On the Road on The Magical Mystery Tour, Part 1

I guess it started in January, up in Boonetown. Maybe it was Febuary, it doesn't really matter, all that matters is that I read Jack Kerouac's classic, "On the Road." Stories of hickhiking from one side of the country to the other inspired my itch for adventure. I wanted to be there, in the 50's and 60's traveling around like no one else had done before. The people you meet, the places you see, the memories that are burned into your memory, traveling is the ideal way of living.


I have always wondered what would've happened if Jack Kerouac had gotten in a kayak. The stories that would have evolved from his journeys down water would have been amazing. In some sense, I was trying to hit the road as Kerouac would've, but with a boat and the mentallity of a kayaker. For in the end, that was what all it was really about anyway, just trying to go kayaking with some cool folks in nice places.


This photo is acually a bit later in chronilogical order, but it provides me a good way to introduce the Burlfest Rig. Team Burlfest included Mr. David Finney, Nathan "Sillybee" Silsbee, and "Pillow-Masta" Shane Groves. This is a picture of our rig at the take-out of Gore Canyon, Thanks to David's Mom for letting us use the 4runner. The four of us met up in Nashville, TN and packed our lives into this car and trailer.


Shane Groves happy to be out of the car. Our first stop was Clear Creek outside of Denver, after driving the 2am-6am shift through Kansas, I awoke next to this river and was stoked to kick off our trip directly into the water.


The Shane-dogg again, this time exicuting a perfect spin-er-round-n-go-with-it in the last rapid on Clear Creek, I think it's called Rigor Mortis. Clear Creek was a really fun run, mostly just good quality class IV boogie with a few Class Vs in there to keep you on your toes. Perfect run after an all-night dash across the country. This rapid marks the start of the burlfest's invation of Colorado. Just about where Shane is dropping into the last hole backwards is where Mr. Finney got a pretty sweet rodeo-ride-into-swim combo move. I don't know how many points that scores you in a ro-day-o, but it went pretty high on our scorecard.


The view from Camp Numero Uno. Our first stop was to be at the Teva Mountain Games in Vail. It was reccomended to us that we camp at the take-out of Gilman Gorge. Twas rather purtty, and we met some cool folks including the Charger and Burler themselves from Chatt-town, TN as well as Eli Loper from Edwards, CO. Special Big Ups to Eli for letting the gang crash at his house and for showing us the goods of the Vail area while we were there.


There is alot of wildlife to seen in Colorado, even on I-70!


After the games I met up with Will Stubblefield from Boontown, and we headed up to Gore Canyon. This was my only expirience with the Colorado River while I was there, but it was satisfying to acually get on it at least once. This picture is of Stubbs dropping into Gore Rapid, the first big un you come to.


I really wish a kayaker was in this picture, again Gore Rapid but from river left. Kinda purrty as well.


The view running shuttle as you drop into the take-out valley of Gore Canyon. Couldn't get enough of that nice Colorado scenery. Stubbs in awe, gettin clicky-clicky with the picky-picky.


This was about the time I pointed my camera out the window after saying, "Damn dude, I need to take more pictures." I thought I turned out mighty fine for such random timing. Just some mountain on I-70.

Stay tuned as the story of the Magical Mystery Tour continues here on the Diz-trizzle Mizzle. For more on the first leg of our journey check out Nathan's Team Riot Update.