I can't think of a weekend this whole year where I didn't go on some sort of adventure, from back country skiing in the Northern Cascades to kayaking trips across the Pacific Northwest. I know it's a bit late, but here's a post from a few weekends ago.

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With news of all of the rivers in the Columbia River Gorge flooding, Olin Wimberg, Eric Parker and I drove to the gorge for a weekend of high water paddling and a much needed break from school. When I arrived home, there was a new Dagger Mamba 8.6 waiting for me, as well as a box from Bomber Gear. Eager to test out the new equipment, I headed to one of my favorite runs in the world-- the Little White Salmon River in Washington state.

The Little White was running…

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Undoubtedly the most action-packed winter of my life, I'm still trying to slow everything down and get a breath of fresh air. From tall drops and flooding rivers to fresh powder and big lines on the mountain, this has been on of the most memorable winters of my life.…

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You all have probably heard of the infamous Cherry Creek in California. If you haven't it's a High Sierra classic that you should put on your to-do list. I was lucky enough to paddle the upper section last summer along with Lane Jacobs, Louis Geltman, Jay Gifford, and Seth Swallen. The river was pristine, the scenery gorgeous, and the whitewater incredible. I put together a video with footage from my GoPro Hero video camera and also included some photos that Seth Swallen…

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After a few months of sitting around dreaming about getting into whitewater kayaking in Baton Rouge, LA, I finally met some people in Louisiana who shared my passion. Also, I found some whitewater in Louisiana! I'm just as shocked as you are. Here's some videos of my latest trip out to the Toledo Bend Spillway.



http://vimeo.com/32386201…

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I woke up Saturday morning to my phone ringing and a groggy ten second conversation. “We’re going to Skook, I’ll pick you up in a half hour,” said a voice that I couldn’t quite put a face to. I knew it had to be one of the young local Bellingham paddlers and without thinking replied, “I’m in, see you in thirty.” Impulse decisions have always led to the most exciting adventures of my life and I knew this weekend was going to be one to remember. On Friday, my plans to fly to the Homathko River…

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The summer of 2011 has treated both coasts to epic storms and unheard of amounts of water. The Pacific Northwest hasn’t experienced any dramatic flooding, but any local paddler knows that it has been a great year for boating. My favorite local runs including the White Salmon, Cispus, and Lewis River have all kept stable flows late into the summer and still have healthy amounts of water. 

The highlight of my summer has undoubtedly been the significant amount of time I’ve been able to…

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Ladies and Gentleman please allow me to introduce longtime Team Dagger paddler Pat Keller.  Read on and enjoy some questions and answers with one of the smoothest, fearless, and enjoyable paddlers out there.  Be sure to check out the video of Pat's recent 1st D of Wolf Creek Falls:…

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My brother Todd Wells and I out on the Green Truss setion of the White Salmon River. After another rainy day in the northwest, water levels came up and we broke out the new Go Pro camera. We got some good footage although the memory ran out half way down the run.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zco6FL1sWK4

World Class Kayak Academy (WCKA) is a traveling high school for students that want to earn their education while exploring unique rivers and cultures around the world. Kids can attend the school for as little as a semester or for an entire three years if they choose. The school is…

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Eddy turns and peel outs are essential skills for whitewater

kayaking. Catching eddies allows us more control because we can stop,

scout, take a break and regroup. Peeling out of eddies allows us to

re-enter the current in control and gives us time to set up for our

next move. The key components to eddy turns and peel outs are:

1. Angle = 45 degrees relative to the…

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What a summer! The Girls at Play Summer Tour traveled up and down the East Coast visiting retailers and kayak schools in NC, PA, VT, Canada, VA, WI, GA and KY. Over one hundred women treated themselves

to a day, weekend or week of kayaking — some events even included yoga,

massage and wine and cheese! The energy and inspiration we received

from the women we met continues to fuel our passion for paddling and

adventure. Not to mention the personal growth, confidence and joy…

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In a recent yoga class the teacher encouraged us to roll up out of a side-bending pose with our heads as the last body part to come up. I had to giggle because she sounded just like a kayak instructor teaching

the roll! As she was giving her instructions she made the comment that

bringing our heads up last can be challenging because we tend to be a

society of 'head yankers.'

I see a lot of head yanking when I teach the roll and most of us have experienced the sensation…

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I never thought much about carrying my kayak because it was

something that my peers in the sport have always expected of me. My

understanding from the start was that I needed to be able to carry my

kayak by myself if I wanted to participate in the sport. When I first

started teaching women I held that same expectation for my students. I

remember feeling amazed at the fact that some women really struggled

with carrying their own kayaks. I wasn’t very aware… Continue

I have to say that I’m not a hardcore winter paddler, obviously, since I run winter trips in Mexico! So, I can relate to those of you who hang up the paddle for other, dryer, sports in the winter. However, I do know paddlers who still motivate even with snow on the ground and icicles hanging from the brims of their helmets. And, I admit that when I do drag myself out when it’s 40 degrees or colder (what I consider cold weather paddling) I have a lot of fun. So, if you’re planning on getting out… Continue

Traveling and whitewater kayaking are two of my passions so I naturally get excited when I have the opportunity to combine both! As the regular paddling season comes to an end for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it's a good time to start thinking about possible winter trips. There are two ways that you can approach international trips. You can choose to get a group of friends together and plan your own logistics and go on the fly. If you already know local paddlers in that country this… Continue

If you haven't experienced the Whitewater Symposium then you best put it on your calendar for 2010. It's a wonderful opportunity to learn, to share and to paddle with top padders, instructors, industry leaders and paddling enthusiasts. There are all types of presentations, speakers, panels, river running classes, playboating classes, rolling classes, stand up paddle board classes, kayak fitness... and the list could go on and on. Whether… Continue

Kayaking has directed and influenced the course of my life for many years because I love the way kayaking makes me feel: happy, exhilarated and passionate. In the beginning my happiness lay in learning new moves and being challenged by bigger rapids and better paddlers. Getting good and being sponsored were my goals. I was focused and did everything I could to spend as much time on the water as possible. I never imagined the lessons that rivers and kayaking had in store for me and how much they… Continue