We have boats!

Good news! We just received a shipment of six 9.5 foot rafts that we are in the process of testing. If you remember, last spring we received a few boats that had major glue problems. We are happy to report that this batch does not have those problems! They hold together quite nicely and we've even taken them out for a few runs on the Gros Ventres (class IV) and Snake (class III) rivers in Jackson Hole. Over the next few weeks we'll have a few more trial runs and keep you posted on how they're doing. Hopefully we'll get some video and photos up.

Let us know if you're interested in one! If you'd like to take one for a test-drive, we're in Jackson, WY, for the summer and have plenty of rivers we would love to paddle with you :)

High water, tight creeks, and strainers

Two of my favorite things in the world are high water and tight creeks. Whether in a raft or kayak, there is rarely a better combination. Unfortunately, this can also be a recipe for strainers and log jams.

A few days ago, Nate Pfeifer posted a terrifying point-of-view video from Lavezolla Creek in California. Nate found himself pinned against a strainer in the middle of a steep drop. Fortunately, the River Gods smiled upon him and he was able to wiggle out. But sadly this isn't always the case.

POV - Strainer on Lavezzola from Nate Pfeifer on Vimeo.

The video is pretty terrifying but is an excellent reminder to us all to always be alert and ready for the "what-ifs." We're glad everything turned out well (Nate and his crew were all pretty quick to act).

I also think it's pretty cool that he caught this all on film and shared it with the world.

Team Big Water at Grey's River, Wyoming (with our 9.5 foot raft)

Lochsa Carnage

Anyone hittin up the Lochsa this May?

Snowboarding in the Utah Powder, Matt Carter

Winter River Ramblings

So it is that time of year again. Time to put away the paddle for a few months, and take out the snowboard, or skis (if your'e into that). When I was a teenager, I lived for this. I would sit on my parents couch (the same one they gave me for my apartment when I "grew up" and still use now) and watch the snow pile up on the mountains. I hit the mountain at least 60 days a year throughout high school. I thought I was going to be the next Jeremy Jones, snowboarding everyday, and never wanting to see the snow melt again.

Then something happened. The summer after I graduated high school, I took a job guiding some boats in Jackson, Wyoming. I had some friends talk me into it. I was pretty reluctant at first, but my first day on the river changed all that. I decided it was ok if the snow melting meant that we would have waves and eddies and current in the river. It was my new obsession. In just over a week, I had gone from being obsessed and addicted to snowboarding, to thinking about traveling to South America so I could get two summers in a row. Such is the power of the river.

There is only one problem. When I snowboard now, I only think about the river. If there is something flowing in February, I would rather hit that than a couple feet of our famous Utah powder (spoiled, I know). So I say to all you boaters out there, enjoy the dreams of endless whitewater, and try to enjoy the long winter. Hopefully you can make some trips to the warmer climates like Costa Rica to enjoy your paddling fix. If not, then at least do so in your dreams.

Let's get up-to-date

A couple months ago we received our first major shipment of boats to deliver to our customers. We were thrilled. The order contained boats of every size and was to be shipped out to river-rats around the country. We had worked for months to get everything arranged. Things were finally starting to look good.

We pulled out each of the boats and began our inspection process. They looked beautiful. Everything was right with the world. Arne even threw one of the boats in his truck and hand delivered it to a customer in Moab, Utah (really, he was just looking for an excuse to get down to the beautiful deserts of the Beehive State).

And then the unthinkable happened. Within a few days, we discovered a major defect in the product: the glue was bad. As soon as it got a bit of direct sunshine on there, it all came undone. No boat on that order was worthy to float. We were going to have to issue a massive refund.

And that's where we've been ever since: gathering the money to pay back our dear customers and friends. Fortunately, that task has now been accomplished (much to the demise of our personal bank accounts). We feel blessed to have had some extremely patient, understanding, and forgiving customers. Thank you to all those who were willing to stick it out with us. We know it took extreme patience and kindness on your part. You're amazing people.

As of now, we're still figuring out the kinks. We do not want to repeat this process. Our number one goal in this outfit is to provide QUALITY boats at a great price. But when that goal is compromised, we won't stand for it. So for now, until we get this figured out, we are not taking any new orders. We just can't stand the thought of sending someone down a creek on cruddy rubber.

We'll let you know when we're ready to go at it again. Thank you for your patience. Until next time, happy boating.

I aint no hipster (not that there's anything wrong with that)

Bryson here. So earlier this week I made a new purchase: a fixie road bike. Now, for those of you who might not know what a fixie is, it's a single speed bike without a freewheel- meaning it can't coast and the pedals are always in motion when the bicycle is moving. Kind of a bad idea when you live in the mountains of Utah seeing as you can't shift gears when you head up a 20% graded hill every morning like I do. Or even worse, when I come down that crazy steep hill my pedals turn way faster than my feet ever could and I have to kick my legs out like a "spread eagle" to avoid having them ripped off. But nonetheless, the bike was a great price and I needed a new ride.

So I've been proud of my new ride and have been enjoying it quite nicely. However, there is one side effect I didn't really anticipate: all my friends think I'm turning into a hipster (not that there's anything wrong with that). Hipsters are great and all, but I aint no hipster. My legs are just too long and skinny to look good in those tight pants. Not to mention I prefer my Chacos over Vans any day. But yet everyone "accuses" me of becoming hip (i am, after all, moving to New York City this fall- but that's another story).

No, my Friends, I am not a hipster (not that there's anything wrong with that). In fact, I have absolutely no style whatsoever. I just ride a fixie. And why should hipsters have a monopoly on fixies anyway? Why can't non-hipster folk like myself ride fixies too? Even if it is hugely impractical to ride a fixie in the Wasatch Mountains. Don't I have a right to be impractical?