Riverboarders Brave Winter on Oregon's Fish Creek, Hope to Appear in Wend Magazine

Photo by Mike Bitton
Riverboarders Ice (left) and Docta P hike upstream along Fish Creek in the Upper Clackamas River drainage near Estacada, Ore.

I photographed Portland, Ore., riverboarders Ice and Docta P back in August 2005 for a New Orleans fitness magazine. Hurricane Katrina soon put the magazine out of business.

But these adrenaline junkies have successfully pitched an article on their addiction to a new magazine in Portland called Wend (as in "wend your way," or find your own way in the world). Hopefully, some of the shots from September's shoot can accompany some of the new winter shots I got today.

How cold was the water? The Ice Man and Docta P were both double-wrapped in neoprene wetsuits, and still squealed like babies in a chilly bathtub.

Mergeo Defeats DART at TRIOBA 24-Hour Adventure Race

Photo by Mike Bitton
Members of Team Mergeo.com approach Transition Area 3 during the TRIOBA 24-Hour adventure race near Ellensburg, Wash.

I spent the weekend in and around Ellensburg, Wash. (North of Yakima) photographing the third and final race of the 2005 TRIOBA adventure racing season. Seeing my friends on various teams has become just as much fun as taking pictures, as we spend hours before and after the race finding out what everyone has been up to.

This final race was billed as a 24-hour event, but the fastest teams surprised everyone and finished in just over 10 hours. Team Mergeo.com came in first, with Team DART just two minutes behind. DART had won the first two races in the 2005 TRIOBA series, and were the series chapmions in 2004. But a subtle error in navigation during the trekking section of the course cost DART nearly an hour, which allowed Mergeo.com to take the lead late in the race. DART left the final transition area about 15 minutes behind Mergeo.com. DART nearly caught up in the end, but could not beat Mergeo.com.

Matt Hart Takes Third in Age Group at 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championships

Photo by Mike Bitton
Seattle endurance athlete Matt Hart takes a 10-minute break between laps 14 and 15 during the 24 Hours of Adrenalin mountain bike race in Whistler, B.C., Canada. After this photo was taken, Hart completed two more laps.

An invitation to join Matt Hart in Canada for the world championship 24-hour mountain bike race was too tempting to refuse. He'd pre-arranged to write race reports for some publications and needed photos to accompany them. I'm so glad he thought of me! I'd never been to Canada, and had always wanted to see British Columbia. I met up with Matt and his girlfriend, Tina, in Seattle, then rode with them in Matt's V.W. Westfalia van all the way to Whistler, B.C. Joining Tina as Matt's pit crew was Canadian Jennifer Segger, who often competes alongside Matt with the DART adventure racing team. Also on board for the event as Matt's bike mechanic was Duncan Sailors, an adventure racer from North Bend, Wash. Jennifer's friend, Jo, hooked us up with a room at the Fairmont Hotel in Whistler Village so we wouldn't have to camp out Friday night before the race. Thanks, Jo! The race began at noon on Saturday, Sept. 5, and ended at noon on Sunday, Sept. 6. The course was a 10-mile loop in and around Whistler Village. For much of that time, rain poured down. As the event wore on and the weather did not let up, Matt suffered imensely, as did his bikes. With carefully selected food and hydration, Tina and Jen kept Matt in the competition. With resourcefulness I'd thought only thieves posessed, Duncan kept the bikes functioning just well enough that Matt could stay in the race. When the competition ended, Matt took third place in his age category of 30-35 by completing 16 laps. Conisdering it was only the second 24-hour mountain bike race Matt had entered, I believe he did astonishingly well.

Portland Riverboarders Run Oregon Rapids to Promote Sport in Big Easy

Photo by Mike Bitton
Riverboarders "Ice" (left) and "Docta P" are flushed through a class IV rapid on the Upper Clackamas River, Ore.

"Ice" and "Docta P," two Portland, Ore., adrenaline freaks in dire need of photographic proof of their lunacy, invited me on a riverboarding trip to the Upper Clackamas River. They needed photos for a magazine article that's going to run in a few weeks. It's a small mag based in New Orleans, and I predict its readership will think these two gents are off their respective rockers. After I photographed them shooting class III and IV whitewater for three hours, they invited me to dive on in. I did, and had a white-knucked ride through Carter Falls (sorry, no photos of ME doing this!). Adventure sports photography has led me to many places, and to try many things. This was among the most thrilling, and I will go again.

Sunrise Hike Reveals Mt. Rainier's Stunning Glacier View

Photo by Mike Bitton
The morning light was gorgeous when I made this self-portrait at Glacier View near the base of Mt. Rainier.

I made my first trip to Mt. Rainier National Park over the weekend for a family reunion. Sunday morning, I hiked from the visitor's center up to Glacier view. There were no clouds in the sky, and the light was stunning. I sat on one of several flat rocks at the overlook and practiced my meditation as the sun warmed my face. What a serene feeling! It was just what I needed, and a memory I will reflect upon if I feel stressed out in the future.

BYOBoat Kayak Race, Portland, Ore.

Here's a shot of me racing the boat my friend Judson built and gave to me. Photo by Todd Phillips.

Tonight I took my new kayak to the Bring Your Own Boat "pick-up" race ind downtown Portland, Ore. I was there for my first time and all the athletes went out of their way to make me feel truly welcome. My friend recently gave me a boat, and I feel so lucky to have these races to attend to build my confidence and skills! Even though I came in last, you wouldn't know it by the heart-felt cheering I paddled past at the finish line.

Kayak Lake Shasta

Judson Clark built this pair of wood-strip kayaks. He gave me the one on the right.

My friend Judson Clark built a pair of wood-strip kayaks during the past couple of years. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I met him at Lake Shasta in Northern California for a weekend of paddling his beautiful boats. When it came time for me to drive home this morning, Jud sent me home with a boat! Thanks, Jud!