Rock Creek and a Vertical Mile on Bear...

I was doing some PT and had to give my shoulder a break in April and May, but David stayed busy. He dialed a new local run, Rock Creek on Lookout Mountain. The take out is within 3 miles of our house and it is part of a land trust, so access is limited and fragile. Right near the put in, there is this beautiful waterfall (below) that is an obvious portage... Travis Chambers running Insurance Bluff rapid on Rock Creek...

April showers lasted into May this year, and one day, Bear held between 12-15 inches, giving David and Jeff West the opportunity to set a new record. They ran 7 laps on Bear, dropping over 6000 vertical feet in one day! O ya- and Happy Birthday to David...he's 33!!

Green Race 2008: Low Water and Good Lines

This was David's first time entering the Green Race. He placed 12th in short boat with a time of 5:37.

Surfing in Idaho 2008

Kat - helix

Kat - air loop

Kat - working on airwheels

Vertical Mile on Oh-Be-Joyful

David, Chris Townshend and Jeff West got up at daylight, drove a jeep across the Slate River and up the snowy, rough 4WD road to run 21 laps on OBJ (all the way down to the Slate). They had cleared snow the day before and put a tarp over the hood of the Jeep to cross. They broke 3 boats and 1 paddle, and had two flat tires, not to mention some gross looking chapped lips and faces from the ice cold water. Below is David at the 25 footer... And at the 15 footer by the put in...

Now I didn't do the laps, but here is a shot of me at the 25 footer after it warmed up, but that same season!

High Water Oh Be Joyful Race

David's first extreme race was the OBJ Race. The water was high and the weather was warm, typical for a big snowpack year. After a timed start to finish, they had a Giant Slalom course through the 25 footer. Here's David running a fast line at the first waterfall, a 15 footer...

Running Stupid Falls and the Crested Butte Quadruple Crown!!

When Mark Bowman and Chad Pickens got to town, it was time for the Crested Butte Quad Crown...Some more OBJ, Daisy, Slate, and the Upper East. David decided Stupid Falls looked good and went for it!

Top photo: Kat on Daisy (photo by Natalie Kellum)

Next: David entering Stupid Falls (photo by Scott Shoup, who joined in for a couple runs)

More TVF...Henderson, Richland, Cain, and North Chickamauga Creeks all in one day!

When it rains in Chattanooga, there's no better place to be! David and Jonathon hit Henderson first, and then came over to the Chick for a late run. I took some first timers down Cain/Chick on the early run. Below are some shots of me (finally) running Vortex. My first time and super clean!




Thanks to Anne Connely for the photos! It was great to paddle with her. The girls ran Vortex, and coincidently, one of the guys that was portaging changed his mind. Ha!