June 10 - 16

It was quite a week! The Cheney clan didn't disappoint,once again, as non stop laughter and fun was the norm. We also had Gordon Bainbridge, Amanda Tucker and Drew Thate who were great sports to put up with all the hilarity complete with musical accompaniment. Drew did a spectacular exit via his private helicopter as the children were wearing on him towards the end of the week. I guess that's how those Montana people roll. He was sorely missed and we wish him well.  Craig Cheney gave a wonderful but subtle final speech that will never never be forgotten for, what he didn't say was clear to all. Great flows, weather, food and instruction reigned supreme. And, not only was it Carolyn's birthday, but the joyous news of a new addition to the family was announced early in the week! THANKS FOR COMING!!

June 3-9

         Solid week for us with a full group! Heidi and Brian Oblander with Mark Cenovich made the scene once again and their passion for the sport is obvious. Fun seeing leslie Iorillo again (thanks for the killer newsletter) as well as Marie Monrad and her super fun daughter Zoe who haven't been here for a few years. We had great flows but it turned out to be a pretty chilly week towards the end with the advent of a cold front. Very game crew, though, as everything was in! Tony Lunt and his good friend Ariane were a delight and seemed to really love the scene here. Great meeting Thom Stineman, Barry Krumholz and Peter Niemczyk for the first time. Last but certainly not least we had a great time watching the dynamics between Colby and Ginger. Colby may have been the star student but Ginger was super game and it was a pleasure to see her excel to such a degree. The culinary staff kicked butt once again and, of course, our intrepid instructional staff (Jess Daan, Bin and dave) were over the top. OK, I know it's more effusive BS but... we really have fun with people here. Thank you all for coming and THANKS for being so over the top supporting our staff! p

May 27 - June 2

A bit slow posting this as we are busy busy here at OB. It was a wonderful week with the "old home" crew and it seemed better than ever. I suppose I always say things like that but we had a number of effusive accolades from the gang like "best week ever after all these years"! Great seeing Pete Peterson and Henry Louderbough and all the other folks who have been here so many times. Thank you so much for sticking with us for the past 30 years! It was a stunning week weather wise ( 80's) and we got out on many of the runs up and down the North Fork and South Fork, as well as the main canyon. It was just plain magic last week and Mary and Dan punched out some wonderful meals as usual!  Graham, Daan and Jess (sorry we missed you in the photo) and PK were on hand to steer the ship and were amazing. This week is always a benchmark for us and I think the team delivered a five star product! We even managed to pull of one dinner outdoors at the request of Pete Peterson. We just can't do enough for him!

May 20 - 26

We had some cooler weather late this week and it felt a bit like late winter. The levels dropped late in the week accordingly but all of our usual runs stayed in. A great group of folks made it easy for the guides (Kettering and Grum). Wonderful seeing Steve and Erin again and their was no shortage of banter this week! My ski buddy Bill Sullivan showed up and it was fun catching up. Bruce Wear biked and boated, styled all the runs and was a pleasure to have here. Amanda Tucker probably could have picked a later week but was a terrific sport and was very flexible re our creative approach to keep her on the right water. We had a lot of laughs with this crew! Thanks for coming.

May 13 - 19

Our second week of the season was a continuation of spectacular weather and flows! A bit too summery, really, but there were no complaints. All sections are in and part of the group did end up on Butler towards the end of the week. Dan and Mary are killing it in the kitchen and Jess and Daan were beyond superb on the river. I know this is a lot of superlatives but... you had to be here. Great seeing Merida, as always and the addition of Paul Popovich for a second week was a treat. Long standing client Cifford Schostal made the scene again and his wry humor and constant medical advice were MUCH appreciated. We also had the delightful Peter Eisner and Miguel Flores make return appearances and it was great to meet Scott Mackenzie. Frank Colver made a cameo mid week and he will return in late june for a week of electric motor cycle riding and pack rafting! It was a super fun week! Thanks for coming!  p

May 6 - 12

Opening week at Otter Bar!! We had a strong group this week with superb weather and flows. We were initially concerned that the warm temps would bump the river too high but the cold nights kept the river at optimum levels and an amazing time was had by all. Multiple trips to Idlewild this week as well as Matthews creek and the lower South fork. It doesn't get much better here at Otter Bar. In addition, our new cooks Mary and Dan were a huge hit with all of us as, not only does their food rock but they are great fun to have around! Great fun seeing Steve Rossberg, Rheim Jones (sorry we missed you in the above photo), Paul Popovich (he's even staying for a second week) and Jeff Donaldson. Jim Kilkenny was new on the scene and while he was kind of shy and quiet he was fun to have around. We also had Jay Anderson and Donna Poggi who biked up a storm and we were super appreciative of their help on the boutique. Graham and and Andy were the gurus for the week with able help from Dimas Pino who was a fantastic new addition! Thanks for coming!!

Just back from Antarctica. I was invited by Graham Charles to go down on a three week trip aboard the 72 meter OCEAN NOVA. After a bit of "airport hell" I completed the transit through Buenos Aires to Ushuaia at the southern tip of Argentina. Quark Expeditions was the host company and I was thrilled that they provided sea kayaks so that I could paddle the ice and get shots like the one above. It was an incredible experience to visit The Faulklands, South Georgia and the Weddell Sea side of the Antarctic peninsula. Extremely well run ship in every respect and the Expedition Crew were tireless in their pursuit of creating the ultimate experience for the 60 passengers. This trip includes lots of Zodiak landings and this, of course is a major highlight. Normally they have a complete sea kayak agenda which I would highly recommend, however, this particular trip did not include this itinerary. They were kind enough to include a couple kayaks, though, so I could get a feel for how ridiculously fun paddling in the ice is! Thank you G Charles on that one. The combination of seeing tons of animal life, ice, ocean and a supremely comfortable ship was unparalleled! If you are interested there are a ton of photos on our "fans" page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Otter-Bar-Lodge/84701887461?ref=ts. Back on the river now and waiting for snow with Christmas coming in a few days. Looking forward to seeing the kids ( Rush back from the Congo recently and Alli working with autistic kids in Berkeley) and spending some quality family time. Love to you all! peter