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Ken Meleta

@themelta

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Washed up freeride mountain biker, wannabe climber and packrafter from Utah.
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🏔️ OFFICIAL SELECTION // IPFF 2026 🛶

“Down the Street” by Ken Meleta is coming to the International Packraft Film Festival 👀

Turns out you don’t actually need a 14-hour drive, a bush plane, or a “life-changing expedition” to have a good packrafting mission.

Sometimes the crew text says “river lap after work?” and suddenly you’re having the best day of the month.

“Down the Street” follows the Salt Lake crew getting after it close to home — proving local laps still absolutely count.

Tag your favorite “should we just go paddle?” friend 👇 and get 'em to a show of Packraft Film Fest near you!

by @themelta featuring @redpointrobin @ashleyreva @desertdannyp by @themelta

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5 months ago

200 miles, 200 rapids, 100 beers, and 21 days battling the Grand Canyon with glorified pool toys. Proud to have paddled all the major rapids with 5 swims and 5 successful self rescues.

Wouldn’t have made it without the most solid crew out there 🙏 I wasn’t scared they were scared @redpointrobin @ashleyreva @dammit_kelly @desertdannyp @buckwheatboarder @andrew_burr Thanks for bringing us along @gabster940! #thisispackrafting #softboathardcore taken in Grand Canyon National Park by @themelta

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10 months ago

You don’t typically inflate your packraft before the hike in, but it did make for better vibes in this case. Glowboatin’ made for a silly but surprisingly worthwhile first float of the year. #thisispackrafting by @themelta

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9 months ago

Absolutely no idea what this audio is 😂 but I’ve definitely got some packraft footy to make this work #thisispackrafting by @themelta

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9 days ago

The classic 401 trail in Crested Butte. Scenery and vibes: 11/10 Technicality and gnar: -4/10. Still, if you don’t like wide open alpine groomers you don’t like bikes. Earned the turns this time.. I’d recommend a shuttle. taken in Crested Butte, Colorado by @themelta

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15 days ago

Stopped dead in my tracks at mile 140 of the Grand Canyon. Fishtail rapid (5) punches well above its weight if you tee up to the meat and your timing is unlucky. I believe this one swam 3 of us, letting every other packraft through unscathed.

I do actually have video of GC rapids that I didn’t swim or screw up in some way, but where’s the fun in those? 😅#thisispackrafting taken in Grand Canyon National Park by @themelta

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2 months ago

Glow boatin’ but make it a little rowdier. No longer amused by your local moderate run? Do it in the dark.. I promise it’ll be plenty engaging 😂 #thisispackrafting taken in Little Cottonwood Creek by @themelta

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2 months ago

Some of the best class III hits from the NF Payette Cabarton segment from the other week. Trestle, Francois, Howard’s Plunge, and I believe my botch job at the end was 99 probably maybe. Flows around 1400. Great way to break the dry spell #thisispackrafting taken in North Fork Payette River by @themelta

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2 months ago

SF Payette runnin’ mudslide-brown at ~600cfs. Squoze in a late day Kirkham lap after an earlier Cabarton run. Definitely a highlight day of paddling this season. #thisispackrafting taken in Kirkham Hot Springs by @themelta

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3 months ago

No trending audio, just tires on dirt. Didn’t expect much out of a multi-use, out-and-back, blue trail, but ended up finding some rugged little alt lines down the ridge, and zero traffic for the bomb down the groomer. Totally worth bringing the bike along on a short Washington trip just for a lap on the Olallie Trail. #seekweepsbrah taken in North Bend, Washington by @themelta

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3 months ago

Flows only a packrafter could love for my first time on the Skykomish (~1200cfs). Little late getting up to the PNW this season I guess. Still nothing wrong with bobbing around in the fancy balloons with clear blue water, perfect weather, and good friends. #thisispackrafting by @themelta

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3 months ago

Our happy place is a fleeting, muddy, inches-deep, desert river. We’ll take what we can get this season. #thisispackrafting taken in Hanksville, Utah by @themelta

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7 months ago