A PUCON WELCOME!!!

I have been chasing warm weather and world class kayaking since my junior year in high school when i started at New River Academy. While at NRA i found a place that i truely  fell i love with, along with a few other of my friends. This place is Chile.This will be my 3rd year in a row to Chile and hopefully the best one yet.

I arrived in Pucon and headed out to the Pucon Kayak Hostel just outside of town. Its the perfect rally point to head to any of the great Pucon classics. Shortly after arriving I went back into town to the gringo kayakers hangout spot, Latitude 39, and ordered every gringos favorite stout burger. Thinking its not off to a bad start, it got better. Two of the  local gringos, Kurt Casey and Ian Garcia, roll in and join Dave Hughes and myself for an afternoon cerveza.  Figuring out an afternoon plan to go kayaking Ian, Dave and I headed up to my pucon favorite, Rio Nevados.  Having a great run I finished off my day with a few slices of pizza and a few beers at Pizza Cala.  This is the Pucon life that we all love so much and I cant wait to have some new epics this year with the rest of the boys when they arrive.  Look forward to a north  update with Ian, Rodrigo and I..... BROWN!!!

Cali Dreamin...

Cant go kayaking in Cali without doing 2 things, big hikes and some over nighters.
Another great camp spot above a portage on West Cherry. 

 

Some more cali goods!!

Back home in Ohiopyle right now and just thinking about the past summer of kayaking in California and the upcoming winter of kayaking down in South America.

sick rapid in day one on Fantasy Falls,
a river with too many rapids to remember!!!

How to communicate with no cell service...

Winning means you go first!!

Droppin in the Toxaway slide on East Kaweah,

Boofin the top of triple drop, East Kaweah.
One of my new favorite runs for sure...

Nick Murphy on Big Kimsheezy falls!! 

Frenchy's drop on Kimshew,
Kimshew into Secret Stash is one of the ultimate days of kayaking!!!

In the beginning of May this year I loaded up my truck pointed west and drove straight to Three Rivers, California, which is the home of the Kaweah River. This was the start of a 3 month trip around California. This years snow pack was one of the biggest in years which made for a long season, even allowed a first D and some high water descents. Got to meet a new crew of boaters out there this year, (Nick Murphy, Taylor Cavin, Chris Kurbulic, and more...) plus got to do some boating near the end of the trip with the good ol boys ( Jared and Grahm Seiler, Evan and Ian Garcia, Fred Norquist, and Baby bird..). Of course it wouldn't be the same without a bender with the boys. Needless to say I had a great time, met some great new people, and enjoyed some epic kayaking. Ill chalk this year off as a win and still winning!!!

Chris Korbulic styling the Graceland slide!!!
Crazy fast feeling...

My cuzin pullin through and gettin us the hookup at a Girl Talk concert  with
VIP back stage passes, can you say WINNING!!!!!!!

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