Losing to a twelve year old is pretty rewarding!

Holden Bradford and Chris Baer making their way through the Pine Creek Hydraulic

Smack in the middle of Colorado, surrounded by numerous 14,000 foot peaks, lies the Arkansas River. This year Colorado was gifted with a pile of moisture and sustained high water. As the season continued and water levels returned to reasonable flows, it was time once again for the yearly Race to Prom event. This is a boater cross style event where all of the crafts start simultaneously and race through both the Pine Creek and Numbers sections of the Arkansas River, culminating in a prom themed party with live music.

   

Race to Prom! 2015 from Chris Baer on Vimeo.

Horizon line playing for the crowd

This year I was ecstatic when Holden Bradford (12 years old) agreed to paddle with me. We hopped in a two person kayak and charged through the race course!

Embrey Exposures collecting tons of great prom photos

The results of this event are always a bit informal, as rubbing is racing, and there are no official starters or timers. That being said,  Surgio Vidal Bogdanovic took the win for the second time, and Holden Bradford arrived at the finish only milliseconds ahead of me to earn second place.

not always clean lines

Make sure to follow the athlete page as not to miss next year’s event!

Adventure by Chris Baer

2013 Race Season In Colorado

Crushing dreams, or offering a kayak hug? 8 Ball Kayak Race!

Vail Mountain Games

are always a heated event, a ton of world class paddlers converge on Colorado to start a competition circuit. The Mountain Games holds events ranging from rock climbing, mountain biking, fly fishing, dog jumping, and a few fun kayak events, including two distinctly different races. The first is the "Steep Creek Race" held on Homestake Creek just outside of Red Cliff CO. The course is rather short, less then a half mile, but is full of offset ledges and manky mandatory lines.

Trying to control my panting in the Steep Creek Race

Bryan Kirk charging through the last drop and into a 2nd place finish

8 Ball Race

was unintentionally created for me. As many people know I can't take kayak racing too seriously, partially because I'm just not good at it. I can take the 8 Ball race seriously, it is the most haphazard, fastest person usually doesn't win, pure chaos event I have gotten to participate in. The 8 Ball race pits 4-8 kayakers boater cross style down an easy class 2 stretch, the catch is the 8 Balls, me and a hand full of other kayakers robed in black waiting in the eddies to charge out and drastically change the outcome of the race. I like to think about it as the American Gladiator version of mass start kayaking. Take no prisoners and do not allow any heat to finish without some serious destruction. Needless to say this is a crowd favorite and the banks are lined deep with spectators cheering for every bone crush impact.

  CO Race Season 2013 from Chris Baer on Vimeo.

Welcome to the Coliseum of Carnage, 8 Ball destruction derby!

Pine Creek Race to Prom

is anther impromptu event that I have taken the reins on over the years. For lack of any planning the race is held as a mass start. Any craft is acceptable, no judges, no timers, no prizes, pure laughing and bragging rights, all to be celebrated in a Prom theme party to follow the race. This year I was stood up by my 11 year old  paddling partner and made the last minute change to share a two person kayak with long time friend and original raft guide instructor Tom Zimmer. It only took a couple seconds on water to realize that Tom and I were going to dominate. Passing boat after boat through Pine Creek rapid proper we cruised out to the front of the pack and had a couple supper fun candid conversations while blasting through the numbers section and arriving at the finish line in first place. 

Dave Fusilli charging down Homestake Creek

another adventure by Chris Baer

Too many people on the creek?

Big South fork of the Cahce le Poudre

Thirteen people on the same creek run is way too many, unless of course there is above par communication and the water level plays graciously in your favor.

Casey Tango getting the action started

Wes Dewitt and I had been chatting for most of the summer about wanting to get on a couple of the Colorado classics. It was a phone call from Casey Tango that finally got us motivated. We packed the car and drove three and a half hours to paddle a creek in the middle of Rocky Mountain Nation Wilderness. 

You wouldn't have thought we were in the middle of nowhere when we showed up to the camp the evening before the run and bumped into another five buddies. Everyone was fired up about getting on one of the true CO classics the next day. We shared stories of previous descents and a whisky bottle, but it was the talk of more people joining that had me a little unnerved.

Ben Newman getting warmed up in the Big South fork of the Cahce le Poudre

The next morning vehicle after vehicle came screeching into the parking lot and our group started to grow and grow. There was no doubt in my mind that we would have to split up the pack, the problem was how? Yea there were some strong boaters that new the run and could help lead two different packs, but the fact of the matter was that most of us were buddies and didn't want to split up.

Putting on the upper tributary, Weird Creek, the group quickly spread out. The creek is rather bouncy and wood choked, and most of us got pinned a couple times, and a couple new cracks opened up in some of the boats. Eventually we reconvened at Starter Fluid, the first solid rapid. The large posse was launching pretty haphazardly but having clean lines. Quickly we took off paddling down to the next rapid Fantasy Flight. A light scout, and one by one people started charging into this unique pitchfork rapid. There are two different slots entering Fantasy Fight and neither provides a clean entrance. This day the crew was split on what entrance looked better, and both avenues where used to varying degrees of success.

Kyle Johan, making Fantasy Flight's lead in look good...

Kyle Johan, proving that Fantasy Flight isn't that easy

Caroline Moon is a rowdy class 5 kayaker. Unfortunately female paddlers seem like they get discriminated against on true class 5 runs. As Caroline dropped into Fantasy Flight she produced a super clean line. Looking up, watching the guys grinning and fist-pumping, all previous discriminations were gone. Caroline was a more than solid attribute to the team. We were all rather diverse, converging from all over the United States and with a myriad of paddling backgrounds… we were going to be an awesome team.

Noel Parker alluding the ominous crack in Cool World

Heading down from Fantasy Flight the river continues its high quality characteristics, with clan boofs, fun slots, and relatively strong hydraulics. The next big rapid is Cool World, where a stiff lead-in smashes into a diagonal six foot deep slot. If you fall the off the pad early, you get destroyed in the frothing six foot pit. Once again, with thirteen people there was a variety of good and marginal lines, but everyone was smiling at the bottom.

Rocky Mountain National Park showing her true potential

Prime Time Gorge is the next major obstacle, but was a little bit of a letdown with relatively low flows in the creek. Still fun, Prime Time offered up a mix of off angle boofs. The center piece of the run is Double Trouble a manky nine foot ledge that leads directly into a eight foot pour-over that usually creates an immense and inescapable hydraulic. Luckily for a couple of our team members the lower water softened up the hydraulic and it became rather escapable, and... friendly?

Noel Parker squaring up for the second pitch of Double Trouble

Cruising through a few more rapids we were met by our last challenge; the always ferocious Slide Ways. Everyone's energy level was starting to dwindle, we had paddled 11 miles of class 5, that had created a few cracked boats and bruised egos from a couple precarious swims. Still, a majority of the crew charged into the longest and most technical rapid of the day. A couple more interesting lines and the crew was on the home stretch. We paddled a couple last manky rapids and took a quick walk back to the car avoiding the last marginal rapid. If you are looking for another rowdy rapid, start at the camp ground just upstream of the take out. Walk up a small path river left for a couple hundred yards. This rapid usually has wood in play, but if you manage to spot this gem without wood, and at an appropriate flow, definitely give it a solid scout and a charge.

Josh Oberleas auto-boofing in Slide Ways

At the end of the day it was high fives and big hugs. Ky Hart, Josh Oberleas, Jordan Sherman, Wes Dewitt, Noel Parker, Greg Grahlmann, Kevin Hoffman, Joe, Casey Tango, Caroline Moon, Kyle Johan, Ben Newman, and myself, thirteen mostly strangers at the beginning of the day, had all found new friends, and enjoyed the always entertaining Big South drainage of the Cahce le Poudre.

plural moose or mooses or meese

another adventure by Chris Baer

How young is too young for kayaking Class 5

For the last few years I have been "organizing" a race on the Pine Creek section of the Arkansas river. My goal with the race is to have as much fun as possible and create an amazing spectator event. Chaos is always fun and the crowd seems to love it... so mass start is the way I try to start the race. Over a dozen kayaks, Seven rafts including the current National Champions, a couple duckies and shredders, toss in a pair of tubers, and a Topo Duo to round out the junk show.

Holden Bradford, is a fired up 10 year old with a ton of charisma. His parents have allowed him to have an amazing ability to look at adventure with truly open eyes. Race day he woke up early and hiked to the top of a peak just outside of Buena Vista to go paragliding. Right now he is probable tearing up Breckenridge ski resort, day dreaming of the spring when he gets to go kayaking again. Holden started rafting when he was only 18 months old, and has been kayaking for 5 years. He can truly read white water.

When I first approached Holden's father about the idea of Holden and I racing together I could see a little apprehension, but what came out of Josh's mouth was YES! The Plan was for Holden and I to race a two person kayak through the class 5 section of the Arkansas river. Race day I chatted with Holden at the put in. I asked him if he had ever paddled Pine Creek before, or been in a two person kayak, or seal launched? Holden responded a little hesitantly with "well no, but I have looked at pine creek a bunch, and I know we can do it!" Holden and I were about to experience a bunch of firsts together.

Holden and I charging through Pine Creek

The pine creek mass start has never started cleanly, and this year would be no different. The field took off in two slightly different waves, and at that point neither Holden or I was in our kayak. It took a couple seconds to hop in the kayak and slap the spray skirts on. We pushed off the embankment and skidded into the water instantly cranking out strokes trying to make up for our delayed start.

Holden paddled like a man on a mission. I couldn't help from smiling as our boat flew over some wave and crushed into others, plowing Holden deep into the water. Pine Creek went supper well and both of us were glowing from the cheers of the crowd. Coming through triple drop the stern hung up in a hydraulic and I looked up to see Holden a solid 4-5 feet out of the water. As I set the boat back down level Holden let out a solid laugh and we started to link strokes and pass one white water vessel after the next. I felt like I had an outboard engine strapped to the front of my kayak. We would come into a  hard corner,  and Holden would start cranking out paddle strokes whipping us around the corner.

Twenty minutes into the race we had passed every one but the two fastest raft teams, and three kayakers. Holden's father was in the raft directly in front of us, we paused for a strategic pass. "GO HOLDEN GO!" I hollered as we came screaming past his fathers raft. The last few minutes of the race were grueling and Holden let out a couple groans as we inched closer and closer to the National raft team.

As we came across the finish line Holden reminded me that he came in 5th and that I was definitely 6th. Post race we were bombarded with questions. " I felt a little proud watching Holden go from tentative to confident while explaining that there would be no reason for us to roll, and to watch out for next year when hopefully Chris can get a proper start to happen. When asked how we did, Holden smiled and let it be known that "We slayed it!"

So how old is old enough to paddle class 5? In the proper craft, with the proper guidance, Holden Bradford, and I would agree, you can definitely fire up Pine Creek when your 10.

Thank you Holden for letting me paddle along with you in such a fun event.

Another adventure brought to you by Holden Bradford, and Chris Baer.

Crushing Dreams, 8 Balling at Teva Mountian Games

Teva 8 Ball Race,

competitors getting crushed during the Teva 8 Ball Race

The ultimate mix between Kayaking and American Gladiators. Creating maximum crowd enthusiasm, this race has multiple ruthless concepts entangled together. First there are four kayak racers unleashed onto the course at the same time. Second there is up to a dozen "8 balls" on the creek, kayakers with the sole purpose of changing the finishing order. Lastly put all of those people on an amazingly cozy creek with a thousand screaming spectators.

awaiting the next victim

Clay Wright gave the pre-race talk. I found it hysterical. "There are a lot of obstacles down there, and they are all there to slow or... stop your down stream progress. If you get hit by one of them it is your fault, it is going to hurt. You are stupid." Clay also gave the 8 Ballers a pre-race talk, CRUSH THEM!

smiles and disaster everywhere

The Coliseum,

 

Directly in front of the finish line lies the "Pit", with embanked walls covered in spectators, a bridge in-front and behind. I had the feeling of being in an old Roman coliseum. Sitting with my stern across the right side of the finish line I awaited the lead kayaker to make their entry into my domain. I predetermined there fate. Leaving what looked like a great escape on river left and a horrible tight exit river right. Racer after Racer made the easy decision to go left and that was my domain. Six quick paddle strokes, my bow flying straight across their cockpit, crushing into their chest, dragging them across the river... leaving them inches away from the finish line.

The crowd laughed, booed, and screamed for more as I took out local favorite 8 year old Henry Hyde. Thirsty for more the crowd cheered as I took out one leader after the next. We were causing NASCAR style crashes every five minutes. Changing the finishing order for hours on end is absolutely exhausting. During the battles I received more than a few wild paddle slashes and a few choice words by the competitors. By the end of the day it was all hugs and high fives, as competitors and 8 ballers were joking, telling stories of being run over and trounced.

smiles this big only come from one thing... Crushing!

another adventure by Chris Baer

Animas, and 680 fpm more

Chris Baer cleaning the last drop of Crazy Women Creek

The Animas, 

The 4 Corners crew, Cruise Quenelle, Joel Cameron, Tony Miley, Dave Farkas, Sasha Stauffer, Eric Munroe, Drew Beezley, and myself took off for the daunting task of paddling from the Third Gorge of Lime Creek aka Cascade creek, down to the Animas, hiking up and paddling Canyon Creek aka Crazy Women, and then paddling down the Animas through the Rockwood Gorge. My entire body was sore the next day and my mind was still revelling in the amazing action of one of the best combo runs I have ever put together.

The Crew, Cruise Quenelle, Joel Cameron, Tony Miley, Dave Farkas, Sasha Stauffer, Eric Munroe, Drew Beezley, and Chris Baer 

Third Gorge Lime, aka Cascade Creek

Get the Backpack ready for another classic Durango hike, luckily the mile and a half hike is down hill and relatively painless. Once on water the action starts quick and the two mile section rips by.

Sasha Stauffer, paddling through Landslide on Cascade Creek aka 3rd Gorge Lime

Tony Miley, a preface

Tony is a class 5 kayaker, partial owner of 4 Corners Riversports, and was the first person to take legitimate interest in my kayaking. After paddling with Tony on the Gauley River in West Virginia he offered me a sponsorship program with his kayak shop. Sense then I have received the honor of paddling with him in a myriad of locations, including my first run down Vallecito where he laughed at me and told me that I don't get to scout anything. Tony's vague beta and big smile have created tons of adventures for everyone around him.

Unfortunately Tony was involved in a major ATV accident a couple years ago and lost most of his right hand. Fortunately Tony is exceedingly resilient. He has gotten back up to full speed, with the help of a few prosthetics, and an amazingly strong spirit.

Crazy Women aka Canyon Creek 

This run is legit, 680 feet per mile of action, thank god it's less then a mile other wise my nerves would have faltered. Upon reaching the confluence of Crazy Women and the Animas Cruise Quenelle leaped from his kayak and started into an incoherent stream of words. It's in, let's go, big, waterfall, cauldron, really hard, skate board? I wasn't really sure what was going on. The entire crew quickly hopped out of there kayaks and followed Cruise (who was the only one with a kayak) up the hill. Thankfully Tony Miley turned around and saw me still sitting in my boat on the beach. I asked "Tony what is going on here?" Tony responded with a quick and very excited, "Grab your boat and start hiking there is a couple big water falls, you will want to run these for sure."

In classic Durango fashion, the protocol is to hike the 680 feet of gradient and then paddle back to the Animas. Thankfully Tony is the man, and helped me carry my kayak to the top of the steepest pitch.

Upon looking at the micro creek, I was excited to see very runnable drops. The downfall is that the drops are unnervingly close to each other. The entire posy was running around scouting from every imaginable angle. After a couple minutes Cruise came up to me and asked me if I was ready. Laughter came out of me..... " whoa whoa whoa I'm kayaking this? whats the line?" Cruise took a couple minutes to describe the preferred lines in the tiny and very committing canyon.

Tony set himself up in the middle of the canyon to be safety, the rest of the crowd huddled around the rim of the canyon waiting to watch the entertainment. Cruise and I sat at the put in for a couple minutes contemplating our lines and cooling off after the exceedingly steep hike. Quickly we slipped into the creek and the action started. One 15 footer into the next into a small rock that fortunately stopped me only inches away from going directly into the Skate Ramp drop. I was on an eddy line looking 20ish feet down at Tony setting safety. The boil under me subsided and I was luckily able to back paddle into the eddy and set up correctly for the next big drop. Skate Ramp is a 20 footer with a launch ramp near the bottom. Both Cruise and I get thrown around and Tony was at the bottom grabbing our boats before we washed into the next rapid. With Tony's classic big smile, he high fived us and shouted out "nice lines boys!"

Cruise Quenelle in the middle of the second canyon

The second pitch it the big one. Cruise and I decided to skip the first manky 4 foot ledge. The plan was to seal launch off a very precarious rock ledge that instantly shoot us into a funky 8 foot drop. It was Tony Miley with (one hand) that helped us into our boats and gave us the final shove, Seal launching us into the mess of white water below. The second drop was an off-vert 20 with some serious piton potential half way down. The last and biggest drop is a 30ish footer that lands in a very containing cauldron that to our luck had a large log wedged into the left side of the landing zone.

Cruise Quenelle with a beautiful line and a little log loving at the bottom

Cruise and my lines went exceedingly well and after some high fives and hugs, we were back on the Animas paddling towards Rockwood Gorge.

Beyond Rockwood,

The Animas river is absolutely amazing, one spectacular section after the next. The white water contained below Rockwood is as pushy and committing as I ever want to test. For a full write up click here.

Looking down into Pandora's box

Luke Hanson charging between the sieves in the Baker's Box

Just an average run out in Pandora's box

An adventure brought to you by ChrisBaer

Vallecito

Joel Cameron sailing away on entrance falls

Gangster rap, rowdy college kids, and a beautiful polished granite canyon. 

Life continues to amaze me, after traveling across the country I stopped into Durango CO for a quick visit and immediately was given a tour of the local goods. Vallecito Canyon might be the best mile of creek boating in CO, the drops are plentiful, the access is just tedious enough to keeps mobs out, and the quality is a good as it gets. 

Hiking a mile into the wilderness

The hike into the canyon is a mile long stroll up every inch of gradient you are about to paddle down. A good backpack system is strongly recommended, and making more then one lap in a day takes determination. 

Joel Cameron, heading deeper into Vallecito canyon

The Canyon is pretty and pretty remote, there are only a few ok options for hiking out. Make sure the crew is strong and that someone has the lines dialed. I personally like getting super vague beta from Tony Miely. 

Cruise Quenelle, buried in Trash Can

Even the best boaters get crushed, come prepared. Cody Beach got rolled in Trash Can, and destroyed his helmet and sprained his neck. It took the rest of the crew close to an hour to help Cody out of the canyon. Thankfully he was beat up but alright.

Reece Hanson finding his stroke on Entrance Falls

When it's good it's great, Vallecito usually puts on a show. Amazing boaters in an amazing setting.

Dealing with the mank and logs in Trash Can

The boys finishing up another evening lap, enjoying cold beers and another amazing sunset

another adventure brought to you by Chris Baer

Casey Tango is the BOSS!!!

Tango sliding into the freezing waters of Minnesota

Perched inches away from a 15 foot seal launch that leads directly into a 70 foot waterfall, Casey leans forward putting his skirt on and says, "So my girlfriend just broke up with me via email, this is how I deal with my emotions, like a BOSS."

Dirty Jersey

Tattoos, dark shades, and a flat brim hat

Casey Tango, also known as Dos Litros for his love of cheap Chilean wine, hails from Dirty Jersey, the arm pit of the East Coast. Tango is stereotypical Jersey. He is covered in tattoos, wears a flat brimmed hat, shaved head, big mirrored sunglasses, curses like a sailor, and wants what he wants right now. The perk of traveling with some one who looks like they may have just gotten out of jail is that we never had to worry about security. I think some of the possible thieves eyed our posse not as a target, but as a threat. What more could you ask for from a traveling partner?

Dos Litros, enjoying Chilean wine

Jersey blood is what fuels the Boss, and what drives him to constantly be on the go. His pace is full steam ahead. Ten minutes after waking up Tango is ready to charge. A dozen cups of yerba mate later and he is bouncing off the walls. He turns into the proverbial over-caffeinated ADD crack baby. Dealing with a spastic 29-year-old child is never easy. Loading boats or paddling downstream he keeps a mind-blowing pace. I could barely get my camera out of its Pelican case before Casey charged off the next horizon line.

Traveling, and Destroying kayaks

Warning this video has very unacceptable lyrics, Tango is the Boss.

Warning this video has very unacceptable lyrics, Tango is the Boss. 

Kayaks are usually cumbersome and exceedingly expensive to travel with. Stepping out of customs Tango was boastful about his kayak getting on the plane for free. Pointing at his recently trimmed mustache he said, "The baggage lady dug the stash." I had an equally ugly new mustache and it cost me $175 to get my "wave ski" on the plane. Irony made its self more than apparent only a few days later. During our first day paddling in Chile Casey's boat began to sink. He had opened up a twelve inch gash directly under his seat. The impending sinking feeling only increased his pace as he charged into the unknown on the Vientedos Saltos section of the Rio Claro.

Portage?

Casey must be scared of the jungle because he sure wasn't walking around any rapids on this trip. Handing me his paddle one day, he asked, "Can you take this to the bottom for me?" He then strapped on his hand paddles and charged into The Portage on the Rio Palguine. Realizing his skill level, Tango was excited to test it on the nastiest looking drops in Chile.

Tango spicing up the Upper Youghiogheny

Whether finding the best bread in town, getting another tire patched, or bargaining for horses, Tango's Spanish never let us down. Attempting to gain access to the Salto Nilahue, Tango had a remarkably detailed and compassionate conversation with a local Mapuche woman about religion and beliefs. His more then ample Spanish saved us piles of cash and countless hours.

Tango staring down Pine Tree Falls in CO

On the river Tango has transformed his Jersey pace into a positive. He is an aggressive paddler who always has his head on a swivel. I can't think of anyone more willing to put themselves on the line in a true rescue situation.

Casey hates being cooped up

Casey Tango is a BOSS.

Story and photos by Chris Baer