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...

Rogue River Trip- Day 1

Rogue River Trip- Day 1

Leinman Playspot---------------------------------------------------------------------


This year, instead of our annual Wenatchee trip, we decided to take a multiday raft trip down the wild and scenic Rogue River. Everything just came together perfectly: good group, good weather, and available permits! wow. Josh was declared trip leader and he promptly organized everything. Having finished the trip, I can say that he impressively didn't forget anything!

Here are pics from the first day of our mini vacation :D. We drove to Leinman playspot near Gold Hill- Where Josh went whitewater kayaking for the first time as a kid. Pretty cool to go back there with him. It's about an hour from Galice where we would put on the river for our multi-day. Anyways, enjoy the pics and stay tuned for pics from our grand adventure on the Rogue River!

Below- Me likey the Biscuit :D


Below- Trying to stay in the hole...twas very flushy


Below- Holy poo!


Below- out humble abode...it's a bit cozy but it's home


I think Josh is happy!


Josh enjoying Leinman and not being a gaper like me


Did I mention that Annies Mac n' Cheese tastes amazing while camping? U should try it!


Hope everyone is getting on the rivers and remembering why they paddle- because it's FUN!!! :) Don't let that fact get away! Stay humble and paddle for yourself!

Hasta Pasta,

Christina Russell
Bend,OR

Teva Mountain Games 09

This weekend I placed 8th out of 44 pro men at the Teva Games in Vail. It is now the third year that I have finished 8th in Vail. I guess it is my lucky number.

I arrived in Vail late Wednesday night after creeking in Crested Butte. I took advantage of the Homestake Creek Race and paddled Thursday afternoon without a line. I was paddling well and confident for the competition. Then EJ got back from the creek race and had a new 2010 Allstar for me! I did not want to switch boats the day before competing, but could not resist at least trying it. And I’m glad I did! I will have a complete review coming soon, but simply put, it is amazing.

On Friday I wanted to practice without a line and then be rested for the competition so I put on the icy cold Gore Creek at 6:30am. That was a mistake. At 7:30 I was freezing cold and stop to thaw out and eat breakfast. It turns out that the EJ and Nick showed up at 8 which was still early enough to beat the line. Anyways, my dedication payed off and I had great rides which put me in 3rd place after prelims. I hit both phoenix monkeys, a mcnasty, both godzillas, and a loop in both rides which scored 820 and 870 points.

I was so excited that I made the same mistake again before semifinals on Saturday. This time I put on by 7:30am though. Later than 6:30, but still freezing cold and the line never came. Anyways, I was feeling confident and ready when the semifinals came. I watched everyone before me and knew that I only needed one ride over 810 points to make the cut to 5. My first ride started off great with both monkeys and a mcnasty. I had 45 seconds to do a loop and 2 space godzillas, but somehow I could not put it together. Second ride, same story. I could hit my hard tricks, but fell apart on the easy stuff.

Later that day Steven Wright, NIck Troutman, Dustin Urban, Casper Von Kalmthout, and Andrew Holcombe (finishing 1-5 place respectively) put on an impressive show in the finals. The new Allstar went ridiculously huge and the crowd responded. It was the most exciting finals that I have watched. Check out video finals highlights at www.jacksonkayak.com, watch the whole thing at www.worldkayak.com, or check out www.tevamountaingames.com for prelim and finals results.

Campfire Stories

After having the awesome response to the first film Exploring Idaho, Stone and Water Productions has started filming the next film called Campfire Stories.

Now we've all sat around at camp listening to stories of past boating adventures and reflecting back to our favorite runs and not so favorite runs when we have a bad line. Well, the film Campfire Stories will take you to those good times on and off the water.

Here is a short promo video of some of the footage I've been shooting so far this epic spring.

Campfire Stories Promo from Mike Copeland on Vimeo.

Quad Crown: Crested Butte Creeking

After 4 summers in Colorado I finally made it to Crested Butte, Colorado to do some creeking.  I only had 1 day and wanted to get on all 4 creeks so my co-workers (Josh and Liz) from RMOC and I decided to do the quadruple crown.  

When I left Salida at 7am I was wondering why people didn’t do the quad crown very often.  I thought that all the creeks are close together and they are short runs so they shouldn’t take long.  Then it hit me as I started hiking up Oh Be Joyful with my Rocker on my shoulder.  It had been 7 hours since we first put on the Upper East but we only had one creek left so I wasn’t about to back down.  At the take out of Oh Be J I checked my watch and it had taken us a full 10 hours to complete the quad crown.  Four creeks in one day is exhausting, but well worth it.  Not to mention the 2 hour morning drive and the 4 hour drive to Vail I had in front of me.

If you are thinking about the quad crown I would recommend it, but I have some advice.  First, bring a buddy with a truck with high clearance so you can make the river crossings.  Second, bring a shuttle driver is possible because it will speed up the day.  Third, know the lines and wood conditions so you don’t have to scout.  And fourth, don’t plan on driving 6 hours that day.

Photos by Josh Oberleas and Liz Block

Big Wood Falls

Top of Rip Your Head Off

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Avalanche

Bottom of Avalance

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