We've all heard at some point, a friend, family member or co-worker griping about how the wish they had more time to do whatever it is they enjoy; maybe it's fishing or camping, soccer or woodwork or rock climbing. Why is it people across the world regular spend all day hard at work, often not really enjoying themselves, but when given the opportunity to do something they truly love doing they'll spend only a few hours at it and then return to everyday life wishing they had more time. With this mindset I've spend much of the last couple years trying to see how much whitewater can be fit into a day, week, year. If you love it, then do it! since first arriving in the North-west a year ago I'v speculated with friends on how many run one could possible get on the Little White Salmon river here in Washington in a single day. For perspective, the Little White may be one of the highest quality, action packed Class V whitewater runs in the world. Dozen of rapids literally come with out break as the river drops nearly a thousand feet over four miles ending at the Columbia River. With no hike in or hike out and a ten minute shuttle from put-in to takeout it seemed to me to be the ideal testing grounds for whitewater endurance. Just how much whitewater is possible to fit in to a single day? Plans started to come together a few days out; with six laps as a goal, good friends pledged to help out paddle a couple laps with me or run a shuttle to the top. I started to scribe out a schedule, how long would each lap take, who could meet me and when could they make it. As it all started to fall together the personal goal of six laps, began to give way to the realization that there was time in the day for a good few more than that; eight laps became my new goal.
Finally, on Sunday, may 16th I met Curt Joyce and Lauren Starcevich a 5 am; still dark out we headed to the river. Lauren dropped us off and headed to work. Curt caught the 2 dawn patrol runs and Andy Round met me for two more runs, and like that i was half way done with four laps in before 11:15. Feeling strong still, I was joined by Lance Rief and Jeff Clewell and got a ton of great encouragement from some of the other local paddlers and friends who were out for their regular Sunday paddle. Three runs later, now seven down, i realized i was enough ahead of my schedule that i could pack in an extra final run, a quick call to Andy who had spend his afternoon working and i had paddling partner for lap # 9. By this point i feel like i'm on fire, my mind was so tuned to the river and in the game that my body had no choice but to come along. Getting sore, but more fired up than ever I started Lap 9 and found what i was looking for. Call it a primal thresh hold, a place uninterrupted by distraction, a task at hand so practiced that it was accomplished with little thought. Lap 9 went by as the shadows got long and at 8:20 in the evening, I paddled up to the takeout. Fourteen hours of paddling the best whitewater on the planet, with so many of my best paddling friends will stand out as one of my greatest memories. I got exactly what i wanted, i tested my limits, and spent the entire day doing something i truly love. I could not have done it with out everyone who paddled with me, drove me to the top, clapped me on the back. Getting such good energy from so many people made the day possible, so thanks everyone, and go out and do something awesome all day long!
Curt and I at 6 am right before starting Lap 1 Photo: lauren Starcevich
