Like What You See?

Well there is more where this came from.  I know it has taken almost a year to get it done, but the float pics are up.  Still working on the flip cam videos from last year but they will get posted as well.  I am a little fuzzy on the mileage from last year but will work on the odometer after I confer with the Master Motorboater.  The kick off to the new float season for me was the couple's float last week.  It was all the motivation I needed to make it happen.  For only two major trips last year there are a bunch of great pics.  Some of them a little disturbing, but isn't that part of the fun?  In a few short weeks we will be ready once again to get the demons out.

Jacks Fork - Yes!

There is no doubt that trip was a win, at least most of it.  While I hated the drive we did get introduced to some new country and a potential pledge for the hoard.  Fire Thighs, Polamalu, or Wine Guy (whatever you want to call him) impressed me with his own brand of river moxie.  Great weather on day one made for some amazing miles of new river.  The Jackal Odometer has been updated   One of the standouts of the trip was the food.  My hat goes off to all those that had a hand in camp cooking, food was amazing.  I was most impressed with the On-The-Go Jalapeno poppers that came out of the stripper.  Second day started with a little cool rain but ended up beautiful.  While Scott's cooler didn't fair so well (apologies if anyone else had something stabbed by me, I will rectify it if you let me know) it was an overwhelming success.  While I cant remember the context of this picture due to my chronic blackouts, it sums up the way I feel about the Jacks Fork.  Like a shirtless Goose and Maverick on the beach volleyball course, Popcorn and the Motorboater delivered.

Canoe Fire!

Sometimes things just need to happen.  Paddling a raft with a guitar, chopping snakes into small bits, and setting fires in canoes all top that list.  The first float was on a classic stretch of Shoal Creek with a nice group of Jackals, which resulted in the incinerated lawn chair video.  While no animals were harmed in the making of this video it did create a small hole in the ozone layer which Al Gore is extremely pissed off about.  Its best to quit watching after about 40 seconds, the cameraman was drunk and is also bad at editing video.

Jackal Float is only 8 days out.  I hope the people along the Jacks Fork put their lawn chairs away!

Scotch Egg Reboot

These new Scotch Eggs are crescent roll wrapped and baked, instead of coated in bread crumbs and pan fried.  I feel these changes make them much more practical for bank breakfasts, just chunk them into a dutch and chooch it. The egg pictured is made with hot Italian sausage, I'm also working on a corned beer and hash recipe.  So be prepared to drive some of these dirty bastards into ya.  The list of possible new names include "Skanky Eggs" and "Hillbilly Knish".  

Your 2014 Jackal Shirt

Relive the legend of the Godzilla Knife this year by picking up the 2014 Jackal Shirt.  The cost of shirts will be $10 and can be purchased at your local Man Barn.

Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted to print t shirts, and for my sins, they let me.

It was a late night last night and I only got through about half of the shirts.  This will be the first multicolor Jackal Shirt and i am very proud of it.  I'm also planning on doing poster editions of the print, let me know if you are for sure interested in a poster so I will have enough. 

Let It Fly

Here is a little something from our last Man Barn gathering.  In celebration of the new stainless steel addition to the Jackal arsenal of awesomeness, the crew rode out to the Wheaton farm for some fire and firearms.  This was one of those moments when we just had to do something over the top to make sure we were making the most of the situation.  Or at least that is the way I usually feel about things. 

I can think of a lot worse ways to waste 30 seconds of your time.

Be sure to check out some of the other posts, comment, and make posts of your own.  This blog is for all the Jackals, so enjoy it.

Prepare for the Worst!

I acquired these two beauties at a surplus auction a little while back.  Unhappy with the cheap Taiwanese fabric wrapped around the scabbard and the handle, I spent a little time updating them this week.  The digital camouflage wrap, grip tape, and some black spray paint has brought new life to these two.  The blades are 440 stainless and the scabbards are made of wood.  While I don't expect them to last too long, they should be a whole lot of fun for a while.  For size reference, the board that they are laying against is an old 2x12.  The shorter one is about 18 inches while the longer one is around 30.  Hopefully they will serve me well against the carp, rafts, and river skanks.

Float Schedule

Its time to get a schedule posted on the blog.  It has taken me way to long but its finally up.  As of right now the first two are etched in stone, there is a little wiggle room on the last one although I really don't see the dates changing.  Here is the way that float season 2014 is shaping up.

June 14-16: The Buffalo River with Jacks Fork as the fall back plan.

July 4-6: Flat Creek - This will also be the Boil, so strap yourselves in.

August 8-10: Possibly the Niangua, also open for suggestions.

There was some discussion on the schedule over email but there were not many responses.  Hopefully, everyone does their best to spread the word.  This is shaping up to be one heck of a float season.  There seems to be a lot of verbal commitment from several new guys out there, which makes me even more excited.  Everyone knows how much we need to keep the momentum going, but a reminder never hurts.

In addition to the schedule, it is worth mentioning that the Jackal Odometer has finally surpassed the 500 mile mark.  Although last year was the fewest miles we have logged since we started this whole thing, we did hit a milestone.  I'm looking forward to throwing a few impromptu floats in this year that will help boost some numbers for 2014.  The float log is up to date and will soon have its own page on the blog.  

Van vs. Bus

Jackal transportation is a crucial component of float trips and usually a great time in its own right. With the creeper van currently out of commission I have been keeping my eyes open for viable alternatives. These are two of the vehicles that are going up for public auction where I work. The question is which one would make for a more exciting ride? Each have their own unique brand of awesomeness about them.  The first is the Ford club wagon. It comes complete with three rows of seating and cargo room in the back. It is a stylish red and equipped with student organization logos which are sure to attract the unsuspecting teen.

The next option is a 1985 Chevy 30 mini bus. Recommissioned as a construction transportation unit it was used to haul students and tools to the job site. It has four rows of seating with cargo area in the rear. Comes equipped with flashing lights and a three speed fan for the driver. Taken out of commission three years ago it is craving a new owner and the open road.

We want to get your feedback on these two options. Please comment below. Remember, we are just a short seven months from float season. 

Post The Damn Things!!

This is just one of many amazing photos that were captured over the course of the past few months.  It has taken a while to get them all posted but there they are.  The photos tab is a great place to kill about 14 hours of your life trying to remember what the hell happened on these trips.  You can thank the Predator for providing the motivation to get these pictures up.  As with most of the 2013 season he has been a driving force behind a lot the cool shit that has went down.  I'm throwing my vote for 2013 MVP his way.  Check out the Flat Creek/Eleven Point pictures this year for my justification.

Enjoy!

Choochin'

Here is one last video from the first float of 2013.  I was lucky to get a few good ones with the flip camera on this trip.  As usual the Tugboat was choochin' at full force on day two of Big Sugar.  There is something about riding behind this guy that I love.   The combination of music, pipe smoke, and flowing water just does it for me.  There is never a doubt that when the Tug is having a good time.  In fact, there is a direct correlation between the level of fun he is having and the amount of smoke produced from his pipe.  Even the addition of pipe filters couldn't slow this guy down.  Fortunately, the couples float is coming up just one short week from tomorrow so we can all get our Tugboat fix.  Early discussions indicate that we will be hitting yet another new stretch of water on Indian Creek.  This is an underutilized river in my opinion with crystal clear water and wonderful swimming holes.  So bring your appetite for Friday and be ready to rage on Saturday.  I hope everyone is ready for the pig!

Old Dogs

It is great to see those that paved the way for us come on a Jackal trip.  When you think about all the people who refuse to come or end up walking out because its too rough, it really makes you appreciate what these guys did.  Hell, they wrote the book on having a good time so its fitting they come show us how its done.  At every turn they were soaking up whatever the river had to offer.  They set the pace all night long and were ready to roll the next day.  I only hope I can hang this well.  Truly impressive.


I also love how creepy the Jackalski is in this vid.  He is always ready to make a movie.

Recovering from Moon Burn?

Keeping up the review of last year's floats I came across this little jewel.  The most talked about event of last year has to be the night float.  I don't know how far we went that night or what time we stopped, I just remember how bright the light was off the water.  Sometime early Saturday morning the lead boat pulled over and started a fire on a gravel bar, a piece of driftwood as a pillow I slept.  My best night on the river, ever.  Everyone has their favorites on the water.  That was mine.  I was surprised when I saw this movie the first time and was glad I thought to pull out the camera.  There isn't much more to say about this except that I'm ready to do it again.

Last Year's Fun

Last year the blog didn't get the updates that it deserves, so I put this quick video together to capture one of the highlights from last year.  This is an outstanding spot that is visited by many from across Missouri every year.  The Jackals usually take advantage of every one of these opportunities that they get.  Here is a video montage of the Current River cliff jumping that took place last year.  Its hard to tell from the video, but Tugboat was impressing everyone on the water with his American skirt jumps.  There are a few more videos, pictures and maps to follow so keep checking the blog for updates.

Big Sugar

The Big Sugar didn't let me down last weekend.  This was a float that will be remembered for a long time.  Beautiful water and a great crew for sure.  Five new faces by my count made for the biggest Jackal float trip to date.  Here is a quick video of just how awesome time on the water can be.  Kicked back, listening to music, eating some Boil.  There is quite possibly nothing better.



On another note, the odometer has been updated, along with the Jackal Photos tab.  Check it out!

Two New Photo Albums

There are two new albums available on the Photos Tab.  The Jackals have been busy and there a pictures to prove it.  You will notice some new faces and a whole lot of awesomeness.  Look for more posts to come.

Preparations

T-shirts and beer.  I think two important rules apply in this situation.  The first is: Both are better when they are homemade.  The second: Both are enjoyed more while on the water.

I’m beginning to believe that in a few years the Jackal Hoard will be entirely self-sufficient.  Handmade boats, paddles, shirts (at least the printing), and beer reflect the independent spirit of the Jackal.  If we could just befriend someone with smithy skills that could help us forge our own knives I can’t think of much more we could need.  While the JackalHawks were a valiant effort, they fell quite short of the standard that is required to pillage at our level.

This year the spirit of our group has manifested in the creation of some amazing products.  The brewing has been a wonderful reprieve from everyday life this year.  PBC, Predator Brewing Company, has been in full force kegging beer and bottling nearly every week.  This year the crawdad boil is going run on predator brew!  Saturday he was at it again with a small contingent of Jackals in Columbia.  This picture was snapped while they waiting on the mash and getting a little paddle carving done.  The Predator even got in on a little carving himself.

While the beer was brewing going on the annual Jackal T-Shirts were being printed in St. Louis.  Every year the new shirt is a much anticipated event.  The crawdad boil will be the setting for the big reveal this year and it will be a real treat.  Screen printing was a new experience for me.  In the first pic you can see what the screen looks like before printing.  The admiral is taping off everything that he doesn’t want printed.  You can see the Coat of Arms that is getting ready to go on the back of the new shirts.

In this one the ink has been applied to the screen and the admiral is printing the back of one of the shirts with his squeegee.

Finally this is a pic of the admiral with 15 of the 22 shirts that were completed that day.  It was an awesome day that included the best thrift shop experience I have ever had.  I don’t plan on missing a print day ever again.  Bring your 5 dollars to purchase your Jackal t-shirt to the crawdad boil.  I imagine they will go fast!

First Float

The first float of the season is the most amazing thing that I look forward to every year.  While this is not going to be one of the three "majors" of the year, it will provide some much needed release from the daily grind.  It might be hard to believe for some people but this image is what I'm waiting for.  The Tugboat and flag riding proudly in the bow of the mad river.  The rains have been a blessing so far this season, providing ample water in creeks that were thirsty for it.

Early discussion has confirmed a float to commemorate Quatro Mayo.  Fortunately for anyone who will be in attendance this means that the loco bombs will flow freely as we test the waters.  I'm not sure if a destination has been officially decided upon but I'm sure it will be the highlight of discussion at the birthday festivities this weekend near the Man Barn.

In other news, PBC (Predator Brewing Company) has recently produced all of the beer for the Crawdad Boil.  I was only able to get involved in one brew but I had a great time while we were there.  I'm looking forward to consuming copious amounts of this on the 31st of May.

Tug Boat Smoke

Every now and then the breeze will carry the sweet smell of the Tugboat's pipe to the rear of the canoe.  It is the subtle reminder that you are floating with a real man's man.  This has been true of many rivers for me.  However, on the last trip things went a little south for Tugboat.  His patriotic shorts quickly became the American skirt after over exposure to moon burn resulted in some excellent decision making.  Then things got worse when an overexposed cliff jump resulted in a flesh eating bacterial infection.  Needless to say he had a rough last day on the water.  Then from the back of the boat came the smell of a different kind of smoke.  Instead of the usual sweet smell of the pipe it was the odor that comes from a trash fire.  I'm not sure if the Motorboater realized the was burning a flag at the time, but in the moment it was extremely funny.  I hope the coming float season brings us all as much joy as we had last year.