Adrian Pougiales drops a sick edit with the RCRE Northwest Contingent

Trailer Park Life: Gorge Style from Adrian Pougiales on Vimeo.

The Pangatang strikes again!

Check out this recent video of Ryan Panger aka "the pangatang" firing up Metlako Falls.  This 86ft beast is large!
Metlako Falls from Russell Davies on Vimeo.

Yampa River Festival & Paddling Life Pro Open

OT Couch drops some NW bombz!

RCRE global affiliate Nick Hinds presents "A NW Taste". Check it out! Northwest boaters on various runs including Robe Canyon, Fall in the Wall, Eagle Creek, The Green Truss, Chelan Gorge, and the Ohane.

RCRE VOL. IV 2011 High Water Highlight Reel

RCRE Vol. IV dropping in with High Water Gore, Fish Creek, Charlie's hole, OBJ, Daisy, North Fork of the Little Wind, Pozo Azul, Reventazón, Chirripo Pacifico and much more. Enjoy the stoke!

BC

Last fall, Ben Hawthorne and I rallied from the Seattle/Tacoma area to the promised land: British Columbia. Over the course of three days we were able to paddle Tatlow creek twice and the Box Canyon of the Ashlu twice. I had the pleasure of meeting and paddling with Leif Embertson, Don and Darcy of Small World Adventures and also German paddlers Nils and Matti. Thanks to Nils and Don and Darcy for the photos! If you ever want to paddle in Ecuador, be sure to check out smallworldadventures.com

The rapids contained within the Box are awesome. They have a bigger water feel to them all the while being in a spectacular canyon.

Don and I scouting 50/50

Seamed out and about to go deep. Batting average: 0/1

Immediately below 50/50. Ben leading into the first sequence of drops.

Just up the road is Tatlow! The road is impassable once you come to a certain point, so it requires a bit of a hike, but it is well worth it!

Trying to find the path of least resistance down to the river.

Ahh yeah! Put in

First boof of the run

Another angle. Photo: Nils Dippon

2nd Drop. This one takes you soo deep!

Ben and I below the 25'er. You can really see how stacked Tatlow is from this perspective.

I think this one was called Lil Dave's. Nasty little pocket at bottom on r right

The in between rapid after Wall Drug, (sickest rapid ever) and right above the crux

The Nymph Pool! The idyllic take out.

Check out this video Fred put together of some of my gopro footage from these two classics as well as some Dipper footage!

Lower Fish Creek Video Guide

When things start to reach the out of control range on Upper Fish we look to the more manageable gradient of lower. Lower Fish is a blast! The following video contains some super high water footage. The flows were around 1600 to 1700 cfs aprox. 3.7 on the guage. Its a nonstop roller coaster ride from top to bottom! A good first time flow is in the 2.3 range. Always be heads up for wood in this section! Enjoy the video!

Lower Fish Creek Video Guide from Dan Piano on Vimeo.

Upper Fish Creek Video Guide

Fish Creek is the RCRE's training ground. It's where all the Steamboater's head after work for an adrenaline boost. Fish is a nonstop roller coaster ride from top to bottom. Individually the rapids are not super technical and their is no serious vert to drop but this creek teaches you to be a good boater. It's continuos nature makes your river reading sense on super amber alert causing the adrenalin to flow on a consistent basis. Swimming on Fish usually results with a banged up swimmer and destroyed equipment floating out into the Yampa. Other hazards on the creek include 2 weirs of which should be treated with respect especially the upper one. A few years back a local boater took a swim in the upper weir and almost drown. Another heads up about Fish is the wood. Each day can be different. As the water rises in the spring it takes all of the trees that have fallen in over the winter down with it causing a variety of exciting situations. Once Fish peaks and the water levels start to drop the wood situation seems to stabilize. So if your in the area and keen on boating Fish ask around for current wood issues.
Here is the first of 3 videos im going to make. This first video is intended to be a video guide top to bottom of upper , and the 2nd vid will be middle, and the third will be super high water lower. Enjoy!

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