Sunday, August 19, 2012

Jah Box!!! Wyoming Part 2

The Box section of the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone is the third deepest canyon in the lower 48 and is infamously known for being the best paddling in Wyoming.  The canyons were deep and the granite   was smooth and good times and lines were shared by all!  Jordy and I ended up doing two laps of this multi-day gem and sent the second lap in a one day push, completing the run in only 6 hours!  We had a blast with all the cool people and enjoyed the dirtbagging thoroughly!!


Lifestyle in Wyoming!

Deep in Canyon

Young Eric Parker trying to explain the mystery of women to Jordy!!!

Balls to the Wall! Young Teauge Mannley!

Myself routing Balls to the Wall!

Nice scenery from the deeps!

Riso and Teague- These kidz are gonna be Charger's!!!

Right before I speared a Tetonka!!! Deliberation!!!

Jordy Searle in the Calender Gorge!!!

Chilln like a Villian!!! Straight Waubish!!!

Send Train!!!

Charge Sauce!!!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Wyoming Part 1 - N.F. Bull Lake Expedition



So epic in every way! Our mission in the Wind River Range of Wyoming eclipsed the amount of effort of expedition's such as the Middle Kings!


An amazingly beautiful place that might not be suited for kayaking!


My original plan for the summer was to slowly but surely make my way from Cali up through the Pacific Northwest and into British Columbia, following the west coast and pushing north.  All was going to plan until I veared east out of Washington state into Idaho and then eventually to Wyoming putting my entry into B.C. over a month behind schedule. The best plan is no plan with a constant of Charge. And with this theory in mind I have been charging life and found myself hiking into the most intense arena I have ever visited- A first descent of the N.F. of Bull Lake from the base of the glacier's on Big Milky Lake into Bull Lake Proper.


Little did we know we would only make it 2 mile in 8 hours upon exiting this high mountain glacial lake!

Starting the hike early in the morning after being dropped off in the middle of no where, we presceeded to start our 11 hour death slog, in the rain, up and over a 11,000 foot pass, following game trails, keeping an alert eye for bear's, even further into the middle of no where!  So Epic!


Taking a picture, wishing this sick 35 footer into a box canyon didn't have a messed up chock stone in the lip.

Fresh out of the Lake on day 2 we started into the North Fork which to our knowledge was virgin territory and we were about to figure out why. Finding tons of the sickest whitewater I have ever seen, it seemed like every rapid had somethhing majorly messed up in the intro, lip, or exit!  It was messed up- so tempting to fire but so wrong.  Our descent of the North Fork was so heinous we only managed to make it 2 miles in a matter of 8 hours before our boddies were recked and day light fading.
Probably the first descent of this manky slotty tripple drop
Sold it for Jim Janney and he Charged!
Realizing I was going to have do an epic portage after I stumbled upon a 60 footer into box canyon!
Epic

Yeah we ran some shit.

Day 3 opened up and we were able to make serious river miles.  The rock we traveled over taxed our boats with gouges and major losses of plastic. We found some huge rapids and huge portages and the epicness of Bull Lake was close to overwhelming.  Firing hard we routed some sick rapids and staeady class 5 boulder gardens.  I was in a situation where there was only one way to go- down river!

Hagen-Daz aka the big one

This thing had the sickest lead-in.  Super snakey and steep!

Jordy "The Juggernaut" Searle


2/3 of the way through a 2 mile portage!

Truth!

On day 4 we made a savage 20+ mile push through epic portaging, big rapid's, long stretches of boulder charge, (where Jordy and Myself couldn't resist but leaving the eddies alone and we found ourselves in the flow paddling hard) broken boats, all the way out and across the lake to the take out!

Gotta love the portage!

Bull Lake Fall's

Firing the runout of Bull Lake Fall's
Below Bull Lake Fall's we found some sick boulder gardens


We agreed on the epic beauty of this mission and the fact that after completing it, we had done it and we would never have to do it again!


After 4 day's engulfed in granite we paddled into amazing sandstone cliffs!

Stay tuned for Wyoming part 2 - The Box of the Clark's Fork of the Yellowstone!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Payette and Mesa

I had always wanted to visit the Payette but just never made it due to my focus on Cali.  With the Cali season ending early I was stoked to go dirtbag the Payette and reap the rewards of roadside access.  What I found blew my mind. The Payette is probably the most bang for your buck river I have ever been blessed to paddle. Straight Gangsta!!!!!  With a quick humbling it took a lil longer to memorize the big water lines than I had expected.  Once the lines were down, It was GO TIME, with inspiration from Nasty Nate Klema I began to boof everything and the kickflips seemed endless. We originally planned to stay for 5 days which became a rad 19 at this amazing river!  I tagged 20 plus laps top to bottom and even bagged a vertical mile in a day with my buddy Seth Swallen.  Jordy Searle and myself thoroughly enjoyed the company of all the Bank's and Boise locals and guarantee we will be back next spring for the infamous high flows!!   This  river got me ready for the shit- Boot Camp!

Cooper Lambla and Myself boycotting  the no left turn! 
Me and this kid are charging life so hard right now- Truth!!

Life is grand in the front of the pack!

Pulln on it!

Surfs up bro!

With more to go!

I got to the point where I figured not paddling might be the way to go!



In short, we headed to Lower Mesa Falls to huck the infamously gnarly right side and ducked our heads in fear.  Here are a couple shots of the much less stressful left side.
Gnar in the background!

Doin what I do!

Pop it like its hot!


Epic Expeditions in Wyoming next!  Keep tuned and as always - STOKED!