a weekend on the french broad

i spent last weekend in asheville, with my friends aaron and jenni, kayaking pretty much the entire time.  paddled a small section of the french broad on friday evening - into the dark, which really was no fun once it got dark.  the worst part about friday night was when we arrived at the take out, there were police everywhere.  we were asked to wait for a detective to question us, an hour and half later - we told johny law why we were there, and found out a body had been found down river a few hundred yards.  crazy stuff.  

once they realized we weren't the murders, only simple kayakers who desperately wanted to go drink beer, they let us off the hook and we were free to go.  saturday we made our way to hendersonville and put our boats back in french broad once again.  we paddled through strong wind and icy rain, but then the sun came out - and everything was  once again peaceful.  we spent the night on an island, close to a river access so that jenni and amadeus (the dog, not the famous classical composer) could join us for the night.  it worked out pretty well, we had plenty of beer to drink, and didn't have to carry it all day with us.  we cooked up some white chicken chilli in the dutch oven for dinner, which may very well be the best dutch oven meal yet.

i was forced to sleep in my tent this trip, as temperatures were near freezing, and i don't yet have the proper insulation to stay warm in a hammock below 45.  i hate sleeping in tents.  hopefully that will never happen again - i am due to receive a few pieces of insulating gear from the folks at ENO in exchange for some lovely photos of them in use.  can't wait to never sleep on the ground again…. 

sunday was a long paddle - we had to do 14 miles, which we did with the wind blowing in our faces almost the entire way - it was brutal.  the highlight of the day, aside from spending the day paddling, was lunch - laughing cow cheese, sun dried tomato flavor, and rosemary & olive oil triscuits.  delicious.  we made it back to the landing around 3, very tired and ready to be done paddling.  all in all it was a good trip, but we will probably paddle a more remote section next time, the last 6 miles or so, through asheville and wood fin, left something to be desired….  enjoy the gallery below.

 

rain threatens  

moonrise kingdom

last thursday night, i took a trip out to the north end of folly beach.  i knew there were a few trees out at the end of the island that were good subjects for my dead tree project, and the moon was due to rise around 11 - which i wanted to catch as well.  i spent about 3 hours shooting around, and came up with some pretty decent stuff.  i shot alot before the moon came up, but decided the post moonrise images worked better, i even got some good moonlit landscapes towards the end of the night. check out the images below. click on the images to see them full size.

the ravenel bridge from the north end of folly island

indian summer

charleston has experienced some amazing weather the past week, and i needed to take advantage of it.  highs in the upper 70's and lows in the 60's make for perfect camping weather.  i put together a last minute plan for a trip wednesday evening and invited my old house mate forrest to join me.  we paddled from limehouse landing on the stono up into one of the marshes that empty into the river.  i had plans to simply scout for some more trees to shoot, but couldn't help doing one.  although i like the image below - i all ready have plans to revisit and shoot from the opposite bank - to get the reflection of the tree in the water as well.  i also put together another time-lapse of forrest and i setting up camp, prepping dinner and drinking a few beers. enjoy.

capers solo trip

i finally found time on the last day of september to get my monthly capers island trip in. the afternoon of sept 30th, i cleared my work schedule - a little easier than it is for most - and quickly packed the essentials for an overnight trip to my favorite barrier island.  the essentials included my hammock, a six pack of beer, two cameras, two tripods, a mt house meal (always at the ready) and a few other items.  i headed out around 3 to catch the ebb tide, which began around 4.  as i was just about to push off, a fellow paddler came around the creek bend - seemingly to pull out.  i started talking to him, and it turns out he was crashing on capers that evening as well, but had forgotten the majority of his food in his truck.  he had been all the way to capers all ready, and had to make the trip twice to get his forgotten provisions.  i gave him a few tips on where to camp, and said i would see him out there.  i took the scenic route to capers this time, paddling through the marshes surrounding the intracoastal waterway (ICW) before heading to the inlet and around the front.  as i paddled through the inlet, i could see that the surf was up, and to get to my favorite spot i would need to paddle into it.  i pulled off in the calmer waters of the inlet, and put on my skirt to keep the crashing waves out of the cockpit.  as i pulled around the front of the island and into the surf i saw the same paddler i had met at the landing, who had taken the direct route to the island and beat me to the beach.  as i bounced around in the surf, with a 3 foot swell and fully loaded boat, i watched as he caught the perfect wave and made a safe dry landing on the beach.  that was my plan too, but of course it didn't work out that way for me.  i paddled down the island through the surf a quarter mile or so past his landing to my favorite spot, waited for a smaller wave, and caught a ride on it.  about half way to shore, my boat began to turn into the wave and i was unable to compensate i was being surfed sideways, and before i knew it, i was upside down in the surf zone.  without even thinking i set up for my roll, snapped my hips, threw my head back and was back upright again.  i was able to turn straight to shore and paddle the last 50 yards or so with out a problem.  i have always wondered if i could roll my boat fully loaded with gear, but i never wanted to end up with all my gear wet - so i never have tried it - now i know i can.  i set up my first camera - and let it fire shots as i set up camp for the night - check out the video to see the results - not too exciting but cool anyway.  

i got set up at my campsite, which has the perfect tree for hanging in a hammock, lit a fire to boil water, and drank a few beers.  suddenly there were small kids running down the beach - followed by men in polos and women in sun dresses.  a tour boat had dropped them off at the inlet and they had strolled down the beach to invade my privacy - this happens pretty often, but they usually leave within 20 minutes, so they don't get left behind by the tour boat.  

ryan, the other paddler down the beach, was hiking down the beach and stopped to chat for a while, i invited him to have a beer (harpoon comes in cans now!) and he said he would stop by on his way back.  as the sun dropped low in the sky, and the tourists left our paradise, i took a few shots of the last light (below).  ryan stopped back through again, we had a beer and decided to keep each other company while we ate dinner around the fire.  he was a pretty interesting guy - tried to through hike the AT, made it about 500 miles and decided to call it after 10 straight days of rain.  he said he has plans to finish it, just not sure when.  as we ran out of beer and the fire died down, we said so long, and i headed out for my evening hike.  

 

sunset from the south end of capers

when the tide is out, you can easily walk the beach of capers island from end to end which is about 2 miles.  i hiked the length of the beach, looking for good subjects, and trying not to trip over the various roots, holes and other debris that protruded from the sands.  almost at the other end, i spotted a campfire that was dying down, but the folks who had made it were all ready at rest for the night.  i found a good subject and took a few different angles of it - this was my best effort below.  

some trees at the north end of capers

as i headed back to my own campsite, around 1130, staring at the milky way and not paying attention i came within a foot of walking directly into some one who had hung their hammock in between two trees on the beach.  that would have been an awkward way to wake some one up.  i am guessing it was the same person who's fire i had seen dying down earlier on the way there.  i avoided the hammocker and continued on my way.  as i stared up at the sky, i noticed an odd shape on one of the tree branches - something that didn't look like a stick.  upon further investigation i realized is was a bird who was also sleeping on the beach front.  i was able to snap a few shots using the flashlight again to light the subject, before it woke up and flew away.  it looks pretty eerie agains the night sky with no head showing - i believe it was an osprey.

a sleeping osprey 

when i got back to my camp spot, it was about 1230 - and the tide had started to come in.  i was still quite awake, and knowing that if i waited until sunrise to get going i would be battling the tide and wind on the way back, i decided to break down my gear and head back to the landing right then.  it took me about 45 minutes to get everything together, and i made a cup of tea over the coals real quick to help keep me alert on the paddle back in the darkness.  i got everything loaded up and launched the boat quickly into the surf - which was considerably smaller than when i landed thankfully.  i made it upright through the break and paddled quickly to the inlet - noticing that every time i took a paddle stroke, there was an awesome explosion of bioluminescent dinoflagellates in the water.  i had seen this in puerto rico recently, and once when i was swimming in the outer banks at night about 8 years ago, but this is the first time i got to see it in charleston.  as i paddled through the inlet, the strong incoming tide took over, and all i had to do was sit back and keep the boat heading the proper direction.  i decided to turn the boat around backwards, away from the light pollution that was coming from charleston, and stare at the stars for a bit, while the tide pulled me inland towards the landing.  i stared up at the night sky and witnessed a whole bunch of shooting stars - coupled with my occasional paddle strokes, it made for quite a light show.  i could hear dolphins off in the distance, coming up for air every so often, and i thought it would be awesome to see one swim by and set off the glowing dinoflagellates in the water - but it never happened.  i made it back to the car by 230 am, got it loaded up and was at home in bed be 315 - a long evening paddle for sure.  

the wild and wonderful waters of west virginia

a few weeks back, i headed to wild and wonderful west virginia for my buddies' bachelor party.  we rented a house in summersville, spent the evenings drinking and the days rafting on the gualey river.  on the way there, i stopped at the new river gorge bridge, it is one of the longest single span arch bridges in the world, and i travel over it frequently on my way to and from pennsyltucky, but i had never hiked down to the overlook - this time i did.  i was able to snap a few good images before continuing on my way to the river.  i arrived friday evening to a sweet cabin in the woods, where a few of my friends were all ready pretty tuned up.  we ate and drank far into the evening as everyone trickled in through out the night.  the following morning we re-introduced our selves to don, who was our newly acquainted friend that brought the raft and the experience to get us down the river alive.  after a healthy breakfast, we figured out shuttles and set them, about and hour and half long ordeal, but well worth it in the end.  day one we paddled the lower gauley, the less intense section of water here, but still pretty huge in spots.  six of us set out in the raft along with don, and my brother and his buddy nate paddled their play boats along side us - they were able to get some good footage with go pro strapped to my brothers helmet.  don did a good job whipping us into shape, and soon we were paddling in sync. about halfway through we stopped for lunch at diagonal ledges, which is one of the best surf waves on the river.  jimmy let me get in his play boat and surf the wave - it was awesome, i need a play boat.  we managed keep the boat upright the entire trip, and no one had to swim any of the rapids.  that evening consisted of drinking and eating, followed by more drinking and some old time david allan coe sing alongs - making sure we were thoroughly prepared for the intense trip we had the following day.  sunday morning we managed to get up around 7, don cooked breakfast while the rest of us nursed our hangovers and tried to get gear ready for the upper gauley.  we set shuttles, another hour long trip, and met another new friend chris, who was gracious enough to guide us down the upper section of the river.  this section was quite intense, and luckily we had someone who was quite familiar with the water and what lines we needed to take in all of the rapids.  jimmy got in the raft with us this time, not wanting to kayak the upper with out another kayaker who knew the water a little better than he did.  we ran every rapid smoothly and with out incident and were able to keep everyone in the boat yet again, even through pillow rapid, which is the most intense white water on the river.  we stopped for lunch at sweets falls and had a good time watching rafts flip trying to go through box canyon, a slot just big enough for a raft to sneak through.  after watching numerous people swim here, we decided we were going to attempt it - knowing very well that we were 99% guaranteed to swim as well.  if you watch the video, you'll see the view from the raft and the rock we were on (don filmed it, he didn't want to swim).  the rest of the day went smoothly as usual, and we were off the water by 3.  we deflated the raft and crammed it into the back of the dons car, along with 10 paddles, pfds and helmets - somehow there was still room for a kayak, don and my brother.  everyone else packed up their gear, we all said goodbye, and headed our separate ways.  this was an awesome trip, my first time down the gualey river, and i hope to be back next year to paddle the lower in my kayak.

the video i posted here is a long one - but if ya have 10 more minutes to kill, check it out.  i did a time-lapse of my trip up, mostly through virgina and west virginia, and also one of us drinking around the fire.  the rest is the highlights of the rafting trip, shot mostly by jimmy's go pro.  enjoy it if you have time.  i had originally set the video to john denver and metallica, but lars ulrich found out some how, and decided youtube needed to mute the soundtrack, so i replaced the awesome tunes with stock music google provided.  i recommend queuing up country roads by mr sunshine on my shoulder john denver, and the four horsemen by metallica - and letting them play over the soundtrack on the movie.  enjoy.

 

the ocean state

sloane and i spent last weekend in the great state of rhode island, for the engagement party of her brother and his fiancé.  we stayed in east greenwich, RI - which is where her parents have a condo.  surprisingly this is only my second visit to rhode island, usually when we visit her family we head to vermont, where her parents have a home in the mountains.  friday night sloane and i met our friends kris and jana, who used to live in charleston, out in providence for dinner and got to catch up with them a bit.  jana is quite pregnant currently, but she managed to stay up until midnight with us - which was great.  the next morning we had some time before the party, so sloane and i took a walk around east greenwich.  it seems to be a typical small new england town, although i haven't been to very many, so I could be way off.  the condo her parents own has a great view of greenwich bay and goddard state park, which you will see in the sunrise image below.  the view is occasionally interrupted by a commuter train, which are surprisingly quiet and fast, but for the most part it is quite fantastic.  the party started at 3ish and went well into the morning - and i had the chance to meet all the people i will be in the wedding with.  sunday morning was a bit rough, due to the overconsumption of alcohol.  we had breakfast and laid around lazily for a few hours.  one of sloanes bff's from college was in town, so she stopped by for a visit - she had no idea we were about to have a motor scooter afternoon.  we took the whelan's mopeds over to the park and rode around for a few hours, which i think turned out to be the highlight of the trip for me, those things are fun.  after we were all motored out, we headed back to the house and witnessed the pats destroy the buccaneers and dined on leftovers from the engagement party.  we caught a flight back to chuck town early monday morning.  check out the gallery below for a few shots from around town, and of the scooter adventure in goddard state park.

caw caw full moon paddle

last week was the harvest moon, and the tides were perfect for an evening paddle into my favorite spot at caw caw swamp.  i met my buddy brad at 930, about an hour before high tide, at the put in.  we got on the water right away, and we were quickly heading into the swamp.  the night was perfect - no wind at all - which allowed for a glassy surface on the water, and resulted in amazing reflections of the grass, trees and night sky.  i was able to get a pretty good time-lapse of the trip, as well as a few photos of the trees, painted with light.  this place is pretty amazing, and i hadn't yet paddled the complete loop in the dark yet, which i was quite excited to experience.  we got to see a lot of egrets and herons in the distance, but most of them were scared off by the sound of my shutter, firing every five seconds, so we never got very close to them.  the time-lapse was shot at the highest iso my camera could handle, which is why the images are so degraded, but it still gets the point across.  i was also able to capture a few good images of some of the dead trees that are scattered through out the swamp.  these images were six second exposures - shot from the tripod head mounted to my kayak - while i was in the boat, and it was still in the water.  i was quite surprised at how still i could stay by running the boat into some saw grass and bracing with my knees.  brad helped me out by going off to my right and using his flashlight to paint the trees and give the images that sweet lighting that i was hoping to achieve.  if you look close at the top of the tree in the first still image, you will see a nest.  this is an osprey nest, and we were really hoping one of the birds would be in the nest, but it seems they weren't home that evening.  we finished up our trip as the tide began to quickly drain out of the swamp, around 1 in the morning.  it was long night, but well worth it.  check out the video and images in the gallery for a better look.

caw caw harvest moon paddle time-lapse

capers island in august

i have been frequenting capers island this summer, and instead of doing multiple posts, i decided to smash my most recent two trips into one.  i got sloane out the first weekend of august and then went back the end of that week to spend the night with some friends.  sloane and i just spent the afternoon on the inlet side of the island, where i erected my hammock tarp as a sunshade using the kayak paddles.  it worked incredibly well, once i had it all staked out, and was pretty important in our ability to stay out, since it was a 106 degree heat index.  later that week, i met up with my friends brad and beth and chelsea, and we spent the night out there - which was awesome.  the spot we stayed at came complete with a tree house type platform to hang out on, and an abundance of drift wood to burn and make benches with.  for dinner we had brad's famous dutch oven chili, with cornbread baked on top.  we attempted a hike to the brackish impoundment on the island, but were chased out by about a billion mosquitoes.  the night was perfect for hanging in the hammock, and i got up early to catch the sunrise, as i always do out there.  one of the the videos below is a quick time lapse i did of the sun rising, and the other is of a dolphin we tracked down on our paddle back to the landing.  it seemed to be digging for crabs in the tidal flats, and could care less about our presence.  it was some sea world stuff - we could have reached out and touched this guy, but we didn't want to disturb it - anymore than we all ready were (please ignore my horrible commentary).

uttbk - in charleston

sloane turned 27 the other weekend - not a very momentous birthday, usually.   this one was though.  two of her best friends, nikki and martha, from highschool flew down to visit for an extended weekend.  along with nikki, came her husband and our friend, matteo - who happens to be an amazing chef.  nikki and matteo operate a supper club in brooklyn, new york - under the table brooklyn.  if you live in ny, or will be visiting, you should book a dinner, you won't be disappointed.  so sloane, nikki, martha, matteo and myself - put on a dinner party in our backyard.  there was some serious planning that went into this event, and sloane loved every minute of it.  matteo and i spent an entire morning shopping for the ingredients, which whenever possible were local.  sloane, martha and nikki set up the backyard and designed the tables/settings.  the dinner, which matteo prepared by himself for ten people, was six courses of awesomeness. his creations are pictured below in the gallery, the menu that explains it all is the first image.  i set up a quick food set in my home studio and shot everything right before we enjoyed devouring it.  we ate and drank like kings, and when we were done, sloane beat the crap out of a pinata with a stick, sending starburst and pixie sticks in flying in a 30 foot radius.  i found about 40 the following morning, all wet and slimy from the rain that night.