Guide Training 3

What up everyone?! The sun has been out and i was back on the Peninsula to finish up the last bit of training for my friends at Olympic Raft and Kayak. Party shirt on and a really long float all lined up. We roped three sections together to make for one 25 mile day. Links to the sections can be seen here; sec 1, sec 2, and sec 3.

The goal was to get one more long day in and flip some rafts.

Even the most difficult water on this section is class III at best. So flipping rafts is a little more challenging than on other sections.

Rapid after rapid big and small we tried to flip in them all.

One thing i love about stringing these sections together is how mush the scenery changes. If you just click through the pictures from start to finish you will get a good sense of how the river canyon opens and closes as you move from the higher elevations near the National Park boundary to the fish hatchery. In that time you get to experience everything from wide open valleys to micro canyons, basalt walls dripping with ferns.

With the sun out like this i sure was glad i brought my big ol' river hat, otherwise my pale skin would have sizzled.

Coming into one of the micro canyons Jordan couldn't resist the chance to do a little bit of cliff jumping. This is only recommended if you have a dry suit as the water is a tropical 40 deg F. (see pic below.)

As we got closer to one of the larger wave trains Jordan stepped up to give her a flip. Emily and Morgan went ahead in the kayaks to add the feeling of safety.  Jordan climbed up onto the stern tube bow line in hand (rodeo style) to try and flip his boat.

Emily snapped this shot just as the raft gave in to persuasion and went over. To be honest i thought Jordan was just going to fall out only to have the raft land right side up next to him. It did not.

Here is the man himself taking the after flip wave to his adoring crowd.

All to soon it was over, i  worked myself out of that job... No matter Lea and i are off to Montana shortly. Time to trade in all these dense rain forest runs in for some open skys and sunshine!

I'm gonna try and put one more post together before i'm off so stay tuned...