This is probably the third attempt I've had in creating a blog about my kayak endeavors which, in just this past year, have surpassed anything I've ever done in my entire paddling career. In other words, this was my most exhilarating and challenging year of kayaking, ever.
This year actually began in January 2009, when I was applying to World Class Kayak Academy. World Class, otherwise known as WCKA, is a fully accredited high school for paddlers. The school is based out of Missoula, Montana but each year the school chooses two foreign destinations where the students will paddle and study, earning their way to a diploma. The tuition to this school was (and still is) ridiculously expensive but the director was very helpful in getting me a scholarship. Even with the financial aid, I had to raise money for school supplies, airline tickets, and more. With the help of my amazing parents, supportive family and generous sponsors, I was able to fund the Spring 2010 semester.
I began my junior year at the Catholic high school I usually attend in August '09 and eventually finished the first semester. It felt like I was waiting for years to take my December exams and even after school was out I was sitting and anticipating finishing my junior year with WCKA. Christmas break was filled with days of packing, shopping, skiing, and swimming with my swim team as they prepared for Regions and State - which I wouldn't be able to compete in due to my adventures abroad.
January 16 finally came! The night before I had spent surrounded with my friends and my parents. Everyone was excited for me and couldn't wait till I got back; I absolutely had to stay in touch and take plenty of pictures. I woke up early to get ready, I had been so excited the night before that I had laid everything out and packed all my things in the car. My parents had already made the coffee and breakfast so we ate together and soaked in the serenity of our last meal together (for awhile at least). What felt like an hour later (in reality it was about 14) I stepped of the plane with everyone (4 teachers and 9 other students - all boys) and into the Santiago International Airport in Chile.
Our first destination in Chile was the parking lot of the airport (ha ha). Chickens were running around the baggage claim, dogs were sniffing your feet, and people were screaming at you in the rough Chilean Spanish. Luckily, we had teachers who had done this before. We slowly made our way to the right baggage port and after about an hour retrieved what was ours. Our bags were taken from us, unpacked, searched, zipped or duct-taped shut, and thrown back to us. The hot air hit hard as we walked through the doors and we saw a fuzzy silhouette of a mid-sized man. Israel, our Chilean cook, ran over to our group and embraced each and every one of us in a sweaty, way-too-personal hug.
We then drove an hour outside of Santiago to San Jose, where we stopped to exchange money and stretch our legs. We stuffed ourselves back into the van and drove with the windows down up a dirt road to Baños Morales, where we would stay for the next week. Israel had a little summer cabin into which he let us explode our bags and sleep.
This creek was about a 20 minute walk away from where we were staying and eventually flowed into what was the Maipo.
We had orientation the next morning and the teachers and students gathered in the small front room of the cabin, next to the window with the best view of the vast Chilean-Argentinian mountains. It was simple, the rules and expectations for the rest of the semester were set after, of course, being discussed by both the teachers and students because, after all, we would be living together for the next 4 months. We then decided it was time to go kayaking.
The group on the Upper Maipo.
El Rio Maipo flows right from the Chilean-Argentinian border and past a bunch of mines. Therefore, it's cold and dirty. The first day we ran the Upper section, not all of us had boats yet so we had to split up in two groups to share the boats. While one group was paddling, the other waited impatiently at the take-out. The run was fast, continuos, and big. Huge chocolaty waves crashed in and around you as you tried to keep up with the person in front of you.
After a week of school and kayaking on the Maipo, we drove about six hours to El Rio Claro to paddle a run called Siete Tazas, or seven teacups. We were only there for a couple days, throwing ourselves off the low-volume waterfalls, not knowing that we were some of the last people to run this stretch of gorgeous river.
Me hiking out after the last drop.
Once we had had our fun on the Claro, we packed into the van again to begin our 8 hour drive to Pucón - the mecca of South American kayaking. As soon as we could see Villarica, Pucón's world famous volcano, we started cheering. We would stay in Pucón for about two weeks because it was one of the main highlights; it had some, if not most, of the best Chilean whitewater, and it was all about 30 minutes away from a really sweet vacation town with internet cáfes, laundromats, empanadas, and discotechas! I could write a novel on how cool Pucón was (is) but I truly believe it's best you go there yourself. I could also write a lot about the rivers near Pucón but I'll just list them instead: Palguin, Maichine, Trancura, and plenty more.
One of the drops on the Palguin.
My favorite picture of Villarica, the volcano of Pucón.
Once we had become regulars in Pucón, we rolled up our tents, packed our bags, and once again, prepared ourselves for another long drive. This next drive, to the Rio Fuy, was only about 4 hours and we were all full from the Pucón empanadas. I can't remember the town we stayed in while we were paddling the Fuy but it had an awesome candy/ice cream store but only one internet cafe. We were lucky enough to get the keys to the local school after we discovered our hostel had burned down. The school was pretty creepy at night but it had beds, bathrooms, electricity, and a kitchen; everything we needed and more.
We ran both the upper and lower Fuy. The upper had a lot of random waves and holes that we'd stop and play in but nothing too intense. The lower started off with a clean 25 foot waterfall and then continued dropping until the take-out.
The take-out of the lower Fuy.
The first and biggest drop on the lower Fuy.
For the past 3 weeks, all we had been running were waterfalls so next on the list was one of the widest and deepest rivers in Chile: The Futaleufu.
It took us about 4 days to get to the Futa because we had to drive to a ferry, take the ferry, get through Chilean customs, drive to the Argentina border, get through their customs, and then drive some more. This didn't take that long, only 8 hours, and we stayed in a hostel in Bariloche for 3 days and studied. When we were about 3 hours away from Bariloche, on our way to the Futa, our awesome trailer decided to fold in half- quite literally. This wasn't the first problem we'd had with this trailer but it was the worst. We ended up sleeping on the side of the road that night in the middle of nowhere.
When we finally got to the Futa, we drove 2 hours up a dirt road from the town of Futaluefu to a sort of ranch. A little lady owned the property, which was right on the side of the river, and she knew that it was a popular destination for kayakers so she had built little one-person cabins on one side of her property and a few other shelters to rent out. We were lucky enough to get there before the other kayaking high school (New River Academy) showed up. They ended up camping in tents while they stayed at the Futa.
The river was huge. I knew it was going to be big, but I didn't know just how big it would be. The run we did the most is known as "Puenta A Puenta", or bridge to bridge. We put in a bridge and most times we would take out at a bridge. We did a few other sections of the Futa but this was by far the favorite because we were able to stop halfway through the run at our camp, eat lunch, and then continue on our way.
After spending about a week in Futa, we packed up for the last time and drove back the way we came. On our way out of Futaleufu, we discovered that there had been several earthquakes, the biggest was measured at about an 8.8. This made traveling a little more interesting because we were supposed to go to Pichilemu which is right on the coast of Chile but due to the size of the earthquake, tsunamis had destroyed the coastal towns. We decided to take our time and try to get to Santiago by the time our plane left.
Once we made it to the parking lot of the airport, everyone was ready to be home. The Chileans had set up a make-shift check in office out of a big carnival tent with the regular airport seats and venders inside. We gathered all our things and waited in a line that threaded out through the tent, past some more tents, and eventually into the airport where we checked our bags went through security (which consisted of one person casually looking through your stuff), and then found a place on the floor to sit and wait for our plane. What felt like days later, I was home in Salt Lake. I had one week to do laundry and see friends before I would meet the school in Sacramento for our west coast tour.
Of course the 4th quarter with World Class was nothing as amazing as Chile but regardless, it was incredible. We worked our way through Northern California, along the Oregon coast, through Southern Washington, down to Western Idaho, and eventually to our headquarters in Crystal Springs, Montana. I don't have enough time to write all the things we saw, did, and all the rivers we paddled but I will say this: I am thankful that America has public restrooms, laundromats, showers, libraries, and gas stations with endless supply of the world's most unhealthy foods. Here are some pictures from our time on the West Coast.
The boys on the Kaweah in California.
Risto Beatty & I in Yosemite National Park.
The famous WCKA van at our teacher, Capo's house in Oregon.
My favorite run in California; 49 to Bridgeport.
Me and my house near Arcata, California.
Crystal Springs had once been the headquarters for WCKA teachers and students; a whole house just for us. But this year, in order to save money, the educational board decided it'd be best to rent it out. So we were no longer allowed in the house (at least after 8). We were confined to set our tents up in a corner of the lawn and sleep as we had been for the last 4 months. Graduation was different from any other high school graduation. Just picture flannels, dirty jeans, choppy beards, mullets, and unkept hair. Regardless, it was a graduation and we all were excited to start the summer (those of us who still had to finish high school). Right after graduation, Missoula was holding a competition at the local play spot known as Brennan's wave: "The Best of the West". When my parents had driven up from Salt Lake for graduation, they had brought my new Pyranha Molan with them. I still hadn't outfitted it when I competed but I could tell it was the best playboat I'd ever had and I couldn't wait to paddle it in Colorado. I placed second in the competition, which wasn't too bad considering it was my first time in a playboat since we were in Chile.
I returned home with, again, only enough time to do laundry, pack, and shop. I said hi and hung out with a few friends but not as many as I would've liked to see. My mom, supportive as ever, took time off work to drive with me, out to Colorado. Our first destination was Buena Vista, where I placed second out of the two of us, and after that we arrived in Steamboat Springs where we stayed at a new friend's house. The competition there wasn't formally part of the "official circuit" but I won 3rd place out of 12 boys and one other girl. After steamboat, we slowly made our way to Vail where the water was so cold, I wore my warmest driest gear everyday. The funniest thing about Vail was that since it's such an expensive ski-town, most of the kayakers couldn't afford to stay in any of the hotels (campgrounds were non-existent) so we all camped in the free-parking lot. It was about a 20 minute walk, 10 minute long board ride to the center of town where the feature was. I didn't do too well in Vail... There wasn't a Junior class so I didn't even make the first cut. Taylor Cote, another Junior girl, competed with me against the pro women - she didn't make the cut either...
Taylor Cote & I in Vail. (photo cred. Aarron Ingrao)
After I said goodbye to my parents in Vail, my boyfriend, Seth & I drove to the Glenwood Springs wave that was running about 20,000 cfs. Wave surfing is what got me into playboating and I'd have to say it's one of the most fun things out there to do. We only stayed to surf and eat lunch before we headed to Golden, where we would be up with the coolest family I know. Matt, Stephanie, Sage, Dagger, Tala, Kenya, Wyatt, and Crystal live in a Sportsmobile which is basically your classic VW van on steriods. Sage is about 10 years old and is one of the most mature and talented kids I know. Check out her website and see how amazing this girl is: http://www.sagedonnelly.com/. Seth had to get home to Boise to work, and I spent my time hanging out with the Donnelly family. Sage's dad, Matt, kayaks as well and coaches Sage while they travel around for the summer in their mobile home. Stephanie, her mom, kayaks but due to a recent shoulder surgery she was out for the summer. They were very generous in their company and advice while my parents weren't with me and I will always regard them as my family; like distant cousins or something... Golden's rodeo was a lot like the one in Steamboat Springs; it was for the fun of it. After the actual rodeo was finished, they organized a 3-person relay around the park next to the river. Matt, Sage, & I didn't win (even though it was clear, we were the better team), but Sage did win her division in Cadets and I won the Junior girls.
After the competition in Golden was over, we packed up our things and eventually ended up in Lyons, Colorado for the next competition. As soon as we got there, the weather turned from hot and sunny to cold, wet, and rainy. The river water was warmer than the air and you'd find yourself intentionally flipping over in the eddy just to warm up. As I had learned from my semester at World Class, public restrooms/showers were necessities. Conveniently, Lyons had both a couple feet from the hole. My friends and I would practice for about an hour and then we'd sprint to the bathrooms and huddle together under the hand dryer for another two hours. Lyons was the first competition that had more than two Junior girls competing. The six of us had to make it through semifinals to compete in the finals. I guess my rides weren't as good as I wanted them to be because: A) I was sick, B) it was cold and rainy, and C) I was tired. All are cliché and pathetic excuses but I reminded myself I still had time to get better before the US Freestyle Team Trials in Missoula, MT.
One of the features in Buena Vista.
Once the weather cleared up, we packed up and left Lyons for the final event in Salida. I placed second in the competition, behind Lauren Burress. I felt better about my rides even though I didn't get my Mcnasty. The week we were staying in Salida before the competition, my friend Eric Bartl and I drove to Buena Vista where we practiced for team trials with our Coach, Billy Bob. At one of the features, I learned how to Orbit and Mcnasty. They weren't solid but I could still do both about 3 out of every 10 times I tried (ha ha). On our way home after FibArk, my mom and I stopped with WCKA Summer Sessions at M Wave. The wave itself is fun (and really scary) but the finding it is another story...
We got home to Salt Lake a couple days before my birthday to take a break and actually sleep in beds and take showers in actual showers. Following my routine of getting laundry done and repacking my things into a car (my mom let me borrow her green Honda Element) I left my parents at 5:30 am to start the 10 hour drive to Missoula, where I would meet up with all my friends from the Colorado Circuit and train for the event I'd been looking forward to since last year. I arrived in Missoula at about 4:00 that afternoon and immedietly drove to Brennan's wave. I stayed with my friend, Quinton Barnette and his generous family,who were also hosting about 9 other Junior paddlers plus some parents. During the week before the National Team trials, I improved everything I had been working on in Colorado. With the help of my coach and friends, I perfected my ride for the competition.
When the day of the team trials came, it was dark and rainy. Throughout the week the weather had been hot and sunny and none of the paddlers had worn any gear. The competitors huddled under the tent to listen to the head judge explain what the rules were and who was supposed to be in the water and when they were supposed to be there. I competed after the OC1 in the 2nd heat of Junior girls; there were 5 girls total. Taylor Cote, Lauren Burress, Emery Tillman, Brooke Hess, and myself went through the motions we had practiced all summer. After everyone else had finished their final rides, the results were posted.
Me competing in Missoula.
Lauren Burress and I were the USA Junior Girls Team and we get the opportunity to compete at the World Championships next June in Plattling, Germany! This was such an accomplishment for the both of us; Lauren, 15, was the youngest member on the team and for myself being 17 made this my last year to compete in Juniors. I look forward to going to Germany and representing the US in the sport I love so much. My parents and I will leave for Germany right after the Teva Mountain Games in Vail, CO so I have plenty of time to master the feature and practice my rides.
After celebrating in Missoula with my friends, my parents and I drove to my favorite little town in Idaho. Banks, ID is made up of a few buildings and the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Payette rivers and is known for the variety of whitewater it provides to paddlers of all levels. My parents would stay for the 4th of July and then they would head back to Utah. I would stay and work as a safety boater for Bear Valley Rafting Co. My ultimate goal for the month I would be there wouldn't be to make as much money as I could, god knows there's no money in safety boating, but I wanted to run the North Fork. The 15 miles of continuos class 5 whitewater has been calling my name since I first visited the Payettes when I was only about 10 years old. By the end of July, I had run most of the North Fork - but not all of it, which is all the more reason the return next year after the World Championships in Germany.
Now that my last year of high school has started, kayaking trips have become limited to the occasional drive the visit my boyfriend in Boise. I plan to start training next Spring in Green River, WY at their brand new whitewater park.
