California dreaming again

Well i have been a bit slack on the blog updates but its just because i have been on the road and kayaking some real beauties and catchin up with mates here in the amazing USA. I rolled in on 4th may and spent a week with my bro showing him the place before he headed out to vermont to work at camp USA. We partied hard, saw bears up near lake tahoe and went rafting a few times! it was great!
So jesse left on sunday and i hooked up with justin pat and headed for a bomb run down the upper south yuba on th east meets west section. a wake up call from havin a few months off hard kayaking back to running blind class 5!

Evan Garcia coming out of east meets west drop

A couple of days later Evan Garcia made the 14hr drive from Montana to meet us for a mission to the South Branch of the Middle Fork of the Feather river. It was sick! A play park of waterfalls and good times with the crew.


Evan monkey boofin the split falls early on day 1

Evan Garcia on the auto boof below split falls

Justin lining up the gap in the rocks on the big one!

top angle of the Nashiki falls on justins second run. (photo by grant korgan)

Josh Neilson on the 50 before the take out! (photo Evan Garcia)

EG rolling off the 50 (Photo Grant Korgan)

Back in orovile we passed little ceasars pizza and got into some $5 hot and ready pizza before heading for Big Kimshew creek. Sore bodies all round but the water was high and we were all keen to see what was in store. Straight into the action and didnt stop all day! Justin knew the run so we didnt stop for much! bombing down some classic whitewater. We got some good footage and a few sick photos.

Josh Neilson taking it down in Big Kimshew Falls (photo Justin Pat)

EG moments before blood on Kimshew falls (photo Grant Korgan

Evan took a hit to the face off big kimshew falls with a good amount of blood and Corey broke his paddle on in a minute later! i was happy fly off it clean but took a big hit to the elbow on the very next rapid! With elbow pads on i still managed to draw blood.

EG on the trippler! (photo by Grant Korgan)


EG rolling off the lip of Frenchys Falls

Justin melting the bottom of Frenchys

EG on the take out drop

After this we headed back to coloma and attempted lovers leap section on South American where i hiked out with a bad shoulder from tendinitis or something so i drove shuttle. Then we headed back down for more sth branch of middle feather and Kimshew.
The plan from here was to hit royal gorge today but its snowing at the putin so we opted out. Dinky creek is the mission now then NORWAY on wednesday! YEAH BOI!

see ya soon

Sorry for the quality of the photos apart from grants ones, All others were shot by me on my video camera and are just still frames from the video. Film coming soon.

Cheers go out to everyone on these missions, GOOD PEOPLE!

2007 WASHINGTON MISSION

-A BEN JACKSON FILM-
for more sick antics by Ben check out his blog on www.jacksonoutdoors.blogspot.com

This mission was dure to a low water season in cali and a few of us left wanting more. The team, Ben Jackson, Brendan Bayly, Dave Maurier and myself headed off in search of more water for a week on the road. This is what we found.



Coming soon is the 2007 thailand expedition trailer. Check in soon
peace
josh

Film Mission

THE TEAM



-SHARN - Team Videographer/Photographer



-SAM SUTTON - Kayaker



-JOSH NEILSON - Kayaker



-DYLAN TOMPSON - Kayaker



-JAMIE SUTTON - Safety/ Photographer



-MIKE DAWSON - Kayaker

-THE LOW DOWN-

Since i was in Thailand i have been back in nz relaxing, hanging out with family and enjoying the good new wine. That was until i needed to earn a few dollars to keep me going for summer. I got a 2 week job teachin kayaking in wellington. Unfortunatly i missed out on the first week of a New Zealand Kayak film mission directed by a guy from Australia who has a sick series of completed contracts filming freestyle motocross, surfing etc etc. Week one of the tour saw the boys paddling nevis bluff twice, Citeron, Retrospect, the Turmbull River, and saw Sharn harnessed out of Dandos helicopter filing the boys bomb down the Kokatahi River on the West Coast of the South island.
After one last huck session on Maruia Falls the boys boarded the ferry across to wellington. With many txts back and forward i was picked up at the terminal in wellington and i was off on what was to be one the most epic weeks kayaking one could dream of! It was 1 am in the morning and Sam was on a mission to get us to the put in of aratiatia rapids or huka falls by sunrise.


-Josh Neilson in top section of Aratiatia Rapids

Keeping his word we set up a tent at 6.30am and had an hour sleep in taupo before heading out to scout Aratiatia.
With a crew there to run safety we played 'paper sissors rock' to see who would go first, second and third. I was first with a clean line through the top and boofed straight into the boil at the weir and took a roll but no worries. Sam and dylan Stomped it and we ran the rest out to the bottom with no worries.


-Dylan flying through the Weir, Sharn getting the close up shot

What a sick bit of water! Many have commented on being glad o tick this one off the list but we wanted more! So after a relaxing day off paddling a few waterfalls in the waikato region we returned to be the first people to go back and paddle Aratiatia for a second time! something we thought was interesting because of how amazing this rapid is! Everyone had more sick lines through an amazing crack in the earth.


-Sam Styling the weir....AGAIN!

With a lot of enthusiasm in the air we headed south to try run a 50footer on the whakapapaiti river but with a few car troubles we decided to meet at callums for many a beer to celebrate. On wednesday we headed to Bliss-Stick HQ for the christmas party and picked up the new MINI MYSTIC!!!!!!!


-Josh getting a feel for the new Mini Mystic!!!!

Outstanding! this boat is wild! Small, light, responsive, fast off the mark, boofs like a charm etc etc. So with the party in full flight I voiced my enthusiasm to the boys about a trip on friday to 'Tree trunk gorge'..... Eyes lite up and we had a team. Sam, Dylan and myself and fellow Bliss-stick team mate mikey dawson would drop into the gorge on friday afternoon.


-Sam trying to get a glimpse of the water in Tree trunk Gorge

With Jamie Sutton there for safety and 4 video cameras manned by shran, 3 still cameras above the gorge and one head camera on my head we were in and committed. I stomped the entrance rapid which for me was the crux and mike followed. Dylan hit the wall and went into a pocket and was part of our only rescue of the trip.


-Sam and Jamie pulling out Dyl and his kayak

Sam and jamie Pulled his boat up and out of the gorge as well as him and he nailed it the second time. So with everyone safe and happy i rolled off the 45footer into the darkenss of the gorge folllowed by sick lines by the rest of the crew. one more 25footer and we were out. A very small section but consequences that are unthinkable!! Probably the most amazing, beautiful and breathtaking place ive ever been.


-Josh hitting the line on the big falls

Back at the kaituna Sharn was busy loading up footage and we even got a few runs down the kaituna one time we took down blow up pool toys which was fun. Another Christmas party and the tour was over. Sharn has the footage he needs, Dylan has returned to dunedin, Sam and jamie are still livin the life in okere falls and I am back in the bay preparing for the next adventure.
Huge thanks go out to everyone who helps us with these trips!! Especially Jamie Sutton, Phill, Jamie, Chee, Sam, Evan For your safety efforts on this trip!!! Kenny Mutton and others for photos and additional film, Callum, Fe and Tim, Patti and Neil for letting us stay at your house and amazing food!!!!
Much respect to all of u!!!!!!!!

Upper Mae Klang River- Final First D for Thailand trip

-Sam on Mae Klang slide

-Will on Mae Klang slide



The day after we paddled the Mae Pan I got one of my notorious migraines so i decided it would be silly to paddle and so I was film and photographer while the boys ran the road side section on the Mae Klang which we had been told about.

-Sam on the top drop

There were a bunch of cool slides and it was a good day rest for my head. While driving round in the park we checked out a higher section that Jason told us about which started at the base of Watchirithan Falls and goes to where the boys put in earlier on the Mae Klang. This looked good but we wanted more. We drove higher and found Siritan Waterfall which was a huge 80footer on to rocks. Below this the river dropped and was the section we were looking for. The next day with my head felling better we put on to run the whole river.

-Me on the lower drops

Drop after drop we made it down and a classy section it was. With a huge porgage round Watchirithan falls and back in right below.

-Will Below Watchirithan Falls

-Me below Watchirithan Falls

From here our first descent was over but classic water for sure. After many hours we took out at a small creek and hiked to the road. I met a family swimming in a pool and gave them my kayak to try. They loved it and were stoked. As they were leaving i asked if i could climb in the back of their ute and get a ride to the top about 12km up hill.

-Me and Thai boy

They were more than happy to and were insistant i tried their home brew whiskey while clinging on to the back for my life. At the top I was thankful we didnt have to run the shuttle and they were stoked to be able to help us out!

-The shuttle seat!!!

From here we loaded up the car and returned to our set up here in Chiang mai.

This was the last serious river for our trip and maybe a nice creek to finish with tomorrow before our journey by train to Bangkok then flight back to nz.

-Ice cream at the lower Mae Klang take out

It has been TOTALLY worth it. Thank you to all the people who have made this trip work out so well!!!!

Doi Intanon, Mae Pan Waterfall section

Josh Neilson- Mae Pan Waterfall

-Will Clark-Mae Pan Waterfall

It was about a year ago when i first heard about anyone paddling in Thailand when Ben Brown, Steve Fisher and Eric Southwick filmed a show for MSP and then didnt hear much more. There was a short clip on Ben's site but it mostly showed the drop be broke his back on and not much else. So when I was asked to go to Thailand 3 months ago to explore new rivers I was unsure what to expect. Ben sent me some photos and I did some research on google images to see what it may have to offer. I booked my flight with the hope to paddle some cool whitewater in the rainy season but was really on the edge of my seat when I saw a shot of Fisher at the lip of Mae Pan waterfall. A clean roll in 50 footer which I was determined to find.

With maps of the area and good beta from Ben, Steve, Wick and Jason Younkin we were set for a great trip to the park.

-Sam on the Second slide

We arrived at the Mae Pan waterfall early and met up with Jason who was running a canyoning trip down the lower gorge and started our mission to get our kayaks to the top of the falls. We set a rope up from the top and pulled our kayaks up and then used that same rope to abseil off the backside of the ridge into the pool below the 100m waterfall and just above the lip of the 50 footer. I set up first and was stoked to be finally above the drop that motivated me to come to Thailand. A few strokes and I was falling a few second of freefall and i hit. Low volume ment I hit hard but came out with a smile on my face! STOKED!

Will fired it up next with a sick line and we got some cool pics and footage.

-Me catching some air on the second slide

-Me on lower drops

Sam opted out of the big one because of a previous spine injury but fired up the next slide with style and precision. We paddled out to the bridge leaving the lower section till next time which has got some more cool stuff on it apparently.

With it being Will's birthday we drove to a small town called Mae Chaem and enjoyed a few cold beers and yarned on about the day and trip adventures.

-Park Ranger curious to what we were doing

-------------------------------------------------------

-A couple of sick montages from Will Clark

Paddle safe-

-josh-

Border Run and Scouting far north of thailand

- Temple up Doi Setep

Last week we had been in thailand for 4 weeks and our Visas only allowed us in for that amount of time so we headed to burma to renew them. After a long night of celebrations for... something for sure, we loaded up the car and headed out about 4hours late. Sam and I took the car and Will stayed behind because he needed a new passport which hadnt arrived. Sam and i made it just in time to cross and got our new Visas. Will came the next day while Sam and I scouted out some creeks. We found one super deep gorge with no access and Huge gradient which we missed out on but will be back again one day for that. On the way home we checked out some more but found mainly super high falls or manky low volume ditches.

-Will and I below Kuhn Kahn Falls

-Sam and I below Kuhn Kahn Falls

-Chiang Mai at rush hour

Back in Chiang Mai we planned our final trip to Doi Intanon National park.