A New Year

2007 was perhaps the most exciting year I can remember. Highlights included winning the Grand Canyon lottery (Jerry power!), completing my 1st Grand Canyon transit as a passenger (in a home built dory no less), finishing my own dory, and successfully piloting it through Desolation Canyon literally hours after it's completion. Of course, none of this would have been possible without a lot of help and guidance from my friends: Larry, Dave, Bug, and countless others. I can't help but feel blessed, to have been able to accomplish everything I have this year.

2008 is already shaping up to be another incredible year. The permit gods have smiled on me and my friends once again, granting Ray a sweet mid-April Deso launch, and me one of the most coveted permits of the year for Desolation Canyon - Sunday, May 25th - the day before Memorial Day.

But with all the good luck I've been having I decided to aim high, so I also submitted an application for a permit to float the Yampa, during this same early-season, high-water, memorial day time-frame. If this permit falls in my lap (HIGHLY unlikely, but then again so was winning the Grand Canyon lottery on my first try) I will of course have to forgo the Deso launch and float the Yampa. But having the Deso launch now in the bag, I am very excited for a great start to the boating season.

In March, I will be attending an intensive week-long fly fishing guide school, where I will (hopefully) pick up the skills and make the connections I need to land a good first gig as a guide, when the time comes to move on from the Wilderness fight.

2008 may very well see me start a new dory project as well, which I am equally excited about, and I will likely sell the "Desolation" boat to a worthy boatman, if one can be found, to make room.

This is just a peak at what lies in store for 2008. I hope you will check back often and follow along with what promises to be another incredible year.