First Season (year): 1998
Favorite Class: IV
Favorite Runs: Big Creek, Tellico, Tallulah, Little River Canyon
I paddle with Georgia Tech's Outdoor program. I learned through the program and it's been great to give back by helping others learn. I Live in Atlanta and mostly paddle with people involved with ORGT.
We try to take a big trip every year. In 2000 we went to Colorado. It was a little low but still had a good time. It's always fun to go down a bunch of rivers you have never seen and really experience another part of the country.
In 2001 we went to Costa Rica. A guy by the name of Leo lead us around. It was nice to see some of the local stuff and run some great white water.
In 2002 we went to Idaho. What a great trip. Too long of a drive. We spent most of our time around the Payette. Got to get on the North Fork which was awesome (just the lower part!!) The best run of the trip was the South Fork of the Salmon. If you get out that way you have to do it!!
In 2003 we went back out to Colorado. What a great trip. Got to do the Animas and it was great. It was nice having a lot of options. Wasn't nice not having a lot of time. Too much to do not enough time. Went by and scouted OBJ but didn't do it. Maybe next year. Roaring fork, Castle Creek-Slaughterhouse, Numbers (Finally at a decent level). All real fun. Can't wait to get back.
In 2004 it was Colorado one more time. The water looked bad the week leading up to the trip but we timed it just right! We pretty much hit the rivers at the peak. We ran Upper Clear Creek, Black rock and lower section of Clear Creek, ALto-Alto-SBC, Gilliman Gorge, SBC, Boulder Creek, Narrows of the Poudre, Upper and Lower Mish, and Bailey.
We took another trip out to Colorado in 2005. This was by far the best snowpack we had for any of our trips. We started off with a run on the Lower West fork of Clear Creek into the Dumont run on Clear Creek. Fast and fun with great water. We then headed over to Gore Canyon. Another classic that we have never been on. The water was a little low....800 cfs...but the trip was fun and a great place to see. We then headed over to Clear creek again to check out Black rock and Lower for a higher water run than we had last year. We then went up to the Lower North Saint Varain. We didn't have enough water so we ended up having to walk most of the big rapids but it was still fun. It was a really cool place. We went over to See our good friend Erica in Buena vista and got to boat Pine Creek and the numbers. The next day we tackled Clear Creek of the Ark. It was probably the coolest river I have done. Fast and tight with a lot of cool drops. We then hit Henson Creek which flows into the Lake Fork of the Gunnison. It was a cool run but the protage was nasty and the big rapid looked tough so we walked. Still a really cool run. We finished the week off with ahigh water run of the Crystal. We hit Bogan Canyon and the Narrows. It was another great trip!
In 2006 for a change we decided that going out to Cali was a good plan. Talked it over with our good buddy Tulley and decided on the week before Memorial day. That would give us an extra day out there. Ended up being a nother huge snow year for Cali so we had super high water the whole time we were there. There ended up being 11 of us plus Tulley. Tulley didn't paddle with us much since we were running things a bit easier than he wanted and his girl was in town. We hit the middle for of the COnsumes first. It was a great run and eveyrone had a great time. We then headed up to check out Canyon creek that flows into the South Yuba. That looked to be more than we could handle so the group (except for Tim) headed to the Washington to Edwards section of the SOuth Yuba. It was BIG water fun. about twice the level listed in the guide book. On the trip we ran into another group that was having issues but about dark we all finally got off the river. Excited to have that behind us we thought some low volume stuff was in order. So we headed to the North Yuba and to Lavvazola creek. Another epic day insued with pinned boats, swims, hikes out of the canyon ect. It was a long day and due to the stress not very fun. After that we took a break and headed to Yosemite. What a great place! Then it was a small section of the MErced due to a landslide blockign the road so we couldn't do the whole thing. With our guts back we headed back to the North Yuba and to Pauley creek. Not everyone wanted to hit Pauley so some STeve, Kirk, Erica and Brian went to the North Yuba and did the Goodyearsbar section. Everyone ahd fun that day and it was nice to finally run some thing hard and come out the other side. Then it was the final days of boatng on Deer. The first overnighter but it was great fun. Some blind drops and good read and run. I ended up getting pinned on a log and swimming under it. Which sucked. After a while we finally got the boat out but it took a while. Camped out and it rained which sucked but oh well. Next day went well and decided after we got through the whitewater to send a group ahead and run the 3 hour shuttle. Didn't get done too late ate dinner and stayed in a hotel for the night. Some people did the Chili Bar the next day but most of us just took it easy. Great trip and look forward to going back. Just need less water.
In 2007 even though we had a tough time a few people decided to brave Cali once again. This would be the revenge trip. Tim, Ryan, Spotts, and myself met up with Tulley and Ian and some other peeps for a week of stellar boating. We kicked things off with Kyburz and the top part of South Silver ont he FIRST DAY! Then hit strawberry and had some fun there too. I tweaked my shoulder which woul dbother me the rest of the week but we still had a great time. We then headed to the Tuolumne at 4000. What a blast! Then we headed to the KAweah. We spent 2 great days ont eh Hosital rock section running some really good stuff. We took a day off and headed to Yosemite and ended up doing a hike to the top of the ridge...that was a day off???? We paddled the top section of the Merced from EL portal down thru the section we did the year before. We then went and ran proably the coolest/scariest/intense/fun run I have ever done. East Fork of the Kaweah. It crazy to think this run has only ben run for a few years. Great fun and a long day. We took the last day off and kicked back and relaxed and thought back on what a great trip!!
Last year (2008) we went back out to Cali. We had more water and got to hit up some classics. Started the week off with a double on Pauley and Lavvazola. Then up to the Sierra City run on the NF of the Yuba. This was a great run and highly recommended! We then headed down to do the Summit run. Finally got on 49 to Bridgeport and I can understand why that is such a classic. The same goes for Giant Gap which was a blast. We finished up the week after a cold front moved in on South Silver and Cherry Creek.
We try to take a big trip every year. In 2000 we went to Colorado. It was a little low but still had a good time. It's always fun to go down a bunch of rivers you have never seen and really experience another part of the country.
In 2001 we went to Costa Rica. A guy by the name of Leo lead us around. It was nice to see some of the local stuff and run some great white water.
In 2002 we went to Idaho. What a great trip. Too long of a drive. We spent most of our time around the Payette. Got to get on the North Fork which was awesome (just the lower part!!) The best run of the trip was the South Fork of the Salmon. If you get out that way you have to do it!!
In 2003 we went back out to Colorado. What a great trip. Got to do the Animas and it was great. It was nice having a lot of options. Wasn't nice not having a lot of time. Too much to do not enough time. Went by and scouted OBJ but didn't do it. Maybe next year. Roaring fork, Castle Creek-Slaughterhouse, Numbers (Finally at a decent level). All real fun. Can't wait to get back.
In 2004 it was Colorado one more time. The water looked bad the week leading up to the trip but we timed it just right! We pretty much hit the rivers at the peak. We ran Upper Clear Creek, Black rock and lower section of Clear Creek, ALto-Alto-SBC, Gilliman Gorge, SBC, Boulder Creek, Narrows of the Poudre, Upper and Lower Mish, and Bailey.
We took another trip out to Colorado in 2005. This was by far the best snowpack we had for any of our trips. We started off with a run on the Lower West fork of Clear Creek into the Dumont run on Clear Creek. Fast and fun with great water. We then headed over to Gore Canyon. Another classic that we have never been on. The water was a little low....800 cfs...but the trip was fun and a great place to see. We then headed over to Clear creek again to check out Black rock and Lower for a higher water run than we had last year. We then went up to the Lower North Saint Varain. We didn't have enough water so we ended up having to walk most of the big rapids but it was still fun. It was a really cool place. We went over to See our good friend Erica in Buena vista and got to boat Pine Creek and the numbers. The next day we tackled Clear Creek of the Ark. It was probably the coolest river I have done. Fast and tight with a lot of cool drops. We then hit Henson Creek which flows into the Lake Fork of the Gunnison. It was a cool run but the protage was nasty and the big rapid looked tough so we walked. Still a really cool run. We finished the week off with ahigh water run of the Crystal. We hit Bogan Canyon and the Narrows. It was another great trip!
In 2006 for a change we decided that going out to Cali was a good plan. Talked it over with our good buddy Tulley and decided on the week before Memorial day. That would give us an extra day out there. Ended up being a nother huge snow year for Cali so we had super high water the whole time we were there. There ended up being 11 of us plus Tulley. Tulley didn't paddle with us much since we were running things a bit easier than he wanted and his girl was in town. We hit the middle for of the COnsumes first. It was a great run and eveyrone had a great time. We then headed up to check out Canyon creek that flows into the South Yuba. That looked to be more than we could handle so the group (except for Tim) headed to the Washington to Edwards section of the SOuth Yuba. It was BIG water fun. about twice the level listed in the guide book. On the trip we ran into another group that was having issues but about dark we all finally got off the river. Excited to have that behind us we thought some low volume stuff was in order. So we headed to the North Yuba and to Lavvazola creek. Another epic day insued with pinned boats, swims, hikes out of the canyon ect. It was a long day and due to the stress not very fun. After that we took a break and headed to Yosemite. What a great place! Then it was a small section of the MErced due to a landslide blockign the road so we couldn't do the whole thing. With our guts back we headed back to the North Yuba and to Pauley creek. Not everyone wanted to hit Pauley so some STeve, Kirk, Erica and Brian went to the North Yuba and did the Goodyearsbar section. Everyone ahd fun that day and it was nice to finally run some thing hard and come out the other side. Then it was the final days of boatng on Deer. The first overnighter but it was great fun. Some blind drops and good read and run. I ended up getting pinned on a log and swimming under it. Which sucked. After a while we finally got the boat out but it took a while. Camped out and it rained which sucked but oh well. Next day went well and decided after we got through the whitewater to send a group ahead and run the 3 hour shuttle. Didn't get done too late ate dinner and stayed in a hotel for the night. Some people did the Chili Bar the next day but most of us just took it easy. Great trip and look forward to going back. Just need less water.
In 2007 even though we had a tough time a few people decided to brave Cali once again. This would be the revenge trip. Tim, Ryan, Spotts, and myself met up with Tulley and Ian and some other peeps for a week of stellar boating. We kicked things off with Kyburz and the top part of South Silver ont he FIRST DAY! Then hit strawberry and had some fun there too. I tweaked my shoulder which woul dbother me the rest of the week but we still had a great time. We then headed to the Tuolumne at 4000. What a blast! Then we headed to the KAweah. We spent 2 great days ont eh Hosital rock section running some really good stuff. We took a day off and headed to Yosemite and ended up doing a hike to the top of the ridge...that was a day off???? We paddled the top section of the Merced from EL portal down thru the section we did the year before. We then went and ran proably the coolest/scariest/intense/fun run I have ever done. East Fork of the Kaweah. It crazy to think this run has only ben run for a few years. Great fun and a long day. We took the last day off and kicked back and relaxed and thought back on what a great trip!!
Last year (2008) we went back out to Cali. We had more water and got to hit up some classics. Started the week off with a double on Pauley and Lavvazola. Then up to the Sierra City run on the NF of the Yuba. This was a great run and highly recommended! We then headed down to do the Summit run. Finally got on 49 to Bridgeport and I can understand why that is such a classic. The same goes for Giant Gap which was a blast. We finished up the week after a cold front moved in on South Silver and Cherry Creek.
