Cherry on top

Upper Cherry Creek. I don't really think I can describe how awesome this run is. The walk in is harsh but beautiful, 12 miles through the mountains in hot sun carrying a 35kg chunk of plastic with my tevas disintegrating. I ended the walk essentially barefoot. The first section consists of miles and miles of cool low angle slides climaxing in Cherry Bomb gorge - about one of the sickest places you can be in a kayak. Jedi slides and teacup waterfalls then drop into Flintstone, the best camp we've found in California so far rivaled only by Kiwi land on Dinkey Creek. We spent the next day doing laps on the Jedi slides and teacups with each run getting progressively sillier, wave wheels, back flips, front flips, and swimming the teacups (I don't recommend doing this a bikini, there's something about jumping into waterfalls that makes them fall off). Finally we had to leave paradise due to dropping water levels. The paddle out is even better than the paddle in with way too many awesome rapids to remember. What an amazing trip to finish on. Goodbye California, next stop Thailand, bring on the rainy season!!!

5+ hours of walking and we're nearly at the put in!

Flinstone camp paradise (p. Rachael Tombleson)

Toasting marshmellows at Flinstone the best campsite yet - Jedi slides and teacup waterfalls and no mosquitos (p. Bradley Lauder)

I made it to Cherry Bomb! (p. Jamie Garrod)

Jamie busting a freewheel off one of the teacups

Sanga - all about kayaking fashionably

B wheres your kayak?

Learning how to operate a video camera for the boys third lap down Cherry Bomb (p. Jo Parsons)

Jamie on Double Drop

Evan leads the way down Kiwi in a pocket

B avoiding the pocket