A new beginning...

I've left this blog dormant for too long so I'm going to try to get it up and running again because it's good for me and because I'm forgetful and ...why not. Here are a few pictures...

Lost Trail and May Creek Cabin skiing

Sydney and I spent the day skiing Lost Trail and left a little early to cross country ski our way into May Creek cabin for the night. Couldn't have asked for better weather and better company...bandit hauled his food plus a couple of beers in!

 

Christmas and New Years in AK

 My parents gave me extras incentive to get up to Alaska for Christmas break as they had won a transferable season pass to Alyeska so I hopped a flight to experience christmas and new years up there and had a blast. The skiing wasn't the best but new years was really fun. We went out to there friends and neighbors cabin out towards talkeetna and rode snow machines around and enjoyed a few beers. Just a blast!

 

Hunting Idaho with Uncle John

 I drove to the town of Whitebird to get some elk hunting in with my uncle during the traditional muzzle loader season. He already had a camp setup and it was pretty fun to just take long walks and glass hillsides waiting for the elk to appear. It sounds like the wolves have really hammered them here.

 

Anchorage visiting parents

 
Was awesome to visit my parents in Anchorage and even get a small rv trip in to check out some glacier and Denali National Park!

 

Ledore Canyon on the Green!

Got together with a fun group of folks from Washington as well as some old raft guide friends (Nic) who now lives in Colorado. Trip was a blast ans especially like checking out some petroglyphs!! Whitewater was fun too!!

 

Goshen Pass kayaking

The Goschen 

Headed out early on Sunday morning to make it to Goschen Pass for some kayaking. I had never been to the pass but had heard rumors that is is the best little river in Virginia so with a little motivation I made the two hour drive from Fredericksburg hoping to meet up with some other kayakers when I arrived.

Nice sized group

After following the GPS for a little over two hours I finally arrived and followed the road alongside the river taking a look at the rapids and enjoying the scenery that was taking on a very Pacific Northwest feeling with green trees on all sides...should have brought the fly rod! After a little while I met up with another kayaker who informed me that a race was suppose to take place today so I would without a doubt have other people to show me the river and within 30 minutes I was on it with another kayaker. A lot of read and run stuff but over all a very active river with nice pools in between boulder gardens.

Soon after the first lap the rest of the guys arrived and put up some tents for the finish line, got the shuttle rigged and headed for the put in. I was initially thinking about not entering the race but after getting tossed a number to put on my boat and with a guarantee of beer at the finish line I said, "Why the hell not?" and lined up for the mass start.
As it turns out knowing the fast lines are good things for a race...there were a few times that I got between the leading pack and the following group but in between those two groups were no one to show me the lines so I would get off line and end up back in the trailing pack. This happened two times before I tossed in the towel and just enjoyed the nice boulder gardens amongst green trees.

Overall very fun weekend in probably my favorite place so far in Virginia.

-Owen