Updater

I. News

Happy days everyone & welcome to the recently revamped tRL space! tRL 3-dot Oh. Still a couple tweaks that need to happen & some others that I'm sure will become apparent soon enough. So here's what's new:

* a newly enlarged main window that gives us the option of posting higher-res photo files

* a new header image featuring the man, the zipper-head master, Matt Madaloni, & our "NPR Ripoff" logo up top

* a new 3-legged talking unicorn over there on the right (his name's Fauntleroy Southworth, in case you were wondering)

* a new, easier to read font-face throughout

* a new sidebar section called "Extracurricular Studies" featuring links out to our ever-expanding individual Delicious files & our Vacation To Hell Delicious files too. (don't know what Delicious is all about? click the link & get yr learn on then)

* I killed the mp3 player application. I loved that thing, but it sucked the juice out of load speeds. Plus, we're gonna be including more embedded video & flash slideshows in the future, so I wanted to free up some space for that

* our old archived posts are waaaay easier to access via the "TRL Public Record" dropdown feature

* & as always, if you enjoy this blog, it's best to just subscribe & have it delivered hot 'n fresh to your inbox in the mornings via RSS syndication. It only takes a second to do it, & we are USDA-certified Spam-free. Just do it. (bottom of sidebar)


II. Photo Holdem

So it's been a fortnight since our last Photo Hold'em round was posted. Predictably, the holiday festivus wrenched everything. But I'm back on the case & getting ready to drop Round 4, The Great Eight, in a day or two. Bonus! All the photogs who got schooled in the first couple rounds have been invited to submit one image for a last chance shot at advancing out of the Leuzer's bracket .. Stay tuned.

III. Good Read

Emptied the bookshelf in our office the other day & came across this excellent 2003 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PIECE on Vancouver Island. Thought y'all might enjoy it. Van Island -- so hot right now.

IV. LVM

Bryan's newest piece of production wizardry, focusing on the amazing Ashlu river, can be found on the newest issue of LVM, #21. Check the methods below.



Photos: TG

The Vacation to Heaven...Ecuador

This fall has been full of South American visions for the TRL crew. After discovering that we had won a trip to the Rio Huallaga in Northern Peru, we all spent ample time on Google Earth, flipping through the World Atlas, and generating the overwhelming EVIDENCE that the Huallaga was indeed going to be a VACATION TO HELL. I however was concurrently planning the Vacation to Heaven to the kayaking paradise of Ecuador with my wife Lise-Anne, which greatly eased the "sketch" factor associated with the Peru trip. The beta on Ecuador was revealing warm water, challenging class IV runs peppered with a bit of class V, peaceful and friendly people, posh hotels and lodges, taxi drivers that knew put-in and take-outs, and a huge diversity of rivers to paddle. For many newlyweds these days planning a honeymoon requires hiring a CONSULTANT. Lise-Anne and I put our trust into recent friends and Ecuadorian experts Don Beveridge and Darcy Gaechter from SMALL WORLD ADVENTURES as our consultants. Their knowledge and the comforts of Cabinas Tres Rios (the Small World Lodge) made this trip a far cry from roughing it. After a short week on the coast at Canoa we headed for the paddling on the Eastern Slope and the small village of San Fransisco de Borja.

The plush cabin set-up at Small World...

photo by Bryan Smith

Beautiful warm water, stunning jungle scenery...having lunch on the Jondachi

photo by Bryan Smith

Some local flavor...

Photo by Bryan Smith

Ecuador is one of the better international kayaking destinations because it offers so many different rivers about 3-4 hours from each other. Within the primary drainages of the Quijos and Napo, there are plenty of options. While there are some class II-III runs and a handful of harder class V, the majority of the day trips in Ecuador provide ample amounts of continous class IV. In 12 days we managed to paddle the middle Quijos, Lower Cosonga, El Chaco Canyon, Oyacachi, Cheesehouse section of the Quijos, Upper Jondachi, Lower Jondachi, Hollin, Lower Mishahualli, Upper Jondachi again, and the Upper Mishahualli.

Don Beveridge hiking to the put-in for the Oyacachi

photo by Bryan Smith

One of my favorite boofs of the entire trip...last rapid on the Papallacta.

photo by Lise-Anne Beyries

Don showing us the line in Typhoid on the upper Jondachi

photo by Lise-Anne Beyries

The kids of Ecuador take great interest in kayaking

Photo by Lise-Anne Beyries

Don lining up the first rapid on the Jondachi

Photo by Bryan Smith

Typical pool and drop style of the 80 plus rapids on the Jondachi


The culture of Ecuador makes traveling in the country fairly easy for the savoy traveler. The people are very peaceful, speak a slower Spanish, and generally take interest if you show interest in their lifestyle.

The typical market scene in the high Andes...

Photo by Bryan Smith

Unloading the bus in Tena after the Lower Mis

Photo by Bryan Smith

The traditional Ecuadorian colors and fabrics...


This was an interesting media trip for me, as I choose to rely on a new Cannon 30d to capture the trip. Left the video at home for the first time and started the challenge of still photography. Maybe in a year or two I will be good enough to compete with some of the people I have slandered in the Photo Holdum contest. I came home with a lot of images. Here is a quick ECUADOR SLIDESHOW. from our month long journey. That link will give you the high res pics with music or you can check out the flash show below.

Flash Slideshow

A couple helpful hints for anyone thinking of paddling in this region of South America...

1. Consider renting boats or booking a trip with SMALL WORLD ADVENTURES. We decided to bring our own boats which worked, but we were VERY lucky to get them on the plane. American, Delta, and Continental are the only three airlines that fly to Ecuador and all three have "no kayak" policies. We pulled the surfboard lie, but got lucky because our agent had no clue and it was 11pm and no line up.

2. If you bring your own boat, make sure it is no longer than a medium Burn . A lot of the newer buses have no roof racks, but our medium and small Burns fit perfectly in the very back luggage hatch under the newer buses.

3. Budget about $35 per day a person to live well. That is what we spent on average for lodging, food, and shuttles each day. You can do it cheeper, but the lodging will be minimal and the food not so good.

4. Buy the "Kayaker's Guide Book to Ecuador" from Small World Adventures

5. Paddle the Upper Jondachi as many times as you can!

PSA: McCain vs. Blogosphere

Relevant only inasmuch as, well, you're *in* the blogosphere: once-faux-moderate goon John McCain is seeking to impose restrictions on bloggers' freedom of speech .. treating blogs as ISP's .. requiring bloggers to police comment sections .. & threatening stiff penalties for breakin' the rulez.

Go HERE & be sure to check out the comments section in the linked blog.

Updater

I. Andrew Oberhardt's NF Quinault Report
II. "The Last Drop"
III. Photo Hold'em Update

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I. tRL correspondent & Photo Hold'em First Round leuzer, Andi Oberhardt, took for-freakin-ever to file this trip report on the Olympic Peninsula's NF Quinault Gorge. But at least he managed to get it to my desk within the same year he did the trip:

Apparently the Range Life judges didn’t like my Photo Hold’em entry. I think they were just afraid I’d next post something incriminating of them ... For instance, this is the aftermath of Todd and Shane's exploding at the bottom of the big falls on Skookum Creek.




The very next weekend, while the Range Lifers were licking their Skookum wounds, we put together a substitute team for one of the NW’s premier splashy multiday adventures. The NF Quinault flows through an absurdly scenic box canyon in the old growth rain forest of Olympic National Park. Part of the mystique of this run is the fact that it requires a 10-mile hike and all you get is 3 miles of whitewater. (Ed. note: I'd like to reiterate: 10 miles of hiking for 3 miles of whitewater.) Despite this, a few dedicated boaters seem to come back every year. We had to find out why. So Effigy, Schertzl, and I represented Seattle alongside Bellinghamsters Ethan, Hale, and Tretwold. Ethan also brought along his lady and her occasionally naked friend for the hike.


The subs were called up from the farm club for this mission: Matt (aka "Effigy", "My Humps", "Daddylumps", etc.), Schertzl, & the author.

The first day we took our time and hiked to the bottom of the whitewater section. Our campsite was right on the riverbank, and consisted of a slot perhaps 10 feet wide between a cliff and a rock fin with a flat sandy bottom. It was definitely one of the more unique places I've ever camped.




The next morning, having cached all our heavy overnight gear, we hiked the remaining 3 miles with light loads. After putting-in, there is practically no warm up, as the first rapid leads right into the steepest and most technical section. That first canyon ends with the Glowing Wall, a tricky blind drop that gets its name from a dark polished overhanging wall that reflects white from the water. It’s quite a site.


A glimpse into the gorge at the Glowing Wall.

After that, the canyon was even more spectacular but the rapids were decent and even included a fun little waterfall. An increasing incidence of manky drops made us start to think it was a little low. This was confirmed after we picked up our cached gear and began the 6 mile "class 2 paddle out", which ended up being more like a shallow gravel-bar scrape fest. It was the kind of boating where boxing gloves would have been more useful than a paddle. As if that wasn’t enough, my boat developed an 8-inch crack and began to rapidly sink, requiring a dump every 100 feet or so. Eventually the crew rallied and performed emergency boat surgery with a camp stove, duct tape, and a screwdriver, but not before I freaked out and yelled at them for taking off when they knew I was sinking.







All tolled we were on the river for just under 8 hours, 4.5 of which was in the canyon. We were probably only in the upper canyon for 45 minutes to an hour. There is a *lot* of whitewater after glowing wall. It is definitely a high quality run; we’d like to try it next year with a bit more water. Perhaps by then, the Range Life proper crew will be sufficiently recovered and actually come kayaking with us.
(Photos: Andrew Oberhardt, Matt Thomas, Chris Tretwold, Hale Hanaway)

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II. THE LAST DROP
Got this from our friends across the border:

"The following short documentary was produced by Braden Fandrich, Chris Mennell, and Bread and Butter films as a pilot to raise funding for a planned full length Documentary planned for broadcast in late 07.

Documenting the first-descent of Vancouver Island's Memekay River, The Last Drop looks at the role kayaking plays in the
conservation of BC rivers. Although the kayakers in the film are met with a little adverse weather, they find the Memekay to be an untouched ecosystem with massive old growth trees and spectacular canyons and scenery. Presented to raise awareness of dam issues in BC, the Last Drop looks at the current state of hydro in BC, and contrasts the role of the Provincial Government in the implementation of those hydro projects with the Kayakers and their thoughts on stewardship of the rivers."

The pilot is a bit long, but well done. WATCH IT NOW.

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III. Photo Hold'em Update

Briefly .. we're working on the next round(s). Several Round 3 winners have requested more time to submit, with the holidays & international travel & all. Additionally, I invited the losers from that round to submit images for a consolation bracket & a chance to work their way back into contention for the podium. We just gotta figure out the format. Give us a minute on this ..

More: I think what we'll do going forward with the comp is this. Once we have the submissions in from the folks who advanced out of the Sweet Sixteen, we'll run that round as a head-to-head, the Great Eight. Then, we'll invite EVERYONE who has been eliminated from the 4 rounds to submit one image to get back into the Semifinals. From that group, the judges (tRL) will pick TWO photogs to join the four who advanced out of the Great Eight, for a semi's round of six. From there, we'll narrow the field to three, & so on.

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P.S. ... I'm back in the game! Got out on the water today for the first time since my shoulder surgery 10 wks ago. About a dozen of us Seattleites mobbed the Skykomish play run today. I approached the mission tentatively & with a lot of caution/anxiety .. paddled my creeker .. & did fine. Very stoked!

Here's to a happy holiday season to all of you!

t

Photo Hold'em ::: Round 3 ::: The Judges' Picks

Welcome back, sports fans. This here's the post where our 3 guest judges pick the winners & send half the field packin' for home.

Guest Judge #1: Clay Wright

Clay sez: "This is the perfect thing for me to do right now. I'm as opinionated as ever. I'll be happy to say why I hate each one."

Guest Judge #2: Ken "Hobie" Hoeve

Hobie sez (to Clay): "Clay, why are you only one-fisting it??"
(to everyone else): "Congrats to all the people that sent in photos. They're all very good and could easily be framed and enjoyed for eternity. It was tough to decide between them, but someone had to do it. I wonder what John and Clay will say? I think they will feel the same way I do, and that regardless of what others think, it is what YOU think. We are all so different and all have different views and opinions. That is what makes this kayaking world so great. We are all so different, but we all truly love one thing, paddling. And that is what matters most. Good luck to everyone."

Guest Judge #3: John Grace

Grace sez: "Thanks for giving me something to do."
(to the other judges): "Fellas, HERE is a link you guys should take a look at. Long live the Range Life!"

As I mentioned in the last post, the judges' comments will be preceded by these nifty little judge-head icons .. kinda like this:
"My dog takes better pictures."
"Trust me, this baby has at least another hundred-thousand miles left in 'er, & you can drive it home, TODAY, for only five-grand."
"Um no, this is not a halloween costume. I happen to like turtlenecks."

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AND NOW, HERE ARE YOUR ROUND 3 DECISIONS!
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1. John Fulbright vs. Chan Jones

JOHN FULBRIGHT

CHAN JONES

"This one goes to Chan. I don't feel Fulbright's 'night-time' surf buzz, and can't understand why one boat is in dark and another in twilight. Like mixing whiskey and chocolate milk - two good things made worse in the combining. Love the phosphorescence & I'm a sucker for the HF vest, Sidewinder paddle, & squirt boats on Skook, but it just doesn't do it for me. Fullbright gets an A for effort. And capturing the glow on Skook is surely a mission, but unless you know what you're looking for, it's just dark. Chan's Hurricane is shot well, & the light on the water is interesting."
"One of the tougher to decide between, but I have to go with Chan Jones image. I like the surfing at Skook, but the idea of the Chan’s image makes me wonder 'What is this guy about to get into?; I love the curtain of water & the lighting is the extra touch that put it over the top."
"I like Chan's shot because that shit is just badass."

The winner: CHAN JONES!

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2. John Boone vs. Erik Boomer

JOHN BOONE

ERIK BOOMER

"This one goes to Boone. The paddler might just blow it, but the shot is done well. Paddle across the face, but the composition works & is cropped nice n tight. Boomer's shot of Billy could be grand - the boater is really on top of things & the falls and hole impressive, but the crop and the focus just aren't as sharp. Great comp, subject matter, & timing otherwise."
"I went with Eric Boomer. I really like how Billy Jones is set up on the drop & how the photo makes me feel it is at the moment he is just pulling himself off the drop. I also have to try & judge the size of the fall but having seen Billy run stuff before, I am sure it is pretty big. The paddler in John's shot seems to be more hesitant & is allowing the river to take him while Eric’s shows a paddler given 'er on his terms."
"I like Boomer's shot more becuase I have seen the Boone shot 100,000 times, & the paddler's form is bad" (ed note: 100,000 times, eh Grace?)

The winner: ERIK BOOMER!

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3. Lane Jacobs vs. Atom Crawford

LANE JACOBS

ATOM CRAWFORD

"This goes to Lane. The shot is clear, pretty well timed, & shows Skippy at the crux looking stoked. While I LOVE Atom's shot - the timing, action, and sense of seriousness ... Hope he clears both eddies! "
"Lane all the way. Another example of a paddler pulling that last stroke and then one with the paddler kind of drifting a drop. Atom’s shot does have some good points to it like the safety person peeking out and the sheer force of the water pushing the paddler but the size of the drop, grace of the paddler, and the lighting on Lane’s gives it the nod." (ed note: That safety guy is Schertl, & as river safety goes, he's among the sketchiest. Yet he's one of the "safest" people I know.)
"Lane's shot is badass. Big drops look cool."

The winner: LANE JACOBS!

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4. Darin McQuoid vs. Brian Vogt

DARIN MCQUOID

BRIAN VOGT

"I'm giving this one to Vogt. His shot of a guy exiting the canyon isn't as sharp as Darin's 'victory' shot, but it's got a great feel of 'light at the end of the tunnel' - the canyon walls receding and sun poking though. I think with a bit more of the drop in the background, or the faces, Darin might have it, but there's something important missing as is."
"This is the easiest to judge of them all, Brian Vogt wins. Beautiful scenery, the lone kayaker running a rapid I wish I was on, the sheer walls, and the texture of the shot. Darin’s shot is clear and sharp but makes me think 'Oh, that guy must have just taught EJ to roll.' I would rather see him boosting huge or running whatever it is they are high fiving about."
"I like McQuoid's shot because giving high fives increases Seratonin levels."

The winner: BRIAN VOGT!

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5. Evan Ross vs. Shawn Robertson

EVAN ROSS

SHAWN ROBERTSON

"Ross over Robertson. While the swirl of water is cool and the light is nice, there's no looper. Ross's stock OB shot has some cool water too, but with a launch, a destination, and with a background boater for scale. Both are crisp and bright. "
"Although I would love to give the thumbs up to the play boating image since it has a sick Dagger boat throwing a nasty loop, my heart goes with Evan Ross. That photo is one of my favorites in the whole competition. Bro #1 perfectly on line at Oh B J while bro #2 sits with the perfect view of his friend nailing it. This is what paddling is about regardless of what you are running. Being on the water with your friend, enjoying the moment, sticking the line. This shot showcases all of those things. Great pic Evan!"
"Ross baby Ross! I feel no need to explain."

The weiner: EVAN ROSS!

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6. Evan Stafford vs. Hale Hanaway

EVAN "DOTCOM" STAFFORD

HALE HANAWAY

"Both great shots. Both have something a bit unexpected - the 'A-frame' trees on Hanaway's and the photographer crouching below Stafford's. Composition-wise, Hanaway's could be centered further left, so the boat has somewhere to go. Staffford cuts off the rear of the kayak to better show where it's going . . and the dark shot is lit just where it needs to be. While it might be a bit grainy, Stafford's is a tougher and more interesting shot. Stafford gets this one."
"Very close between Evan & Hale, but I will go with Evan. By the looks of the drop & the shore below, this paddler is launching into a macker. I like the lighting too. The shot from Hale is really good too. The dense water, green lush forest, & a paddler who is on their game. It could go either way, but again, Evan seems a bit more to my liking." (ed. note: That's Schertl again & he's nowhere near 'on his game'. Gotta fix the leaky security that keeps allowing that guy to make it onto our blog.)
"Dotcom because it rhymes with me bangin' high-fivin' your Mom."

The whiner: EVAN STAFFORD!

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7. Kyle McCutchen vs. Mark Basso

KYLE MCCUTCHEN

MARK BASSO

"Basso's shot is unbeatable. While it's a playboat, the drop has cool curves and the timing is perfect - right on the lip with some good momentum to it. Backlit but he made it work. Kyle's shot is awsome - it's got great rock, sketchy line, some question as to whether the rock will be hit, and snow! Great focus, but the boat is towards the bottom of the shot, and it's hard to tell where it's going. A winner against most any other shot but Mark's."
"Another toughie. I have to give it to Mark. I like the tight image Kyle sent but am a bit more into the overall shot from Mark. I like seeing the lead-in to the drop, the paddler’s line, the look of the landing and the lighting. Kyle is a talented dude & the photo shares it ... but as a paddler, I like the way Mark's shot shows the whole scene. On a side note, I really want to go run that waterfall myself!"
"Basso ... Good form, good light, good drop = good pic."

The wanker: MARK BASSO!

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8. Kennet Belenky vs. Barbora Hollan

KENNET BELENKY

BARBORA HOLLAN

"Belekny vs Hollan is a toss up: two great shots with unique aspects and really different. While the water is just so sharp and interesting in Belekny's shot the boat is further down in the frame that ideal - less anticipation and mystery than if it were shot 1/2 second earlier. There's also a good bit of noise in the lower 1/3rd of the frame. Hollan's shot has great timing, really cool backlighting, and great anticipation on first glance. Will he clear the hole? While it's no where near as dramatic or colorful, it's just a better shot overall - the interesting composition and unique lighting produce a more memorable, almost classic image. Hollan gets the nod after much deliberation."
"Between Kennet & Barbara, I will go with Kennet for two reasons. First the color. I like color photos in paddling. Kayaking fills so many senses, & color enhances it. Bright boats pop, water color indicates a bunch, & it makes me look longer at the image. I do like B/W for portraits of paddlers/people, but in this case color prevails. Reason #2 is I love carnage just as much as the next guy, & this pic makes me think this dude is on Plan C or D by now. He wants to look over his shoulder but I think he is more into curling up in a ball & getting ready to drink out of his booty!"
"Barbora ... This photo reminds me of sweeping alluvial plains formed by the Great Murray River Basin, nature's rich sun-drenched liquid highways along with leaping kangaroos perfectly co-exist in this wondorous photograph. This photo is the essence of our landscape embodied in a perfect, well balanced image frozen in the channels of time." (ed note: The Grace household became noticeably safer sometime between when he was judging the McCutchen/Basso heat & the Hollan/Belenky heat.)

The winner: BARBORA HOLLAN!

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THE FIELD GOING INTO THE 4th ROUND
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