Winter Wanderings

Well, winter has been here for a while, but it hasn't felt like it, for the most part, in Northern California. We have been blessed, or should I say cursed, with abnormally warm and dry weather lately. However, there is hope in sight, which brings to light, thoughts of kayaking. No matter the weather, there always seems to be somewhere to go play in a little plastic boat that I have become so attached to. Dagger has designed two really amazing kayaks I love to paddle, which are the Nomad 8.5 and GreenBoat. They stay locked into the flow, and have a tendency to just go. Combine that with a Werner Shogun, and you're ready to put on a show. What else do you need to know? Here are some pictures I've taken over the past few months. Celebrated a most righteous 27th birthday with a bunch of fellow Chargers on the Bald Rock Canyon, always pleasing to the eye. Hope you are feeling prime, for whatever makes you feel Charged.

Justin Patt sails his brand new, to him, Nomad on his birthday, on his favorite run, Purdons of the South Yuba. It was a good day!

Thomas Moore is one of the few brave enough to take the GreenBoat on Purdons. He would say it makes some stuff easier, and some stuff harder, depending on your line. This is a good line.

World Traveler, Ben Stookesberry, charges into a burly rapid on Bald Rock. I think it was around 700 cfs for reference, and everyone felt like it was a great flow.

While not the greatest picture, you can see just how backed up this hole is. Taylor Robertson is like the Mayor of Bald Rock, and has earned some serious charge-ability in there!

We had a huge crew on my birthday, and thanks to Sarah, our awesome shuttle driver, all ten of us crammed into Jason Hale's trusty Tundra for a one way trip.

Water, granite, gradient, good times. Drew Duval and Alex Herr in the gorge.

Peacher and I decided to route the smear boof, which made the portage interesting. You can see the tip of the GreenBoat in the pic. It was awesome on the river, and the lake.

The crew chilling next to the un-run Atom Bomb falls. Maybe one day someone will run it...

Jason Hale executing a beautiful seal launch into a nice swirly pool.

Curtain Falls is the highlight of Bald Rock. Even at 500cfs, Alex Herr sends his Nomad flying.

And when no other rivers are running, we can count on recreational releases every weekend on the South Fork of the American. Mike Peacher, surfs out into Barking Dogg on a sunny sunday.

Speaking of Barking Dogs, I just got a new pup I named Jah Lion. Here he is scouting South Deer creek falls, but knows it needs more flow. His wisdom is deep, just like the pool below.

Cheers-- Will Pruett