Cheatfest Weekend

The Rudler Returns

Ahh another great Cheatfest weekend here in our backyard.

Saturday began with a quick run down the Lower Big Sandy, to give the new creekboat a test drive (Bliss Stick Mystic - New Red). Spring is really showing up on the trees and all of us remarked on the beauty of the day's run numerous times. What a nice change of scenery from the winter we have grown accustomed to.

This day saw Bill Powers first run over Big Splat after years of eyeing this one up as others have passed by.

Bill Powers

Additionally our buddy John Douglass decided that if Bill could take a crack at it, so should he.

John "Soc Em Dog" Douglass

Well of course some lines are bound to work out better than others.

Boat Modification

After we all regrouped and talk about our Big Splat adventures, we were off to finish the river in the company of good friends.

Rick @ First Island

Once we made it to the takeout the majority of the group went off to catch a run on the Cheat, however Bill and I ran off to meet up with Math Pascal and Greasefire Rob at the Upper Yough for a 2.4' roller coaster ride down one of our favorite runs. Everybody enjoyed the higher level and took great pleasure in blowing through the run in race worthy times.

After the river running ended, it was time to get down to the festival for some heehaw stomping good times. After stopping in to tell the Stonyboater guys how sweet my new Mystic performed and to thank Kayakhabit for the awesome vintage threads, it was off to see all the people we have missed out on for the last year. Math Pascal demonstrated for all in attendance how to properly get down to some of his favorite bluegrass tunes, which left us partying until the wee hours of the morn'.

Lucky for us some rain moved into the area late at night and Sunday morning brought us a chance to catch a low water run down the Upper Blackwater, the perfect ground to really put the new creekboat through its paces. We dropped in, boofed our way down river and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day in this exquisite wilderness.

Bob Gedekoh Showing The Way

After the hike out, Jeremy Weber and I (Jason Hilton) caught a quick run own the Top Yough to finish off a spectacular weekend having hit four of the regions ultra-classic runs.