Paddling in the New Year

I'm told that we're expecting Winter any day now . . .

On January 1, Eric, Lou, BenT and Rich did some laps on the Top Yough, which had some good flow. Some of us were supposed to go someplace a little more adventurous, but some of us also partied like rock stars the previous night. No matter, the Top was still a blast, especially the always-exciting Swallow Falls. On the way back to town, Eric stuffed the bed of the F-150 with as much firewood as it would carry, and then some. This guy really likes his wood.

Drew is in town, doing a marketing internship at WV, and living it up in the whitehouse. He's been showing us that, no, it's not too cold to go playboating, so long as you don't mind getting sick. He'll be picking up a creek boat in the very near future.

Yesterday the Big Sandy was just high enough to be worth the drive out and the beat down on your car that the shuttle provides. Lou, who's turning into a real cfs snob, tried to rope Astrid into going to the Top, but she was Lame, and went to a "farm show" instead. Astrid, I hope you got rained on and that a donkey shat on your shoes. No I don't. Nobody deserves to get rained on.

Anyway, the Big Sandy turned out to be a wicked cool time. Lou, BenT, Rich, Dave, and two of BenT's friends bumper-boated their way down the slalom-o-riffic whitewater of West Virginia's best class IV run. We ran into Wade, of Yoga fame, at the put-in, and he showed us that you're never too old, and it's never too cold, for Big Splat.

Well, that's all for now. Expect updates soon, especially about the progress of the online store, due to launch any day now, and Lou's impending suicide owing to his frustration over the appalling lack of snow.

Lou