The Alec Is...: 4 July Kayak Trip

Well, on the Fourth of July i organized a river trip with Josh Wester and his wife, Anne. It was pretty fun - i only got rolled in two rapids - the first & biggest "Gloyf" (go-left-or-you're-fired) but then in the last one AMF (adios my friend). i was trying to surf the biggest wave in it but got rolled (as i expected really...) but when i rolled back up i was disoriented and the goggles you will see i had were in my eyes so i kept rolling back under. I rolled about 5 or 6 times and i'll tell you i really thought to myself: "am i going to have to bail and swim?!" i decided to keep with it until i either got up and stabilized or had no breath and then bail. Luckily i stuck with it and got up and good. man i was tired though! The goggles weren't the problem - i love them, they're some Oakley's that i got off of Zappos that are made for water to protect against splash (good for me - i have contacts that have almost gotten washed out a couple times from waves) - it was that i didn't have them tight enough. I knew it too but thought about fixing it too late so i decided the rapid was too close and decided i wouldn't worry about it. i should have! well maybe not - i got some good roll practice! (heheh stupidly optimistic). So that was the main parts of the trip except for both Mom and Dad (and caitlyn) came to document the trip which was awesome. Though Mom says she got to AMF late and saw me rolling repeatedly but by the time the camera was ready it was over. ha, funny story: at the takeout this guy asked me if i was the kid who kept rolling at AMF. He seemed like "holy cow". Oh and i also was able to get Dad to go on the last two rapids with Brother Wester in the ducky, i think he enjoyed it. well i've babbled enough - time for pictures!

me testing depth before doing a practice roll

Eddying out into the current

This is the beginning of Gloyf

Probably the second coolest picture - you can see my poor paddling form (my hand is above my head - thats why we take pictures! to see this stuff) Oh and it looks alot smaller in the pic - the left side of the picture is part of the biggest wave that i go flying over. it was pretty big, trust me.

This is my crash landing after airing off the big wave. yes i was momentarily flushed underwater after this shot. you can see the top of the big wave just to the right of me. it doesn't look so big because you can't see the deep trough just on the other side of it.

after i had rolled back up and stuff - looking at how the Westers faired

a pretty good shot as well of me at the end of GLOYF

Great pic in my opinion, the most artsy one

Dad waiting for us to come around the bend. "Just around the river beeennnnddd!"

a brilliant showcase of my poor paddling form once again. but a cool shot nonetheless. this is the beginning of Chief Parrish, in my opinion the wimpiest of the named rapids. Though it doesn't seem to be a constriction rapid so i bet it's shallowish and has some rocks that wouldn't agree with an upside-down kayaker's head. but i have no idea really

getting ready to start out again, this time with dad in the inflatable