30 - 5/30/09 - Green River Gorge

I just couldn't stay away from boating with the great weather we've been having, but I did avoid injuring myself further by going in someone else's boat and only paddling a little. It was a beautiful day and lots of people were on the river. Afterwards, we attended a BBQ for Friends of the Green (FOG).

The photo is John (not in his Puma) standing up while surfing Paradise Ledge.

29 - 5/25/09 - Middle Middle

Back from the John Day and unpacked, I took the holiday to run the Middle Middle for the first time in 2 months. Normally, I would have already done a dozen runs on this stretch so far this year, but the road closure made that impossible.

I rowed my cat and took pictures. Sadly, this day taught me that my tendinitis is getting worse, so I need to take a break to take care of that.

28 - 5/23/09 - John Day River (Day 7)

This was our last day on the river (I think we got on the river before 8:30). Usually, I end up in the back of the group taking pictures, but my left shoulder and right elbow were giving me some trouble. I was worried about upstream winds coming up and slowing me down, so pretty early in the day I pushed ahead of the group and I arrived at the takeout a few minutes before everyone else. We got packed up pretty quickly and were on our way home by 2PM.

27 - 5/22/09 - John Day River (Day 6)

Today our trip leader forced us to wait until 9AM to leave camp. Yes, we had to wait about 30 minutes. We got to our camp before lunchtime. The camp is just below "Hoot Owl Rock". This would be our last camp, so to minimize carrying gear, we had our kitchen by the river and 3 of us slept down there.

26 - 5/21/09 - John Day River (Day 5)

After a day off from boating, we were all ready to get going, and we got on the river at the usual 8:30. We got to start the day with some nice whitewater, and we floated down to the next camp (yep, we made it before lunchtime).

In camp, we had another rattlesnake. We also noticed an A-frame cabin on the mountain to the West of us.

25a - 5/20/09 - John Day River (Day 4)

After the previous 30-mile day, we took a layover day to relax. It was hot and sunny once again.

25 - 5/19/09 - John Day River (Day 3)

It rained most of the night, but it stopped just before I woke up. Once again, we got on the river at 8:30 (we weren't trying to do this - it just happened). There was a wind blowing, and it was a 30 mile day, but the current was good and we got into camp at around 3PM. There were a couple of rattlesnakes that came through the camp, but they didn't stay long.

The picture is from Clarno rapid, which we ran at around 8000cfs.

24 - 5/18/09 - John Day River (Day 2)

We got an early start, leaving the camp at 8:30. It was a hot, sunny day and we once again made it to camp by lunchtime. At camp, we enjoyed an afternoon of "Rock TV", which involves finding shapes in the rocks. At our camp, there's a great rock that looks like Homer Simpson as the Sphinx.

23 - 5/17/09 - John Day River (Day 1)

Some friends have started a tradition of doing a week-long raft trip in May, and I have been lucky enough to get to go for the past 3 years. The first year we ran the John Day River in Oregon. The second we ran the Owyhee River, also in Oregon. The plan this year was to return to the Owyhee, with the Grande Ronde River (Oregon) as the backup. As you may have guessed from the title of this article, we ended up going back to the John Day. The Owyhee was too low for our tastes and the Grande Ronde was too high. The John Day was high, but not uncomfortably high, so that was our final choice.

There were 7 people in our group, each in their own boat: 4 catarafts, 2 rafts, and an inflatable kayak. I rowed my Aire Ocelot cataraft. We drove over on Saturday and set up our gear. We camped at the put-in and left in the morning at around 8:30. With the fast current, we made it to camp by lunchtime and spent the day playing dominoes and relaxing.

Inflatable Kayaking for Fat People - Part 5: Strategies

This is the final part of this series, and I hope that maybe the articles will help get someone into inflatable kayaking.

Heavy people have some advantages and some disadvantages when inflatable kayaking. The biggest advantage is that weight means momentum. You can often get through holes and waves that would cause problems for other boaters. The main disadvantages are having to move more weight on the river, getting stuck more often that lighter people, carrying heavier boats and equipment, and struggling to get back into the boat after a flip.

A long paddle will help some with moving the boat, but don't go overboard. Most larger people are still going to do better with a 205cm-210cm paddle than with a 230cm paddle because quickness still makes a difference. Your best asset in this area is your brain - look at the whole rapid in front of you and try to figure out the whole route so you can start moving your boat in advance. Take advantage of the fact that you can plow through larger holes and use them to slow you down. This will give you time to decide where to go next.

Getting stuck on a rock is not much fun, especially if it leads to a wrap (this is where the boat basically sinks and gets squished onto a rock). You need to do as much as possible to avoid this situation. One important rule is to hit things straight on and not sideways. If you do get stuck, don't panic. You may need to get out of the boat, but make sure to hold on to something on the boat so you can either drag it off the rock or stay with it while waiting for someone to throw you a rope.

As a larger person, you'll need a larger boat, which usually means a heavier boat. This can be a problem when you have to portage or hike in or out of a run. At first, you'll probably want to avoid runs with these problems, but eventually you'll want to do new runs. Make sure that the people in your group understand your limitations. If they are smart, they will realize that it's important to help keep you safe, since carrying an injured or weak heavy person is a lot of work.

There are people who will say that the #1 thing for an IKer to learn is getting back in their boat. Personally, I put learning to stay in the boat above that, but getting back into the boat is very important. The larger your tubes are the harder it is to get back in. You are likely to flip the boat back over. My trick is to get my paddle on the far side of the inside of the boat, right on top of the far thigh strap. I then let my feet float up and I pull myself on top of the boat. I then bring the bow-side leg into the front of the boat, flop into the boat, and then get back into paddling position as quickly as possible. If you do this right, you will not have expended a lot of energy and you will be ready to continue.

One final thing: Don't be scared to walk away from a run you don't feel like doing. There's always another run.

Inflatable Kayaking for Fat People - Part 4: Clothing

Whitewater boating clothing is the hardest thing for fat people to find. Manufacturers generally don't want to work much with fat people. When I started, I was at the outside limit for most off the rack wetsuits and drysuits. I boated for 2 seasons in multiple layers of long underwear and raingear before I finally bought a drysuit. At that time, the largest drysuit barely fit me, being made for taller, thinner people. I finally got myself a custom wetsuit made, which worked great for me when I lived and boated in California.

More recently, some manufacturers have made some gear for fat people. Northwest River Supply (NRS) makes a line of wetsuits called "Grizzly", which are shorter and have a bit more room in the torso, belly, and legs. I've worn NRS Grizzly suits for years, and I still regularly wear a Grizzly Hydroskin suit under my drysuit.

Splash jackets can be a little tough to find if you're very large. I can wear an XXL, but I prefer the NRS Grizzly wetsuit jacket for comfort.

Drysuits, which are a necessity if you are serious about inflatable kayaking, are a little tougher. First, they are expensive. A good cheap drysuit will cost you $400, and if you want something that will last, it will cost $600 or more. Some drysuit manufacturers make larger sizes, but these tend to be for taller people, not wider. I looked for several years for companies that would make custom drysuits, and I've only found one. No, it's not Kokatat. Several people have claimed that Kokatat will make custom suits, but the reality is that they will make limited alterations, and they mostly just sell you a standard size that they don't advertise (like the "Large King", which is for a short, stocky person). If you don't believe me, call Kokatat and ask if they can make suit for someone who is 5'10" and 265lbs. They will not do it. Even so, Kokatat makes great products.

OS Systems in Oregon is the only company I know of that will make a full custom drysuit. If you are my size, it will cost you almost $900 for the full deluxe suit. It's worth every penny. They send you a chart and ask you to make around 30 measurements, and then they make a suit that will fit you right. Their suits are durable, and their service is as good as Kokatat's (which is to say, great). I do wish they had more colors, though.

Now, a quick word on wetsuits and drysuits. A wetsuit is a neoprene suit that traps a layer of water. You warm this up with your body heat. This is fine when it's not too cold, but keep in mind that in the summer, most of the water you boat on was snow the day before, and when you kayak, you get soaked. A drysuit is a waterproof suit made to keep you dry. It has latex gaskets to keep water out. You wear enough under it to keep you warm. A good drysuit will be made of breathable fabric, which will let the sweat out. There are some so-called "2-piece drysuits", which are a pair of drypants and a drytop. They cost less, but they don't work all that well. If you're going dry, spend the money on a good drysuit.

Most other clothing isn't a big deal for fat people. Long underwear, fleece, gloves, socks, and booties come in sizes we can wear. One thing to watch out for is shoes. Make sure to get shoes that have tough soles and will stay on your feet. You will be walking and climbing on rocks, and cheap shoes will not do a good job.

Inflatable Kayaking for Fat People - Part 3: Paddles and PFDs

For the most part, fat people can use the same paddles as other kayakers, but it's typical to use longer paddles. There are two reasons for this. First, the inflatable kayak used by a fat person will tend to be wider than their shoulders, which requires a longer paddle. Second, a longer paddle gives more power, which is more important to maneuver a heavy load. I personally prefer a 210cm paddle, though I frequently use paddles as short as 197cm.

Good paddles are not cheap. Cheap paddles are fine for getting started, but if you are serious, be prepared to spend $200-$300 on your primary paddle. My favorite paddle brand is Werner, and I really like my Werner Powerhouse. You will also want to buy a good spare paddle. You don't need to buy a top of the line paddle, but keep in mind that if you lose your paddle at the start of a trip, you will be using the spare a lot. Keep an eye out for good deals on used 2-piece paddles for spares.

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) are critical for safety. Luckily, because fat people float, they often don't need PFDs with more flotation than everyone else, but it doesn't hurt. I have PFDs of all sizes, and I go back and forth between a couple of primary PFDs. One is really thick and has 26lbs of flotation, while the other has 18lbs. I typically use the 18lb PFD when I am running a river where I know I can stand up most of the time. I've had some really long swims in the 26lb PFD and felt very comfortable.

The biggest problem that a fat person will have with a PFD is with it riding up. It's very hard to fit a PFD to a fat belly, because PFDs are made to fit tightly around your waist. One solution to this is crotch straps, which will hold down the PFD. The Extrasport B22 has an available crotch strap system, but sadly the B22 doesn't come in XXL. Standard cam straps will work just fine as crotch straps, but you will want to figure out a way to attach them so that the buckles don't move around and jab into your skin.

22 - 5/9/09 - SF Snoqualmie

I had other plans this weekend, but I got burned (well, technically someone else got burned, but that's their story). My next door neighbor and a friend of ours wanted to do an early run on the South Fork, so we met at the put-in at 8AM and got in a quick run. The weather was perfect and we had a nice flow.

One real advantage of running the rivers here in the morning is that the sun isn't in our eyes. The rivers here primarily run West, so in the evening you can be heading directly into the sun, which reflects off the water and obscures the rocks.

For the first time this year, I got pictures (I took pictures on the previous run, but it was so dark that they all came out blurry). I'll have a link to those here soon.

21 - 5/7/09 - NF Snoqualmie

Sometimes you have to work for a run. I've lived here for 10 years, and while the NF Snoqualmie is less than 30 minutes from home, I've only run it twice. The main reason is that this run starts with a .3 mile hike and ends with a 1.2 mile hike. That's a long way to carry boats, even with a good system.

My friend Mike and I decided that the flow was good enough to offset the hike, so we gave it a shot. The river starts out with several really long class II+ rapids. After about a mile, we saw a tree all the way across the main channel. We had to portage around it, but that only took a couple of minutes and we were off again. Not long after this, there is a section with several long class III boulder gardens that are a lot of fun. After a couple more miles, the river calms down, but there are a few surprises. On my first run, I got flipped by a rapid with a huge hole in it. We worked hard to avoid the hole this time, but as we went by, it looked like it might have been easier at this flow (which was higher than on my previous run).

The takeout is not easy. There are several ways to get up to the road, but all of them require climbing on tree roots and moss. After that, you have the task of walking 1.2 miles to the gate. I have an IK backpack that I use, which makes it easier, but I can't really stop once I get started, so it's a continuous trudge up to the gate. Still, it's a fun run and the hike isn't all that bad.

BTW, the picture at the top of the blog is my friend Joe at the end of one of the rapids on the NF Snoqualmie.

Inflatable Kayaking for Fat People - Part 2: Inflatable Kayaks

The more you weigh, the more flotation your inflatable kayak needs. There are two ways to achieve this: fatter tubes and longer tubes. Some heavy people (not just fat people, but really tall people) opt for 2-person inflatable kayaks for more flotation. This works OK, but it does mean a lot more work. You have to carry the boat, and in a rapid you have to think in advance.

If you weigh 240-300lbs, your best bets are the Hyside Padillac and the Aire Outfitter, and possibly the Vanguard IK (which looks a lot like the Padillac). If you're lucky, you might be able to find an old expedition model Sun Runner or a Wing Probe. Whatever the case, you want to get 11.5" or larger tubes. If you weigh more than 300lbs, the only inflatable kayak I can recommend is the expedition model Sun Runner. Your best bet there is to cast your net for someone who has one of these sitting in a garage unused. Other options include adding flotation to a smaller boat by putting foam blocks in the bow and stern. This will help keep the water out of the boat, so even if you are sitting in a little bit of water all the time, at least the boat will bail quickly.

The biggest problem I've found with inflatable kayaks is the backrests. My stomach doesn't want me to sit bent over as much as most kayaks need, so I need something holding me up. I've found that Hyside makes the best backrest. These days, you have to get them to convert it to fit your boat (they normally come with a hinge fitting, and you'll want a D-ring on each site), but it's well worth the money. Make sure to get the largest backrest they have available, because they do make smaller ones.

20 - 5/2/09 - Green River Cleanup

The first weekend in May is the annual Green River Cleanup, and WRRR is one of the organizers. The goal is to get people to pick up trash along the river corridor, and WRRR mostly concentrates on cleaning up the river banks. We had a nice flow of just a little over 1400 this year, and I decided to take my IK (if it was above 1500, I would have taken my cataraft, but I'm not as comfortable in crowds in my cat). I was part of the group registering people and handing out trash bags at the Headworks raft access. Starting at this point makes the entire run about 18 miles.

We got a late start due to some shuttle confusion, and after a little over a mile, we realized that one member of our group was missing. I waited around and found her with the next group. She takes the "cleanup" part of the event seriously, and that has become harder over the years because the river bank has been pretty thoroughly scoured. We went down a couple more rapids and she noticed some trash and pulled over. I pulled over to the right and found a significant pile of old kitchen debris - broken dishes, bottles, jars, a tray table, and even a waffle iron.

We finally caught up with the main group when we got to the park, and we settled in for the more serious whitewater. I was cold at that point, and considering trying to catch a ride in a raft, but I'm too lazy to do that (yes, that's a joke), so I continued to kayak. The gorge is a bit more challenging when you are having to boat with lots of other people because they are always getting in the way. Above Mercury, a group of rookie guides from Alpine Adventures (yes, you get named because you screwed up) took the wrong channel and then had problems in the Nozzle. So, we got to hang out at the top of Mercury waiting for them to get through so we could go down.

I had a good run through the main upper gorge, and then I flipped. I ran the far left side of a rapid that has a steep drop into curling wave with a side current, and I didn't brace quickly enough. I did, however, get back in my boat while floating down the river, and then had to endure the "You made it through all of the hard stuff and then flipped on that?" comments. We continued down, had lunch, and then floated down to the lower gorge. Below Paradise, I flipped again when I went into a big hole that I usually use to slow my speed, and it decided to stop me instead. I flipped, swam past the final hole, and then watched as the boat entered the hole upside down, exited right side up, and then floated down to me. It took two tries to get back in. The first time, I flipped the boat over so I had to reflip it and get back in while entering another rapid. A friend had to retrieve my footbrace, which I had knocked out in the hole (possibly the reason I flipped). I was pretty happy with both of my self-rescues. I stayed calm even when I failed, and the result was that I only needed to rest for a half a minute before continuing. There was a time when I needed a lot more to recover because of the panic of swimming.

The rest of the run was uneventful, except that the weather kept changing from cloudy to sunny back to cloudy and drizzly, and finally to full on rain. We got to the takeout fairly late, and I didn't get to participate in the BBQ because I had to run shuttle and bring back the trash we found at the put-in. Afterwards, I visited the group camp for a little while and then headed home. It was another fun day on the Green.

My Inflatable Kayaks - Part 11 - Aire Outfitter

(This is a work in progress, and will be updated as things change.)

Always searching for new boats that fit me, I decided that the new Aire Outfitter might be a good buy. I had some credit racked up with NRS, so I ordered a purple one to match my new cataraft. The Outfitter is very similar in shape and construction to the Aire Lynx, but it is about 3" wider and 3" shorter, with fatter tubes. I measured it, and it's the same width as my Wing but it's a full 10" shorter. When I bought the boat, I knew it was going to come with one of the standard Aire flat backrests. Aire makes nice boats, but their backrests just do not work for me. They aren't big enough, and most of them require wrapping a strap around the boat, which is just ridiculous. I bought a Sotar thwart backrest, which has handles and a zipper pouch. On my first trip, I found that this was still a little small for me (it also didn't hold air, but that was due to a loose valve - lesson learned). I have since gotten a large Hyside IK backrest that I will try out soon. Thigh straps are another problem. Aire boats are set up with loops in the floor to tie stuff in, but thigh straps don't work as well when they are attached to the floor. They are better attached to D-rings on the sides of the tubes, about halfway up. I will need to get the backrest installed and adjusted properly before I can do that.

I named the boat Jelly Bean because it looks kind of like a big purple jelly bean.