More Maji

1) Dave Zinn looking for the next move
2) "Gare Bear" Meng staying hairy side up
3) Joel Kowalski tries to maintain control in a chaotic environment
4) Mikael Ekstrom headed for the chaos

Maji Section - Salween River

So, after a three day drive down the Mekong and back up the Salween, we arrived in the city of Gonshang. Although the water levels were much lower than anyone could have expected, we still managed to find big rapids and some nice waves. We spent most of our after school sessions paddling a short section above Gongshang, but the highlight of this stretch of the Salween was about an hour downstream near the village of Maji. Last year, Travis Winn, Scott Doherty and three other American paddlers found some of the world's best waves on this section. The low water kept these features hidden from us, but there was still plenty of excitement the whole way down. I tweaked my shoulder near the beginning of this run, and I have been forced to sit out from paddling for the remainder of the trip, but I'm still having fun in China! These are all shots of the put-in rapid.

1) local man

2) locals fishing

3) Joel Kowalski and Mikael Ekstrom dropping in

4) Evan Garcia picking up speed

these huge mountains separate the mekong and the salween. kawa karpo up top, it's "female lover" in the middle, and the stupas below.