California whitewater rafting with one of the oldest rafting companies in the Western United States. California rafting on the most popular rivers in the West. Our official company blog...
Art is a funny thing. If it arouses emotions then the art was successful. If not, then maybe not so successful.
"ART
= LIFE" means different things to different artist. What I meant was
that for some artist, creating their art could mean their death.
Art
is a cultural entity reflecting each society's vision of their
population. Creating that art was and is a bold statement mirroring that
artist's dreams.
Politically, the art could bring down their society and even more deadly, it could bring an end to their life.
Those of us who are privileged and can create freely are truly blessed!
See "Monuments Men" movie... See how important art is to our world!
Our mail is in shambles. With a $15.9 billion loss, is anyone getting regular mail? Or is your mailbox or postal box just filled with advertising circulars and ads? Does anyone even get paper mail anymore or is that the realm of old folks without computers?
I read with interest the latest missive from our Postal peeps. USPS is always raising the stamp prices, but the latest news from them sounds like that giant corporation is losing a lot of money trying to provide the mail for those who need mailing services. And, the USPS is also losing a ton of money trying to support their benefits packages including their retirement funds. Now, the latest scheme to make money; tada! retail clothing line? OMG! Sounds familiar...
This morning, I was running a bunch of errands for the company. I had to stop by Office Depot to pick up a bunch of office supplies. Then, I had to head over to the Post Office to pick up a very important piece of mail that was suppose to be delivered today. By the time, I fought through the traffic, I made it to the post office line by noonish.
I stood in line and marveled at how everyone in line was an oldster (including me). No young folks. No one whom might have been born in the 80's. Same stuff was decorating the lobby for the last 30 years; myriad packages, tons of colorful Hallmark cards, lots of packaging tape and the weary people standing in line.
My turn! As I walked up to the desk, I smiled brightly and told the representative that I was here to pick-up our company mail. I reached into my purse and I discovered the postal key was missing. Oh, yes, the owner had borrowed my key and forgot to give it back to me!
"We do not give out any mail unless you have a key" she said without even glancing up!
But, I had driver's license AND a business card AND a check from the company with my name on the freakin' check! As I handed over the documents, I asked her again for my mail.
"We do not give out any mail unless you have a key. You can purchase another key by filling out this form." she murmured without looking up again.
Holy ShiiiiiiZ! The woman would not budge off of her bureaucratic stance. Ok. I was really mad, but inside my head, I kept hearing the chant, "... told ya so... told ya so..."
So I left without the mail. And, yes, I was hopping mad! But, one of the reasons I even attempted to get my mail without the key was because I have always been able to get my mail that way... WITHOUT THE KEY. So I suppose, I should be applauding the USPS for their added security.
Now, let's see if I can receive my regular residential mail. Seems their postal carriers have a bit of dyslexia. Oh, did I tell you that my (3) blocks got together and exchanged phone numbers and email addresses? Why? Because our postal carriers seem to mix up our numbered streets all the time. At least, we can warn our neighbors that I have their mail or they have my mail when our mail is mis-delivered.
Oh, I hear the mailman at my door....
Buddy Holly sings Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues
http://youtu.be/JOmzzSNnkHk
Mailman, bring me no more blues mailman, bring me no more blues one blue letter is all I can use
She wrote me only one sad line told me she's no longer mine Mr. Mailman - that'll do for some time
Cry - like never before so hard - couldn't cry no more shoo shoo mailman - stay away from my door
Mailman, bring me no more blues mailman, bring me no more blues one blue letter is all I can use
Hmm... seems the same advertising circulars, real estate offers, plumbers and house keepers ads have once again filled my home mail box. Stuffed full, I pulled my mail out... walked to the garbage can... threw the entire mess away. At least this time, I actually got my mail!
~ EL complainin' again about nuttin'
Thanks to USPS for being our mail service. Thanks to Buddy Holly for his song, "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues" Oh, yah... thanks to Google for youtube.com properties.
Recently, I was speaking to one of the younger members of the blogging team. He writes about the foibles of his youth and how he resolves the pending issues of the day. I gather that his life is full of adventure as each day unfolds to bring either good tidings or sorrow. He is young and full of spirit. The decisions he makes daily are hard. There are so many temptations, so many wrong things that can happen. The one constant in his life is his family, his good friends, his music, his art and rafting on rivers.
Was life this hard when I approached it as a young adult? Yes, it was. Sometimes, I didn't think I would survive. I was always worried about money. There never seemed enough funds to cover the daily living cost. I can remember eating top ramen noodles because it was dirt cheap and satisfying. I wonder if "they" eat that, too...
He said to me that sometimes he wished that he could just go back to the warm embrace of his family... have mom do his laundry again... have dad slip him a twenty for gas... and waking up in a bed with clean sheets. He said he never imagined how much he would appreciate all the little things that mom and dad would do for him. He missed it very much, but he knew that he couldn't go back. He knew that he was an adult in a sometimes, childlike mind.
I imagine how difficult it is to ward off the temptations, the bad friends, and to make critical decisions to launch himself into full adulthood. He told me that his music and being outdoors on river trips was his greatest joy. He will be on our rafting trips this weekend enjoying himself with his friends. There, he can forget for a while, the seriousness of life and just enjoy what Mother Nature brings.
People from all walks of life are entering the zone of relaxation and party mood this weekend. Some are on vacation while others are just doing a quick trip nearby enjoying great discount prices with their family and friends.
On our rafting trips, we are seeing a trend of last minute reservations. Not only does that stress out our staff, but it must also stress out our guests. We know that you are scrambling for something to do this weekend. We know you are trying to organize people who may be just as busy as you. Believe me, we know... as we repeat the same pattern for ourselves.
This weekend... I am not sure what I will be doing. I waited 'till the last minute, too! I think the easiest thing will be to get on the online rafting store to do a quick purchase for a trip this Sunday or Monday. I gotta go rafting... I just have to spend this hot weekend on the water outdoors. And taking the ski boat out is too expensive or going to the coast is daunting, because I don't know if I can get in at the last minute on a hotel or b&b.
So I am going rafting with friends... and I'll be thinking of all of you last minute, disorganized people like myself as I paddle the rapids and breathe a sigh of relief as I enjoy the river and the water. Peace...
Lars Holbeck passed away Friday night after a battle with pancreatic cancer.
Lars and his friends: Chuck Stanley, Banducci, Richard Montgomery, and others took their kayaks, kayaking, and all whitewater sports to a level that no one ever realized was possible.
Lars and Chuck were the ring-leaders and scribes to an era of discovery that the California and World whitewater communities never saw coming. Lars Holbeck and Chuck Stanley wrote the classic: The Best Whitewater in California: The Guide to 180 Runs. (Third Edition)
This book is the bible for California whitewater. I would say 90% of all paddlers have purchased or traded that book... handing it down to the noobie paddler as they begin their journey into the world of whitewater. Mine simply fell apart after much use and being carried perpetually in my dry bag. Blogger BR Thomas wrote a review about the whitewater guide book for California as recently as in 2007.
UK Rivers Guidebook team member, Mark Rainsley wrote in his field report, "Lars Holbeck Must Die." His reference implied that Lars' book on California whitewater had taken the UK team from Wales on a dangerous adventure of Class 5+ rapids with no possible return.
British paddler Rainsley writes about Clear Creek; "All of a sudden, a horizon line came into view and like the close knit team that we are, we fought each other tooth and nail for the remaining break outs. That was a close one - a walled in hole immediately upstream of an undercut- unpaddleable (sic) by even the most hairy and gnarly of Pro boaters. It got worse, we then rounded the next corner only (to) be confronted with a huge steep walled-in rapid (Grade V? Grade VI?) which we couldn’t inspect or portage. There we were in a real live Foxy cartoon."
Lars also wrote: "The Rivers of Chile". Lars and kayaking friends ran the steepest rivers in the deepest canyons with skill, intelligence, and more than a bit of dumb luck ... they were the whitewater Jedi! He pioneered the now popular Futelafu River, a pristine whitewater river in Chile that is a true destination river for rafting and kayaking.
Within hours of his death, the news spread rapidly throughout the whitewater and river networks. In the Coloma - Lotus Valley in Northern California, the entire community gathered to honor this legend. Scores of kayakers and paddlers descended into the North Fork American to pay tribute to the man. The North Fork American River is a favorite for all the river community and now has conservation protection due to the Auburn Dam demise.
All of us (rafters, kayakers, paddlers) owe Lars Holbeck eternal respect for his exploits. The gift he shared of his California adventures, his paddling world, his love of the rivers, conveyed his passion for white water. His writing and journaling with no sponsors, no labels and no paychecks, is a testament to who he was as a man. Lars Holbeck loved whitewater rivers and the paddling community!
Surfers have long suffered from the stigma and stereotypes propagated by cheesy, 60's surf movies, a butt-load of crappy music, and they were dragged into the 80's with Sean Penn's character of Spicoli in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High."
Surfing has always been a metaphor for moving through life with danger, fear, excitement, and a certain disregard of the Establishment ... surfing is deeper than that.
For those that haven't tried surfing ... it is freakin' hard and requires dedication, stamina, perseverance, practice, and athleticism. Anyone can be a poseur ... not everyone can surf. Surfers know that ... maybe that's where some of the stereotype comes from ... that certain air of detachment and a sense of "knowing."
One of our guides, Justin, learned to surf this winter in Costa Rica and Baja. He didn't have a reason to learn ... neither did he have a reason not to. So, he did it. He discovered how hard it was to learn and how nearly impossible surfing is to master. He learned. He surfed. He's loving it. He's a surfer. (he is a former mortgage broker).
Justin just arrived back into California ready to guide rafts and paddle kayaks. He's' living it ... the dream.
Whitewater rafting is for all ages!
Not all surfers pull on wetsuits and stand on slabs of fiberglass while slipping down the face of a wave. Surfing is more than that. It's a challenge, a feeling, and it's the personal exposure that you can only experience when you submit to Nature, Fate, and conditions beyond anyone's control.
You can get that by biking, kayaking, skiing, snowboarding, skydiving, exercising, painting, writing, speaking, climbing, dancing, hang-gliding, flying, diving, jumping, bouncing, motorcycling, kite-boarding, kayaking, playing music, singing, burning man ... and by white water rafting!
You must do these things: step into nature, submit to her power, and ride it out. Then, paddle, walk, run, ride, crawl out and drop in again. You're living it.
I'm 53 years old and when I pull my KLR motorcycle up onto the rear wheel and ride it out to redline, or revel in the benefit of gravity that slings me down a snow slope, or paddle a raft down American whitewater, or speak in front of 6,000 people ... I remember how I felt when I paddled my homemade 10' surfboard into the north Pacific without a wetsuit in March in 1967 ... I was living it ... I was 12.
The 2009 whitewater season starts up in just one month for us. It's been raining and snowing and more storms are lining up to come in to California over the next week and beyond ... and California now has a budget and President Obama's stimulus package is being unfurled.
As we are all aware, the economy is a mess and folks are justifiably nervous about the present and the future ... time for the adrenaline, sunshine, water, good food, and the relaxation that a whitewater trip can provide and without breaking the bank (or what's left of the bank!). A one or two day California whitewater trip feels like a week at the spa...except you get an extra dose of endorphins, adrenaline, and team building. Whether you bring the family group, friends, the office, or just yourself, you are part of a journey team-building and bonding that has no other agenda than to have the best time possible!
The river guides are on the same page and you're rafting rivers with others that share that agenda as well. It's a time a maximize your investment and create a life-long set of returns, benefits, and dividends: memories, friends, rafting photos, emotions, and flat-out fun! Your guides have no other imperative other than to help you enjoy your trip safely, provide you the best meals you've ever had in the outdoors, and make every moment an escape.... You need and deserve a whitewater trip!
As Bob Marley sings in "Three Little Birds"...Everything little thing's going to be all right! Thanks and Praises for whitewater, California, and those wacky river guides....got to love 'em...they're your guides!!!! (Note from WET: lump in my throat watching Connie sing this ...)
Note SpamReminder: Guide School starts on March 14th. Couple spaces are available on 4/4; 4/11, 4/18 & 4/25::
"....this just in, Ashley joined the party at 3:14 a.m. Friday morning at 2 lbs 14 ounces and 15 inches long. She is a healthy 30-week preemie. Mom is rocking the hospital in record time and doing well with a Monday discharge looming. After a few flat wraps, tube stands and complete dump trucks, the team at Kaiser busted out the z-drag early Friday morning and, in perfect, harmony, dismantled the seal-a-meal wrap in 14 minutes with a healthy Ashley! We now appear to be in nice, big class 3 wave trains, and as long as we keep it tee'd up, I think we are gonna have a good time from here on out. We are sooooo stoked and have everything we could have dreamed."
Life begins again. Mike and his wife have the best Christmas present any young couple would want. As you see, his enthusiasm for living is apparent in his description as he relays the blessed event in terms of white water rafting nomenclature. He is one of our best guides. He is a professional man who doesn't need the weekend work as a white water rafting guide. His job puts him in an economic bracket enjoyed by few. He is there for us purely out of his pleasure for the extreme sport of rafting and sharing with others who love the lifestyle.
Big Poppa, just in from the mountains of Donner Summit ... yes, the snow is happening ... and winter begins...
It's Freakin' ON!!!!!!!!!!
It's cold, it's raining, and the snow is coming down up high...that's how we like it!!!!
After an early rain and a long stretch of dry, warm weather...the real-deal cold weather has fired up and we're looking at a series of winter storms that promise to pile it up and prep the dry ground for a spring run-off to guarantee a fabulous (yeah ...I said "fabulous") rafting season for whitewater trips and group rafting.
Get out your boards, sticks, blades, layers for winter rippin' and in just three short months, the men and women from W.E.T. River Trips will be enjoying the new season on the awesome whitewater rivers of California!
So as you Get out...Get on it...and then Get in it!!
Wow... it feels like we just closed the door on 2008, and here we go again into 2009. Life begins again for WET River Trips with this latest storm! Congratulations to Mike and his wife for bringing the ultimate lifestyle choice into their world. And, for the rest of us... it's slope time, then river time and we wouldn't have it any other way. Merry, Happy, Joy and Peace to all!
The sunlight is fading, and the darkness grows as we prepare for the Winter Solstice and the longest night and shortest day…but first Halloween!
Halloween has officially (I'm calling it) the biggest celebration in the World.Yes… true. Christmas is big, but it's still a secular holiday.New Years is big as well if you don't count the Lunar New Year celebrated by China and many of its neighbors (except the Hmong and Lo Mien that celebrate the New Year in late Fall). Carnival is huge; however, it too is secular and limited.Halloween is everywhere! East to West and in-between, we as a World now celebrate and participate in the rituals of Halloween (dressing-up, sweets, food, drink, parties)…. what's not to like?
Yes, there are those remnants of Druid rituals, All Hallows Night, All Saint's Day etc. brought to us in America by Irish immigrants after the Potato Famine; however, the Melting Pot that is America distilled the World's rituals into the unique celebration of Halloween that has spread to the middle, near, and far east and expanded the pre-existing celebrations of Europe.
We all love Halloween for what it is: an opportunity to be something/someone different and to celebrate with our children, family and friends.
So get your mask on, touch up your make-up, stock-up on candy, buy some eggs to chuck and don't forget to vote!
Psst….this year's secret, best-ever costume: a River Guide! Think of the possibilities: dreadlocks, spandex, poly-pro, big shorts, helmets, facial hair, thrift-store shirts, knives, PFD's, sandals, bad hair, tattoos, hemp chokers, and chipped teeth (or no-teeth!).
I'll be at Java Lounge to see two hot bands: Sucks (check out SacBee Sucks review) and Fatty Acid!
I'll leave you with this: "Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." Oscar Wilde
I haven't written anything for California Whitewater Rafting blog in a long time. Why? Well, the business of white water rafting and outdoor adventures is one that keeps me... well, rather busy. We are networking with so many new partners and ventures that just keeping up with it is more than anyone can handle. So, I don't write much anymore, and leave that to the younger blogging team and Big Poppa ... their writing is much more interesting and more timely than my musings or rants.
Several events are happening around American River trips. There was the P.O.W. show. I heard that the company did the first Punks on Water shows waaaaay back in the 80's. Big Poppa is an unusual boss. He is an old guy with a very young heart... and all of us that work for this company know it is a special relationship between employer and employee. He ain't like a regular boss... but I guess you all figured that out already.
Big Poppa and one of the senior crew members, Mizz Maggie hopped on the Burner's Psy bus and headed to the great vast Black Rock Desert for music, performance art and the party event of the year! Burning Man was calling and Big Poppa answered the call enthusiastically. Check his personal blog for a blow by blow pre-party contest and how Mizz Maggie won her "Golden Ticket".
He promised to write part 2 of the Burning Man episode to fill in the rest of the story... I want to see the video and the pictures, peeps... I heard Kev was there hanging out along with several other Burners that we all know and love... hahaha... you know who you are. Oh, yeah... and Mack sent this video to the office from the last group rafting trip on the South Fork American... Big Poppa sure talks up rafting and food!
More party events are happening this weekend with the American River Festival, several day hikes around the rivers and even a kayak sale brought to you by The River Store in the Lotus Coloma Valley. Summer is gone, but WET trips continue for Fall rafting and Winter boating.
One thing Big Poppa said when he got back to the office... he said, "For 50K people that were there, it sure was calm... no riots, no fighting... just love and more love..." And that is what makes the world go round and round and round and round... PEACE OUT!
W.E.T. River Trips has had an alter-ego for the past 27 of our 30 years in business as a whitewater outfitter.... P.O.W. Punks on Water!
P.O.W. re-emerges this coming weekend on Sunday August 3rd to host a benefit for the American River Conservancy with a concert/party on the banks of the South Fork of the American River at the Nugget Campground.
In the interest of creating opportunities for meaningful cultural exchanges and in the spirit of celebrating diversity.... P.O.W. is importing bands from Davis, Sacramento and the surrounding area with DJ zAc from HexLove maintaining the groove!
Buffoonery, Hijinks, and swell times will be had by all.....
And in the interest of fostering diversity and cultural exchanges... Hippies are now very welcome at all P.O.W. events!!!!
Shhhhh... oh yeah, I forgot to leak this news. W.E.T. River Trips and the W.E.T. crew came up with a funny idea a few weeks ago... well, actually, Big Poppa thought it up.
It's not usual to be able to do all three forks of the American River at any time of the year. River flows depend on so many variables that usually only two of the forks are running. Every spring, though, there are a few weeks where it is possible for W.E.T. to have a triple crew working on all three American River whitewater trips in one day.
Big Poppa thought, "Hey, why not try and do all three whitewater rivers in one day with one crew?"
Aieeee! Carumba! Yeah... a very good idea, indeed.
Kudos to the Sacramento Bee writer, Gina Kim and river photographer, Randy Pench for their awesome participation on this project. Even more thanks goes to W.E.T. River Trips' own staff member Ryan MacPherson, professional documentary filmmaker for creating the video for the Sacramento Bee. Ryan and his Blood Good Productions company lent us a hand in creating the media for this three rivers in one day project. Thanks bro!
But the crew with the most, W.E.T. River Trips... gawd, you guys rawk so hard I can't even begin to tell you guys what you really accomplished. From the North Fork American start at 7ish in the morning with a take-out at 8am, put-in on the Middle Fork American at 9ish, take-out at 12ish and finally a put-in at the South Fork American around 2ish and take-out at Salmon Falls around 5ish... dudes... you could have done this in waaaaay less time than 12 hours... you guys were moving that fast!
Ok... so definitely, the W.E.T. team is honed and ready to roll for the 2008 whitewater rafting season. Look out peeps... 'cause W.E.T. is on a rampage!
How about that January of WET -ness? Living in Sacramento, felt like being in Seattle, and being in the Sierras, was a taste of being above the Arctic Circle; except with a lot more snow!!!
January 1st, I went on on a group trip, motorcycle ride with the Gold Country Dual Sport Riders on the venerable and exalted W.E.T. River Trips shuttle conveyance: the 2006 Kawasaki KLR 650 ...yes, the most popular dual-purpose (or, as we "fans" call the designation: "Multi-surface") motorcycle in the world since 1983... yes, there is passion for the pig of a bike that is heavy, under-powered, ugly, purposeful, durable, and the chosen motorcycle of the USMC (except the US Marines go a step further and convert to diesel... yes, Bio-Diesel compatible!).
Anyway, I took an awesome 230-mile ride with a great group of like-minded dual-purpose riders with a collection of bikes that ranged from a lone Harley to the lone Moto Guzzi with the in-fill populated by a batch of KTM's, BMW's, and the reliable KLR 650.We met in Sacramento after I chipped ice off of my seat and rode to Lake Berryessa (sic) with about 30 other riders where we met another 15 riders and continued on around the lake to Napa, Sonoma, and Lower Lake where we had lunch and the temperature soared to a balmy 50 degrees.
The ride back was a different route and we road at a much more brisk pace. The whole time, my white water rafting and snowboarding brain was twitching... everything was super dry: no puddles, mud, dry grasses, and a minimalist Lake Berryessa combined with a trickle called Putah Creek.
I haven't ridden anything beyond a quick couple of 50 milers since ... why?: IT'S BEEN FREAKIN' RAINING AND SNOWING!!!!!!! The lakes and rivers have been transformed and there is as much as 30-feet on snow in the Sierra waiting to come down... and it will!
February has started out with a vengeance of cold, wet storms and has added to the DWR snow survey done last week at the end of January that showed the watershed of the popular class 4+ North Fork American, Middle Fork and South Fork American River at 125% of normal...last year was 33% (and the whitewater was still awesome). The North end of the State is ridiculous with crazy watershed totals serving the Klamath, Scott, and Salmon River. We're looking at some drying weather and some excellent times for enjoying the bounty of a wet January.
So, I'm calling it, and it is ON! The whitewater rafting season will be amazing.
The W.E.T. River Trips crew plans to rally after Valentine's Day (so that Heffe and Bird can protect their domestic Bliss...shhhhhh) and we can take advantage of President's Day. We're shooting for our annual Smith River, Oregon Hole, Jedidiah Redwood State Park, Hiouchi Rendezvous.The call went out... we'll see who steps up.
Might as well, we tee-off the season in mid-March... so hit the slopes, get off the couch and let me get in some last rides on the KLR before it becomes part of the job... yeah right.
For more resources on the KLR 650 ultimate shuttle vehicle for rafting and river trips:
Theo is in New York City. I can not imagine a more misplaced guy. He's a kayaker, guide and whitewater instructor, and he has worked for W.E.T. River Trips for a long time. He and his significant other are in NYC experiencing the world class city together. He sent this post to let us know how he was doing. We miss you Theo. Season starts in a couple more weeks. He promises to get back to California for the rafting trips. Here are his words and observations...
The opportunity to live and work in New York City was one that my love and myself could not pass up. Coming from California to the East Coast provided great change. There are many things that we find ourselves still taking in and will be, I am sure, for some time. One of those changes, however, makes itself more noticeable on a day-to-day basis; that is transportation. For me, walking to get to and from where I need to go has replaced driving. Thus, the daily commute is partially done on foot, walking to the next train, bus or taxi, which will take you to your destination of choice. More commonly than not, I find myself using the subway system to get from place to place. This is where a unique world makes itself apparent, where every man and woman seemingly regards one another as equal, and where performing arts create the mood.
My main point in this blog is to reflect on what happens in the New York City Subway, specifically relating to the people, for whatever motive, who are performing, educating, making a buck or perhaps just passing the time.
As a newcomer to New York City, it is a challenge to be another expressionless New Yorker when I hear the powerful sound of a group of musicians creating music. Certainly, the energy provided makes the transit more exciting. Some of the performances that I have witnessed are as follows:
Two mime interpretations; one of a ballet dancer and the other of a clown
A one-man band; playing a guitar, with a harmonica in the mouth, and still having the rhythm to use his feet on a contraption that adds value to his musical sound
Man with a guitar and microphone singing
Man singing; not a great voice, but consistent, as I saw him more than once in the same spot
Poetry and songs on the S or Shuttle Train; a train that goes back and forth between Grand Central Station and 42nd Street/ Port Authority
Group on foreign instruments (to me) playing beautiful seasonal music
Mariachi on the moving train; really.
A large group of Quakers (I believe) singing
Thank you Theo for the great NYC post. We look forward to hearing more about your new world... and, get yourself back to California for the whitewater trips, bro!
Recently, we were reviewed by internet marketers as a prime example of blogging and marketing. The California whitewater rafting blog is really old. Started as a journal on our original website on Geocities as a way to get our passion for rafting and whitewater out to the public, we are now part of Blogger, a division of Google.
We have various tags or labels for each post since we seem to blog about everything including our rafting trips. But here's what's happened to this blog: it's become a lifestyle blog for our rafting company and has become bigger than just outdoor recreation. The young bloggers who blog about college life, extreme sports and the adversity of young adulthood are also, heavily into the music scene.
All of us listen to music on the way to river trips or traveling and working to the mundane chores of life. Music, like recreation is a way of life. Our young bloggers want to let you know about the coolest music that they love and they want to share it with you, our paddling and rafting friends. We welcome WhiteLite to the team, an artist, a musician and a passionate advocate for music. Here is his first post...
All right dudes check it out! Two new really awesome albums that are out on Paw-Tracks Records are Eric Copeland’s “Hermaphrodite” and Animal Collective’s “Strawberry Jam”, the hit “Peace Bone” on Strawberry Jam is particularly awesome, even my mother likes it. The music video that you can find on YouTube is disgustingly magical.
Another magnificent release to check out on Paw-Tracks is the latest Black Dice album "Load Blown." I saw these guys live with the band f*ckwolf (note from W.E.T. River Trips; sorry parents, but some bands like to shock with just their name) a couple weekends ago at San Francisco’s 12 Galaxies, and they really know how to put on a show. Their music is mesmerizing.
Another very respectable artist to pay attention to is Ariel Pink who is currently touring the East Coast. His music is a classic pop song washed out in a mess of psychedelic effects.
Last month, I went to Big Sur to see him play at the Folk Ya Music Festival. The festival ended up being a piece of sh*t and made me want to barf after seeing so many terrible bands. Ariel Pink was good as usual, and he even artistically shaved his legs on stage while singing. The only other entertaining act to play that festival out of the 20 terrible bands was Lucky Dragons. This two-piece band from LA was whimsical and original .
If you live in Sacramento, about 45 minutes from the American River whitewater, or happened to catch Hella’s last tour, you probably witnessed co-touring band Who’s Your Favorite Son God an awesome band featuring some of Sacramento’s best musicians.
The drummer Zach Nelson also has three other equally as rad projects including his collaboration with Kinseth from the band Pinback called “Prints”. The project Prints is out on Temporary Residence records. Zach Nelson’s other projects include Chant’os with Sacramento local pianist Carson McWhirter from Hella, and his solo project Fahlouah.
Last, but not least, I also found myself dancing to Cornelius. He is labeled the “Japanese Beck”, and for good reasons. His evaluation of a pop song is the closest thing to perfect. Check out his hit "Smoke" off his album Point.
Since the spring of 1977, I have been a whitewater rafting professional (guide, outfitter, shuttle-driver, food-buyer, shuttle-vehicle mechanic, equipment manager, and camp chef... and most of the time, the tasks have been assigned simultaneously). The past few years have seen me rarely on the river; but, this year has been different.
A first personal descent (river, snow slope, mountain bike trail, ocean wave, skate ramp, or twisty mountain road) is always a notch up on the fun meter. The added bonus of a first-personal descent is the heightened awareness of your surroundings: colors, vegetation, rock formations, and those amazing whitewater rapids!
This rafting season started early with a first personal descent of the Smith River with clear sunny weather in February. The Smith is a crystal clear stream running through the redwoods along the California Oregon border and is a sister river to the Klamath, Salmon, and Trinity.I've run over 17 rivers in California and the Smith is on the top of the heap and not for whitewater... the rapids were great; however, the water, the rocks, and the surrounding old-growth redwoods made the trip (also Vladimir's, another old fart, mid-night escapades!).
After a wild early season filled with a full menu of South Fork, Middle Fork, and North Fork American River trips and the ensuing milieu of shuttles, food-buys, trip logistics, and guides in need of parenting, I was able to run off to Idaho and work as a guide on a 6-day trip followed by an amazing 800-mile motorcycle ride back to Sacramento, California on a KLR 650 with fresh knobbies... huge fun at 80 mph across Nevada!
The season continued on with a hecticMiddle Fork American and South Fork American River season that ended the first week of October. But, the season didn't end until Country Mike rallied us up for a first personal (for all of us) first-descent on Silver Creek that helps to form the headwaters of the South Fork American.
The trip was a constant surprise of sights and rapids at every bend and through every log-jam portage.It didn't matter that I was approaching retirement age and 30 pounds heavier than I was in '77.
I shared the day with 10 of W.E.T. River Trips guides that ranged in age from 20 to 42 years old (not counting myself). We ran the same rapids, we saw the same sights, we were all cold. At the end of the day, we all smiled and no one had regrets. We all knew the same things: It was a great day.
Let it snow! I'll be back for more.
Note from W.E.T. River Trips: Posted by an Old Fart! Just kidding... Big Poppa rocks! The ol' man hit the whitewater with us... he did good! Hehehehehe...
Nowadays, you hear the term, "Weekend Warrior" more and more. What is it you ask? Someone who takes care of business and responsibilities Monday through Friday and on the weekends... well we will get to that...
Every time I heard the term, I would think of my dad or an older adult who lives it up on the weekends. Someone who works 10 hour days Monday through Friday and has 14-hour adventures on the weekends. The past couple years of my life, I thought I would always be able to go skateboard, hang out with my friends, go on road trips, and even party everyday; no matter what day.
The last couple of weeks have sure proved me wrong. Being a full-time student and a part time employee, had to buckle down a little, tighten the notches on the belt so to speak. My social life dwindled, and I started to become MIA (missing in action). I was also recently given the opportunity to interview for a personal assistant job with a financial brokerage house. Being the adventure seeker, I am, I thought to myself... hey, maybe there is a future in this, and it's probably good money, so I jumped right on it.
I am very confident and obviously I love to talk, I am a people person, that's what I am. The interview went well and I was offered the job on the spot. So, I took it. After a few days of work, I realized I got myself in over my head. Two part-time jobs, a full load of school, and a social life... well, lack of social life that is. I now work and go to school Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm. Whether it be from work to work or school to work, I am on the run constantly. The longest break I have is a half hour for lunch and a half hour to drive from one destination to another.
My body is exhausted from no sleep and perpetual brain functioning. I verve and run around strictly on two things, coffee and cigarettes. Both which are absolutely HORRID habits of mine that I would like to break everyday, but at this time in my life, they help me get by. I'm hoping that my routine will become habitual and my lifestyle will serve me well in the long run. I was tired of being a poor college student and had to start building my bank account up again. I just didn't realize how hard it was to do just that.
Most people who have graduated from college tell me, "I have one thing to say... stay in school as long as you can..." But why would I want to be a poor college student for as long as I can? No way, I want a degree and I want it fast. This leads to another problem with people my age. Our minds change everyday, and it's hard to stick with one subject of study. I, myself, still have no idea what I'm in school for but I'm on my way to figuring it out.
So back to my daily routine. Once I'm done with work and out of school, I'm way too burned out to get to any of my social life or skateboarding. I can't even start to begin how many phone calls I get asking, "Where have you been? Come hang out?" My response, "Sorry guys and girls, I have to be a Big Boy now and take care of my priorities." Most of my friends don't understand. The few that do, I respect them for understanding that sooner or later, we all have to grow up. Hence, the "Weekend Warrior" term.
I now look forward to living to the utmost on the weekends. It's seriously the only time I can sit and relax and be on my own time... K-Dog time... I like that. Most people go through a phase like mine, and yes; it's a challenge. Personally, I like a challenge to see what I am really made of, and what I can prove to myself. I'm not going to lie though; this is one of my biggest challenges I have yet to deal with in my life.
There is no telling if I will continue to work both jobs and stay in school, but for the time being, I plan to do so. A lot of people say that they are waiting for their "big break" if you know what I mean. Yea, I used to wait around for that to; someone to come up to you and offer you the job of a lifetime or a opportunity of a lifetime. But, NEWS FLASH everyone!!! It's not going to happen!!! Sometimes you just have to go out there and take life by the horns, grab them, and hold on tight to the bull. It's a wild ride and you might get bucked off but you gotta get back on and give it your all.
My two jobs are the horns and college is the bull that I am sitting on in my life right now. If I fail this time, at least I know to approach the bull a different way next time I go on for a ride.
I'm going to leave everyone with one last quote by the infamous Shane Cross... rip...
"LET'S LIVE".
K-Dog Post... he's growing up folks...
Note from W.E.T.'s teen blogging staff: hey, parents, we do finally grow up...
Our young staff members are grieving big time over Michael's death last night. None of us thought he was losing his battle with cancer. He was in remission, damn it. Only 18 years old. My heart is breaking for our young members of the W.E.T. rafting blog. And so are we, the older members on staff.
As we witness the young group, as they deal with their loss of a dear friend, we can't help but wonder how this affects their young minds. I mentioned this loss this morning to a colleague... first thing out of their mouth was, "Was it a car accident?"
Sure, the young group have had losses before... brutal car accidents taking their best friends, weird circumstances related to stupid or dumb decisions (guns, anyone?) ... that's how young people die; but this is not suppose to happen to a vibrant person like Michael... not freakin' cancer.
Creative and artistic, the loss of his life just proves how we all must hold our loved ones as close as possible. And please, all adults... keep in mind that our young adults and teens face the same ugly and sad issues that we face everyday.
Myspace entries throughout the group will be riddled with accolades, memories, pictures and good talks among us all. Michael, if you can hear us... make the best freakin' angel clothes ever... heaven will be lining up for your designs.
Wolf, whitewater master, has just made it back to Reno after experiencing the Black Rock Desert first hand. The place is a sight to behold filled with nothing but crazy ass folks that think they know how to throw a party. I don’t know how many, but people were saying about 40,000 kooks in the same desert with all their RV’s, art cars, bicycles, moving vans, and golf carts on the same flat desert enjoying the same hot sun all as one tribe.
I didn’t get to find out exactly what they were worshiping on my bike ride out into the desert... whatever it is, it is sic! To be able to endure, for however many days those people spend out there, is remarkable in itself. The fine, salty sand flies everywhere, blasting all in the desert heat. There is no cover or shelter other than what was transported by the Burners to the burn party. It is a logistical marvel on how the event gets put on so successfully. And, I must give mad props to their skills at keeping people much like myself from being able to just walk right in and join the show.
My bike ride was quite a killer adventure in itself for me as I had never rode a bicycle more than 30 miles before, and I was attempting 119 miles in pretty heinous conditions. No shade, food or water... just desert out there, and me cruising on a sweet road bike that I had just purchased from friends in Reno.
After getting lost in Reno in the middle of the day on Monday, I finally made it to the Pyramid Highway and through Sparks. The desert out there is way cool and my bike was fast, so I made good time and was pushing to get as far as I could on day one. I was pretty wasted by the time I made it to Pyramid Lake and took a breather.
So many people were cruising to Burning Man, that I knew I was going the right direction for sure. Cars loaded to the max, working way harder than I was to get out there with all their bottled water and extra bicycles, I could tell those bikes really wanted to be ridden to the The Man rather than carried. My bicycle and I were quickly becoming good friends, as I mastered the shifter knobs and pumped those pedals in my spandex getup. (Note from W.E.T. River Trips; folks the picture is sic... next post, we promise... Wolfe looks pretty good in spandex...)
After my rest at the lake I cruised into Nixon, all pumped to finally be able to get some more water, as I had already drank more than a gallon in my first 5 hours of riding. Here is where all the real Burners were converging, and I tried to not act cooler than them, but it was hard not to in my sick ass outfit and bicycle transporter.
I have greater appreciation for bikers now, but would rather spend life on a bicycle that's partaking in some hedonistic party lifestyle... so yeah, I was feeling pretty righteous. It was good to know that I had ridden my bike this far.
I was tired, so I bought some coffee, filled water bottles, and continued my assault on the BRC via some crazy highway filled with peeps driving way to close to my edge of the world. This white edge is a very thin edge sometimes, and holding my breath, as I was getting passed, became the routine. Semi’s, u-haul’s, and mad trailers were buzzing by me in colorful gasoline powered streams of consciousness.
Right after sunset, on my first day of riding, I was thankful to find a makeshift Indian Taco stand on the side of the road, set-up to accommodate the Burners and their hunger for fry bread. A mom and daughter were running this operation out of an old RV and immediately invited me to stay the night there, as the road was getting increasingly more and more busy and filled with headlights.
I met quite a few Burners here and they helped me to get a better idea of who was going to this festival of desert carnage. It seemed like everyone. Even the ladies who ran the taco stand were going to go this year... their first ever. Veggie powered buses were shuttling in people from Reno, Volkswagon Bugs converted to RV’s, and lots of people who were driving rentals into the party. There was a majority of the people I met from California, but everyone else was from elsewhere. I love Indian Tacos...
More to come... and Wolfe's pic of his spandex outfit... ala Jonny "skirt" ... W.E.T. River Trips
After the 3 week trip to Europe, my friends and I returned home to our home town. What a relief it was to be home to feel comfortable again, see our families, friends and get back to our lives. It took me about 4 days before I realized how much real life and growing up is a pain in the ass.
But we all have to do it sooner or later. I came back and have been searching for a job, a living situation, and trying to figure out school for next semester. I have now realized how important it is to plan ahead and have short term goals so you don't get in a rut. As most teenagers, we are working hard to do right when we're are having fun partying and not taking care of business.
Not only is it tough to do this, but another member of the Euro crew, Zee, came home to a big decision and responsibility of her own. To go to college here in town or in the Bay Area... going to the Bay Area school on a scholarship and for something that can line up her future as an artist... whatever she may choose will be a stressful decision, but hopefully work for the better.
All the stress of a teenager and growing up can be extremely hard on young adults... that's why we need our friends and families for support. Personally, I think the best support is, that whatever we do, our friends and parents just want us to be safe and be happy with our lives. Yea... it might take a few of us a few years to figure out if school is the right choice, but so be it.
School is not for everyone, but if we are happy and content with our lives, that's all that should matter... if you want me to elaborate more, let me know; just writing this was stressful haha... K
Parents... listen carefully... words from a wise soul on the torture of teen angst... believe us, when we say, their lives are filled with enormous pressure. Facing real life decisions with a teen brain has got to be intense... your friends, W.E.T. River Trips
