Rio Embudo with CKS Squad and Staff Members

Photos by Tim Kelton and Chris Menges.

New Mexico Trip! First Creekboating of the season! Embudo!

During the last weekend of April a group of CKS staff and squad members met up for a couple or runs down New Mexico's Rio Embudo. Our sizable group included local NM paddlers Atom Crawford and Tim Kelton, Ft. Collins Squad member Leif Embertson and Salida, CO CKS staffers Mike Tavares, Nicole Mansfield and Chris Menges. While Atom was celebrating his 205th run on the Embudo, the group contained several first timers who were excited for their first funneling.

Like many high mountain runs, the Embudo's put in offers excellent view of surrounding peaks, pueblos and valleys, as well as a short hike down to the put in.

Nicole Mansfield hiking down to put on the Embudo.

Tim Kelton sports some of the best creek gear available....sweet!

The group getting ready to dust off the winter cobwebs....

...and stoked to be on the water!

After some quality class 3-4+ boogie water in the initial miles of the run, we arrive at Cheesegrater rapid, a 3 part drop with some fun moves and a great boof at the top.

Leif Embertson styling the top boof on Cheesegrater.

And breezing through the bottom and crux section of the drop.

Mike Tavares (Monrach Mountain's ski/snowboard park director) drops into the lower (crux) part of cheesegrater. Notice the cool pipeline-looking wave by his right hand.

Leif Coming through the bottom part of Cheesegrater.

After more quality and heads up boogie water, paddlers reach MJ falls. While the line here looks relatively straight forward, a mistake would land a paddler in a hole which is backed on river left by an undercut rock. This little piece of the rapid is not a 'happy' place.

Here, Nicole and Atom contemplate a line on MJ and evaluate the risk to reward balance. Notice Atom's set up for creek runs; A rescue PFD with knife, whistle and quick access throw-rope and a 4 season drytop for warmth in variable weather conditions. Nicole was rockin' her new full face FNA helmet.

Most of the group decided to portage MJ this time. The short and easy portage gave us an excellent opportunity to appreciate our beautiful desert canyon surroundings.

More boogie water after MJ. Great moves, challenging enough to be heads up and exciting, the in between water on the Embudo is a great part of any run.

The crux of the run is the Slots of Fun rapid, which contains a 5 tiered lead in rapid after which it is possible to catch an eddy on river right, just at the lip of the main Slots of Fun slot drop. We scouted the lead in rapid on the first run. After the scout, we were all in agreement that we wanted to be "center, center, left , left, right, right" into the eddy above Slots.

Chris Menges and Mike Tavares in the lead in to the eddy above Slots.

Chris and Mike heading for the second left boof. 3 moves down, 3 to go. If you don't get the boof all the way on the left, a nasty piton or vertical pin is a possibility.

Chris and Mike after the "center, center, left, left" part, headed towards the two right moves.

Atom Crawford enjoying his new Mega Rocker and getting 'er done. Slots lead in rapid.

Leif Embertson, solid, confident and on line. Mid way through the Slots entry rapid.

Tim Kelton and Nicole Mansfield on the final "right, right" moves of the Slots entry rapid. Our goal was to boof into the eddy behind the 'shark fin' rock on river right.

Safe! TK makes the eddy while Nicole sets her angle and eyes the shark fin rock intently.

The main and crux portion of Slots is a 2 part drop. A small 3 foot ledge feeds you into quickly moving water that takes you towards the lip of the near vertical 10 foot slot drop. The key here is to launch the main part of the drop in the center, thereby avoiding the walls on both the right and left sides of the drop.

Tim Kelton was leading and probing all day. Here TK shows us how to run Slots.

Mike Tavares used what he learned while watching TK's line to fire off this perfect Slots line with a boof of the center rock fin.

Nicole Mansfield runs Slots of Fun. View from the bottom.

Leif Embertson demonstrates a smooth Slots technique, viewed here from the top....

...as well as from the bottom of the drop.

Chris Menges takes a stroke and pulls his knees up. This will keep the bow of the boat elevated when landing. Center line boof. Photo courtesy of TK's sweet $200 camera!

Atom Crawford in the bottom Slots eddy, making sure everyone comes through. Atom has paddled this run more than 200 times and definitely knows where to be.

Thanks to the CKS New Mexico crew for a great weekend on the Embudo!

As a final note, one of the definite highlights of our days on the Embudo was the fresh green chile breakfast burritos at the Pilar Yacht club. Yum!

Kayaks + Hill + Snow + Kickrer = CARNAGE!

Welcome to the 2nd annual Monarch Boatercross!

No need to hike up the course, all competitors get sled rides up to the top!

Things started out nice and mellow in the prelims....

The bottom run out of the course was supposed to be a POND SKIM. Unfortunately, one of the crew members punctured a hole in the ponds plastic lining while chipping ice in the morning. As the water drained out, a finish line kicker began to form....

The raft was a crowd favorite, and seemed like the safest way to run the course.....

As prelims led to semi-finals, competitors were going faster....

getting more competitive......

and going way bigger at the finish line kicker.

Many of the landings resulted in pile-ups of paddlers who weren't sure whether they were intact or not.

Since people were going way to big at the end, a small section of carpet was placed at the finish line to slow them down....it didn't do much.

A great day was had by all. Thanks to Monarch for an entertaining event!

Sleeping Beauty

New Mexico has been hit by a late Spring cold spell. Lots of new snow in the mountains. All the creeks started dropping, so everybody dusted off their playboats and hit the local feature called "Sleeping Beauty". It is awesome when the flows are 550cfs to 900cfs. This was at about 650cfs. Photos by Atom....

Alan Cammack was tearing it up all day

Alan

Alan

Alan

Alan

Alan

Allan had his baby out on the river bank for the first time. Cool to see the new generation getting an early intro to the kayaking lifestyle.

Marsha Ready getting ready for el loop

Tim Kelton

Ed Lucero getting his first ever loops

Ed h2o-ing

Brett hale getting a work out in the Mega Rocker

Tim

Sudden Great White Shark attack

Tim

Tim


On a side note, up north in Colorado, CKS is getting ready for there annual Paddle Fest May 18th-20th.
Colorado Kayak Supply is bringing together the largest and most well renowned manufacturers, top pro kayakers and leading instructors for a weekend of on water boating, education, entertainment, environmental education and instruction. Join a pro kayaker for a freestyle clinic, take a guided tour on the river, participate in a 'how to' clinic, show off your skills in a fun kayak competition in the new river park or relax and watch live music and videos.
Paddlefest 07, the Kick Off to Paddling is sure to be a hit as this year's event will take place on the legendary Arkansas River. Colorado Kayak Supply in Buena Vista will be the 'Event Headquarters' for most of the activities. CKS will also host a gear swap and storewide sale throughout the weekend. Gear up for Paddlefest '07!
For more info

Click it

Hope to see ya all there. Adios, Atom...

Meet the CKS Squad Part 3: Nicole Mansfield

This is Part 3 of a Series of posts that introduces the members of the 2007 CKS Squad. Included in each section is the squad member's Bio and a brief photographic Trip Report of their Top 3 days on the river during the 2006 season.

Today we are meeting Nicole and getting a glimpse into her top 3 days of the 2006 season: Crested Butte, Colorado (OBJ), The Big South, CO and Playboating in the Arkansas Valley.

Nicole was exposed to these great runs when she moved to CO from Buffalo, NY for the 2006 river season to work at CKS and huck some gnar. Speaking of Hucking the Gnar, check out her cool Huck and Boof stickers here: http://www.coloradokayak.com/Store/Stickers

Nicoles words:

Arkansas Valley Play-Photo courtesy of the HZG Inc. foundation.
"I can’t nail down the particular day this photo was taken, but it represents an entire summer of fun on the Arkansas River. You really can’t beat a river that in a small road accessible area hosts numerous sections for all paddling abilities whose characteristics change as the season progresses AND has several amazing play spots in both Salida and Buena Vista. I moved to Salida thinking playboating was dumb, but ended it with a Jackson Happy Thruster and memories of too many play sessions to bother counting."

After work playboating in Salida, CO

Oh’ Be Joyful- Photo by Chris Larsen
"I had not even started working yet at CKS, but my boss had called, and there I was traveling with some people I just met to an amazing day of creeking on the Slate, Daisy, and Oh’ Be Joyful Rivers. Nothing beats being surrounded by snow covered peaks on a sunny day, eating leftover pizza and running short runs packed with waterfalls, slides, and a limited number of beatdown holes. I discovered that when local boaters say you are running something on ‘the high side of good,’ you are in for a thrill."

Nicole on a high water OBJ run....her first creek in CO!

Big South – Photo by Mike Holliday
"Maybe you think being sandwiched between two guys in a two person tent is what any girl would dream of. But when neither are slight of size and the other who forgot his sleeping bag is not kept warm enough by the ‘Hello Kitty’ fleece provided so the sleeping bag is unzipped to share, the night is sure to keep you chilly and uncomfortably wedged. With or without a sufficient night of sleep, morning came, the Big South was running, and Chris Menges made us river sandwiches individually wrapped in plastic to stay dry! There is no wonder why the Big South is considered a Colorado classic. The river’s continuous whitewater is characterized by bigger scout worthy drops filled in with exciting boogie water. It’s a long day, so dress warmly, bring food, and when you find an easy boof near the end of the river, remember it might be easy, but you still need to think about boofing rather than what you would love to eat at the take out or else your boat might acquire another war wound."

Nicole 'chillin' on the Big South

Nicole in New Zealand....Winter 06 / 07. Photo by Larry.

Check out Nicole's full Bio by clicking this link: http://www.coloradokayak.com/Nicole-Mansfield?sc=17

Nicole at home in New York....she runs the s#*t back East too!