The past few years have been full of adventure. The pursuit of whitewater paddling has risen to become the foremost focus in my life. I've shaped my lifestyle, both personal and professional, into a mold that allows me to more fully immerse myself in the navigation of swiftly moving, and falling water. There is a closeness, a tremendous bond that forms among people who share any passion, or who triumph jointly over great challenges. Often adventure is met at the point where great passion and challenge come together. It can be both enlightening and terrifying, exulting and tragic. Whitewater is the medium on which I choose to focus my passion. It is the challenge for the body, mind and soul that elevates focus and blots out all distractions. And it is over this incredible dynamic medium that I have been able experience and explore some of the most incredible places on earth and share time with some of my closest friends. I hope this blog will serve its purpose of sharing the passion for adventure and whitewater equally with both those who may already be familiar with its draw and those to whom it is foreign. I'd like to nurture that closeness, and strengthen that bond that has been created as a result of these pursuits while also shedding light toward the reason behind my addiction to whitewater for my non paddling friends and family. Through photos and stories this blog is my shot at defining adventure.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Pacific North-West



I've wanted to find a place where i could both live, work and paddle every single day. A little research and I decided to head out to the Washington and Oregon's Columbia River Gorge. Camping out on a bluff above the White Salmon River in Washington state i had the takeout to the Green Truss section literaly a few steps away and the Little White Salmon river about a twenty minute drive to the west. With some of the best steep creeking in the world this close and the perfect combo of rain and melt to keep them running all summer i had found exactly what i came looking for. Signing on with Wet Planet, a whitewater outfitter in Husum, Washington, connected me with some great people and great paddlers, and the end result was the best summer paddling i've ever had. Here's a few pics from the PNW.

Punchbowl Falls: Within the first couple weeks of getting to the Gorge, i hiked my way up Eagle Creek to a north-western classic with Lance Reif and Susan Hollingsworth. Sharing the day with students from the World Class Kayak Academy, we got a couple runs apiece and got to watch about a dozen others. The photo above is me peaking over the edge of Punchbowl Falls from the cockpit of my Kayak and below is a the gorge following the falls.
Photo: Susan Hollingsworth

Photo: Susan Hollingsworth


Running a clean drop on the East fork of the Lewis
Photo: Lance Reif
Scouting lower Lewis Falls, too big for me, but beautiful no less.
Photo: Lance Reif


One major highlight of the summer was the Big Air Bonanza hosted by Dave Hammond. We brought back the Old school with big boats and vintage looks. In the photo above Devin goes vertical in his RPM while Curt Joyce waits for a chance at Endomania fame.

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