The Dirtbag's Guide to Whitewater Issue 6

THE DIRTBAG’S GUIDE TO WHITEWATER

FANTASYLAND INTO THE UN-UN

!"#$ THE $10 C-1 PADDLE

CARBON NEUTRAL KAYAKING SCOTT MARTIN'S PHOTO TUTORIAL

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Locals Only!

In the making of this issue, I logged some serious travel time. I found myself "Walking Away" from Upper Lewis Falls in Washington's Southern Cascades one afternoon and landed in the Skykomish drainage the next morning.... after detouring two hours south to include a friend in the adventure. I flew across the country and back, twice. I drove away from the northwest's most reliable river (The White Salmon) to central Washington and beyond more times than I'd like to count in search of something...different. I crossed the long, lonely width of Oregon and on into Idaho a total of four times.... and will be repeating that drive at the end of the month. I even made it up to B.C. a couple times, one of which required a float plane ride in to the source of a river.

In short, I practiced the furthest thing from "Carbon Neutral Kayaking."

Throughout all my travels, I never sensed any hostile localism. Certainly there is local pride- the belief that their home river is stouter, more consistent, or better in some other way than everywhere else- but that speaks to the passion every paddler has for their home.

For those of us that have been paddling for a while, it might seem like a given. Why create tension with future paddling partners, teachers, and shuttle drivers? But that's not the case with all sports. Skiers make the claim "no friends on a powder day," surfers can be downright aggressive to the "kooks" showing up on their local breaks. It took an interview with a skier/surfer transplant to realize it, but us dirtbags live in a veritable "Fantasyland" full of the most friendly and welcoming folks in the actionsports world.

So in this issue, I'd like to welcome you to my backyard, which, when you're living in the back of your truck, can be pretty much anywhereâ&#x20AC;Ś Eric Adsit Editor-In-Chief

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Contributors Editor-in-Chief Eric Adsit Cover Design Eric Warner Words Eric Adsit Nick Gottlieb Scott Martin Alex Barham

Photos Eric Adsit Nick Gottlieb Scott Martin Alex Barham Katie Chapman

Contents !

Carbon Neutral Kayaking Walking Away The $10 C-1 Paddle Fantasyland Scott Martinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Photo Tutorial Into the Un-Un

Carbon Neutral Kayaking

By Nicholas Gottlieb So, you eat local. You're an AW member. You signed that online petition to save the polar bears from drowning - that one everyone shared on Facebook.

You even sent a check for twenty bucks to that conservation group after your last payday.

But you flew 7,000 miles to Uganda last year for a kayak trip. You almost always drive separately from your friends because biking shuttle is such a drag. And you drove 12 hours to Gauley Fest by yourself because you wanted to go run the Upper Yough the Monday prior. OK, OK. That last one was me, not you.

I mean, it's kayaking. It's seven parts driving, one part paddling, and at least two parts drinking beer, right?

Well, it doesn't have to be that way. That's right! You can replace all seven parts of driving with eco-friendly world-saving transportation. Allow me to introduce Carbon-Neutral Kayaking.

The concept is simple. Go kayaking, but don't drive anywhere. There's one key requirement: live near a river. The exact maximum distance varies depending on your tolerance for carrying your kayak. Here are the five best reasons to practice carbon-neutral kayaking.

1. It's a great way to get in the newspaper.

Maybe this is more common for other folks, but the last time I was in a newspaper was in high school, and it was an article about the debate team. If you want to be the next legend of your town's newspaper, try trudging down the street in a snowstorm with your kayak on your shoulder. I guarantee someone will write an article about how awesome (crazy?) you are.

2. It's great exercise.

If you're not driving to the put-in, you're getting exercise, whether it's carrying your boat a few miles or portaging and paddling your way upstream from the takeout. If you're lucky, you live in a spot where you can do both – I'm currently living at the takeout of Otter Creek Gorge in VT and most days I paddle and portage my way up, but sometimes its nice to switch it up and get that Cali training in.

3. When your friends want to go paddling, you can just tell them to meet you at your house.

If they're meeting you at your house, there's no way you'll be late. And, if it's miserable and sleeting outside, as it usually is when I go kayaking, you have the added bonus of being able to change in the nice, heated indoors.

4. There's always a cold beer at the end of your paddling trip.

Whether you live at the put in, the takeout, or a couple miles away, there'll always be a cold beer waiting for you at the end of your paddle, attainment, or hike back home. If you happen to be out of beer, you can always stop at a gas station while you're hoofing your boat through town!

And the icing on the cake: you don't even have to worry about getting one of those pesky open container violations during your drive home.

5. You get to brag to all your friends about how you're saving the world.

“Yeah, so that's pretty cool that you did a no portage descent of Fantasy Falls. But I went paddling yesterday and didn't drive at all. Do you know how many baby seals you killed? That's right.” There's no better route to the moral high ground than carrying your kayak a couple miles to go attain class II in 20 degree weather.

So, when you're next deciding where to live, go ahead and browse the classic Mountainbuzz and Boatertalk threads arguing about what corner of the US is best for paddling. But give some real thought to living close to a river, wherever you choose. Being able to paddle every day with no time, money, or gasoline wasted on driving is pretty great, and just might be worth living that extra hour from your favorite creek or play spot.

Walking Away

Why it sucks and how we can make it better There comes a point in every paddlers life where river’s not going anywhere.” And in most cases they roll up to the lip of some huge, gnarly rapid. that’s true. Even when it’s a 20-year flood event Maybe they've run harder, but not by much. or the one time you’ve seen the dam releasing They take their time scouting. Plan every stroke. water, the river will almost always flow again, and when you find it at the right time- whether And walk away. that’s next weekend or 10 years down the roadthe anticipation will make finally paddling that Sometimes our reasons for not running a rapid stretch all the better. After all, a dream come are blatant: The wrong water level, a lack of true can’t happen without there being a dream in focus, not enough people to set safety. Other the first place. times it's less clear, more of a gut feeling that things aren't lined up quite just right today. Four years ago I found a steep creek right in my Either way, it's easy to feel let down. backyard. It featured an intimate and committing canyon with multiple drops ranging Over the years I've walked away from a lot of from ten to forty feet. I spent six months rapids. Probably more than I should have. But scouting, until one day it started raining. It I've always found solace in the words passed on rained all week, and I was sure it would be the to me by Jim Dobbins: "It's better to wish you only time the creek would be runnable. I had run a rapid than wish you hadn't." scrambled up and down gorge walls and found back-to-back riverwide holes.

Every paddler has heard the sage advice, “The

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After all, a dream come true can’t happen without there being a dream in the first place.

I called friends to discuss options, desperate to catch it. But no one would bite. Finally, I walked away, certain I’d never see the river with enough flow again. Months later I returned by chance at appropriate flows and managed the first descent with Taylor Krammen. Still the river haunted me, demanded repeated descents.

Three years later, I logged three descents in four days, each with new partners. Walking away that first time is the only reason the river has become known the way it is today, rather than as a Class VI killer. !

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Walking away sucks at the time. If you didn’t think you could run it, you wouldn’t have gone in the first place. But to see the potential, to be there and ready to go, and know that that day just isn’t your day and have the guts to walk away makes you more courageous and talented than anyone that just charges over the lip regardless of their doubts.

Words and Photos by Eric Adsit ! !

Resurrection: Converting a Broken Kayak Paddle into a C1 A reality of paddling is that paddles break and often it is not worth having the broken side replaced. Using $10 worth of materials a broken paddle can be converted into a C1 in about ten minutes.

Materials: 5 minute epoxy, 1" to 3/4" T PVC connector, and 2 3/4" plugs, saw The Steps: 1. Determine the desired hand position of the C1 paddle and cut the shaft to length.

Be sure to cut below any cracks or hazing in the paddle's gel-coat.

2. Mix half of the epoxy and spread liberally inside 1" end of the T connector 3. Insert the paddle with a twisting motion 4. Use any excess epoxy in the inside of the connector to seal the top of the paddle and to seal the plugs in place 5. Insert plugs making sure they have a complete seal 6. Use remaining epoxy to make a watertight seal with a clean finished edge at the bottom of the T connector 7. Clean up any drips 8. Follow directions for proper cure, and paint if desired If done properly this will create a very sturdy Tgrip, and bringing the materials could be a viable option to taking a break-down paddle on some self-support trips.

Alex Barham is a DIY mad scientist, fiddling with broken things, lots of fiberglass and epoxy, and even making his own carbon playboat.

By Alex Barham

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Fantasyland finding growth in perpetual play

Tom Whipple is the epitome of the 21 year old action sports charger. With a background in surfing, skiing, and mountainbiking, his relocation to Hood River for the summer was only improved by a heightened focus on whitewater kayaking.

But he also readily analyzes himself and others, allowing him to recognize the pitfalls of unwavering hedonism that often dominates action sports culture.

During 23+ hours of travel, Tom reflected on a few questions posed by the Dirtbag’s Guide, below are those questions and his responses. –Eds. TDBG: You call Hood River a Fantasyland. Why? Tom: The variety of terrain for a variety of sports within a very short drive defines Hood River and without it, the various interest groups would not be here to begin with. Its oft-described as a mecca and what I like to call “Disneyland for adults” (definitely not Las Vegas for me!). Being an easy hour’s drive from Portland and its international airport makes it a destination for jet-setting wind junkies, kayakers, mountain bikers, skiers and hikers, not to mention the pervasive weekend day trippers.

Mt Hood (50 miles south) hosts 3 ski areas (one of which has the longest operating season in the US, rivaled only by Whistler, Canada) and Mt Adams (60 miles north) offers hiking and backcountry skiing on the second highest of the Cascade’s volcanoes. Adam’s glaciers also provide the water for the White Salmon river, a staple whitewater run for private kayaking groups and commercial raft outfits, particularly due to the very consistently-classed nature of its evenly spaced sections with the easiest shuttle I’ve ever come across. Drivers expect hitchhikers, particularly at Husum (15 min. from HR). The notorious Little White Salmon, offering rapids of every whitewater feature one may wish to feast on (I’ve heard the slides are lacking though…), is only one drainage west and has a very long season as well. In the winter and spring, many more regional rivers are flowing in both WA and OR and the waterfall options range from the (only?) commercially run 10footer, Husum, to perhaps the most run 80-footer, Metlako, with a smorgasbord of sizes and natures between them.

I cannot speak to kite or windsurfing other than that it is very windy, very consistently.

Employees and wives/husbands occasionally joke about the “wind clause”, one exonerating them from obligations when flags are blowing. However, I can attest that the mountain biking is downright bitchin’ with many trail options particularly catering to freeride and all mountain/XC riding. 3 bike shops, a renowned enduro race and a rig hanging off most bumpers make it quite a scene.

For all the sports above, depending on location and elevation (sea level to 12,600’) you can get after it every damn day of the year. No off/shoulder season, just the tough choice between creeks, Columbia, singletrack or glaciers, on any given day. As if chasing the dream of multisport a dozen famous microbreweries entices by night.

Great suffering in Disneyland. !

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TDBG: Is Hood River a great place for a dirtbag to settle into for a while, or the best?

Tom: Don’t come, I heard the locals are really aggressive.

As for duration, that’s up to the dirtbag. Many do come with firm convictions of staying only a season and spend the rest of their lives here. I can’t speak much to other outdoor-hub towns, such as Jackson Hole where I spent 10 days, but the consistency of days-you-can-play is absolutely unbeatable in HR. Almost all others with experience more seasonality and clearer starts/ends of each sports season.

There is a reason Dakine has world HQ here…

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TDBG: What were some of your peak experiences this summer? some of the lows?

Tom: I tore apart my truck looking for my passport, not finding it in any of the nooks I would leave it and passed a deeply disconcerted 15 minutes of pondering how to get by the 3 international flights I had booked in the coming few weeks. I then remembered sending in the actual passport to the Embassy of Madagascar for a VISA back in July. That was great relief indeed.

On a certain 24 hour span in August, I found myself kayaking with a variety of friends for 24 or so miles down the White Salmon River, followed shortly thereafter by a wine and rotisserie chicken (BIG MANâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S!) dinner overlooking the Gorge with a pair of great friends. Some very generous chauffeur then gave me 2 shuttle rides on the Maryhill Loops Road at dawn the next morning. There is something glorious about going fast on a longboard, rolling on butter-smooth pavement that has a ban on cars and, I suppose, flat sections. The sky, the hills, were golden. Then I was dropped off and went to work at 9, thoroughly content.

Sometimes the stars align just so.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hope that we all seek challenge in whatever we put the most energy into in a standard day.â&#x20AC;?

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TDBG: What do you do when there isn't work or play? How do you manage the downtime?

Tom: There really wasn’t any downtime. If I didn’t have plans to paddle, I could go mountain biking and if it wasn’t daylight or I didn’t have more than an hour, I could longboard on a hill less than a mile from both of my jobs. Other than that, I read when possible, enjoyed beers on the roof of the Hotel Tacoma (my truck), cooked off her ‘gate. Come to think of it, I hope to improve my culinary technique for next summer, fully utilizing the 2 burner Coleman I invested in.

So far, one of my greatest revelations came last winter in the form of “Ramen Pad Thai”, a metric shit-ton of calories for 50 cents to 2 dollars, depending on your hunger. The recipe: cook Ramen noodles (I like Nissin for 20 cents a packet), toss out the flavoring powder pouch (MSG micro bomb) and add peanut butter, chunky or smooth but certainly bought in bulk size. The piece de resistance, the garnish is either Sriachi, Tabasco or Cholula sauce for the purists.

Boom.

TDBG: Any tips for future dirtbags tracing your footsteps?

Tom: “Tracing my footprints”, Haha, I’m honored.

Don’t rush your time spent scouting a streak of dirtbagging- there’s a significant ideological difference between getting evicted out of an indoor living arrangement and choosing to move into your vehicle. Some regions are much more conducive to this lifestyle than others- urban areas terrify me and suburbs sometimes get police presence patrolling for trespassers. Walmart supposedly has a 24 hour public parking lot but security is a crapshoot. Dirt road turnoff and particularly BLM and US Forest Service lands are your best assets. Your possessions may be scattered between storage units and friend’s basements/garages, but the essentials are in the vehicle with you. Some choose the scattered approach and explode everything out of the trunk looking for the right length of NRS strap. I recommend coming up with systems for organization, whatever works for you but there’s lots of room for creativity.

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Scott Martin’s Photo Tutorial Protecting the Money Maker Scott Martin is a professional photographer from South Africa. His shooting experience ranges from Multi day video boating on South Africa’s Orange river to the deep remote gorge of the Apurimac river, Peru and cold waters of Norway filming and shooting expeditions.For some trips, he has had to carry a stills camera, plus two or three lenses, a video camera, and additional batteries.Here at The Dirtbag's Guide, we consider him the go-to-guy for professional guidance in capturing our dirtbag media. -Eds.

One of the most asked questions I get is: What do I use to keep my camera equipment dry, protected and with me while kayaking?

There are hundreds of options to choose from these days when looking for what to buy to keep your camera dry and safe.

This article is based on what equipment I have and have used in the past. I like to try keep things simple.

At the moment I shoot with a full frame Nikon DSLR D700, a 24-85mm, 70300mm, 50mm lenses. I carry 1 extra battery and 2 spare cards in my bag. !

It's a little excessive at times but I also pick and choose lenses based on the type of river I’m paddling, and the length and nature of the trip. !

What bag/case to use: I have used a pelican Case for years and have had the buckles breaking and then I had to replace them myself. I now use a Watershed Drybag as my equipment won’t fit in a Pelican case.

Pelican Case 1300 Pros: • Strong • Hard shell for when you drop it your camera won’t break • Easy to handle, open and close • Great if you are in a hurry to get your camera • Good price • You can put stickers on it • Well priced Cons: • The seal inside wears down over a long period of time • Buckles become weak over a long period of time • Customer support is not great. !

Watershed Dry Bag: Pros: • Durable • Strong • Water tight • Lots of space • Watershed offer fantastic customer service and their warranty is great.

Cons: • More expensive than pelican case • If you drop it your gear takes the impact • You have to buy another sleeve which fits inside to help protect your gear • Hard to lay down in a hurry on rock or your skirt when inside your boat.

• Expensive

Where to put the camera: I have always put my camera between my legs when I kayak. I really don’t like putting it behind my seat. It takes ages to get out from there, and that wastes time for you and the group.

When you are staring down the line of a 40footer you don’t want to be fumbling with your camera bag behind your seat. Sometimes I will clip it into the front pillar of the boat.

But never keep all your eggs on one basket.

When I have taken swims with my camera between my legs I have surprisingly been able to grab it as soon as my head comes up from the water. (I also tell people to look for my camera bag asap if I do swim) Keeping things dry: I cut a small block of a camping towl and toss it in my bag, this allows me to dry my hands before I pick up my camera. Otherwise by the end of the day everything is pretty damp.

At the end of my day of shooting I leave my bag open and take everything out to dry completely.

Then I’m ready for the next day of shooting with dry gear.

-Scott Martin !

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Into the Un-Un

The water flows cold and fast, and the trees at the rim reach their branches almost all the way across the narrow strip of sky above.

Where the walls don't rise straight up from the river, they go beyond vertical and hang over you.In Commitment Canyon, there are places that never see direct sunlight.

And yet it is a place that glows.

Polished bedrock glistens with mist, pinballing what little light reaches the canyon floor up and down the river. The electric blue water captures the remaining light and holds it beneath the surface, diffusing the harsh rays and turning them into something different, something soft.

These are the images anyone who goes to the Ashlu can return with, paddler or not, but to experience the Canyon's namesake, you have to go deeper Entrance to the canyon is guarded by a stacked series of ledges, the first and most intimidating of which can easily be walked around. The others present the first taste of commitment: easily scouted from above, blind from river level. !

Beyond these ledges lie the oft dreaded, yet tantalizing Unscoutable, Unportageable.

Here, vertical walls and blank horizonlines demand a level of mental fortitude rarely encountered in the "real world." To waiver in commitment here will surely result in a complete emotional and mental breakdown. !

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While the river may occasionally tolerate a swim, all efforts to make progress downstream must be exhausted before considering an extremely difficult and time consuming extraction up the canyon walls.

Here is the anticlimactic secret: The pools between those intimidating rapids are no more scenic than those accessible to anyone at the entrance.They hardly glow; in fact, they are darker, more filled in with shadow than their aesthetically pleasing upstream counterparts.

So why bother? Why assume the extra risk to reach a place that, quite frankly, just isn't as pretty?

The answer can only lie in the power of relinquishing control, committing to a journey that forces us over a horizon and into the unknown.Those dark pools and sculpted overhanging walls in the heart of the canyon do not glow with captured and bouncing light, they radiate and echo with the experience of absolute commitment and surrender to a force as old as time.

-Eric Adsit

Ashlu Creek is located in SW British Columbia and features a number of incredibly beautiful whitewater stretches, including Commitment Canyon.

Information regarding release scheduling can be found at liquidlore.com!

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To the boundless backyardâ&#x20AC;Ś