Super - sunny - solid weekend.
43 boaters participated on both Saturday AND Sunday.
Next Adventure treated everyone to beverages and a barbeque at the Noahs Rafting Warehouse at the conclusion of both days.
NA also printed up some sweet ORT T-shirts so everyone that signed up for the race went home with gear.
Bart from Noahs http://www.noahsrafting.com/ was once again a gracious host by providing camping, shelter, TRANSPORTATION, and another bonfire that aroused even the local firefighting officials....
Rogue Klamath River Adventureshttp://www.rogueklamath.com/, and Momentum River Trips http://www.momentumriverexpeditions.com/took time out of their busy schedules to both compete and provide shuttle vans.
Zach from Sundance River Trips was able to haul 6 catarafts to and from the river both days.
The river community from Southern Oregon came together to enjoy each other's company and then get after it with some rippin whitewater racin!
All classes started simultaneously in a head to head mass start just a few hundred meters above Class IV+ Caldera Rapid.
A crew from Noahs was literally bumping along side the ORT Red Team as we dropped into the frothy beast. (see pics above)
ORT busted the ledge hole and went left of the infamous Mushroom Rock, while Noahs took a slightly more conservative line to the right. The left line turned out to be faster as ORT surged ahead with a crew of Momentum guides and Zach in a cataraft breathing down our necks. Zach would chase us the remaining 6 miles finishing just 20 seconds behind ORT.
The final results of the first ever "organized" race down the Upper Klamath.
Commercial Rafts:
1st Momentum River Trips
2nd Noahs River Trips
3rd Rogue Klamath River Adventures
4th ORT Co-ed
5th and 1st place Women, Noahs Women.
1st place Cataraft and second overall Zach Collier of Sundance River Trips.
2nd place Cat and 3rd overall Pete from Momentum.
1st overall : ORT
Many cat-boaters, a shredder, 3 kayakers, and a few R2s provided safety throughout the 6 mile canyon section of the Upper Klamath.
Cant wait until next year!
The Western Whitewater Championship Series rolls on-
Hope to see everyone on the Cal Salmon May 1st through the 3rd!
Blog photos courtesy of Zach Collier, Luke Spencer, and Jeff Wishard of http://www.activeimagesphotography.com/
