Granite Creek

Just got off a few days of some good boating here in Terrace BC! After a few good days of rain, finally there was enough water for some of the local creeks. Myself and local jeremie drouin went and did a little exploring on Granite Creek, which is 15 minute drive and about a 30 min hike outta town. We knew we would be in for a good time when passing over Williams Creek (another local run) and seeing it at near flood. We arrived at the Granite Creek bridge and it looked high! The whole run is yet to be done due to lots of issues with wood and low water, but it has some sweet potential. We managed to run a few sections of it, but will definitly be back with more time and possibly a saw. The highlight was a 40+ falls into a little dish with a vertical log sticking into it. Looked a bit sketch but we both felt confident. After a rock-paper-scissors match I came up victorious and had a clean first run. Jeremie followed suit and it was gravy train after that! We both plan on going back and doing the full run, but in the meantime here is some pics and a quick video of some drops:

Jay Panther Podiums in Australia

Hello,

I have been back in the states for a couple of weeks and I still think about Australia daily. Australia was everything I hoped it would be and more. The people were amazing, the land and animals beautiful, and my ski training was extremely productive. The last part of the trip we went to Mt. Buller in southern New South Whales and were able to train and compete on a second course. The course was a blast and the competition day went well with me getting 3rd! The event was supposed to be duals but due to horrible visibility and weather the final results were based on our scores from the one run qualifying round. It was disappointing to not be able to dual and win :) but I was happy with another podium and my $750 in prize money. This was the first time I have ever won prize money skiing!

After the event we went to Melbourne for our final two days. The city is incredible and we were able to see a lot. The highlights for me were the botanical gardens and the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG). The MCG is actually the largest spectator sporting facility in the world with seven stadiums. The Australian Tennis Open, Sydney Olympic events, and many cricket and rugby matches are all held on the grounds. Our final night we decided to spend on the beach in the harbor. We explored a pier and rock jetty only to discover hundreds of wild penguins surrounding us. After speaking with a team of scientists we discovered how truly unique our experience with the penguins were. The penguins have just recently inhabited the rock jetty built during the Olympic Games and are a complete secret to everyone as to preserve their habitat. We just happened to show up immediately after sundown which is the only 45 minute window these penguins are active. We witnessed mating, feeding, playing and I even was able to pet two penguins. It was an amazing experience that perfectly capped a hugely successful Australia trip!

I am down in L.A. now and continuing my volleyball training. I now have a coach that is training me full time and is also going to compete with me. We have our first tournament this weekend. When I am not on the beach I am at Virtual Snow, a simulated ski training facility in Santa Monica. I will continue my training here until the snow begins to fly in Park City the beginning of November. I am extremely happy with how all of my training is going and with how Australia went, but by no means satisfied. I am motived and working harder than ever with anticipation and excitement for the opportunities that will be presented to me this ski season! Thank you so much for your love and support. I will keep you updated on volleyball.

Jay Panther

School is for fools....

Well, after 2 great years of paddling adventures all over North and Central America, I am sad to say that I am back to the school grind. Things could be worse though... I was able to transfer my university credits to Terrace BC where, despite the low water levels, still boasts some excellent whitewater! In the two weeks I've been living in Terrace, myself and some local enthusiasts have knocked off a few good runs including the Nass River (some fun big water and great play!), Kalum and Copper rivers, and some missions to scout out some new creeks which will be Pumping as soon as it decides to rain! The great thing about Terrace is the amount of exploring to be done, and it is all right on our doorstep! Until then, heres a few pics from my 2010 season:

Lava, Colorado River

Butze, BC (photo c.roberts)

Santa Cruz, California



Grand Canyon

Terrace, BC!!
(photo c.roberts)

Where is the rain?

It has been a while since we have seen some good rain in the southeast! School started back up for myself at Appalachian State and so far it has been a good year. My first day back at school I was able to get a run in on the Watauga River and reunite with some friends. Since then the high country has been dry and I have resorted to a lot of hiking. Here are a few pics from some trips:

On the way to Homegrown my timing belt decided to break on the ole Subaru. Stranding Clay, Brad and myself for awhile. Eventually we made it to the Chattooga River to paddle before the film fest. It was a good weekend and now I am looking forward to GAF at the NOC. I get to compete with my brother in some fun competition. Pray for rain! -Ty Caldwell

European Open Extreme Kayaking Championship (Devils extreme race 2010)

Video from 1st European Open Extreme Kayaking Championship (Devils extreme race 2010)

, which took place at Lipno areal (Czech Republic). My best result was the fourth place in a team race with Mirek Kodada and Jirka Kopecny. Muska DEVILS EXTREME RACE 2010 from Vojta Hejtmanek on Vimeo. Video by Vojta Hejtmánek