tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91565980674016098792024-02-07T13:43:01.006-08:00Mountain State of MindRadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-38227503631851561412011-12-31T14:45:00.000-08:002011-12-31T14:45:07.187-08:002011 Highlights and Lowlights2011 has been a great year for me. It started off cold, frozen, and swimming on the Middle Fork of the Tygart River in West Virginia in early January. February was still cold, but I started to get my act together and began a love affair with Big Sandy drainage with many enjoyable runs down the Lower Big Sandy, and small tributary Fike Run higher up in the drainage (as well as Meadow Run on the other side of the ridge). March and April kicked it into full gear with more runs on the Big Sandy and Top Yough in my first Greenboat. As things began to warm up, paddling started to heat up and I got out more and more. May means two big things for me, the end of the semester and Cheatfest. At Cheat Fest, we raced, partied, and ran the Lower Big Sandy 5 or 6 times that week. I got to see some good friends, and share the love for the LBS I had with them. It still continued to rain into June, and we were lucky to get some warm weather runs in on plenty of stuff. July dried out but the Upper Yough released every day but one that month and I managed to bang out 17 laps including a last place finish in Mens K-1 Long in the Glorious Upper Yough Race. Tired out the lack of new runs in July, the first weekend in August meant my first trip down south. That weekend, joined by good friends from the area we loaded up the jeep and drove south to Saluda. A sleepless night of nonstop driving got us to the put in where a short break took me down the Green Narrows for the first time. Two more days of fun and Greening followed, but word was no release for our last day there. Fortunately rain came, and a low but fun first run down the North Fork Blackwater River with my trip companions happened. September meant the start of school and Gauley season, and hurricane season. Of course, Labor Day meant a trip to New York for Beaverfest with the crew. We went non-stop from WashPa to Fowlersville Falls to kick off a weekend of Bottom Moose, Raquette, Beaver, and Oswegatchie boatings. A few days later, following Dave Carey down Dunbar Creek after the second hurricane led to a cracked boat and catching the tail end of the water during my first Upper Blackwater trip led to a destroyed boat. Hard work at Gauley Fest (and partying, and Upper G runs) got me a Nomad which helped chase the following storm's water down classic Delaware Water Gap creeks Van Campens and Hornbecks. The rain kept coming in October, and we kept boating. Halloween weekend marked my first ever run on Gluteal Mash only days after my first run down the Russell Fork Gorge. Wrapping the season up was the greatest show in sports, the Green Race. The beginning of November was marked with another trip down to Saluda with a pitstop in Johnson City to visit displaced Morgantownie, <a href="http://www.creekwv.blogspot.com/">JB Seay</a>, and run the Watagua. Taking friends down the Green for the first time before the race was a blast, and we wrapped that trip up with a run down the Tallulah Gorge in Georgia. The rest of the month slowed down as finals and holidays kicked into full gear, and I managed to paddle still through November and early December.<br />
<br />
2011 has had its ups and downs. I paddled 154 days on 38 new rivers, logged over 1000 river miles, and what would be a over a half marathon in vertical feet. I broke 3 creek boats this year, but my Nomad's going strong! My swim count is less than optimal, but I've got something to work on for 2012 like learning how to roll. Met many new friends, saw lots of people (including myself) make huge strides, saw and shared new rivers with many people. It was a good year, so I'm going to share the highlights.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/167614_10150133967413000_506642999_7896467_744796_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/167614_10150133967413000_506642999_7896467_744796_n.jpg" width="184" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First time in my first Everest, dropping Toyota Falls in Morgantown, WV</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Liz Stout</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183769_10150142030663000_506642999_8004831_6392976_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183769_10150142030663000_506642999_8004831_6392976_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It was actually 60 degrees that day in February, Chris Kyle's first day of paddling in 2011.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185641_10150105100255238_505190237_6255060_2724277_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185641_10150105100255238_505190237_6255060_2724277_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That next day, the ice in the Coliseum below 7 Foot Falls almost landed on us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Matt Bernstein</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196536_10150167857918000_506642999_8262234_1551748_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196536_10150167857918000_506642999_8262234_1551748_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chris Kyle boofing the crap out of everyone's favorite, Tohickon Creek.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207437_10150225152763000_506642999_8532479_1980672_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207437_10150225152763000_506642999_8532479_1980672_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Glen King loading up for a boof at 7 Foot Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230782_10150229250838000_506642999_8580689_3370077_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230782_10150229250838000_506642999_8580689_3370077_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Myself taking a boof onto the clapper of the Meadow Run Cascade.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Mike Maloney</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/264194_10150304175468000_506642999_9264390_4873114_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/264194_10150304175468000_506642999_9264390_4873114_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A little incident at Meat Cleaver, Upper Yough.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/226144_10150323599833000_506642999_9472026_4270299_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/226144_10150323599833000_506642999_9472026_4270299_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Charging my way to last place in the UY Race.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Christine Traver</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299450_10150342976243000_506642999_9679847_458711_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299450_10150342976243000_506642999_9679847_458711_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A summer thunderstorm made the 12 hour journey from New Hampshire to Ohiopyle worth it for Andrew Fournier.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284460_10150336082108000_506642999_9604439_3550125_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/284460_10150336082108000_506642999_9604439_3550125_n.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Spanking the Monkey - Chris Heim</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/293142_10150385845723000_506642999_10022239_1447624459_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/293142_10150385845723000_506642999_10022239_1447624459_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Boofing the Narrows on the Raquette.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Shawn Yingling</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/316974_10150369672768000_506642999_9926485_220721771_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/316974_10150369672768000_506642999_9926485_220721771_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Jeff Blood's monster boof on Knife's Edge on the Bottom Moose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/316274_10150389317313000_506642999_10041091_1370503496_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/316274_10150389317313000_506642999_10041091_1370503496_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">First waterfall in the Dagger Nomad - Heaven's Gate VCM-DE Water Gap</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Sam Mease</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/317531_10150418332833000_506642999_10211662_492282577_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/317531_10150418332833000_506642999_10211662_492282577_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wonder Falls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Mike Maloney</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/386820_10150479092033000_506642999_10527964_1108331909_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/386820_10150479092033000_506642999_10527964_1108331909_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Caleb Adams loading up on the Watauga Gorge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Photo: Radley Miller</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; 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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/30118064">http://vimeo.com/30118064</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-57166808431934498322011-05-31T20:22:00.000-07:002011-05-31T20:22:06.785-07:00Whitewater Philosophy - The Things I've NoticedI'd like to preface this with two statements: 1) This is not a cut at anyone, just a general observation from my short time paddling whitewater in different areas. 2) Take everything I write lightly, your opinion may differ but in the end we're all boaters.<br />
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It's only been since April-May of 2009 since I started boating, but not only has kayaking been a big part of my life, it has begun to take over my life in a healthy way. The first few months of my boating career were spent on the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=1">Lehigh River</a>, <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=6">Muddy Creek</a>, and learning how to surf at <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=145">Scudders Falls</a> on the Delaware with the aspiring hopes to do the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=13">Lower Yough</a> and <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=16">Tohickon Creek</a> that year. I tried to put my butt in a boat as much as possible. My first boat, purchased before I even started kayaking was a Savage Skreem, saw very few river days and collected dust as I purchased a <a href="http://www.eddyflower.com/ShowBoat.aspx?BoatId=98">ZG 48</a> and paddled that for most of my first year. Unfortunately, I never made it out to the Yough that year, due to a ruptured ear drum surfing at Scudders which put me out of kayaking for four weeks. I did however manage to go to the Tohickon, and do my first real class III.<br />
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What was frustrating for me my first year was seeing other beginners progress at a much faster rate. Once I sat next to someone and heard them receive a compliment that they would become a good boater. I saw other boaters getting chances and opportunities to run the rivers I wanted to run, yet somehow got passed up.<br />
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Spring of 2010, I viewed as my chance to catch up and finally start to paddle. Especially, due to my inexperience, I was not able to attend trips and paddle with my friends that were more experienced than me. Hearing their stories and seeing pictures of harder runs really made me want to get out there and get at it too. So, the only way I saw to improve was to log my seat time on rivers I was paddling to hone my skills so that I would then be invited on those bigger trips. If you get to know me well, you'll learn a simple fact, I enjoy challenges and I saw proving that I was able to paddle was my goal. On a side note, being discredited or made to feel inadequate really sets me off, and sometimes I take things to personally and graduate college a year early just to make a point...but I digress. I really, really want to do the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=28">Cheat Canyon</a> during Cheat Fest, that was my goal, and when I was told I wasn't ready it only made me want it more.<br />
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I ended up doing the Cheat, a few weeks later I graduated from <a href="http://www.udel.edu/">UD</a> in three years, and moved to New England to start the next part of life's journey as a graduate student at <a href="http://www.wvu.edu/">WVU</a>. I chose WVU not only for the opportunities they offered me academically (working on my first publication at the moment) but also the opportunity to improve my skills in one of the best kayaking regions in the county.<br />
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Upon moving to West Virginia, I ran the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=36">Upper Yough</a> for the first time under the guidance of one of the few people at the time who told me I was ready for something, instead of telling me that I needed to relax. Things kinda went out of control since then, but this is just getting to the meat.<br />
<br />
So, I started paddling in the Delaware/Philly area and have since moved to West by God Virginia and I've noticed a lot of differences between the two.<br />
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<b>Progression:</b><br />
People here tend to progress a lot faster than people back home. I attribute that to the fact that we have so many quality runs of different ability levels in such short distance that it is easy to develop skills because you do not have to invest so much time into traveling to go paddling.<br />
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<b>Boats:</b><br />
Even the boats that most people paddle in the two areas are different. I personally have a 3 boat quiver, the <a href="http://pyranha.com/kayaks.php?kayak=Molan">Pyranha Molan</a>, <a href="http://pyranha.com/kayaks.php?kayak=Everest">Pyranha Everest</a>, and the <a href="http://www.dagger.com/product/index/product_homepage/whitewater/green_boat/the_green_boat/">Dagger Greenboat</a>. When I lived in Delaware, I almost exclusively paddled my playboat and this was because it the runs that are in that area are all play rivers, and when people traveled out to the Lower Yough, it was to surf Swimmers or something else. I never wanted to paddle my creekboat, it was too long, it didn't turn fast enough, and it didn't surf.<br />
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Living out here, I've seen a different side of things. Most people's primary boat is a creekboat, and their secondary boat is either a long boat or a playboat. When living in Delaware, it seemed cool to be able to take your playboat down anything. Big water, creeks, rivers, anything, because it is so unforgiving "it will make you a better creeker if you paddle your playboat on most things." From what I've noticed about that phrase it is also compares to "I like this creekboat because it paddles like my playboat." People that tend to spend a lot of time in a little playboat also tend to prefer a smaller sized creekboat for the reason I just mentioned.<br />
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Here it is different, one of the best and well respected paddlers in this area told me once "whatever creek boat you think is your size, get the next size up." Which for a while perplexed me. <b>If I am on a technical creek that involves making a lot of moves, why would I want something bigger? </b>Well, I figured that out pretty quickly after trying two Pyranha creek boats side by side. The medium Burn and the Everest. From what I could tell, both boats turned and responded equally, but why since one is much larger? Simple, the increased volume and rocker of the Everest means that there is less boat in the water. With less boat in the water, the boat is easier to turn. So while I can maneuver both the same, the increased volume of the Everest means more ability to resurface and go through holes. Sold, bigger boat it is on the technical stuff.<br />
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What about the run that you do regularly that are difficult, how do you make them harder? Here is where I have noticed the two schools of thought really come out. Playboat versus longboat. Those that want to paddle a playboat on runs such as the Upper Yough, I understand. The pushiness of the water, and the lack of speed and forgiveness a playboat has makes is difficult to make some of the moves. If you don't do it perfectly, it ends up with with being upside down or getting beat down in a hole. Understandable.<br />
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However, I have no desire what so ever to take a playboat down the Upper Yough. I don't like being upside down and I don't like being in holes getting my ass handed to me. However, I do like a challenge, and that is where the Greenboat comes in to play. Before moving here, the only time I had heard of anyone paddling a Greenboat was for the <a href="http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Photo/detail/photoid/18557/">Green Race</a> and my impression was that they were for racing, very difficult to paddle, and only pros used them.<br />
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I was wrong, and now I paddle my Greenboat almost exclusively. The lack of speed and stability a playboat has on difficult things can be compensated for by gradient and a good brace. My first run down the Upper Yough I was overwhelmed by how technical the river was, fast forward six months and I am surprised how open the lines really are.<br />
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I think a lot of people here, myself included, view Upper Yough runs as a way to hone creeking skills and keep them sharp. On something steep, you've got moves to make, little time to react, and penalties that can add up if you miss them. In the Greenboat, I feel that you have to be more proactive than in a shorter boat. Though the lines are bigger than I once thought, you have to stay engaged. You drive the boat through the current, you don't let the current take you which I feel has kept me pretty sharp so far. Basically how I see it, if you want to get more proficient at maneuvering through technical whitewater, the more length you have, and the more speed you carry make it so that when those skills are transferred to a shorter, more maneuverable creeker, you are able to make the moves that count.<br />
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<b>Safety:</b><br />
From what I can tell about safety is that it changes depending on the person, but in general I noticed many people when I was starting out were very concerned about me swimming. People would get very worried to see a boater upside down to the point of blowing their whistle or yelling that there was a danger. Many people tend to look at some dangers and concern themselves with things that are not necessarily things to worry about. I blame a lot of this on internet descriptions of hazards that get people worked up. Many of these hazards are played up and the likelihood of something going wrong is very slim to none, and these hazards are only hazards if you would choose to deliberately paddle into them. On the other end of the spectrum, those who consistently boat class V tend to overlook moderate hazards on rivers because in the big picture, they too do not pose significant threat other than some bruised egos and scratched boats.<br />
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Where I notice the difference is preparedness. It seems that most, if not all, the boaters that I have paddled with out here carry their unpin kit and first aid kit, and pretty much "shit hits the fan" gear with them at all times. Maybe it is the nature of creeking in this area, that even on the easy stuff shit can go wrong so we're always prepared and I like it. I feel that at any moment, you should be prepared to help your fellow boater out of whatever shit is about to happen and if you are willingly doing otherwise you are a detriment to the group and a liability. Things beyond your control are excusable, but not being prepared frustrates me. I've got my shit together for when something happens, and I just want to know that other people have theirs together if something ever happened to me. The one time it did, a crew of great boaters saved my ass and I am thankful for it.<br />
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<b>What I've written here has been on my mind since I really started boating in West Virginia and it really started to become obvious when the two sides started to mix. It's just what I have noticed and that's about it. Obviously, not everyone feels the same way and not everyone falls into the categories I described but as a whole it's how I see things. You may feel differently about that, and I'd be more than willing to hear yours.</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
SYOTR,<br />
<br />
Radley<br />
<br />
The next blog may be about cheese steaks.Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-46519636565961926522011-05-31T11:52:00.000-07:002011-05-31T11:53:55.107-07:00Upper Yough GNAR<div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: white; font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">My friend Burton went down south over Memorial Day weekend and </span><b>scored a 4250 in his old school canoe</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;"> down the </span><a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=39" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">Green River Narrows</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">. His post about the</span><a href="http://whitewatergnar.blogspot.com/" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;"> Narrows GNAR</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;"> got me inspired to do one for the </span><a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=36" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">Upper Yough</a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">to make things interesting this summer</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt; font-weight: normal;">, but I need help. Comment, email, whatever needs to go in here.</span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">Here is the current list for the Upper Yough River, MD:<br />
<br />
1.A lap down Upper Yough: +1000<br />
*Running Bird Bath: +</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Running Mel's Toilet Bowl: +<br />
*Running Crack in the Rock: +<br />
*Running National Boof: +<br />
*Running Tommy's Left: +</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Running Time Warp: +</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Running Meat Cleaver Right: +</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Death Slot: +<br />
Paddling the Upper Yough in a canoe: BONUS +500<br />
*Handpaddling the Upper Yough: BONUS +100<br />
<br />
2.Eddys (Double points for shotgunning a beer in any of these eddys)<br />
*Left at Gap Falls: +</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Above National: +<br />
<br />
3.Freewheels<br />
*National Falls: +</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Cheeseburger: +</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br />
<br />
4.Cartwheels: +50 for first 2 ends +50 for each additional end<br />
*National Falls<br />
*Trapp Run Falls<br />
*Above Lost and Found</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Wright's Hole</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Luke's Final Insult</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;"><br />
5.Enders: +25<br />
*National Falls<br />
*Powerful Popper</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Backender<br />
<br />
6.Rock Spins, Splats, Wheels, and Grinds<br />
*Generic: +50<br />
*National Falls Splat: +100<br />
<br />
7.Style Points<br />
*Rail Grabs: +50<br />
*Brown Claws: +50<br />
*Paddle Toss: +100<br />
*Handrolling after paddle toss or loss +250<br />
*Backwards off Rapids: +250</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Legs out above Gap Falls: +50<br />
*Legs out from below Double Pencil Sharpener: +100<br />
*Legs out from above Double Pencil Sharpener: +200<br />
<br />
8.Miscellaneous<br />
*Tailgating the bubble at Sang Run +100</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Shotgunning a beer at Wait Rock:</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Shotgunning a beer at National:</span></span></span></span></div><div style="line-height: 0.19in; margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="color: white; font-weight: normal;">*Shotgunning a beer in Lost and Found:<br />
*Doing 2 laps on a 3 hour release: BONUS +1000<br />
<br />
9.'tude<br />
*Pro Call Out - "I can't believe your a pro, I'm so much better than you!" +50<br />
*Ego Claim, to strangers -"Just so you know, I'm the best boater on the river!": +50<br />
*Radness Yell - "Hey Check me out, I'm going to rip the shit out of this!": +50<br />
<br />
10.Negative Points<br />
*Missing the bubble: -50<br />
*Running National Boof backwards (without calling it first): -300<br />
*Breaking a paddle: -100<br />
*Flipping (and rolling up): -50<br />
*Flipping and swimming: -250<br />
*Anything that requires hiking out: -1000</span></span></span></span> </div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-52445422131155714472011-05-24T22:27:00.000-07:002011-05-24T22:29:47.394-07:00End of Spring Update and Whitewater Philosophy part 2Wolfe popping his Wonder cherry.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/229205_10150241081848000_506642999_8701100_5002069_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/229205_10150241081848000_506642999_8701100_5002069_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Joe doing the same.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230188_10150241082983000_506642999_8701135_6744633_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230188_10150241082983000_506642999_8701135_6744633_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt fired up Splat later on in the weekend.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225764_10150241087588000_506642999_8701264_2714826_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225764_10150241087588000_506642999_8701264_2714826_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Splat got a bunch of people that weekend. This was one of the friendlier carnage runs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226837_10150241089058000_506642999_8701297_2292544_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226837_10150241089058000_506642999_8701297_2292544_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hehehe, gotcha.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/231035_10150241090173000_506642999_8701327_1398775_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/231035_10150241090173000_506642999_8701327_1398775_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Saturday of Cheatfest, I took a decent sized group down for their 1st and 2nd descents of the run, and my 20th, and I put together a little video.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/23484503">Big Sandy Cheat Fest 2011</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After Cheat Fest, paddling resumed as normal. Things started to dry out for a bit and we went back to the trusty Youghs for boating. The week after Cheat Fest, the Yough Lake was so full they had to do highwater discharges to get the lake down to a safe level. Took advantage of this and went out in the Molan to get used to it. The first run on the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=13">Lower Yough</a> went pretty well, second one was terrible, and I finished my week off with my first <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=36">Upper Yough</a> run of the year. Finished that weekend off with a birthday paddle down the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=33">Stonycreek</a> for a friend and party at <a href="http://www.mountainstatebrewing.com/">Mountain State</a> the day after. Paddling the Upper and Stony were good confidence boosters after having a terrible day on the Lower as I just couldn't figure out the boat and swam once and came close another time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Liz, Chris, and Kenai shredding with us that fateful day on the Lower. Kenai wasn't the biggest fan of the whole shredding idea.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CtLtrOjXnABzGbcOXggEETLtbBfSajWz-L_40c4gC6mXIDOK3cjIzx9y1K_DxhGf8WEallQv9IAv1I5hmdhe6IDa_BePehfL5FSkHlyMd4w8WyxoTI-GVAKzmSg9Xz9C5TDxrM88u3I/s1600/P5120002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CtLtrOjXnABzGbcOXggEETLtbBfSajWz-L_40c4gC6mXIDOK3cjIzx9y1K_DxhGf8WEallQv9IAv1I5hmdhe6IDa_BePehfL5FSkHlyMd4w8WyxoTI-GVAKzmSg9Xz9C5TDxrM88u3I/s640/P5120002.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/23764772">Lower Yough GoPro</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">With more rain that was forecasted, more boating was done. Mostly on the Lower Big Sandy, Meadow Run, Fike Run, and Top Yough. The usual runs as they are becoming for us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Martin and Ryan R-2ing Wonder Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/226358_10150252140483000_506642999_8793129_2079233_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/226358_10150252140483000_506642999_8793129_2079233_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In this picture, we can see Katie refusing to make out with Walter, Ryan and Martin sucking, and therefore brining Walter down due to their mess in 1st Island. It should be noted that Walter is not to blame for any of this, or at least that's how he tells the story.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225578_10150252145313000_506642999_8793222_5459308_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225578_10150252145313000_506642999_8793222_5459308_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He made them get their shit together by 2nd Island.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/230043_10150252147408000_506642999_8793255_1937994_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/230043_10150252147408000_506642999_8793255_1937994_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jen dropping Wonder Falls the day after the rafting trip.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/227593_10150252154363000_506642999_8793290_5620730_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/227593_10150252154363000_506642999_8793290_5620730_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Curly Steve running Wonder.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225842_10150252155143000_506642999_8793309_2581479_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225842_10150252155143000_506642999_8793309_2581479_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the LBS run with Curly Steve and Jen, we hit Meadow Run at 1.5'. No pictures as the trip went by pretty quickly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that catches me up until this past weekend when Sam came to visit from New York to understand what creeking was about. So, like any good friend, I kicked his ass that weekend. Friday we did 1 lap on Fikes and 3 on Meadow Run. Saturday he banged out a double LBS run, and then Sunday we topped it off with 2 laps on the Top Yough. Dude got a lot of boating and 3 PFDs out of one trip, and did very well!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First up on the menu was Fikes, and Sam ran the Room of Doom.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/248008_10150253466823000_506642999_8804624_3589811_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/248008_10150253466823000_506642999_8804624_3589811_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After Fikes, we drove to Ohiopyle, and in normal fashion, didn't let him scout the first drop of Meadow Run. On his second lap, he chucked up a Brown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225978_10150253448138000_506642999_8804268_7409777_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225978_10150253448138000_506642999_8804268_7409777_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nori was thinking about getting a Greenboat, so I let him try mine. Afterall, it's the shit.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230738_10150253447008000_506642999_8804247_4758227_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230738_10150253447008000_506642999_8804247_4758227_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Brian H. running Cascade as well. Much better than being a rookie guide in a ducky I bet!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/246838_10150253450333000_506642999_8804324_5698135_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/246838_10150253450333000_506642999_8804324_5698135_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sam being a little camera shy on 7 Foot Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227318_10150253451738000_506642999_8804353_5603903_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227318_10150253451738000_506642999_8804353_5603903_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wouldn't let him get away with having a perfect weekend. He did get stuck on this rock for a few minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/250013_10150253452748000_506642999_8804379_3688523_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/250013_10150253452748000_506642999_8804379_3688523_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We ran into Uncle Jesse, and he showed us how it's down on The Slides.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227168_10150253454113000_506642999_8804410_1190660_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227168_10150253454113000_506642999_8804410_1190660_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After getting work done all day Saturday while Sam run the Big Sandy, we fed him desert in Oakland on the Top Yough,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sam' first run down Swallow Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249888_10150255296838000_506642999_8823392_4164171_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/249888_10150255296838000_506642999_8823392_4164171_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Walt standing up and coming in for an R-1 landing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226708_10150255297848000_506642999_8823414_4392417_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226708_10150255297848000_506642999_8823414_4392417_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt on Swallow Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225198_10150255310103000_506642999_8823706_3389456_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225198_10150255310103000_506642999_8823706_3389456_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Laura camouflaged in her in her white Jefe and Rocker.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/248368_10150255312218000_506642999_8823770_1739800_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/248368_10150255312218000_506642999_8823770_1739800_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sam getting it done on Swallow Tail Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226993_10150255299243000_506642999_8823442_2654618_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/226993_10150255299243000_506642999_8823442_2654618_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The safety crew at Suck Hole.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230358_10150255299963000_506642999_8823457_6724159_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/230358_10150255299963000_506642999_8823457_6724159_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He's got a little captain in him. He'll also kick your ass and make fun of you before he throws you off the ship, but in this case he'll just throw you a rope if you would need it. He'll stick make fun of you though, either way.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/227988_10150255300063000_506642999_8823460_5269675_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/227988_10150255300063000_506642999_8823460_5269675_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sam making the moves in Suck Hole.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/247128_10150255303593000_506642999_8823546_4428771_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/247128_10150255303593000_506642999_8823546_4428771_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Laura coming in for a landing in the middle of Suck Hole.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/248463_10150255306888000_506642999_8823626_5450020_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/248463_10150255306888000_506642999_8823626_5450020_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Well, that about sums it up. It's been a good spring so far, but it looks like stuff is starting to dry up. Luckily the Upper Yough is just 45 minutes away from here and we've got releases 3 days a week. Anyways, if you just looked at the pictures, here are all of the recent videos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/23118248"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Upper Deckers - HD</span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/23480308"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Laurel Creek - HD</span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/23484503"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Lower Big Sandy - Cheat Fest</span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/23764772"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Lower Yough at 4.3' - HD</span></b></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">and.....</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/24201215">Greenboatin' Fun - HD</a></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(I put together a little short of me paddling the Greenboat down Meadow, Top Yough, and Big Sandy since I love that boat so much)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SYOTR,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Radley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-64885162384468836582011-04-24T11:57:00.000-07:002011-05-24T20:26:05.619-07:00Overdue UpdateA lot has happened in the six weeks since I have posted last. In the beginning, I tried to be pretty faithful with posting up updates weekly about what's going on in my life. Well, so much has been going on, I haven't really had the time to update, so I'll give it my best shot to summarize.<br />
<br />
It started off with spring break and heading home. Upon arriving home Friday night, I spent some time with the family and then immediately left Saturday morning to paddle the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=16">Tohickon</a> with some friends from home. I spent the next week with my family and Kate, and managed to get out to <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=11">Holtwood</a> at a great flow. Too bad I've been in the creekboat so much, that I forgot how to playboat!! Oh well. Here's a few pics from then:<br />
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Chris getting a big ole boof at the top of Racecourse.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/196536_10150167857918000_506642999_8262234_1551748_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/196536_10150167857918000_506642999_8262234_1551748_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
At Holtwood, <a href="http://www.teampyranha.com/author/Craig%20Kleckner/">Craig Kleckner</a> throwing down!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207934_10150174847813000_506642999_8330991_2315991_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207934_10150174847813000_506642999_8330991_2315991_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Matt Booth about to go big!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188459_10150174837698000_506642999_8330762_7928469_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188459_10150174837698000_506642999_8330762_7928469_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Topher Smith blunting the <a href="http://pyranha.com/kayaks.php?kayak=Varun">Pyranha Varun</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208394_10150174856408000_506642999_8331180_1083033_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/208394_10150174856408000_506642999_8331180_1083033_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After my trip home, I returned to WVU to finish out the semester and get work done. I also started my master's research which has been quite the adventure in itself. The last month has been great weather wise, offering plenty of options to run different stuff. Here are the highlights from the past few weeks. The first thing that I did when I got back was take Justin Takasawa down the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a> for his first time, and Dave Stephens and Chris Kyle down the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=37">Top Yough</a> for their first times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chris on his way down Swallow Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206139_10150203954378000_506642999_8353545_4633845_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206139_10150203954378000_506642999_8353545_4633845_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chris entering Suck Hole for the first time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206143_10150203955848000_506642999_8353575_2773397_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206143_10150203955848000_506642999_8353575_2773397_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Camera started to fog, but Dave ran Suck Hole too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/205529_10150203960223000_506642999_8353653_5123936_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/205529_10150203960223000_506642999_8353653_5123936_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we got a lot of rain, Chris and I ran Daugherty Creek with Mike Crenshaw, Casey Tango, and Brad Romano. I had a close call at Undercut Rapid, but after that it went really well. Once we got done, Casey and Mike fired up Pringle Run, and Mike fired up Pringle Falls, a sweet 20 footer.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215947_10150208911458000_506642999_8403103_6166673_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215947_10150208911458000_506642999_8403103_6166673_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206528_10150208914683000_506642999_8403150_5879006_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206528_10150208914683000_506642999_8403150_5879006_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After that big rain day, it was a few days on the LBS and <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=195">Meadow Run</a>, and the other day I took my newly acquired <a href="http://www.dagger.com/product/index/product_homepage/whitewater/green_boat/the_green_boat/">Greenboat</a> down the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=40">Middle Fork</a>. Here are the highlights, from about 600 pics from those few trips!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chris Preparato dropping Wonder Falls.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/206700_10150211687388000_506642999_8422807_6002129_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/206700_10150211687388000_506642999_8422807_6002129_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heim on Big Splat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/207021_10150211687938000_506642999_8422819_3527164_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/207021_10150211687938000_506642999_8422819_3527164_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally a shot of me, Radley dropping Wonder Falls in the Greenboat. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(The only reason this shot exists is because Heim thought I was going to get my ass kicked and he wanted it on camera)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217406_10150211688408000_506642999_8422827_6483448_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217406_10150211688408000_506642999_8422827_6483448_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The next few pictures are from a birthday creeking adventure for my friend Glen King. Glen's wife Elisa asked me if Glen could come visit and do some kayaking for his birthday and of course I obliged. She got him some creeking booties and some elbow pads and sent him west to learn to paddle like a man. His first day creeking, we ran <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=188">Muddy Creek</a>, <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=439">Fike Run</a>, Meadow Run (2x), on day 2 was the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=40">Middle Fork</a>, and day 3 was Meadow Run (2x) and the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=14">Loop</a> at 5.6' (2x). It was a good weekend!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nori Onishi spanking a big boof right after the slides about 7 Foot Falls on Meadow Run (he later brown </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">clawed another boof)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215377_10150225150173000_506642999_8532442_650348_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/215377_10150225150173000_506642999_8532442_650348_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He learns quickly! Glen nailing the 7 Foot Falls boof on his first day creeking.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207437_10150225152763000_506642999_8532479_1980672_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/207437_10150225152763000_506642999_8532479_1980672_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jeff Felton taking the Greenboat through <b>Death Slot 2000 </b>on the Middle Fork</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206748_10150226075358000_506642999_8540204_667338_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206748_10150226075358000_506642999_8540204_667338_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chrystal Hauser coming through it too.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224208_10150226075953000_506642999_8540216_5715395_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224208_10150226075953000_506642999_8540216_5715395_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jeff with another sweet boof on some random rapid.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/224716_10150226079858000_506642999_8540281_973248_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/224716_10150226079858000_506642999_8540281_973248_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Glen kickin' back and relaxing! NOTE: Middle Fork is a perfect Greenboat run.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206336_10150226090393000_506642999_8540403_2207862_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206336_10150226090393000_506642999_8540403_2207862_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Glen hitting the boof onto the Clapper on Cascade</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/222962_10150226959823000_506642999_8549932_35092_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/222962_10150226959823000_506642999_8549932_35092_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jeff Felton boofing in the middle of Cascade</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222994_10150226965348000_506642999_8550051_4404048_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222994_10150226965348000_506642999_8550051_4404048_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mike Maloney doing some weird hand gesture. He paddles a hero, so it isn't a brown claw.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224894_10150226966753000_506642999_8550078_4018441_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224894_10150226966753000_506642999_8550078_4018441_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mike with some sort of normal behavior dropping onto the clapper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217257_10150226970568000_506642999_8550111_5442712_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/217257_10150226970568000_506642999_8550111_5442712_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt eddied out on the slide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222341_10150226972073000_506642999_8550140_6643332_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222341_10150226972073000_506642999_8550140_6643332_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heads up, in the center of this picture is a bad pin spot. It is a crack on the last slide above 7 foot falls. Make sure you are a left!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222805_10150226973053000_506642999_8550160_1704656_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222805_10150226973053000_506642999_8550160_1704656_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Glen hitting 7 Foot Falls again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/217667_10150226973913000_506642999_8550175_5828078_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/217667_10150226973913000_506642999_8550175_5828078_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt browning 7 Foot.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225003_10150226975853000_506642999_8550209_3157020_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/225003_10150226975853000_506642999_8550209_3157020_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Felton with a great boof.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223231_10150226985288000_506642999_8550316_7942612_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/223231_10150226985288000_506642999_8550316_7942612_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mike with the boof.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215267_10150226986178000_506642999_8550331_7187067_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/215267_10150226986178000_506642999_8550331_7187067_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Going deep!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/221999_10150226986278000_506642999_8550333_1540110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/221999_10150226986278000_506642999_8550333_1540110_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt with a good bounce on the Slide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/222771_10150226992488000_506642999_8550386_2167446_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/222771_10150226992488000_506642999_8550386_2167446_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And that pretty much wraps up the pictures. I got some videos to share though.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://vimeo.com/21625207">Top Yough POV</a> - HD</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/22678230"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Holtwood Playboating</b></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://vimeo.com/22808724">Cheat Canyon Breakdown with Chrystal</a> - HD</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://vimeo.com/23504314">Daugherty and Pringle Run</a> </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SYOTR</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-24024852404064942012011-03-14T22:05:00.000-07:002011-03-23T05:41:19.717-07:00Bad News RecapSo for the past few days, the Bad News has been sleeping on my floor here in Mo'town. Joey Tammaro, Henry Shepley, and James Berking drove down from New England on Sunday night for a week of fantastic boating in West Virginia. Fortunately for them, we did not disappoint! The weather was fantastic this week, plenty of water, and plenty of things for those guys to run. Luckily, Carnegie Mellon University is on spring break this week as well, and Matt Bernstein led the boys around while I had class. Matt's dad Peter came to visit for the week as well, making it an even sweeter week of paddling down in the Dub V. Also, none of this would have worked out if my roommate Goonz wasn't so awesome, and chill with letting these guys crash on our floor and reek havoc in our house for a few days. So without hesitation, allow me to recap.<br />
<b>EDIT:</b> I started writing this on Thursday night. It's now early Tuesday morning. I disappeared Friday-Sunday for more boating as the water was good, and Chris Kyle was down visiting and he had just bought a new <a href="http://pyranha.com/kayaks.php?kayak=Karnali">Pyranha Karnali</a>, so of course we had to break it in. <br />
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Monday, March 7th<br />
As I drove back from <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=795">Mill Creek</a>, Henry and James left <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/">UVM</a> to pick Joey up in Massachusetts to begin their long drive to Morgantown. I'd like to say the drives went smoothly for both parties, but I'd be lying. I had a nice wintry mix to drive through from Fayetteville and those guys got stuck on I-80 in PA because of a blizzard. But alas, Monday morning they made it to Morgantown and we promptly drove them up to Ohiopyle to fire up <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=195">Meadow Run</a>. Afterwards, we grabbed some food at Curt's Family Restaurant on our way back to Morgantown for the night.<br />
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The crew below The Cascades<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/195978_10150156244203000_506642999_8156156_2757987_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/195978_10150156244203000_506642999_8156156_2757987_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Joey promises he will<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197230_10150156244423000_506642999_8156158_695662_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197230_10150156244423000_506642999_8156158_695662_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Especially after backflipping into the rock at 7 Foot Falls<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184248_10150156244593000_506642999_8156165_7486960_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184248_10150156244593000_506642999_8156165_7486960_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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At least he wasn't the only one...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190536_10150156246823000_506642999_8156225_3190629_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190536_10150156246823000_506642999_8156225_3190629_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Tuesday, March 8th<br />
Having class on Tuesdays and Wednesdays limits me on the amount of boating that I am able to do. On this day, I stayed back to catch up on some work while Matt met up with his dad, and took the Bad News boys down the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=40">Middle Fork</a>. All went pretty well, that day, and since I wasn't there, I don't have any pics to share.<br />
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Wednesday, March 9th<br />
Another day where I couldn't paddle, but with plentiful water, the crew headed down to run <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=681">Laurel Creek</a>, another tributary of the mighty Tygart! I was quite jealous since I have yet to run it myself, but everyone enjoyed themselves, despite two swims and a cracked helmet.!<br />
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Thursday, March 10th<br />
Finally, class for me is over for the week, and I have the opportunity to do some boating! Today we did what I'm going to call the Tri-state Trifecta, in which we hit creeks in PA, WV, and MD all in the same day. Much like our President's Day weekend, we go on <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=439">Fike Run</a>, followed by <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=188">Muddy Creek</a>, and for dessert, we headed to Friendsville for <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=598">Bear Creek</a>! By the end of the day, everyone was pretty exhausted, we had a swim in the Room of Doom on Fikes, and the same person broke their paddle on Bear Creek. Which speaking of Bear Creek, was running at 710 cfs yesterday, and was quite the rocket ride. I had run it at 500 cfs this past December, but the remainder of the group had never seen it before or had seen it with half of the flow. I'd take a guess and say that it took about 12 minutes from put-in to take out to run that 2 mile section of creek. Tons of wave trains, holes, a few slots, slides, and boofs mixed in....it is awesome!! If you're in the area and it's running (i.e. you don't want to run the UY at 3+ feet) you really should check it out, especially if you like the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=32">Savage</a>.<br />
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Friday, March 11th<br />
With Chris in town, and wanting to try out his new Karnali, I met up with him and Clark after my class ended for two laps on Fikes and a lap on Muddy. Chris's once shiny, smooth new Karnali is now covered with lots of scratches and what not. We had a blast, the water level was perfect for both runs, and it got us jonesing for more on the weekend.<br />
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Saturday, March 12th<br />
Katie had hit me up while we hung out at Clark's place and ate the Green Machine's delicious lasagna about the level for Fikes for the morning. Our messages kinda went like this:<br />
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</b><br />
<blockquote><b>Katie:</b> What do you think Fike's will be tomorrow?<br />
<b>Radley:</b> Fike's was at a foot earlier today, and holding steady. Meadow should be perfect.<br />
<b>Katie:</b> I think I'm ready for Meadow.<br />
<b>Radley: </b>Good, I'll pick you up at 9. </blockquote>So I picked Katie up, and we all met at Clark's house. Laura drove in from Pittsburgh, Nik drove in from DC, and we met with Clark, Chris, and Jack to head to Ohiopyle. The level was a great first timer run, since Chris, Jack, and Katie were all newbies to the run. For the first time in a long time, I may have been the person in the group with the most number of runs on Meadow. Despite the fact Laura guided me down last month, I've been getting on it a bunch lately. The level was great, everyone did very well, and I shot some video of our second lap at Cascades and 7 Foot Falls....even got some carnage!<br />
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Didn't get the chance to take many pictures, but I got a few at the take-out.<br />
Chris in his shiny new Karnali<br />
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Laura and Jack coming to the last chance eddy<br />
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After running the second lap on Meadow, Clark, Laura, and Nik headed down for a <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=14">Loop</a> run at 7' and the rest of us grabbed the cars to get ready to head to <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=596">Indian Creek</a>. Jack sat this one out has he was feeling tired, and picked us up at the end of the day in Connellsville.<br />
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Indian Creek was an adventure to say the least. It started with a hike in...<br />
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We hiked from Rt. 381 just north of Ohiopyle down a powerline right of way to below the Mill Run Reservoir. After hiking in, we put on to a what seemed to be a very beefy flow for Indian Creek. Why it's called Indian Creek, I do not know because it was bigger than many <i>rivers </i>I have been on in the past. The flow was conducive to big wave trains, and even bigger holes. Nik had shred it before with Wilderness Voyagers, and Clark had run it before as well. However, we weren't really expecting what came at us at the first drop.<br />
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What looked to be a junky 5 foot ledge gave half of the group more than we had bargained for! Nik when first, and ran a very clean line down the left skirting the only hole on the river that Clark knew existed. Like I said before, this was a pretty beefy level we ran it at compared to what we were expecting and that hole was not to be messed with. Unfortunately, Katie met the hole dead on and spend a good 14 seconds getting tossed around. Clark, who was behind her sacrificed himself to try to punch her out of the hole. It didn't work, and Clark ended up in the hole as well. And then there was me...last boat in the group. As I dropped over the horizon line and through the first small hole, I see Clark, and only Clark, side-surfing the hole. Next thing I know, Katie's boat pops out from nowhere and I begin to drive straight towards it. Unlike Clark's attempt, I am successful in knocking Katie, and possibly Clark, out from the giant hole. Of course, slamming directly into Katie's boat killed my momentum and I had to sacrifice myself for them. I fortunately only spent 7 seconds in the hole, and emerged from it still in my boat to see Katie and Clark both swimming. After gathering all the gear together, Katie walked off and the group was cut down to 5.<br />
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The rest of the run went without issue, Chris and I had awesome boof's off a sweet 6 foot ledge and we all ran Terminator cleanly to finish off the run. However, I forgot my throwbag on a rock at the bottom of Terminator where I set safety. At the confluence with the Yough, we had a tiring 5 mile flatwater paddle down to town. At the take out, Jack met us with snacks and we headed back to Clark's for some pizza and relaxing. We all ended up passing out at Clark's house, I carless because Katie headed back to Mo'town with the River Princess, and shoeless, because they were in the car.<br />
Chris boofing his new Karnali<br />
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Laura in <b>Terminator,</b> a class "V"<br />
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Clark and Chris coming down through Terminator<br />
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Chris at the take-out. He is a very happy Karnali owner!<br />
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Sunday, March 13th<br />
Waking up on Clark's floor, I see that it is 10AM. I slept like a log the night before, and with Daylight Savings Time kicking in, lost an hour of sleep. After 3 straight days of hard paddling, I was hoping to take it easy and just run the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=34">Upper Big Sandy</a>. However, with the group feeling good and some pushing for something more, we decided to run the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower</a> instead. With the water still holding pretty well, Chris's PFD down the LBS was going to be at 6.7', a very respectable level. The previous week, we had run it at 5.7' which come to find out is half the flow volume of a foot higher. The waves were bigger, the holes were <b>bigger</b>, and being worn down from past days of paddling, I took some sneaks and used my walking legs to get down the river without incident on this day. There is no shame in walking a rapid you usually run, especially when ass-kicking 16 foot tall waterfall beatdowns are a good possibility due to the increased volume of water. Nik was the only one to run Wonder Falls that day, we all snuck down the right side of Little Splat, and everyone walked around his big brother. At Zoom Flume, we all ran the line I've been wanting to run, the far left boof line, which is a lot of fun. Not to say the left side was any better, as I had a very close call with a tree that day .Clark and Laura were the only two to run 1st Island, which got the best of Clark.<br />
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6.7' was the highest I think all of us had run the Big Sandy before, and given more energy, I would have probably run the normal lines on a lot of the rapids that I snuck or walked. All in all, it was a great day, Chris did fantastically for his first time down a very pushy Big Sandy. And at the end of the day, we all went our separate ways, except for Chris and I who pit stopped at <a href="http://www.mountainstatebrewing.com/">Mountain State Brewing Co.</a> in Morgantown for a bite to eat before retrieving the River Princess from Katie's house. <br />
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To cap it all off, it has been a great last few days. I'm finally catching up on everything else that needs to be done, and it feels good to almost be on spring break where I head home for the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=16">Tohickon Release Weekend</a> and spend some time working on my thesis proposal. As tempting as it is to go kayaking this week, my poor body can't handle it anymore. Although all of this paddling has helped me shed a few pounds! That also means I need to get more foam for the boats. Anyways, that's about it, and here's the video.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.vimeo.com/radleymiller/creekandheshallfind"><b>Creek and He Shall Find</b> </a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The carnage video will be coming shortly!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">SYOTR,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Radley</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-48978724235831083502011-03-07T05:49:00.000-08:002011-03-23T05:37:57.379-07:00First March Weekend UpdateSo March has really started with a bang. I've been quite busy out boating and working on lots of school stuff. Since the last update, I've had a bunch of fun creeking in both northern WV and for the first time, I headed down to Fayetteville to fire up a creek down there, so here it goes:<br />
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Saturday, March 5th:<br />
A few weeks ago Matt and I had a big group of people going down the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a>, but due to the cold on of the first timers hiked out before the first rapid because he just wasn't feeling it. That guy is my very good friend Mike Maloney, and I knew he has had is eyes set on it for a while. With a more forgiving water level, and warmer temperatures, and more laps under my belt, I took Mike down for his personal first descent (PFD) as we as he was my personal first guide (PFG???) and guinea pig down the LBS.<br />
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Everyone did very well, I shot some stills and some with the GoPro, and after we finished Chris and I met Clark for a second lap, and Mike headed to the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=142">Dry Fork</a> with some other boaters. While the first lap went very smoothly, the second lap, not so much. We had a swim in the last hole above Wonder Falls and I chased a boat full of water over the falls and almost into the Poop Chute. Thankfully I was able to bulldoze the boat away from being destroyed in the Poop Chute, ferried across the lip of Wonder, and made it down safely to continue chasing the boat. After Big Splat, I got pinned under a log because of low water and Chris has a meeting with the rock in 1st Island, as well as a sweet hand roll recovering. Unfortunately, I didn't have the GoPro on when we ran it, so no footage. After getting to the take-out, both of us were beat and decided a triple run day on the LBS was going to have to wait for another day. We all headed home, and later Chris and I met up at the <b>new </b><a href="http://www.mountainstatebrewing.com/">Mountain State Brewing Co</a>. brewpub in Morgantown. I didn't take many pictures, but here's what I got.<br />
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Chris doing a little LBS Rodeo in a trashy hole<br />
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Mike getting a piece of it too.<br />
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Mike at the take-out after his first successful LBS run:<br />
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Chris chilling below Wonder Falls after someone's out of boat experience.<br />
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The paddle to the take-out<br />
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And last but not least, the helmet cam video:<br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/20703568">LBS GoPro HD Run</a><br />
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Sunday, March 6th<br />
Yesterday started early, with a 170 mile drive from Morgantown to the <a href="http://www.tudorsbiscuitworld.com/">Tudors Biscuit World</a> in Fayetteville to meet with the Marshall University Whitewater Club President <a href="http://www.bridgepaddler.blogspot.com/">Brian Bridgewater</a> and his friends to run <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=795">Mill Creek</a>, a steep and fun tributary of the New River. Mill was nice because it is pool-drop in nature compared to pretty continuous stuff that I am used to, and the drops are all super fun. The section that we ran finishes, or shall I say <i>climaxes</i> in a 100 yard long slide, into a small pool above a 30 footer. SCHWEEEET! I'll let you in on the pics from the trip, and a short that I put together late last night. A full video will be out later, when I have more time to edit the monster, and more upload credits through Vimeo.<br />
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Brian after <s>F-up</s> I mean...Mess Up Falls<br />
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Casey running one of the many slides on Mill Creek<br />
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Brian on Mill Creek Falls<br />
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Cody dropping Mill Creek Falls<br />
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Radley dropping Mill Creek Falls<br />
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Casey dropping Mill Creek Falls<br />
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Hiking up the hill after running the falls<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185798_10150155519613000_506642999_8148326_6336090_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185798_10150155519613000_506642999_8148326_6336090_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
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So that's about wraps up the weekend. Waiting on Mark and the Bad News Boat Squad to show up for another epic day of paddling.<br />
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Oh, and the video.....<br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/20728635">Mill Creekin' Sneak Peakin'</a><br />
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SYOTR,<br />
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RadleyRadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-5638702278014212472011-03-04T19:51:00.000-08:002011-03-23T05:39:38.066-07:00Pre-Weekend UpdateSo, I know that I am two days early from my weekly update on whitewater boatridings, but I have been lucky to get out and paddle this week as well. Rain has been plentiful here, the ground is soaked, and we have more on the way! I'll break last week down day by day, but just so you know, here is the outlook for this weekend:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198410_10150153881728000_506642999_8128881_7245653_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198410_10150153881728000_506642999_8128881_7245653_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Tuesday, March 1st:<br />
Gotta start March off right of course, so the Tuesday Dawn Patrole crew comprised of Chris, Clark, and I fired up low water <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=439">Fike Run</a> before work and class for the day. Rodney was supposed to join us, but his power went out and his alarm did not go off. That night, Mark Campbell, Mark Maderic, and Jen Stoner drove out from PA/MD/DC points to hit the creeks for two days.<br />
Clark Kent at the put in for Fikes.<br />
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Wednesday, February 2nd.<br />
Homework and class, didn't have the chance to paddle. Did meet up with Chris, the Marks, and Jen at <a href="http://ledopizza.com/">Ledo Pizza</a> after they got back from their day of paddling. FYI, their pizza is greasy but pretty good, however, their cheesesteak ain't nuthin' like a <a href="http://www.genosteaks.com/">Geno's Steak</a>.<br />
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Thursday, February 3rd<br />
Many of the smaller creeks had dropped out, the bigger rivers such as the Cheat and Yough were still running high, but lucking for us the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a> was running at 6.2' which is a perfect level for the Marks to run on their first time. The four of us met up in Morgantown, and headed over to the J-burg bridge to meet Rodney, who graciously agreed to lead the group down, as I was still a little uneasy about leading the group. We all geared up and headed to Rockville to put on the river.<br />
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If there is something to be said about me and the LBS, it is carnage. This run, and all previous runs had something in common, and that was carnage. My PFD involved a poor line on the approach to Wonder Falls and upside down experience with Little Splat. My second time down, I did fairly well, but Brenton took a <a href="http://vimeo.com/19759176">nice beating</a> in Wonder Falls and then the failed seal launch/pin incident occurred. The time after that, I got worked in one of the holes above Wonder Falls (<a href="http://vimeo.com/20240884">as shown by John "Steepcreeker" Stephens helmetcam</a>) then Brett and I both swam at Little Splat.... Well, this day was no different. While I managed to run pretty clean lines, with the exception of a failed rock splat after 2nd Island, we did have two swims at Wonder Falls, and then a swim out of a pin as one of the newbies got stuck in one of the many slots Rodney showed us how to run.<br />
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Rodney coming in for a landing on Wonder Falls.<br />
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Mark Campbell after his first successful Wonder Falls run.<br />
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Jen forgetting what region of the country she's in...remember kids, it may be cool to plug stuff in the Pacific Northwest, but in these parts, we BOOF!<br />
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Mark Maderic at the lip...plug aftermath as well.<br />
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Mark got lost too, forgot what region he was in....<br />
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The Poop Chute<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188334_10150153036013000_506642999_8121932_7491594_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188334_10150153036013000_506642999_8121932_7491594_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Zume Flume - Rodney finishing as Jen enters.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188879_10150153036403000_506642999_8121938_2954603_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188879_10150153036403000_506642999_8121938_2954603_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Mark Campbell in the thick of it.<br />
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Rodney styling Big Splat in his <i>cracked </i>Greenboat.<br />
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The Marks checking out Big Splat and getting ready for the seal launch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184928_10150153037733000_506642999_8121959_353724_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184928_10150153037733000_506642999_8121959_353724_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After finishing the LBS, I noticed that my left foot was wet. So, on the Meadow/Fikes day last weekend I put two small holes in the right bootie, and now there is a 1/2" cut in the bootie. I managed to patch them well enough to last me for a bit, but I know that they are going to need replacing before next year's winter season. I would recommend avoiding the NRS drysuits because they use latex booties instead of fabric booties. It isn't a bad drysuit, but the latex booties suck! Another tip, if you have a metal YKK drysuit zipper that gets stuck, try some <a href="http://www.stonyboater.com/">Stonyboater Paddlewax</a>, it works great on the drysuit as well as on the paddle!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friday, March 4th</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My every other Friday seminar is now actually every Friday, so after class ended we geared up Chris and I headed out to fire up the LBS again. Clark took an <b>extended</b> lunch break, and we met him and Blood at Rockville for a lap. While this trip had the potential to break the LBS Carnage Curse, we weren't over Wonder Falls yet and we already had a swim. Thankfully, it was a quick rescue and the paddler and boat were able to go over the falls together shortly thereafter. The level had dropped since yesterday, and the put-in gauge read 5.9' today which made for a great run. After Wonder Falls, we boogied down Undercut, Zoom Flume, and Clark and I ran a slot together on Little Splat. At it's big brother, we hopped out to take a look and everyone carried down to below the horseshoe. Only Blood and Chris (for his first time) fired up Big Splat, as Clark and I watched from above. Here is where the curse really kicked in, both lines were good in the sense that Chris and Blood made it out, but they did miss the line and plug causing Clark and I to utter many expletives. After seal launching back down, we continued on down the river without incident. I even managed to fire up the slot I missed out on yesterday because there was a paddler pinned in it that needed assistance. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the take-out, we loaded up and headed back to the put-in to fetch the cars. Because of a failure to understand fuel consumption and a broken fuel level gauge, Nori was in need of a ride up as well. As we drove back up to Rockville, we had to stop several times because the bumpy roads had the boats moving around. It also gave us some time to hear more about the "Otter Creek Incident" from last week from someone else's perspective, and for Brian Bridgewater's recount, <a href="http://bridgepaddler.blogspot.com/">click here</a> and Tommy "Full Gnarlz" Hagg's <a href="http://www.fullgnarlz.com/articles/1-latest-news/89-fgz">right here</a>. It's also vibrated my spare tire a bit loose, and one of the nuts on my inverter completely off, which could have ended poorly had it touched the other lead. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After running shuttle, I did a sweet donut in the parking lot and headed up to The Mill Place with Chris for some after paddling grub. Starting soon, they'll be doing a Ribs and Wings special with an all you can eat salad and baked potato bar! After dinner, I dropped off Clark's wet clothes at his house and headed back to Mo'town to find out that the <a href="http://www.mountainstatebrewing.com/">Mountain State Brewing Company</a> brew pub opened tonight down the street from me.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So here I am not, waiting for some friends to get here from Pittsburgh so I can go to sleep. The goal is to run 3 laps on the LBS tomorrow and hopefully the 3 days in a row/3 laps in one day combination is strong enough to break the curse of the carnage. The last few days have taught me some things, and here they are:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ul><li>Carnage can occur at any moment, so always have a camera on you. If I had shot video the last two days, I would have a sweet carnage reel for the video.</li>
<li>Never use a drysuit with latex booties, they tear very easily, but Elmers contact cement does a decent job for repairs, although they will need replacing in the near future.</li>
<li>Everyone swims, and sometimes it's freaking hilarious.</li>
</ul><div>I think that about covers it, but I had more in the brain while I was writing this. I got the <a href="http://www.keenfootwear.com/product/ss11/shoes/men/waterfront/gorge%20boot/forest%20night!rust">Keen Gorge Boot</a> for the rest of creeking season. I tried them out on the LBS today, and they are better than the Teva P-2s and Protons that I have used in the past, so we'll see how they last.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Looking like I may be heading to Fayetteville tomorrow night for an epic Sunday of creeking. This week is shaping up to be awesome, as the Bad News Boat Squad will be in town to fire up some WV creeks. So basically, with the rain on the way and proposal crunch time now, I'll be boating during the day and writing at night. May only get 1 day off in the next week and a half! Anyways, enough for now, and it's dawn patrole on the LBS tomorrow.</div><div><br />
</div><div>SYOTR!</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-29825208614375547352011-02-27T19:20:00.000-08:002011-03-23T05:40:19.251-07:00Another weekend, another update.<div style="text-align: left;">So, it seems that this time every week is update on what has happened since the last blog post. I don't know if I can call it completely a weekend update, since boating ended last Sunday, and then started again on Tuesday of this week with a Dawn Patrol run of <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=439">Fike Run</a> with Chris Heim and Christian Figeroa-Tyler. I <b>finally</b> was able to use my GoPro HD for myself, and I shot a little video breakdown in 2x of all of the rapids. Fikes is quickly becoming my favorite run in the area. Relaxing, no consequences, and lots of fun. Unless you run the Room of Doom incorrectly, then it isn't so much fun.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/20449336">Video: Dawn Patrole</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So that was Tuesday, but like the precedent I set when I started the blog that I would break it down day by day, so here it goes.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thursday, February 24th</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Calls from Brenton Petrillo of <a href="http://www.riverleftproductions.com/">River Left Productions</a> and John Quigley about crashing at my place come in, and I oblige. John and Brian Bridgewater drive up from Virginia Tech/Marshall to our Thursday night pool session, and Brenton comes in late Thursday night to crash with high hopes for the morning. The pool session was a blast, as we were messing around and having a great time doing stupid things in the pool. The plan of the boys was to wake up, at 5am and meet a few people from all over to fire up <a href="http://creekwv.blogspot.com/2010/03/high-ridge-run.html">High Ridge Run</a>. A toast was made at 11:11 with stouts for stouts, and we chilled for a bit before heading to bed.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Friday, February 25th</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Brian, John, and Brenton wake up at 5am on a few hours of sleep to only have their start time pushed back. Everyone ends up waking up at 6:40 and heading out at 7:00 to meet their crew in the Canaan. I stayed awake watching gauges as I was amped as well for an awesome weekend. I later headed to my seminar class, already loaded up to head out and boat afterwards. Chris Heim met me at noon and we headed to Fikes to meet some friends. On the way, we picked up my good friend Clark and got ready to fire up Fikes with Matt Bernstein and Jeff Blood, who had missed out on running HRR and boated <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=686">Roaring Creek</a> in the morning. <i>FYI: Roaring has lots of wood. </i>Fikes was running at a foot and half, and it was a great ride. At the put in, we ran into Christian, Ernie, and Paula. Ernie, coming off a broken wrist this past fall stomped his first creek run of the year. After the quick run down Fikes, we headed over for a higher than normal water run on <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=188">Muddy Creek</a>. We spent some time debating whether or not to run <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=765">Daugherty Run </a> instead of Muddy, but with the water level and wood situation in the creek, and not to mention Jesse Wilson joined us and the group kept getting bigger, so Muddy was the run to hit. Plus it was getting late and Daugherty would have run the risk of losing daylight.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Like I've said before, Muddy is a great run, despite the AMD. This day, we also had to worry about the ever present trees on the run. Like the previous runs on Muddy, there was a few tree dodging spot. The trickiest of the spots on usual flows was pretty sketchy and slowed the group up, however I decided to probe a line through the strainer. I made it through alright, with a hard low brace and breaking a 2" thick branch at the same time, Chris and Jeff followed and we took off towards the takeout. I also finally nailed the boof on the run that I was hoping to hit, and finally had enough water to make it feasible. The rest of the group boogied down behind us after they got hung up by the tree and met us at the takeout. We all loaded up and headed on our way. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The crew at the bottom of Muddy Falls slide</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185770_10150149122208000_506642999_8079846_1801964_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185770_10150149122208000_506642999_8079846_1801964_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chris, Matt, and I met Liz at <a href="http://www.ledopizza.com/">Ledo Pizza</a> for a delicious dinner and some relaxing. Chris had plans of the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=472">North Fork of the Blackwater</a> with Blood in the morning, and Matt and I were still game planning what was going to happen. All the while, my friend John Rossini drove down from the Lehigh area to have a West Virginia adventure. John made it in around 9ish, and we hung out for a bit, watching so kayak porn, and then went to sleep as we had a busy day ahead of us. Also, the HRR crew hadn't contacted us that they had made it off the river, and we couldn't get anyone to respond. Turns out, they hit <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=585">Otter Creek</a>, it flashed, and they had an epic day that didn't finish until 11pm. We're all glad they made it out ok, as we were all quite worried they would be spending the night in the wilderness. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Saturday, February 26th</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We rallied to groups together to meet at Fikes at 9am to start our day. Matt, Katie, and Clark ran together, and I took John and Laura down with my group as to not junk up the eddies. John was my guinea pig on Fikes, as I wanted to see if I knew it well enough to take people down it and lead. The level was down from the day before to about 8" on the painted gauge, not a bad level, but after running it was more water the day before some of the moves ended up drying out. We ran two laps on Fikes, loaded up the River Princess with all of the boats and headed up to hit <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=195">Meadow Run</a>. Everyone had great lines, and we ran two laps on it at 1'. I'm still learning the ins and outs of that river, but I do know now that at 7 foot falls, you can't go too far left. It's been a mental thing that I think too far left you'll dry out, but now I know. We didn't scout any of it, and I'm sure John was quite surprised his first lap down when we said go through the left hump, keep going left, and boof at the bottom when we ran Cascade. What a great run! Matt fired up the Slide once, and had a pretty good line. I finally had the chance to to meet someone I have been wanting to for a while, fellow Mountaineer boater, <a href="http://lifeinwestva.blogspot.com/">Matt Pascal</a>. After changing, we headed to <a href="http://fallscitypub.com/">Falls City Pub</a> for some <a href="http://www.pabstblueribbon.com/">Post Boating Refreshments</a> and some pub burgers. We chilled for a while, then headed back to my place for some sleep. Got a call from Chris late that night that his group did not get on the NF Blackwater, but instead fired up the epic Otter Creek and had a great time. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">John and Katie hiking into Fike Run:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183778_10150149122268000_506642999_8079848_7829510_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183778_10150149122268000_506642999_8079848_7829510_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">John taking the easy way down to the put in:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184224_10150149122498000_506642999_8079853_439969_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184224_10150149122498000_506642999_8079853_439969_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">John running one of the slides on Fikes:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180122_10150149123053000_506642999_8079864_7194922_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180122_10150149123053000_506642999_8079864_7194922_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Laura running the slide as well:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182778_10150149123188000_506642999_8079868_563621_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182778_10150149123188000_506642999_8079868_563621_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Matt on the Cascades:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181697_10150149123448000_506642999_8079873_2060871_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181697_10150149123448000_506642999_8079873_2060871_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Reverse boof!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180407_10150149123518000_506642999_8079875_3527188_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180407_10150149123518000_506642999_8079875_3527188_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Laura on the Cascades:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182644_10150149123743000_506642999_8079880_6930152_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182644_10150149123743000_506642999_8079880_6930152_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And firing up the boof</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182248_10150149123818000_506642999_8079882_6385762_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182248_10150149123818000_506642999_8079882_6385762_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">John entering the Cascade:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180889_10150149123943000_506642999_8079886_6542309_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180889_10150149123943000_506642999_8079886_6542309_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Getting ready....</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184266_10150149124068000_506642999_8079888_3044012_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184266_10150149124068000_506642999_8079888_3044012_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">...and BOOF! John sticking the landing on Cascades.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183327_10150149124138000_506642999_8079889_7705421_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183327_10150149124138000_506642999_8079889_7705421_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">John somewhere in the foam at 7 Foot Falls:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184878_10150149124268000_506642999_8079892_5329568_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/184878_10150149124268000_506642999_8079892_5329568_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sunday, February 27th</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Long days of paddling, like Friday and Saturday can really start to wear on you. For the record, I have paddled 12 days in February with a total of 20 runs down different creeks. Compare that to June, July, and August of 2010 where I only got in 13 days of boating in <b>total.</b> We could have pushed ourselves for a lot more today, but when checking the gauges, the creeks had dropped too low and the rivers, specifically the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=37">Top Yough</a> and <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a> were still running too high for our comfort. We decided that the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=40">Middle Fork</a> would be the best bet, although it was running at 4.3' and higher than Laura and I had ever done it. I dubbed today's trip the "Mental" Fork since I swam twice on the Middle Fork my only other time down it, and then swam again in the Tygart Gorge on our way to the takeout at a lower level.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Personally, I feel that the whole Tygart river system is overlooked by a lot of out of towners. Most people, in my opinion know about the New, Cheat, and Gauley rivers, but not as much about the Tygart. The Middle Fork is a tributary of the Tygart that dumps into the bottom half of the Tygart Gorge section. This gave us a great wrap-up to John's WV Adventure. Start off with 3 miles of nice pool drop rapids followed by 4 miles of big water, as the rain had the Gorge going pretty good. Clean lines and 60 degrees made a great wrap up for the trip. I got over my mental fear of the Middle Fork, and we had a blast.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chris<b> Loves to Boof </b>the first rapid on the Middle Fork</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183976_10150149917603000_506642999_8090949_4911359_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183976_10150149917603000_506642999_8090949_4911359_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">So does Laura:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184602_10150149920983000_506642999_8091014_2673900_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184602_10150149920983000_506642999_8091014_2673900_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">John does too!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188261_10150149922223000_506642999_8091050_2100290_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188261_10150149922223000_506642999_8091050_2100290_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The slot on S-Turn that Chris fired up: (Center-left rock pile)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189752_10150149922833000_506642999_8091061_2007439_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189752_10150149922833000_506642999_8091061_2007439_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">A beefy hole in Shoulder Snapper</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189625_10150149925118000_506642999_8091130_5491616_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189625_10150149925118000_506642999_8091130_5491616_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188863_10150149923303000_506642999_8091076_1587965_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">A very happy, tired John after the 3/4 mile hike out from the Tygart Gorge:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189741_10150149926128000_506642999_8091164_639435_n.jpg" width="476" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Just for your entertainment, here's a nice shot of Moats Falls on Arden</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190686_10150149926793000_506642999_8091184_4087403_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190686_10150149926793000_506642999_8091184_4087403_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">So that about wraps it up. here's a little video. Didn't shoot much this weekend, but did have the chance for some footage.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/20451032">Weekend Recap</a> (Sorry it's not in HD, I used that up on Vimeo. I'll be getting Vimeo PLUS soon so more and longer HD videos for y'all!)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">SYOTR,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
Radley</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-4183797674746679052011-02-21T11:49:00.000-08:002011-02-21T11:49:41.676-08:00Weekend Recap<div style="text-align: left;">I Another wonderful weekend has come and gone here in West Virginia. Most recently we were blessed with unseasonably warm temperatures, which of course caused the snow to melt and the rivers to rise. These perfect conditions led us to do what we always do, and that is kayak. Like the last one, I'll just break it down by day since thats the best way I can think of doing it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thursday February 17th</div><div style="text-align: left;">Thursday was an easy day, in the 60s where I traveled to Ohiopyle to run the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=14">Loop</a> with my friend Chris Kyle as the river started to rise from the melt. Chris hadn't had the chance to boat in <a href="http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Wiki/aw:events_gauley">Gauley Fest</a>, and since he had a lot in store for him this weekend, it was a great time to warm up and shake off the rust. We hit it at 3.1' which was a great level, and a reminder to me that my playboat is not as forgiving as my creek boat. The high that day was somewhere in the mid 60s, and I started to get heat exhaustion hiking out from Railroad in my drysuit it was so warm. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Chris at the Loop Take Out</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183769_10150142030663000_506642999_8004831_6392976_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183769_10150142030663000_506642999_8004831_6392976_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I kid you not, it was <b>that </b>warm that day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183204_10150142032068000_506642999_8004861_1469734_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183204_10150142032068000_506642999_8004861_1469734_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That day, I also tried using my <a href="http://www.gopro.com/">GoPro Hero HD</a> helmet cam to record the run. However, I am still learning how to use it, and I didn't manage to record anything from the run. Thursday night, I did my normal routine of going to the pool session, except this one had a meeting. The <a href="mailto:WVUWhitewaterClub@gmail.com">WVU Whitewater Club</a> members in attendance voted unanimously for me to become the next president of the club. I'm going to have my hands for sorting things out with it, but I'm looking forward to it and I've got a feeling it's going work out well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friday, February 18th</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The morning was filled with giving a practice presentation of my NERR project to my seminar class. The afternoon was filled with class IV-V creeking, followed by dinner and beers at the Brew Pub.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After my class ended, Chris Heim met me at the house, picked up Katie Berry, and we headed up to Ohiopyle to meet up with Matt Bernstein, who had just finished running <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=662">Drakes</a>. The plan was to run either <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=195">Meadow</a> or <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=439">Fikes</a>, and as we got closer to meeting up, the plan was set to run Meadow. The weather again today was beautiful, in the mid '60s, and I opted out of my drysuit for a more comfortable pair of guide shorts and a dry top, and even in that I was warm. Upon arriving at the put-it, the level was 1.5', a full foot higher than when Matt and I ran it two weeks ago with Laura. While some people run it higher, 1.5' was a full on, pushy, steep, continuous creek, and probably the hardest thing I have run to date. That being said, it was a ton of fun and the run went without incident, except for the time ice from the "Ampitheter" a really cool rock formation on the left after 7 Foot Falls decided to drop huge ice chunks at us from 30+ feet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt running the Meadow Slide</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185799_10150142811833000_506642999_8012073_494259_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185799_10150142811833000_506642999_8012073_494259_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Getting iced after 7 Foot Falls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185641_10150105100255238_505190237_6255060_2724277_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/185641_10150105100255238_505190237_6255060_2724277_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">After hitting Meadow Run, Matt and Katie grabbed food on Rt. 40 and Chris and I took one for the team and went to get visuals on some of the creeks in the Cheat watershed. We found that <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=188">Muddy</a>, <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=765">Daugherty</a>, and the Sandy were all pumping as we drove down 26. We drove the rest of the way back to Morgantown, passed the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=28">Cheat</a> which was already over 5 feet, and looked at <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=507">Deckers</a> from the road, and made browns in our pants just looking at the drops. Chris jetted off to celebrate his girlfriend Liz's birthday (the wonderful photographer from Toyota Falls) and the rest of us went back to our houses. We later met up at the Brew Pub for more food and beer, all the while, organizing a plan for the next day of boating.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Saturday, February 19th</div><div style="text-align: left;">Matt, Katie, Chris, and I decided that before we met with the rest of the group, that we would <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dawn+patrol">dawn patrol</a> Fikes before the rest of the crew met us at 11am. First of all, Fikes is just a few, and I mean only a few, minutes outside of Bruceton Mills. Second of all, it is freaking awesome. We met up with Chris's friend Matt Sloan from Frostburg and we put on. Also, shuttle is very short and simple, this is a must do run if you're in the area and it's running. To check if it is running, there are two rocks at the take out. The flat rock being covered means good to go. The more water on the baseball rock in the center, the pushier, and you are in for a ride if the baseball rock is covered. Also, there is a nice spray painted gauge on a rock there too. We ran it at 1' on the gauge. None of us had run the river before, except for Sloan, and that was a while ago. All in all, the run went pretty well, except for a broken paddle in the Room of Doom which resulted in a swim, a pinned boat, and Matt paddling the rest of the river with Chris's broken paddle.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Katie and Chris at the put-in:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182792_10150143639673000_506642999_8021620_4244711_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182792_10150143639673000_506642999_8021620_4244711_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sloan getting ready to sneak Hubbard's Cupboard, a very dangerous slot with high pinning potential. When you see the pyramid rock, go left and bang down the sneak or walk around it on the left.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183092_10150143639928000_506642999_8021627_57224_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183092_10150143639928000_506642999_8021627_57224_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A view of Hubbard's Cupboard from downstream after the sneak. Yea, it's nasty.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183980_10150143639998000_506642999_8021630_3221881_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183980_10150143639998000_506642999_8021630_3221881_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Collateral damage from the Room of Doom</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182091_10150143640088000_506642999_8021632_4051204_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182091_10150143640088000_506642999_8021632_4051204_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">After we finished running Fikes, we hurried to Bruceton Mills as we were over half an hour late to meet Mike Maloney and Brett Ciccotelli who drove down from Pittsburgh and Nik White who drove out from DC to meet us. Unfortunately, Mike and Brett went to the wrong spot so us being late had no impact on the group. Which was great, because I hate being late and impacting others. Since they ended up in Albright instead of Bruceton Mills, we had them meet us half way at the put-in for the Muddy. We boogied down the Muddy and had a great time, despite the <a href="http://energy.er.usgs.gov/health_environment/acid_mine_drainage/">AMD</a>, although with the snowmelt it wasn't as bad as it could be. </div><div style="text-align: left;">Katie and Mike at the put in</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185647_10150143640503000_506642999_8021644_484555_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185647_10150143640503000_506642999_8021644_484555_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">A very surprise Matt</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182477_10150143640798000_506642999_8021653_7899365_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182477_10150143640798000_506642999_8021653_7899365_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mike in front and Nik in the back on the first slide.<img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180501_10150143640878000_506642999_8021654_1010252_n.jpg" width="640" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nik punching the hole on the first slide, Matt in the back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/181724_10150143640908000_506642999_8021655_6890234_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/181724_10150143640908000_506642999_8021655_6890234_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt and Chris coming down the slide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182401_10150143640943000_506642999_8021657_4283273_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182401_10150143640943000_506642999_8021657_4283273_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The money shot, a DEMSHITZ approved brown by Chris</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183131_10150143641053000_506642999_8021660_7684713_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183131_10150143641053000_506642999_8021660_7684713_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There were other browns of course, I tried to take <i>nice</i> picture of Matt and Katie, but Matt photobombed their own pic with the brown hand.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182224_10150143641283000_506642999_8021664_218841_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182224_10150143641283000_506642999_8021664_218841_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Baby brown by Brett, showing the big slide in the background. No pictures of that one, just video.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183342_10150143641358000_506642999_8021666_5420491_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/183342_10150143641358000_506642999_8021666_5420491_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another one of Brett, nailing a random boof.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180485_10150143641868000_506642999_8021678_2220568_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180485_10150143641868000_506642999_8021678_2220568_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Matt with another boof and brown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185632_10150143642048000_506642999_8021682_1448704_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185632_10150143642048000_506642999_8021682_1448704_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just for fun, as I know they are great paddles but have a reputation of snapping around here, there are 7 intact Werners in the stacker......</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183811_10150143642208000_506642999_8021688_5911637_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/183811_10150143642208000_506642999_8021688_5911637_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After packing up at Teter's Campground, which is the takeout for the Muddy, we debated whether to do a highwater run on the Narrows or head back to Fikes or run over to Friendsville to run <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=598">Bear Creek</a>. After checking the gauges, and me asserting my desire not to run any big water, we drove to Fikes. In the middle of the caravan, Matt called my cell and said "Let's do Bear to mix it up" so we headed over to Friendsville. Bear Creek is very similar to the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=32">Savage</a>, with a few exceptions: it runs more often, there are less people on it, it's steeper, it's tighter, and the section we ran takes more time to run shuttle than it does to run the river. It runs through Friendsville, drops 100 ft/mile, and it has some fantastic boofs and slides thrown into the boogie water for good measure. We ran two laps on it, before calling it a day because we were all exhausted. Only Mike and I had run Bear Creek once before, but it was Katie who led both laps. She was paddling so fast in her Micro that I couldn't keep up with her in my Everest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heading towards the take out after an amazing day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184146_10150143642348000_506642999_8021693_1649182_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184146_10150143642348000_506642999_8021693_1649182_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Brett and Nik bouncing through a wave train on the way to the takeout.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180820_10150143642418000_506642999_8021695_723587_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180820_10150143642418000_506642999_8021695_723587_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't have the chance to take any pictures on Bear because we were moving so fast. Nik shot helmet cam footage of the second lap, and we managed to run the whole two miles of the creek in 17 minutes! After we go to the takeout, we loaded up and got changed so we could head back to Morgantown for some food. A few of us grabbed dinner and brews at <a href="http://thevarsityclubwv.com/specials.php">The Varsity Club</a>, the closest place to eat from my house. We hung out, relaxed, and then headed back to the apartment where Nik, Brett, and Mike crashed for the night with plans for the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a> in the morning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sunday, February 20th</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We all woke up and headed to Bruceton Mills to meet up with John Quigley's <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=472">North Fork of the Blackwater</a> group from the day before to show them the easy way down to the put-in when the roads from the normal way are bad (which they were). We got down there, got dressed, which at that point I had realized I forgot my union suit at the apartment but luckily Mike was generous enough to lend me some pants to wear. We ran shuttle, which currently, the Cheat Canyon takeout road is in pretty good shape for February. Our two groups split up and we headed down the river at a nice level of 6.35'. Being pushier than it was on our last big group run, we did have a fair bit of carnage and a few swims, but it still ended up being a great day on the Sandy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Katie dropping Wonder Falls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181914_10150144439238000_506642999_8032607_4395867_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181914_10150144439238000_506642999_8032607_4395867_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">John styling Wonder Falls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180924_10150144368178000_506642999_8031603_878629_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/180924_10150144368178000_506642999_8031603_878629_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Nik White nails his first run on Big Splat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182287_10150144368598000_506642999_8031615_5163091_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/182287_10150144368598000_506642999_8031615_5163091_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wood Report on 1st Island, there is a tree in the far right slot (far left in the picture) of 1st Island. Gotta run the left side of the island until it is cleared.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180466_10150144369238000_506642999_8031634_5501668_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/180466_10150144369238000_506642999_8031634_5501668_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Wood is also in the standard line of 1st Island, just underwater here at 6.35'. Wood is in the center of the picture in the pour over.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182044_10150144369108000_506642999_8031630_1801412_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/182044_10150144369108000_506642999_8031630_1801412_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After finishing our run, we loaded up, got changed and grab some grub, at the Mill Place. A restaraunt/bar/hardware store in Bruceton Mills that is now becoming a habit of mind to visit after every Cheat or Sandy run. The food is wonderful, it's quiet, the prices are fantastic, and if the special is pork chops with stuffing and mash potatoes, <b>get it.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So that pretty much wraps up the whole weekend's adventures. With more rain coming, we'll be busy next weekend too. And of course, what you did all of this reading for:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/radleymiller/presidentialmelt">Presidential Melt - On Vimeo</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SYOTR,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
Radley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-48959431405493506562011-02-20T20:47:00.000-08:002011-02-20T20:47:33.415-08:00Creeking Gear Review - To Pass the Time While Videos RenderSo, while I work on the video from the last few days of fun, I figured I would write a review of some of the gear that I got for creeking this season.<br />
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<a href="http://pyranha.com/kayaks.php?kayak=Everest">Pyranha Everest:</a><br />
So after my three swim day on the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=40">Middle Fork</a> out of a <a href="http://dragorossi.com/mafia.html">Dragorossi Mafia</a> last month, I decided that it was time that I invest on a real creek boat before I start getting on harder and more consequential runs. I picked up the Everest in January, and since getting it, I have had the opportunity to try it out on: <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=524">Toyota Falls</a>, <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=188">Muddy Creek</a> (EFL and LF runs), <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=598">Bear Creek</a>, <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a>, <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=439">Fike Run</a>, <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=37">Top Yough</a>, and <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=195">Meadow Run</a>. When it comes to speed, the boat is very fast. I sometimes find myself on other people's sterns because the boat is fast and doesn't hang up much on rocks. I've never paddled a Burn, neither the old or new one. I sat in a 2010 large Burn at the pool once, but that is the extent of my experience so I can't compare it. What I can say is that it ISN'T just an XL Burn. Side by side, there is only a hair difference in size between the two boats, but the Everest seems to have a little more rocker and volume, as well as a softer edge in the front of the boat. This makes the boat pretty forgiving as I tend to bounce off of everything that I hit. The one except was the Little Spat rock, where I managed to hit it dead on, carp a few rolls, and swim, but hey, everyone does it. <br />
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With the performance coming from the back of the boat, the Everest carves and snaps into eddies as easy as my playboat when the edge is engaged. When it comes to boofing, the speed and the bow rocker make it a boof machine and resurfaces super quickly/doesn't go completely under at all. During the approach to Wonder Falls today, I managed to get offline and slam sideways into the big hole at the bottom of the rapid. Got windowshaded, and surfed for enough time to not want to be in the hole any longer. I was quite surprised how well the Everest surfed out of the hole without much effort. <br />
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Basically, it's sweet. I love it, and I hope Pyranha keeps making them for years to come, because I'm going to go through a few of them living in WV. In case you were wondering, I'm 5'9", 190 pounds give or take, I have a 32" inseam, and I tend to carry 10-15 pounds of gear in the boat with me (unpin kit, first aid, dry box with camera gear, snacks).<br />
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<a href="http://wernerpaddles.com/paddles/whitewater/premium/powerhouse/">Werner Powerhouse:</a><br />
Huge fan of Werner Paddles, since I've been using a Sidekick for the past year for playboating, I decided it was time to upgrade to the Powerhouse for creeking. My Sidekick is 191cm, bent shaft, and fiberglass; the Powerhouse is a 197cm. For power, the extra length is amazing. Very surprised how much more reach I get with extra length. Also, the blades on the Powerhouse don't "grab" and mess me up like I've noticed when I used the Sidekick for creeking, even though the Powerhouse is a longer paddle. Not going to write much else, except the FG blades scratch relatively easy. I've had the paddle for a few days and it looks like some friends' paddles that they have had for a few years. (I am abusive to paddles) The carbon model takes this abuse better, but my opinion is, and yours may be different is that I'm probably going to break it anyways so might as well have it be a cheaper one. That, and buy a new one more frequently than have a carbon paddle with blades the size of the step down. The carbon ones are also lighter, but at 190, I could care less.<br />
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Other useful things:<br />
<a href="http://www.shredready.com/site/products/wp-content/gallery/accessories/elbow.jpg">SR Tsunami Elbow Pads</a> - My elbows aren't broken, but they aren't the most comfortable pads.<br />
<a href="http://www.pelican.com/cases_detail.php?Case=1120">Pelican Dry Box </a>- My HD camcorder, helmet cam, point and shoot, and iPhone are still functioning<br />
<a href="http://www.shredready.com/site/products/category/helmets/stdfullface/">Shred Ready Full Face</a> - I broke it, but shit, I still have my teeth. My next one will be carbon though.<br />
<a href="http://www.immersionresearch.com/products-page/accessories/microwave-handwarmers/">IR MicroWave Handwarmer Pogies</a> - Warm and Wonderful (which is different from Wild, Wonderful WV, if you were wondering)<br />
<br />
More stuff to review in the future, such as my camera gear, new IR Lucky Charm skirt, and the IR Wrist Warmers!<br />
<br />
SYOTRRadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-52973229547875747122011-02-06T17:04:00.000-08:002011-02-06T17:04:15.900-08:00Wrapping it Up<div style="text-align: left;">First of all, I'd like to preface everything you are about to read with this: I have one of the kindest roommates know to man. Without Goonz graciously allowing kayakers to sleep on our couch and floor for the last few days, none of what happened would have been possible, and I cannot thank him enough for his hospitality.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">From the previous post, it is pretty obvious that things have been going on down here in DubVee, and like every good kayaker, I have been taking full advantage of it. Let me try to break it down, day to day.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Wednesday, February 2nd:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Warm temperatures, early morning rain carried over from Tuesday night, as well as a killer hangover. I awake around noon to find that rivers are running and people want to paddle. Wednesday is one of my class days, and therefore prevents me from being able to paddle at all, however Mark Campbell and Mark Maderic headed out in hopes to chase some rain and fire up <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=598">Bear Creek</a>. I was hoping to hit a late afternoon run on <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=524">Toyota Falls</a> after my class, but I too was skunked. They left Friendsville and headed to Mo'town. We grabbed some grub at the brew pub and hung out at my place that night.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Thursday, February 3rd:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">Waking up early in the morning, due to Mark and Mark needing to get back home Thursday afternoonish we head over to Toyota Falls with Chris Heim to fire it up. Chris's girlfriend Liz agreed to take photo and video for us, so here is a sample of what she was able to get.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Hiking in:</div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs285.snc6/181330_1535160990835_1589130088_31128710_6610507_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs285.snc6/181330_1535160990835_1589130088_31128710_6610507_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Chris firing it up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs016.snc6/166640_1535162830881_1589130088_31128720_6050250_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs016.snc6/166640_1535162830881_1589130088_31128720_6050250_n.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Me browning the drop:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs909.ash1/181708_1535164430921_1589130088_31128729_7212467_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs909.ash1/181708_1535164430921_1589130088_31128729_7212467_n.jpg" width="368" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Marks firing it up:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs776.ash1/166655_1535165870957_1589130088_31128732_4301418_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs776.ash1/166655_1535165870957_1589130088_31128732_4301418_n.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mark Maderic on the slide:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs054.snc6/168475_1535169911058_1589130088_31128753_7872169_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs054.snc6/168475_1535169911058_1589130088_31128753_7872169_n.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The video I put together for us:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/19564035">Toyota Falls in HD</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After running two laps on Toyota Falls, we hiked out and debated at the car what to run. We decided to drive to Albright, WV to see what was running in the Cheat watershed. Currently the Big Sandy gauge is broken, and while everything was going up, it was going down. While driving down Rt. 26, I noticed the Little Sandy was pumping and we headed over to check out <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=599">Beaver Creek</a>. Checking at the put-in, it was a little too low, so we headed to <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=188">Muddy Creek</a> which was originally was our plan anyways. Mark Campbell ran it after <a href="http://www.cheat.org/">Cheatfest</a> 2010 so he lead the pack for most of it. Although low, it was a lot of fun and has two great class IV slides on it as well as plenty of III+ish boogie water. I can't wait to hop on that one with more water!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After finishing, Mark and Mark headed back east to work and band practice as Brenton Petrillo from <a href="http://www.riverleftproductions.com/riverleft/home_page.php">River Left Productions</a> headed east and Matt Bernstein headed south from Pittsburgh to meet me at the WVU pool session. After meeting up at a crowded pool session we grabbed some grub at Sheetz and headed back to my place. I went to bed as I had seminar in the morning, and Matt and Brenton prepared for a day on the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=472">North Fork of the Blackwater</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Friday, February 4th:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meeting up with Dave Carey in Friendsville, the crew traveled to Davis to fire up the Blackwater, only to get skunked by low water. Halfway through seminar, my phone starts buzzing and I know that means. I jogged home from class and met up with those guys, as well as rallying Christian and Brandon from Morgantown for an afternoon <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a> run. The level on the iced over gauge was 6.1' and it was a great run. Knowing that I would be the weakest member of the group, as well as knowing that many other big name WV paddlers were going to be on the river with us, I was amped. A good mix of nerves and excitement filled me as I drove out Rt. 7 past <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=507">Deckers Creek</a> it shifted much towards amped as I knew I had the chance to redeem myself from my three swim day two weeks ago on the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=159">Middle Fork</a>, and have my shot at breaking into the next tier of boaters.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The LBS run started with traversing icy roads into the Cheat canyon and then up the road to the put in. After a short hike down the put in road, we made it to the creek at started boating. We ran without incident until we got to Wonder Falls, where Brenton freewheeled into a beatdown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs307.snc6/181529_10150134324498000_506642999_7901045_4320146_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs307.snc6/181529_10150134324498000_506642999_7901045_4320146_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We boogied down the river, until we got to an icy Big Splat. Half of the group ran it, and two others and myself walked. The seal launch notch at Big Spat is very icy causing carnage for the one individual who used it, swam, and had his new boat pinned on the rock in the runout of the drop. We unpinned the boat, and continued down the river at a decent pace with little carnage.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Brandon Renner running Big Splat:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs885.ash1/179352_10150134324753000_506642999_7901051_6214090_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs885.ash1/179352_10150134324753000_506642999_7901051_6214090_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the takeout, we loaded all six people and six boats onto the River Princess and drove back to the put in. Even made it down the icy put-in road that we hiked in earlier that day. We parted ways, with plans to boat the next day. Brenton headed south to boat in NC, and we headed back to Morgantown to rest. After pit stopping at one of my most favorite places to eat in all of WV, The Mill Place in Bruceton Mills.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Friday night wrapped up with more hanging out at my place and rallying the troops for a Top Yough day.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Saturday, February 5th:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The original plan was to run laps on <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=37">Top Yough</a>, cook some burgers and dogs, and hang out for the day. Once we arrived at the take-out, we found that four boaters we were expecting did not show leaving us weak on support for the run. With newbies and being cold, our run took three hours, meanwhile Jon Harmon ran six laps in his Stinger that day, and finished with plenty of day light. Surprisingly, the run went off without any carnage with the exception of a few barrel rolling sessions. For some reason, I struggled to take photos that day as my camera was constantly fogged up, but I did manage to get a few taken.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Mike Maloney enjoying his brand new Immersion Research Double D Drysuit!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs080.snc6/169092_10150134738453000_506642999_7908068_4913268_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs080.snc6/169092_10150134738453000_506642999_7908068_4913268_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Steve Kroser handpaddling his PFD in February, this man is <a href="http://chucknorris.com/">hard core</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs885.ash1/179301_10150134738688000_506642999_7908076_5892803_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs885.ash1/179301_10150134738688000_506642999_7908076_5892803_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Just like I said we couldn't have done this without Goonz, the same goes for Matt as he was the brains that day. Here he is leading the group.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
<a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs309.snc6/181793_10150134739148000_506642999_7908083_2557435_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs309.snc6/181793_10150134739148000_506642999_7908083_2557435_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Laura Linzey warming up above Swallow Falls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs790.ash1/168060_10150134738953000_506642999_7908081_7448323_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs790.ash1/168060_10150134738953000_506642999_7908081_7448323_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chris Heim running Swallow Falls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs279.snc6/180713_10150134740308000_506642999_7908104_5038534_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs279.snc6/180713_10150134740308000_506642999_7908104_5038534_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Jeff Felton running Swallow Falls</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs065.snc6/167498_10150134740423000_506642999_7908106_1239238_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs065.snc6/167498_10150134740423000_506642999_7908106_1239238_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Radley Miller at the bottom of Suck Hole</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs895.ash1/180324_10150134742403000_506642999_7908136_8343006_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs895.ash1/180324_10150134742403000_506642999_7908136_8343006_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Steve Kroser at the bottom of Suck Hole, and in case you were wondering, he rolled up and nailed the boof.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs308.snc6/181662_10150134742513000_506642999_7908142_1302164_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/hs308.snc6/181662_10150134742513000_506642999_7908142_1302164_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In addition to photos, we managed to shoot a little video, and edited while Matt, Laura, and Chris went for a 2nd lap.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/19609364">Winter Top Yough Video</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After getting back to Mo'town, we cleaned up and Matt, Chris, Katie, and I headed to Keglers to relax and eat some food. More hanging out and resting happened at my place. Laura still wanted to boat tomorrow with plans of more Top Yough, however it was on the rise. I planned to take Sunday off, and rest as I did not want to run the Top Yough and it was on the rise, stating that I would <i>only </i>paddle of Meadow Run was going. After dealing with an infected toe due to my drysuit bootie, I went to bed exhausted from three straight days of paddling.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Sunday, February 6th:</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Upon waking up, I checked the gauges and saw the Top Yough was over 700 cfs, so I wasn't planning on boating until Laura called. She crashed in Ohiopyle Saturday night, and woke up to find that <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=195">Meadow Run</a> was indeed running at half a foot on the put in gauge. Matt and I rallied, droved to Ohiopyle, met Laura at The Falls Market for some Egg McLeos, and then we headed to Meadow Run. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Meadow Run has a very short shuttle, it is tight, technical, and has <b>amazing </b>scenery. Not too difficult, but it does require you to be on your toes. It starts mellow, then you reach the Cascades, which is exactly that, a big ole slide with a nice boof onto a smaller slide at the bottom. More boogie water takes you to a boulder garden and 7 Foot Falls, and then a little more boogie water and you're back in Ohiopyle at The Slide. Since 1/2 a foot is pretty low, The Slide wasn't 100% runnable but after scouting and setting up safety, Matt fired up the second half of the slide.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/19639323">Matt's Run on the Slide</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After that, we hiked to the cars, changed clothes, stopped by Wilderness Voyagers as we all needed minicell foam for our boats.....especially Matt's poor Burn, and then headed home.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I'm watching the Super Bowl, gear is drying in the room, and I am exhausted. I'm going to end the post at that because it's been pretty long. Expect a review on my NEW Pyranha Everest soon. It's virgin run was the browning of Toyota Falls, and so far I love it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">SYOTR</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-3105327369033144522011-02-04T17:16:00.000-08:002011-02-04T17:16:53.674-08:00February HappeningsSo,<br />
<br />
February has started off pretty great down here in DubVee. Haven't had much snow as they did last year, just a few inches here or there. What's been great though is the deep freeze we were going through last time I checked in has been temporarily halted, the sun came out, and we've been having some awesome weather for winter boating here.<br />
<br />
After taking three unpleasant swims on the Middle Fork two weeks ago in the Mafia I got from Tom H., I decided my 190 pound + gear butt shouldn't be in a sub-70 gallon creek boat, so I went out and picked up a Pyrahna Everest at Wilderness Voyagers on my way to 7 Springs last week. Another friend of mine, Mark M. from Potomac PS was ranting and raving about the Everest, and since buying it, I believe the hype. Took it down <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section_Map.aspx?SectionID=524">Toyota Falls</a> on Cobun Creek in downtown Mo'town, the a lower water run on <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=188">Muddy Creek</a> yesterday, and today I fired up the <a href="http://www.kayak411.com/Sections/Section.aspx?SectionID=80">Lower Big Sandy</a> at 6.1'. Haven't felt good in a creekboat since I had the Skreem!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/19564035">Toyota Falls Video</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Additionally there are some pictures from the run floating around on the interwebs. Since I am learning, I am going to call this one and then post tomorrow about stuff.Radleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9156598067401609879.post-66528723555611735022011-01-24T15:44:00.000-08:002011-01-24T15:44:55.936-08:00My First Blog EntryHello People Who Probably Don't Care Too Much,<br />
<br />
This will be probably the first and last blog that I post that doesn't have pictures or videos associated with it, but since I have neither of them right now, this is what you get.<br />
<br />
Mountain State of Mind, much like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHAeUcTX0F0">Billy Joel's New York State of Mind</a> or the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bX7nQrCgALM">Granite State of Mind</a>, Jay-Z had something in between the two of them, I believe. Well, after spending the summer of 2010 living and working in the in the Granite State, I moved to the Mountain State for graduate school at WVU. So for at the least the next 16 months, I will be living, studying, working, and most importantly playing in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia. While I'm here, I am going to try my best to blog about it, to let those who care and those who don't know what I've been up to. Plus, it would be nice to look back on this adventure here and remember what I've done.<br />
<br />
For 2011, I have made some investments in chronicling my adventures. An HD GoPro helmet camera, an Insignia HD Camcorder, and an Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 have been purchased, along with a drybox and plenty of memory cards and back up batteries!<br />
<br />
Being a graduate student in WVU's Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Resources department, I would like to accomplish two things: increase awareness for the bountiful recreational opportunities in West Virginia and the rest of Appalachia as well as increase recreation quality and quantity for myself and my friends (more trips, bigger trips, better trips).<br />
<br />
Well, if you are still reading this, then I'm pretty impressed I've been able to keep your attention for this long, but I'm almost done. Two of my side projects for this year are to document the adventures that I have throughout the year, and put out some quality footage of the classic runs in the area to get more people hooked.<br />
<br />
See You Out ThereRadleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12279633313934224459noreply@blogger.com1