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Back to "Monthly Program History"
October 21,
2009
"Expedition Kayaking in California's High
Sierra's"
by Tim Kelton
Since the very first
expedition by Royal Robbins, Doug Tomkins, and Reg Lake in the early
80's, the major California Trans-Sierra rivers have proved to be one of
natures most challenging multi-day expedition kayaking environments in
the world. The Kings, Kern, and San Joaquin rivers have only had a
handful of attempts in almost 30 years since their discovery due to
their remoteness and challenging whitewater. To successfully run these
rivers requires the assembly of a solid expedition team with experience
in climbing, Class V+ kayaking, and pure physical strength. All
food, sleeping, and kayaking gear for up to a week must first be carried
up over the Eastern side of the High Sierra's; then we kayak down one of
the most continuous and difficult sections of river in the world.
Hmm......how hard could it be?
Tim started kayaking
during the summer of 2002. After a painful month of swimming down every
section of river attempted and going to the Los Alamos pool to learn the
basics, he progressed to a class IV boater in a quick few months (on a
scale of I to VI). Since then, he has spent almost every spare
weekend or evening running our local rivers and creeks on the Rio Grande
and its tributaries.
An
exhausting, but necessary part of the sport.
Tim has traveled to
California, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Washington,
West Virginia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and British
Columbia for the purpose of kayaking, adventure, and seeing the world
from inside the canyons of the rivers which few people ever get the
chance to see.
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