Oh, be JOYful!!! I'm in Colorado!

I made it out to Colorado and my truck is still running like a scalded dawg! Kansas is so big and flat, but seeing the Rockies rise up in the distance was worth the drive. So beautiful!

The first stop was Lake Creek, where I watched my brother, Tommy, Pat and Jules run some huge rapids at high flows. It was beautiful there and the river was very impressive. It was fun to be hanging out with the boys, too.


Next stop was Oh Be Joyful. I really can't believe I have not been here before. It was one of the most beautiful places I've seen. We ran into lots of the Green River crew from Asheville when we got there. What a small world it is. This was the first time I have paddled with Tommy since last March, over a year ago. It was so fun to see his smiling face on the water. I kept looking around, and everywhere I looked it was sunny and beautiful! I love that place.



John, Tommy, Pat, Jules, Scott and I paddled the river once the afternoon we arrived, and then twice the next day before leaving for Tommy's house in Glenwood Springs. That makes it the 10th and 11th day of kayaking since finishing chemotherapy. Scott and I have now paddled in California, North Carolina and Colorado in the same week. That is definitely a first for me.

That night, we went to see a friend huck his meat off a 500 foot drop in Glenwood canyon-base jumping! wow, I have never seen anything like that before. The next day, he hucked his meat off a 800 foot drop in Rifle. I got vertigo for him, just watching. Amazing!


I am heading to Vail tomorrow and I am going to kick off the Boof Against the Odds challenge there at the Homestake race on June 1st. I am really excited to be out here paddling, and raising money for a good cause. Robin and Stacy will be joining the crew in a little more than a week. I can't wait to have the entire Dirtpatch out here in full force! We are hoping the water holds out for California. If not, we may be heading North.

We are still in need of pledgers to sponsor me per mile of river I run this summer after beating down cancer last year. All donations and pledges go to First Descents and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. If your interested in pledging, log onto www.simplelifeadventures.com and send us a pledge form.

Nothin' like California to get you Fired Up for California!

The Dirtpatch is just about to launch Boof Against the Odds! It will all begin May 27th and continue through July 27th. We still need lots of pledges, though. Anyone can pledge by logging onto www.simplelifeadventures.com and clicking 'donate'; just download a form there and mail it in or email me the information. Flat donations can also be made online or by sending a check made out to First Descents or the Lance Armstrong Foundation and mailing it to the Dirt Patch.


Amazingly, I had an opportunity last week to do a quick preview of California and of what we will be doing. My friend Scott, from Alaska, and I went to the Cal Salmon for a few days of the Slammin' Salmon Fest (a camping 'festival' started by some of Scott's Alaska buddies). We paddled the Buttler section one day and then Nordheimer and Buttler the next day. It was beautiful and so fun!


Then we drove to South Silver and ran that two times before catching the 12:30 red eye back to Asheville, making it back home sometime yesterday. Today I got back out on the Green River with the boys and had another beautiful day on the water!





I will be driving out to Colorado to begin Boof Against the Odds on Friday. The official dates are going to be May 27th- July 27th. I will kick it off with my brother and friends on the Black Canyon of the Gunnison (hopefully) and end it with First Descents. If I can get on the river with Tommy that Sunday (may 27), I will have paddled in California, North Carolina and Colorado all in one week.

I am feeling fully recovered now and completely back in the game. It is amazing to think that less than four months ago, I was still dealing with all the mess of chemotherapy. I can't wait to get back in that warm California (and Colorado) sun and breathe in the air, knowing that I am happy and healthy, lovin' life~ Life is so good!

Simple Life Adventures

We want to thank everyone who has begun to contribute by sending in their pledges. So far here are the names of those wonderful, amazing people. Thank you so much!

Ken Porter-Shirley

Tim Flanagan in honor of Tom Flannagan

Elizabeth Hanke

Jack Eastis

Brid Beckwith in honor of Jerry Beckwith

Robert Thrasher

John DeLaVergne in honor of Daniel DeLaVergne

Noah Clayton

Jason Hale

Kim Barrs

Mike Brown

Russell Noble

Lee Whipple in honor of Laurie

Andrew Brockmeyer

Lynn Bratton

Kat Yarboro

We have an awesome new Tshirt design in support of Simple Life Adventures and our Boof Against the Odds campaign this summer. We will be selling them at the Teva Mountain Games (May 30-June 2). You can contact us from our webpage www.simplelifeadventures.com and request a Tshirt for $20. We have mens and womens sizes in brown and black with either pink or white text. Check out the design....
Please continue to spread the word about Boof Against the Odds and stay tuned to LVM, LVMTV and Simple Life Adventures to follow the progress of our pursuit.