Last week in cali

After a sick day of boating on the south branch we rushed to the hospital to get glued shut, and I'm glad I did because it has healed nicely.


After the hospital visit we parted ways with Dustin and Nate. Me and Christian hung out at Daniel's house for the day and then Christian flew home to CO to relax before his job started. My crew was quickly reduced to one but I talked Tyson into coming down to the kaweah with me for a few days, he was able to do work in the morning and then we were able to get laps on hospital rock in the afternoon, can't ask for much more?

Me boofing a sick drop called little Niagara on hospital rock ( for more pics of this run see: Spring Break)

Me and Tyson had left my car at the Sac airport for Rolf and TK who were coming in the week, they got in on thursday night and we meet them for another south merced run.

The Team: TK, Tyson, Rolf, and Me (these guys are some of my favorite people to paddle with just so much fun on and off the water)

Rolf doing pushups for the ladies

Rolf on a sick drop at the beginning of the super slide section (I walked this drop on the higher water trip but ran it this time, super sick!)

Rolf heading into the slides

Tyson on Super slide

Tyson in the gorge below super slide

We camped just downstream of the gorge (the same place we camped earlier), I had brought in beers to enjoy and was glad when we got to camp that I could kick back drink a few cold ones and get caught up with some good friends. The next day we got up to warm temps and sunny weather, getting amped up for no portages on day 2!

Rolf, Tyson and TK on a sick triple drop that we walked with the higher water trip

Tyson on a very cool drop

After the drop pictured above there are only a few more big drops and tons of fun slides, on one of these bigger drops I had the worst swim I have had in a long time. I dropped into a huge hole that backendered me into a wicked pocket after about 30 seconds of trying to roll (the pocket was pushing me hard against a cliff) I swam, I didn't come up but could tell I was getting taken back into the hole, I went with it and went deep. After about 10 seconds I kinda thought 'hey I should be coming up soon' and started swiming (I think I kick off the bottom) a few more seconds and I was to the surface. I took a huge breath as it was probably 30-45 seconds without one and began swimming hard left dropping over a 10 ish foot drop. At the bottom of the drop there was quick moving water against a slab rock that I couldn't get out on, at this point rolf caught me and it was obvious that I was about to swim the next drop, all I remember is rolf Yelling 'grab my boat, you hold onto my boat'. I was able to get a good hold of his boat as we stated down a series of slides, I was getting dunked a few times but better than swimming. Then we stopped and got surfed in a hole, we were in there for 10-15 seconds with me holding on, I knew he was gonna swim if I held on. I pushed off his boat as hard as I could and felt myself getting suck back in, and going deep again. At this point I was very tired and remember thinking fuck just let me out. I got lucky and the river spit me out onto the rocks where I was able to crawl out of the river. I am so glad that Rolf was there to give me a few seconds to recover holding onto his boat while I was swimming,a nd very glad to get out of the river with no damage to myself. My boat got pinned on a log and the boys got it unpinned while I sat and regained my strength. We put back in and I was feeling like an idiot for bombing into a huge hole, then rolf paddles up to me and says, 'Don't let that shit bother you, run the meat of every hole you see, you'll get it back!' I love paddling with that guy. We had an uneventful paddle out and thanks to scotty baker had no shuttle to run!
We headed up to the upper middle consumes to meet up with jared johnson for my last day in Cali for the trip. The level was a nice medium 425cfs and the weather was typical sunny California (not typical for this trip). We had a great run with no swims and load of fun, with it being all those guys first time down.

Tyson 'suns out guns out' and maybe suns out short-shorts out?

Tyson on a fun double drop

Rolf boofing skatepark

Me boofing skatepark, I had to hike up and run it again it is so much fun!

That was my last day in cali and I can't wait to get bcak! Colorado was going off when I got home and I have just stayed on the front range and got some fun runs in while I work and go to school. Some CO highlights have been high water north saint vrain, high water south saint vrain race in which I got 6th place (pretty good amongst the pros).
Thanks to everyone who helped me out in cali, it was an awesome trip, I'll see you all in a month or two when the kings comes in!
-Tom