Patrick’s Creek: Perfect Intro to Creeks

Length: 3.2 miles

Average Gradient: 134’/mi

Class: 3/4

Paddlers: Team Sundance Lori & J.R.

Located in Northern California, Patricks Creek is a tributary of the ever so amazing, Smith River. Known as a great intro to creeks, this run has easy logistics and road side scouting from top to bottom. The biggest hazard on the run is the willow corridors that can get walled out. But, since it’s easy to scout from the road, you can choose your line wisely in advance!

(Looking upstream at the put-in)

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The put-in was at the confluence of Shelly Creek. It was a nice big eddy where we could warm up with some paddle strokes and ferry’s before heading downstream. Once we peeled out of the eddy, it was game on! We made our way down stream, eddy hopping to ensure clean lines. This was a great practice for catching smaller micro eddies that can be easily overlooked on bigger volume rivers. The rapids were all pretty straight forward but, seeing as it was a fairly continuous run, it’s wise to stay alert and keep an eye out for wood.

(Taking the left line away from the wood)



(Eddy hopping my way downstream)




(Looking downstream at a log - easily avoided by running far left or far right)



(Running one of the many fun rapids)

After many fun boofs, punching holes and big waves, we arrived at the confluence of the Middle Fork of the Smith River. We continued downstream for another 7 miles on the Patrick’s Creek section of the Middle Fork of the Smith River to the take out at Panther Flat. This Class 3+ section with one Class 4 (Highway Rapid) is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. From low volume creeking to big water fun, this section has it all! I can’t wait to paddle Patrick’s Creek again!



(Confluence of the Smith River)

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(Entrance to Highway Rapid - Middle Fork of the Smith River)

The best gauge to check is the Smith River – At Jedediah Smith. We put on at 15,000 cfs on the Smith gauge which is a good medium flow for Patrick’s Creek. For a complete guide on the Smith River drainage, purchase a copy of Whitewater of the Smith Watershed: A Guide to Whitewater Recreation on the Smith River. Another great reference is www.northcoastrivers.com because it shows current and projected flows so you can plan accordingly. This run comes in for only a couple days at a time during the rainy season so be prepared to get it while it’s there!

New Jobs in 2012

Well, it was kayaking that brought me to the Pacific Northwest and it's that same passion that has inspired me to try something new once again...



(Me rowing through the Grand Canyon! Photo: Ryan Saevitz)

After spending 23 days on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon back in November, I fell in love with multi-day river trips. This winter I decided it was time to get out from behind the desk and become more hands on with the rafting and kayaking industry. I applied for a raft guide position at NW Rafting Company & Sundance Kayak School and got the job! So this upcoming summer I'll be spending on the Rogue River by Grants Pass in southern Oregon. (The gigantic Redwoods are only 2 hours away!) NW Rafting Company provide incredible 4-day rafting trips and Sundance Kayak School offers 6-8 day kayak trips. Yes, many of my summer nights will be spent sleeping riverside under the stars! I can't wait. Until the summer arrives I'm spending my time sharing something I love... kayaking! In addition to being a raft guide I get to spread the word about the new face of Sundance Kayak School: Heart Kayaking!



Another opportunity came my way this winter which means I'm not 100% out from behind the desk. But, working from wherever Wi-Fi is available, it's a sweet desk! I now work part-time as an office assistant for Sierra Rescue! They are an amazing company that provides Swiftwater Rescue Training, Technical Ropes Training and Wilderness First Responders throughout California, parts of Arizona and more. In the future I can work towards gaining more certifications and maybe someday step into the teaching realm. I will have my Wilderness First Responder certification in May of this year!

But, it's not all happy news. Just like leaving Minnesota, a place I love, I now have to leave the place I've called home for 2 years. I was lucky enough to have an awesome job at a great company, Wet Planet Rafting & Kayak School. A highlight from my last season was getting to grow their kid's kayak program including teaching 2 kid's kayak camps! Not to mention the sweet guide camp I've lived in for the last 2 summers. I will miss hearing the White Salmon River when I fall asleep at night and waking up early to paddle it everyday before work. Some people - not to mention any names (Cat, Nicki, Aleson) - may be glad I'm leaving because they think they can get out of dawn patrols. They're wrong! I will make sure dawn patrols on the White Salmon continue one way or another...


(Norman - the guy I'm going to miss the most!)

THANK YOU to all of my friends in the Gorge for the many amazing adventures. Mt. Hood & Mt. Adams, please don't change - you're impressive and will be missed!

Fall Adventure: North Carolina/West Virgina

In October I went on a whitewater road trip with two of my favorite friends, Nicki and Norman. Our destinations included Asheville, NC and the Gauley River in West Virgina. Here are a few of the highlights:




Drew Austell, host extraordinaire, kept us well entertained during our stay including giving us full reign of his man cave. Never before have I used a dawn simulator for an alarm clock but trust me, it was much needed! Here are a few other highlights:

Hanging like monkey's in the giant Maple tree and creating leaf angels.


Exploring new waterfalls, waiting for more rain and beer tasting after playing on the Nolichucky.



Hiking up Max Patch to overlook the Great Smokey Mountains in full color. Squishing 3 kayakers, 2 dogs, gear and camping equipment into Nicki's little Honda... oh yeah, and adding 4 kayaks on top!

Next Stop... West Virgina.



Kayaking the New River Gorge... one of the oldest rivers in the world! With house-sized boulders, our kayaks look like little specs of color. Rafting the Upper Gauley with my Washington crew. :)

To sum it up, fall on the east coast was a colorful trip filled with rivers and good friends. I can't wait to return!!

Change of Seasons

One of the greatest things about the seasonal world… wait a minute… some of you may not know what “seasonal” means. Yes, it’s the change in Mother Nature from spring, summer, winter, and fall but for some of us it’s also a change in our life as we know it. As the seasons change, so do our paths. I was quite taken back by the whole concept of having a seasonal job. When I moved to the Pacific Northwest and accepted a seasonal position at Wet Planet I was excited and nervous. My family and friends thought I was “crazy” for leaving a job and the life I knew to work for a few months in this far away place. But then, what started as a seasonal position turned into year round job. Whew… something I knew, working in one place for an extended amount of time. What a relief! But now, after working year-round in the seasonal industry, I’m ready to throw my life to fate once again and take a chance. I left what I know and love, my job and life in the Columbia River Gorge. Scary… or is it? The only reason I found this incredible job and place is because I took a chance, now it’s time to do it again.

I officially left Wet Planet and the Columbia River Gorge on September 20^th. My future is slightly unknown but I do have a “plan”. I will be in Southern Oregon/Northern California until the beginning of October. Then I’m flying to Denver, Colorado to meet my good friend Nicki to go kayaking on the East coast. Our destinations include Asheville, North Carolina to meet a few other friends and the infamous Gauley River. After a couple weeks exploring new rivers (well, new to us at least) I’m heading back to Northern California. I will spend the last couple weeks of October planning for my big adventure… the Grand Canyon. Launching into the canyon on November 2^nd, this will be an epic adventure. After 3 weeks of mind blowing scenery I will return to civilization on Thanksgiving Day, November 24^th. After this I’m not sure where I will end up. My mother insists I’ll be on her purple couch for Christmas Day. I guess we’ll have to see if that’s what will happen...

If you ever have a chance to take a seasonal position, especially in the outdoor industry, I would highly recommend it. You’re constantly surrounded with new ideas and opportunities to enrich your life. I now have a new appreciation for the change of seasons.

Life on Crutches

Life on crutches has proven to have its ups & downs. The easy part is seeing all the negatives so I’ve been challenging myself to focus on the positives.



You get a wheelchair when you tour a museum. Who likes to stand that whole time anyway?





My sister got stuck in a snow bank up to her hip. All she could say was,"LORI! Give me your crutch NOW I can't get out." See... there's perks to carrying these things around. :)





Hiking becomes more of an upper body workout. Even though I can't go as far, I can still get out there. The furthest I've hiked was 1/2 mile before taking a break. It felt like forever.





My leg gets it's own chair for wine tasting!


I've watched my body progress a lot over the last 2 months. Slowly but surely the signs of healing are getting easier and easier to see. Recently I started to drive my car with my left foot. After 50 days of relying on others, it felt good to have the freedom and independence to drive myself. Other signs of progress include going to the grocery store alone & sleeping without a boot on my leg. Talk about appreciating the simple things in life!

June 7th is my next appointment when the x-ray will show if I'm ready to start putting weight on my leg again. Hopefully everything will go well and I can start the next stage in recovery - rebuilding strength. I made the mistake of trying to sit in my kayak this week. The only reason it was a mistake is because my boot fits and I'm getting anxious to get out on the water again.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me through this challenging time. For those of you said you'd paddle with me, be prepared, it won't be long now... I might not be able to carry it to the river but I will be able to paddle it :)