LOCHSA SEASON!

This summer I managed to land one of the best jobs ever. I was a photographer for ROW Rafting on the Lochsa River this season and I got to kayak my freaking brains out. Big water has been a challenge for me ever since I started kayaking and this season I got a chance to push my boundaries in a big way. My job required me to start taking picture around 1 in the afternoon on days when there were rafting trips, allowing me to spend my morning on the river or hiking with my dog, and experiencing some of the coolest big water I've ever gotten to paddle.

The Lochsa is around 24 miles of big water class IV that flows in one of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the country. The entire run is roadside and has some incredible whitewater that has its way with the rafts on an almost daily basis during rafting season.

Lochsa Falls...

going...

Going...

Going...

GONE!!!!

Not only did I get to paddle big water everyday, but Fish Creek, a busy little nonstop class IV creek that runs into the Lochsa. Not only did it provide some great creeking for me before work, it also gave the raft guides a nice change of pace on their days off...

Raft beat down on Fish Creek, they took this one like champs...


Playboating down Fish Creek...

While there was great creeking and big water, the big draw of the lochsa is some huge surfing waves...

Big bounce on a big Lochsa Wave

I also learned during my summer on the Lochsa that raft guides are not immune to the booty beer, check out Ben taking one to the face...


ROW held a few overnighters on the Lochsa, allowing guests to campout and drink a few at their schwanky campsite on an island in the river. They forgot the satellite telephone one night and that gave me an opportunity to give my dog Sammy her first whitewater experience.

Jess hanging onto a nervous Sammy Dog...

Navigating the ducky

Jess's infamous costume bag provided some entertainment for the evening...

On Memorial Day there is usually high water on the Lochsa and throngs of river rats descend on the gorge for some craziness. Near the end of this video our manager for the season, Jess Evans-Wall, flips her raft and dumps her customers. Enjoy the carnage