Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Middle Kings expedition 2010:day 5 bottom 9
Middle Kings expedition 2010:day 4 the middle 4
After finishing our morning routines,we put back on to a different river.The river had dropped elevation so much that it had completely changed characteristics.It went from bedrock to continuous boulder gardens,and would remain so till the takeout.This is the middle 4 section,it's like the bottom 9,but smaller except the big bad beaver.Just above the beaver,Stookesbury and Korbulic passed us on their 1 day mission.I can't even imagine how this is possible.
Some of the rapids were huge and we were thinkin that we were in trouble if the bottom 9 is bigger than this.One person would lead until they were maxed out from running stuff blind,then the next person would see that look in their eyes and just pass by and take the lead.We were counting on each other and everyone stepped up to the plate.Tons of sick boofs and multi-move rapids just kept coming at us until we reached tehipite valley.

Tehipite is a yosemite-like dome that is absolutely amazing.It rises straight up out of the valley in dramatic fashion,and offers the last chance to hike out before the bottom 9.We pushed on as far as we could to the first drops of the bottom 9 before setting up camp.The views from camp of Tehipite were awe inspiring amongst the jungle-like terrain of the bottom 9.We ate 2 mountain houses each for dinner,and slept side by side on the only flat ground we could find.I couldn't imagine how the bottom 9 was going to be harder than what I had already been through,but I was about to find out.
Middle Kings expedition 2010:day 3 the gorge section
I woke up before daylight shivering for the 2nd consecutive night.I rebuilt the fire from the night before and curled up around it,knowing it would be a while before the sun would reach this deep canyon.The boys soon joined me beside the fire and we all agreed to wait for the sun to go kayaking.The day before had us much more mentally prepared for the biggest shit of our lives that was about to come,and when the sun finally hit the river,we put on and were right back in it again.
Right out of camp we entered into the sickest boulder garden sequence we had ever seen.10-12 drops with only one good pool and a few small eddies.Big holes and and sloping ledges led us around the corner only to find that the river was about to get steeper!
A short slide led pretty much straight into one of the largest runnable slides any of us had ever seen.I portaged,Mason swam after getting an aerial stern squirt into the right wall/pocket,and Wallace greased it like it was baby falls.
A few smaller drops led us to the top of the waterfall gorge.Wallace wanted it bad,so we set safety for him and watched as he crushed it.Hole by hole he worked his way to the exit 25'er and plugged her in nicely.

After waterfall gorge is a short portage with the option of putting back in for the raw dawg gorge or stayin on the trail till you are past raw dawg.We chose the latter and had lunch at the end of our portage.After some really good salami and rice tacos,we put back on and the river began to mellow out greatly as we entered Simpson meadows.The team was maxed out after all the HARD whitewater that morning,and we were happy to be covering ground quickly.After a few hours of the best flatwater I have ever paddled,we started to see rapids again and made the choice to camp at the next big scout due to exhaustion.A stout class 4 led us into a walled in pool and we could see the river beginning to pick up the pace downstream.We found a really nice camp spot on the river right cliff and did a little rope work to get all of our stuff up there.Teamwork is always in play on this trip,and setting up camp was no different.
We had reached the unknown,all the rapids we had seen in photos and video except the Beaver slide and a few bottom 9 drops were behind us,but we knew the river did not let up.We poured over the map trying to figure out where we were at,but were left with only a vague idea.This day had pushed us to the limit but we knew we had to keep our heads to the grindstone for what lay in store.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Middle Kings expedition 2010:day 2 the mank section
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Middle Kings 2010:setting the record straight
Bishop pass from south lake trailhead
Well,after almost a year of planning,we made it.Hundreds of phone calls,thousands of text and e-mail,Countless hours researching levels,snowpack and weather.I trained harder than ever before and the Middle Kings has consumed my every thought for months.
After a night in a Bishop hotel,we headed up to South Lake to pack and camp before we hiked in.The hike was brutal.No mules,no girlfriends,just 90 pounds of gear and 2 legs.There is no way it is only 12 miles,it has got to be in the teens somewhere.
It starts out uphill pretty much right away,but gets easier for a couple of miles before the pass.The pass is basically a 500-1000 foot cliff with a trail on the side of it,and is very difficult with a fully loaded boat. Although I was in great shape,the elevation kicked my ass anyway,and
just having that much weight on my back and shoulders for so long was harder than I ever thought.Lunch at the pass was a much needed break,but the lack of oxygen in the air made chewing and breathing at the same time pretty uncomfortable.
After topping out at the pass,we started heading into the long,mellow,mosquito-infested,never-ending push through Dusy Basin to the brink of LeConte Canyon.My goal of doing the hike in 8 hours or less was quickly becoming a fairy tale,and group morale had gotten pretty low.The Middle kings had already taken control.The stunning beauty of LeConte canyon is the only thing that keeps you from throwing your boat into the abyss,but we pushed on.
At the brink you feel like you are at the edge of the earth,and the sheer magnitude of the place is overwhelming.Looking down into the canyon,we could see the tree line long before we got to it, and we almost decided to camp and finish hiking the next morning,but the thought of waking up to more hiking first thing drove us on.Finally,after what seemed like miles of switchbacks,I could hear the river.I could smell a campfire burning,I knew a had finally made it to the Middle Kings.
Matt Wallace and Mason Robinson were not far behind me.We were all pretty beat down from the hike both physically and mentally,but it felt so good to be there!That night it got pretty cold,but my bivy-sac/45 degree sleeping bag combo did alright for the most part.With the hike behind us,it was time to rest up for next huge day,so we all passed out with anticipation levels at an all time high.
After a night in a Bishop hotel,we headed up to South Lake to pack and camp before we hiked in.The hike was brutal.No mules,no girlfriends,just 90 pounds of gear and 2 legs.There is no way it is only 12 miles,it has got to be in the teens somewhere.
It starts out uphill pretty much right away,but gets easier for a couple of miles before the pass.The pass is basically a 500-1000 foot cliff with a trail on the side of it,and is very difficult with a fully loaded boat. Although I was in great shape,the elevation kicked my ass anyway,and
just having that much weight on my back and shoulders for so long was harder than I ever thought.Lunch at the pass was a much needed break,but the lack of oxygen in the air made chewing and breathing at the same time pretty uncomfortable.
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