Lower Wind River

Great Sunday afternoon kayaking run on the Lower Wind River. Guided by a local paddler, Clayton and myself made our way down the river. The river was at low summer flows, which made the beginning bolder-chocked rapids an exercise in dodging rocks. However the pay-off was that we were able to run all the larger drops further down the river including The Flume, Beyond Limits, and Shepherds Falls.

To get the current river levels you can 509-427-3641 to ge the current water level.

Best Buddies Bike Ride

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disabilities by providing opportunities for one-to-one friendships and integrated employment. On September 6th the Best Buddies organization organized a charity bike ride along the central California Coast. Several celebrities were there, and since Mandy works at Columbia Sportswear (one of the sponsors of the event) we got the VIP treatment.

I'm terrible at celebrity spotting, I didn't recognize Rob Lowe or Maria Shriver. At the pre-ride dinner held the I even managed to completely embarrass myself at the dessert tray. Seeing that there was only one chocolate left I made a quick grab for it, beating some old guy to the delicious treat. Mandy then whispered in my ear, "Pete, that's Clint Eastwood." I looked right at Clint and said 'Nah' and then bit into his chocolate cake. It wasn't until later in the evening that someone told me that Clint Eastwood was there and was sad he didn't get a chocolate. I guess he didn't feel lucky, did he?

"Pete, that's Clint Eastwood." I looked right at Clint and said 'Nah' and then bit into his chocolate cake.

The next day we did a leisurely bike ride along the beautiful central California coast. We had a large police brigade accompanying us, all part of Maria Shriver's security detail. The weather was beautiful and the ride an easy ride along rolling hills. The nice perk at the end was we all got massages. Mandy said the highlight was getting a massage next to Rob Lowe (whoever that is).

The post-ride party was a very swank affair held at the Hearst Castle. We were encouraged to bring our swimsuits because the pool would be open. Normally I wouldn't mix drinking and swimming late at night, but David Hasselhoff was there as the lifeguard.

Here I am trying to sabotage Arnold's bike

Hassling the Hoff (he's actually a really nice guy)

Mandy discovered Kenny's last name is Gorelick. Wise choice to just go with the 'G'.

Hearst Castle pool at night

Dog days of summer

Markus and I have started a little late summer training sessions. When first adopted, Markus was an emaciated 52 lbs. The dog catcher that picked him up said he could only take a few steps and then had to lay back down. Once adopted, he got on a regimented diet designed to regain lost body mass. We're pleased to say he is now weighing in at a whopping 92 lbs! Time to convert all the additional bulk to lean muscle mass with afternoon runs along the beaches of the Columbia River.