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| by Cody Howard June 10-18, 2007 |
"Welcome to the rest of the river!" Johnnie Kern said to me as we drop into another little
mini-gorge of boulder mank. Its day three, and our group of 7 is in the thick of it, on
Middle Kings. This river, the Middle Kings, has been named as one of the hardest
multi-day runs in America, and thats not including the hike in. Our journey began on a
Saturday night when Ben and I received a message, stating "we are putting on Middle
Kings on Sunday.....meet us in El Portal". With that we stopped our daily runs of Cherry
Creek and proceeded to take an afternoon off to rig our "Kayak Backpacks". A pizza
was thrown in and we were on the road in a packed car with Rok Sribar, Johnnie Kern
and Culley Thomas. The group had been driving for a total of 19 hours that day, and
we were on our final push to Bishop Trail Head.
mini-gorge of boulder mank. Its day three, and our group of 7 is in the thick of it, on
Middle Kings. This river, the Middle Kings, has been named as one of the hardest
multi-day runs in America, and thats not including the hike in. Our journey began on a
Saturday night when Ben and I received a message, stating "we are putting on Middle
Kings on Sunday.....meet us in El Portal". With that we stopped our daily runs of Cherry
Creek and proceeded to take an afternoon off to rig our "Kayak Backpacks". A pizza
was thrown in and we were on the road in a packed car with Rok Sribar, Johnnie Kern
and Culley Thomas. The group had been driving for a total of 19 hours that day, and
we were on our final push to Bishop Trail Head.
| THE CREW. Left to Right: Nathan Hunkapiller, Ben Hawthorne, Johnnie Kern, Rok Sribar, Ambrose Tuscano, Culley Thomas, Cody Howard |
After receiving the bad news that our donkeys were a "no go" due to some crap
about altitude. We had a restless night, anticipating the long hike over Bishop Pass.
The hike took us the entire day, starting around 10-11am. Some random stops and
naps along the way we finally made it over and down into the canyon.
about altitude. We had a restless night, anticipating the long hike over Bishop Pass.
The hike took us the entire day, starting around 10-11am. Some random stops and
naps along the way we finally made it over and down into the canyon.
| Cody on the first major slide |
Day One of the Middle Kings, ended up being the highlight day on the river. A brutal
beginning of low flow and rock bashing, made our group wonder if we were going to
have boats left at the end of the day. But after a couple of side streams entered and
long twisting valleys, we dropped into our first little gorge. It was a tight entry and a
sweet slide. Rok opted to run the entry while the rest of the group portaged. A wise
move, since Rok had a rough time in there. Further on downstream was Squeeze Play.
A tight ten footer that i decided was a go. It tossed me around but i came up smiling.
beginning of low flow and rock bashing, made our group wonder if we were going to
have boats left at the end of the day. But after a couple of side streams entered and
long twisting valleys, we dropped into our first little gorge. It was a tight entry and a
sweet slide. Rok opted to run the entry while the rest of the group portaged. A wise
move, since Rok had a rough time in there. Further on downstream was Squeeze Play.
A tight ten footer that i decided was a go. It tossed me around but i came up smiling.
| Left: Rok on the "Big Ass Slide" Right: Ambrose in Devils Washbowl |
Then we were presented with the "choice drop" of the run. A sweet double drop that
had multiple lines down the entrance. Rok stepped up and ran it, but was shot to the
middle and rocket into the air at the bottom. Barely recovering, he made the second
drop and hurried to shore. Johnnie decided he might as well run it, and gave it a go.
Dropping in on the river right line, John rolled and barely recovered, nearly missing a
disaster. Standing there, just watching Johnnie Kern and Rok Sribar, both getting
jacked up and near misses, i wondered why the hell i was still considering running the
drop!!!! But all was well, when i stuck the far left line with Johnnie cheering from the
Band Stands!
The remainder of the group ran the falls clean and we continued on downstream.
Entering more mini-gorges and beautiful scenery. We arrived at a couple of drops that i
remember from videos as "the Teacups". Although they had no resemblance of any
teacup i have seen before....damn camera angles. This would end up being our last
push to camp 1. We finally made it through the junk, and pulled off right above a
massive slide. This would serve as one the best campgrounds i have ever stayed at.
You could hear the roar of the slide, and sit there calmly, knowing that you were going
to run it in the morning, while eating your Top Ramen. Pretty cool feeling. The stories
came out as the camp fire burned.
The coolest part about being in there with Johnnie was the stories of his last descent
down the canyon, 10 years ago. That run was the Second Descent of the gorge, and
the 1st Modern Day Descent of it.
had multiple lines down the entrance. Rok stepped up and ran it, but was shot to the
middle and rocket into the air at the bottom. Barely recovering, he made the second
drop and hurried to shore. Johnnie decided he might as well run it, and gave it a go.
Dropping in on the river right line, John rolled and barely recovered, nearly missing a
disaster. Standing there, just watching Johnnie Kern and Rok Sribar, both getting
jacked up and near misses, i wondered why the hell i was still considering running the
drop!!!! But all was well, when i stuck the far left line with Johnnie cheering from the
Band Stands!
The remainder of the group ran the falls clean and we continued on downstream.
Entering more mini-gorges and beautiful scenery. We arrived at a couple of drops that i
remember from videos as "the Teacups". Although they had no resemblance of any
teacup i have seen before....damn camera angles. This would end up being our last
push to camp 1. We finally made it through the junk, and pulled off right above a
massive slide. This would serve as one the best campgrounds i have ever stayed at.
You could hear the roar of the slide, and sit there calmly, knowing that you were going
to run it in the morning, while eating your Top Ramen. Pretty cool feeling. The stories
came out as the camp fire burned.
The coolest part about being in there with Johnnie was the stories of his last descent
down the canyon, 10 years ago. That run was the Second Descent of the gorge, and
the 1st Modern Day Descent of it.
He had tales of longer boats and high water lines. Pretty sweet. Rok had stories of
Kenny Gould, hiking out in the middle of the run, to get some pizza!
So we woke in the morning and had a wake-up-water drop...the "big ass slide". Turned
out that the slide was better than the scout, and i gave it a go. A fast race around the
corner and i was shooting over rooster tails and skipping arcoss the pool. Ambrose
followed, along with Ben and Rok's hero route. Culley, who had not felt comfortable at
all, opted to start hiking on the trail. He ended up
beating us down river, and started the portaging.
I'm just going to skip ahead 3 days...because, they turned out to be bashing, portaging
and ultimately unrunnable. Highlights from these days would be:
1. Ben's 2 swims, 1 being in flatwater.
2. Some random fun boulder gardens.
3. Pulling over for camp.
4. More gorges
This should bring us just about to the point where our Middle Kings would turn into a
mis-adventure. Ben and I ran a drop and Rok followed. After running it clean, I turned
around to see Rok upside down floating through the eddy and on down through a
class V+ sieve. His boat jarred and his body flung out of the water. A horrifying sight,
while there was nothing that i could do from inside my boat. Trow bag littered the sky,
and Rok tumbled downstream. People where yelling and chasing him as he finally
exited out of his boat. Thankfully he beached himself on an island while his boat
washed into a death sieve.
This swim shook up the group and we proceeded to portage just about everything on
down to the confluence with the South Fork. I'm not going to go into the horrendous
details, but i'll sum it up. 2 hikers, 5 boaters, 6 boats, poison oak and shitty rapids and
2 more days to get out. But we ended up making it out, Rok and Culley hit the trail at
Yucca Point and the remaining group paddled on down through Kings Canyon.
Afterwards, we hit up Arby's and the 7 Eleven for some Brews. Johnnie hooked it up
and drove Ben and I back to El Portal. Somewhere along the road, Ben and I thought
that it would be a good idea to continue our journey to Upper Cherry. Departing with
Johnnie in El Portal, he continued to meet up with a party on the Main T and we pushed
on to Groveland. Morning came and we rallied for the hike into Upper Cherry.
Upper Cherry ended up being just as classic as expected, and we bombed down it.
Literally. The low flows added to the "bombing sesh". I slacked on the photos, but
scored some awesome footage of the run. Check out the video for that documentation.
A 16 hour drive back to Phoenix was the conclusion to my spring, and The Ultimate
Double Header.
Kenny Gould, hiking out in the middle of the run, to get some pizza!
So we woke in the morning and had a wake-up-water drop...the "big ass slide". Turned
out that the slide was better than the scout, and i gave it a go. A fast race around the
corner and i was shooting over rooster tails and skipping arcoss the pool. Ambrose
followed, along with Ben and Rok's hero route. Culley, who had not felt comfortable at
all, opted to start hiking on the trail. He ended up
beating us down river, and started the portaging.
I'm just going to skip ahead 3 days...because, they turned out to be bashing, portaging
and ultimately unrunnable. Highlights from these days would be:
1. Ben's 2 swims, 1 being in flatwater.
2. Some random fun boulder gardens.
3. Pulling over for camp.
4. More gorges
This should bring us just about to the point where our Middle Kings would turn into a
mis-adventure. Ben and I ran a drop and Rok followed. After running it clean, I turned
around to see Rok upside down floating through the eddy and on down through a
class V+ sieve. His boat jarred and his body flung out of the water. A horrifying sight,
while there was nothing that i could do from inside my boat. Trow bag littered the sky,
and Rok tumbled downstream. People where yelling and chasing him as he finally
exited out of his boat. Thankfully he beached himself on an island while his boat
washed into a death sieve.
This swim shook up the group and we proceeded to portage just about everything on
down to the confluence with the South Fork. I'm not going to go into the horrendous
details, but i'll sum it up. 2 hikers, 5 boaters, 6 boats, poison oak and shitty rapids and
2 more days to get out. But we ended up making it out, Rok and Culley hit the trail at
Yucca Point and the remaining group paddled on down through Kings Canyon.
Afterwards, we hit up Arby's and the 7 Eleven for some Brews. Johnnie hooked it up
and drove Ben and I back to El Portal. Somewhere along the road, Ben and I thought
that it would be a good idea to continue our journey to Upper Cherry. Departing with
Johnnie in El Portal, he continued to meet up with a party on the Main T and we pushed
on to Groveland. Morning came and we rallied for the hike into Upper Cherry.
Upper Cherry ended up being just as classic as expected, and we bombed down it.
Literally. The low flows added to the "bombing sesh". I slacked on the photos, but
scored some awesome footage of the run. Check out the video for that documentation.
A 16 hour drive back to Phoenix was the conclusion to my spring, and The Ultimate
Double Header.
| A different point of view....Rok |
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