last weekend was spent getting thrashed around rocks on the wolf, red, and peshtigo rivers in northern wisconsin on the menominee reservation. still carrying the battle scars. the little kids i'm tutoring think i'm a freak.

the more than interesting eight-hour jaunt north. mars cheese castle. home of the cheese curd. first time i've ever had a cheese curd.

the local ferocious wildlife stalking our campsite.

ken jordan helping me right my boat at boyscout rapids on section three of the wolf river. notice the rocks. water level was quite below comfortable height, which meant much more technical kayaking. as shown, i am not a technical kayaker (yet).

how i spent most of the weekend. looking fashionable walking up from gilmore's mistake on section three of the wolf river. maybe you'll see me go down it in one piece, backpaddling all the way, like i used to do on my bike:

monastery falls on the red river. this was the tame spot where we entered. just before is a large and powerful hydraulic (i was told class iv, but looked a lot worse than that to me).

the base of the falls right below the monastery. i made it down the falls okay, and then bailed as soon as i hit the tongue (or the side of it). i didn't follow my water line and gunnel-grabbed. the whole thing is on video and very ugly. a good laughing point for the entire hoosier canoe club.

again, having bailed on the peshtigo. poor sharon and barry helping me this time. i had to be rescued off a rock with a rope. incredibly embarrassing. i flipped at least a half-dozen times on this river, the final time smacking my head (and ass) on a bunch of rocks. i look jaundiced with all of the dying bruises. i begged to go on the river the day before, wanting to stick with the pack and learn more. they tried to steer me away from it. i was adamant. and i ended up adding an extra hour on to the trip. at least. but i made it down without an issue, thanks to mitch's guidance:

the most embarrassing part was losing a loaned paddle when i flipped over some rocks (no chance for t-rescue in this water). the next morning at breakfast, one of the kayakers laughed, telling another how a paddle was lost on the peshtigo the day before. the other one goes, "how can you lose a paddle on the pesh?" i hid under my scrambled egg burrito and went to mop up some more of my blood.

must ... learn... to ...read...the ....water. and must learn to stay upight.