In the absence of completed trip reports for recent adventures, I offer you these glimpses into the kayaker lifestyle. This clip is from the informal White Trash Party 2009 at Northwestern Lake, on the White Salmon River. The annotated video says more than I ever could with mere words:
Some months later, Adventure Technology had a farewell party at the plant, with a Pimp & Ho theme. Katie and Josh were probably the best pimp and ho of the party, respectively. Here's Josh playing on his unicycle with a both feather boa and a light buzz tied on:
Any whitewater kayaker who tells you that they don't see this kind of thing every weekend is obviously hiding the truth. It could be a cocktail of pride and shame, or maybe they're trying to bogart the fun all for themselves. Trust only those who can look you in the eye and assure you that this type of shit happens every day...
We had 80+ racers for the event, and the weather and water level cooperated perfectly. Big up to Luke Spencer for being the lead organizer. I think the turnout this weekend surprised everyone involved. If it's any bigger next year, we'll rival the legendary Green Race. (Photo at right is yours truly boofing Hammering Spot during the race on Saturday.)
Sunday. We had a huckfest on Sunset Falls (video by Cory Morton):
Before it started, Dingo, Jesse, Cory, Neil, Johanna, and I put in a few miles above the falls for a run. Johanna was killing it for her first time in a kayak (inflatable though it was), and doing on a solid Class III/III+ run. I tried out my newly-repaired AT2 paddle (warranty repaired to a 0-degree offset) and was loving it until it broke again. It's true what they say -- nothing paddles quite like an AT. If only they were stouter. I'm told the AT Flexi is not as brittle. Back to the factory with it, I reckon. After the huckfest, it was time to break everything down and load it back in the cars for the trek back to Portland. Oly and Brenda were consummate hosts, as always!
Saturday. We had a stunning turnout for the race! 80+ racers and plenty of spectators and event volunteers made for a fun crown on and around Canyon Creek. The weather and flows could not have been more optimal: 70 degrees and sunny, with the level 3-4 inches below the unit. The higher flows seemed to catch some people off guard, especially those who'd only done the run in the relatively dry weeks prior to the event. Around 8 boaters found themselves swimming out of Prelude to Thrasher, and a few racers found the need to take a quick dip mid-race, probably just to cool off. ;-) Party.
