120 Kids, 2 Whitewater Events, and Tons of FUN

The Camp Cup Challenge 2011 was a huge success! Young people from across the U.S. and a few international youth attend summer camp in North Carolina every year. We invite camps to bring their whitewater-loving youth to a two day event on the Nantahala River. Day one is a training day, followed by delicious ice cream (Thank You Endless River Adventures). Day two, campers participate in two events, a downriver and slalom race, in their craft(s) of choice.

There were lots of big smiles, clean lines, and really impressive paddling. For many campers this was their first time at the Camp Cup, and I think they had a blast. We had a few participants who have attended the event four years in a row.

I interviewed a number of participants about their favorite part of the event, and the most common response was, "It's really fun to meet so many people my age who love to paddle." This is really what the event is about. Sure, the race day is a ton of fun, they get to challenge their skills and eat pizza (thank you Nantahala Outdoor Center), but really its a great way for young people to realize that there are a whole slew of people out there just like them who love to play outside, in whitewater.

A BIG thank you to all the camps and companies who made this event happen. Camps included: Falling Creek, Wayfarer, Merrie Woode, High Rocks, Illahee, Chosatonga/Kahdalea, Green Cove, and Mondamin. Thank you to the American Canoe Association for sponsoring the event, the NOC for hosting and pizza, ERA for providing coaching, volunteers, and support. WRSI provided a helmet for the raffle, and World Kayak for swag.

For more on this year's event, check out:

• Facebook photos: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150237162742623.313111.41092297622&l=241be89e27
• Endless River Adventures Blog: http://www.endlessriveradventures.com/kidskayakingblog/?p=442
• NOC Blog: http://nantahalaoutdoorcenter.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-post.html

We want you downstream for safety

“Alright, rafters, you guys are going first. We want you downstream for safety.” The order was coming from the very top: our leaders of the day. Sitting in this eddy on the Cabarton Section of the NF Payette, I couldn’t help but feel a touch nervous. Forty yards downstream was a horizon line where the river dropped completely out of sight into Howard’s Plunge. A small crowd of spectators were picnicking on the rocks overlooking this class III drop, reminding us that the day before dozens of rafts had dropped the plunge with only half coming through upright.

“But what about us?” I thought. What if we flip? Who would be our safety? I guess somebody had to go first and we were the ones. My challenge here wasn’t to lead us through a successful line, but to put years of commercial guiding experience away. I had to act as a paddler and do exactly what Sam Nelson, Alzar student and raft guide-in-training, asked of me. And we peeled out of the eddy.

“All forward!” yelled Sam and the paddle crew cranked into action. From above, we couldn’t see anything of the rapid except the pool 15 feet below us. We had scouted the drop from the road six hours before-hand and knew that running the right side of the river would be a guaranteed flip and likely an introduction to whatever lies on the bottom of the river. Too far to the left and we might end up in a surging eddy along the left bank with no easy way out.

As we crept to the lip, the whole rapid opened up before our eyes. Sam gave a loud “Ohhhh yeahhh!” and confirmed what I thought: we were right on line. The next seconds were a whirlwind as we accelerated down a ramp and the entire raft disappeared beneath crashing waves. A diagonal wave nearly swept several paddlers overboard, but everyone held on. The raft resurfaced further left than planned, and we started drifting towards a cliff wall.

I knew the boat would flip off the wall if we didn’t do something about it, and I couldn’t hold back any longer. “High Side!!!! Get Left!!!! came belting out of my mouth and everyone responded immediately. All five warm bodies in the boat bolted to hold the downstream tube down and keep the boat upright. Moments later, we bounced around the corner into the pool below. It was all smiles in the raft as we watched each kayaker drop in behind us and assisted as needed. Many private rafts came through with more crowd-pleasing runs: swimmers, lost gear and flips. I guess the students have learned a thing or two on this trip. Everyone’s whitewater skills truly showed that day on the beautiful Payette River.

by Dan Thurber, Alzar School instructor

Too fast and too furious.

Well, it was a fast three weeks. I can't believe it is already over. Our last day of kayaking was bittersweet. Living in Georgia most of the year, I really enjoyed being back on western rivers. Our last two students left for the airport, and we are just putting away the last of the gear. I came in to get out of the heat for a bit. Last night Sean had everyone write their highlight of the trip on a strip of paper and put it in a hat. Each person chose one and guessed who wrote the highlight. It was amazing to think back on all that we have accomplished these last three weeks. One of the big highlights was Clear Creek, one of our most remote river runs in California. The water was crystal clear and the walls of the gorge were steep and stunning.













The group also really enjoyed the adventure hike with River Ranger Dave. Dave was quite a character, Sam Goff, one of the other instructors, described the experience as "following Gandolf up the mountain!"












Another big highlight for the students was paddling Howard's Plunge. I had the best view of the students, I climbed up on the bank to take pictures, so I got to see all of their faces as they dropped into the plunge.

























Kelly's Whitewater Park, in Cascade Idaho, was another highlight. Below is Mac Ward pulling off a sweet ender! 13 on the GRI!












I really enjoyed the entire trip, although I have paddled for years out west, I have never paddled in California or on the western side of Idaho. I enjoyed experiencing these rivers for the first time with many of the students.

Thanks for a great trip!

Kat Edmonds

Entry by Sam N.

On 6-22 the entire group of kayakers traveled to a beautiful canyon.  In this  canyon was a tiny but spectacular creek called Clear Creek.  The water actually was extremely clear and really cold.  While floating down this beautiful, clear, cold creek, we had wildlife sighting and exciting rapids.  Through the course of the run, I did the first half in the raft and the second half in kayak.  Both were awesome because of the stunning beauty of the gorge.  Steep rock walls and trees above; that is what the sides of the creek consisted of.  With these rock walls, it made it difficult to take the raft from the road to the creek.  It involved a team of about 6 people and some communication.  We made it down this rough steep trail then had to turn around and walk right back up to get our other gear.  Even with the short steep hike, this section of water has been my favorite so far.  After many jokes about how to say creek and of course paddling, the day on Clear 
Creek was a success.

An hour off the clock, by Sam Goff

The daily student leaders allowed instructors Sam Goff and Dan Thurber to run the notorious Nordheimer class iv/v stretch on the Cal Salmon.  The duo set out early, charging tight classic pool drop lines.  This boating style is a far cry from the big wave constant action provided by the NF Payette yet still it's very challenging.

The most memorable rapids were Cascade and Freight Train.  Cascade provided two routes, an 8 foot boof into challenging soft water, and a chute along a left side wall.  The kayakers decided on separate lines.  After the rapid, boof proved to be the better choice by Dan as he landed tail first and eased out of the eddy while Sam bombed the left chute.  The chute flipped him at the crux, slamming his tail into the wall.  A quick roll allowed the instructor to elude the pour over hole, yet the corner of the hole flipped him again.  He mustered another roll and the rapid was over with Dan all smiles and Sam breathing hard, working to gain composure.  

Freight Train was the final and hardest rapid.  It was scouted by the duo.  Both chose the same line and styled the crux barely getting their hair wet.  

We appreciate the students' flexibility in allowing us to keep our skills sharp.

Ranger Danger Dave's Hike by Serena

As a start, I'd just like to say hello to the outside world!  I hope all of you reading this are well, especially since I haven't talked to any of you recently.

But, I'd like to blog about what I at least think was the coolest day on the trip so far.  It was three days ago, on the 24th and it was a bit of a change of plans.  Originally, we were supposed to drive to our next campsite and then spend the rest of the day paddling a section on the Cal Salmon river.  But a local ranger asked us the night before if it would be at all possible if we could stay an extra day on the Klamath River and help pull invasive weeds called scotch broom.  In return, he'd take us on an "adventure hike" to a waterfall swimming hole.  As a group we took a vote and it was pretty unanimous to spend an extra day with "Ranger Danger Dave."

The ride down was fairly uneventful.  There were a few swimmers but we all made it to the beach where we were going to pull scotch broom.  A lot of the guys in particular got really excited when Ranger Danger Dave brought out the "extractors" for pulling the big bushes whole root system up. It was hot and tiring but we made a pretty big dent in the forest of scotch broom.

We continued down the river to another beach just before a creek.  We all got out ready for our hike, but Sean made us all go back to our boats to grab our PFDs and helmets.  There was a bit of complaining because we didn't want to wear them on a hike, but by the end we were all glad we had them.  

Now I've been on some pretty cool hikes, I have bushwhacked the forests in McCall, I've hiked Glacier National Park, and if anyone ever goes down to Arches NP the Fiery Furnace hike is amazing.  But this had to be the most amazing hike I have ever done.  The first major obstacle was crossing the fast flowing Ukononum Creek.  In fact, it was going so fast that Dave had to get an impromptu wilderness survival creek crossing lesson.  We literally had to team up in groups of three, holding onto each other and slowly walk around as one of us was the anchor.  There were some close calls on slippery rocks and a lot of adrenaline but the hike had only begun.

Next we walked along a hillside of loose pebbles.  Mini rockslides were caused by each step and our guide Ranger Dave even had to pause for five minutes so a larger rock slide would settle and even after it did, only one of us could cross this section at a time.

Then we entered this canyon, sometimes with the walls so steep we had to get in the water and wade upstream before climbing back up the slippery rock.

The scariest part, though, was when we once again needed to cross the creek, but by this time it was moving so fast that even mountain man Ranger Dave was nearly swept off his feet.  I thought the leaders were going to call the hike off at this point, but I was shocked.  They sent one instructor across in his kayak and tied a rope across the river on two trees.  We all grabbed the rope and held on for dear life as we crossed the current, some with better success.  I know some were over taken by the current and had to stop just to calm down and catch their breath before continuing.  Some marched their way across while others just went super fast and got momentum to do some of it for them.  Getting everyone across while others one at a time took a long time and by now we were behind schedule.  But to make matters worse, as we were cheering everyone on, no one noticed where Ranger Dave went.  In our attempt to find him on the slight trail, we took a lot of wrong turns, had some communication errors, and wasted even more time.  We finally lost the trail for good at an amazon looking waterfall, which happened to not be the one we were looking for.  We regrouped, took some Alzar group photos and Ranger Dave finally came back to find us.  It was at this point the leaders called the hike over because we still had to get back to our boats, boat down the river, drive to our new site, set up, and make dinner.

We never made it to the waterfall, but this hike was a perfect example of the journey being so much better than the destination.  It was an adventure and we even saw a different waterfall.  And even though I was really disappointed that we turned around, I will always imagine the waterfall.  And I can always hope to go back and do the hike again.

Ranger Danger Dave by Burke

On the 24th of June the Alzar School spent the day with river ranger "Danger" Dave.  We started with some paddling and service work, pulling scotch broom, an invasive species.  After that we were rewarded with an amazing hike to a secluded waterfall.  Now I've done some hiking in my day, and I'm not the biggest fan.  But this hike was awesome!  We crossed a creek three times, and one of them we had to set up a safety line across the river to hold onto because the current was so strong.  At one point, part of the group got sidetracked and climbed up a rock face and some rocks fell but no one was hurt.  Then, when the whole group caught up and reorganized we realized we had lost Ranger Dave.  After we took a few pictures at a beautiful smaller waterfall, Dave came back and showed us the way to the main falls, but it was getting late and so we turned around and made our way home.  So, no we did not make it to our destination, but we still had an amazing day with Dave.

Elena's thoughts on FLOW

Paddling every day has been super cool and I am getting a lot better.  I've already had two pretty good tries at a combat roll and my eddy turns and peel outs are improving.  We have been to some incredibly beautiful places, especially Clear Creek.  And, the photos I've been taking with my silly little disposable camera hardly do justice to any of the fantastic views.  

The swims I've been having have been mostly uneventful and more tedious than anything else.  Although, I did freak out a bit when I stayed in a hole longer than I was comfortable with.

Other people are missing cell phone service and high speed Internet.  I find myself desperate for running hot water and my mother's cooking.  The parade of meat, cheese, and grain is understandable on an extended trip but I am afraid some of the upcoming meals planned by the students will not be very balanced.  Maybe if I get done early shopping for my meals I can buy a bottle of vitamins and zucchini.  Even being leader of the day doesn't mean you can stop people from planning a dinner entirely of ramen noodles and peanut butter.

A cold day on the water by Adam

It was only the second day of the trip when we paddled the Cabarton section of the Payette River.  We were told the water would be very, very cold, but little did we know that it would also be raining.  After performing my first roll in the water, my whole upper body instantly went numb.  At first I thought it was going to be a long, miserable day, but when I began to notice the intensity of the rapids my mindset changed.  I completely forgot about how cold the water was and spent the rest of my day enjoying the awesome rapids. At the end of the day, instead of looking back on a cold, miserable day, I looked back on a great day that marked the beginning of an amazing trip.

Chaco tans and cornbread pans by Joe

Every day starts almost the same.  Wake up too hot, step outside and it's too cold.  My nose is too stuffy to breath through.  I stumble through the morning twilight to the horrid smelling portapotty.  I then try to help the cooking crew with any last minute preparations.  As I eat, I wait for my allergy pills to take effect.  This is my ideal situation.

Currently I am sitting on a grassy hill with a large flat rock on my lap as a table.  I love camping.   I do miss my family and friends.  As I sit here and think about my trip highlights I have realized that a major component is injuries.  Everyone has a myriad of bruises and cuts.  It seems like half of my shins are scabs or scrapes.  I don't bruise easily but I have a dollar coin sized blackspot on my left knee.  I haven't had one in years.  I have suffered multiple forearm lacerations from brush.  I am not nearly as bad as some others.  Some of the girls are black and blue all up and down their legs. 

We all wear our battle wounds with pride, hoping we have the most impressive wounds.

Methodist Creek by Gordy

After a little later than expected lunch, the more experienced paddlers decided to go to the South Fork of the Salmon River.  After arriving at the put in, our fearless leader of the day, Katie, decided to take charge.  We quickly unloaded our boats and waited for shuttle.  After our instructors Sean and Dan arrived, we finally got to have some fun. 

Katie did a great job leading everyone down the river.  She showed everyone the best possible line to take, although sometimes this meant she wasn't able to watch where she was going.  After getting to run some great rapids, without anyone swimming, I have to say it was a great run.

Location: Clear Creek, CA by Bailey

The roar of an upcoming rapid fills my ears.  I focus on direct strokes as the blade of my paddle cuts through crystal clear water.  The sweet aroma of danger, the great outdoors, and freedom fills my nostrils.  The rocks, some ten feet below me, look like yellow lines on a highway.  They speed right by and are filled in by new shades of green, brown, and blue.  Clear Creek cuts right through this beautiful canyon.  I am truly blessed to be here and throw up a quick prayer of thanks.  I ask for courage as the roar builds and I can see whitewater around the next bend.  

As the wave train begins, I practice precision strokes as my creek boat cuts through wave after wave, generating a huge smack across the water.  The waves build and build.  I push my boat faster and faster.  The rush to the top as your bow dips down to spearhead the next rapid.  I break through the wave and my face gets splashed with whitewater.  The wave train is is done, I peel into an eddy t receive a thumbs up from Mac.  We continue downstream through the icy clear water.  

As we pull out of Clear Creek  I roll over. The paddle slaps my instructors and classmates feel great.  The river turns and we get into some flat water.  Out of a large pine, a bald eagle soars across the river.  The mark of the United States.  The eagle finished off a phenomenal day on the river.  I was ready to face the challenges ahead.  The GRI topped thirteen that day.  

Until the next adventure...

Hike with Ranger Dave by Sarah

In Happy Camp, California, we met the ranger and helped him with pulling plants that are invasive species to California.  The day before we had pulled the mustard seed plant.  We decided as a group to raft and kayak down the Klamath River with Ranger Dave and helped pull another kind of invasive species.  Ranger Dave told us about a really cool waterfall up a creek and we all decided to hike towards it.

When we got to the confluence of the creek and the river, we got out of our boats and began to hike.  About 300 yards into our hike, we found out we had to cross the very fast and cold creek.  One of our instructors, Dan, aka Lt. Dan, gave us a lesson on how to cross a creek properly.  We all found a partner or two, grabbed onto their PFDs and waded across the creek while rotating in a circle.

Once on the other side, we had to walk along the creek where the gravel was really loose and rocks were constantly rolling down.  Ranger Dave was in the front making and following the trail as we followed like a herd of sheep.   We climbed rocks and logs, getting scraped by thorns and wading through the water and then climbing back up slippery rocks to the trail.  At one point in our hike, we saw a rattlesnake and quite a few of us freaked out and hurried past it as quickly as possible. 

A ways further upstream, we had to cross the creek again.  Ranger Dave went out half way and came back because the water was too fast.  Two of our instructors, Dan and Sam (who were going to kayak the creek) set up safety, a throw bag to a tree on the other side so we had a line we could use to get across.

When most of us were across, Ranger Dave told us to follow him, and he set off up the creek.  We didn't hear what he said because he spoke so softly, and the creek was so loud.  We realized that we should have followed Dave instead of waiting for the instructors to cross, so we all started walking in the direction we saw Dave go, looking for him.  We had to stop at a rock wall that we couldn't get around or go over.  We took a few pictures and waited for Dave, who made it to our waterfall only to find out our swimming hole was too fast.  He came back with pictures and our instructors decided that it was too late in the day to continue because we still had about two miles of river to continue and we needed to drive to the Cal Salmon to set up our camp.  Hiking out was almost as cool as walking in towards the waterfall in my opinion.  The creek was harder to cross and the snake was still there.

We got to the takeout and loaded our trailer with hopes of getting our dinner at Wendy's, which we did not receive, and headed tp the Cal Salmon River. 

First set of blogs from FLOW 2011

Luke's Blog Entry

On the morning of June 19, the Alzar School departed Idaho bound for Oregon and eventually California. With anticipation speeding our efforts, we quickly packed up camp and drove off in the early morning sun, leaving behind our generous camp host Steve (believed by many to be Sasquatch). The school drove through rolling hills pockmarked with caves and 20 foot cliffs, passed silver and blue lakes, and snow-capped mountains.
The drive to Oregon was supposed to be six and a half hours. However, thanks to a few cleverly disguised highway turnoffs, we arrived at the lake near our campsite a couple of hours late. There, some students just paddled around and some achieved their esteemed "15 rolls.". A burst of luxury arose when Wilson busted out his "Dr. Brauhner's" shampoo and multiple students and teachers washed their hair for the first time on the trip.
After paddling, the school traveled to our campsite, where we were promptly attacked by hordes of mosquitoes. While we waited for our dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, we engaged in a fierce battle with those mosquitoes. Eventually they retreated, and we fell asleep covered in itchy bites, but satisfied with our victory.

- Luke Schwarz

Big Foot, by Katie

Yesterday, we saw Bigfoot. Some may know the creature by the name of Sasquatch, Yeti, or the Abdominal Snowman, but either way... We saw the creature. In fact, I actually touched him and am still living to tell the story. Although this sounds extremely hard core, if you have not already guessed, Bigfoot was only a statue.
This was just one experience that we had while touring around Happy Camp. Also, many of us were starting to become noticeably odiferous (and it has not been a pleasant scent). Thus, we enjoyed the luxury of taking a shower and washing our clothes - just for the record, all of us did our own laundry, which was a great preparation for college and none of us can skirt our responsibility to do our own laundry at home. I also have not been to an old school laundromat before. This laundromat took quarters for everything. The quarters worked great for the washer and dryers, but $2 worth of quarters got me a shower that lasted six minutes. Needless to say, after six minutes I was all rinsed off except for my conditioner... With no quarters left, my Nalgene, full of water, finished off my shower by being poured on top of my head. Many others also experienced a shower that was cut short.
Today we are running Klamath. With a little bit of luck, I might be fortunate enough to raft it with Kat, who speaks in broken Spanish as part of the cultural aspect of our journey in Idaho and Northern California. Hasta luego!

- Katie Thompson

More lasting impressions from "Rivers of Chile 2011"

In Chile we felt more welcome than we would in any other country. Their hospitality and kindness was better than any other. Sean and Kristen had talked about the friends that they had made down there. At first I just thought it was people that they had met but I soon learned otherwise. My favorite memory of the trip was pulling up to Augustine's house at 11 at night and everyone was happy and ready to meet us. We stayed up that night eating delicious food, telling stories, talking and singing. There liveliness and hospitality made the night so great. That is the main thing that Chile has left with me. They treated us so well, and I am very grateful to every one there.

-Hines Liles

Students' Lasting Impressions of Chile

As the end of the trip neared, my sadness for leaving Chile grew more and more. It seemed like I was just getting comfortable with trying to speak the language on a more regular basis. I would say that the most memorable moment of the trip was last night's asado. When we arrived at the home of Agustin it felt like we had known his family for years. At that moment I completely understood why Sean and Kristen were addicted to visiting this country. Not only are the rivers of Chile amazing but the people are also incredible. I look forward to coming back in the near future.

-Robert Lapeyre


As of right now, I'm sitting at the airport in Santiago, Chile. I'm about an hour away from leaving a place that has quickly became very special to me and that is because of my great experience with the Alzar School. The Alzar School has introduced me to a whole new part of the world which led to new friends, and overall a new, amazing culture. I was also introduced to many new, awesome rivers which I will never forget paddling. I definitely look forward to returning to this wonderful country to visit my new friends, and to relive the amazing culture.

-Adam Ellender


Very seldom do adults connect to teens on the personal level and understanding as I have seen on this trip. They have been superiorly helpful on the water as well as teaching in camp and even now in airport. I share many of the same ideas and personal philosphies they show in their daily lives. This has helped me understand their logical trains of thought and reasoning, especially about noise levels....... I am very glad these instructors were chosen to direct us.

-Joe Lovelace


My trip to Chile was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. The things that I learned in Chile are things that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Not only has the culture left a great lasting impact on me, but so has the many different leadership skills I have learned with the Alzar School. Chile's great sense of hospitality from everyone was very welcoming and makes me feel completely fine going to any part of Chile. Chile's food has also left a lasting impression on me and is something I will always want and never forget. My leadership skills were greatly improved during this trip, and I learned the importance of staying on time and having good communication skills.

-Woody Liles

Going on this trip was by far the best decision of my life. I have made life long friends, learned new outdoors skills, and learned about a very unique culture. The food I have eaten on my trip was all delicious and unlike anything you would be able to find in the US. I have become more confident in traveling in foreign countries alone and with groups. One of the things that amazed me the most was the beauty of Chile, mostly because there is so little development and the features of the land like the mountains and rivers.

-Caroline Kerr

Chilean Inspired Haiku by Robert

Robert is studying poetry in his English class back in New Orleans and was assigned to write seven haiku. While writing, the infamous Chilean colihuacho was giving him trouble. Here are a few of his poems we found entertaining:

Gliding through air
Search for their prey
Seem immortal

Waiting to explode
Holding back their fury
Sit beautifully

The colihuachos
Do not serve any purpose
But to disturb

Volcan Planchon by Adam

A couple of days ago we travelled through the Andes Mountains to the Argentina-Chile border to spend the night. We spent the night on an awesome plateau surrounded by HUGE, god-like mountains. That night before we went to bed I saw something I had never seen in my life. It was the stars in the southern hemisphere. My Dad has always exaggerated how amazing they were, and now I know why hey exaggerated so much: the stars were simply amazing. I had never seen so many stars in my life.

The next morning we woke up, ate breakfast, and began our hike up Volcan Planchon. It was a tough hike but in the end it was so worth it. The view from (almost) the top of hte volcano was unbelievable. The lake below the volcano was the best part. The water in the lake was the bluest, most amazing water I had ever seen, and it was backgrounded by a large, snow-covered mountain. Our hike up Volcan Planchon was simply amazing.

Blog 2 by Joe

Buzzzzzzz......You wake up to it; you eat through it; you even shred nar whitewater with it. It is the sound of the coliguacho, a massive, flesh-eating black and red horsefly. They are never far away, they would hardly miss a meal. My first experience whith one was eating breakfast when I felt a sharp pain in my leg.

I made eye contact with one of the most hideous insects I've ever seen. It sees in kaleidoscope because of the whole "hundreds of light refracting surfaces as eyes" thing, but I'm sure it noticed because it pulled its 2mm proboscus blood sucker out of my leg. Before it could fly off I got it. The crunch was audible.

Paddling the Lake by Robert

Paddling the lake was supposed to be a 45 min. paddle before we reached the rapids but we are on Chilean time so those 45 min really got stretched out. My small playboat and I started off in the front of hte pack, but slowly as my energy and drive lowered I fell behind. The rapids were awesome but the adrenaline soon wore off once we saw the hike at the takeout. The hike was almost worse than the lake... I couldn't decide. After all I was glad we did the paddle and used it as a day to sharpen one of the many tools in my "garage," resiliency.

CONIN by Woody

We left the town of Los Quenes and made our way to the town of Curico where we went to the CONIN orphanage to meet all of the kids there. When we first walked into the orphanage everyone seemed anxious and the kids seemed extremely shy but it only took about ten minutes before everyone was having fun even us and the kids who were so shy before were now very happy and seemed excited to see us. After that visit we left for the hardware store to buy supplies for our service project of sanding and painting a playground set and cleaning out a corner of their playground, overall the work went well and the orphanage was a great experience.

NC vs. ID by Hines

At the beginning of this trip I was talking poorly about the rivers in Idaho. The differences between the east coast rivers and the west rivers is waterflow. In Idaho you have big water with lots of waves and holes (big ones!), and in the east you have somewhat technical stuff with a sticky hole at the end. Well after paddling the Rio Fuy I would like to try out one of these rivers in Idaho. I'm still not saying it's better but this big water is a lot of fun.

Being a Leader by Ashley (Mobile, AL)

Yesterday I had my fist experience leading the group. I really enjoyed setting hte pace for the day by planning the itinerary. When you are leader, it is important to make sure the river had something for all levels of paddlers, there is a balanced studytime, and we are never rushed or bored.

The hardest part of the day was leading down the river. It reminded me of getting my drivers license. Until you have to drive, you never really pay attention to how you get somewhere. Even though I had paddled the stretch of river before, it was hard to remember which way the river forked, how often to eddy out, and where the best lines were. The day definitely left me with a greater sense of all the small details that a leader needs to be aware of to make the day run smoothly.

Orphanage, by Caroline (Baton Rouge, LA)

Last week we spent a day at an orphanage in Curico. When we arrived there we played with the kids for about an hour. We brought them coloring books, crayons, bouncy balls, and silly bands to play with. People read them stories and held the younger ones. For most of that time I held the babies which were anywhere from 2-8 months. This orphanage was pretty small, about 30 children, which means they get a lot of attention, but even so, a few of the babies had bald spots on the backs of their heads from not being held enough. Seeing little things like that made me grateful that we could help out.

After about an hour we went to the hardware store to buy supplies for a few projects they had asked us to do for them. We bought white paint for a wall outside of the orphanage. It had been covered with graffiti so we painted over everything to make it look nicer. The other project we did was to sand and varnish a small playground. The wood had gotten old so the kids couldn't play on it because they would get bad splinters. These projects only took us a few hours, but the view of the orphanage from the street was much nicer after we finished.

Leaders of the day, by Agustin (Curico, Chile)

Being the leader of a crew is a new experience for me because I have to make a lot of decisions involving the breakfast time, study hours, kayaking groups, and lots of other things. I do like this because you feel that you are important in the group and you try to do your best, helping as much as you can.

I think it is a very good idea to motivate people with leadership. This is what makes you grow as a person and helps you to share your strength. Good decisions and reflections teach the people who need to be a leader. So far I think I've been a good leader, making decisions, communicating well with the group, and trying to think for everyone.

On the Road, by Challis (Boise, ID)

So I've been reading this book, On the Road, by Jack Keroac. I picked it up at the bookstore in the Portland airport on flight down here. And so far, I like it, even if it isn't about anything in particular. I guess I shouldn't say that, I mean it is about lots of things: traveling, love, getting lost... but I guess mainly it's about life.

So anyway, I found this real great cherry tree at our camp, and in the mid-day sun I crawled up amongst the sahde of its branches, book in hand.

For about an hour, I just laid there and read, surrounded by the ripe red fruit of its branches. At a certain point, it came to where my eyes still traced the sentences, and my hand still turned the pages, but not a word of it registered in my brain. All the sudden I looked back and realized that I'd read ten pages and hadn't a clue what happened, so I closed the book and laid it neatly in my lap, and allowed my mind to trail off and consider thoughts about travel, and love, and getting lost, and kind've about life, but mostly about nothing in particular.

That's what Alzar is. A pause from the day-to-day monotony of life at home, and an opportunity to reflect on one's life and see thw world in a new light.

Elements of Leadership, by Coni (Curico, Chile)

In the "Rivers of Chile 2011" trip, I learned the "Elements of Leadership." They are very important for all people because you always have to make decisions and reflect on them. And by doing this, you help other people. Specifically, I learned that "communication" is to talk with one or more people and you want to have many components, that are: actions, sensory data, wants, feelings, and thoughts.

Also, I have learned more about kayaking, at the pool at our campground in the Salto del Laja area. All of the students are practicing kayaking every day.

The People of Chile

Caroline (Baton Rouge, LA)

One thing I have been amazed by on this trip is how nice all of the locals are. Its not like in some countries where outsiders aren’t treated well, they enjoy talking to you! The first time we walked through Los Quenes with our helmets and life vests on people thought we looked strange, but as soon as I smiled and waived or spoke o them they smiled back. Each visit after that was more and more relaxed and gave me the feeling that they had no problem with us walking around their town, and may even enjoy it. The family who owns our campsite in Los Quenes had several little kids who would talk to us at the camp, then one night in town we passed them and they all spoke to us.

After our first day of paddling Rovert, Woody, Challis, Costanza, Jeff and I were waiting at the takeout for the shuttle to come back and pick us up. While waiting, we decided to try to reach some cherries that were growing on the other side of the fence. WE couldn’t reach them, but we could see the farmer, so Jeff asked if we could pick a few cherries off of his trees. The farmer walked off, but we didn’t know if he had said yes or no, so we waited for a few minutes. When he came back he was holding a giant bag full of the worlds sweetest, most flavorful cherries! This is just one example of how nice the people here are. We offered to pay for the cherries, but he wouldn’t let us, he just wanted to give us the cherries.

Blog #1

Joe (Boise, ID)

When I first found out about the people going on this trip I was very excited about seeing Challis again. I briefly knew him from cross country, but we never really talked. When we arrived at the volcano, first we ran around on the short poky grass. Then we went for a walk. I fell that alone time with others can be very beneficial to a lasting friendship. We talked about what we look for in people, schools, and ourselves.

We realized that we chose people based on their morals and thoughts towards religion. We talked about how schools are important to us on levels beyond the building set up. The people make up the schools personality while the surrounding areas can provide the best personal outlet for reflection and soul searching. Working hard is very important to personal fulfillment. We decided you should watch your emotions, and see your feelings from above. I’m glad to have become reacquainted with Challis and I look forward to a fun rest of the trip!

“Los Gringos Locos”

Costanza Jacques (Curico, Chile)

Esta es la historia de los gringos locos, en Rivers of Chile 2011. Todo comenzo el dia martes 28 de Diciembre cuando Agostin y yo los esperabamos. Lo que no sabiamos era todo lo que se nos venia.

Lo primero que se nos vine fue el espanol de los gringos, el cual le ensenabamos cada vez que nos pedian y cada vez salia una gota de humor el cual nos alegraba mucho. Lo Segundo qque se nos vino fue el kayak el cual aprendimos los que no sabian y el resto seguia practicando. Lo tecero que se nos vino fue el ano Nuevo el cual fue muy divertido y escalar la Montana, el cual fue cansado y divertido al mismo tiempo y esta es la historia y espero que les gusta.

Awesome

Ashley (Mobile, AL)

If I had to oversimplify this trip into one word I would use “awesome.” I have already had many awesome adventures in Chile. Paddling down the Rio Teno made me feel like I was back in North Carolina but then you look up and the Andes are surrounding you. The exhileration and fun of exploring anoher country like Chile would be enough to make anyone yell, “this is awesome.”

Besides the fun, Chile is another type of “awesome” standing in a lush valley nestled between the snow-capped Andes and a volcano deserves th other meaning of the word. That level of isolation really makes me aware of the vastness of the world and leaves me in awe. Rivers of Chile is an awesome trip because it is filled with excitement but also reflection.

Walking through Los Quenes

Robert (New Orleans, LA)

When we first arrived at Los Quenes I was skeptical as to what the Chileans would think of us (Alzar School). Even thought Sean and Kristen had previously met the people of Los Quenes and are friends, I was still intimidated. As we started to unpack our gear and belongings we were greeted by a group of local dogs. You could tell that they were stray and poorly cared after. Being able to see the ribs of most of the dogs made me really feel sad towards them and I wanted to do something to help them. Once we finished unpacking we walked into the center part of Los Quenes. I felt somewhat awkward being stared at by the locals, but those awkward stares we easily broken with a simple “hola.” This seemed to make everything alright. Things were coming together to make an awesome trip.

New Years was just a little bit different than usual. For starters, our campsite was the border of Chile and Argentina. Instead of fireworks to stare at we had the Andes Mountains and a sky full of stars. Even though we didn’t have my favorite dinner of all time, Agostine’s guitar playing especially made up for it, in my opinion. 2010-2011 New Years Eve will defiantly be one that I will remember.

The Los Quenes Step Bridge

Adam

Shortly after arriving in the small town of Los Quenes, we, as a group, decided that we would go take a swim down by the Rio Teno. After unpacking we all put on our lifejackets and helmets and began our walk through the town of Los Quenes on the way to the river. This was the first time that we got the change to walk through the small, happy town of Los Quenes, so we were guaranteed to see many new different things.

The first eye-catching thing that we saw was an old, rickety bridge that stretched across a river. This bridge was about 40 feet above the river, and was only hanging by two thick metal cables. As you walked across the creaking boards of the bridge, you would notice that the bridge slowly swayed back and forth. IT was a little delicate looking at first but once you were on it, it was obvious that it was strong and was not going to fall. This bridge was very important ot the people of Los Quenes because it was the only way of crossing the river that it covered. We made sure to respect the towns people by treating their bridge with care, and making sure that it stayed in perfect condition.

At the Pool

By Agostine (in his second language, English)

When I first stepped into the kayak I was nervous. But as soon as I did the first “test” correctly I felt comfortable and calmed down. I think what made me feel better was the encouragement tha the teachers transmitted at the time of teaching a new hard and extreme sport. Although the main goal of the lesson at the pool was the roll, which I just learned. What I most liked about the roll was that you have to work in many things at the same time.

Border Times

Challis
The mid-day sun sat high upon his lofty thrown, and beat down hot upon the Argentinean countryside. As we walked along the trail the shards of lava rock chinked and chiseled with every footfall. In time we came upon a mountain lake, nestled between the snow capped bosom of the Andes, whose surface was so glossy that it was a pristine mirror of the virgin blue sky. So moved was I by this pristine beauty that all my thoughts, and insecurity, and secret vendettas against the world were driven from my mind like thieves from a chapel. Never again could I look at the world as a harsh rock marked by an omen of treachery and deceit, but forever always as a perfect creation of the universe.

Los Quenes

Woody

When I first walked into the very small town of Los Quenes, Chile the villager greeted us “gringos” with stares of confusion. Not being used to seeing (North) Americans in the village it was obvious that there weren’t many (North) Americans that go to this town. One of my first goals was to be as nice as possible o the villagers greeting them all with an hola. Now only four days have passed and the villagers of Los Quenes stares of confusion have now turned into greeting smiles, and not only is the villagers familiarity improving with only four days but also is my Spanish. Holas have turned into simple conversation.

Planchon Volcano

Hines

I’m currently sitting in a tent underneath the Planchon Volcano in the Andes Mountains. We are overlooking a grassy plain filled with small creeks. Horses were running in at right about sunset. Woody, Adam and I took a break and walked about halfway (maybe a little less) up one of the mountains to overlook the everything. I can honestly say I have never seen anything so beautiful. This is going to be my favorite New Years Eve that I have ever had.

My favorite thing to do here is take pictures. One of our instructors, Matt, has been showing me a lot of things I can do with my camera. So far, I have taken around 600 pictures. I have taken a ton of the Volcano and the area around it. I am so glad that I can see all of this awesome land.