Expedition Pamphlet

Jake Lorfing, fellow bureaucrat and buddy, helped out by using his secret powers as a highly talented photographer to take this picture for the front of the promo pamphlet I'll use to handout at the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City, next week. Jake specializes in a very unique style of photography that is best not butchered by my description. Please take some time to see his talents displayed on his web page. You can get their by clicking on this photo of his:

The backside of the pamphlet (below) gives a brief synopsis of my ultra-distance paddling experience over the past 20 years.

Currently, we're working on the logistics of getting the Epic 18x shipped to Alavaro, in Lima. With luck, the expedition will gain many more sponsors during the Outdoor Retailers show and begin shipping all the supplies in earnest.

2012 (bring it)

This is a view of the valley in southern Peru, where the Apacheta and Curhuasanta Creeks flow to meet and form the Lloqueta Creek. The creeks are two of the four creeks that form the headwaters of the longest and largest river on Earth. The picture was taken from the headwaters of Curhuasanta creek which is marked as the official headwaters of the Amazon. 17,500 vertical feet in elevation and 4225 miles later, these drops of water spill into the Atlantic ocean.

Launching into 2012 has made the expedition somewhat more real. I got off the two month intraveinous eggnog/brandy drip and started a 15 day juice semi-fast to jumpstart getting into fighting shape. My aim is to get down to my college weight of 190 to prep for the expedition. I want to start it being in the best shape attainable.
In two weeks I'll be attending the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City. It's the largest gathering of grown up toys in the entire universe and I'm going to wallow in it all. In between all the wallowing, I hope to meet with prospective expedition sponsor, so wish me luck.
In other news, the expeditions logistics team member in Lima, Alvaro, has coordinated the shipment of the Epic18x and made arrangements to transport it to the storage facility provided by team member, Juanito. Thanks, guys!

Welcome 5.10 Shoes as our newest sponsor!

Five Ten has just signed on as the official footwear sponsor for the Amazon Express! Company representative, Kelsey Reddoch, confirmed that Five Ten will supply the team with shoes that can handle the white water with all it's rocky portages along the Apurimac River (see the Water Tennie, above) and the overland travel to the source of the Amazon at almost 18,000 feet in the Andes (see the Exum Guide Twilight, below)
 
Thanks for all the support, Kelsey and Five Ten!
Additionally, I'd like to thank the Werderich Family in Chicago for there generous financial donation towards the expedition. The Stephenson Consulting Group LLC made a very nice donation, as well, at the behest of one of it's partners who is all too familiar in the canoe racing world, Michael Vandeveer, who, along with his racing partner, Andrew Condie, won the Missouri River 340 canoe race this year. Thanks, Michael, your contribution will pay for the entire coverage for one team member with Global Rescue emergency rescue services.

Recent Acobamba Abyss Trip Report

Mariann Saether recently completed a trip through the Acobamba Abyss, which lies at the lower end of the upper Apurimac River. Downriver from the Abyss lies 3800 miles of flat water that turns into the Amazon River and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Above the Abyss is 300 miles of white water that begins with a trickle at the Andean continental divide. Check out Mariann's account on her blog: http://fiveten.com/community/blog-detail/12289-into-the-abyss-mariann-saether

Latest Book Recommendations

I met Christine Warren on the bank of the San Marcos River in Luling, Texas during a training run back in the summer of 2010. She was working out with her racing partner, Phil Meyer, and her friend Eric Wilder. Christine had lost her original partner when the Texas Water Safari had to be rescheduled, due to high water, so Phil jumped in. Well, Christine wrote a great accounting of her experience leading up to and including the Texas Water Safari. It's the first book ever of someone's experience throughout the entire race. For anyone thinking of paddling the Safari, I'd recommend "Paddlefish". It's a really good account from an everywoman's perspective of paddling 260 miles.
Likewise, Warren Richey's account of the events leading to his entry into the "Ultimate Florida Challenge" a 1200 mile race that circumnavigates the state of Florida. Warren includes his thoughts and emotions surrounding his divorce and the healing he encountered throughout the book. I read the book in my quest to gather as much information as possible for my expedition. "Without A Paddle" was very informative and piqued my interest in putting this race on my to-do list for the future.

Blowing Out The Cobwebs

This is Barry Gay, who patiently coached me as I continued to blow out the cobwebs that gathered around my white water skills over the past twenty years. Barry meets with the group of plastic boaters down at Rio Vista rapids in San Marcos, Texas each Saturday morning for workouts. He calmly tweaked my roll technique with his cajun accent over and over again when he could have been spending time playing in the rapids. Thanks, Barry, and please be safe on your upcoming expeditions in Guatamala and other white water rivers around the world.

Jen Perez was kind enough to lend me her boyfriends white water kayak and gear yesterday when I showed up empty handed for my training session at Rio Vista. My plan was to meet up with Ben Kvanli, but he was delayed by a lecture he was scheduled to present. Not only is Jen an accomplished white water competitor, but she also was the U.S. Marathon Team Champion in flat water with her tandem team mate, Michelle Kvanli in 2010. Thanks for the loaner and the tips, Jen! Hope to see you on the water again soon.

Fellow Amazon Explorer in the Workplace

Turns out another Amazon River explorer works for the same state department where I work. Tim Hawkins and his buddy, Joe Hochman, paddled down a large tributary of the Amazon, then joined the Amazon down to Leticia. At the Brazilian border, they hopped a riverboat for the remaining distance. I met with Tim across the street at Starbucks today for lunch, where he gave me some really great advice, direction and a link to a wonderful local non-profit that works to help the indiginous people of the Amazon (more on that later). Here's a short story on Tim's adventure: http://www.austin360.com/recreation/texas-duo-paddle-amazon-to-raise-awareness-about-191516.html