July 24-29, 2007 Middle Fork Trip

Small groups on the Middle Fork can be rewarded with incredible camps that are not normally used because of space issues. This last week, our group of nine (including guides Jo, Will, and Skip) had the opportunity to camp at some great small-site camps. Our last two nights were spent below Big Creek deep within Impassable Canyon. Our group size allowed us the flexibility to essentially do whatever it was we wished. This meant kayaking adventures down Loon Creek and Big Creek, fishing up Big Creek, lots of hikes, and lots of relaxing time. To put it simply, it was another great week on the river with great folks and new memories.

Campsites:
Night 1: Upper Jackass
Night 2: Cow Camp
Night 3: Trail
Night 4: Big Pine
Night 5: Solitude



Here are a few shots from the trip, I hope you all enjoy them:

View from the White Creek Pack Bridge (day 2):


Fishing Big Creek:


Bull Snake at Veil Falls:


Camping at Big Pine:


Daniel, morning of day 5:


James gets a darn sucker fish:


Glen kayaking Haystack Rapid:


Holli and James, day 1:


James kayaking through Haystack:


Joan seeking the big trout:


Joan and Glen on the scramble up to Veil Falls:


Kayaking below Waterfall Creek Rapid:


Chris and his favorite boat:


Chris and Daniel kayaking Big Creek:


Hiking the kayaks up Loon Creek:


Night 5, Skip versus Will, Elephant Croquet:


Skip, waking up on the morning of day 5:


Tappan Falls, day 3:


Thanks everyone for a great trip!

-Will V, Jo S, and Skip V

July 16-21, 2007 Middle Fork Trip

Just another excellent week on the river with good friends and lots of fresh memories. It was our first trip this season launching from Indian Creek and immediately we got into the kayak and whitewater action. The trip was punctuated midway with a spectacular thunder storm that lit up the canyon and brought everyone huddled together underneath our rain tarps. The skies cleared during the night and, as Charlie Norton ("a man of nerve!") would say, "and all was lovely again..."

Our Camps:
Day 1: Stateland Right
Day 2: White Creek
Day 3: Johnny Walker
Day 4: Wollard
Day 5: Cliffside

Guides:
Jimmy Butts
Beth Carlson
Will Volpert
John Bohach
Matt Volpert
Skip Volpert
Andrew Wilkin



Sharon and Mike during the first day on the river:


Brownies along the banks of the Middle Fork:


Made it through upright:


The happy dish crew on night five:


Graham practicing his fish slaying:


Jimmy at Cameron Creek (pictograph site:


Jordan at the helm:


Ken, dry, before his two swims:


Pulling over for lunch the first day at Little Soldier Creek:


Marble Creek Rapid, day 1:


Matt's paddle crew, day 3:


Will's paddle crew, day 3:


All smiles:


Skip and Mitch, displaying excellent technique in the surf wave at Wollard:


The view back upstream from Survey Point:


Looking down at Wollard:


Thanks for the great trip!