos think it’s bizarre. Herons and flycatcher birds abound. Towards the end, a biblical tree root rests on its side in a gravel bar with a vulture perched at the top - a good 30 feet off the ground. It is the perfect paddle out to a weeklong trip.

(Kyle calls it a week.)

On the drive out we pass through perfectly farmed rows of pineapple trees and check off a visit to the Pacific coast as we drive by fully lounged out in the van. After dinner everyone except Raul sleeps as we make the haul back to Alajuela. Power nap handled, we vow to finish off the trip right, with a night on the town.

(What a great paddle-boating floating trip!)

Pura Vida.

Story by Kyle McCutchen

Photos by Joe Keck, except where noted.

2009-10-21T13:50:00.000-06:00

2009: Multi-days part deu

So as Stafford and Cutch put it, "Sometimes even the best get beat." I make no claims at being the best, but I sure did get beat this year. I haven't previously given a written account even though many people have pestered me about it, so here it goes:

I organized a BOX trip on the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone. I personally rank the Box in my top three all-time runs. The place is unbelievable. If you have the skills to pay the bills, you must go, no questions. So we dropped in - the gauge was reading an optimal 1100, but the flow was definitely low side of good due to irrigation removals messing with the gauge. We made our way to Balls to the Wall. I have to admit that I wasn't really feeling it, but I wanted to run the rapid so bad. It's like Double Trouble on the Big South. It's burly, consequential and yet the line is so aesthetic that I'd been dreaming about it for a year after walking it the first go-round. Basically, you drop in and try to keep your balls right next to a 2,000ft wall raising straight out of the river. It's impossible to photograph the scope of it. I dropped and chickened away from the wall by just a couple feet. It was enough to catch my edge and careen off a steep mank pile at the bottom of the rapid. I thought I felt my boat chalk upside down between two tight rocks, panicked and pulled. Rookie mistake for someone running a drop of this magnitude. I came up in the tight pool and Michael Phelps-ed at a rock in the middle of the river. My boat and paddle continued down into the extremely sieved out and solid class V Lower Balls rapid. Here's the predicament: I'm now standing on a rock in the middle of the river. River left is cliffed out 2,000+ ft until below Lower Balls. Swimming the sieved out Lower Balls from the top definitely had the potential to leave me under-water for a long time, like weeks. River right is cliffed out above and below Balls by 2,000+ ft with no egress. The time is 5 pm in deep in the Wyoming wilderness. I can get to river right, but it more or less guarantees spending the night with nothing and waiting for SAR in the morning. Tom and Eric Parker come out to the rock with me. We convince Tom to paddle down the left bank and climb precipitously out on an ominous rock. Tom asks if the plan B slot left of the rock will go. Eric and I shrug our shoulders and say, "Think so," but we really had no idea. Tom makes the move. The plan B slot definitely did not go and would have left Tom vertically pinned with absolutely no help. We then roped Tom's boat and paddle back up to my rock. I make the same move. Then using some crazy rope work and mank boating skills, combined with several short swims I was able to skip from sieve to sieve through the rapid to the spit of land on river left. Now we're at 7 pm. I start running down the bank to reach the hike-out point and avoid spending the night. I probably make 4 more swims around various cliffed out points. We made it, no sight of my boat. The next day, I'm shuttle bunny. A group behind us found my boat and paddle the following day. It had apparently spent the entire night underwater. Lessons: trust your gut, check your ego, always rally with heavy hitters. Thanks to Tom for not only getting me out, but also going back in after dark and helping to hike my boat and gear straight up out of the Box. Since my camera was destroyed, here's some vintage photos of last year by Alex Clayton:

Me Deep Sixing with Barry Boher setting safety

Ben Cophitorn on Calendar Falls. The Box is DEEP!

The must run Deliberation Corner

So after a multi-day pants crapping mission like that one, it's nice to get out on a little boozing mission with 26 of your closest friends. The fall Westwater trip is a must-do annual for me.

Chris Menges and the first ever River Pom, Willa, getting it done on the SUP. I was recently asked if I thought SUPping was a fad. All I can say is that I love it. The SUP makes class I a great adventure.

"I'm on a Boat, I'm a boat, take a good hard look cause I'm sailing on a boat"

One of the best things about Westy is the great hikes:

...and that you can bring your lovely lady

But never worry. I couldn't possibly finish off a season sippin on Santana champ - even though it is so crisp. So, again we rallied the boys and set off to the Black Canyon. Marty was so stoked that he bought a chocolate silk creme pie for the drive.

A Black trip is never complete without contacting Captain Black himself. Tragically, he was busted up from dirt biking. So, for a 30 rack of PBRs he put on his tightest pants and shuttle bunny shirt.

Mike Hagadorn dropping in...

And sticking it smooth

Marty knows how to get down with the gnar... when he's not showing the Jackson Rec fleet!

Yeah, it's deep

Here's me in my Black boat reaching for the boof in the Black

After pulling into camp, Mike and I caught a couple fishies, threw them on the grill with tomatos, onions, limes, and salsa for fish tacos. Cave camp rules.

The next morning Mike's boat broke. Large quantities of bitchathane is an absolute necessity for any over-night mission of this magnitude. Here's the boys piecing her back together at beach camp:

And Mike sorting out the sieve maze of Sieve City

Finally, we have proved that locking gas caps are worthless. Here's Brodene busting off his cap with a hammer after leaving the key on a pump in Denver. Bummer, but it didn't manage to ruin any part of the trip.

All-in-all, it was one hellva summer. I managed to spend over 20 nights on the river bank.

This being a CKS blog, I did want to endorse a couple of products that make overnighters much better/easier. Have no fear, anything I list here meets my 5-star approval rating and I am very abusive to gear. Click on any of them to get the CKS specs.

Big Agnes air mattresses are the only way to roll because they are comfortable, light and super compact.

Get a down sleeping bag and compression sack - this should end up being no bigger than a Nalgene in the back of your boat.

Watershed dry bags - otherwise you might sleep in a wet bag or loose a camera in the Box

Kokatat GMER drysuit - it's bone dry so you don't have to bring a change of clothes, saving weight and room.

Werner Powerhouse Paddle - it's invincible which is a necessity deep in the un-portageable.

Bitchathane - you will break boats and still need to paddle them, this is the only way.

Lendal Breakdown - far and away the best breakdown, worth the money to your buddy who's non-Werner just broke.

IR Union Suit - for cold days it's super comfy and without all the bulk

NRS Kayak pack - it does require a little TLC, but does the job 100% better than pool toys and cam straps

Jackson Kayaks - they have a grab loop inside on the front bulkhead which makes portaging 93.2% easier and helps control the boat on your should to keep crashes to a minimum.

Astral chest rope - I always wear a rope so if you swim, you're not totally helpless to still help your buddies. Please always carry a full size rope also. If I didn't, I very well may have watched a friend drown on a small low volume creek this summer. As is, my 75ft rope just barely made the toss and pulled him out.

....JR FrontRanger... over 'n out

2009-10-05T13:08:00.001-06:00

monday, october 05, 2009

2009: Year of the multi-day, part 1

So this summer was a big change-up for me in paddling style. Previously, I'd been running around chasing anything that was going. In 2009, I did some better planning and worked out a whole bunch of multi-day trips. In case anyone out there didn't know, multi-day boating is as good as life gets. I started the year off right by spending New Years, 2009, on a beach in the Grand Canyon. We ate filets, drank champagne, dropped grease bombs and howled at the moon.

Bomb!

My first multi-day kayak trip this year was a two day adventure down the Black Boxes of the San Rafael. Tragically, my camera had been stolen only a few days before and I don't have any photographic evidence of what was likely the first raft descent. I was the sane kayak support. Late June brought Cali calling as usual. I had an entire week to spend with the posse and we first fired up West Cherry Creek. While not nearly as classic as Upper Cherry, it provided from some awesome scenery, super intense V+, and the usual sunny Cali weather.

Almost there!

Alex Clayton coming down flat

I call this shot 'Gorilla in the Mist'. If you know C.Mo, then you know what I'm talking about.

After a great two days we found ourselves pondering a high water Upper Cherry run.

If you're going to get into multi-day trips, especially in Cali, you need to invest into a good kayak pack. The best commercial one I've found is the NRS Sherpa. I add an extra cam strap around to give it just a touch more strength. None of the packs are indestructible, but if treated properly they beat the heck out of the cam straps and pool noodles I used last year on the 9 mile hike.
Here's the reason that multi-days kick ass. This drop is called the Coffee Pot drop because it's 15 paddle strokes downstream from the putin camp. No shuttle, no fuss, just me boofing.

Tyson falling off the edge.

Alex about to disappear into the California Groove Tube, which is a lot less friendly than the original.

Another thing that has really improved my enjoyment of the multi-day trip is Watershed dry bags. They're a touch heavy, but absolutely bone dry and bomb proof. As you can see from this photo, all of us had at least a pair of them and I have 3.

Parting Shot: Alex launching high flow Double Pot.

Stay tuned for the next installment of 2009 overnighters.....