Playboating is Lame

Well after getting pretty skunked on Saturday in Ithaca (even though we did get in a little first D of a small slide near Andy's Parents house), I headed back down to meet up with Uncle James and PP Twist to surf Inner City.  I got up at about 8 this morning and was looking at the weather outside as well as the levels and was pretty pumped.  It was about 60 degrees, and the Black was already around 12000 cfs, and on the rise.  I was about half way to our destination, when the wind really picked up.  Nearly being blown off the road about a dozen times, by the time I reached the river, the wind was just whipping.  The wave was pretty good, but it was damn cold.  It took about 10 rides for me to realize what an ass I was making of myself.  Wind gusts of about 60 mph, water temps right around freezing, and I was boating like crap.  In traditional fashion, I started bitching about conditions, when it occurred to me, playboating is pretty lame.  Cramming my fat ass into a tiny little boat, in the freezing cold, to try and throw some lame tricks just isn't doing it for me anymore.  Don't get me wrong, the worst of conditions will not detour me from creeking (please note the 1st annual Teeters Creek GS last Feburary).  I really enjoy that laid back, summer runs down the Black and then heading back up to 3 wave to screw around for the afternoon, but this is too much like work.

In a few months, you guys can make me eat my words when I am really jonesing to just get in anything that floats, and I am calling Uncle Jim to see if his bath tub will hold an Astro 54.  I guess I really just would have rather been creeking.  It didn't help that we got home and everything was off the hook.  If Uncle Jim is any kind of man, he will take a sick day tomorrow and we can go run something.  It looks like the Moose will be about 9ft.  That should be enough to remove the ice.

On a more positive note, Uncle Jim (is gay according to Wendy), but he gave me a very good idea today.  Starting January 1, 2009 I am going to try to post daily (the next available time for the days I have missed, and so on) as to what I did that day.  I probably wont amount to much, but it should be interesting.  Obviously I want to give people something worth while to read (by now you are thinking "No f*$!ing way", but I will try).

Cheers for now my loyal subjects,

LaFlair

Check Out this Giant

I took this guy on opening day at our camp down in Yates County.  11 scorable points, about 17" spread and weighed 155 lbs.  Needless to say, the season is going pretty well thus far.  It will be back to boating soon enough.

Cheers!

LaFlair

Intermission

Well ladies and gents, don't be surprised if you don't hear from me for a few weeks.  Anyone who knows me, knows that the big day is almost here.  Saturday is the opening day of deer hunting in the Southern zone.  Hopefully I will get the big one down early so I can get back to boating, as it looks like the weather is going to get wet around here.  With any luck I will have some pictures posted if i get one.  I have the whole week of Thanksgiving off, which should afford the opportunity for some hunting and some boating.  So wish me luck, because that only means we will have enough venny to feed the Spring/Summer tour!

Cheers!

LaFlair

Dry 'Dacks

John's and the Boquette were both pretty dry.  I was coming back from Albany today, and did a little scouting (still in my shirt and tie).  Most the snow is melted up there.  Looks like getting on John's Brook will wait till next year.  

Bummer.

LaFlair

A Trip to the South Grasse

A great weekend of boating was wrapped up by a run down the South Grasse.  Paul, Ron, Jim, Danny and I all put on this morning around 11, and the temp may have been near freezing by then (it was 14 degrees when we got up in Potsdam).  I had it in my head that I wanted to run Rainbow Falls, but in typical Sally fashion I walked it.  A wise man once said "Its better to wish you had run a rapid than to wish you hadn't."  About half way down the run, I saw an 8 point buck on the side of the river which was pretty cool.  In another first for me, on my second run on Twin Falls I had a pretty good line going until on the second to last bounce I got a huge shot out and boof.  I honestly though I was going to clear the lip in the air, but at the last second I felt the back of my boat hit, which sent my right over the handle bars.  It was pretty interesting, but I don't think there is any big drop that is more forgiving.  

After having run the South Grasse a few times now, I think my favorite rapid has to be the last big rapid (and I have no idea what the name of it is....Sinclair Falls I thought I heard once).  If you hit the line, you get to punch a hole, miss a rock, boof, land, run a slide, and smile for the camera.  I like it so much I think because it is not a real hard rapid, but a hard one to hit the line the way you want to.  Well, off to another week at the Jail....

Cheers,

LaFlair

West Branch of the Oswegatchie

Just got back to Potsdam after running the West Branch of the Oswegatchie with Danny and Uncle Jim.  First time for us, and it was pretty fun.  We all walked the 25' back breaker, but for the most part, ran all the woodless drops.  The level was around 1200 cfs, and I would have liked it with more water.  But the run was pretty great.  One really fun slide.  A ton of flat water and wood.  But it's always fun to get in a new run.  Well we already had some drinks at Cantina's and its time for another.  After all, it wouldn't be a South Grasse run without a hangover!

LaFlair

Snow!!! And Melting!!!

Monday night and Tuesday brought us our first snow of the season.  We got about 6" on the ground here in Potsdam.  It made the hunting during the week pretty good, and it is supposed to get up to about 50 here today, which will send things off this weekend.  I took today off to get a last hunt in on the snow, but tomorrow it is right to boating.  I think the plan is for either the South Grasse or Section III of the Oswegatchie.  Needless to say, the excitement is building...

LaFlair

Independence/Oswegatchie

After sitting on the couch all day Saturday recovering from the wicked flu I caught from Moosefest, I couldn't stand this apartment anymore and had to get out and paddle.  It didn't help that I was getting calls from Danny and Jim all day telling me how much fun they were having with some sketchy people on the Moose.  Anyways, I got in the car and headed down towards Lowville.  After checking out some of the options we had, we decided to get a lap in on the Independence.  I would guess that the level was around 700 cfs, which was pretty good.  I forget how fun that first upper stretch of class III stuff is.  And the slide was really fun.  If you see Uncle Jim, be sure to ask him who the only one to catch the middle line!!!

After we got off (thats what she said), with some careful persuasion of Jim and Ron, we decided to go up and get another crack at Section IV of the Oswegatchie (Out-to get-me).  And yes, it did get me.  We were at the bottom of the first rapid when I noticed that it was a little cool in my boat.  I developed a crack in the hull of my boat about 6" long.  I was pretty upset about loosing a good friend, but we continued on, not really having much choice.  Other than having to empty my boat like every 5 minutes, the run went pretty well.  Apparently, I got a pretty cool launch off Panther Falls (aka "The Juice" or "The Cure for Cancer").  It was a really fun day, and I can't wait to get back there to run Section III.

LaFlair

My Match(s) with Magilla

Let me just say right off that this rapid still scares the shit out of me.

But on Sunday of Moosefest '08, I finally got one back.


As they say for the Monster Truck Rally....Sunday! Sunday! Sunday!

My first run occurred about a year ago. Lets just say I got right and never recovered. I was subbed out when I rolled the lip, and was whited out till I landed. I flipped, rolled up beyond the walls, was missing and elbow pad and my dignity.

After watching some really great runs since, I decided to give it a go on Saturday of Moosefest (not my least hungover day on the river). I was giving it a really good go, and actually thought I had killed the line as I was much further left of my previous decent. But right as I reached the rolling lip, my boat caught the worlds smallest eddy, and started spinning my boat. It literally spun my boat at the lip, and continued to until I was completely backwards upon landing. I flipped but was not hurt, nor did i really hit anything. Again, a little piece of me died.

(Saturday's Line)

And then their was Sunday. By this point, I was so juiced up to run it that I really don't remember much other than spotting my landing and thinking "this was almost better when I wasn't able to see where I was landing". I wouldn't say it was the best line I have ever seen there, but it sure pumped me up. The rest of Team SPED had an awesome weekend on the rapid. I can't wait to go back and do it again!

Cheers!
LaFlair

Why the Change?

Well as anyone who has read this crap more than once knows, not much has been happening with RBD Productions as of late. While Team Special Ed has continued a commitment to video boating, I myself have found it harder and harder to find time to get on the water. Anyone who knows me, knows not only work, but my various other outdoor afflictions (snowboarding, hunting, fishing, hiking, my new harley-davidson, etc.) have been pulling me way from the water. But after a few really solid weekends this fall, I have "renewed" my obsession with white water.

However, as the work hours increase and I find it harder and harder to get on the water, I find it more enjoyable to leave the camera in the car and keep a good pace on the water. While obviously this would result in a less than visually stimulating blog, I will continue to try and keep the cameras rolling, as well as rely on my SPED friends for footage and stills.

RBD Productions was brought about on the idea that I wanted to convey what white water kayaking was to me. And though I have yet to put out a full length "feature" film as I had always hoped, I think reshaping my thoughts towards my current lifestyle may revitalize my ambitions. So keep checking in, as I plan to document my travels here...

LaFlair