The Dirt Bag Guide To America!

(Where showering is optional and the white water makes it worth it)

This last season Greg, Maritjn, Jake, Phil and I flew into Cali with not a whole lot of knowledge about the place. Just that we wanted to super-size our Macca’s meal and do some big slides.

Little did we know that you spend most of the time driving, it can be hard to figure out what run to do next and you better get use to a self-deflating thema rest! But….. it’s so worth it. The gas, beer, spirits and food is cheap! Oh did I mention the KAYAKING and the weather!

Feeling inspired I thought I would share my learnings and best tips.

On the road. Photo// Jacob Schrama

How much Moolah do you need?

Simple… the more the better. A money tree works wonders.

The more in your team the cheaper it is.

Learning:

$1500 USA a month and you would be feeling pretty good. Having a backup of $500 for the car each will take the stress out of things too.

What I did:

I had $5000 for four months, we never had to eat rice but we also traded our health for cheap fast food and sleeping on the side of the road.

On the road. Photo// Jacob Schrama

Car:

A car is a must!

Craigslist is the best place to find a second hand car. In California you don’t need a warrant of fitness, but if you have a car crash, you may be prosecuted if your car wasn’t safe.

The seller needs to smog the car for you (The amount of emissions your car releases). This can be very expensive if it fails!

Air con! If you can get a wagon with AC the quality of your life will improve dramatically.

Road side dirt bags  Photo// Jacob Schrama

Internet:

An iphone or a smart phone will make logistics so much easier!!

By having internet on the go you can be driving and finding out information on your next run!

iphones also have the ability to ‘hotspot’ allowing others to use your ph as an internet connection.

Free internet!  Photo// Jacob Schrama

 Insurance:

No one wants to be sued. So get car insurance!

http://www.progressive.com/california-car-insurance/

The hard part is finding an address…

Travel Insurance:

There’s lots of them, shop around. We went with World Nomads and they cover White Water Kayaking.

Hot pools! Photo// Jacob Schrama

Beta:

To get the best information ask around and use a combination of these web sites and the California guide book.

Dreaming of White Water often have write ups in their free online mag.

www.Dreamingofwhitewater.com  

Darin Mcquoids blog is hands down the best way to find out information on rivers in California.

http://www.kayakphoto.com/darinmcquoid/riverdirectory.html

A Wet State is worth checking out too

http://www.awetstate.com/

By using Dream Flows real time report you can find out where to go and what’s flowing…..

http://www.dreamflows.com/flows.php?page=real&zone=canv&form=norm

American Whitewater has flow information and river descriptions.

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/state-summary/state/CA/

Tip:

Get yourself a gazetteer and a GPS trust me.

Where to next???  Photo// Jacob Schrama

Showering:

Take it when you can, it may be a while till your next one.

You can take a shower at Loves or Flying Jays (Gas stations) or camp grounds.

Sleeping:

Save money, get out of the town.

Forestry roads are good.

Rest areas are good but definitely dirt bag.

Home for the night Photo// Rata Lovell-Smith

Alcohol:

Limes make all cheap beer better.

Always have beer, trust us.

Buy a chilly bin with a bung and buy ice whenever you can.

Weed: Its California baby, make your own mind up.

Photo// Jacob Schrama

If in doubt head to Coloma you’re bound to find someone with good info.

Make the most of it, go hard, then fly home while you’re still stoked on it all.

See you there,

Cheers, Rata

Upper Cherry Creek

For the past two years we had been captivated by the poster on our toilet wall. It was Andi Uhl flying through the air off Cherry Bomb Falls and into the Cherry Bomb Gorge. We wondered if we would ever get the chance to do that? Would we have the skills? Or the balls? Finally the flow dropped and we got the chance to find out!

The walks not all bad. Photo//Jacob Schrama

6am came around way too quickly, it was cold and the thought of the 9 mile hike with loaded boats was daunting, but the excitement of the river outweighed it all. We found ourselves slogging up the hill early in the morning to try and avoid the heat that us kiwis were still struggling to deal with. Six and a half hours later we were at the put in. Tired, sore and ready to sleep we decided to camp at the top of the first rapid… the ‘put in slide’. A quick evening scout left us feeling excited, but nervous for the days to come!

Greg Lee getting his slice of Cherry pie! Photo//Liam Anderson

Day two dawned clear and crisp. After a good feed of De-hi bacon and eggs we found ourselves scouting the put in slide. It looked like a sweet auto-boof at the bottom, if you hit it right. Phil pushed off first, making it look easy and flying off the bottom drop flat. We all followed and then carried on down through the Disneyland slides. These are a series of relatively low angle slides, it was nice and relaxing. I think we all spent more time taking in the scenery than watching the river. It was an unreal landscape, very different to anything in New Zealand. before we knew it we were at the entrance gorge to Cherry Bomb Gorge…

Martijn Van Den Broke making the commitment. Photo//Jacob Schrama

After a long scouting session, full of nerves, Phil, Martijn, Rata and myself made our way back up to the top. Tension was high but we were feeling good, paddling strong and had our heads in a good space. It was a very strange feeling as we dropped into the entrance gorge, it tightened up quickly and the moves became harder. It felt good to be committed. It was big, steep and by far the most committing place we had ever been. The walls were near vertical and we could see series of horizon lines that guarded the way out. We followed tradition and decided the order with paper, scissors, rock. Myself first, followed closely by Martijn, Rata and Phil. Pulling out of the eddy I was nervous, then after the first stroke became fully focused, then before I knew it I was going over the weir on the right, Just scraping through and narrowly avoiding a severe beat down.

Phil Palzer is sent flying. Photo//Liam Anderson

 It felt good, but no time to celebrate, Martijn followed, flying through the air with a huge edge! Then rata flew off with a fair bit of upstream angle! Followed by Phil and lots of yahooing from us all. Whats the line?... um… Left, Left, Middle, Right, Middle, Left? We made our way down, everyone had sweet lines and there was lots of celebrating and high fives at the bottom.

Tea cups!! Photo//Jacob Schrama

Next we caught up with the rest of the crew who had walked in with food for us (thanks Jake and Liam!) We did about 10 laps of the jedi slide and tea cups, soaked up the sun and boofed all afternoon until we were too tired to paddle. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

Round two?  Photo//Jacob Schrama

Day 3 was another clear classic California scorcher. We hiked our boats back up to the top of the cherry bomb for round two. The afternoon was spent sliding and boofing the Jedi slide and tea cups again. That afternoon about 20 other paddlers from all over the world turned up. What a place! the evening was spent around a fire, we drank whiskey and talked about kayaking for hours. It was a special place, shared with good friends!

Photo//Jacob Schrama

Day 4 Spirits were high as we pushed off. For breakfast we hucked off ‘perfect 20’ then slid and boofed our way down ‘double pothole’, through ‘waterfall ally’ and then 3 of us walked around “Kiwi in a pocket’’ Martijn was fired up and ran it, his Dutch heritage helped keep him out of the hungry looking pocket and he joined us for the ‘dead bear’ portage. The rest of the day involved paddling some mank, some classics, some walking and a huge flat water paddle to the base of the lake. 

Rata Lovell-Smith getting amongst Perfect '20'.  Photo//Liam Anderson

Cheers, Greg

South Silver, California America

Picture this….a skate park meeting a water slide and having a kayakers dream as their child. Welcome to the Granite Highway!!

On the way up the hill. South Silver, CA, America.

Photo//Greg Lee

 After watching countless videos and hearing stories we were fired up to be heading toward the South Silver at optimal  flow. We arrived early afternoon and after a quick stroll down the hill we were at Auto Barn.

Rata Lovell-Smith Getting her slide on. South Silver, CA America

Photo//Greg Lee

Too good to only do once we all hiked our boats up two or three times. After Auto Barn there's a nice little boof into a tight run out, followed by a short portage around a little bit of mank which then saw us at the next super clean drop.

Phil Palzer enjoying the goods of the Tea Cups.

Photo//Jacob Schrama

After the last Tea Cup you have to punch a couple of holes to catch the last eddy above Sky Scraper which flows straight into off ramp. At my first glance I didn't want much to do with it, however after washing some ‘sand", I made my way to the top. As I sit writing this I can feel my heart beating fast as I replay the drop.  As I took my stroke out of the eddy I was fully committed.

There’s something about the feeling of rolling over the lip of a drop that keeps me going back for more.

Rata Lovell-Smith gets air time on Off Ramp. South Silver, CA, America.

Photo//Greg Lee

Greg Lee fully focused and about to go flying. Sky Scraper South Silver, CA, America.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

The boy’s all had nice lines and we made another quick portage on the right. Next is another fast section into Plastic Surgery, which goes way better than it looks.

South Silver, CA, America.

Photo//Jacob Scharma

We started to rally the last section as it was getting dark. This is what happened next..

Phil disappeared over the horizon line, as I rolled over the lip I saw him trying to show me the line. I’m way off line and about to drop into the pit of a burly looking granite hole, adrenaline and fear rush through me as I pull on my stroke and try to lift my nose.

I can hear my heart in my ears as time slows down, the white tentacles latch on and throw me with force back into the white.

I’m now in the washing machine on spin. I try hard to fight my way out but it isn't going to free me. I pull my deck, but I’m still in there.

I'm running out of breath, I throw myself at the green but I’m pulled straight back. Fear overwhelms me, I’m not getting out. I kick myself off the bottom and see Phil. I can see his fear, and I’m pulled back under. I’m running out of strength, I kick off again only to get pulled under. I try again throwing my hands into the air.

Greg spots them and throws his bag.  The rope lands in my hand and I use the last of my strength to hold on to it and pull Phil out with me, who had paddled into tri get me out.

Emotions are high as Greg and Phil pull me up on the bank.  It’s these times where friend’s turn into family, ready to give all they have for their buddy.

The good life, lake side. South Silver, CA, America.

Photo//Greg Lee

The South Silver is about 30 Minutes from Placervile on Hwy 50. The Best Place to get info is on Dream Flows and Darin Mcquoid’s Blog.

A must do!! And the camping doesn't get much better than this.

Thanks, Rata. 

Spring Is Here

A long, dry and gruelling winter on the west coast made getting out paddling a challenge. With little time to spare in between polytech and assignments, we started home brewing beer (with mixed results), I named my first brew Marmite and Phils was aptly named coffee.

Red, One of the new family members. Greymouth, New Zealand

Photo//Greg Lee

Along with our brewing skills we have acquired two pet lawnmowers named red and skimpy, who are currently grazing the back lawn and doing a good job of it. But with perfectly good white water flowing so freely out to sea, we have been itching to get out, and spring fever is kicking in. we have been ripping into a few of the local runs. Multiple laps on the Kakapotahi, Toaroha, Totara, Arahura and Dobson wave were possible due to the two weeks of rain during our holidays. 9 out of the past 10 days were on the rivers and it  felt good after a long dry winter. One trip of note was the Styx, which we decided to explore. After two years here we couldn't leave without sampling some of the Styx magic.

'Pinky' after the hard drive in.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

'Vroooooom scrape crack put put put' were the noises coming from Phils little hatch back car as he came flying up the four wheel drive on the way into the Styx. Closely  followed by the roar of Dans 3L surf, which had no trouble. Gear on and ready for a long slog we walked to the put in, Myself, Phil and Martijn decided to run the top rapid above the normal put in. We had mixed results, and a near miss as Martijn scouted the underside of a very large boulder below the last drop.

Martijn getting up close and personal with the sieve. Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

We quickly caught up with the others and cruised on down some classic grade 4 boulder gardens, boat scouting most of it. A sick 3m clean boof encouraged the cameras out and we all had multiple laps of it, while trying to perfect our boofs. All up it was a great day out and good to see some of the boys pushing the limits, taking risks and then getting the rewards. The walk suddenly becomes enjoyable, you have a good crew who you trust with your life and things go as planned! Its days like this that you think to yourself 'This is why I do this!' Chur!

Martijn on the top rapid. Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

'Boof boss Phil'. Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo// Greg Lee

Phil entering the crux of the day. Styx River, West Coast NZ

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Dan Morgan on the 'Buffer'. Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Greg Lee lining up of the many drops. Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Greg Lee on the Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Martijn going hard! Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Phil hitting a new line. Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Dan Morgan waits to take his stroke. Styx River, West Coast NZ.

Photo//Rata Lovell-Smith

Written by Greg Lee

Fiordland

20th of August is looking good to kick off, in our sea kayaks ready for 10 days of exploring the Holyford river and then south down the coast. Shuttle is sorted and most of the gear is organised... Things are looking good!

The next mission for the Two Dash Productions crew is currently in the planning stage. We hope to do a short sea kayaking expedition down in Fiordland. I know its a little different from the standard white water trip, but it should be good :)

A long walk for paradise on the Arahura

As the sun slipped behind the hills and the cool winter breeze funnelled down the valley, we put on our very awkward packs and set off up the Arahura valley.  With darkness upon us and our new Hydroscapes carry systems to try out, the 7 of us headed to the lower Arahura hut (6 bunked). After a very close sleep and some stale bread and bake beans for breakfast Phil, Greg and I started our short walk up to the Newton Swing Bridge. The track leading down to the put in was steep and slippery. A 100 metres from the river Greg spotted what looked like a good spot to launch our boats   over it, we lined our boats up ready to take on the 20 metre bank. Greg was quick to push his off and after some impressive aerial manoeuvres by Gretchen’s boat (which he was borrowing) the result was a massive crack in the front. We carried our boats into the bushes, tired and disappointed vowing to be back next weekend.

A week later after a rough and ready welding job by Greg along with some ‘bitch tape’ (A must have on the coast) we were set.  A couple of warm up rapids behind us, we were into it, our first horizon line looking ominous. Greg jumped out to scout the line, but after Phil ran first and got back looped, the need for a new line was decided and relayed back to Greg and I. The rest of the river kept coming with some good boat scouting meant clean lines and nice edge to edge transitions. The trip had minimal portaging besides a single ‘mankey’ section where the whole river seemed to disappear into a sieve. It was a good day out for the Two Dash crew, well worth the 6 hour walk and we will definitely be back!

Phil Palzer stops for a drink
Photo by Greg Lee

The bottom of the last gouge
Photo By Rata Lovell-Smith 

Written By Rata Lovell-Smith