Final Asheville Adventures and "New" Ones Ahead

Final days in a place are typically not enjoyable. At least when all belongings must be packed, family must be hugged and errands must be run. Fortunately, thats not how I work.

The last day in Asheville began with a pre-dawn drive down to the Green. We put on shortly after the sun came up with our friend Ben Edson. Morning air feels different on the river; as if no one has brushed past it. The rapids felt the same way, ready for kayakers to enjoy and happy to allow us a safe ride through first.

Getting home by 10am meant that all the loose ends of living in a place for 4 months could be tied with a satisfying smile.

That evening I set out on the road with 3 great friends; JP, Sommerville and Steven, for a long road ride on the Parkway. First time riding in pack, I could feel the ease of drafting behind the others as well as enjoy the Hollywood rode through town at the end of the day. The perfect ride really.

Our first stop on the road out west was actually north, in West Virginia. Adam has apparently led a sheltered life, not ever having visited this pristine Appalachian state before.

Perhaps one day you will find yourself driving down West Virginia's Route 19 and smile as you ride over the famous New River Gorge bridge, thinking "Wow, great bridge." Well, you have no idea. Take a minute and at least look at the thing from the visitor center overlooks and you will find yourself wanting to stay longer.

We camped down in the gorge by the river, and paddled down the New River the next day with an

old friend of mine. While we only really spent a day in the valley, we at least drank it in fully.

Next comes one of my favorite parts of the trip so far: Upper Youghiogheny Release. I have been looking forward to taking Adam down my favorite river since we met and finally it happened. Levels were perfect (although they rarely are anything but) and friends were abounding. Each boof and every line were my favorite, and Adam could tell. He said I was glowing (although I rarely do anything but).

And then I prepared for the most grueling, exhausting, hurtful day in the woods I would ever have. More on that later...

Moving West...Again

We hit the road this morning, saying our last goodbyes to all the things we loved about living in Asheville. We only just scratched the surface, making a return visit a must. Already thinking about being back in the fall.

I can't believe everything fit in the forester this time, both adam's and my stuff. I think my car was born in the same factory as Mary Poppins' trunk.


For now, those rushes of excitment about the new places and people flow steadily.

West Virginia hills, Pennsylvania friends, St. Louis museums, Idaho wilderness, and a Little White home.

This is Asheville

Enjoying Asheville

I'm sitting next to my open window with all the benefits of spring blowing right on into my work space. Birds, breeze, sun...the works. Asheville is popping right now. Unfortunately, a week from today I will be driving away from this funky valley. Up and over the Blue Ridge Mountains, I'll have a packed Subaru once again and be on my way North.

Luckily, it is silly to miss Asheville, as I know I'll return soon. Maybe this fall, maybe next spring. Who knows. However, the past few months in the southeast have been the longest amount of time I've spent in this region since I lived in Greenville, SC during elementary school. Experiencing this area as an adult, as a kayaker and as a generally curious person, I will certainly miss many wonderful things. Such as...

• The Green Narrows
• West Asheville Yoga
• Amazing Savings
• Running at Bent Creek
• A new coffee shop for every day (still havn't seen over half of them)
• SO MANY new, awesome friends
• Intellectual Raft Guide dinner parties
• The hanging bed
• The Watauga
• The Rivergypsies...oh wait, i'll see them all over the states
• The winding road to Marshall
• The French Broad (oh yea flatwater training)
• Live music all the time
• Orbit video
• People who want to run/bike/paddle all day with me
• Costume boxes bigger than my entire closet
• Porch swing
• Learning about Gardens with Rose

Plus a lot more.

I'll just have to enjoy the hell out of it all for the next week I guess. Such a hard life.

Back in Ohiopyle

It was like seeing Ohiopyle from the drive-thru.

With only 2 days to enjoy being back, I had to keep hellos brief and loop runs minimal. There was, however, somehow enough time spent at the Pub. I even found myself pickin up the waitressing pad and slingin some pitchers.

Good thing I'll be back soon.

US Team Trials 2010

Yes, it was that much fun.

For me, this event really began back in December. Looking for a reason to be somewhere for the winter, I used the excuse of Team Trials being held on the Nantahala to move to Asheville for 3 months. It also helped that my dad and sister lived in the area and I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to be surrogate mother to Hudson, Andria and Leland Davis' dog. (By the way, their new North America Guidebook is one of the coolest books any paddler can own)

The thought that the southeast might we warmer (and therefore more conducive to training on the water during the winter) also enticed me. After weeks and weeks of freezing temperatures and a ridiculous amount of snow, I have learned to never expect anything out of the weather anymore.

Yet, somehow I bucked up enough to gain a semblance of control over this craft, enough to stay in it and keep it relatively straight. I actually found using a wing blade to help a lot with this, in addition to the flatwater workouts I put myself through.

The race weekend turned out to be a blast. Something about competition is just really exciting for me, every time, no matter how much physical torture I know I am going to endure. I couldn't help but talk to all the other racers I hadn't met yet, just oozing with enthusiasm.

Sprints were first, 2 trials on a 80-90 second course through one rapid.

White-out in Patton's Run on the sprint course

I really just tried to paddle as hard as I could for the sprint. Considering that my boat control is still fairly non-existent I thought I might as well just rely on my strength for this one. Blasting through the top hole (as opposed to slicing to the right of it) slowed me down, but made for a great photo.

I placed 3rd out of the ladies in the sprint, only 1.67% off of Tierney-the numba-one lady. For those of you who don't get this comparison, that is REALLY close. Haley, second-place-jr-racer, was only 1.13% off Tierney.

Arggg! (i.e. I might puke)

Sunday's Classic race, a 12-15 minute race, was a bit more of my speed. Give me the longer endurance race and I'm a happy 'yaker. Of course, the tornado that threw me into the shore as I pulled away from the start, picking up water from the river to spit in my face, made for an interesting beginning to my first Classic event.

Every time I felt myself backing off, I made myself go faster. Every time I came out of a rapid, I made myself go faster. And every time I thought of Tierney a few spots behind me, I made myself go faster. Although I was barely breathing across the finish line, I think I could have gone faster.

I pulled it up a bit for the class, allowing me to jump to 2nd place for the final rankings. Amazingly enough I was still just 1.65% off of Tierney. What is with that number?

JP Bevilaqua, my Asheville training partner, and Tom Wier after the Classic

Mackenzie and I cheering the boys over the finish line on after our Classic runs

It feels pretty good to make the Team, even if I can't make it to World's in Spain this year. I'm looking forward to working out the kinks over the next 2 years and hitting an international event in 2012!