1) Kokatat GORE-TEX
Drysuit – A necessity for winter boating in the northwest. Kokatat has a
well-deserved reputation for producing top quality gear that is, durable,
breathable, and most of all waterproof.
Work:
Student in Humboldt State’s Nursing Program, in case you were wondering… yes, this counts as work… lots of work.
Years Paddling: 5
Top 3 Rivers: Ottawa, White Nile, and the North Fork of the Payette
The Perfect Vacation is:
My perfect vacation would consist of, loading up the 1987 Westfalia with gear, boats, and a few best friends. The humor starts the second we pull onto a highway that is usually leading to, “the middle of no where”, following a revised map that has scribbled directions like, “we put in somewhere around here… I think”.
Hobbies other than kayaking: snowboarding and surfing
Best day of paddling ever: This is a tough one, I have lots of favorites. A recent favorite of mine is paddling in Uganda this past winter. I fell in love with life on banks of the Nile! Uganda is a classic paddling destination for so many reasons, it’s big water, warm temperatures, great people, and hilarious party scene. My Uganda memories are hard to top! I loved it all, whether we were relaxing on the Lemon, surfing the Special, or surviving NRE and running laps on Silverback, I can’t wait to go back!
However, I have to say that my overall favorite paddling memories were made growing up on the banks of the Payette. I lived for springtime, school was out, good friends came back into town for the rafting season, and the water is high. After everyone sets up their summer campsite, building the small community known as, “Otter’s Slide”, the days of summer begin. Most days you wake up, toss a few rocks at neighboring tents and soon enough you’ll have enough friends paddle the North Fork or get a few surfs in at the Bladder or Climax. After a good day of paddling, you either head down to the Dirty Shame, for a few drinks over a competitive game of shuffleboard, or just kick back around the campfire at Otter’s. I couldn’t have grown up in a better place, great whitewater, awesome people, and of course, the never-ending humor.
