The Saeman Brothers T.J. and Bryce began a blog of their long trip across the United States and Canada. Their purpose of their trip was to promote stand up paddling throughout the country traveling to destinations to paddle flat water on lakes and rivers to charging down class III rapids in the Rockies. Here is the beginning of their account:

Bryce paddling down a small set of rapids.

We are both Hobie team riders and have packed up our 2005 Toyota Tundra to the brim with: 5- Hobie SUPs (2- CP Stringers, 3- ATRs), 6- Hobie carbon paddles, sleeping bags, pillows, 2- bags of clothes, 2- spearguns and diving equipment, 2- large boxes of fishing and hunting equipment, a couple thick wetsuits, booties, gloves, and whole lot of other stuff. We are planning on being gone for over a month traveling all throughout the United States and Canada. In the first leg of our adventure we passed through 6 states: California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and  Idaho, until we finally arrived in Missoula, Montana. While driving through Utah, we found a couple ponds to paddle our SUPs and relieve some driving stress. After a long day of driving we stopped off in Salt Lake City, Utah to have dinner and spend the night with our Uncle and cousins.

The next morning, Bryce and I woke up and headed towards Montana. On our way we found a small set of rapids on a river just outside Indian Falls, Idaho and decided to suit up and try rapids for the first time. The set up was a 5 ft. waterfall drop into a set of wave trains that let out into calm water a couple hundred yards down river. Before charging off of it Bryce waded out in front of the waterfall to check the depth. After locating a drop point he walk up and ran it. Paddling as hard as he could towards it, Bryce leaned back to straighten out the board off the drop, but ended up not sticking it and getting caught under the waterfall. It took him 5 minutes to paddle 20 ft. because the waterfall created this current that pulled back towards the falls instead of pushing him away down river. After his first run we each ran it a couple times and ended up sticking it. We rode our Hobie 10′6 ATRs and they worked great, offering great stability through the rough water. Before coming on the trip we discussed safety and technique for running rapids with professional white water kayakers and SUPers: Dan Gravere and Nikki Gregg. They gave us a lot of tips to help us get started in this different avenue in stand up paddling. Thanks Guys!!!  After about 3 hours of playing on the river we decided to get back on the road and head up to Montana.

Bryce off a drop.

Look for next week's continuation of SUP'n Across America with the Saeman Brothers.

www.saemanbrothers.com