Chunky! That’s the best word to describe the James River during our kayak trip on January 25.

“Look at Jack’s paddle while he’s surfing – it’s vibrating there’s so much ice coming through the flow! The ice just lifted me off the wave!,” said one of the kayakers, a robust 6’6″ 300-lb man.

None of the six of us, including three kayak instructors with Chesterfield County’s Outdoor Programs, had ever seen the river in these conditions. As an advocate and lover of the James, I’ve videoed it in all kinds of conditions, from the world’s first high school whitewater SUP race to the James River Association’s documentary The Great Return of the Atlantic Sturgeon to the year-long Affair with the James. I even videoed the icy river in 2014 down by Rocketts landing, when there was so much ice in the river, the changing of the tides stopped it from flowing. All of us paddling on this trip have been out in snowy and icy conditions, when it’s like paddling in a slurpee. But Snowmaggedon 2016 made it like a slurpee from a blender that’d gone on the blink! Big, thick chunks of ice filled the river.

Of course, the chunky part was where the river was flowing. First, we had to get out of Reedy Creek which was frozen with a solid 2-inch-thick layer of ice. The GoPro footage showed it took us six minutes to go 50 yards. Once we navigated that arctic land of ice and snow, our trip through Richmond’s downtown rapids took us about two hours.

Dressed in dry suits, we were warm; dressed in years of experience, we were safe. We were entertained with how hard it is to brace against blocks of ice instead of water, how the ice would throw off our timing of taking a stroke that didn’t get into water, just bounced off ice. It was beautiful out there, an epic trip on an incredible river, which even in the snowy streets still was just a five minute drive to the river.

Done for the day, we had to get out of the river, which required another, albeit much shorter, ice-busting episode at the 14th St takeout. Great bookends to a great trip. A crazy wild trip that was so much fun!

2015 King of the James winner Trevor Sayler came from Asheville, N.C. to participate. Credit: Home on the James

A buzz filled the air throughout the James River Park System this fall in the weeks leading up to November 15th for the second annual King of the James.  Question’s like, “Who can rival last year’s winner Adam Tremper?” or “What will the river levels be?”  A race like KOTJ depends on many variables involving the weather. The river too high or trails too muddy can make or break the event as well as play a huge role in training for it.

It was inspiring to be around the river and see numerous long boats strapped atop cars running shuttle on the lower James. Long boats are worthy of speed and without one, you cannot win King of the James.  It is inspiring to see so many friends who normally spend their time on the river throughout the year, transition off the river and onto the trails. These bi- and tri-athletes flooded Richmond’s singletrack, riding bikes to nail down their lines over stream crossings and other obstacles strewn throughout. I even caught site of  registrants getting their lungs warmed up for the run in Forest Hill Park and reevaluating their fitness during the off season. This year people not only wanted to do well in King of the James, but there was angst to be crowned King.
King of the James is an adventure triathlon. One that was created to celebrate the terrain we have here in Richmond. The city’s park system is comparable to those in even the best ‘mountain towns,’ despite being in Virginia’s Piedmont.  The falls in Richmond and the bluffs surrounding the river are an outdoor enthusiast’s dream, and we can access them every day of the year. Furthermore, you can go on a trail run, mountain bike ride, and paddle all in one day. These assets are unique to Richmond. Thus King of the James was born.

Jenny Belt was the Queen of the James for the second year in a row. Credit: Home on the James

The event more than doubled in size in its second year, going from 96 participants in 2014 to 200 in 2015.  Reedy Creek is the perfect staging grounds, with its proximity to trail access as well as being the principle put-in for the most dramatic section of whitewater on the entire James River.  Producing the event in early November surrounds racers and the entire course with spectacular fall colors – The James River Park System at its finest.  November 15th proved to be the perfect day of racing with temperatures in the mid 30’s which rose to low 50’s along with the river stable just below 6 feet on the Westham Gauge.
Although the course is not particularly long in distance, it makes up for in difficulty.  The Forest Hill Trail is demanding on the lungs with steep climbs that keep on coming.  It’s similar to a high intensity interval workout with roots and stream crossings.  Then you transition on to the mountain bike.  Your quads will burn and body will be jostled as you ride along the Buttermilk and North Bank trails with technical rock gardens, stream crossings, and even a couple steep climbs.  Now that your legs are fried and filling with lactic acid, you dismount your bike and cram them into a kayak and speed thru class III-IV rapids. The total course takes anywhere from just over an hour for some, to over two hours for others.

2/3 of the winning relay team, Pup ‘N Suds. Credit: Home on the James

At the end of this year’s King of the James, a new King was crowned.  Trevor Saylor traveled up from Asheville, N.C. to claim top honors and finished the race in 1 hour and 20 minutes…shaving 4 minutes off the time of of last year’s winner Adam Tremper. For the second year in a row, Jenny Belt finished as the Queen with a time of 1 hour and 38 minutes. Perhaps the most exciting finish of the day was the final sprint for first place among the team category.  Max Posner passed Massey Worley in the flat water just below the final drop of Pipeline to edge Team Pup N’ Suds in for 1st place at 1 hour and 16 minutes.
We want to congratulate all the participants! It is not an easy race, and merely finishing is truly a statement on this world class, outdoor race course we call Home. Thanks to the James River Park System, Forest Hill Park staff and volunteers for the countless hours spent making the park so great. King of the James donated $1,000 to James River Outdoor Coalition to assist the park staff in maintenance and improvements to this wonderful green space.

Until next year!

TIMES

Kings

Trevor Sayler 227 1:20:14 0:54:45 0:23:55

Michael Wilson 203 1:23:50 0:58:11 0:25:41

Michael Stratton 220 1:27:01 1:03:03 0:26:19

John Nestler 216 1:27:42 1:04:02 0:25:11

Neil Etheridge 209 1:27:58 1:00:14 0:24:56

Adam Tremper 1 1:28:06 1:04:44 0:24:30

Matt Londrey 221 1:28:39 1:01:32 0:24:10

Stephan Sado 232 1:28:50 1:03:45 0:25:36

Zizza 222 1:30:14 1:05:26 0:27:43

Bryce Roberts 211 1:31:54 1:05:30 0:29:26

Josh Taylor 202 1:35:08 1:09:37 0:30:16

Kevin Langlois 223 1:35:25 1:08:45 0:29:58

Devin Shunk 205 1:35:35 1:09:13 0:29:03

Jon Lugbill 210 1:36:30 1:11:21 0:28:16

Max Galbraith 212 1:40:05 1:06:43 0:21:56

Rob Tompkins 225 1:40:11 1:13:15 0:32:59

Todd Craft 206 1:41:43 1:15:41 0:31:19

Cooper Sallade 230 1:42:08 1:16:19 0:35:09

Greg Russ 214 1:44:44 1:14:31 0:29:08

Brian Davis 226 1:45:51 1:19:50 0:29:12

Harrison Whitten 213 1:47:07 1:18:41 0:31:41

Emmett Saulnier 207 1:47:50 1:11:05 0:22:24

Ned Trice 224 1:49:30 1:21:04 0:30:35

Jesse Yuan 229 1:50:39 1:22:17 0:29:12

Caleb Frantoy 231 1:51:06 1:31:30 0:31:43

Riley Gorman 215 1:51:07 1:16:30 0:27:43

Tom Daley 228 1:51:19 1:26:08 0:31:11

Jack Martin 204 2:08:00 1:31:12 0:38:13

Perry Griffith 217 DNF 1:38:44 0:28:25

William Gebhardt 218 DNF 1:31:44 0:29:59

Queens

Jennie Belt 106 1 1:28:06 1:04:44 0:24:30

Penelope Davenport 105 1:51:32 1:2302 30:38

Katie Lemmert 102 159:50 1:31:42 36:10

Meghan Magennis 103 2:00:25 1:29:54 35:56

Allison Drezek 101 2:00:38 1:27:26 36:06

Teams

Pup N Suds 313 1:16:25 0:54:24 0:23:39

Slowmo 307 1:16:27 0:53:57 0:24:01

Endurance Where It Counts 308 1:17:12 0:54:31 0:21:55

Some R&R 304 1:18:33 0:53:08 0:22:23

Kickin Jass 302 1:20:13 0:57:26 0:28:26

Tank Top 331 1:23:08 0:58:06 0:23:54

Hoos 2 (Hannah & Joe) 316 1:23:15 0:58:27 0:24:24

JRPS 301 1:26:21 1:00:55 0:26:31

Dongals 324 1:26:35 1:02:43 0:23:57

Broken Bones, Bikes & Boats 322 1:26:36 0:58:18 0:25:59

James River Blues Brothers 326 1:26:46 1:02:19 0:27:15

2 Gulls And A Bouey 325 1:28:36 1:03:11 0:29:31

Tots 334 1:29:18 1:03:12 0:24:29

Riff Raff 309 1:30:07 1:04:58 0:32:28

RKMG (Rachel & Mclane) 330 1:36:20 1:08:17 0:23:53

Pretty Pretty Princess 328 1:36:36 1:07:21 0:35:28

Paddleboard 314 1:37:11 1:11:54 0:29:45

IDK (Margo, Dave & Emily) 327 1:37:46 1:06:28 0:29:19

Hoos 1 (Daniel, Ned & Kit) 317 1:39:06 1:12:00 0:33:00

Little Jokers 323 1:40:20 1:15:36 0:21:36

Juicy 332 1:45:17 1:15:13 0:29:36

Hoos 5 (Colin & Emily) 320 1:45:19 1:19:57 0:28:59

Funky Rump Shakers 315 1:45:31 1:18:52 0:38:18

Worst Pace Scenario 310 1:45:38 1:19:51 0:36:10

Pound,Crank, Boof 307 1:47:25 1:21:11 0:27:59

Hoos 4 (Isabelle & Joseph) 319 1:48:31 1:13:29 0:33:00

Francos Fashion Warriors 329 1:52:02 1:04:13 0:28:11

Green Street Alleycats 305 1:52:20 1:24:09 0:36:04

Hoos 3 (Zakey & Alex) 318 2:03:07 1:38:40 0:31:46

Moms Box 303 2:15:36 1:39:39 0:38:17

M.C. Chickens 321 ??? 1:22:21 0:38:38

SOJ 312 DNF 1:03:12 0:24:06

Two weeks ago I wrote about a standup paddleboard race between Trinity Episcopal and Collegiate high schools. Race organizer and Riverside Outfitters guide Ben Moore told me he thought it was the first such race of it’s kind in the country. I wasn’t able to make it out to Pony Pasture for the slalom time trial race, but photographer and RichmondOutside contributor Elli Morris was. The above video is the result. Awesome stuff!

The leaves are falling as the season turns and daylight is getting sparse. Cooler air is settling in among Virginia’s water, and the James River is getting colder. November is a beautiful month to spend time in Richmond’s urban park system, and we are excited to celebrate the second annual King of the James!  King of the James is a triathlon highlighting the mountain sports found in the city’s core, with trail running, mountain biking, and whitewater kayaking

The secret has been uncovered for some time now regarding the gem Richmond is for outdoor enthusiasts, with its miles of singletrack and some damn good whitewater… but sometimes we forget how accessible it is to indulge for a ride or paddle in the park on a daily basis. Being able to have a number of mountain sports in your backyard is a rarity; but here in Richmond, we have it all day, everyday and can literally play outside 365 days a year.

King of the James is the perfect way to test your ability in the mountains all while staying close to home here in the city. The tour of Richmond’s finest begins by tackling an awesome trail run in Forest Hill Park, followed by a ride on the backbone of the city’s mountain bike scene via the Buttermilk Trail and Northbank Trail, and culminating with a paddle down Richmond’s notorious whitewater on the James River.  Although each individual leg of King of the James is not an endurance feat, linking all three back-to-back will get even the most seasoned athletes’ heart pumping.

This could be you during King of the James.

In 2014, Adam Tremper was crowned King and has been one of the events larger-than-life advocates.

“The King of the James is special because it encompasses some of the best things about Richmond into one event, competitive and friendly at the same time,” Tremper said.

Although there is a healthy dose of trash talking among the competitive outdoorsmen and women, King of the James stresses that we are all in it together. If you see someone in need, stop and help. The event also demands respect by all participants to be mindful of the trail users who are just out enjoying our beautiful oasis by moving aside and practicing park etiquette. “King of the James has it all!  Can’t wait to make a run at the throne again this year,” Tremper added.

Sunday is going to be a good day.  If you’re looking to watch some of the event, come out and join us! Some key locations to spend time in the park and witness King of the James are at the Reedy Creek crossing on the trail in Forest Hill Park, just downstream of Crossroads Coffee and Beer. The downhill at Texas Beach on the Northbank trail and Hollywood or Pipeline Rapids on the James River.

There can only be one – King of the James!

‘King of the James’ is an individual, multi-sport event. It can be raced as an individual or a three-person team, with each team member choosing a leg — run, bike or paddle. Individuals must be able to complete the course by possessing the skills of an EXPERIENCED trail runner, EXPERIENCED mountain biker, and EXPERIENCED whitewater kayaker.  This is an extremely difficult course, with many hazards, and requires stamina as well as in-depth knowledge of all three sports.  The course is subject to a variety of changing variables associated with being held in an ever changing outdoor environment.  Please take this into consideration.  If there is any question on your part, about completing any of the disciplines, please do not attempt ‘King of the James’. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE the difficulty of the ‘King of the James’.

Years ago, I wrote a column in the Times-Dispatch about Tuckahoe Creek on the Henrico/Goochland line, describing it as a hidden gem more accessible for wildlife than humans. Well, it looks like that could change, although luckily not too much.

The T-D’s Laura Kebede wrote in Wednesday’s paper that 26 years after it was approved in a bond referendum, Tuckahoe Creek Park soon will become a reality. Construction of the park, about 20 acres along the creek at the end of Ridgefield Parkway in western Henrico, is slated to start in December and be completed in April, Kebede wrote. Several attempts to develop a larger swath of land suitable for parking, access to the creek and other amenities failed, said Neil Luther, director of the Division of Recreation and Parks.

I remember seeing mallards, wood ducks and other waterfowl when I visited for my column back in 2009. And the landowner talked about the beaver dams in the area and bass fishing from the bank. The creek in that area is wide, shallow and marshy, creating incredible wildlife habitat. Only after rains is it navigable for canoes and kayaks, but when it’s up, it’s a gorgeous float, I was told.

If you happen to be driving past Pony Pasture tomorrow around 3:30 p.m., there’s a good chance you’ll see something no one’s ever seen before: an interscholastic standup paddleboard competition.

“I’m pretty sure this is the first one anywhere,” said Ben Moore, Riverside Outfitters‘ head standup paddleboard guide and the organizer of tomorrow’s race.

It’ll be Trinity Episcopal versus Collegiate in a slalom time trial that starts in the slack water above Pony Pasture rapid and ends around the takeout steps at Pony Pasture Park. The racers — about 10 from each school — will have to navigate the rapids and buoys anchored in the water (thus the slalom classification) for what what Moore estimates will be about a two-minute time trial.

“It’s an open high school paddleboard race,” Moore said, meaning any school could enter, but right now Trinity Episcopal and Collegiate are the only area schools with organized SUP programs. Moore said they might be the only two in the country. “I did some research (when he was helping Trinity start its team), and I couldn’t find any others.”

But Moore has bigger plans for interscholastic SUPing in the region. He said it looks like St. Christopher’s will start a program soon, and his hope this winter is to approach the Richmond Public Schools about getting kids into the sport.

“I’m really passionate about getting it into RPS,” he said, noting the work Richmond Cycling Corps has done developing a high school cycling team at Armstrong HS.

Moore said he’d love to have as many people as possible come watch tomorrow. It’s a spectator-friendly course — you can take in the whole time trial from the bank without having to move. And who doesn’t want to see a real American first?

(And in the meantime, check out the above video by RO contributor Elli Morris on Trinity Episcopal’s groundbreaking HS SUP team. Click here to read her article about it.)

This awesome video features two of our favorite people: local photographer, videographer and RichmondOutside contributor Elli Morris and Riverside Outfitters raft guide/jack-of-all-trades Mitch Davis.

Davis shows his skills at whitewater standup paddleboarding, navigating Richmond’s gnarly downtown rapids . He talks about the importance of clean water, how it is everyone’s responsibility, and why it matters to him particularly as  a SUP’er. Davis also discusses the value of waterparks and why such a park would be beneficial along the Falls of the James. This is the beginning of a series of interviews from Morris on people sharing a particular goal they have for the health of the James River. The video premiered a couple of weeks back at Films on the Floodwall.

Buttermilk Trail will be part of the course for the 50-miler of Saturday’s Tour de Fall Line. Credit: Phil Riggan

If you run, bike or paddle on and around the James River in Central Virginia, chances are you’ve benefitted from the work of the James River Outdoor Coalition and RVA Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts. The former is made up mostly of paddlers; the latter of mountain bikers. But their effect on the outdoor recreation landscape goes beyond their chosen recreational pursuits. Ever taken your boat out at 14th Street? JROC helped fund and build that. Ever walked your dog along the switchbacking, intricate-stonework and cool-arched-bridge section of the Buttermilk Trail? RVA MORE helped fund and build that.

So, if you intended to run, bike or paddle this weekend anyway, why not do it in a way that aids those groups?

On Saturday, the second annual Tour de Fall Line goes off from Mayo Island in downtown Richmond. The event — featuring multi-distance bike rides, a group trail run and group paddle — is a celebration of what we have here in Richmond: World class singletrack and whitewater in an urban environment. All proceeds go toward these groups that work so hard to maintain these amenities.

Last year, Richmond MORE’s Michael Taliaferro told me, they had about 150 people sign up for the bike rides and about a dozen do the paddle. This year they’ve added a trail run.

“The paddle is a full run of the entire fall line,” he said. “It starts at 9 a.m. and we have room for 30 people on rafts. The cost is $40 which includes the paddle, beer afterward, and food from Lee’s Fried Chicken (or Mellow Mushroom for vegetarians).

Credit: Teresa Cole

A river-loving friend sent me a link yesterday, that I thought worth passing along. SUP: The Mag, a great resource for paddleboarders online and in paper form, posted a piece by Will Taylor on Monday breaking down Richmond as a destination for standup-paddleboarders.

Wrote Taylor: If you are looking for adventure, Richmond is the place to visit. The James River is 344 miles long, forming in the Appalachian Mountains and flowing to the Chesapeake Bay. The James River runs through Richmond, Virginia and boasts the only urban whitewater with class III and IV rapids (lower James). For those paddlers looking for something a little more mild, the upper James offers a chance to run class I and II. There are also several sections of flat water for those just getting started or wanting a more relaxed day.

If you haven’t been on a standup paddleboard before, or maybe you just haven’t been on one on the James, our friends at Riverside Outfitters are running a sweet Groupon right now. Their three-hour downriver paddleboard trip from Pony Pasture to Reedy Creek, which is usually $75 a person, is now $39 per person. Check it out!

Ronnie Nickerson is excited to kayak. Credit: Elli Morris

Silence fills the air as the interpreter signs the question, “What did you think about today?”

Ronnie Nickerson rapid-fires his answers with his hands: “I like learning to paddle and going into the eddies. I know I need to have speed, and then the right angle and lean into it, so I practiced that today. It was a lot of fun.” Then Ronnie laughs and adds, “And Maggie splashed me with water!”

One of the greatest blessings of the James River through Richmond is the diversity of water features, where advanced boaters and beginners alike can enjoy the river, be challenged, and learn. Taking advantage of that, Sportable offers a kayaking program for their athletes, like Ronnie.

“A lot of our athletes are in wheelchairs or some have trouble walking,” notes Cat Anthony, Operations Director of Sportable. “We have spinal cord injuries, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, some amputations, and visually impaired athletes. Once they get on the water it’s an equal playing field for everyone. They are able to kayak and have a great time. “

Karen Sparrow out on the water near Huguenot Flatwater. Credit: Elli Morris

Greg Velzy, Outdoor Adventure Programmer for Chesterfield Parks’ Outdoor Programs, is working with Sportable to provide instruction and safety.

“We’re making sure people of all abilities get out on the water and realize once we are on the water we’re all equal,” he says. “And getting over that barrier that some people think there’s a disability involved but this way there’s not. We’re sitting in a kayak and we’re all the same out there. I love that.”

Each athlete that participated in the recent program, paddling upstream from Huguenot Flatwater, expressed a real sense of fun and learning. “I found the eddies!,” jokes Carolyn Andrews. “Eddie Monster wasn’t there this time!”

Jacob Pribble, agrees, “It was fun. I learned a lot. I learned how to get out and go into the eddie better.”

Ronnie Nickerson gets a ride up the boat launch at Huguenot Flatwater. Credit: Elli Morris

The mother daughter duo of Karen Sparrow and Emma Williams also spent the two hours on the water learning the basics of eddies. “It’s awesome to get out on the water in a supported environment. Knowing that I’d be able to challenge myself as much as I was able to but that I would have help and support to a degree when I couldn’t do it. It was great fun,” Emma says. “It was fun to learn how to keep the kayak in control and not be so behind.”

Then with a huge big old smile on her face she adds, “And get wet!”

It is, after all, summer in the city and the James is the best place to be!