River – First Descents

Ben Web the director of Paddling with Purpose did an interview and turned it into an article – he did a pretty good job of explaining what a fit and healthy female river runner of over 25 years can do, including first descents, read on: Lacey Anderson recounts a lifetime […]

PWP: River Gypsy Mama

August 10, 2024 in River - First Descents / River - General / River - Published Articles by Lacey Anderson

Neil and I were about to embark on the first raft descent of the upper Rio Bavispe in northern Mexico, a tributary of the Rio Yaqui north of the infamous Copper Canyon. As far as we knew, the river had been run only once, by a solo kayaker. This is […]

NRS: Exploring Mexico´s Rio Bavispe

April 7, 2015 in River - First Descents / River - General / River - Published Articles by Lacey Anderson

Having done both tributaries of the Rio Aros, the Rio Mulatos (2010 and 2011) and the Verde/Upper Sirupa (2013), we were keen to complete the “trilogy” and run the remaining headwater stream, the Rio Tutuaca. In 2013, we had scouted access to the Rio Tutuaca and the area around Rancho […]

Rio Tutuaca, Mexico – First Cataraft Descent

August 17, 2014 in River - First Descents / River - General by Neil Nikirk

Healthy fear is part of boating smart, but sometimes fear can cloud our judgment. In this article I recount one such time on Mexico’s Rio Sirupa. The monsoonal rain would not stop and the river kept rising. A feeling of dread was overtaking me. Cascada Sirupa loomed only a few […]

NRS: Cascada! Fear and Dread on the Rio Sirupa – ...

December 9, 2013 in River - First Descents / River - General / River - Published Articles by Lacey Anderson

Our first river south of the border for 2013 was the upper Rio Bavispe. This reportedly is a Class III-IV run with one Class IV that may be difficult for large rafts due to narrow passage. As the canyon is supposed to be beautiful, it sounded good to us – […]

Upper Rio Bavispe – Sonora, Mexico

November 16, 2013 in River - First Descents / River - General by Neil Nikirk

It was a hot tropical fall evening in Tlapa de Comonfort, Mexico. I found myself tossing and turning on yet another lumpy Mexican mattress. I was finally slipping into a fitful sleep when I was awakened by the sounds of soft clicking and saw an unearthly blue hue of light […]

NRS: “Exploration by Raft”

September 1, 2013 in River - First Descents / River - General / River - Published Articles by Lacey Anderson

It’s been 10 years, let’s do it again! Doug Rhodes of Pariso Del Oso and I organized the first commercial descent of the Urique river in Copper Canyon, Mexico. After the adventure Doug wrote the following article. I am thinking about running this river again in 2013. After reading this account from 2002, […]

Rio Urique, Copper Canyon Mexico – First Commercial Descent

March 15, 2013 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

Location: Tlaplaneco-Mezcala River in the state of Guerrero, country of Mexico Boaters: Rocky Contos (kayak) and Lacey Anderson (cataraft) Total Miles: 224 K (about 140 miles) Days: Five Class: III – IV Date: September 23 – 27, 2011 First things First. We hired Antonio (a local taxi driver) to drop […]

Rio Tlaplaneco / Mezcala in Guerrero, Mexico – First Descent

October 2, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

Rocky had done the initial research of the Rio Tehuantepec and had discovered the river looked good for an initial run. During the summer of 2011 Rocky Contos and Lacey Anderson were doing river explorations in Mexico. In October of that year Neil Nikirk and others were able to join […]

Rio Tehuatepec, Mexico – First Descent

September 1, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

Location: Xochiotlahuaca in the state of Guerrero, Mexico Boaters: Rocky Contos (kayak) and Lacey Anderson (cataraft) Distance: 13 miles Class: VI+ Date: October 3, 2011

Rio Xochiotlahuaca in Guerrero state, Mexico – First Descent

August 11, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

It was impossible to stop for a scout at the top of “Unscathed”. We had to scout from our boats at the entrance into the rapid. The top section of the class IV rapid had many flipper waves and just when I made it through the tough upper section, I […]

NRS: Read and Run – First Cataraft Descent

May 21, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General / River - Published Articles by Lacey Anderson

Rio Atotonilco / SantaCatarina in Oaxaca, Mexico – First Descent

May 3, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

I made children laugh all over Mexico, I was a very funny spectacle to them. As we floated past small villiages children would come streaming out of their adobe houses and the surrounding jungle foilage. They ran along-side us, on shore, to get a better look at us and our whitewater boats. Often they seemed a little frightened, but more […]

Rio Atoyac, Oaxaca, Mexico – First Descent (upper canyon)

April 20, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

We had just completed 150 miles on the Mulatos-Aros River in northern Mexico. It was August of 2011 and since May of 2011 I had completed nineteen river runs, most of them multi-day wilderness trips. The Mulatos-Aros was the first of many international runs I was looking forward to. We […]

NRS: Ten Lessons

April 19, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General / River - Published Articles by Lacey Anderson

Baluarte River, Sinaloa/Durango, Mexico – First Cataraft Descent

April 18, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

Many of Mexico’s best whitewater rivers can only be rafted during the monsoon season. This is when little creeks become raging whitewater rivers. We were headed for the put-in of the Mulatos-Aros river to do a one hundred and forty mile exploration. This would be a second descent. Our truck […]

Flash Flood Arroyo – First Cataraft Descent

April 5, 2012 in River - First Descents / River - General by Lacey Anderson

Well, we weren’t able to run the Rio Copon. We were denied access to the river by the local villagers (to say the least). On the plus(?) side, we did make the Guatemalan network news and had several newspaper articles written about our attempt to run the river. Most of […]

Held Hostage

February 26, 2012 in River - First Descents by Neil Nikirk

Many women have told me they admire my ability to run high water, class IV -V rapids. If they only knew how nervous I was beforehand – they might not make those comments. Often, I have butterflies in my stomach. Anytime I am on high water or I run a […]

FEAR!

July 5, 2011 in River - First Descents by Lacey Anderson

We hooked up with Will Volpert of Indigo Creek Outfitters and his brothers for a couple of “creek” runs north of Ashland, Oregon. You definitely have to go light for running creeks like these! Upper Applegate The upper Applegate is the run above the reservoir while the lower Applegate is […]

Upper Applegate – First Cataraft Descent

May 9, 2011 in River - First Descents by Neil Nikirk

Flash Flood transporting to Rio Mulatos, Mexico

August 12, 2010 in River - First Descents by Lacey Anderson

No Coolers

CAMP WITHOUT COOLERS ~ Kick the Cooler Habit!