Royal Gorge of the North Fork of the American

The Royal Gorge is a hot ticket item on the California paddling list as it offers one of the biggest days of hucking in the Sierra. This waterfall stacked run kicks off the High Sierra Season and for most presents the first overnighter of the season. With heavy boats and anxious mindsets even the best paddlers find themselves walking around some of the giants which lay in the gorge. This is a must do run for those who want a lil piece of the real stuff. Going back next season will be interesting as the big drops of Royal make it easy for you to walk but hard to forget about. This year we started the process of going big at Heath 2 but a multi hour extraction of Charles King from the cave at the base of the falls slowed momentum and the stoked level. We camped and fired hard the next day with Rattlesnake, Scotts- no takers, and Wabena on the plate. We all fired Rattlesnake and Barney Young fired Wabena. The Royal Gorge was an amazing and humbling place to visit and I'm stoked to go back and hopefully fire more of the giants that lie within it's granite walls!

Nick Murphy on Heath I (p. Jordy Searle)

Charles King on Heath II (p. Nick Murphy)

Chris Korbulic scopen King in the cave (p. Nick Murphy)

The crew pullin King out (p. Nick Murphy)

Jordy Searle (p. Nick Murphy)

Chris Korbulic on Rattlesnake (p. Nick Murphy)

Nick Murphy on Rattlesnake (p. Jordy Searle)

Nick Murphy on Rattlesnake (p. Barney Young)

Scotts Drop- I want it bad-we'll see...(p. Nick Murphy)

Barney scouting Wabena- he fired it! (p. Nick Murphy)

Wabena (p. Nick Murphy)

Looking out from Wabena (p. Nick Murphy)

Much Love to the Charge!!!