Whitewater Kayaking and Crossfit

by Hannah Ray | Dec 18, 2024 | Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

I started whitewater kayaking because it’s pure fun. My pursuit of kayaking and other river sports led me to this question: Outside of kayaking more, how do I remain capable and build capacity to kayak for as long as possible throughout my lifetime? This is...

Prairie Rapids

by Hannah Ray | Nov 25, 2024 | Playboating, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

The genesis of playboating in Iowa began at Clay Hole in Cedar Falls, Iowa, circa early 2000’s. This spot on the Cedar River was an old, dilapidated low head dam. This “beauty” dam caught the eyes of a local group of playboaters, Prairie Rapids Paddlers (PRP)....

The Flow Meets the Peshtigo

by Hannah Ray | Oct 15, 2024 | Creeking, Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

The Roaring Rapids section of the Peshtigo is one of my favorite Wisconsin rivers. This section is approximately 5 miles in length with 6 named rapids. In between the rapids are fun boulder gardens. There are tons of fun lines and eddies to pick your way through the...

Nebraska’s First Whitewater Park

by Hannah Ray | Sep 26, 2024 | jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, JK Team Posts, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Over the 4th of July weekend, I took a trip to Norfolk, NE to check out their new whitewater park. The in-river features opened earlier this summer in June, but the riverside amenities and access points were still under construction when I visited in July. (I hear...

Looking Back on 2023

by Hannah Ray | Jan 19, 2024 | Creeking, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Looking Back on 2023 This season had some wild ups and downs. I paddled some of the highest water levels ever recorded in the Northwoods. Punching through Second Drop on a high water run of the Peshtigo River, WI. Then I endured continued drought at my local spots and...

Highwater Peshtigo

by Hannah Ray | Dec 11, 2023 | Creeking, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

­This spring the Peshtigo River Roaring Rapids section saw the highest water level ever recorded since record keeping began in the 1980’s. A snow-filled winter came to an abrupt end as summer-like temps soared in April. An unusual warm week of 80 degree temps...

Why You Need a Slice Kayak in Your Quiver

by Hannah Ray | Dec 9, 2023 | Featured Post, Instructional, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, Whitewater Instruction, WW Disciplines

In the spring and early summer, water is plentiful at my local and favorite travel-to spots. There’s playboating, river running, and river surfing to choose from…or do all three! As the season progresses into mid summer, the rains are fewer and far...

Freestyle Fun

by Hannah Ray | Nov 9, 2023 | Featured Post, Playboating, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

This summer I took a little road trip to Salida, Colorado. The impetus for the trip was to river surf the new Scout Wave 2.0 and catch the boat ramp hole at prime playboating levels. The first few days I arrived, the level for the surf wave was great! The levels for...

Charles City Challenge 2023

by Hannah Ray | Jul 25, 2023 | Creeking, Event Coverage, Events, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

The 11th annual Charles City Challenge held in June this year hosted 60 participants over two days of whitewater events. Vendors and spectators joined in along the river banks as well for the fun filled weekend. The water was low this year and in-river events were...

Montreal River Canyon

by Hannah Ray | May 10, 2023 | Antix, Exploration Feature, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Winter was good to Northern Wisconsin this season. With spring’s arrival, the snow is melting and filling the rivers with great opportunities. On this trip we met up with Brian, from Menasha, WI, to show us the Montreal River Canyon section. The level for our...

Summer Recap Pt. 6 – Finale: Tongue River Canyon and HOME!

by Hannah Ray | Jan 20, 2023 | Exploration Feature, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Continuing our journey towards home we dropped down into Wyoming to find a place to work remotely for a few days. I found a couple of promising boondocking spots not too far off of I-90 near Sheridan, WY. The first spot was alright, but a little too close to town and...

Summer Recap Pt. 5: Alberton Gorge

by Hannah Ray | Jan 13, 2023 | Exploration Feature, Featured Post, jacksonkayak.com, JAdventures Main Banner, River Running, Whitewater, Whitewater Feature, WW Disciplines

Finishing up our visit in White Salmon, WA we started making our way towards home. We took a northern route, crossing eastern Washington, the top of Idaho and making our way into Montana. We found another great boon docking spot near Lolo National Forest in western...