Las Olas

Panama ~ Week II

The surf forcast was looking really good for the second week of our trip so Drew and I went back to Playa Barqueta to take advantage of the beach break at Las Olas resort.

A typical day at Las Olas would start early. It's impossible to sleep in when you can see perfect waves from bed! The water was really glassy first thing in the morning so it was easier to paddle out.

In between sets, we could look a little ways out and see dolphins jumping around, and some really big fish splashing all around us. Drew even saw a couple sting rays cruise by.

After surfing it was siesta time.

. . . and then an afternoon swim in the pool :)

Practicing Spanish at the swim up bar

Evenings were my favorite time to go for a run on the beach.

The sunsets were incredible . . .

Then happy hour, dinner, sleep, wake up and do it all over again.

My only complaint is that the week was over WAY to fast!

When I retire, you'll know where to find me . . .

somewhere on a beach in Panama :)

Panama

Week I

Panama is a place that Drew and I were really curious about since neither of us had been there before, but we'd heard really good things about it. We wanted to go on a surf trip somewhere with sunshine and warm water, but we only had a couple weeks so we didn't want to go too far. Turns out, Panama is a pretty awesome surf destination and we had the breaks all to ourselves. We originally wanted to see the Caribbean side as well, but we were having so much fun on the Pacific side we decided to save that for another time. We spent the first week making our way up the coast to Punta Burica near the border of Costa Rica.

Flying into Panama City

Traveling in Panama was really easy going and affordable and the people were super friendly, even when we were stumbling through our Spanish. The food was really good, especially at the rotisseries. We ate a lot of fresh fruit, seafood, rotisserie chicken, fried plantains and rice. When we camped out we cooked foil dinners smothered in Lizano sauce.

We flew into Panama City and rented a pickup truck so that we could get out to some of the breaks where buses don't go. We also brought a tent and camping gear to have the flexibility of camping on the beach. The first night we drove about an hour out of the city to camp at Punta Chame, a well-known kite beach.

Punta Chame

The next day we drove 6 hours to Playa Barqueta and stayed at a place right on the beach. There is also really good camping here.

Las Olas

The waves were pretty big, and after two days of getting pummelled we decided to go check out the town of Boquete a couple hours away near the mountains.

Boquete is a really cool little tourist town with rafting, kayaking, hiking, ziplines, and some fun bars. We stayed at the Boquete Outdoor Adventures Hostel on the river. The next morning we decided to go for a "nice little" hike around Volcan Baru on the Los Quetzales trail.

It was a pretty sweet hike through the jungle with some creek crossings, unfortunately our Spanish failed us and what we thought was going to be a 5 hour loop trail took us on a whole new adventure to the other side of the volcano with no roads leading back to Boquete. I'm still not really sure where we ended up but we had a choice between a 5 hour hike back the way we came or a 3 hour bus ride around the mountain. We got some beverages and hopped on a series of buses and taxis. After getting lost a couple of times we finally made it back to our truck, in the dark, and immediately got stuck in a giant mud bog. We dug ourselves into a pretty good trench until, luckily, a rad bus driver came by and pulled us out. The next morning we decided it was time to head back to the beach.

This time we headed out to Punta Burica, on the border of Costa Rica. This place is only accessible by 4-wheel drive and it is pretty remote so we stocked up on food and water to camp for a couple days. The only way to get out there is to wait for low tide and drive right up the beach. It is easily one of my favorite places I've ever been and no one else was around. The trees are full of monkeys and there are miles and miles of surf breaks, beaches and palm trees. To top it all off, the waves were the perfect size for beginners and there was a full moon so we surfed until our arms were about to fall off.

The Elusive Little Klickitat

I have been waiting to get on the Little Klickitat for years. After spending a couple days watching the gauges rise and everything turn to red HIGH, I knew my time had come. This gem of a run only comes in about once a year and is tricky to catch.

Having faith that it would rise a little more over night, Nick Jacob and I made a plan and put together a solid crew. Despite doubt from a few, we got up early and headed out. We checked the level at the take out, deciding that not only was it not low, it was higher than anyone in the crew had seen it. Yippee!!

The run started out small, weaving through brush and farmlands. This didn't last long, however, as we were soon dropping into a beautiful gorge with steep, fun rapids.

Kate, Classic Little Klickitat

Photo: Andy McMurray

John McConville in One of the Many Boulder Gardens

Photo: Andy McMurray

Nick Jacob Cruising Toward a Sweet Line

Photo: Andy McMurray

Heather Herbeck Killing It

Photo: Andy McMurray

Nate Herbeck With a Monster Boof

Photo: Andy McMurray

Nate also put together this sweet little video. The first half is the Little Klickitat, followed by Hagen Gorge (another of my favorite runs).

Strewn with boulder gardens, ledges, and a waterfall, this river has a little of everything! The paddle out even had a nice boogie to it. I can't wait to catch it again....in five more years! :)

Mission: Novelty Creeking

I spoke too soon on the change of seasons! It has warmed up here in the Northwest and we have been getting hammered with rain! Yippee!!

With everything on the rise and/or high, the challenge is finding something that will be reasonable. I've been itching for an adventure lately and with all this rain I figured it was a great time for a new run. After talking with BZ local, Dave Hammond, a plan was put in place to check out Major Creek.

Checking Out the Wood Situation

Major Creek is a tiny creek with several gorges and thick vegetation on the Washington side of the gorge. Unsure when we arrived if there was too much water for the narrow gorges, we hiked up from the take out a ways to make sure we could clear the trees. It looked clear and the group decided to give it a go.

Joe Stumpfel Coming Through the Entrance Rapid

We had a good flow and did a lot of brush dodging as the current was fast and eddies few. The rapids were steeper than I had expected with such a tiny creek, but so much fun! There were a few logs, but nothing that was too difficult to manage, requiring only one portage. And, it finishes with a roller coaster ride through a tunnel of fun!!

Scouting One of the Gorges

It turned out to be a pretty sweet little run, super close to home! Mission: Novelty Creeking was definitely a success!!

A Quick Turn of Seasons

With a few days of rain under our belt, and a desire for an adventure outside of the gorge, we decided to head south. The classic Oregon run, Opal Creek, seemed like the perfect option as it was starting to get cold and the road would soon be snowed in.

Taking in the Scenery

Photo: Adam Mills Elliott

It was chilly at the put in with a dusting of snow on the ground for our short hike in. In no time we reached the beautiful, clear water. The rapids on this run are really fun, but the draw to it for many comes from the amazing scenery.

Getting Started

Photo: Adam Mills Elliott

Soaking It All In Below Big Fluffy

Photo: Adam Mills Elliott

Shortly after we put on it began snowing...and didn't let up until we took off. By the time we ran shuttle the road had a couple inches of snow on it. It had changed from Fall to Winter while we on the water and it left us feeling fortunate that we may have caught one of the last Opal runs of the season.

Our Snowy Finish

Photo: Adam Mills Elliott

Let's get out our creeking booties, Winter is here!!