What have you been doing? (Summary of my last 2 weeks)

[ScottH]

With our horrible Fall and Winter paddling season and the fact that I work at a CPA firm (tax season), I had not paddled very much over the last 6+ months. I have gone on a few kayak and snowboard trips and try to get to the gym most weekdays to try to stay in some shape but my aging body has just been aching and hurting. Bad enough that I backed out on a road trip planned to go kayaking in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan this past week. But just as I suspected, like a potted plant, all I needed was a good watering. My body actually feels better today than it did 2 weeks ago.

Friday, April 15 – Illinois Bayou, 9ft
Saturday, April 16 – Richland Creek, 3.8ft
Sunday, April 17 – Cossatot, 3.5ft

Friday, April 22 – Cossatot, 5ft
Saturday, April 23 – Cossatot, 4ft
Sunday, April 24 – Beech Creek, (sight gauge) 1.5’ launch, 5.5’ at take out :shock:. ½ mile hike in
Monday, April 25 – Possum Trot, Probable First Decent. ½-1 mile hike in with numerous brutal scouts and portages.
Tuesday, April 26 – Beech Creek, 3’, ½ mile hike in, EFLB, medium level, 1 mile hike in
Wednesday, April 27 – Bobtail, Medium level at launch, surged several feet before we ran last gorge. Lower Richland, 5.75’ and rising.

Lower back pain and stiffness and lack of boating gave me a lot of sloppy boating and I was just not quite hitting my lines but I boated pretty well and did all of that without rolling a single time*. Lots of video on mine and several other camera’s from the week hopefully coming to an internet near you soon.










(*I did not roll before I swam at “the Slot” on Bobtail at a pretty high water level )

[CAPTAIN ALEVE]

.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, posting Thursday morning - are you unemployed now?

Retired now?

Photo of a younger Scott:



Captain Aleve, alias Mike Coogan

[gannon311]

Possum trot??? Is that the 900 fpm creek I heard about??

[ARzach]

Possum trot??? Is that the 900 fpm creek I heard about??

So I've heard...

[ScottH]

Not unemployed, just lots of bottled up vacation and excitement to unleash on the major weather event we got.

900fpm... Could be, it was steep and dropped off the side of the mountain in a hurry. I ran some of the drops, but portaged some too. Couple younger fella's broke off a major chunk of the run and got a lot of it done. Some drops just could not be run. Either a tree blocking a drop(not too many of those), an undercut/sieves did not fill up enough to make it runnable or a boulder drop was just not wide enough for a kayak.



To quote myself at the takeout, " I saw Joe (Branch) and Noel (Parker) run a drop that I still don't think is runnable."

[ARzach]

To quote myself at the takeout, " I saw Joe (Branch) and Noel (Parker) run a drop that I still don't think is runnable."

I hope ya'll got that one on video. Props to all involved with that thing. When Lance, you, and Chuck are walking stuff, I know it is pretty out of this world. Big props to Noel, he has upped his game this year significantly. Looking forward to seeing what that kid has in store for us on down the road.

[Fish]

For being a Kansas paddler now, I didn't do too badly this weekend. Saturday was Osage Cr. at a solid level. Sunday was Stepp Cr. at a big level where it really starts to pop. And Monday was a probable first D on Chickilah Cr. west of Shoal Cr. near Clarksville. That last one is destined to become legend - though not the same kind of legend as Possum Trot. We then passed up on Fern Gulley because it looked like it was going to flash too big and I watched some young guys drop a nice 20-footer on Switchback Cr. Epic drive back into town. I'll let others tell the tales and post the videos.

Can't equal your record for the past two weeks, but I sure did pick the right weekend to make the big drive. :)

- Fish

[ScottH]

Can't equal your record for the past two weeks, but I sure did pick the right weekend to make the big drive. :)

- Fish

Not trying to start a competition. Just excited to have finally done some quality boating in Arkansas. I know many others were out and ran many other runs. Sounds like you strung together a bunch of the goods and that is what I want to hear about.

I think this past week is going to be talked about for quite a while. And judging by the number of GoPro and video camera’s I saw, It might be the best documented ever as well. I can’t remember when “the steeps” went off for so many days in a row. Hell, anyone ever seen Beech run 4 days in a row before?




{spoiler alert} I even heard tale that lil’ Hunter Hobbs ran Beach.

[Fish]

Not trying to start a competition. Just excited to have finally done some quality boating in Arkansas.

I'm not trying to compete either, just jealous that I'm not down here to get more runs in the middle of the week anymore. This has gotta be the most documented weekend ever in the Ozarks indeed. On Osage I think we had 3 Go-Pros plus two other cameras going, out of maybe 9 paddlers! I can't wait to see the videos that start coming out - it's gonna be good.

- Fish

[Heath]

I had a great 2 days in newton county, I will say that being out of a boat since the first of october, is not a good way to prep for the steeps. I had a swim that really shouldnt have happend, but all well.

big props to Joe B. and Noel parker. this younger generation is really hanging it out there.

finally got to run Beech, and I can honestly say its everything Ive ever heard and more.

and last but not least(at all) a big thanks to Sarah ( I hope thats wright) for the shuttles.

[shelbyjohnson]

You got it close its spelled Sara. I had to look it up. She made our trip possible on Bobtail. Absolutely could not have done that trip without her support. I second Heath's THANKS!

[shelbyjohnson]

I'll throw in my video contribution. The footage is far less than most due the self interview style. Over half of the clip is of my chin so if you tire of that and stray on to the next distraction on your screen I totally understand.

I usually do my water videos to music but this time around attempted something a little different. I hope you find a little amusement with the production.

I only wish I'd been able to paddle as much as the rest of you over the last several days.

April 27, 2011 flash on Bobtail Creek in Searcy County, Arkansas.

Marc Becker, Scott Hanshaw, Lance Jones and myself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCFrjYRO0OE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Jim Krueger]

Shelby,

I certainly enjoyed your film! You guys definately have good skill&composure! I'm just sure I would have had 'that frightened apperance' :)

Best Regards
Jim

[BMuu]

My past 2 weeks

Frog at 4'
Lee at 8'
Lee at 5.5'
Cossatot at 4'
Hailstone at 7'-8' this was my fav and was big water by far at this level (It hit 12 not long after we got off)
West Cedar (Lots of play on this! not sure the level)
Richland at 4.5

[anthony]

Saturday tot
Sunday church no paddling.
Monday Galla at a nice level, got 2 laps and was wore out
Tuesday Galla again and still got a full days work in
Wednesday falling water after a big rain
Thursday snow creek and a full days work
Friday headed to Richland in the morning.

Great week.