Kitty's Scratch Pad

Memorial Day Weekend Fun

I am posting now from the Sasquatch Music Festival. I am sitting on the lawn peering out to the stage that sits underneath the sun and on top of an enormous precipice overlooking the Columbia Gorge. We have, for the third year in a row, made a weekend of rafting the Wenatchee for the day and then trekking 60 miles to watch hours and hours of music. Highlights: Wenatchee river over 10,000 CFS (near perfect water level), Rock Band (the video game) shack at Sasquatch, Breeders, MIA, REM, Mates of State & Sunshine Lowlights: Elephant Ears, Funnel Cake, Corn Dogs (I want to eat them - they are everywhere - but I am resisting with every ounce of willpower in me) & Rain. Pictures to come...

Grand Canyon June 2007

Grand Canyon June 2007 006,
originally uploaded by kittysaysmeow.

Our first trip of the summer. We arrived in Kingman, AZ around 5:00 and tried to get some rest before our 1:15 a.m. wake up time. We tried to quickly organize and get on the road. It was 2 more hours until we would reach the Hilltop of Havasupai. Everyone else took off ahead of us to secure a campsite and we finally got our start at 5 a.m. It is 8 miles into Supai, the small Tribal Village that maintains all of the tourism for the area, and we arrived by 9 a.m.. We stopped for a breakfast burrito and then made our final push the 2.2 miles to camp. At around 11 we finally found the rest of our party and we all relaxed for the rest of the day in 100+ degree weather. Luckily, the river that runs right through our camp was very cool. The next day, Alex took off with others to hike to the Colorado River while we stayed back and relaxed at the campsite. We took one short hike down to Mooney Falls and it was amazing. It was also at least 20 degrees colder from the spray of the waterfall. The next day we decided to bail and took a helicopter out instead of hiking. Sort of the lazy route but what the heck. It was a six minute ride instead of a 5+ hour hike. I am sure Fen could have made it but it was fun to do. We spent the next two nights in Vegas and finally made our way home.

My Dogs

Over the years, my feet have become increasingly worse when snowboarding.  Alex and I made our first trip to Snowbird a few years ago and for Christmas, he bought me new boots.  He knew my old boots sucked and thought he was doing me a favor.  We got to the mountain and I cried the whole way down.  I replaced those with another pair of boots and was really hoping for good things to come.  We must have spent at least two hours trying boots on and finally, I felt confident that these would work.  On our next trip, I had to stop after only a few runs.  This pattern has gone on now for almost two full seasons.  I have changed socks, I have cut my boots, had custom foot beds built, spent hundreds of dollars on wasted lift tickets and hundreds of dollars on lessons to work on my mechanics.  I think I know what is happening or at least causing my pain but cannot seem to figure out how it is possible to fix. 

Over Thanksgiving, Alex and I took a last minute trip to Whistler.  They had over 60 inches at the base and we grabbed a deal for $125 a night at the Hilton inside the village.  My feet were asleep by the time we got on the Gondola.  I tried to tough it out as best I could but it was total misery.  I mean misery sort of like the movie.  You know the scene where Kathy Bates hobbles the Author...  That is what my feet felt like.  Alex finally told me to see a doctor.  This cannot be good.  I have literally done everything.

I went to the University of Washington Sports Medicine Clinic.  I had convinced myself that 10 years in pointe shoes must be the problem and enlisted the dance specialist on staff to talk to me.  I was able to replicate the pain I was having and was even able to show her how my feet can seize.  I was going in there without any expectations.  I wanted to keep my anxiety at bay and stay realistic about the fact that most likely they could do nothing and that in the end this was all just a cruel and mean trick my body decided to pull on me after years and years of abuse.  She decided that it was a vascular issue and that blood thinners would clear it right up.  Now, my expectations were low but you can imagine my skepticism after getting such a quick diagnosis.  Could it really be so simple?  And what about these blood thinners?  I scheduled for a second opinion by the ski and snowboard specialist.  I went back a couple of weeks later and he decided that it wasn't vascular but that it was mechanical.  I scheduled another visit with a Physical Therapist to work on my boots and foot beds. 

In the meantime, we canceled our trip to Snowbird due to lack of snow and scheduled another last minute trip to Whistler - this time we paid $169 for the Hilton...  Not bad for a holiday weekend.  I was super nervous about this.  I really didn't want to blow another bunch of cash on wasted lift tickets.  I was beginning to get to the point where all of the bad experiences were starting to outweigh the good ones.  I was afraid I would end up hating this sport and throwing in the towel.

Rory came over the night before we left to open presents.  She brought her ski boots.  During my heartache and pain, Rory and Alex had been devising a plan for how they could convince me that skiing is really what I was meant to do all this time.  The thought of learning another sport all over again was not that appealing to me.  I reluctantly tried on the boots.  My feet were instantly asleep.  At that moment, we both realized that the boot was literally cutting into my calve.  I yanked it off and shook my foot around, waiting for it to tingle back to life.  It sort of felt like someone filled my legs and feet with rice crispies.  I put on my snowboard boots and sure enough, they were also cutting into my calves.  We grabbed the liners out of my old boots and put them in the new ones.  Sure enough, they hit just below my calve.  Could this be it?  After all these years?  The next four days sure would tell...

Alex rented a snowboard our first day up and we took it pretty easy.  He was doing quite well and decided to venture up to the top of the mountain for a run down on some harder terrain.  The winds and snow had picked up at that point and the Gondola was slowed to a snails pace.  It took over twenty minutes to get from the mid-station to the top.  When we got off the swirling whirling wind was driving tiny particles of ice across your cheeks in such a way that you got a free exfoliation if you stood there long enough.  The downfall of boarding is always strapping in.  We desperately tried to find a sheltered place to strap in a fast as possible.  It took us quite a while to get down but we made it.  The next day, we paid for First Tracks.  $17 CDN will buy you a lift ticket, buffet breakfast and first tracks with up to 650 other folks as insane as you for getting up at 7 in the morning.  They ring the bell and announce the mountain is open.  At that point you and everyone else get first dibs on fresh snow.  We had 11 inches from the night before and it was beautiful. 

I admit that riding in the powder is still not a fond memory of mine.  I actually hate it.  Everyone wants me to love it as much as they do but it is just plain hard.  It was Christmas and I cried...  After digging out, I decided to stick to the groomers while Alex played off piste.  I took the next day off and Alex went for a short day.  I decided to sign up for a lesson the next day.

I was put in the more advanced group along with three teenagers.  Apparently  parents still put their kids in lessons to be babysat while they go out for the day.  I didn't get much instruction and by lunch time I bailed.  The good news was, my feet didn't hurt (that much) and we rode over to Blackcomb where I got to ride 7th Heaven for my first time.  The sky was clear and blue and it was absolutely amazing.  I also got to try out deep powder and trees - I got about halfway down and bailed back over to the groomed section.  I guess it was refreshing to know I could do it but am not sure I would choose to do an entire run that way.  I met up with Alex and we rode for the rest of the day.  I made it from 9 to almost 4 before finishing.  And the best part was, I didn't cry once the entire day!

Yosemite 2004 - TR

TR Yosemite - October 1-4, 2004

After 53 threads of email and a couple weeks of planning the day had finally arrived! I crawled out of bed after bashing my alarm clock three times - "is it really time to get up already?????" Dragging myself to the shower and then doing one last check of what I packed - backpack, check - toothbrush, check - hiking shoes, check - Fen, check. We grabbed two bagels, the keys and hopped in the car to school. Big hugs and kisses and I was off to meet up with Alex at his place.
Side bar: I was informed earlier in the week that coffee is a diuretic so it would be ill-advised to drink any prior to flying.SHIT!
I was ready to go - Alex hadn't quite finished packing. Hmmmm.shocking! ;-) Previously quoted by Peyman - "Alex will be streaming media to his laptop over a portable satellite dish that runs off of usb, I think." To his credit, the laptop actually stayed behind! We had intended to get on the road around eight - the nice thing about having our own private pilot - departure is generally a negotiable thing - especially when the weather is as beautiful as Friday was. We picked up Peyman and we were on our way to Paine Field. We finished pre-flight and packed the plane in time to get airborne sometime around 10:00. The weather was truly unbelievable - we veered East to avoid the Seattle air traffic and got an amazing shot of the rolling foothills leading into the Cascades. Due to the stunning weather and no real time we needed to be anywhere - we followed each mountain on our way down to our final destination, Mariposa Yosemite. Rainier was first and definitely the most impressive. We flew just West and less than a mile from the mountain. It was really cool being able to see Muir from the air - you could almost see into each crevasse as we flew over them. Next was of course Mt. St. Helens. We decided to take our chances with the Volcano gods and do a fly by. We stayed about five miles from the mountain but we were able to get a really good glimpse of the crater.
Side bar: 2,549 Meters (8,364 feet (9,677 feet before May 18, 1980) We flew by Mt. St. Helens at approximately 11,000 feet around 11:00 - A small explosive eruption happened around noon.
We headed towards Mt. Hood and then Bachelor and Shasta. We stopped off for fuel in Red Bluff, CA and made our final descent into Mariposa around 2:30 or so. We loaded up the car and headed to the first burger stand we could find. Happy Burgers with WiFi was the spot. For all I cared I could have been eating cardboard after hours of nothing but sour patch kids and some cashews - unfortunately that was pretty much what the burger ended up tasting like. Alex was smart and got his smothered with Guacamole - at least the lack of flavor was covered up by avocadoes and chilies. Last stop before the park was the grocery store to load up on snacks for our hike the next day - tons of beef jerky and trail mix. After a couple of wrong turns we were finally on our way to the park and our cabins in Camp Curry. We met up with Peyman's brother Nima and their parents who drove up earlier that day from LA and their friend Ben who drove over the previous day. Dinner was pizza in the Village - it was nice to be out of the plane and carry on normal conversation without a headset. We all called it an early night in hopes of some good rest for the next days big adventure.
The alarm went off around 7:00 and we were up and ready to go - I am pretty sure we got everyone on the shuttle and at the trail head by 7:45. Alex, Peyman, Nima and their parents all set out to conquer Half Dome. The trail starts at Happy Isles Nature Center (4035 ft). The route would be 17+ miles round trip. The decision was to do the Mist Trail on the way up and connect with the John Muir trail and eventually the Half Dome trail. I had packed as light as I could while still feeling comfortable bringing my ten essentials just in case. The first mile was a cake walk - one last pit stop and we started up the stairs. We looked back and Peyman and Nima's parents had already slowed down too much to keep up. We headed the rest of the way with just the four of us. The first set of stairs up to Vernal Falls is a long ascent up a manmade staircase carved into the rock - these steps were pretty easy but definitely long. The Mist Trail isn't just a clever name - but you needed to be reminded why since it was so late in the season. I am sure in the spring on a hot day the Mist coming off the falls is a welcome shower after a long haul up those stairs. Nevada falls is a longer ascent and this time I really knew just how damn short my legs are. Some of these steps literally came up to my tummy. I felt like a Hobbit climbing my way to Mordor - Crimeny!!! I finally reached the top of the falls and found the rest of the crew sitting on the smooth rock overlooking the falls and snacking on some food. YUM!! Nourishment and water. We continued up until we reached the intersection of the Muir and Mist trail - 4.5 miles to Half Dome! That seemed fast! The next part was a pretty nice meandering trail with some gradual uphill but nothing too crazy. I was moving a lot slower than the rest but kept my pace and moved along knowing I would meet up with them soon. We got to a lookout a mile or so before the cable lines and stopped again for some food and rest. The final push was a bit of a bitch - the last section to the cables are a set of very narrow switch backs littered with people going up and down. There is little room for passing but at this point the rest and slow pace were fine with me since my feet were getting tired. When we reached the cables the clouds had started to move in a lot faster. Big ominous, dark clouds. A couple of rain drops and my stomach starting feeling a little uneasy. I couldn't believe my gut was telling me to not go the final 400 feet after all this way! What to do???? Alex a.k.a. Weather Boy lied down and carefully watched the clouds for patterns in movement. He determined we would be fine but of course.no guarantees. Shit. What do you do when you heart tells you one thing and your gut tells you something completely opposite? You drop your pack and haul ass up the cables - at the first sign of drops you immediately turn back. It didn't seem like a full-proof plan but I figured what the hell. Dropping the packs was very helpful and getting up the cables was a nice change of pace. Actually using my arms instead of my legs to muscle my way up was kind of fun. I don't recommend it to anyone with a fear of heights but it sure was cool. I finally got up after waiting in line and it was so incredible! I am really not sure if words can describe the feeling of standing on top of something so geologically immense - the beauty was awe-inspiring and the expansive views were deafening to the soul. It really was worth all of the risk. We stayed up long enough to watch those traitorous clouds head past us and the sun to shine down. Peyman and Nima took some victory pictures and then we started our descent. The original plan was to take the John Muir trail back down in hopes of saving our knees - the problem with this was, by the time we reached the intersection of the two trails it was 5:00. The Muir trail was 4 miles back to the trail head while the Mist trail was 2.5 miles. That final 1.5 miles was impossible in my mind to do. I knew we were running out of daylight and I also knew my legs were running out of time before they would eventually call mutiny and stop working altogether. We made the decision to take the Mist trail back. Cursing the whole way down the stairs my stomach starting screaming for food - I suddenly started having these really weird cravings for French Toast and eggs. In reality I would have loved to have eaten anything other than trail mix, beef jerky and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We finally got back down and on the Shuttle by around 7:00. All in all it was one of the coolest and more challenging hikes I have ever done. I would recommend an earlier start than we had only to
1. Avoid the crowds up the cables and
2. Have time to take the Muir trail down for a change in scenery and pace.

We crawled to the cabin and straight to the shower. I was dreaming for the past four hours about this moment - a hot shower...I was deeply saddened when all of my expectations came crashing down like the cold water hitting my back. It was the most depressing shower I had ever taken! Oh well. The next important order of business was finding food. We rushed to the cafeteria only to find that the buffet was just closing. We were like a group of vultures diving down for the last remains of what food was left after probably sitting under heat lamps for the past five hours. We didn’t care - it was food and it didn’t matter. We crawled back to the cabin again, and found the bed. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.
We had left the option open for climbing depending on how we felt physically the next day. Not one of us felt the energy to climb let alone put our feet inside climbing shoes. After sleeping in, we met up at Peyman and Nima’s parents cabin and had some toast, cheese and bread. We were all pretty tired and sore. We decided to split up - Peyman, Nima, their parents and Ben all stayed in the Valley to site see and take pictures. Alex and I decided to drive to the West side and check out the Merced Grove off of Tioga Pass. It was a nice drive and a chance to see El Capitan from below. The hike in and out of the grove is very short - approximately 3 miles - but it is backwards...downhill first and up at the end - Owie!!! The Sequoias were great. Standing underneath the giants made me feel like I was inside a Tim Burton film. The roots spread and appeared like huge fingers grabbing onto the ground. You could see burn marks from fires - because of the size they looked like small scratches rather than huge scars.
We headed back to the camp for lunch and met up with the rest of the crew. We had lunch at the Taqueria and got a chance to see some of the pictures Peyman took of the valley - very cool! After Peyman chased a Buck in hopes of a good picture just beside the outside eating area we decided to split up again for the afternoon. The others spent the remainder of the afternoon and early evening driving up to Glacier Point for more photo ops. The rest of the afternoon Alex and I decided to be lazy and park our butts on the Adirondack chairs on the porch and read our books. Earlier the previous day I noticed Alex had been reading the same exact book as me - nice... So like complete dorks - Alex and I sat for over four hours drinking and reading - taking in the scenery and people watching. We finished the wine from the previous night - then we decided that Margaritas sounded yummy - after that some coffee. Not a bad way to spend a lazy afternoon if you ask me.
We met up with everyone else at the Mountain Room in the Yosemite Lodge - got our names on the list and headed next door for some cocktails while we waited for our table. The drinks were awful but luckily the wait wasn’t all that bad. We sat down and proceeded to enjoy our best meal of the trip. It was nice to sit with great company, good wine and laugh our way through a good meal. The topper to the evening was heading back to the lounge where they have an open fire pit and Smores kits! Oh yeah!!! Smores made your way under a roof with a bar only a few feet away! A very delicious end to a very rewarding and long weekend.
The next morning we prepared for our departure. We packed everything up and had one last breakfast with Peyman and Nima’s parents. They kept us fed for three days straight and were so wonderful and hospitable.
Earlier the day before Alex had a great idea - let’s refuel in Bend and take a tour of the Lancair factory (www.lancair.com). We called in the morning and were able to let them know we would be coming. Our drive back to the airport was short and we fueled and finished pre-flight quickly. I think we were all ready to get home to our own showers and our own beds. We flew into Bend and taxied right up to the factory. The Lancair Columbia 400 was just approved to ship only a little while ago. They are now producing one new airplane every two days. It was really impressive seeing the start to finish process of a small airplane factory. Making an airplane is almost like making a kayak. The body is made of a composite material - we were walked through the entire factory from the freezer to the molds to the assembly line where they put in the carpet and seats. It was even more fun sitting in the cockpit imagining how efficient - 280 mph - we could get to all of the cool destinations without having to refuel. Plush leather interior - a super streamlined cockpit - removable back seats for larger cargo storage (think skis and snowboards) - where do I sign up???
We finished the tour, refueled and started back towards Paine. We were able to swing directly over Smith Rock. It was amazing to see how small the rock looked from the air. Completely different. We got back to Paine Field around five and got back to Seattle around six. Alex and I grabbed some food in the International District - I cannot remember the name of the place but it was right on Jackson sort of kitty-corner to the Seattle Deli. All I know is the entire place was empty and they spent more on their interior and dinnerware than most restaurants in Seattle. The weird thing was the place was in the back of a strip mall on Jackson? I was convinced it was a mafia front. We finished dinner and took off. I was sooooo excited for a HOT shower and vegetation before having to face the real world again. What a great trip! Next time I would like to check out El Capitan and maybe plan it around some rafting on the Tuolumne too...and oh yeah...some climbing! Until then...

The Great White North

Our plan was to head to Squamish, BC for the long weekend.  We hit the road a couple of hours later than I had hoped and it took 5.5 hours to get to the campsite which ended up being completely full (first come first serve).  We moved to plan B and drove another 30km to Whistler and stayed two nights at the newly rennovated Hilton.  Luckily, we did load our bikes and we had plenty of fun riding around town.  Alex discovered the green runs off of the chairlift while Fen and I relaxed a little.  Fen got really into the mini-terrain park just off of one of the bike routes near the daily parking lot.  I joined in the fun and tried my tires at some of the features including a small ramp and narrow bridge thingy.  I keep wondering how much longer I am going to be able to follow my kid into things like this...

On Sunday afternoon we headed back to Squamish and found a campsite.  We did a short hike over to Shannon Falls - BC's third largest waterfall measuring over 300 meters - and Fen played Lord of the Rings the entire way.  On Monday morning, we did a little bouldering just under the Chief at a rock called the Titanic.  Unfortunately, Alex had a small fall and we cut our climbing session a little short to get back to the car and get him some ice.

I always find it hard to go to Canada and not come back thinking and laughing about Bob and Doug McKenzie.  I still think that is one of the best ideas for a Halloween costume...

All in all, it turned out to be a nice trip.  Here are some photos...

I want to ride my bicycle...

It has been Africa hot in the Northwest.  It was over 90 each day this weekend.  I dropped off Fen at the airport on Friday.  It was close but he finally boarded the plane.  We ended up spending over four hours at the airport waiting for the plane.  We played cards and watched people. 

Friday we went to Happy Hour and it lasted until 11:30.  I almost drop kicked the super short pretentious little floor manager.  Our drinks were good but it took a lot of reminding to get them to the counter.  Mini burgers are super good.  Cascadia got a thumbs down overall though.

Saturday, we slept in.  Then we got breakfast.  Then we wandered downtown for some A/C and a little flick.  Then we walked to a couple of galleries but only one was open.  Then we went to a wine bar and ate and drank ourselves silly. 

Sunday, we slept in.  Then we decided to go outside.  We loaded the bikes and stopped by the shop for some extra gloves and LED lights.  We took both cars and and drove to Rattlesnake Lake and the Iron Horse Trail head to drop one car off.  We drove another 25 miles East to Hyak where the trail intersects with a big parking lot and some of the nicest public bathrooms I have ever seen.  The trail begins with the Snoqualmie Tunnel which is an old railroad tunnel 2.7 miles long.  It is super duper cold and it was really, really nice.  The hot air started to creep up on us as we approached the light at the end of the tunnel.  Once you emerge it is basically a 2 - 4 % grade of downhill gravel trail.  There are a couple of bridges you cross with super big chunks of gravel - they sucked.  Other than that it is a super easy ride.  I kept in 23 and 24 to be sure I was getting a good workout.  Alex argued it wasn't the most "efficient" way to ride but I argued it was the best workout.  We had dinner at Gordy's and then headed home.  We drove back downtown to catch another flick.  A/C and movie theaters go hand in hand and I am very willing to pay for it :) 

This freedom thing sure is nice...  I talked to Fen last night.  He couldn't sleep so he called mommy.  I thought that was very sweet.

My New Toy

We got the raft last week and had to put the floor in ourselves.  We read the directions and they clearly told us that we could choose which way to put the floor in.  We figured it didn't matter so we proceeded.  After a few hours and a few rum and lime diet cokes, we were finished.  Now we just had to put the floor cups in the guide seat.  When I sat down I realized the floor was backwards.  We decided to put off leaving early the next day so we could completely remove the floor and put it in again.  A total pain in the ASS! 

The next morning we met everyone at the put in.  It was our mayden voyage and I admit I was a bit nervous.  Our boat is squirley.  It is smaller than normal boats which makes it more maneuverable but also more tippy.  Some companies book trips in this boat as their "high adventure float".  I hadn't seen Boulder Bend in quite some time.  The level was half of where it was the previous weekend but it was still big water.  Dane, Katie, Rory and Alex were my crew and we made it through unscathed.  I got us through Rock and Roll with no problem either.  Our portage around the dam was super nice since the boat is really light.  Dane guided Upper Gorrila Falls all the way until Rodeo Hole.  I took over again from Drunkards home.  All was great until we got to Snowblind.  I heard a whistle and turned around to check on Turner - he fell out of the oar frame along with Mike.  His girlfriend Mary was the only one left in the boat.  We had to turn around and paddle up stream to catch up with the oar frame and get Dane in the boat and help her down the rest of the river.  We were down to four passengers including myself.  We made the switch and then we went through Grannies and Suffocator with no problem.  Nick however dumped his entire boat on the left munchie wave of Suffocator and ended up cleaning up right before the take out.  We had an incredible day and a super fun run in the cute little raft. 

We had so much fun we did it again the next day :)  This time however, we had an R3 instead.  The numbers were down due to hangovers and tiredness but we still had a great run and again, no carnage.  I think the next time we go out, we will have to beat ourselves up just to see what happens.

Here are some photos...

We Wuv Wafting...

Holy big water batman!  We went rafting two weekends ago and the Wenatchee was at 4,000 cubic feet per second (cfs).  Our warm weather has caused the river to surge this week and I am very excited to say that it is at almost 20,000 cfs.  My friend Andy found this cool site to check water levels on.

I just pray the levels will stay big for us in a week...

The boat has arrived and I just need to figure out how to put the floor and thwarts in.  We put in our final order for gear to outfit the boat earlier this week.  The only thing left is to do a quick update on my functional river wardrobe.  Here is what I am considering:

Immersion Research Women's Neoprene Lined Guide Shorts.  Same pattern as their regular Guide Shorts, but with a 0.5 mil neoprene inner short sewn into the waistband, and a high neoprene back piece to prevent chaffing against the backband. Features: soft but durable rip-stop polyester, loose "guys" fit, 'Velcro-less' fly, lace-up waistband, crotch gusset, hook and loop cargo pocket on side leg, and DWR finish. 8" inseam. 

The waterproof, breathable 4-way stretch soft shell fabric won't bind or constrict. The brushed fleece inner lining wicks moisture away from your skin, and keeps you insulated, making this the ideal paddle jacket when the sun's out but the water is still chilly. Punch-through neoprene neck and arm openings are snug but comfortable. Easy to wear all day without chaffing your skin. 4-way stretch inner tunnel mates with your spray skirt tunnel to keep water from creeping in through the waist.

Happy Birthday to Me!!!

My birthday was rough this year...  I had horrible news from Fen's school.  Then I got altitude sickness on our way down to Palm Springs.  We finally made it to the house and I walked in the door to a bowl of Guacamole and a full pitcher of Margaritas.  Plus - Andrea, Nick and Henry bought me my very own Baskin Robbins ice-cream birthday cake :)  Alex gave me my present and inside was the new Madonna CD along with a picture of this taped to the back of the card:

Yes that's right - a brand new boat!!!  Now we can go rafting in our very own Super Puma!!! 

"I am pro life vest and I boat"

"I am pro life vest and I boat"

By: Kat K

Category: Opinion > Other

Read the article on Judy's Book.

If you haven't booked your trip this season for a fun filled day on whitewater in Washington, now is the time to do it. Call one, call all. The snowfall this season is a rafting guides wet dream! If you have never been rafting, I would recommend the Wenatchee. My favorite rapids on that river are Rodeo Hole, Grannies and Suffocator. It is a class III river with plenty of hits and lots of down time for water fights and playing. For those of you with a few trips under your belt and a fever for high adventure, the Skykomish is a great option. Boulder Drop will make anyones heart race just a bit faster. As a retired commercial guide and now private boater, I can honestly say that we haven't seen potential water levels like this in three seasons.

Go rafting!!!