THE CASCADE 12
24 Hours | 24 Miles | 12 Lakes
Overview: By the time August rolls around each year I am in prime paddle shape and try to pick a big objective to tackle. Due to the pandemic, I needed to stay close to home and decided to try and paddle as many lakes as I could in 24-hours. It was an idea that my father-in-law and I talked about years earlier, but never followed through on. The objective was to paddle the dozen most popular lakes that were immediately off the Cascade Lakes Highway. But due to some low lake levels, I had to replace Wickiup at the last minute with Deer Lake (which in my opinion was just a glorified pond). I started the clock at 6:35 PM on Sunday and by the time Monday evening rolled around, I had knocked off 12 lakes and over 24 miles of open water paddling in exactly 24-hours.
Sunday, August 23, 2020 | Cascade Lakes Highway, OR
WATCH THE FILM
CHALLENGE MAP
CHALLENGE SPLITS
CHALLENGE PHOTOS
Sunset Start: The challenge kicked off with a glass calm sunset paddle out on Davis Lake. I decided to start my 24-hour challenge at sunset so that I would be finishing at sunset too.
Accidental Selfie: I love this photo, mainly because I wasn’t trying to take it. I was actually trying to snap a close-up of a lilly pad when I accidently hit the selfie button and snapped this instead.
My Chariot: Since 2006, this Honda has been my sidekick for just about every epic adventure. She is a trusty workhorse who has her share of problems, but has never once let me down.
The Glory Road: This entire challenge was built around the Cascade Lakes Highway and for nearly the entire day, I had the entire road to myself (thanks to a Pandemic) and the fact that it was a Monday.
Sparks Lake: When she’s full, Sparks is a paddler’s dream and is nearly always choked with eager explorers crisscrossing her surface. But on this day, she was mighty low, so I had her all to myself.
Dawn Patrol: sunrise photos are always some of the best I capture. I snapped this one on Crane Prairie Reservoir just as I was making my way back to the dock. I love that misty haze rising off the water.
Long Day: I snapped this self portrait after finishing Sparks (lake #11). I remember feeling a mixture of satisfaction, exhaustion and a little bit of sadness, knowing my challenge was almost complete. After years of amazing adventures, its a feeling I knew well.
From Know On, Hell is Ice Cold: Why they call this Devil’s Lake I’ll never know. This eye catching emerald green oasis is glacier fed and ice cold year round. Everything about it is the exact opposite of where I envision the devil residing.
Reverse Reflection: It was so calm out on Little Cultus that I had trouble telling what was water and what was sky.
Keeping Track: On most of my challenges, I try to keep track of my splits. This allows me to track my progress, and set goals for beating my time should I ever attempt it again.
New Favorite Paddle Spot: Crane Prairie Reservoir won “Favorite Lake” during the challenge. My dawn patrol paddle was heightened by an eerie fog that perfectly accentuated the underground forest that was reaching up through the lakes surface.
Stunner: Todd Lake was the perfect spot to catch the sunset that night and I was awarded with an absolute stunner. The forest fires burning a few valleys away definitely helped enhance the shows display.
