Russell Fork 2012

Fall Colors

Last weekend Rick and I headed to the Russell Fork River. This is one of my favorite runs and has become a yearly October trip for me.

Campsite, notice the sign!

We usually only run the gorge, with the put-in being in Virginia and the take-out in Kentucky. It is the deepest gorge east of the Mississippi river.

With the trees changing and the weather a nice 70 degrees we couldn't ask for a better trip.
We ended up paddling with Jim and Raymond Saturday and a bomber run Sunday. Here is a little video of the gorge. Until the next adventure

russellfork2012 from Curtis Ahlers on Vimeo.

9/28 Update

The last post I made was after the Labor Day trip, since then I have been on the river twice. Both times my GoPro has pooped out on me, there is an issue with the battery and I am currently working with their support crew to get it fix. Nothing like runs Class V and finding out your battery is dead!

On September 8th, St. Louis received intense rain that Friday night and caused the saint to rise to over 30inches and hold all Saturday. The surf at double drop was perfect with the first drop being a great cart wheel spot. The whole crew was there and we even got 2 runs in.

Gauley Camp ground

Last weekend, September 20- 23, Slim Rick and I headed to the annual Gauley overnighter. We paddled the upper Yough on Friday and the upper G on Saturday and finished with the lower on Sunday. The overnighter is always a blast, and the Jenney’s do it right with the raft support.

Stay tuned as October is a big paddling month for me, hopefully lots of pictures and videos

Labor Day 2012

Paddling hard, I could see my eddy. As I did my last paddle stroke; I edge my boat in to the eddy. As I gain my balance, I take a minute to catch my breath.  I was in the staging eddy of Callahan’s ledge, one of the better play spots on the Upper Ocoee. 

I run the Shit for Facebook Pics

As I look around the shore line I can hear Nicky and Amanda calling my name, they seem to have a large sign in their hands that they then hold up reads “SHOW US YOUR SINGUTAURE MOVE” and first I get embarrassed. 

Nicky with her Sign

“Great now everyone is going to think I’m some good kayaker,” I think to myself.  But just then they flip the sign over and it reads “THE WINDOW SHADE,” I start laughing.  Ahhhh, the window shade, one of my most prized tricks.

Sure I could go out there and do a cart wheel, but why when the window shade comes so naturally to me. So without even thinking, I hop into the wave to give the people what they want, a good ol’window shade.

Me sucking at kayaking

Over the last weekend the crew headed down to the Ocoee River for our annual Labor Day trip. With everyone leaving Thursday night I was stuck riding down by myself, but luckily I was able to catch a ride with Emilee and her husband. But with them coming from KC we didn’t leave St. Louis until 11pm, which out me in the front door of the cabin at 8am.

Home for the weekend

A quick one hour nap and ted and I were on our way to the Cheaoh, where we meet slim, professor, Steve and Jim. I was able to paddle two labs on the river and was toast after that.

Ted long boating it

Rick and Casey

Larry and Mike

The Crew

 The next two days were spent kayaking and shredding the Ocoee. It was great fun with good people. Thanks again to Nicky for all the pictures!

Nicky's Home for the summer

 Here is a little video I made of the Mystery Move at torpedo.  Enjoy, until the next adventure

Da GREEN!

Three summers ago, when I first started getting serious in to kayaking, I was sitting in Brad’s basement watching the newly released Demshitz video, after finishing the video and trolling through the extras I found an LVM short on the green river narrows race. Watching kayak after kayak run gorilla, being amazing at the gradient of the river. This weekend the crew and I headed off to North Carolina for a quick weekend on the green.  

 

This last weekend marked the end of summer kayaking trips for me since school starts next week, from May 18^th to Aug. 1, I kayaked every weekend except for two. Not to bad for living in Missouri. Anyways back to the green.

 After rolling in late, we had an early start to catch the water. The gorge itself is speechless, one of the most amazing places I have ever been, with rapid after rapid of pool drop. Needless to say we got our boof on.  There is a little video I made of the trip; I didn’t start filming until Zwick’s.

Warning: The Green is solid class V; my video does not do the river justice in its steepness. Do NOT take any river for granted, and be safe out there.