Blog

Nobody wants to be THAT person: you know – the chick who keeps ending up with a mouthful of foot, despite her best intentions. But most subcultures worth joining (like, say, whitewater paddling) come with webs of unspoken rules that are easy to get tangled up in.As someone who’s still shaking the wet from behind my ears in this community, I’ve had the opportunity to be a keen o …
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“Different strokes for different folks.” -Muhammad Ali My friends ran a river I really wanted to do. It’s class III/III+, with lots of technical moves required, and it has a pretty straightforward 20 foot-ish waterfall – perfect for challenging my current skill level, without being too intimidating. It’s also beautiful. The gang had a great time – I know because they pos …
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When I started paddling, I heard a lot about “working a river,” but I had no idea what it meant. (At that time, it was enough work just trying to stay upright.) Fortunately, there were plenty of more seasoned paddlers around who were happy to instruct me on what’s involved in the process. Now, in between challenging ourselves on harder rivers, my friends and I periodically have …
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I recently posted a trip report of my PFD on the Upper Nantahala. Here’s a video of some friends and me running one of the most fun rapids, Troll Hole, at Nantahala Outdoor Center’s Guest Appreciation Festival last weekend. Yes, it was easier this time! :) (Paddlers: Michael Neff, LC, Allison Ware, Pat Ross, Drew Bonham, Samantha Ruppelt, and Intervening Random Strangers.) …
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I love my paddling buddies more than – well, just about anything. Paddlers in general warm my heart, even if they’re just strangers passing by with boats on their car on the way to the river. They’re wonderful in so many ways – generous, free-spirited, courageous, irreverent, hilarious – much like Mary Poppins … “practically perfect in every way.” And then I read the …
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