Shanna has told the story of the epic two-day hike into Kings Canyon, our 9,000 ft. elevation put-in (our take-out, five days later, 2500 ft.), and needless to say after hiking our 45+ lbs kayaks into the river with 40+ lbs of gear, we each put on the river tired and sore.
One piece of gear that I personally left behind while on the river was my camera; I am just not ready in my head to carry it in-between my legs. Fortunately Toby and Bo brought theirs; so we have some shots to share.
The first day was the lowest volume day on the river, of course, but the rapids we encountered were better than expected.
Some be-bopping on the first day:
photo by Bo Wallace
We also passed through some spectacular mountain meadows, weaving our way through the oxbows staring with our dropped jaws up at the granite domes surrounding us.
photo by Bo Wallace
Each river day we stop for a "California lunch". With the dry air and blasting hot sun of the Sierras, one has the opportunity to completely dry out wet paddling gear while enjoying some food and scenery.
photo by Bo Wallace
The highlight of day one was certainly: the devil's punch-bowl, a big rapid we each enjoyed dropping. As we all got out of our boats at the top to scout, Amos announced the name of the rapid by yelling, "Satan has created this rapid."
Here's Ms. Betz lining up at the top for the big last drop of the rapid:
photo by Bo Wallace
Polk, same:
photo by Bo Wallace
Here's Bo about to land the last drop of the punch bowl:
photo by Toby MacDermott
Amos, same:
photo by Bo Wallace
Day two was a day of gorges. The Pacific Crest/John Muir Trail was still following us along the river right; so we scouted and paddled our way down the river. Peering over the edge of the granite walls into the river, we would scout the rapids from bottom to top memorizing the drops. Once you drop into the top of each section, you were 'in it to win it'.
Here's Polk and Riley, the purple boat duo, winning it:
photo by Toby MacDermott
The author finishing of the same gorge with Fuzzy pealing out in the background:
photo by Toby MacDermott
We utilized the trail not only for scouting but for portaging as well, since some of the gorges asked for more than we were ready to give.
Riley Cathcart enjoying some hiking with his kayak.
photo by Bo Wallace
The best part of our second river day lay within a dark, vertical walled basaltic canyon. As we locked ourselves in, the whole team trapped inside rock and falling water, Bo turned to Amos and was heard saying, "Now we're f---ed."
Climbing around, shouting instructions, pointing, waving, signaling, boofing and plugging we found our way to a large enough out-cropping of broken rocks on river right, that we could get out and scout all at once. Happily greeted by Amos's shouts again, "Last drop, last drop, last drop."
Polk, Mefford, and Robin scouting as Amos gets in to drop the last:
photo by Toby MacDermott
Mefford dropping the last:
photo by Bo Wallace
Robin same:
photo by Bo Wallace
Polk same:
photo by Toby MacDermott
Robin's fist found her face on one of the plugging missions of the last gorge, resulting in this nice shiner:
photo by Bo Wallace
Day three can be described easily as the day of the mad bombing mission. In our boats for nearly the entirety of another eight hour day, we didn't stop for many photos as we ran rapid after steep rapid into another steep rapid.
Toby in the meat:
photo by Bo Wallace
Riley showing his day three smile:
photo by Bo Wallace
The night of the third river day we stayed in quite a beautiful camping spot with Tehipte Dome keeping guard just over our shoulders.
photo by Bo Wallace
Fuzzy, our team Kiwi, found a good fishing hole and brought in four nice sized trout with his hand made pole.
Bo Wallace
The team was also treated to a beautiful rainbow crossing a red, sunset sky between the granite walls.
photo by Toby MacDermott
Day four on the river was a long one, the infamous bottom nine: nine miles of class five + that seems to gone on forever.
Amos wide-eyed in the bottom nine:
photo by Bo Wallace
We were in and out of our boats all day, scouting and bombing:
photo by Bo Wallace
Amos and I in and out again:
photo by Bo Wallace
Polk and Robin portaging:
photo by Toby MacDermott
The coolest portage/sneak of day four, not to say that we didn't run a whole lot of big rapids, was an exit through a sieve at the "cave rapid."
Mefford dropping in to the sieve:
photo by Bo Wallace
Robin same:
photo by Bo Wallace
We camped just below the confluence of the Middle and South Fork on the Kings River proper. Our last day was another bombing mission with double the flow we had on the Middle Kings; so not a lot of pictures for all the rapids we ran on the day.
Here is Toby dropping in to a goodun':
photo by Bo Wallace
All in all the trip was an incredible experience for each of us. Two days of hiking, five river days, and too many rapids to count.
That's the love for now.
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