The Colorado Kayak Chronicle aka CKS Squad Blog: A place for CKS’s Staff and Team Paddlers to share trip reports, gear reviews, photo postings and insights into anything and everything paddling. The goal of this blog is to bring you a variety of perspectives and interests from around the world, to share inspiring photos, videos and stories and most importantly, to help you get excited for your next day on the river!
It has been a rough year to be a Colorado kayaker. I know. I was there back in 2001 or was it 2002? I'm still trying to block it out of my memory. Yet, I'm still heartened to see on the Buzz that people got out and crushed it anyway.
So this post is going to be for those of you who may have forgotten, just a touch, about how unbelievable kayaking is.
Remember the first time you stuck the hell out of a scary rapid or big trick? John Pilson explains the physiology:
Nailing the left boof at Double Trouble gets me every time.
The Buzz is unreal. Sometimes after a big day on the river, I'll be driving home just jittery with excitement. I just can't wait to get back on the water. Rapid lines will day-dream through my head all week.
Motivation can be lacking. The Green is 3 hours from my house and the closest goods I've got. But I have never regretted a single day on the river. I wrote that last sentence on this very blog, years ago and it has held true every river day since (although I don't know if my wife would agree?). Speaking of my wife, she has notices every week whether I've been kayaking or not. I am more upbeat, positive and generally excited about all things when boatin' is part of my weekly routine.
What else can I say? Some people like kayaking. Joe looooves kayaking!
Enough of that sappy BS. What you all need is some stoke to get you talking about your winter paddling trips!!!! How about this shot of the original doublet, as in The Toby, finishing off Staircase on the Horsepasture:
I think you can call this a Grip of Waterfalls
Everyone in the kayaking community is discussing the treatment of our ladies. Well, here are some photos of ladies laying Treats!
Lil A' slaying you Marginal Monsters
Taken on the class V Horsepasture... does it get any better? Katie D
Shannon following Toby down the Stairway to Heaven
Some have suggested that I might be able to take the ladies division this year at the Green Race, which is a compete fallacy. I couldn't beat her if I was in front of a Duo with her steering in the back.
Gravity cravin'
The prettiest Janney getting out of the Drunk Tank
And there you have it. Some killer chicks from the SE!
'I love kayaking!!!!'
Rainbow Falls
If I'm gonna post photos of kayaking chicas, I better post shots of their husbands golden stroking:
Zac
Now, as you all know by now, any blog post originating in the Southeast must include gratuitous photos of the Grandaddy Green. Has anyone ever told you that this diamond gemstone runs 300 days/year? Get out here EVAN STAFFORD!!!! I'm starting to consider the very real possibility that Evan's nerves have gotten the better of him?
A little 2hunge flow just Left of Death
Our boy Justin caught the plane flight:
That looks like an awkward feeling on the way to a first Triple Crown. (Justin Merritt)
The Devils Punch Bowls are a spectacular set of waterfalls accessible from either Crested Butte or Marble Colorado. The falls are in the upper reaches of the south fork of the Crystal River and generally get paddled a couple days each season by boaters who want to get off the couch from their work weeks and take approximately 2 strokes before hucking ze gnar. The drops are definitely clean but do require skilled paddling. Here is a little photo series of a recent day we had up there on July 27, 2007. Make sure to check out some of the text at the bottom of this article as I tally up carnage this year versus carnage last year and we revisit the video of the famous and amazing backwards boof.
Photos: Chris Menges
We met Mexico in crested Butte this spring. He is from Asheville, spending the summer out here. He was the first one to fire off the drops this day. Here he is scouting his line.
Mexi heading towards the lip and looking good.
He started falling off line right about here and kind of flipping over.
Mexico proceeded to swim in the boiling pool between the first and second drops. His leg had popped out of his thigh brace and basicall ejected him when he landed almost upside down. Luckily, the lip of the second drop is pretty shallow and he is able to stand up on the rock and then exit onto the cliff wall.
Our friends DK and Natalie from Glenwood Springscame up from the Marble side (mosy of us descended from the CB side)!
Johnny Myers went next and of course styled it. I talksed to him afterwards and he said the JUST BOOF IT stickers I had recently hooked him up with definitely helped him out.
Here's Johnny!
Johnny's girlfriend and her family came out to watch us huck. Here she is at the perfect viewing spot between falls.
These are some of my favorite shots of the day: Johnny Myers shot from above launching off the bottom dropp in perfect style. Blow these up, they are worth it.
Another angle of Johnny coming off drop number two on his second run.
DK went ahead and dropped next. As seen by this sequence of photos he had a super styling line off the top drop...
...but somehow, a slight over rotation ejected him from his boat causing swimmer number two. Total count so far was two swimmers for the first three paddlers.
Recovering DK's boat.
Zack From Crested Butte has been paddling a lot locally for the past few seasons but had never been out of the punch bowls. Here, he looks down at drop number two in preparation for his run.
This has got to be my best shot of the day (above): Zack on the first drop.
DK's wife Natalie went next and had solid lines. Here she is coming off drop two. Photo: Zack.
Chris Menges was the last to go. Three shots of his lines are below (Photos: Zack):
Top drop... bottom drop... Then, we fired up the first-d of this sketchy ass mank above the punch bowl's. JUST KIDDING!
Our trip out to the punch bowl's last year produced a legendary piece of video. Check out the following vid to reexperience the historical backwards boof a.k.a. "First backwards female Descent of the DP's".
Carnage report 2007: Three paddlers, One broken paddle,One backwards boof.
Carnage Report 2008: Six paddlers, two swims, one busted up face, one flat tire, one broken truck axle.
Stay tuned for a North Fork of the Crystal report and potential first D in the CB area coming later this week.
Mexi heading towards the lip and looking good.
He started falling off line right about here and kind of flipping over.
Johnny Myers went next and of course styled it. I talksed to him afterwards and he said the 
Here's Johnny!
These are some of my favorite shots of the day: Johnny Myers shot from above launching off the bottom dropp in perfect style. Blow these up, they are worth it.
DK went ahead and dropped next. As seen by this sequence of photos he had a super styling line off the top drop...
This has got to be my best shot of the day (above): Zack on the first drop.
