Can you guess the year?

[Gordon Kumpuris]

NOpe. Upon closer inspection that is NOT Max. It's Walter. Upping my date to 1994 :)

[Crane]

There's no doubt it's a young Walter. I agree it's in the 1992-1994 range... The question is whether he still has the Blue Hole!

[whudson]

Since my father was Walter also, I was known as "Little Walter." But young Walter has a nice ring to it. Thanks Crane. I like it.
Here is another view that has a small clue in it.

[Roger]

It's Walter H. though I could call Max in the first shot. Hmmmmmmmmmmm. Open boaters all look alike? Sounds like profiling! WalterH, want to go back and try the canoe swap move on Surfing Rapid? This time, you swim!!!

[whudson]

Roger, a swim sounds pretty good right now, even under those circumstances.

[JohnB]

I'm guessing that Walter had a tandem partner on the bank so the bucket would have been in the stern with partner on board. If you remember that Blue Hole made paddles, how about when Perception made canoes? I had a 16' Perception Chattooga, circa about 1977. My first trip down the Cossatot in that canoe convinced me to come to my senses and take up kayaking. The paddling part was fine. The carrying part sucked!
JB

[RandyJ]

I'm guessing that Walter had a tandem partner on the bank so the bucket would have been in the stern with partner on board. If you remember that Blue Hole made paddles, how about when Perception made canoes? I had a 16' Perception Chattooga, circa about 1977.
JB

Okay - good thought - that makes sense on the bailing bucket. I don't remember the Perception Chattooga, but can't forget the Perception HD-1, short, tippy thing that it was. Kenny Holmes probably put 2-3000 river miles on his.

Walter, as for the other clue, I'm stumped, unless it has something to do with the whistle on your PFD. Looks like a Fox 40, which I don't remember coming into play until the late '80s-early '90s.

[whudson]

The clue has nothing to do with the boat or equipment.

[Roger]

It's the cooler and it was a Margarita Run or something like that. What better place to put it than in the
center of an inner tube in the middle of a BlueHole paddled by Walter Hudson on the old Surfing Rapid on
Big Piney Creek!? It's guaranteed to be stirred, shaken and not turned over.

So what year, Mr. H? And yes, I'll swim if need be!

[canoe]

I think the clue has to do with caption at the bottom of the photo, but can't figure out what website to go to find the photo. doesn't seem to be in ACC pics or OWP. Dale

[dogpatch]

Ok Walter, I've only met you a couple of times, and that is in more recent years. But a close look at the paddler makes it appear that he may have been a much bigger boy in this picture, or that the PFD is gaping open a lot. Am I getting warm??

[whudson]

You are getting warm. The "small" clue was the gray hair in the beard. This is not a vintage picture. That is why I thanked Crane for the "young Walter" comment. I was 50 in the photo. I don't still have the boat because it was only borrowed that day at surfing rapid from Charlie Gagen. The photographer was Clay Chaney who artfully removed the other boats in the background.
As for the innertube flotation Gordon, that was all I knew in the early 80's when I bought my Blue Hole. From a kneeling position, I would tuck my knees under the tube, and it was like having thigh straps. I was a goob (and probably still am.) I still have my Blue Hole. In fact, it is on top of my truck right now waiting to leave for a White River fishing trip on Sunday. I don't still have the tube in it though.
I enjoyed the reminiscing about the OCA and HD-1. Phil Bruce also had one of these, but that could be said about any boat with Phil. He always had the latest model.
As for the year, it was 2006. Thanks for the comments.

[Roger]

You dog!!! Hell, it looked vintage! LOL!

[okieboater]

don't know about the year, but I still have my Norse Canoe paddle and would not hesitate to take it anywhere.

back in those days gear was heavy but man was it durable.

sold my oca bluehole a long time ago, but have a sunburst solo that handles pretty close to what the oca did or to the best of my memory.

[T Yamashita]

I had heard about this series of pics a couple of years ago and how clay said it looked really vintage. I was wondering how long the guessing would go on before someone let the cat out of the bag.
ty