RCRE Northwest dispatch..

RCRE droppen bombs in the Northwest!
Marty Smith checks in with a sweet promo vid from last season and some Nooksack action from outside Bellingham Washington!
Check it out!

Martin Bradley Smith Kayaking the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River. from Martin Smith on Vimeo.

New back yard run just off of of Mt. Baker Highway, the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River. kayaking Winter 2012. Marty Smith





Martin Bradley Smith Kayaking around Colorado and Wyoming in Spring/Summer 2011. (Slater Falls, Oh Be Joyful, Daisy Creek, Elk Box, Fish Creek, Big South, North Fork Little Wind)

High Water Gore 8250

2011 Yampa River Festival!

RCRE Vol III

RCRE VOL.III from Dan Piano on Vimeo.

Routty Love

2010-2011 Routt County Season.  It was good!

Untitled from Dan Piano on Vimeo.

Costa Baby!

Costa Rica!

This place has it all in a small land area.  You can go from stunning ocean beaches to creeks as hard as you want within hours.  The wildlife is everywhere.  Coming from a Colorado winter where everything is frozen it was a pleasure to do some warm water boating.  Here are some photos from my recent trip.

 Sarah charging in the Chirripo Pacifico! Photo:Dan Piano

 Me exploring a new line in "Ron Jeremy". Apparently you dont have to go left. Photo:Sarah Hamilton

 Sarah leading me down the Pascua section of the Reventazon! Big water! Photo:Dan Piano

 The Rios Tropicales lodge on the Pacuare.  This place was amazing! It's everything you could want out of a lodge on an amazing river in the middle of the jungle!  I highly recommend the trip.

 Oropendulas in front of  Hotel Turrialtico outside of Turrialba! 

 Playa Cocles near Puerto Viejo. Photo: Dan Piano

 Boofing on the Pacifico. Photo: Sarah Hamilton

 Sarah stomping in her Fluid Solo. Photo: Dan Piano

 I dont think it goes. Photo: DP

 Mud slide on the way to Pascua.

Turrialba volcano puffing some smoke. Photo:DP

 This is the dam being built on the Pascua section Reventezon.  By 2015 the section we paddled will be under water.  Hydro projects are a serious threat to many rivers in Costa Rica.  The projects have a direct effect on the local economies and basically shut a thriving tourism industry down.  No river, no jobs...  

 Part of the dam.

 Costa Rica is a guaranteed paddling adventure.  I can't wait to go back.

Here is a little video shot with the Go Pro  HD.  This was my first trip with the camera and I must say that I am impressed.  The camera is super easy to use, compact, and produces quality video.

Help Send Sarah to Costa Rica to represent the USA

If you want to help send Sarah to Costa Rica to represent the USA click here and donate in her name! http://web.me.com/usraftteamco/USRT/SUPPORT.html

any and all donations will be greatly appreciated!

check out the great article in the Steamboat Pilot here.

Hucking great weekend!

All I can say is that im still stoked from last weekend.  Saturday Big South with Sarah and Ashley, and Sunday Crystal Gorge with Brian Burger, Chris Menges, Sean Lee, Andy Blakesly, and Tom Janney.  

Here are some highlight photos!

Sarah running safety at double trouble.  Photo: Ashley Watts

Dan dropping in on Double Trouble. Photo: Ashley Watts

Super good feeling when you land it. Photo: Ashley Watts

Sunday I got to go do Crystal Gorge! Stoked!

Crystal!

 If your name is Danny something and you recognise this boat we found it; its right after the put in for the upper gorge on river right.  It it destroyed but you need to go get your stuff.  Photo: Dan Piano

Brian Burger in one of the typical rapids before you drop into the inner.  Photo: Dan Piano

Chris Menges looks on as Burger sends another super fun boof! Photo: Dan Piano

Sean Lee probing.  Photo: Dan Piano

Dan trying out the left line on Pine Tree. Photo: Brian Burger

Tom Janey post Pine Tree.  Photo: Dan Piano

Scouting Zute from the river right side looking back up the gorge. Photo: Dan Piano

River right scout on Zute looking into the inner. Photo: Dan Piano

We wanted some more beta so we rallied over to river right and scouted.  Check out the tunnel!  Photo: Dan Piano

Sean Lee probing Zute leading the charge into the depths of the Inner Crystal Gorge.  Photo: Dan Piano

Andy firing.  Photo: Dan Piano

Chris dropping Zute!  Photo: Dan Piano

Burger likes Zute!  Photo: Dan Piano

Sean Lee setting up to scout on river right.  Photo: Dan Piano

Blakeslee charging! Photo: Dan Piano

Tom Janey styling.  Photo: Dan Piano

Horizon line. Photo: Dan Piano

Burger boofing with the wall.  Photo: Dan Piano

Chris Menges showing the money line with style.  Photo: Dan Piano

Burger routting into the bottom set.  Photo: Dan Piano

Tom scouting Millers falls.  What you see here is pretty much the whole take out eddy.  Photo: Dan Piano

Top of Millers. Photo: Dan Piano

Yule Creek

Yule creek has been on the RCRE hit list for years and last weekend we got to fire it up.  First off, Marble CO is off the hook for boating.  The views are incredible and the geology is conducive to making sick waterfalls and slides.  What else do you want folks? 

Marble Colorado. Photo: Dan Piano

Dan and Burger getting ready to fire. Photo: Sarah Hamilton

We got to Yule around 2:00pm and began to assess the situation.   The flow on the Avalanche creek gauge was around 1000.   We had beta on wood in the upper drops so we decided to rope down and fire what has been haunting Brian and me for years; the bottom four.  

Lowering the boats (look closely).  Photo: Sarah Hamilton

Ball Check.  Photo: Dan Piano

Burger & Dan scoping ball to wall check.  Photo: Sarah Hamilton

Note! When you get down to creek level it looks a lot different than it does from up high.  Wall check drops out steep in the beginning and the massage is HUGE!

Dan on Wall Check.  Photo: SH

Burger about to connect with the wall! Photo: SH

Scouting Oriental Massage before the rain comes in.  Photo: SH

Oriental and Happy Ending from the bottom.  We are up in the top left scouting.  Photo:SH

Burger recovering and lining up happy ending.  Photo:SH

Dan on Oriental Massage(dot on top right)....it's freaking HUGE! Photo SH

Dropping in on oriental massage is one of the coolest feelings.  I ended up launching off the first big flake reconnecting and then airing the rest into the pool.  Sorry no vid, the camera was in my boat.

Dan lining up the ending.  Photo: SH

Leaving Marble looking back at the rainbow filled Yule drainage.  Photo: Dan Piano

New plastic finally got broken in.  Photo: Dan Piano

Sarah tearing up the Glenwood wave to finish the day off!  Photo: DP

Check out this short vid i put together.  

Yule Creek from Dan Piano on Vimeo.

Yule and the G-spot all in one day.. Awesome!