Slave River week 3
As Natalie put it yesterday, we've entered phase three of the trip. Paddlefest is over and we're getting into full stride. The water is back down to "high" levels, instead of "crazy" and all the rapids seem tame now. Rocks are starting to show all over the place. There are eddies everywhere. We no longer have to hunt around for new playspots. The river is familiar again.
For our previous posts, check out Week 1, the wood movie, Week 2, and paddlefest. There is also a map of the rapids online with rapid descriptions. Water levels can be checked here. There are also a whole heap of posts from 2009 and 2010: Driving, arriving, flooding, still flooding, Sweet Spot, Rollercoaster, and Outrageous.
Ok, enough historical links. Here are the daily updates!
Friday August 12: Rollercoaster 4,000 cms (141,000 cfs)
After a couple intense long days at Rollercoaster, we were all getting a little tired. Natalie took the day off and went with a group of geologists to see the salt flats, and John and I didn't motivate until about 12:30... sort of like today. On the way in, we finally got around to doing that road improvement that we'd been talking about for the past month.
When we got to the wave, we had a pretty relaxed session, and even went home a little early, around 8:30 or so. We also took a couple shots with the 105mm lens, which provided a little more perspective.
Thursday August 11: Rollercoaster 4,400 - 4,000 cms (155,000 - 141,000 cfs)
John gets an eye infection
So apparently, on like tuesday or so, John got a little sand in his eye, and that sand put a little scratch on his eyeball, and then it got infected.
Needless to say, we were all pretty baffled by this development. There were a lot of pinkeye jokes, and since tuesday was about 11 hours on the water, we even rested on wednesday and just made fun of John all day. But thursday we were right back at it. If the levels keep dropping, we'll only have a few more days at rollercoaster, and then we'll be surfing Rockem Sockem, which, honestly, I am a little scared about.
In the meantime, enjoy a fat batch of photos from the last two days.
Monday August 8: Rollercoaster 4,400 cms (155,000 cfs)
Rollercoaster is back! I have been waiting to try out the Element on this wave, and it was every bit as awesome as I had hoped. Right now we're packing up to take another all day session out there, so I have to hurry, but here are a couple shots from monday.
Thursday August 4: Sweet Spot. 4,900 cms (173,000 cfs)
After the Edge King contest, we took a day off (although I protested pretty loudly). Thursday, we came back to Sweet Spot for a rematch. The water had dropped, and the eddylines were much more manageable. The spot seemed downright tame.
Well, not all that tame. We still got a little beat up.
But good times were had by all. John had some trouble getting his tricks to work. The Element was still the prime boat for the spot, but Natalie was getting huge moves too.
For our previous posts, check out Week 1, the wood movie, Week 2, and paddlefest. There is also a map of the rapids online with rapid descriptions. Water levels can be checked here. There are also a whole heap of posts from 2009 and 2010: Driving, arriving, flooding, still flooding, Sweet Spot, Rollercoaster, and Outrageous.
Ok, enough historical links. Here are the daily updates!
Friday August 12: Rollercoaster 4,000 cms (141,000 cfs)
After a couple intense long days at Rollercoaster, we were all getting a little tired. Natalie took the day off and went with a group of geologists to see the salt flats, and John and I didn't motivate until about 12:30... sort of like today. On the way in, we finally got around to doing that road improvement that we'd been talking about for the past month.
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| Road improvement. Slave 2011 |
When we got to the wave, we had a pretty relaxed session, and even went home a little early, around 8:30 or so. We also took a couple shots with the 105mm lens, which provided a little more perspective.
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| It's hard to get into that boat. Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
Thursday August 11: Rollercoaster 4,400 - 4,000 cms (155,000 - 141,000 cfs)
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| John tries out a couple different methods for keeping his eye healthy. Slave 2011 |
John gets an eye infection
So apparently, on like tuesday or so, John got a little sand in his eye, and that sand put a little scratch on his eyeball, and then it got infected.
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| Eye infection? How is that possible? Slave 2011 |
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| Seriously, how could that have even happened? Slave 2011 |
Needless to say, we were all pretty baffled by this development. There were a lot of pinkeye jokes, and since tuesday was about 11 hours on the water, we even rested on wednesday and just made fun of John all day. But thursday we were right back at it. If the levels keep dropping, we'll only have a few more days at rollercoaster, and then we'll be surfing Rockem Sockem, which, honestly, I am a little scared about.
In the meantime, enjoy a fat batch of photos from the last two days.
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| Weird lookin' flipturn. Slave 2011 |
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| Natalie nails a nice blunt. Slave 2011 |
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| Back Pan Am. Slave 2011 |
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| Natalie works on the clean. Slave 2011 |
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| Natalie keeps working. Slave 2011 |
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| Leif has no eye infection. Slave 2011 |
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| Leif has no ear infection. Slave 2011 |
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| Leif has no sinus infection. Slave 2011 |
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| Helix. Slave 2011 |
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| Helix the other way. Slave 2011 |
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| Stab. Slave 2011 |
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| Clean right. Slave 2011 |
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| clean left. Slave 2011 |
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| Clean right air shot. Slave 2011 |
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| Good hull separation on the leftie. Slave 2011 |
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| John blunts. Slave 2011 |
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| Natalie stuck one of the only helices of the day. Slave 2011 |
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| Cool angle for a flashback. Slave 2011 |
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| John tries for an airscrew. Slave 2011 |
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| John with one of many left panams. Slave 2011 |
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| Stab left. Slave 2011 |
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| Still stabbing. Slave 2011 |
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| This helix was actually a total failure. Slave 2011 |
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| A little perspective on one of my favorite places on earth. Slave 2011 |
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| Who's artsy now? Slave 2011 |
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| Artsy clean. Slave 2011 |
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| Clowning around a little. Slave 2011 |
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| John tries out the clean. Slave 2011 |
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| John still working on the balance. Slave 2011 |
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| John gets a nice clean. Slave 2011 |
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| John goes big. Slave 2011 |
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| John rotates. Slave 2011 |
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| John makes contact. Slave 2011 |
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| Natalie about to eat it. Slave 2011 |
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| Natalie with a beautiful stab. Slave 2011 |
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| No flashback will ever look good again, after doing this one. Slave 2011 |
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| This wave is so cool. Slave 2011 |
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| Clean panam. Slave 2011 |
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| Enjoying lunch on the rocks. Slave 2011 |
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| Natalie still panams. Slave 2011 |
Monday August 8: Rollercoaster 4,400 cms (155,000 cfs)
Rollercoaster is back! I have been waiting to try out the Element on this wave, and it was every bit as awesome as I had hoped. Right now we're packing up to take another all day session out there, so I have to hurry, but here are a couple shots from monday.
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| Natalie KILLIN IT Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| Finally found a large wave where I wasn't terrified of the backsurf. Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| Still KILLIN Slave 2011 |
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| Getting good separation from the pile. Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
Thursday August 4: Sweet Spot. 4,900 cms (173,000 cfs)
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| From Slave 2011 |
After the Edge King contest, we took a day off (although I protested pretty loudly). Thursday, we came back to Sweet Spot for a rematch. The water had dropped, and the eddylines were much more manageable. The spot seemed downright tame.
Well, not all that tame. We still got a little beat up.
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| John tries the space Godzilla Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| I'm not even sure what's going on here. Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| Yeah, that's Natalie swimming after a skirt implosion. Slave 2011 |
But good times were had by all. John had some trouble getting his tricks to work. The Element was still the prime boat for the spot, but Natalie was getting huge moves too.
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| From Slave 2011 |
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| Nice big helix. Slave 2011 |
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