tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39126866170784223442024-03-13T03:45:09.527-07:00Epicocity ProjectTripJenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220054153319840732noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-39249070079250802762009-11-17T11:58:00.000-08:002009-11-17T16:07:34.411-08:00November Update<span style="font-family:arial;">Though the blog’s been quiet, lots has been going on here at EP.</span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span style="font-family:arial;">We though it was about time that we got everyone up to speed on the latest.</span><o:p style="font-family: arial;"></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Recent Happenings:</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" face="arial"><a href="http://350.org/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 80, 177);">350.org</span></a> River of Action<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">200 paddlers got together on the Willamette River in downtown Portland as part of the 350.org International Day of Climate Action.<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7260236&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=7260236&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="225" width="400"></embed></object><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Smithsonian Article<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Evolution-in-the-Deepest-River-in-the-World.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 80, 177);">http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Evolution-in-the-Deepest-River-in-the-World.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Kyle Dickman captures the scientific significance of the Congo River expedition on Smithsonian.com. Syndicated by Yahoo.com and seen by more than a million readers. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/L1UrqbVlxvQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/L1UrqbVlxvQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.smithsonianmag.com/images/lower-Congo-River-388.jpg"><br /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Outside Clip<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200911/survival-guide-paperless.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 80, 177);">http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200911/survival-guide-paperless.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Trip Jennings recounts the incident with AK-47s that nearly stopped EP's expedition down the Congo for Outside Magazine's November issue, then offers advices on how to keep yourself safe, wherever you are. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/SwMF6AquZ7I/AAAAAAAABFs/6hSW40HJuaI/s1600/outsidesurvival.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 147px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/SwMF6AquZ7I/AAAAAAAABFs/6hSW40HJuaI/s200/outsidesurvival.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405170471944480690" border="0" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Coming Up: </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">The Ultimate Recession<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://wendmagazine.com/"><span style="color: rgb(0, 80, 177);">wendmagazine.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Andy Maser looks at climate change in Bolivia, from seat of his kayak, for Wend's December/January issue. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">National Geographic's <span style="font-style: italic;">Expedition: Granted</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Come November 19, EP's plan to return to the Democratic Republic of Congo to help stop elephant poaching will solidify. Trip's up on Ben Horton by 40% for National Geographic's Expedition Granted. 2010: Back to the Congo. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Vote for Team Elephant at the contest website: <a href="http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/expedition-week-granted"><span style="color: rgb(0, 80, 177);">http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/expedition-week-granted</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">River of Doubt<o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">November 23, EP's off again. This time, their joining National Geographic Television and Zeb Hogan on Brazil's famed River of Doubt to guide scientists through Class V whitewater and hook jet-ski sized catfish from their rafts. <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">(NPR Story on Doubt): <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4986859"><span style="color: rgb(0, 80, 177);">http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4986859</span></a><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Follow us on Twitter!</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Andy: <a href="http://twitter.com/amaser">http://twitter.com/amaser</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;">Trip: <a href="http://twitter.com/tripjennings">http://twitter.com/tripjennings</a><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: arial;"><!--EndFragment--> </p>Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07524893008609211010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-40499414804455685812009-04-13T14:46:00.000-07:002009-04-13T15:23:53.015-07:00Wild Times Continue for Epicocity in Bolivia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeOzW0dllXI/AAAAAAAAAsM/pDFKNXAaPY4/s1600-h/challana-2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 255px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeOzW0dllXI/AAAAAAAAAsM/pDFKNXAaPY4/s320/challana-2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324296389103293810" border="0" /></a><br />Our team just returned from our epic adventure to the Challana River basin, where we attempted a huge first descent. Unfortunately, after nearly a week of carrying our boats and gear from village to village, down from 14,000 ft to 8,000 ft, we got shut down at the putin. We hiked through days of rain and arrived at a river just slightly too swollen for us to feel comfortable paddling, so we took a layover day and watched as the river slowly dropped to a perfect level. As we crawled under our tarp for the night, we dreamed about the days of spectacular kayaking that lay ahead.<br /><br />Unfortunately, we awoke in the middle of the night to a torrential downpour. I laid in my bivy saying over and over again, “please stop, please stop!” but it continued for most of the night. We awoke to a completely flooded river and the end of our Challana first descent attempt. So we broke camp, shouldered our boats, hit the trail and climbed right back out the way we came in. Needless to say, we are very thankful that we didn’t get caught on the river as it flash-flooded.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeOz66-3znI/AAAAAAAAAsU/1fKev6ZNJMY/s1600-h/challana-5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 157px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeOz66-3znI/AAAAAAAAAsU/1fKev6ZNJMY/s320/challana-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324297009328803442" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Our team has had an absolutely epic run of successful first descents in the last year and a half in Papua New Guinea, Tibet and Congo. In this case though, the best decision was to walk away.<br /><br />We have 2 more weeks left in Bolivia though, and more huge adventures lined up. We’re heading out early tomorrow morning for several days of kayaking and a summit attempt of the 22,000 ft glacial peak that supplies much of the area with drinking water. We also have another first descent on tap, in addition to further exploration of the Zongo River drainage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO1r4D7bMI/AAAAAAAAAsk/nxsWJjj_jDc/s1600-h/challana-8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 212px; height: 141px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO1r4D7bMI/AAAAAAAAAsk/nxsWJjj_jDc/s320/challana-8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324298949869923522" border="0" /></a>On the science and conservation side of the expedition, we have our most exciting interviews lined up with hydrologist Edson Ramirez, advocacy groups working to further water access for citizens of La Paz and El Alto, and policy makers developing adaptation plans for this metropolis that is quickly running out of water.<br /><br /><br /><br />Check back early next week for another update from our team in Bolivia!<br /><br />Also, if you didn’t catch it, I posted an update to the National Geographic Adventure blog last week also: <a href="http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/2009/04/k.html">http://ngadventure.typepad.com/blog/2009/04/k.html</a><br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />Andy<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO4zLPynwI/AAAAAAAAAtE/vBrznNWBXns/s1600-h/challana-10.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO4zLPynwI/AAAAAAAAAtE/vBrznNWBXns/s320/challana-10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324302373813919490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO2i_pYsYI/AAAAAAAAAss/szfjLM3EseI/s1600-h/challana-1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO2i_pYsYI/AAAAAAAAAss/szfjLM3EseI/s320/challana-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324299896798884226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO3OqOdJUI/AAAAAAAAAs0/2V5Di73ctC0/s1600-h/challana-3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO3OqOdJUI/AAAAAAAAAs0/2V5Di73ctC0/s320/challana-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324300646963029314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO4JG5fIVI/AAAAAAAAAs8/W-RVZ0QNY14/s1600-h/challana-6.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SeO4JG5fIVI/AAAAAAAAAs8/W-RVZ0QNY14/s320/challana-6.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324301651092119890" border="0" /></a>Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-87007318659940312342009-04-04T15:57:00.000-07:002009-04-04T16:57:09.476-07:00Epicocity/National Geographic Challana River expedition launches MondayOn Monday, we will begin the main exploratory portion of our Bolivia project—a descent of the Challana River basin from its source to the village of Guayana in the Amazon basin. This roadless, very remote basin drains the rapidly diminishing glacial water source for the cities of La Paz and El Alto.<br /><br />Our team will begin by making the trip up and over the 5,000m pass from the western side of the Andes to the village of Challana, where we will first explore the glacier and series of natural lakes that feed the Challana River. We will then begin the trip downstream, first on foot with our kayaks and equipment on mules for the first few miles. Given the gradient of over 1,000 feet per mile and relatively low flow at the source, we expect that this will be our only means of travel. At 7,000 or 8,000 feet of elevation, we expect the river to become passable by kayak, and when this happens we will bid our guides and pack animals farewell and hit the water.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SdfyISU20BI/AAAAAAAAAsE/xC2QJzI0UhE/s1600-h/challanamap.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SdfyISU20BI/AAAAAAAAAsE/xC2QJzI0UhE/s320/challanamap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320987708933722130" border="0" /></a><br /><br />We just finished several days of kayaking on the Zongo River, one basin to the south, to get some idea of what we might expect on the Challana, but lots of unknowns still exist. The Zongo is in a much tighter gorge than the Challana, has 10 hydropower dams affecting its flow and has a road along it. The team is nervous about the upcoming week, for sure. Check back with us in a week or so for an update!<br /><br />Epicocity would like to extend a very special thanks to the sponsors of our Bolivia expedition. We are very grateful for all of your continued support:<br /><br />NRS<br />National Geographic<br />Sierra Designs<br />Alpine Aire<br />AT<br />5.10<br />Sweet Protection<br />AT Paddle<br />Snapdragon<br />Adventure Medical Kits<br />Watershed<br /><br />And our media supporters:<br />National Geographic<br />Wend Magazine<br />National Geographic AdventureAndy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-38324434981191431782009-04-04T14:41:00.000-07:002009-04-04T15:03:34.549-07:00Epicocity completes their first kayak mission in Bolivia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 137px;" src="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-14.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Our team just got back to La Paz after our first paddling mission of the trip—a first descent of the Zongo River. A team of UK kayakers completed the first descent of two sections of the Zongo during their trip to Bolivia a few years ago and absolutely raved about the quality of whitewater they found. The lush Zongo valley carves a path from the 22,000 ft Huayna Potosi mountain to the Amazon Jungle, and is directly across the Andes from the cities of La Paz and El Alto. We drove up and over the pass and dropped down into the valley, driving along the river and waiting for the gradient to ease and the flow to build to the point where we felt like it was time to put on and start paddling.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 216px;" src="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Driving downhill from the top of the pass was a gorgeous experience in itself. As we made the 10,000 ft descent into the valley, we gradually transitioned from cold, rugged alpine terrain to lush jungle. During the 15 km drive towards our eventual putin, we passed 10 different hydropower dams that diverted small amounts of flow to generate power for La Paz and El Alto. The projects utilized reservoirs only minimally, and we all agreed that this was probably the most responsible hydropower sequence that we had seen in our travels.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 215px;" src="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Our driver hadn’t been along on the previous mission to the Zongo, so we had no idea where the last crew had begun paddling. The river was way too steep and low volume for the first 10,000 ft of elevation drop from the top of the pass, but we finally found a section clean enough that we felt comfortable paddling. The crew suited up, scouted the first series of drops and began the trip downstream.<br /><br />This section of the Zongo is fun, mostly read and run technical class V boulder gardens. It is continuous, clean and would certainly be considered ultra classic by anyone’s standards. An amazing find, for sure!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 216px;" src="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />After a couple hours of picking our way down, we approached a section where the river began to gorge up. Having gotten on the river later than early, we decided to hike up and out to the road instead of committing to the gorge. That turned into an adventure of its own, as a road crew surprised us by dumping loads of debris down the very steep scree drainage we were climbing up. Fortunately, I was able to get their attention before they dropped too many bucket of large rocks down on us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 136px;" src="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-12.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The next day, we gave it another go with more daylight and successfully completed the section down to the next dam. It was only another hour or two of paddling from the point where we hiked out the day before, but it contained several solid class V drops, so we were glad we had made the decision to hike out the day before and attack the last bit with the confidence plenty of daylight brings.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 150px;" src="http://www.riversindemand.com/bolivia/webphotos1/boliviaweb_1-18.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Now, we’re back in La Paz gearing up for the next phase of the project—the first descent of the Challana River, one drainage basin north of the Zongo. The Challana is roadless, very remote and should take us about 7 days to complete. More on that later though.<br /><br /><br /><br />Cheers!<br />AndyAndy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-78924755504103059732009-04-04T14:32:00.000-07:002009-04-04T14:38:49.034-07:00Andy Maser of Epicocity awarded National Geographic GrantThe National Geographic Expeditions Council recently awarded Andy Maser a Young Explorers Grant for Epicocity’s presently ongoing expedition to Bolivia. The expedition team of Andy Maser, Trip Jennings, Brian Eustis and Scott Feindel are combining elements of adventure, science and conservation in an environment on the brink of hydrological crisis.<br /><br />Glaciologists have been monitoring the status of the country’s glaciers closely for the last 20 years, and their findings do not bode well for the population of Latin America’s poorest country. Glaciers that have followed a natural cycle of growing in cold times and shrinking in warm times have begun to melt extremely rapidly, to the point that one, Chacaltaya, has completely disappeared. As climate change continues in a country that produces a proportionately tiny amount of carbon, available water resources will continue to rapidly decline.<br /><br />During the course of the expedition that will last until late April, Epicocity will be filming for a feature documentary, a National Geographic TV show on global water issues and a segment for the PBS show Foreign Exchange. Stay tuned to the Epicocity blog, as well as the National Geographic Adventure blog for updates as the expedition develops.<br /><br />Special thanks to NRS and National Geographic for making this expedition possible!Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-48329569674957156552008-11-25T17:07:00.000-08:002008-11-25T17:23:18.000-08:00Track Epicocity down the Grand CanyonOn Thursday, I'm starting a 22-day trip through the Grand Canyon with a handful of friends. It's going to be an absolutely amazing experience and thanks to SPOT, you can follow the journey from home! Every 10 minutes, a new point will appear on the map embedded in the website linked below. Check to see if we're camped at your favorite spots or exploring your favorite hikes. And check back after the holidays for photos and stories from the adventure.<br /><br /><a href="http://epicocity.com/grandcanyon.html">http://epicocity.com/grandcanyon.html</a><br />(Tip: you can switch to satellite map view, which is awesome)<br /><br /><br />AndyAndy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-21887365176226586892008-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:002008-10-19T11:44:00.363-07:00Banff World Tour and Wild and ScenicSo yesterday was awesome. I went on an epic mountain bike ride at <a href="http://www.brmba.org/">Black Rock</a> and when I got back to my car and read my email, I learned that Last Frontier had been short listed for the Banff World Tour and Run, Rogue, Run was accepted into the Wild and Scenic Portland festival.<br /><br />So if you're heading to Banff this year you can check out Last Frontier in one of the primetime spots, and if you're not, it will more than likely be coming to a screen in your town. Trip will probably be at Banff and Kyle and me will be at Wild and Scenic Portland on the 8th of Nov so find us!Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-42151423763484356562008-10-11T12:27:00.000-07:002008-10-11T12:33:42.213-07:00Last Frontier accepted to Banff, Boulder Film FestivalsWe learned this week that Last Frontier, the film from our recent expedition to Papua New Guinea, was accepted into both the Banff and Boulder Film Festivals! This marks a successful year for the film, as it played in the Telluride Mountain Film Festival this summer and in numerous smaller festivals around the country. <br /><br />You can check out an eight minute cut that we did for National Geographic's Wild Chronicles <a href="http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/?titleID=1632694871&catID=2">here</a>.<br />And to see the Telluride version of the film, visit the Papua New Guinea page of <a href="http://www.riversindemand.com">RiversInDemand.com</a>.Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-12697592396094719102008-09-30T13:17:00.000-07:002008-09-30T20:42:33.651-07:00And Epicocity's back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKd_5tI_UI/AAAAAAAAAew/p6OPfeqIIVw/s1600-h/epblog+%287+of+11%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKd_5tI_UI/AAAAAAAAAew/p6OPfeqIIVw/s200/epblog+%287+of+11%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251933836614892866" border="0" /></a>Wow, so <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">EP</span> sorta fell of the company blog bandwagon there for a while. To put it bluntly, we had a ridiculous 12 months. We've had experiences we could have never imagined and went to some absolutely wild parts of the world. Maybe we even went too hard and too fast. We certainly won't tell you that though, and the doors that have opened as a result of our push may actually make this lifestyle sustainable. <a href="http://www.riversindemand.com/">Rivers In Demand</a> has taken off, and we're pumped.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKaV4QaaPI/AAAAAAAAAeY/XLXR1zFuEyg/s1600-h/epblog+%282+of+11%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKaV4QaaPI/AAAAAAAAAeY/XLXR1zFuEyg/s200/epblog+%282+of+11%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251929816136575218" border="0" /></a>Kyle and Trip applied for a National Geographic Young Explorers grant the spring I was finishing up my BA from Oregon, and when <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">EP</span> was awarded the grant, things revved up to turbo speed. We left for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Papua</span> New Guinea in August, returned in October and split up. Trip and Kyle started processing the media from the expedition while I flew to the east coast to run a film festival tour organized by Sam <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Drevo</span> (which ended up winning an <a href="http://www.natgeomaps.com/toga.html">award</a> from National Geographic). That fall, we learned that Trip was <a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2008/achievements/adventurers-of-year.html">honored</a> by National Geographic for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">PNG</span> expedition. We published an article in Canoe and Kayak, an article in WEND and cut a <a href="http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/?titleID=1632694871&catID=2">segment</a> for the Nat Geo show Wild Chronicles.<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKeLPX3RmI/AAAAAAAAAe4/arGHNq3ahv0/s1600-h/epblog+%288+of+11%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKeLPX3RmI/AAAAAAAAAe4/arGHNq3ahv0/s200/epblog+%288+of+11%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251934031409792610" border="0" /></a>In November, I flew back to Oregon and we started working on the next expedition. We applied for a Geographic grant to run an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">un</span>-run section of the upper reaches of the Salween in China, but were denied. Turns out that Geographic supported the first <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Tsangpo</span> River attempt that resulted in the death of a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">kayaker</span>, and wasn't too keen on taking another risk on a Chinese river expedition. Undaunted, we found other funding, got shut down on the Salween due to the riots in Tibet, paddled a 200 mile section of the Mekong, a 120 mile section of the Yangtze (3 times) and some miles of the lower Salween. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKeby9oTsI/AAAAAAAAAfA/u83GifDfdTs/s1600-h/epblog+%289+of+11%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKeby9oTsI/AAAAAAAAAfA/u83GifDfdTs/s200/epblog+%289+of+11%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251934315841343170" border="0" /></a>Overall, an eye-opening experience on life in China and two months well spent. <a href="http://www.lastdescents.com/">Travis Winn</a> did an incredible job of organizing all of our logistics and, without exaggeration, made the trip possible. Kyle's sent his feature article off to Paddler a few weeks ago and a two-page photo spread from the trip ran in the August issue of National Geographic Adventure Mag. Trip's editing a short film on the expedition as we speak.<br /><br /><img src="file:///Volumes/Portland/Organize/Epicocity/Web/EP%20Blog/images/epblog%20%284%20of%2011%29.jpg" alt="" />We returned from China on May 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">th</span> and were on a plane bound for Kinshasa, Congo about 5 weeks later to shoot a National Geographic Explorers Special with <a href="http://rggs.amnh.org/faculty/view/35">Dr. Melanie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Stiassny</span></a> of the American Museum of Natural History. The three week trip contained some of the scariest moments of our lives and we cannot wait to begin to share them through our media. We're still working on stuff from China though, so Congo stories are still a ways off from being told. The show airs in March, I think, and Kyle should be starting on feature articles in the next month or two.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKgua0xGSI/AAAAAAAAAf4/jpDMRjy8KHY/s1600-h/epblog+%284+of+11%29.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKgua0xGSI/AAAAAAAAAf4/jpDMRjy8KHY/s200/epblog+%284+of+11%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251936834802489634" border="0" /></a>During the last 12 months, it feels like we have always either been planning the logistics for an international trip or recovering from one. In total, we were out of the country for about 5 months traveling and shooting in areas that actively make these things very hard to do. While the experiences we had were absolutely priceless, we sometimes found ourselves overwhelmed and ready to get home--a product of setting the bar of what we wanted to achieve from each expedition so high. We pushed ourselves hard and got so much out of it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKfYvwhAPI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/2pGaq0cic0w/s1600-h/Picture+1.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKfYvwhAPI/AAAAAAAAAfQ/2pGaq0cic0w/s200/Picture+1.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251935362953052402" border="0" /></a>After all that, we're taking a break from traveling and spending some much needed time at home processing all of the media we've gathered, writing, editing, researching and preparing for 2009. We've taken a big step in transitioning from producing paddle-porn to producing HDTV content that blends adventure with science, conservation and culture. We're writing a lot, we're working closely with the sponsors that we value very much and we're doing a ton of editing. Us and Final Cut? We're tight right now. We're also branching out a bit--Kyle and I are working on a film for the <a href="http://www.savethewildrogue.org/">Save The Wild Rogue</a> campaign and I'm shooting some TV spots on the side. Trip's continuing to stay focused on developing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">EP's</span> TV presence for 2009.<br /><br />So stay tuned as our plans develop for 2009. We've also had an incredible amount of media published this year, which I'll start accumulating here for your viewing pleasure. Our awesome web designer <a href="http://www.evansquire.com/">Evan Squire</a> is about to drop some major updates to the Rivers in Demand Website this week, so stay tuned for a release announcement.<br /><br />Expect to hear more from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">EP</span> from now on. Please forgive us though if we're silent when things get nuts again. Cheers!<br /><br /><br /><br />Trip, Andy and Kyle<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKhN_wpunI/AAAAAAAAAgA/r0l-OAmCGQ0/s1600-h/mountainsprofile-1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/SOKhN_wpunI/AAAAAAAAAgA/r0l-OAmCGQ0/s320/mountainsprofile-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251937377293286002" border="0" /></a>Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-87119763239641889252008-08-24T09:43:00.000-07:002008-08-24T09:48:00.595-07:00Pandi River Descent on Wild Chronicles PodcastLooks like the PBS show Wild Chronicles just published their version of our Papua New Guinea expedition, check it out!<br /><br />Watch or subscribe to their podcast:<br /><br />http://www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/shorts.html<br /><br /><br />Cheers,<br />TripAndy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07524893008609211010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-62244656663421335152008-06-08T09:21:00.000-07:002008-06-08T10:05:10.780-07:00Gearing up for the next mission<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.admin.uio.no/fa/felles/countries/africa/images/Africa%20Satellite%20small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.admin.uio.no/fa/felles/countries/africa/images/Africa%20Satellite%20small.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />On June 25th, six of us are getting on planes and all converging on the wildest place we've ever even imagined going. Our lips are sealed until we sort out a few last details with National Geographic, but we'll give you a hint:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/epicocityproject/R074AZdd_8I/AAAAAAAAAWw/jm34rFh3e98/LJ-Serious.jpg?imgmax=640"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/epicocityproject/R074AZdd_8I/AAAAAAAAAWw/jm34rFh3e98/LJ-Serious.jpg?imgmax=640" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://riversindemand.com/crewphotos/andyscott.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://riversindemand.com/crewphotos/andyscott.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.sitewelder.com/users/SkipBrown1744/images/SkipBrown174478840.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.sitewelder.com/users/SkipBrown1744/images/SkipBrown174478840.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://riversindemand.com/crewphotos/kylecooking.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://riversindemand.com/crewphotos/kylecooking.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://riversindemand.com/crewphotos/tripphone.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://riversindemand.com/crewphotos/tripphone.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />More details to come in the next week!Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-3095091655823016182008-01-09T09:09:00.001-08:002008-01-09T09:19:53.731-08:00Trip Jennings interviewed on National Geographic Radio from Papua New GuineaNational Geographic Radio caught up with Trip via sat phone from the town of Rabual, Papua New Guinea. We had just finished our absolutely epic Pandi River source to sea descent and were doing some much needed decompressing before flying back to the States. Enjoy, and expect comprehensive, from the field audio coverage of our three 2008 expeditions as they happen.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://podcastmedia.nationalgeographic.com/worldtalk/pc77_Kayaker_Trip_Jennings.mp3">Listen to the Interview</a><br /><br /><br />Cheers!<br /><br />AndyAndy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-82505707360748058412007-12-24T12:07:00.000-08:002008-01-09T09:21:42.324-08:00Papua New Guinea Expedition Q&ANational Geographic Adventure just published a Q&A on our recent expedition to Papua New Guinea, as well as a few photos on their web site. Here´s the link:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/news/trip-jennings.html">Read the Q&A</a><br /><br />Video from the trip to come soon!<br /><br />Also check out their review and video clips from Mission: Epicocity. How many of the other videos had a half million dollar budget or more? We´re still just keepin´it real.<br /><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/video/index.html">http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/video/index.html</a>TripJenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08220054153319840732noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-69309601693422149062007-12-17T07:44:00.000-08:002007-12-17T08:28:54.305-08:00EP Photo Update from Veracruz, MexicoI am curently working at <a href="http://kayakpucon.net">Kayak Pucon</a> in Chile, but I thought the paddling world might like to see a few shots from a recent trip to Veracruz. <br /><br />Evan Garcia drops into Trucha Falls:<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HqEn7IrTBuc/R2agNy9ByxI/AAAAAAAAAR4/CgudTEuiHGU/s1600-h/IMGP2676.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HqEn7IrTBuc/R2agNy9ByxI/AAAAAAAAAR4/CgudTEuiHGU/s320/IMGP2676.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144975783193856786" /></a><br /><br />Rafa Ortiz hucks the infamous 2nd Tomata:<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HqEn7IrTBuc/R2agOS9ByyI/AAAAAAAAASA/ty18YuS0C_o/s1600-h/rafa+is+not+scared.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_HqEn7IrTBuc/R2agOS9ByyI/AAAAAAAAASA/ty18YuS0C_o/s320/rafa+is+not+scared.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144975791783791394" /></a><br /><br />Todd Anderson brings his Hood River style south of the border:<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HqEn7IrTBuc/R2agPC9ByzI/AAAAAAAAASI/c6j_9zXqUsY/s1600-h/IMGP2559.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_HqEn7IrTBuc/R2agPC9ByzI/AAAAAAAAASI/c6j_9zXqUsY/s320/IMGP2559.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5144975804668693298" /></a><br /><br /><br />Hasta luego,<br />LJ Groth<br /><a href="http://watergrande.blogspot.com">http://watergrande.blogspot.com</a>littlejohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02437219885507426809noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-44601768439278711832007-12-12T16:46:00.000-08:002007-12-12T16:48:28.563-08:00National Geographic article on GabonCheck out the following article from the National Geographic website about the work happening in Gabon:<br />http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/09/0904_020904_gabonparks.htmlAndy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-86487098614379175462007-12-05T08:38:00.000-08:002007-12-05T08:51:35.122-08:00Epicocity Project checks out the flooded White Salmon RiverHeavy rain, above normal temperatures and a healthy snowpack are making for epic paddling conditions in Hood River right now. After a night of warm temperatures and steady rain, the three feet of snow at BZ Corners melted down to only six inches, and the river level spiked from 600 CFS to 5,000 CFS.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bVeNu2veI/AAAAAAAAAN4/7Tbx3YMIwao/s1600-h/bztight.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bVeNu2veI/AAAAAAAAAN4/7Tbx3YMIwao/s320/bztight.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140530739748978146" /></a><br />BZ Falls<br /><br />Austin Rathman called me yesterday morning saying that he had his eyes on Conduit Dam, the dam that forms Northwestern Lake on the White Salmon River. While I’d spent the summer living on Northwestern Lake, I’d never seen the dam, and was pretty curious about what it was all about. The plan was to have a huck session at the dam and then head upstream and do a richter-high run of the Green Truss.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bU9du2vdI/AAAAAAAAANw/tTtwlcRkmW4/s1600-h/belowbz.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bU9du2vdI/AAAAAAAAANw/tTtwlcRkmW4/s320/belowbz.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140530177108262354" /></a><br />The view below BZ Falls.<br /><br />I met Tao, Austin and a crew of eager photogs and videographers at the dam. The dam was huge – a 35 foot off vertical freefall that trannys to a 20 foot slide before disconnecting for a 30 foot freefall. Tao and I opted out, but Austin fired it up and stuck it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bVx9u2vfI/AAAAAAAAAOA/Cy9p-CMipro/s1600-h/dam.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bVx9u2vfI/AAAAAAAAAOA/Cy9p-CMipro/s320/dam.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140531079051394546" /></a><br />Conduit Dam<br /><br />Next, we headed up to BZ Corners to set shuttle for a run of the Truss. Austin had stopped and checked the gauge at Husum, which was, at that point, underwater. We talked about it and decided that it might be a good idea to walk down and take a look at the river before committing. Luckily we did, because when we got down to Maytag rapid, we realized things would have been a little bit out of control on the Truss. The rapids would have been manageable, but there would have been a serious risk of not being able to stop before Big Brother or BZ.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bWGtu2vgI/AAAAAAAAAOI/33SJuLjzqRQ/s1600-h/husum2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bWGtu2vgI/AAAAAAAAAOI/33SJuLjzqRQ/s320/husum2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140531435533680130" /></a><br />Husum Falls<br /><br />We set shuttle for a run of the Middle section, putting in at BZ and taking out at Husum. The rapids were very pushy, the holes big and the water freezing. It was definitely a great run and a fun new experience on a river we’ve paddled dozens of times.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bWY9u2vhI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/7-GdNBoqmX4/s1600-h/belowbridge.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R1bWY9u2vhI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/7-GdNBoqmX4/s320/belowbridge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140531749066292754" /></a>Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-74252662089254585252007-12-02T18:28:00.001-08:002007-12-02T18:30:47.311-08:00Malaria strikes the Epicocity ProjectWe were very fortunate that while in Papua New Guinea, our team remained very healthy. We had some bouts with trenchfoot and other minor ailments, but we largely stayed in pretty good shape.<br /><br />Upon returning to the States however, things started to change. About two weeks after we got back, Brian started feeling sick. After a few days, he recognized the classic symptoms of malaria, saw a doctor to confirm his suspicion and began treatment. After a couple of very uncomfortable weeks, Brian started feeling better. Doctors told him that the strain of malaria that he had contracted was nonrecurring and that after he completed the round of meds, he should be pretty much in the clear.<br /><br />Two weeks after he finished his meds, as he was returning home to Portland from Thanksgiving with his family in Maine, Brian once again began feeling the classic symptoms of malaria. Back in Portland, he relapsed into a state of misery and once again spent his days sweating, shivering and shaking on his couch. He once again went to the doctor, got back on meds and is now doing much better.<br /><br />This past Thursday, Kyle and I were working on sponsorship proposals while Trip, feeling sick, laid low. He had been dealing with a nagging illness that wasn’t terrible, but wouldn’t go away either. As I left for Portland that afternoon, Trip decided to go to the doctor to get checked out and hopefully get a diagnosis. About halfway to Portland I got a call from Kyle saying that Trip was in the hospital, diagnosed with malaria.<br /><br />While we were in PNG, all of us were on anti-malarial medication. Unfortunately though, the medications are only about 80% effective in warding off the disease, so the risk is impossible to eliminate. The news of two of the six members of the team contracting malaria was shocking to us, as mosquitoes didn’t seem to have bothered us much and locals didn’t seem to contract the disease frequently. <br /><br />Trip and Brian are both feeling better. Trip is still suffering from cycles of debilitating cold sweats, but these cycles are getting more minor and less frequent. Brian is looking much better and is starting to venture away from the couch for longer periods of time.<br /><br />It’s pouring in Oregon right now and these boys are jonzing to get out and paddle. Send some healing energy their way so that they can get well and charge hard again!Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-35823933839491014912007-11-29T11:43:00.000-08:002007-12-04T17:49:18.349-08:00Epicocity Project's exploration of Papua New Guinea in conjunction with National Geographic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0EyeKx9BJmk/R1YDiLJWqGI/AAAAAAAAAAM/ORVi4i8ZMEY/s1600-h/TripFilmsInLelei.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_0EyeKx9BJmk/R1YDiLJWqGI/AAAAAAAAAAM/ORVi4i8ZMEY/s320/TripFilmsInLelei.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5140299910332459106" /></a><br />In October of 2007, the Epicocity Project returned from a two-month expedition into the rainforests of New Britain, Papua New Guinea. The Epicocity Project’s “Conservation through Exploration” joined a team of scientists in the exploration of this designated biological hotspot. The project was a huge success. Strides were made towards gaining conservation status for an area of New Britain. New species of fish, frogs, butterflies and an active volcano were discovered and the crew first descented two rivers and explored 6 km of caves. The Epicocity Project’s blend of science, adventure and media helped advocate conservation on this rapidly developing island. In recognition of his work on this project, expedition leader Trip Jennings was nominated by National Geographic Adventure for the Adventurer of the Year series.Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-9541668850107209592007-11-29T09:18:00.000-08:002007-12-01T10:12:38.644-08:00The Epicocity Project Exploration Team<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08RSLbsdSI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Z8stf26NgBk/s1600-h/tripheadshot.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08RSLbsdSI/AAAAAAAAAMs/Z8stf26NgBk/s200/tripheadshot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138344703857292578" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Trip Jennings</span> (25): Trip Jennings is the owner and founder of the Epicocity Project. He has led whitewater first descents and expeditions in 7 countries on three continents. The National Geographic Society recently awarded Trip the Adventure of the Year for his work on an expedition into the wilds of Papua New Guinea. He’s a professional kayaker who paddles for Wave Sport, NRS and Smith Optics. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08RZ7bsdTI/AAAAAAAAAM0/z2boIgfloW8/s1600-h/dickmanheadshot.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08RZ7bsdTI/AAAAAAAAAM0/z2boIgfloW8/s200/dickmanheadshot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138344837001278770" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kyle Dickman</span> (24): Kyle Dickman is a producer with the Epicocity Project and a freelance writer. His work has been published by National Geographic Adventure; he regularly contributes to Canoe and Kayak magazine and covers environmental issues in the American west for Forest Magazine. The Sierra Club has endorsed Kyle’s work in documentary film. He paddles for Kokatat.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08Rk7bsdUI/AAAAAAAAAM8/aB10Hl8oIYQ/s1600-h/brianheadshot.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08Rk7bsdUI/AAAAAAAAAM8/aB10Hl8oIYQ/s200/brianheadshot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138345025979839810" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brian Eustis</span> (32) recently returned from paddling the length of the Mekong River. Eustis’s film about this adventure, “The Mother of Waters”, was awarded Telluride’s Indomitable Spirit award and finished second in Banff Mountain Film Festivals People’s Choice award. He has logged first descents in China, led kayaking expeditions in Costa Rica and spends his weekends paddling his favorite backyard run, Washington’s Little White Salmon. Brian’s experience with foreign cultures and his skills on the water and with a camera make him an invaluable part of EP. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08RvbbsdVI/AAAAAAAAANE/kgz1KKCsl5c/s1600-h/andyheadshot.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08RvbbsdVI/AAAAAAAAANE/kgz1KKCsl5c/s200/andyheadshot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138345206368466258" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Andy Maser</span> (22): Andy Maser is the Online and Advertising Coordinator for the Epicocity Project. Andy recently finished second in the collegiate nationals for kayaking and just completed a two-month tour promoting safe whitewater kayaking. He is a professional kayaker who paddles for NRS and Dagger Kayaks. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08SZbbsdXI/AAAAAAAAANU/eZBISk7DC7M/s1600-h/scottheadshot2.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08SZbbsdXI/AAAAAAAAANU/eZBISk7DC7M/s200/scottheadshot2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138345927922972018" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Scott Feindel</span> (32): Scott Feindel is a professional kayaker who paddles for Dagger and Kokatat. He has been paddling since he was 8 years old and since has kayaked rivers all across North America, South America, Norway, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08SurbsdZI/AAAAAAAAANk/EjN_tya7kAw/s1600-h/fjheadshot.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_hIm1s84W7B4/R08SurbsdZI/AAAAAAAAANk/EjN_tya7kAw/s200/fjheadshot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138346292995192210" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Matt Fields Johnson</span> (24) joined the PNG expedition as a photographer, a kayaker and an expert in ropes and rescue. Matt is studying photography at Bowling Green State University. He has been on photography assignments in Antarctica, Ecuador and Argentina. When Matt’s not shooting photos he is climbing hard traditional routes all over the world, or paddling his backyard run on the Great Falls of the Potomac.Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-11757800227350971992007-11-28T14:33:00.000-08:002007-11-29T11:36:03.620-08:00Thanks to National Geographic and the sponsors of the Epicocity Project expedition to Papua New GuineaAs we prepared for our Papua New Guinea expedition, we imagined all the equipment we might need to execute exactly what we had planned. The areas we planned to explore are extremely remote and access to supplies very limited. We also needed to be prepared to live in and navigate through the dense, steep landscape of the PNG rainforest, an area that receives 18 feet of rainfall annually. Essentially, we had to pack our bags in Portland prepared to live off of only what we brought with, could buy in poorly stocked markets or could find in the jungle.<br /><br />Trip and I sat down and came up with a list of necessary equipment that we needed, and we thank the following sponsors for providing the equipment that made the expedition possible.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03vfpdd_dI/AAAAAAAAASc/LzM3ofar0Qc/s1600-h/NRSLogowhite.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03vfpdd_dI/AAAAAAAAASc/LzM3ofar0Qc/s200/NRSLogowhite.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138026076884041170" border="0" /></a><br />We would like to extend a very special thanks to NRS for providing us the multitude of kayaking gear and smaller items that made the expedition possible. I carried my Pro Kayak throw rope with me absolutely everywhere I went, from jungle hikes to caving missions to paddling first descents. My Hydrosilk longsleeve shirt quickly became my single favorite piece of clothing and our 2008 Guide Shirts were comfortable, functional and looked great. The contribution NRS made the expedition was extensive and we very much appreciate their continual support.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wj5dd_hI/AAAAAAAAAS8/dJVkGjz2IOI/s1600-h/clifbar.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wj5dd_hI/AAAAAAAAAS8/dJVkGjz2IOI/s200/clifbar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138027249410113042" border="0" /></a><br />An essential nutritional source we relied on during our expedition was Clif Bars. We were, at times, hiking eight hours a day through the rugged rainforest with very limited food supplies. I personally found myself eating three or four Clif Bars a day simply to generate the necessary energy to make it from village to village. When I packed my bags in Portland I filled up my largest checked bag halfway with Clif Bars and by the end of our two months in PNG had eaten almost all of them. We’d like to give Clif Bar a huge thanks for keeping us fueled! My favorites are the peanut butter Builders Bar and the Mountain Mix Mojo Bar. A hint for other expeditioners out there: smother your Clif Bar in peanut butter for additional protein and calorie support.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03vu5dd_eI/AAAAAAAAASk/f71M6PixHHs/s1600-h/Kokatat+Logo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03vu5dd_eI/AAAAAAAAASk/f71M6PixHHs/s200/Kokatat+Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138026338877046242" border="0" /></a><br />Kokatat provided the paddling gear to keep Scott Feindel, Kyle Dickman, Brian Eustis and Matt Fields-Johnson comfortable during the expedition. Favorite on-water apparel was the Paclite Knappster and Inner Core long sleeve. While the temperatures never got particularly cold, malaria carrying mosquitoes, flies and rain necessitated long pants and raingear. The Destination Paddling pants and Paclite Anoraks kept these guys warm, dry and insect free while at camp.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wCZdd_fI/AAAAAAAAASs/X2OJ2HpAgVY/s1600-h/Adventure+Med+Kits.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wCZdd_fI/AAAAAAAAASs/X2OJ2HpAgVY/s200/Adventure+Med+Kits.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138026673884495346" border="0" /></a><br />A constant struggle that the expedition faced was a battle against infection. Everyone on the trip was on antibiotics from the time we landed to the time we took off, and we still had trouble managing wounds. The Adventure Medical Kits we took with us were utilized every single day from things as simple as wound cleaning to trenchfoot treatment to sprains and strains. In an area with no medical facilities, we were totally on our own, but confident in our abilities to deal with minor injury or sickness.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wTpdd_gI/AAAAAAAAAS0/DhoOZoNI_LY/s1600-h/AAF+Banner+V8.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wTpdd_gI/AAAAAAAAAS0/DhoOZoNI_LY/s200/AAF+Banner+V8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138026970237238786" border="0" /></a><br />The staple foods of the PNG jungle are taro, caucau and singapoe, root-vegetables that are extremely bland and offer very limited nutritional value. The main protein source, wild and semi-domesticated pig, unfortunately was unsafe for us to eat because of a risk of trichinosis infection. Alpine Aire foods provided us a supply of lightweight, compact and nutritious freeze dried meals. These meals were essential for the times we had inadequate local food or were living out of out kayaks. Taro wasn’t bad, but it definitely wasn’t what you wanted to pack in your kayak for multi-day adventures! My personal favorite meals were Western Tamale Pie, Chicken Salad Lunch with Crackers and Chocolate Mudslide Pie.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wupdd_iI/AAAAAAAAATE/3JMn9n72SkM/s1600-h/BruntonLogo.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03wupdd_iI/AAAAAAAAATE/3JMn9n72SkM/s200/BruntonLogo.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138027434093706786" border="0" /></a><br />Imagine this scenario: You’re on a National Geographic sponsored expedition to an area with no electricity and you need to constantly have power-hungry HD video cameras running and still cameras firing. Luckily, Jackson Hole based Brunton came to the rescue and provided us two lightweight, fold up solar panels so that we could keep our batteries charged and our expedition on track. During our subterranean adventures we were stoked to have extremely bright and water resistant L3 headlamps to light the way and keep us from falling off of underground cliffs.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03w7pdd_jI/AAAAAAAAATM/VY62dZT3i_M/s1600-h/MagellanLogo.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03w7pdd_jI/AAAAAAAAATM/VY62dZT3i_M/s200/MagellanLogo.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138027657432006194" border="0" /></a><br />The island of New Britain off of mainland Papua New Guinea is very minimally developed. Infrastructure development is driven by the demand for natural resource removal and is carried out primarily by the corporations profiting off of the land. The Australian government has inaccurate topographic maps of the area, but our primary tools for navigation were local guides, Google Earth and our Magellan eXplorist GPS units. Before entering the jungle, we would scout our planned route on Google Earth and plug GPS coordinates into our eXplorist units. In the field, we would then mark additional waypoints based on landmarks we scouted ahead of time online and information from local tribe members. Without these GPS units, we would have been wandering through uncharted jungle with only local people (who we had an extremely difficult time communicating with) guiding our way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03655dd_vI/AAAAAAAAAUs/fzWCwm1aAFc/s1600-h/nemo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03655dd_vI/AAAAAAAAAUs/fzWCwm1aAFc/s200/nemo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138038622483513074" border="0" /></a><br />Our adventure in PNG was a difficult one to outfit. We were backpacking, caving and kayaking in very wet, rugged terrain and thus needed lightweight, durable equipment that was also compact. We needed to be able to be able to live out of a kayak for a week at a time, if necessary and be comfortable sleeping in wet, humid environments. Luckily, at the Outdoor Retailer Show in SLC, Trip and I were referred to a company called Nemo tents by our contact at Jet Boil. Nemo makes a line of tents that instead of being supported by poles, is supported by an internal frame of air bladders. They are so compact and light that I easily stored the tent that Scott and I shared in the bow of my Dagger Nomad 8.5.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03x9Zdd_mI/AAAAAAAAATk/3O59yUDZqog/s1600-h/NorthFaceLogo.jpeg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03x9Zdd_mI/AAAAAAAAATk/3O59yUDZqog/s200/NorthFaceLogo.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138028787008405090" border="0" /></a><br />Due to the multitude of situations we needed to be prepared for and the amount of camera gear we needed, little space was available for clothing. We did however, need to be prepared for heat, cold, sun, rain and malaria carrying mosquitoes. We needed to hike through the sweltering (or very rainy) jungle all day and be able to dry and rewear the same clothes the next day for weeks at a time. The synthetic shorts, t-shirts, buttondowns and raingear supplied by The North Face fit this bill perfectly and held up well enough for us to still wear even after the expedition ended.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03z1Jdd_nI/AAAAAAAAATs/DsGXUUxFn7Q/s1600-h/FiveTenLogo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R03z1Jdd_nI/AAAAAAAAATs/DsGXUUxFn7Q/s200/FiveTenLogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138030844297739890" border="0" /></a><br />In August, Trip and I met in Salt Lake City to finalize our equipment list for the expedition. We stopped by a proven leader in the outdoor footwear industry, Five.Ten, and found exactly the shoes we needed for our PNG mission. The newly released Five.Ten Canyoneer 2 Boots allowed us to do everything we had lined up: multiday backpacking, caving and whitewater kayaking. The shoes performed wonderfully in all situations and were an absolutely indispensable item. I like them so much that they remain my primary paddling shoe. Tip: wear a pair of midweight Smartwools with them for best performance.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R031I5dd_oI/AAAAAAAAAT0/xFSV9Li3EDA/s1600-h/acrlogo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R031I5dd_oI/AAAAAAAAAT0/xFSV9Li3EDA/s200/acrlogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138032283111784066" border="0" /></a><br />Setting out on this expedition without certain safety measures in place would have made for a very sketchy situation. The activities we were doing were dangerous and the location one of the most remote on earth, making access to medical care marginal at best. Two precautions we took were to purchase high quality travel insurance and carry two ACR Microfix units with us at all times. In case of an emergency, you raise the antenna and activate the unit, sending out a signal to NOAA with GPS coordinates. Before the trip we logged onto the NOAA website and provided a detailed description of where we would be and what we would be doing so that if we activated the beacons, rescuers would have as much information as possible to expedite the search and rescue process. Best of all, the search and rescue is FREE. I will definitely not be going on any major expeditions in the future without one of these units.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R0326pdd_pI/AAAAAAAAAT8/vBYi1kTD9YM/s1600-h/wavesport.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R0326pdd_pI/AAAAAAAAAT8/vBYi1kTD9YM/s200/wavesport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138034237321903762" border="0" /></a><br />For the expedition, four out of six members of the team chose Wavesport Habitats. The team needed to be prepared for multi-day missions in conditions ranging from perfectly flat to class five gorges and waterfalls, and the Habitat fit the bill perfectly. They are fast, stable and capable of carrying the gear we needed to live in the jungle for days at a time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R034hJdd_qI/AAAAAAAAAUE/5iAU39ofL1E/s1600-h/ATlogo2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R034hJdd_qI/AAAAAAAAAUE/5iAU39ofL1E/s200/ATlogo2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138035998258495138" border="0" /></a><br />In difficult, remote gorges, your paddle is critical – without it you can quickly find yourself at the mercy of the river. We trust AT paddles because we know, from experience, that they durable and provide the necessary power to run pushy class five whitewater. Our paddle of choice was the AT2 Standard for all applications – from ocean crossings to 50 foot waterfalls.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R036FZdd_sI/AAAAAAAAAUU/rtrwwrFR1Ms/s1600-h/sweetlogo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R036FZdd_sI/AAAAAAAAAUU/rtrwwrFR1Ms/s200/sweetlogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138037720540380866" border="0" /></a><br />At EP, we take helmet choice very seriously. You only have one brain, and we believe that protecting it should be a top priority. For this expedition, we chose the Sweet Rocker Halfcut for it’s durable carbon fiber shell and over-the-ears cut that kept us cool in Papua New Guinea’s equatorial heat. When things get a bit hairy, we strap on the Rocker Fullface for extra protection.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R036U5dd_tI/AAAAAAAAAUc/_8IA_MVRlwE/s1600-h/SnapDragonLogo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R036U5dd_tI/AAAAAAAAAUc/_8IA_MVRlwE/s200/SnapDragonLogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138037986828353234" border="0" /></a><br />Sprayskirts, along with paddles, are a piece of gear that you depend on not to fail. In PNG, we constantly found ourselves clawing through thick jungle and plugging into monster holes, two very trying situations for any sprayskirt. The White Water EXP Armortex Reinforced skirt laughed at sharp vines and sticks and resisted implosion with the help of a plastic reinforcing bar that bridges the gap between your thighbraces.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R036kZdd_uI/AAAAAAAAAUk/TQBqRk_Ihl4/s1600-h/pelicanlogo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6RogelXzqzo/R036kZdd_uI/AAAAAAAAAUk/TQBqRk_Ihl4/s200/pelicanlogo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5138038253116325602" border="0" /></a><br />It’s strange how very expensive electronic equipment and water don’t mix. We however, decided to embark on a kayak mission to a country that receives 18 FEET of rainfall a year with a bunch of expensive cameras and an expensive laptop. Pelican made it work out though by providing us the waterproof boxes we used to keep our gear from getting wet or crushed. After two months in the jungle, we made it back to the States with all of our electronics in full working order (albeit a little dirty from shooting a volcano as it erupted next to us...)Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07524893008609211010noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-55336267231701733652007-11-28T11:17:00.000-08:002007-11-28T11:24:26.044-08:00About the Epicocity ProjectThe Epicocity Project is a kayaking and media team dedicated to promoting environmental stewardship through the blending of adventure, exploration and conservation. We’ve been around since 2003. Our first kayaking video, Bigger than Rodeo, was selected as “Video of the Year” by Paddler Magazine and our second, Mission Epicocity, was the “Editor’s Choice” by National Geographic Adventure. Our environmental documentaries have been endorsed by the Sierra Club and accepted into the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival. Our work has been aired on National Geographic Television, FOX and has been featured in Banff Film Festival’s World Tour.Andy Maserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00142810728047481550noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-66379208774747081312006-11-26T11:19:00.000-08:002007-11-26T11:51:11.691-08:00Contact The Epicocity Project<object width="300" height="300"><br /><param value="epMailer.swf" name="movie"/><br /><embed width="300" src="http://eugeneweb.com/~gabriel/epMailer.swf" height="300"><br /></embed><br /></object>Skuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890832169573366032noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3912686617078422344.post-14391219685029887752006-11-26T11:16:00.000-08:002007-12-03T13:32:16.161-08:00Epicocity Project Links<a href="http://epicocity.com">Epicocity Project</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/video/index.html">National Geographic Adventure Online Editor's Choice Award</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nrsweb.com">NRS</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.clifbar.com">Clif Bar</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.kokatat.com">Kokatat</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.aa-foods.com">Alpine Aire Foods</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.thenorthface.com">The North Face</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.magellangps.com">Magellan GPS</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.brunton.com">Brunton</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nemoequipment.com">Nemo Equipment</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com">Adventure Medical Kits</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fiveten.com">FiveTen</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.wavesport.com">Wavesport</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.sweet.no">Sweet Protection</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.acrelectronics.com">ACR Electronics</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.atpaddle.com">Adventure Technology</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.snapdragondesign.com">Snapdragon</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pelican.com">Pelican Products</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure">National Geographic Adventure</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.canoekayak.com">Canoe and Kayak Magazine</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.wcs.org">Wildlife Conservation Society</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.chinarivers.com">The NuJiang River Preservation Project</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org">World Wildlife Fund</a><br /><br /><a href="http://gabesimagination.com">Gabe's Imagination</a>Skuzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13890832169573366032noreply@blogger.com0