Team JK Runs the Green River

By Nick Troutman

On our way back from Rollapoolza we decided to hit up the famous Green River. We started our morning off with a delicious breakfast at Cracker Barrel, where Clay and Justin Owen met up with us. From there we headed to the put in to set shuttle, where we then enlarged our group some more when we met up with Shane Benedict, Bryan Kirk, and Adriene. We were very lucky to be able to paddle with Shane and Adriene; they helped our massive group with lines and info about the river, and were always ready to demonstrate the lines for us.

At the put-in we saw that we would not be the only paddles on the Green that day, there must have been 40-50 paddlers, it was crazy, it felt like the Green Race. Though I think it helped, being that there were tons of examples at the harder rapids like ‘Go Left and Die.’

Being that I had only run the river a handful of times and couple years back, I decided to scout the major jobs along with Dane, Billy, and Justin Owen. After watching 20 people run Go Left and everyone stuck the line, Owen and myself decided to run. I had no problems though I felt it I were to run it again I would try and be a bit father left. Owen went after me, and got pushed right too early, and surfed the hole, though he didn’t give up and eventually made it down ok. This was Billy’s first time down the river, and thinking that going left at GoLeft was kind of ridiculous he and Dane took the sneak down the right. Swickz, and Chiefs, went well, and next was, the infamous ‘Gorilla.’ Now this one is special to me, because up to then I had never run Gorilla. When I was at the Green River previously, I had just suffered a concussion from falling off a waterfall and landing on my head on a rock. The Gorilla has been in the back of mind for the past two years now, haunting me because I hadn’t run it. Clay, Stephen, Shane, Adriene, and Bryan as ran down styling the whole thing while Billy, Dane Owen and myself scouting again. The line looked a lot more manageable with the eddy out after the notch, and then down Gorilla. With this in mind Billy, Owen and myself walking up to the top and got in out boats. As soon as I sat in my Rocker, and put my skirt on my nerves started to calm down, by the time I had run the little 5-foot boof before the notch I was completely focused. I ran the notch eddied out with no problem; Billy Harris came flying into the eddy after me. When then looked at each other and said see you at the bottom, I peeled-out charged the lip, boofed and then white out. By the time I had opened my eyes again I was flying through the Speed Trap, and into the eddy where Adriene was waiting for me. I had time to turn around and watch Billy go off, he had a great line, including a paddle twirl before the Speed Trap. I was so excited I was speechless. Immediately I felt the relief of Gorilla not haunting me anymore. I am excited to go back and run it again. I didn’t get to see Owen’s line, though because Emily Lauren and Trevor walked in to get some incredible pictures, I was able to check out his awesome boof. He told me that he flipped at the landing but was super excited to be able to have run it.

Dane felt bummed that he had decided to walk this time, though we reminded him that the rapid will always be here when he comes back. I was proud that he decided to walk it, and didn’t feel pressured into running it.

We had the next couple slides and then ‘Groove Tube.’ This was another rapid I had never run before. With confused information on the line we ran down the tube, it was really cool actually getting into the tube of water. Next came the final big rapid of the day, ‘Sunshine.’ I hadn’t run this rapid before either, and after watching some lines both left and right, I decided that for now, Sunshine will be untouched be me.

Shane and Clay continued to lead us down the rest of the river, showing all the different rock spins, slots, and freewheels onto rocks (thanks Clay). It was an amazing day, one of the most fun river runs I have been on in a while.

Thanks to everyone who helped make it such a great day.

Nick Troutman

 
Clay Going Left
Clay Rides the Lightning
Dane Seal Launches
Gorilla Slides
Green Put-in
Nick Go Left
Nick Gorilla