Lochsa, Day 2...rallying the Lochsa Swim Team

Day #2 started off fairly warm and with, as Jim said, "unlimited potential". We planned to run the middle and lower section, a 19-mile span with some of the best rapids on the river.

Yep, Joe documented our trip in HD video


Looking back on the Lochsa


There are a couple of unspoken rules that the group usually follows...generally, don't say things like, "This river is my b#tch" or "I own this river" or the like. Murphy's law usually strikes if this happens.

And, second rule, don't eat any cookies until the rafting is over for the day. Our friend Kevin has crumbs on his shoulder on the drive down. Bad luck!

Kevin ruins our karma


The van got shuttled down to the pull-out and the guides scouted the river. They told us the interesting news...they saw swimmers on the upper half...the calmer half of the river. Swimmers, by the way, are usually not voluntary...it means the boat flipped or dumped some people out.

Beat up truck at the put-in...foreshadowing??


Undeterred, we set out...Dan and I (and Mat, Joe, and Lisa) in the lead boat. John has done the Lochsa for 10 years...he is smart and keeps us safe yet knows how to maneuver the boat so that we hit the fun rapids, too. There are lessons on safety and speeches on what to do if you swim. I listened intently because on my first Lochsa trip, I didn't swim once. It was only a matter of time. Needless to say, I was a bit nervous...

Well, we were floating along and hit our first rapid, called Mile 129. We had breezed through it the day before. Unexpectedly, the river decided otherwise, and we stalled in a trough. A wave came up as we highsided and flipped us over side-to-side. Instantly, we were all thrown out of the boat with not much warning.

I got half a breath and hit the water...it was pretty disorienting, but I knew not to panic because my PFD would bob me up. I surfaced several feet from the boat and did the next thing...grabbed a paddle. The boat is your safety when you are in the river...shore or logs or rocks are generally not the safest. I flipped onto my back and tried to float while riding out the rest of the rough water. Dan was ahead of me and our friend Lisa was beside me. I tried to calm myself down and her, too. The water was cold but not bad through my 4/3 wetsuit.

The other 2 boats kicked into high gear and in about 90 seconds, we had everyone in the boat. It seemed like (and was) a long time but the flip was so unexpected.

I was a little shaken but fine. More like an overload of adrenaline!! The rapids after that seemed extra big!

We pulled out for lunch at Fish Creek and sat around in the rain. The weather was chilly, magnified by our swim.

Lunch spot...sorry for the blur but it was taken with the waterproof housing on Dan's camera


Huddling


We got back in the boats and headed for the more "exciting" half of the journey...the highlight of which is Lochsa Falls. The Falls (like the rest of the river) is right next to the road and has a viewing area. People come out to watch in droves, especially on a holiday weekend. Everyone is hoping the boats get through but they are also hoping to see some "carnage"! Makes it exciting!

Lochsa Falls...doesn't look the big from up here!


A kayaker takes on the Falls


We set up to the left of the drop-in and the crashing of the waves was so loud. We dug in with all we had and almost made it through...but the river was not going to let us off the hook...we got pummeled from the left and went over again. This time, we were more tired from our first swim and I bobbed up under the boat. I had to wait a few extra seconds to re-surface. I grabbed two paddles while waiting for the boat to come get me, which didn't take as long as the last time.

Our other two boats made it through and only lost one of their paddlers. Bad luck for our boat, I guess!

Even though we swam and it was a bit stressful, we still had a blast!! Just like after any epic ride, when you sit around and trade stories about the day, we did the same...and then went to the falls to spectate. Joe purposely swam through Lochsa Falls twice (he's a water polo player, great swimmer, and he's done it before)...so we got to watch!

Joe swims the falls


Artistic shots




The take-out...Split Creek


Bridge to who-knows-where


Finishing up the ride


Another boat coming through to the end


Would we make it through Day #3 unscathed??? Stick around to find out!

10th Annual Lochsa Whitewater Rafting Trip, Day 1

What do you get when you mix 18 friends, several cases of beer, and heart-pounding action? Sounds like a mountain biking trip but...

it's actually the 10th annual Lochsa River whitewater rafting trip!

Dan and I just finished the most epic (EPIC!) non-mtb weekend...whitewater rafting the Lochsa River in northeastern Idaho. This will be a multi-post kind of thing so keep checking back for more photos (I was the unofficial photographer)...

Here's the story, more or less as I understand it...the history of the Lochsa rafting trip...

The trip began 10 years ago with two friends, John and Jay, who traveled up to Northern Idaho to deliver some rafting supplies for the non-profit Jay worked for. They discovered rafting on the Lochsa and have been back every year since. Dan got folded into the mix because he's John's brother-in-law by marriage and then I came along. We went 2 years ago and had to come back for more!

It goes something like this:

The Thursday before Memorial Day, everyone converges on the Ironhorse Saloon in Missoula, MT as the prime meeting spot.

Airport decorations...What would the sign say? "Welcome to Montana...hope you don't end up with a mountain lion on your neck!"


No, that's not a typo...Missoula's high temp for the day


Missoula is a really cool city...it is surrounded by amazing mountains and has a really prevalent biking culture...in fact, there were many mtb parallels on this trip. Such as...

The love of beer


The love of Yeti's (I think they made a mistake, though!)


The presence of the "Ironhorse"


Bikes line every street downtown


The first of many beers are consumed, stories are told from years gone by, and the final preparations are made for the 50+ mile drive across the 12, over Lolo Pass, along the Lewis and Clark Trail, and into the Clearwater National Forest.

The North Fork of the Clark River


So green


And white (over Lolo Pass)


Cell phones don't work here. There is no internet access. Seriously.

Pretty soon you arrive at Lochsa Lodge (though there is camping right next door). Gorgeous. Clean air, pine trees, and still some snow lingering on the hills.

The Lochsa Lodge


The first of many token beer shots




Usually it rains and snows (who cares...we're in the water anyway!) but this year Mother Nature was kind...temps in the 60s and 70s and sun for most of the trip.

Pure sunshine


The river, of course, is the main attraction. This year, we had 3 boats for our crew of 17...this is not a commercial outfit, though. Our captains are from Boulder and Sacramento and Denver. Two are mountain bikers (duh, we love adrenaline!!). The crew comes from both coasts and everywhere in between.

This van belongs to one of our guides, Don, who is from Sacramento. I saw this sticker and did a double take. He's been to The Path and he LOVES it!!


See...bikes are everywhere...met a chap riding from Eugene, OR to Denver


River guide, complete with notes from the past


Legendary huckleberry pancakes...


Essential rafting food...the tub o'cookies


Me, modeling the hottest of neoprene wetsuits...(around my waist is a rope-caribeener to help flip the boat back over if it ends up upside-down)


Most people I talk to have never heard of the Lochsa. It runs through part of the Clearwater National Forest, north of the Selway River, along the Lewis and Clark Trail, through a narrow valley. It is very beautiful.

Lochsa country


Our boats at the calm-looking put-in


Another biking parallel...helmets are mandatory


The Lochsa (translation: "rough water") can also be brutal...the section we usually raft is full of Class III-IV+ rapids. The boat can flip. You may end up swimming (we did). The water is cold. There is always a danger of log jams and foot entrapment is you're not smart. The big feature of the river is Lochsa Falls (at times as high as a 16 foot drop-in).

Typical post-rafting activity...savoring a cold beer in the parking lot


This year, during our trip, the river was running at around 15,000 CFS or about 6 feet, which is fairly high. The waves were huge and the drops were huge! With rapid names like Killer Fang, Grim Reaper, and Bloody Mary...well, use your imagination!

Artistic shot


Blue skies by the end of Day #1


On Friday, we did a "practice" run on the upper 9 mile section from the Nine Mile put-in. It was a rip-rockin' time...fun without any swimmers...but our luck was going to change....

Congratulations Meghan!

My best friend since high school, Meghan, just graduated with a second bachelor's degree from Westfield College! She completed this challenge while working full-time! Way to go Meg!!!

Tony wants to know...

Tony, a fellow STR member, sent me this message the other day...so I'm going to answer him. Here goes...Tony's message is in italics. My answers follow.

(disclaimer: By the way, let me say that I am not an expert in the physics/mechanics of bicycles. I only know what it feels like to me when I ride. So, this answer isn't going to be all technical with discussions of angles of tire incidence, tire contact patches, and the like. Hope it helps anyone who wants to know about 29ers or trail bikes.)

Hey Steph,
This is Tony, I met you on the camping trip. Now that you have spent ample time on your Niner, and especially now that you have ridden both that and your Yeti at Hurkey Creek I have a request. This could even be an interesting blog update for you.

So far, so good...factual.

I would like to know your opinions on the strengths and weakness of the handling and performance between your Niner and 575. Which bike is a better climber for moderately technical climbs like Keen climb?

Keep in mind that comparing the Niner with the 575 is difficult because one is a hardtail while one is a long-ish travel full suspension bike. HTs, by nature, will outperform some aspects of FS bikes (ex: climbing), for example.

However, I can say that it was much easier for me to climb Keen Camp on the Niner. The larger tires roll over obstacles in a much smoother manner. I know everyone says that, but I have found it to be true for me. Also, the Niner is a HT...that helped A LOT! The Yeti is also a lot heavier than the Niner by at least 5 lbs. That doesn't sound like enough to make a difference on the climbs, but I can tell.

Which bike gives you more confidence in sandy rutted twisty descents like Exfoliator?

Hmm...the Yeti wins on this comparison. Having the extra suspension in the rear (I run the Talas 36 on the Yeti almost exclusively in 100mm and the F29 on the Niner is 100mm too...only difference is the through axle on the Talas makes the fork less flexy) makes the ride so plush. I know I can screw something up, and it will still be very forgiving. With that said, I don't think I rode down Exfoliator that much slower. In a race situation, I would rather sacrifice a little bit of descending speed for what I'd make up in the climbs on the HT.

Now, if the descent is really technical (in the rocks, roots, obstacles sense), I think that the Niner holds its own. We recently rode Gabrielino trail in the San Gabes twice in about 1 month's time. First ride was on the Niner. Second ride on the Yeti. I was FAR LESS beat after riding the Yeti. I descended much slower on the Niner...every rock seemed to ping-pong the back of the bike around (which I'm used to since I learned how to ride on a HT). It's just more exhausting. We also didn't do as much climbing as ride #1 (Niner) so I may not have been feeling as worked due to other factors.

Do you notice a difference in acceleration between the 2 wheel sizes, or does the suspension from the 26er negate that?

I am pretty good at pushing a big gear. Too good sometimes. I will often forget to give my legs a break and spin in an easier gear because I am able to ride in a harder one. Often times, this will tire out my legs.

My point is that for a rider who can push a bigger gear, getting up to speed on the Niner seems not to be very difficult. I feel like (again, my opinion) I climb much better on the Niner overall. "Okay", you might say, "but that's because the Niner is a HT." True, but when I raced XC at Fontana a few months ago, I did two races on a HT Stumpy (26" wheels). I cleaned stuff on the Niner that I couldn't on the Stumpy. AND, I rode faster up hills.

Does the added stability of the Niner work against you in moving the bike around the trail at speed?

In my opinion, not at all! In fact, descending a smooth-ish or even semi-rough trail on the Niner is great BECAUSE it is pretty stable. I feel like it tracks better. Therefore, I am smoother and don't need to make as many big adjustments on the descents.

If you had to do last months race (Idyllwild Spring Challenge) again, would you chose the same bike, why?

I would absolutely choose the NINER again! I have raced the Yeti (Keyesville Classic Stage Race) before. It was the best all-around bike for the task (DH, short track, XC)--though if I did it again, I would sacrifice time in the DH and do the race on the Niner. Racing a 29 lb full suspension bike with plush travel sucked. It was hard and quite tiring on the climbs. I bombed the downhills, but lost time on the climbs.

Pure and simple, the Niner is more efficient because of two things: no rear suspension and bigger wheels.

I have been riding 29ers for 2 years and have always had some problems with aspect of their handling, while loving others. I am currently looking to pick up a 575 because I want something more agile that can handle bigger drops than my Leviathan was designed for. You probably don't have the same issues of frame and wheel flex as a heavier rider would, but you have enough experience on those 2 bikes that I think it will be interesting.

What about a JET9? Canzo?

I really love both bikes, given they are applied to the right sorts of trails or races. When I ride the Yeti, I think "this is my favorite bike!" When I ride the Niner, it's the same. If you want something to handle bigger drops and give you a smoother overall ride (able to cruise over obstacles with ease yet not get killed on the climbs like a DH bike would do), then the Yeti is the better option. If you want pedaling efficiency, low weight, and don't mind a rougher ride, I'd say a 29er hardtail fits the bill.

Now, though, those 4-ish" travel 29ers could be the best of both worlds. I hear a lot of people say they can never go back to 26" wheels. Hogwash! Sure you can, but you have to be willing to adjust your riding style and be flexible. I know that each bike, in my case, has distinct advantages and drawbacks. I know, for example, when I ride the Yeti, I have the confidence to hit bigger things, to really tackle the technical trails with ease.

I have found that I was able to clean all but about 3 switchbacks on Holy Jim on the Niner, which was something I couldn't do on the Yeti. The Niner seems to handle switchbacks pretty well. Also, when I raced in Idyllwild, I cleaned a lot of climbs on Lower Southridge that I had to walk up on the Yeti (these included significant technical challenges as well).

This assignment has no deadline, and no maximum or minimum word count. Hopefully, myself and others can get some insight from your experiences.

Thanks,
Tony

Well, I hope this has given you some insight! All I can say is that really, there are so many different variables between the Yeti 575 and the Niner AIR9 that could make me think one is better than the other: weight, travel options, application (race vs. fun)! I would borrow someone's Yeti and take it for a ride. Really put it through it's paces...then you'll know if it's right for you!

Bike to Work Day!

Since I started the Bike to Work thread on STR, I figured I had better ride to work to avoid public shame

Actually, I contemplated that for me to make it to work on time (7:30), I'd have to leave for work by 5:30 at the latest to make it from home to work. Not going to happen.

So, I made a compromise: drive in part way, park at my friend Laura's house, and then ride the rest of the way to work. Not the greatest, but it was something, I figured.

I have ridden on the road a fair amount. Usually, I find my mind is paying attention to cars and random scenery. For some reason, though, today's short ride was to prove to be an avenue for contemplation about all sorts of random things, too lengthy to list here (and frankly, I can't remember them all)!

BTW day begins...


My bike of choice today


What I do know is that I learned some lessons...

Lesson #1...clothing counts

Not in the "oh-I-am-dressed-so-cute" way, but rather the "classical conditioning" way. Pavlovian, sort of. I chose to ride my Niner to work since I knew it would be a fairly short ride. I dressed in trail riding gear. My brain expected a trail ride. D'oh!

Self-portrait


Lesson #2...drivers can be too nice (kinda)

I came up to a "T" intersection and the light was red. It was 6:30 in the morning. Not a lot of cars on the road. I wasn't heavy enough to trip the sensor and make the light change. I watched it cycle through twice without going green. The car behind me gave me sooo much room (2 car lengths) that he didn't trip the sensor either. I finally coaxed him up closer and was on my way in no time.

Pit stop at Performance...Micro is there to greet me (said I was 3rd or 4th rider of the day) and hand me some swag


Lesson #3...street names can be deceiving

I work on Hilltop. I rode almost all the way along Hilltop. I spent a lot of time climbing.

Photo-op


Lesson #4...sweating

No matter how hard I tried to not pedal hard and attack the hills for fear of arriving at work a sweaty mess, I couldn't help it. Baby wipes to the rescue!

Lesson #5...always look both ways

No, I didn't have a close call. Actually, I was looking for my right turn onto Peppertree. As I approached the intersection that I thought might be it, I looked at the street sign on the left. G Street. Not yet, I thought. Until I was a block past and realized it's G Street on the west side and Peppertree on the east. Oops

West side


East side


Lesson #6...perspective is everything

Being on my bike and waiting for a lot of lights gave me time to observe a lot of drivers. I drive about 40 miles round trip to work. I drive. I probably have some bad habits. But what I saw with people driving today made me cringe. You name it, I probably saw it.

A nicer perspective




Lesson #7...trying something new can be scary

...but in the end, it's more the fear of the unknown that scares you. I had never commuted to work before. I was nervous about taking the rights clothes, choosing a safe route, not forgetting anything, how much of my lunch I could fit in my pack, etc. Despite fretting a tiny bit, it all worked out great. I see the beginning of a new trend.....

I was thinking of exploring...


All in all, I only rode 12.5 miles (no idea about elevation gain) but...if I do the route 3 times a week, it'll be like parking my car at home for one whole day. And, I managed to squeak in a whole hour of cardio that I otherwise may have had to go to the gym for. And one of the best parts...I hyped up Bike to Work Day in my classroom the past two days. My students naturally asked if I would be riding. I was honest and said only part way. Only 6 miles, I said. "Whoa! 6 miles!! That's far!!!" they exclaimed.

Hope everyone enjoyed the day!