R. Bone's adventures

[poserwannabe]

For those of you that remember Robert Bone, he has really been firing it up lately. He sent me an email with a link to some pics and a blog. He's the one in the green boat with the red full face helmet.
http://gorgedout.blogspot.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[scott yarbrough]

I remember Skully420 aka Robert Bone. Paddled and camped out with him a handful of times, Piney and Tot. Maybe 5 years ago or so when I first got into this. He had mad skills back then, looks like he only got better. He was living in Dallas and I was amazed how good he was not being close to water. Cheers!!!

[Don Harwood]

Yea, I had a SWR clinic on the Lower Mountain Fork, OK with Bone about 5 years ago!
Man he is firing it up!
Thanks for posting Hans!

[Fish]

I remember when Bone was still a really green boater, he flew up to WV and rented a car to paddle with Ted and me. I didn't know him well at all, but he had run some 4+ runs, and he seemed really excited about paddling up there. Plus we needed a third person.

So we started with the Upper Yough. Bone is fresh off the plane and we put in and paddle down the easy stuff and Ted asks me, "is this guy a good paddler?" I said, "well, on paper he's OK. Assume he is but keep an eye on him." So we get to the first major drop and without pausing, Ted turns around and says "follow me!" and disappears over the blind horizon into the rising mist. Bone looks at me with a look that says, "are we not scouting this?" I just say, "Bone, let me give you some advice: never, ever follow Ted." Now he looks way excited. He jumps in behind me and we clear the big drop in good shape.

At triple drop, Ted and I make it into the eddy at the bottom, but Bone gets surfed in the final hole. And he continues getting surfed. And surfed. Ted says, "do you think he's OK?" I say, "well if he makes it out of that, he's good to go for the rest of the trip." After about 90 seconds of getting hammered, Bone pops out and rolls up. When he hits the eddy looking pretty whupped, Ted says, "watch out for those big holes." Bone smiles. He's gonna be OK.

Next day we're on the Upper Gauley and we have no trouble. Then on to the Russell Fork release. Bone and I have playboats but he's doing fine. I roll in El Horrendo in the bottom hole, but he cleans it and looks good in the photo. I run a couple things he walks that day, but it's clear that a very serious boater has been born.

Not too long after that, he moves from Texas to North Carolina and pursues boating nearly full-time. And that's how you get good. I see him almost every time I'm out there (working at NOC this past summer and his photo is in their brochure). Needless to say he offers to show me down creeks these days!

- Fish

[A Savage spanke]

This guy worked for NOC this summer? Was he a guide? and my third and final question, does anyone have a closer picture of his face?

[Don Harwood]

I saw on their website that he was NOC's Paddle Sports Buyer.
Oh, to live in North Carolina.....
It must be nice.

[tominknox]

This guy worked for NOC this summer? Was he a guide? and my third and final question, does anyone have a closer picture of his face?

Believe me, you DO NOT want to see a picture of Robert Bone's face. You don't need one anyway, just open your toolbox and look at a wingnut, that is what Bone looks like.

Bone's a great guy and has really taught me a lot about boating. I remember congratulating him on his first Green lite run, teasing him about his DNF in his first green race, and being amazed at his first Raven's fork run. If I had one skill from his repetoir, it would be his determination to never give up. I've seen him swim a time or two, but never without a fight. It was a pleasure the time or two I got to fetch his yard sale as he's cleaned up my mess about 50 times.

Hey Fish, your story reminds me of Bone taking me down the Ocoee for my first class 3 run. I swam grumpys, got hammered in the hole, came up bleeding and battered and jumped right back in the boat. Bone said that was when he knew I was gonna be alright.

[Fish]

Believe me, you DO NOT want to see a picture of Robert Bone's face. You don't need one anyway, just open your toolbox and look at a wingnut, that is what Bone looks like.

I was just going to say that he should be glad he hasn't seen Bone's face up close, but you beat me to it. :-) He's like me, if he flips in a shallow rapid and his head hits some rocks, it's most likely to result in an improvement!

- Fish

[A Savage spanke]

You got worked in grumpys hole? That sucks.

[dan valovich]

mr. bone

[Fish]

Bone at El Horrendo, Russell Fork Gorge