May Black Canyon SUP Adventure

Happy Hour!

Erin & Matt making coffee

Hot Springs & Happy Hour is how we described the trip, but really it should’ve been called strong winds and stronger paddlers. Our team of 8 met up early on Friday, made our way to the river and were paddling off by 10:15am. Impressive start for an impressive crew.

The rest of the trip blended together seamlessly with an assortment of fun, food, celebration, soaking, exploring & relaxing. Huge THANKS to Erin of Sunset Stand Up Paddle in Laguna Beach, California for co-organizing with me. She’s awesome to work with and paddle with and whenever you’re in Southern California she’ll show you a good time. Our next Black Canyon SUP Adventure is October 27-30, 2017.

What made it so fun? First, we had a group of skilled paddlers who were all about having fun. Second, the Black Canyon is a magical place with great energy. Hot air, cold clear water, beaches, cliffs, wildlife, caves, hot springs, currents, fun eddies, waterfalls, no electricity, no cell phone service! It’s a playground for those that like to adventure. It’s a dream for those wanting to develop board control, water reading skills & basic river skills. It’s a paradise for those that want to relax, forget about work, unplug, unwind, dream, breathe, contemplate and smile.

Enough said – here are a few pictures..

Exploring Black Canyon on our way upriver - day one.

Fun scramble to this hot spring - my first visit to this one.  day two.

our camp, viewed from above

Kristen leads the pack upriver - day one

paddling the Red Paddle Co. Dragon.  34" wide x 22' long

Such a good feeling

After wrapping up the California 100 on Tuesday morning the plan was to get the hell out of town and shut off my phone.  I drove to San Diego on Wednesday, picked up my partner Thursday morning and we made our way towards the Nevada Arizona desert for a Colorado River trip.  The trip began with a 3-hour full-moon upriver approach and a midnight landing to our campsite at the stroke of Friday the 13th.  It only got better from there.  This was an unforgettable trip for me and a much-needed chance to exist in the moment.  My head was clear all weekend and I was thinking about nothing but what was happening around me.  Such a good feeling.  I'll keep the details to myself and leave you with a tiny glimpse of the trip.

arriving to the river, packing up

looking downriver in the early morning

thermoregulate and thrive in the desert

Black Canyon SUP Trip

In a whirlwind tour with a disparate crew of Bay Area paddlers I finished off 2013 and started up 2014 on a standup vacation!  For four days we called the Black Canyon home and relaxed in it's beautiful surroundings.  Warmed and cooled by the sun and the shade, we camped, we paddled, we laughed, we ate, we soaked, we relaxed.  On top of all that, we paddled upriver - one of my favorite things.  I just love reading the river and riding eddies upstream.  It's a fun challenge and a great way to develop skill.  To top it all off we rallied in Vegas for NYE and got two surf sessions in San Diego before making our way home.

Hoover Dam

The crew

Our campsite on the river

Loaded up for the paddle out - day 4

Thanksgiving on the river

After an all night drive with canoe and SUP on the roof, I picked up some Dunkin Donuts in Vegas and met Haley & Gillian at the airport.  Couple quick stops and we arrived at Willow Beach to launch for four days of paddling, hiking, soaking and holiday eating.  Haley and I did this trip last Turkey day with friends and were really excited to return with family.

We made our way upriver 8 miles, eddyhopping when necessary, and setup a base camp for the next four days.  Arriving reasonably early, there were few people around and we settled on a campsite as close to the river as we could manage.  We had a great fire ring to cook on with the new dutch oven we picked up just before setting out on this trip.  At 14 pounds it's far from lightweight, but with canoe support it was a breeze.  This Thanksgiving we'd be toasting all the family back home and savoring our meal cooked on Arizona time over an open flame.   Oh, and the paddle boarding wasn't bad either.

Check out some pics here:   https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2353111662404.2113861.1088538441&type=1&l=daf3d773cd

Nice hike in the hills

climbing to the tubs

slaving over Turkey dinner

Bark Expedition with gear - great setup!