I love the north woods paddling!!!!

Last week was awesome... everything from the rivers to the people that were there that enjoyed running these hidden secrets of the north. The group of people that I found up there was unlike any other, they were by far the best group I've ever paddled with. Darning the time in the U.P. i ran the Presque, Black, and the Silver. The black beat me up the most but it was worth it, ever drop on that run is fun and 2 of them are BIG. Rainbow Falls was one intense ride and I'm looking forward to going back for another run. I've heard you have to take the Good with the Bad. If Rainbow was the Good than the Birth Canal was defiantly the Bad. I got worked, and beat, then decided going for a swim would be a good afternoon activity. That hole was the wost beating I've every had and i want revenge. Next time i go back I'm going to run that rapid again and beat it down. Other than that it was a great weekend with sunny sky's and 70 degree days. I'm Glad everyone made it off the river safely without serious injury to come back and paddle another day. I've also got lots of footage and I'm in the proses of putting together a video from the week, so stay tuned for some more great kayak porn.

Island Creek and Little Clear Creek Today

Today started off with a lot of discussion about where to go and what would be running. This took about 3 hr. until Owen, Mark, Liz, Brad and I decided to head to Island Creek. The level was about 3 inches which was a little on the low side but still fun. This Creek is beautiful, one of the most scenic river I've ever seen.





After completing a run on Island we headed out to Little Clear Creek. Only Mark, Brand and I were able to make it out to this run due to car troubles. When we got there Clear Creek was HUGE and muddy. Mark had read there was a trail alongside Little Clear that ended right at the top of the good stuff. So we started to hike up and found ourselves bushwhacking our way up the hill side along a rock cliff. This was horrible and after about 45min of overgrowth we found ourselves right at the top of Triple Drop, the first big rapid. From this point on everything went great. This run has one amazing drop after another. I can't wait to go back to this fantastic river in the future.





The boaters propsective of Tripel Drop





All in all it turned out to be a great day with two new runs. I'm now about to pack up and head up to WI to hang with family and friend before making my way up to the North Shore. Spring Creekin Bonanza is going on next weekend and I plan on being there. I'm also looking forward to do the Black in the Upper Peninsula. So I'm outta here. Laterz

March Madness Kayaking

Mark has been putting together a video from the month of march. This is just what Owen and I have been doing on the side of TVF.

Big drops, sick tricks, you know how it goes. lol

Check it out here

The TVF video will be comeing out soon to a blog near you!!!

Easter Weekend

The last 4 days have been great with Easter Sunday ending up with a run down Tallulah!!! Thursday morning Mark and I got up early to meet Margaret at Daddy's Creek. This run is a southeast classic and if Catoosa in open and theres water in the river its a must do. Rattle Snake was the best part of the whole run. This run was explained to me like a creeky version of the Gauley River. The Hart of the Gorge comes with house sized rock bolder garden drops with a sweet boof off the FANG. This was a great way to start off my day before we had to be to work at 2pm.

Friday was Good Friday and the shop had off of work. Rock Island was only realising till 10am so I woke up early and headed to the hole hoping to run into someone else. Lucky me, just as I was about to put on the Jackson's pull up with a full car load. This was the first time I had paddled with EJ, Nick, Emily, and Dane since they had left for Africa and was one of the best surf sessions I'd had in awhile. After watching EJ and Nick surf without a paddle I just had to do it myself. I had aways wanted to hand paddle to hole but never did due to never having a combat hand roll. EJ put it best " the only way to get a combat roll was be in combat situation " so i tossed the paddle aside and worked my way out and you know what happened. I had thee best time ever!! I felt like I paddled better without my paddle than with it. Paddles are like crutches, take them away and you start to walk. Later that day we had BBQ at the Jackson's house and played football and bags. We also watched Hotel Charley 2 which was awesome and must be watched as soon as you get the chance to. It was a fantastic day and i had a great time from start to finish.
Saturday was the mighty Ocoee and the award party at the NOC. This was the 3rd time I was on the Ocoee and the 1st time I was sown all the play spots other tan hell hole. It was a bit cold and had a nasty head wind but still enjoyable. I never new that the Ocoee had so many different loop spots. Also, to my surprise I say almost all of the Juganuts there and Stanly whom worked at the shop for a few weeks. By the time hell hole was packed full of boaters I was glade to get off the rive and back in dry WARM cloths to head up to the NOC. The good music, pizza, and the showing of LVM 22 made for an entertaining night. The first place team in the sick birds (Stanley Steamers) cleaned house with most of the awards and prizes but THE JACKSON 5 still came out on top with 1st place in the young lions. We descended 35,059 feet in 8 days thought out the month of March. Good stuff





look close, Jim is dancing





the put in for Tallulah
Sunday was my first day on the Tallulah Gorge and I think i fell in love!!! The put in starts with about a 300 foot drop down like 600 steeps but that run is worth ever last one of those steeps. The main attraction is Oceana Falls which is a rocket ride that i can't wait to get back on. I ran the center line and took the THING head on. As soon as you hit the THING everything goes into a whiteout and you can't see another thing till resurface after the hole at the bottom. What a rush, that slide had ever nerve in my body tingling with a huge adrenalin rush like none other. Every rapid on that river is packed full of fun for a whopping mile and a quarter with a 2 mile lake paddle out. We did have one swimmer in our group with a lost paddle under the water but was lucky to find it right were they had left it. All in all, even though this Easter wasn't spent with family it was spent with good friends enjoying the things we love most, feeling alive.

Wilson's Creek 40 laps total

Five Jackson boats and paddlers entered TVF and all five survived. We were almost ready to give it all up going into this weekend but we had come to far. Wilson creek was our only chance at having a shot at winning this so we loaded up Thursday night a headed out. Friday was a three man team with Mark, Owen and I running 19 laps. We had arrived to the river only to see that the Juggernauts were already there and had a 1 lap lead on us already. Going into this weekend it was a three way battle for first between The Juggernauts, Team Sherpard, and us the Jackson 5.
Wilson's was at -4 and dropping when we checked Friday. It made for an interesting day to say the least. Owen and I had tandem pins in this on rapid at the same time. We also later found ourselves tandem surfing a hole at the bottom of a slide and found myself laughing at what was going on. Owen bumped me out and he stayed in fighting the BEAST. lol Mine and Owen's last last run of TVF turned into a bumper boat side surfing intentional carnage lap. It was great, Owen even lost his paddle at one time. Lap 19 Mark and I did our last lap in the moonlight, I love being on the river with a full moon.



Saturday March 31st was the LAST day of TVF and we had everyone on the team there. Brad and Goat arrived in town after we got off the river Friday. Jackson 5 started their first lap Sat. around 7am. This weekend was Brad, Goat, and Owen's first time on Wilson's Creek. We were surprised to see that the only other TVF team to show up was Team Sexy Kayaking Beast. Goat and Brad ran every other lap which made things easier for Mark, Owen and I which were still tired from the day before. In the end we put everything we had into this hoping for the best as of right now it looks good for the Jackson 5. This month has been a true test of friendship and physical ability and I wouldn't trade it for anything. This month was a great time and will never be forgotten.