First Impressions, by Conner Madigan

So far we have shredded some hesh moves, crushed the gnar, and eaten a lot of food. We have some great times, and I have learned a massive ton.

1) Eat lots of food
2) Drink lots of water
3) Have patience when combat rolling
4) How to combat roll
5) The value of a shower
6) Lots of other stuff

It has been interesting to go face first into this new fangled sport known as kayaking. Swallowing water, getting accustomed to being upside down, and the concept of plowing into a force of water that is twice your size are things that take some getting used to. While were were taking breaks from shredding or being shredded, depending on your skill level, we have been doing work, coordinating logistics, and planning for future days. The task of planning and leading individual days has been interesting. Wearing the leadership pants requires a lot of things… you have to be able to keep track of everyone, all of the gear, the schedule, and Pebbles. It requires thinking and responsibility. So far the trip has been great and it will be really fun to see how the rest of it shakes out.

Clear Creek, by Robert Lapeyre

So far, in my opinion, there has not been a part of F.L.O.W. that has not been fun. We have paddled almost 10 different river stretches so far and they have all been awesome. With each river being different from the others in many different ways, my personal favorite would be Clear Creek. This creek, one of the most technical stretches we have paddled, was incredible. Between the clear blue, refreshing water and the powerful rapids, it could not have been any more fun.

The first couple days of this trip were sort of relaxing in the sense that we did not have to make any big decisions. That quickly changed when we started having leaders of the day. It is starting to feel like Kristin, Sean, and Katie are campers and it is up to us to decide what we are going to do. Going into my first day of being the leader, I definitely underestimated the difficulty and soon realized Sean and Kristin do not have an easy job!

Zoe’s Blog Entry 6.28.2009

Wow, I can’t believe it’s already been 10 days! So much has happened… and the days are so jam-packed with things to do that it’s really difficult to just find time to think about it all.

I’ve been having a great time learning the ropes—be it with cooking, packing things (so that everything fits), or kayaking. The other kids are really supportive and I think we’ve finally reached the point where we’re functioning as a single unit (today is the first day where we’re on time). Hahaha.

The rivers and rapids have been awesome. Some of the rapids we’ve kayaked/rafted are “The Barking Dog,” “Satan’s Cesspool,” “The Hospital Bar,” and “Meat Grinder,’ to name just a few.

I’m really looking forward to the artificial course in Reno, the food shopping day in Boise, kayaking the Payette, and gaining further strength on various virtues in order to become a better leader.

PS: I got an AWESOME sweater at that yard sale in Happy Camp, CA. :D

Zoe Mroz

Quick update- On our way to Reno

Hello! Sorry we haven't gotten too many posts lately... North Cali was pretty wifi remote. But, we just styled the Upper South Fork American today, and are heading to the Reno Whitewater Park, this afternoon. All the students are a lot of fun and are really growing as leaders. They are paddling well, treating each other well, and generally remind us why we run this non profit. Tomorrow we'll be in Boise (briefly) to restock with food, where the students will be making their menus. Then it's up to the Payette for a few days, then the Snake. So far, the river miles are adding up! We'll get more students to post tomorrow, and for those of you that are worried about it... almost all of them found some treasure at the garage sale in Happy Camp. Ellie was the one who ended up with the pink ski jacket, but there were some awesome finds!

More later, Sean

"Blast Off"

This trip has been phenominal so far; we have a great group of kids and the rivers are gorgeous and fun. I'm having a great time learning how to do tricks and different types of rolls. Every kid in the group is extremelly talented and has the ability to shar and teach their knowledge to everyone else. Just the other day I went creek boating- the water was so clear I could see all the way to the bottom.

Currently we are in Northern California paddling rivers like the Klamath and teh Cal-Salmon. Bigfoot is a big topic of conversation up here in the woods; today we spent time in a town called Happy Camp which has a huge statue of Bigfoot. There are eleven people total on this trip and everyone is extremely friendly and funny which makes it really hard not to have a good time. The food has been great, and I'm learning a lot, and I'm having so much fun.

P.S. Today I got a rad ski jacket from a yard sale. Its cropped, 3 quarter sleeves, and hot pink!

- Ellie George

Greetings from Boise!

I am excited to have the chance to get to post this first blog of the F.L.O.W. 2009 trip. My name is Katie, and in addition to working this trip, I also serve on the Advisory Committee and went to Mexico this winter with Alzar. I’ve been all over the world the past few years, but most recently have settled in Colorado, teaching and leading trips. Sean, Kristin, and I are also joined by Claudio, the fourth instructor. Claudio is from Chile and leads trips through South America and here in the U.S. He joined Alzar in Chile in 2007. In addition to being a very talented kayaker, Claudio is an enthusiastic leader and instructor, and I’m thrilled to get to work with him these next few weeks.

This week has been full of final preparations for the trip, including solidifying permits, putting together Alzar’s new raft (which we’re very excited to have), going on some scouting paddling trips, and much more. We’re all very excited to have the students arrive today and get the trip started. Tomorrow we’ll head out on our drive to California, where we’ll spend the first half of the trip. After paddling there, we will return to Idaho to paddle here for the remaining time of the trip. Personally, I am very excited about the rivers we’ll be paddling. I love having the chance to return to the scenic and big water of Idaho, but I’ll also be exploring for the first time, like the students, the rivers of northern California, which should be a wonderful experience.

This is Alzar’s fullest trip, with seven students. Coming from around the U.S. and here in Idaho, they bring a dynamic range of personality and talents that collectively will aid in the development of both technical and leadership skills for all. Welcome to Connor, Connor, Michael, Zoe, Jeffrey, Ellie, and Robert! You will have the chance to hear from them throughout the trip, as they document what we’re up to and all of our adventures.

Pebbles (Sean and Kristin’s dog who has been keeping me great company while I write this) has put down her toy and is looking up, as if to encourage me to wrap up so we can wait for the students. She is equally excited for the trip. Until the next posting, I hope you all get outside and enjoy the beautiful summer weather!