Recent Posts from Zach
Exploring rivers in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
Much of my guiding career was spent working with my friend Vladimir Gavrilov on California’s Tuolumne River. Vlad lived in the Soviet Union before moving to the U.S. in 1991 and explored many of its whitewater rivers. I joined him in the Sayan Mountains of southern Siberia for a commercial trip the Kaa-Khem River in 2001. After that trip I wanted to see more rivers of the former Soviet Union. After watching some of Vlad’s videos from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan I decided it was time to...
Whitewater Kayaking on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River
The Middle Fork of the Salmon River is so well-known that it is simply referred to as the "Middle Fork." It has jaw-dropping scenery, world-class fishing, hot springs, great camp sites, and wildlife. Whitewater kayakers appreciate the continuous whitewater punctuated with a few big rapids each day. There are also some great play spots and tons of catch-on-the-fly surf waves. What to Expect Beginning at the Boundary Creek Launch Site, the whitewater is continuous and challenging through Pistol Creek Rapid at mile 22. Below Pistol Creek...
Plants and Wildflowers of the Illinois River
One of the "Outstandingly Remarkable Values" that contributed to the designation of the Illinois River as a National Wild and Scenic River is botany. Some of the plants and wildflowers are common and others are rare adaptations to the serpentine geology. Tolmie's Star Tulip These beautiful flowers are also known as pussy ears. They grow from an underground bulb every year which helps them survive wildfires. Rock Cress This rare and endangered plant is typically found growing in rock outcroppings. There are several species that grow...
The Creature Craft
A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity row a Creature Craft down California’s North Fork of the Smith River. These unique inflatable boats were inspired by an unflippable Russian whitewater boat known as the Bublik (Russian “bagel”). The Bublik has two large bagel shaped tubes separated by a wood frame that is typically crafted at put-in. This unflippable Russian boat design allows Russians explorers to run many of the large volume, continuous rivers found in Siberia. The Bublik has the ability to go into big...
A Whitewater Paddler's Guide to Federal Public Lands
Most of the well known whitewater rivers flow through Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, or National Park Service land and many are National Wild and Scenic Rivers. The land surrounding many of the the iconic multi-day river trips are additionally protected as Wilderness or National Monuments. As a user of these public lands it's good to know a little about each designation. Most public lands are managed the United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Managment (BLM), or the National Park Service (NPS). National...
Headwaters of the Mo Chhu Recce
Last year I was shown photos of the headwaters of the Mo Chhu (Female River) near Laya, Bhutan revealing a section of the river that could potentially be kayaked. I immediately began planning a recce. At home we call this a first descent while Bhutan it’s referred to a "recce," a trip to see if a river is feasible for other groups. It is a unique experience to paddle a river that nobody has ever done. The pre-trip planning requires extensive map work as well as...