Two Month Roadtrip

I'm just about to wrap up a two month long roadtrip following the competition circuit, and head home and get ready for the next trip. I figured I'd share some of the highlights. After heading from PA to West Virginia for Cheat Fest, it was a full on cross-country sprint with the Pyranha boys to Reno, NV for the Reno River festival. Reno is a fun event with a Freestyle and a Boatercross.

Looping in Reno

Out in front in the Boatercross

The real reason to go to Reno is the week and a half of creeking in California afterwards, and before the next event. Leaving Reno, we hit Big Kimshew, The South Branch of the Middle Feather, the Middle Feather, a couple sections on the south Yuba, Pauley Creek, and Lavezolla Creek. Video is here.

Frenchy's 40 on Big Kimshew

Stout crew gearing up for the South Branch. Photo: B. Kirk

One of the many waterfalls on the South Branch. Photo: B. Kirk

B. Kirk dropping the big 'un on the S. Branch
'Dave running Franklin Falls on the Middle Fork Feather

After 10 days of creeking in California, it was time to head back to Colorado to follow the competition circuit. Colorado in May and June means an event every week, and sometime more than one event. Buena Vista, Steamboat, Glenwood Springs, Vail, Lyons, and Salida. In between there are a few days to go regroup, go creeking, and get ready for the next event. Life on the road is good...

My van, home sweet home, on the way from BV to Steamboat

Parking problems in Glenwood Springs. Glenwood was host to the 2009 US Freestyle Team trials, so lots of people where there looking for part of the action.


I competed in kayak, C-1, and OC-1, and made the team in both C-1 (3rd place) and OC-1 (1st place). Considering how little I'd paddled C-1 in the past 2 years, I'm pretty happy. Photo by S. Wright.

From Glenwood it was up the highway to Vail for the Teva Mountain Games. On the way there, the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile passed me. I tried to catch up and get better pictures, but that hotdog can move. Somehow I didn't end up with any picture from Vail.


Next stop Lyons for the Lyons Outdoor Games. This year saw high water on the creek and a really sweet little hole. I finished 6th in the creek race and 8th in the Freestyle.

After Lyons, it was time for a rest day, having paddled 24 days in a row. It was also time to head toward Salida for FIBArk, the nation's oldest whitewater festival. FIBArk hosts the best boatercross race of the entire year at Pine Creek, and one of the best freestyle events of the season as well. Pine Creek hole was dishing out some beatdowns as always (including one to yours truly).

Making the move around Pine Creek hole... in practice.

Freestyling in Salida


We even managed to get enough people (3) together to hold an OC-1 class!


Corey Volt said if we could raise $1000 for American Whitewater, he'd cut his hair into a mullet. Naturally, this sent people scrambling to renew memberships and make donations. By Saturday afternoon, AW had raised $1800 and Corey had a mullet.

And so the time has come for me to head back to east coast, where I hear it's been raining a lot...