HITEWATER

I SUMMER, 1973 VOI.XVIII,NO.~ AWA Affiliates ALABAMA IDAHO N. Alabama River-Racing Assoc. Idaho Alpine Club Cartin Martin Dean Hagmann 2602 Scenic Dr. S.E. 1953 Melody Huntsville, AL 35801 Idaho Falls, ID 83401 CALIFORNIA ILLINOIS YMCA Whitewater Club Chicago Whitewater Assoc. Gary Gray Bruce Weber 640 N. Center St. 5652 S. California Stockton, CA 95202 Chicago, IL 60629 Feather River Ka ak Club Belleville Whitewater Club Mike SchneEer Linda Seaman, Rep. 1773 Broadway Street No. 3 Oakwood Mar~sville,CA 95901 Belleville, IL 62223 Sierra Club Prairie Club Canoeists Loma Prieta Paddlers Charles Stewart Joe Kilner 364 Rose Ellen Dr. 185 Loucks Ave. Crown Pt., IN 46307 Los Altos, CA 94040 Illinois Paddling Council MICHIGAN Sierra Club Phil Vierling, 5949 Ohio St. Raw Strength & Courage Mother Lode Chapter Chicago, IL 60644 Ka akers Sam Gardali Mrs. fihn Dice 914 Stanford Ave. INDIANA 2022 Day St. Modesto, CA 95350 Prairie Club Canoeists Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Charles Stewart Sierra. Club MINNESOTA~ ~ San Eranclsco Chap. 364 Rose Ellen Dr. Crown Pt., IN 46307 Minnesota Canoe, Assoc. Rbt. Symon Box 14177 Unlverslty Station 3900 Harrison, No. 107 Tukunu Club Nl~nneapohs,MN 55414 Oakland, CA 94611 Nancy Rea Idlewild Yacht Club 952 Riverside Dr. MISSOURI South Bend, IN 46616 Russ Symon, Rep. Central Missouri State University 800 Market St. American Camping Ass'n. Outing Club San Francisco, CA 94102 Ernest F. Schmidt, Rep. Dr. 0. Hawksley, Rep. Bradford Woods Warrensburg, MO 64093 COLORADO Martinsvllle, IN 461 51 Meramec River Canoe Club Kekionga Voyageurs Mick McNalley Colorado White Water Association 2100 Rayner Rd. Mlke O'Brlen E. Heinz Wahl, Rep. 2007 Marlposa 1818 Kensington Blvd. St. LOUIS.MO 63122 Fort Wayne, IN 46805 Ozark wilderness Boulder, CO 80302 Waterways Club KANSAS Rbt. Woodward CONNECTICUT 2209 W. 104th Street Johnson County Canoe Club Leawood, KS 66206 Appalachian Mountain Club Geo. and Joan Welter Connecticut Chapter 7832 Rosewood Lane MONTANA Christine Papp Prairie Village, KA 66208 418 Blackstone Village Montana Kayak Club Meriden, CT 06450 MARYLAND Doug Abelin Box 213 Terrapin Trail Club Brady, MT 59416 DELAWARE U of Md., Kathy Canter 7912 - 15th Ave. #302 NEW HAMPSHIRE Delaware Canoe Club Hvattsville. MD 20783 David C. Zilker Ledvard Canoe Club 81 7 Knox Ave. Canoe Cruisers Association -Fritz Me er Easton, PA 18042 Pegg Harper Hanover, ~d03755 384 N. iummit Ave. Mad Pemi Canoe Club. Inc. Ga~thersbura.MD 20760 FLORIDA -. Dennis F. Keating Explorer Post 757 93 Realty Ever lades Canoe Club Bill Gassaway Campton, NH 03223 tharles Graves 3582 Church Rd. Box 29 239 NE 20th St. NEW JERSEY Delray Beach, FL 33440 Ellicott City, ~b 21043 Monocacy Canoe Club Adventures Unlimited Donald G. Schley Homer Hicks, Box 186 GEORGIA Rt: 1, Box 8 Belvedere, NJ 07823 Dean's Club Myersvzlle, MD 21773 Kayak and Canoe Club John Mathieu of New York 6277 Roswell Rd., N.E. Appalachian River Runners Ed Alexander, Rep. Atlanta, GA 30328 Federation 6 Winslow Ave. Joe Monohan, Box 11 63 East Brunswick. NS 08816 Geor ia Canoeing Aasociation Cumberland. MD 21502 %. D. Crowley Jr. 5888 O'Hara br. MASSACHUSETTS Stone Mt., GA 30083 Appalachia Mt. Club Explorer Post 49 Berkshire Chapter Mark Reimer Walter M. Banfleld 2254 Spring Creek Rd. Pratt Corner Rd., RFD 3 Decatur, GA 30033 Amherst. MA 01002 American Adventures Club Hampshire College Outdoors Horace P. Holden Program Box 565 Dwight Campbell Roswell, GA 30075 Amherst, MA 01002

(Cont. on Back Cover) - A- # WHITEWATER Sponsored by The American Whitewater Afiliation SUMMER 1973 Vol. XVIII, No. 2 Contents ARTICLES: The Kutuk to Iniakuk ...... Jim Hunter 47 American The Heaving Line Rescue ...... 0. K. Goodwin 52 What's Going On Here? ...... Martin Begun 56 Whitewater Golly, That's Falling Water ...... Charlie Walbridge 60 AfFiliation Mid-Fork Salmon Dam Completed ...... 66 Fog ...... Tom Findlan 68 Executive Director ...... JAMES C. SINDELAR Parents Be Aware Alain Chardon 71 264 East Side Dr. Deliverance - Flambeau Style ...... Gary E. Myers 74 Concord, NH 03301 What's My Line? ...... Joe Goheen 77 DEPARTMENTS: Board of Directors Affiliates ...... 42 Classified ...... 70 Letters ...... 44 Book Review ...... 78 President J. Calvin Giddings Whitewater President's Soapbox .... 79 1425 Perry Ave. Workshops ...... 46 Salt Lake City, UT 84103 Vice President Editorial Chairman and Editor: Iris Sindelar, 264 East Side Dr., Con- Paul Davidson cord, NH 03301 478 Pythian St. Southeast Regional Editor: Margaret 0. Tucker, 2618 DeFoors Ferry Morgantown, WV 26505 lid.. iY.\V., Atlanta. GA 30318 Editorial Committee: Margaret Tucker, Ed Alexander, 0. K. Goodwin, Secretarv Charles Smith, Geo. Larsen, Ray Gabler. Duane Woltjen Business Manager: Charles Smith, 1760 Walnut St., Berkeley, CA 94709 617 hIarcel Dr. Production and Circulation Manager; Surfing Reporter: Geo. Larsen, Manchester, MO 63011 llox 1584, San Bruno, CA 94066 Membership Chairman: J. I3. I)ewell, 104 S. SOW. \Voods Cross, UT 8-108; David 0.Cooney Safety Chairman: 0. K. Goodwin, 1240 hfoyer Rd., Newport News, VA 21 Haggerty Rd. 23602 Potsdam, NY 13676 Gerald H. Meral Conservation Chairman: Gerald Meral, Environmental Defense Fund, 2728 nurant Ave. 2728 Ihrant Ave., Berkeley, CA 94704 Berkeley, CA 94704 Correspondence Chairman: Lynn Wilson, 25 Hickory Place, Apt. H-Y, Chatham, NJ 07928 Ann Schafer Racing Editor: Ray Gabler, 151 Jensen Circle, West Springfield hfA 22406 DeKalb Dr. 01089. Woodland Hills, CA How to Write to American Whitewater: Deadlines for all material, in- 91364 cluding advertising, are the 15th of January, April, July and October for the Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter issues respectively. Send Race Schedules and results to to the Racing Editor, Ray Gabler. Phillip Allender Send membership/subscription payments, changes of address, non-receipt Chestnut Ridge Rd. of copies to the Circulation Manager, Geo. Larsen. Morgantown, WV 26505 Send Advertising copy, proofs and requests for information to the Editor, Iris Sindelar. Don Bodley 3003 Ozark Circle Send Payments for Advertising and Club Affiliation dues to the Business Chattanooga, TN 37415 Manager, Charles Smith. American Whitewater is mailed to all memhers of the American White- Dean Norman water Affiliation, an affiliation of boating clubs and individuals interested 3336 W. 99th St. in whitewater paddle sport. Membership is open to interested individuals Cleveland, OH 44102 at $3.50 per year and to clubs at $8.00 per year. Club membership in- cludes list in^- In the Tournal. Publication is planned at 4 times yearly. Single copies, $1.00 each. Surplus hack copies are available at reduced prices. Write the Circulation Manager for details. Treasurer The Staff and committee members listed above are unpaid Whitewater CHARLES SMITH enthusiasts who volunteer their time and efforts to hring affiliate/memher 1760 Walnut St. suhscrihers this journal. Your contribution of articles, letters, race results and schedules, photos and drawings are essential for their continued efforts Berkeley, CA 94709 and the timely publication of the American Whitewater Journal. Val. XVIII, KO. 2 O 1973 American Whitewater Affiliation. All rights reserved.

COVER: Martin Begun of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, at the lip of Potter's Falls on Crooked Fork Creek in Tennessee. For more about this unique drop, see p. 56. Photo by Wayne Begun. 156 March 11, 1973 first trip on the Alsek was in 1961 by Dear Iris, Clem Rawert and John Dawson. Ra- Just read twice "From Sea to Shining wert led the 1970 trip which is de- Sea . . ." (American Whitewater, Win- scribed in detail in the article. This ter, 1972). Can't make up my mind party of six did not run Turnback Can- whether it's a put-on or not. I alter- yon. Instead, they did a ten-mile por- nate between laughter at the clever- tage across Tweedsmuir Glacier since ness of the article, if it's a put-on, and the canyon was "14 miles of rapids indignation at the comments of Gen. without pullout possibilities, more dif- Thwackem about the environmentalists. ficult than the Grand Canyon." Possi- Please let me know before I make bly Dr. Blackadar has run this section. an ass of myself by writing letters to Alaska magazine usually has two or the Editors of major newspapers re- three nice articles on canoe trips each garding the irresponsible comments of year. The state of Alaska publishes. a "Brute" Thwackem! folder on canoe trips, with diagrams showing put-in and take-out points. Sincerely yours, The rapids are graded on the Inter- Henri de Marne national scale. RFD Box 139 B Betty Lou Bailey Waitsfield, VT 05673 Schuyler 16 (The article by Jonathan Ela, who is the Netherlands Village Sierra Club's Midwest Re., is indeed a satire, Schenectady, NY 12308 but you weren't the only one who wasn't sure (Dr. Walt Blackadar's experiences running it was a put-on-we heard that after it ap- Turnback Canyon on the Alsek are the subject peared in the Sierra Club Bulletin, several people wrote to their congressmen about the of his article which appeared in the August, 'Go-Con Canal Plan." Our apologies to any- 1972 Sports Illustrated. This was a solo run, which probably accounts for the "solo con- one among our readers who did likewise. Per- queror" reference.-Ed.) haps we should have made it clear that it was satire.-Ed.) March 19, 1973 March 13, 1973 Dear Iris, Dear Editor: . . . About the USFS map that you The enclosed few paragraphs from included with the article ("Spelunkers Alaska magazine, Feb. 1973, indicate on the Chattooga, American White- that it might be interesting to see water, Winter, 1972)-I am glad that an article about the Susitna River in you included it. Section IV on the map Alaska. includes both Section I1 and Section I11 I find I am a bit puzzled by the ref- as they are known to the local canoe- erence to (Walt) Blackadar as "the ists.. . . Section I11 on the USFS map solo conqueror of the Alsek River." is definitely not the easy Section I1 . . . Publicity on others doing the I referred to. Let me clarify how the Alsek has appeared in the article "Run- Southeasterners, both fishermen and ning the Alsek" by Richard D. Tero canoeists, divide the river up. The con- in the Mar. 1971 issue of Alaska, with ventional division is based upon access many nice color photos. This was re- points to the river. printed in the Dec. 15, 1972 issue of Section 0 begins near Cashiers, NC, Appalachia, using fewer photos in black where it is accessible by way of a USFS and white. Amazingly the photos are road and goes to Burl's Ford near the not the same although the captions are! NC, SC, GA border. Section I goes from In the original article, the captions al- Burl's Ford to the Highway 28 bridge. ways make sense. Section I1 goes from there to Earl's In this article it was stated that the Ford. Section I11 goes from there to

American WHITEWATER the Highway 76 bridge. Section IV goes from the Hwy. bridge to the Tugaloo Reservoir. Since the USFS map is ROVER posted in several places along the river, their nomenclature will probably pre- vail in the end. I really believe that this river should be called "Class X" because I am in complete agreement with Carl Trost's article ("This River Is Rated 'X'," American Whitewater, Winter, 1972). The difficulty of this river varies greatly with water level, and to classify with any accuracy any of the major rapids requires the inclu- sion of so many caveats as to negate the value of classification. I don't know the answer to the question of rapid classification, because I tend to be rather subjective about it myself. When Gorge of thr Abanu. I try to discuss the subject with any Free Training Available of my "heavy water" boating friends, DELUXE SERVICE TO PADDLERS everything they do is Class V-if it's S12.00 per day not Class V, then it's only Class 11. This makes describing their experience AMERICAN GUIDES ASSOCIATION rather useless to a novice. I am glad BOX B (916) 662-6824 that you printed an article on this sub- Woodland, California 95695 ject, because any discussion on the topic is certainly a healthy thing. About the movie "Deliverance"-Bull KOBER KAYAK AND CANOE PADDLES KOBER KAYAK AND CANOE PADDLES - the choice Sluice did not appear in the movie be- of most European racers. cause it would be next to impossible to Kober paddler are light and strong all wood paddles of high quality German craftsmanship. Blader and shafts run it, even at a favorable water level, are made of choice laminated woods. Shafts are oval in an open canoe with two people in shaped for precise control and are comfortable to hold. Blader of Moldau and Vonschau are protected with re- it. I certainly enjoyed the movie be- placable rivited aluminum tips. cause of my acquaintance with the TO order specify: Right or left hand control, desired river. However, there was one thing I length or your height, weight. type of boat. MOLDAU slalom kayak, paddle, slightly curved and did object to - when they shot the spooned1205 cm. 210 cm. 21 5 cm: $36.00 movie, they would shoot rapid running REGATTA downriver and flatwater racing paddle, 220 sequences until the canoe swamped or cm: $36.00 wiped out. Then they would empty MONSCHAU slalom canoe paddle. 150 cm. 156 cm or with detachable handle so shaft can be cut to desired the canoe and do some more, etc. Then length: $26.00 they spliced together the good footage Add $1.50 per paddle for shipping in the U.S.. 5% sales showing the running of "continuous" tax in Washington, send check or money order. whitewater in an open boat, with two people in it, and without swamping. This, I am sure, gave the general im- pression that it could be done. Other than that little nit-pick, I thought the movie was fantastic. One thing you might find of interest was the spectac- ular scene where the wooden canoe broached and was cut into by the Grumman. Remember the scene? That took place in the Narrows, at least it started out there. It finished up with everyone being washed over a water- fall that is located about 25 miles away

VOL. XVI 11 / 2 over in the Tallulah Gorge. Artistic works. It would probably take off like license! wildfire. Don't you think it would be Dona1 Myrick best for canoeists in general, and their 3506 Conger Rd. SW organization, to be behind such a ven- Huntsville, AL 35805 ture rather than some Madison-Avenue money-grubbing exploiter? April 10, 1973 (Well, if we had the bread . . . Glad yoa Dear Jim and Iris, like the Feather Paddle. For a strong, athletic I just wanted to write you and tell person, we recommend a blade one inch wider you how I made out with my "Feather -same shape. For a weaker person, the origi- Kayak Paddle" featured in the Fall, nal dimensions adding a grip of some kind for 1971 American Whitewater. In a word, the control hand-the shape of the grip should it is fantastic. Before that I would lit- tell you precisely what your blade angle is without moving your hund or taking a "test erally break a paddle every time I stroke.") went out. A good way to lose friends, when you borrow the paddle in the THANKS, DON first place. Well, the Feather paddle Readers are probably wondering who is indestructible and for weight and "DEW is, who drew the great cartoon balance it is right near the top too! which adorned the back cover of the However, I think the blade could be Winter, 1972 issue. He is Don Elmore widened a little more with no harm of Kent, Washington, a member of the done, and that's what I'll try this win- Washington Kayak Club. Special thanks ter. The tapered shape is really easy are due Don for allowing AWA to make to control in boiling, bubbling water use of the cartoon for membership re- though, never catching the way my cruiting purposes. old lollypop-shaped one did. One thing though, instead of dismem- WATERVILLE VALLEY WHITE bering some old appliance for a mold- ing surface we just covered some ply- MT. WORKSHOPS OFFERED wood with two layers of waxed paper The Waterville Valley Associates of which worked perfectly. Waterville Valley, NH, and Plymouth I just joined the AWA but I've been State College are offering a series of following the "growth" controversy via 2-week courses in whitewater boating your back issues. Well, it's too bad but and mountaineering this summer. The the sport will grow so instead of bury- courses are coed and are offered to ing one's head in the sand perhaps it young people aged 14 to 21, with 3 is time for all the various organizations college credits being granted to high and affiliations to get together and give school seniors and students at Plymouth us some "paddle power" to stop the State College upon completion of the dam builders and legislators from do- two-week session. Dates for the work- ing any more harm. As for the clod- shops are: June 9-23; July 21-Aug. 3; minded boaters, I don't really know and August 9-23, 1973. They will cover but perhaps they can be shamed into all aspects of open canoe and kayak a more intelligent style of boating if paddling in whitewater, and learning the rest of us are vocal enough in our about the river environment. During censure of their actions. After all, it's the first week, students will be intro- up to us. duced to equipment and safety in Thanks, whitewater, paddling strokes and Skip Snaith rolling, river physics and ecology, and Electronic Pet Shop kayak building. The second week will P. 0. Box 229 involve advanced whitewater work, Bantam, CN 06750 covered canoe and kayak techniques in P.S. I think American Whitewater is heavy water, river camping, I.C.F. sla- really great but I would really love a lom competition and downriver pack monthly magazine devoted to kayak- trips. For more information contact ing too, and if I had the bread I would Don McCabe, Waterville Valley, NH start one, with color photos and the 03223. Tel. (603) 236-8311.

American WHITEWATER KUTUK TO INIAKUK BY KAYAK By Jim Hunter, Box 463, Fairbanks, AK Alaska has some of the greatest flew me up the Alatna River in his whitewater in the world (The Susitna, float plane and landed in the swift and Alsek, and Nenana Rivers to name just treacherous current. three) but this account is of a gentle I had gear and grub for five days trip in Alaska's arctic. and was due to be picked up at Inia- There is a quiet majesty and mys- kuk Lake. Pronounced (in-you-kuk). tery to the Brooks Range of Alaska. The mountains at Kutuk River are No roads connect these mountains to high, are near the divide between the civilization. They are solid white and north and south slopes, and that day cold during the eight-month winter, they were hot and mosquito filled. and then suddenly turn soft brown, Spruce trees grow on the south slope yellow-red-and-green, then into win- of the Brooks Range and the valleys ter again. are broad and wide on the major drain- The middle Alatna River is adjacent ages. Feeder streams, like the North the Arrigetch Peaks area of the Brooks Fork of the Koyukuk, have roaring Range. These Alaskan Peaks, which are deep canyons which, at the present, the only giant granite upthrusts in the have not been run. Brooks Range, rival Yosemite in dra- I was alone on the Alatna after Ray matic value. took off and cautioned myself to go Although I now use a Klepper, it slow. I had an orange one-man draw- was myself and a small folbot which tight tent, five pounds of dried food, were dropped off up the Alatna in June french bread, cheese, salami, dcwn bag, of 1972. Ray Bane of Hughes Village poly pad (this was great as a seat), ax

Ray Bane landing for Aight up Alatna River.

VOL. xv111 / 2 the inbetween moments the high moun- tains demand attention for on their slopes are white dall sheep and grizzly bear. Eagles circle the valleys and some- times a landslide off the rocky slolses makes a frightening rumble. he sun makes a big circle in the sky overhead and does not set. There is an orange dawn time and pink sunset time, but it is never full dark. There is no intrusion there yet by man and cabins on the bank are rare. Bud Helmerick's Kutuk Cabin came into view on a low bluff over the Alat- na River across from the entrance of the Kutuk into the Alatna. Landing was poor at this point and the tug of the river was strone so that I passed up a chance to explore that cabin. Not much later I came around a bend in the river and was confronted with the Arrigetch Peaks, then five miles away, to my right and up the narrow valley of the Arrigetch Creek. They were crags and pointed peaks completely different from the rest of the Brooks Range. I watched them for an hour and rested. No one who sees the Arrigetch peaks ever forgets them. There are plans to make the area a National Park, and it should be, but too few are aware of its geologic and scenic values, so there is no guarantee ., . : a park will be established. Reluctantly I paddled off, away from On Alatna River waiting for Ray Bane the mouth of ~Eri~etchcreek and the to return with paddle fleeting, distant view of those mys- terious and forbidding mountains. There is no moment like the leaving. The Pingaluk River entered from the The kayak is caught and the weight left out of a wide gravel bar. I paddled and assurance of the gear is there. The up that river, found a warm sandbar, river muscle is felt, tested, joined with ate lunch, lay on my back, slept, and the kayak, and man, boat and river let the sun warm me. move forward quietly. Standing waves about one to two Near the Kutuk the Alatna is fifty feet high do occur on this stretch and to a hundred feet wide, about three to some channels are too shallow so that eight feet deep, braided and shallow turns must be carefully picked and in the flats, but occasionally joins at water selected to avoid overturning. turns and bends to cut steep banks. Mosquitoes are no problem if you There are no sweepers and no dan- have spray and don't let them bother gerous rapids, but there is the clear, you. Talking to them as fellow travel- blue water (except after a rain), the ers helps. Although I carry a net into steady, fast fall, and enough big rocks the Brooks for emergency purposes I and fast water to keep an experienced rarely use one. kayaker busy if not in danger. During I passed one other cabin that day

4 8 American WHITEWATER At Arrigetch Peaks on Alatna River and by 8 p.m. I was at Takahula Lake. The wind was blowing between ten It is a quarter-mile away from the and twenty knots upstream and unless Alatna over a little ridge. I camped on I paddled the kayak weather-cocked the shore of the Alatna and hiked over and turned sideways to the river I to Takahula and caught dinner. That was blown back upstream against the was a twenty-inch, pink fleshed, lake current. trout. I paddled continually that day, some- Two waterfalls had been off to the times resting in the lee of a bend, right the first day out. One was wide until I hit great buffeting winds about and striking, rumbling, and it seemed 8 p.m. by the site of an old mining so lonely and quiet and unreal on the camp, Rapid City. There was no sign Alatna that I half expected to see Lewis of the old place, but the bend on the and Clark somewhere in the vicinity river had been explained to me. of that waterfall. I made a wet and dreary camp, ate The other was higher, 200 feet per- inside the tent, spent a lot c.f time haps, thin, wispy, and dropped without getting firewood, trying to make the thunder toward the Alatna. Unfortu- wet fire burn, and alternately getting nately there was no time to explore my feet stuck in the mucky sandbar either the creeks or the waterfalls. and myself wet in thrashing through At 5 a.m. the next morning a black the wet underbrush. wind and heavy rain was beating my The morning of the third day was tent. I could have sat it out and read misty but promised warmth. Some but decided to break camp and push geese were squabbling on the opposite on. bank and then a fight started after With the current I was able to move some newcomers landed. Two moose into the storm and keep progress go- broke through a willow thicket and ing down stream. But about a mile came to drink. They eyed me cau- below Takahula the Alatna suddenly tiously. gets deeper, becomes one large chan- It became hot later that day and I nel, begins to meander and twist back dozed on the long slow turns of the on itself, and has an almost total ab- Alatna. I looked at one mountain four sence of fast water and rapids. hours from four different angles and

VOL. xv111 / 2 Camp near Takahula Lake on Alatna River didn't progress more than two miles Up the Malemute pulling the kayak in a straight line. was no problem. Getting up the feisty Later that afternoon a big wind and little torrent that poured for five miles light rain ruined the tranquility. It was out of the big lake was something else push-pull and gut straining paddling again. again, a repeat of the past day. We had the kayak tied to the rear At times I wondered if I had missed of the river boat and Bob and I each the Alatna Malemute Fork. I intended had a rope up front. We pulled from to paddle up it and then to turn off at the center of the creek since pulling the Iniakuk Lake outlet and rope up from the shore was out of the question. into the lake. We lost the boat several times and it By chance and good fortune I met would get sideways to the current and Bob and Cora Maquire of Allakaket I had thoughts of river-boat, kayak, Village at the Malemute Fork. I am and gear, all drifting clear to the ocean sure I was the only one on the middle when the ropes broke or we stumbled Alatna for three days and was quite and fell and lost the whole thing. surprised to see another human being. Black clouds of mosquitoes were on Bob, who is a teacher at Allakaket, Bob's back and I assumed the same and his wife Cora, had come up the number were on mine. Cora worked Alatna in their riverboat powered by at poling and keeping the bow away an %horse kicker. from shore. Later I told anyone who I tried paddling up the Malemute and would believe me that Cora beat us found the current, even by locating ed- with the pole to keep us moving. At dies, more than I could handle. Bob several points that was about all that offered to pull me to Iniakuk Outlet would have worked anyway. if I would help him rope his big boat The little torrent had a rocky, un- into Iniakuk Lake. even bottom, with some big holes, had Later I accused Bob of having a a temperature I am sure was below forty-foot boat and 5,000 pounds of freezing (the ice had just gone out of gear, but in fact he had several hun- Iniakuk Lake), and resisted consist- dred pounds of gear and a 23-foot boat. ently.

5 3 Within three miles my feet had gone warm sandbars, the freezing and smart from cold, to painful, to complete little outlet stream, and the clear, wide, numbness, to walking on stumps, to undamaged expanse of Iniakuk Lake fear of frostbite in June, to disbelief, with the pyramid-like peak overlook- when at last Bob called a halt. ing it all. We built the friendliest twig fire I will ever know, warmed our pink, cold feet, and ate Nabob Blackberry jelly on large hunks of french bread. What SPORTING GOODS heaven. Off again a large lake trout shot by RETAILERS! my feet. We stumbled into the lake a Your line of paddling paraphernalia is short while later, hard put to appre- incomplete without a supply of the cur- ciate its giant stillness and loneliness, rent issue of American Whitewater. its vast, calm surface at 10 p.m. and the utter, complete absence of other Timely Yet Timeless . . . humans. Up-to-date paddling developments plus Next morning Cora made sourdough never-to-be-outdated adventure, humor pancakes on the small yukon stove and tips on technique, safety and equip- which fits inside their canvas tent. Be- ment. Will not become obsolete. (AWA fore Bob and I had finished wiping up sold over 900 back issues last year alone!) the last of the syrup Cora had quietly disappeared from the tent and flipped 10 Copies a lure out into the lake. of the Current Issue: $8.85 p.p. She caught two large trout and pulled (Suggested retail price: $1.00) them in, right between the beached kayak and the riverboat. Order from Looking out over Iniakuk in the American Whitewater morning one is impressed by the still- ness. A great, sharp pointed peak P.O. Box 1584 stands guard over the lake, and low Sun Bruno, CA 94066 hills ring it on both sides. A small stream flows in from the northwest and a small stream runs out in the southeast. It has sand and gravel A Great New Book- beaches all around its roughly rec- tangular shape and is about four miles Just Published! long and one mile wide. I paddled that last day, around the lake, and fished, and watched the clear bottom, and gave much thought to the CANOEING great and disappearing privilege of be- 10 GREAT RIVERS IN MAINE ing the only person a great lake. by I gave a lot of thought to what Lake NO HORNS BLOWING Ehm Thom'rr C bored on aaul rxpcrkncr~In Morne's uhm U~UIPT- Tahoe must have looked like to those who first paddled its waters. Each of the 10 Great Rivers has been Canoed by the Ray Bane flew in the next day and Author and has an Explanation of the Level of Diff- snatched me from the lake and the iculty, Length of the Trip, Starting and Take Out quiet. I slept in Hughes Village that Points, Campsites, Location of Rapids, Car Routes night and then flew Wien Airlines from to Rivers. 10 Canoe Maps and 60 Photos. there to Galena to home, and within Paper back ...... S3.95 hours was locked again into a pave- Plus 35C hmdlinp cluargc ment and alarm clock existence. But now I had the friendship of the Available Fmm Alatna, won in strong debate with her, Hallowell Printing Company 145 Water Street the vital memories of fighting winds, Hallowell, Maine 04347

VOL. XVI 11 / 2 The Heaving Line Rescue By 0. K. Goodwin, AWA Safety Chairman

A successful whitewater heaving line Since the monkey fist knot requires starts with the selection of the line to about ten feet of this line, a completed be used. A good choice is 3/sU .Angola 70 ft. heaving line, with monkey fist: Polycord, a ~roductof Plymouth Cord- requires about 80 ft. of line. age. It is go& for the folldwing reasons: To date, we have seen this particular 1. It has excellent strength and elas- line available in white only. Since our tic characteristics. usage is in rapids or whitewater, where 2. The braided construction can be the visibility of the line in the water coiled neatly and quickly; it does is reduced, it would be more effective not kink or hockle. if the line had a bright color (red, yel- 3. It floats. low or blue) to make it easier for the swimmer to see. 4. It is easy on the hands of the res- cuer and the rescuee: it does not Tying the monkey fist knot is easier have loose or coarse fibers and has than it looks. Basically, it is an arrange- less tendency to produce a fric- ment of three coils of the line tight- tion burn when sliding through ened so that they are interlocked. The your hands. first and second coils are just that: coils. The third must be worked through 5. It does not retain soil and is easily the first two, weaving in and out to cleaned. form thzm all into a unit. While form- 6. It is not affected by temperature. ing the knot, the coils are left some- 7. The size (96") is large enough that what loose. The strands are pulled up it can be gripped and small enough "snug" only after adding the "load" to that a 70 ft. coil, even when wet, the center. Then the free end is secured can be extended the full 70 feet. by knotting, whipping and/or taping to Anything smaller would be diffi- help prevent it becoming the cause of cult to hold; a larger size would entanglement. be heavier and would limit the The "load" may be any of numerous distance that could be covered. materials. Its purpose is to add weight (and in this case, flctation) to the monkey fist. A closed-cell, resilent plas- tic foam, such as the Dow Chemical Co. "Ethafoam," works well. It is formed into a ball about the size of a baseball and inserted into the center of the loose coils. In tightening the monkey fist it is best to pull each strand "away" from the short, free end. If you left enough length to tie the free end securely, this length would not be altered in the tightening process. A small fid, prick- awl or screwdriver will prove invalu- able in pulling the strands snug. It is possible to tie a monkey fist in several ways; the method shown is sim- Figure 1 ple and reliable. The intentional inter- The Monkey Fisl lock of strands between coils will help

American WHITEWATER Figure 2 Steps in Tying the Monkey Fist provide a smooth knot that will not de- you add to your coil can be formed form or unravel and it will wear more without any twist or tendency to twist. evenly. The flat coil that results will feed from One objection that is given to the use your hands more freely and be less of a knot on the end of a heaving line likely to snarl. is that in the whitewater situation the With the line lying in the water, knot may hang-up in the rocks or practice making your coil rapidly, bushes and make retrieval of the line forming the loops as you haul the line difficult. The smoothness of the monkey in. This quick recovery will help you fist and the added flotation material, to be prepared to render assistance and however, reduce this possibility and, if may, on occasion, allow you a second the site where the line is to be used is carefully selected, this problem may be avoided. Sometimes a slight clear- ing of tree branches or "chinking" of rock crevices is all that is necessary. If a line does get hung in the rocks or bush, try this: Slack off slightly on the line, let the force of the water work on the floating ball, "whip" the line slightly from side-to-side or "roll" a loop of line from your handhold toward the hang-up. With a little practice the monkey fist can be made to do tricks that may free it. If all else fails, then go after the hang-up. This is the only time that a line should be tied to shore. It can be used to steady you in the cur- rent while you reach the snag and free it. THE COIL Coiling a heaving line so that it will throw well requires one simple trick. As you reach out for a new length of line to form a loop, grasp it with thumb and fingers so that it can be rolled be- tween them. (Figure 3.) By applying Figure 3 this roll you will find that the loop The Finger Roll Helps to Produce a Flat Coil THE THROW Throwing a heaving line for distance and accuracy is a skill which requires practice. One coil is thrown as the rope from the other hand is allowed to feed out freely. The throw is made with an underhand motion and the throwing arm is kept straight; the whole action should be done smoothly to give the line a chance to flow. When proper:y done, the loops of the coil will straight- en in the air and the line will fall to Figure 4 the water with its length fully ex- Splitting the Coil tended. Note the position of the Monkey Fist and When this is further complicated by the releasable un-knotted hand hold. adding a moving target, then you must learn to "lead" it, aiming not directly throw after you have flubbed the first at your target but at the spot where one. the target will be when the line falls A neatly made coil is easy to "split" to the water. into two coils. (Figure 4.) The throw- ing hand should hold 1/3 to 1/2 the total. WHEN TO THROW The monkey fist should be hanging just The thrower must exercise great re- slightly below the bottom of the loops straint; he should not throw until he to avoid causing an entanglement as is sure that a rescue is needed. After you throw. a capsize the paddler may attempt to roll his boat and the line should not interfere with this effort. It is best to

Figure 5 (A) Making a Rescue

Figure 5 (B) Making a Rescue

Figure 5 (C) Figure 5 (D) Making a Rescue Making a Rescue

American WHITEWATER The site should provide clear, un- obstructed space in which to make a throw. This is made difficult by rocks, trees, bush, people and gate wires. It should be located where needed after a roll attempt and as close as possible to the path a swimmer might follow as he flushes by. It should have space Figure 6 to "swing" a swimmer into safer water Accuracy Is Important without additional hazard and without crossing the main current. delay until the paddler has left the The site should not cause interfer- cockpit of his boat. In the case of a ence with gate judging or other efforts C-2, sometimes one paddler will still of race officials. It should not be any roll the boat after the other has va- higher above the water than necessary cated. In this event the throw may be for a good throw. It should not be sub- made to the swimmer if it is obvious ject to invasion by photographers or that he wants it. Interference with any spectators. further attempt to roll should still be Since the line is less visible in turb- avoided. ulent whitewater than in calmer water, If both paddlers of a C-2 team are the swimmer is more subject to en- swimming, their rescue becomes an ex- tanglement there. As the degree of ercise in strength. Two swimmers and turbulence increases, so also should the a boat on the other end of a heaving care with which the site for the safety line exert an unbelievable pull. This station is selected. situation usually requires that the safe- ty man have immediate assistance or- A WORD TO THE COMPETITOR he may end up swimming himself! If you should ever need the help of To reach a swimmer most effectively, a safety line, you should know several the thrower should deliver the line to things: a point in front of him and within his 1. The location of the safety station(s). reach. (Figure 6.) If his "swimming" 2. A line will not be thrown until you technique is proper, he will be facing have left your cockpit. downstream and the line should fall on If the line lands just beyond your his downstream side. If it lands behind reach, don't expect the current to him (upstream side) he probably will bring it any closer. Swim quickly not see it. If time allows, the swim- to it or it will escape you. mer's chances for making contact will The line and water will exert a very be improved by alerting him that help .7 strong pull on your arms. Be pre- is imminent. pared. This pull can be eased some- After the throw-Brace Yourself! what by body surfing. Take a deep breath and hold it; the THE SAFETY STATION current may cause a wave to cover your head. Picking the right spot for a safety station where a heaving line is to be Avoid entanglement. used is important to the effectiveness Avoid rope burn. Hold the line at of the safety effort. There are two ap- the monkey fist. Do not let the rope proaches to this choice. The site should slide through your hands after you be located either just downstream of a feel the initial shock. Grip it tightly. point where upsets are likely to occur But do not wrap it around your hand or upstream of any hazardous water, or wrist! the swimming of which might be un- If you have the strength and oppor- desirable. Several stations may be re- tunity, you may be able to save your quired to provide good safety coverage boat too. Hold the loop of your boat for a given race. and the line, together, if possible.

VOL. XVI 11 / 2 "One-handing-" the line is more dif- ficult. 9. Once vou reach shallow water. use r the liie to steady you as you walk to shore. I AWA SAFETY CODE Again available to Affiliate Clubs and others wishing to distribute copies of the AWA Safety Code as part of their canoe-and/or kayak-handling seminars, for $8 per hundred, postpaid. Order from: DEACON KlEHM 201 9 Addison St. Chicago, I1 WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? (The photos on the cover and at left look FLOTATION BAGS like the culmination of the classic boater's K-1 Set 3 l bs. $ 8.50 nightmare - missing that last eddy above "the C-1 Set 5 Ibs. 8.50 falls." You saw it in "Deliverance" and here i: is in real life! Actually, Martin Begun is C-2 Set 7 l/2 Ibs. 1 1 .OO dojng it for the fun of it, but the excited Shipping $1.25 per set in U.S. reader definitely should NOT run out and try it on the local u~aterfallbecause the structure Deal clirect with manufacturer of the falls pictured is a unique combination on your air bags. of features, as Martin explains below.-Ed.) All bags are 20 mil. vinyl and The vertical drop from the lip of carry a one-year warranty. Potter's Falls (on Crooked Fork Creek in East Tennessee) is 15 feet, and as Satisfaction guaranteed or your far as we know this is quite a bit higher money refunded. than anyone runs regularly. Members of our club (East Tenn. Whitewater We ship the same clay we Club of Oak Ridge, Tenn.) have been receive your orde;. eyeing this falls for several years and All orders should be sent to: thinking it was impossible. However, in January, 1973 one of our more in- sane members tried it. Much to our sur- AMERICAN prise there was nothing to it, and now POLY-SEAL everybody is doing it. It's even a lot of fun backwards! The falls is under- Fourth 8 Seminole Lester, PA 191 13 cut (you can paddle a boat behind the (21 5) 521-9550 face), so at normal levels there is no problem with a hydraulic. The pool below is at least 15 feet deep. The foam acts as a cushion to absorb the shock of impact, and so far we have landed WHITEWATER WEST in just about every position (upside Kayaks down, sideways, etc.) with no injury Roberts & Pare to boats or boaters. The photos were taken Feb. 17 by my brother Wayne, Canoes using a twin lens reflex camera and Corecraft, Grumann Plus-X Pan 120 film except for the Roberts & Pare lower photo at left, where Tri-X Pan C-2 120 was used. The weather was rather Sedivec cold, as can be seen from the icicles under the falls in the cover photo. The Paddles paddler (me) is wearing a wet suit. The Swanson, Sedivec, Roberts guardrail in two of the photos is part Helmets of a small bridge above the falls. The Bell, Cooper, Seda mess of gray tape on the back of the boat is holding on a grunch pad (a Our exclusive waterproof gear, camera piece of fiberglass taped to the beat and float bags with separate waterproof under which is a sheet of neoprene to compartments. protect the stern from rocks). Lifevests Stearns, Sedivec Martin Begun 106 Colby Rd. Write for Free Catalog Oak Ridge, TN 37830 WHITEWATER WEST P. 0. Box 445, Richmond, CA 94807 (415) 236-1 828

VOL. xv111 / 2 Press Relations By Peter C. Bennett, 36 Clayton Ave., Cortland, N. Y. 13045

As a former newspaperman it has tained in the lead should answer all been my observation that many public- of the following questions: spirited organizations that do things in WHO, WHAT, WHERE, a community lack a basic understand- WHEN and WHY? ing of what news media want (indeed, need) in the way of news releases. Then follows the main body of the release in which you flesh out the bare Generally speaking, newsmen are de- bones of the Five W's above. As a mat- lighted to receive well written commu- ter of style you will note in reading nications about events of interest in most newspaper articles that seldom their circulation or listening/viewing does a paragraph run more than one areas. It helps them immeasurably sentence in length until you get well since it cuts down the amount of re- down into the explanatory material search they have to do to put the news towards the end of the story. together. The controlling word here, however, ADDITIONAL TIPS: is NEWS. A legitimate announcement All releases should be typed and of plans, an article dealing with work double spaced. in process, a photograph of a develop- Don't send carbon copies-it makes ment-these are items of news. Mere the recipient feel that his news organi- repetition of dates and times is not zation is only second most important in necessarily news and an editor might your public relations campaign. Make well say, "That is advertising and electrostatic copies-that way everyone should be paid for." receives readable copy. The "news release" is your stock-in- Make sure all releases get mailed or trade in communicating with the media. hand delivered the same day to all It should be basically in the following media you intend to use. Don't forget form: the weekly papers, the R&R radio sta- In the upper left-hand corner should tion or the college newspaper just be- appear the name of the organization cause you never run into them in your issuing the release and the person daily life. (with address and 'phone number) the Don't favor one news agency over editor can contact for further informa- others--hard feelings develop fast. tion. Beneath that should appear a Do get your race results to all news statement of the release date (general- media just as fast as you can after your ly "For Immediate Release" if no spe- race is over-with radio and TV sta- cific date is necessary or "For Release tions the importance of this can be after (date)" if there is some good rea- measured in minutes. Remember, they son for delay). have been very good to you, now you Beneath that and centered comes a help them out. statement in "headline" form of what Don't use the news release to try out is to be discussed in the release. This your life-long dream of becoming the need not be in full sentence form, but Great American Novelist. Keep the should have a subject and a verb as in: florid phrases for love poems to your sweetheart, and the twenty-five cent Volunteer Firemen Plan Canoe words for the lexicographer. Slalom Race Do keep it simple and straightfor- Next, and perhaps most important, ward and newsy and I think you will comes the "lead" a paragraph that con- be surprised at the help your news tains the simplified basic information media will be to you. to be discussed at greater length in the My best wishes to you for good pub- body of the release. Information con- lic relations and good paddling.

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VOL. XVI 11 / 2 "Golly, That's Falling Water" By Charlie Walbridge, Penllyn, PA 19422 In the heart of the Appalachian ger. Their combined volume, however, Mountains of south-central West Vir- creates a different river; one with the ginia in country whose ruggedness de- power to cut deeply into the ageless fied progress for generations lies the Appalachian strata. Soon the canyon Canyon of the Gauley River. From the walls are hundreds of feet high, and the Summersville Dam to the tiny railroad river seems isolated from the effects town of Swiss the river drops and of man. twists between house sized boulders But despite this protection, progress is with power and complexity not usually slowly entering the gorge. Portions of found on Eastern streams. Down in its lower watershed have been mined, the canyon the scenery is wild and and several of its tributaries run red remote; high cliffs alternate with steep, with acid. Although only portions of forested slopes; huge boulders vie with the canyon have been logged, it is a tangled vegetation along the shore, and major industry upstream and during the river, moving relentlessly through the early 1900's log drives were run deep, green pools to drop furiously be- through the canyon to the mill at Ka- tween giant boulders, sets the scene nawha Falls. The area is honeycombed with its roaring presence. Wildwater with jeep trails, abandoned autos are West Virginia describes the river as found throughout the woods, and one "the absolute surging, pounding, crash- garbage dump extends over the edge ing end . . . the East's qualifying cruise of the canyon into the river one thou- for the title of expert boater . . . com- sand feet below. The railroad, which plex and challenging beyond descrip- was pushed through a portion of the tion . . . dangerous . . . intoxicating!" canyon at great expense in the 1920's, Despite these superlatives, the Gau- put an end to the log drives and the ley is a fairly recent discovery. Before massive jams which occurred at Iron the Summersville Dam was built the Ring Falls. The tracks are not used canyon stretched unbroken for over much nowadays, and offer gcod access fifty miles in country where rcads were to the inner canyon. poor and access limited. The earliest And then there is the dam. explorers, looking for a way West past Before the dam was built, few peo- the New River Gorge, came up against ple entertained thoughts of running the this smaller, but equally rugged, de- river. It had been described by Bur- file. The river is suppcsedly named for meister, but the length of the canyon the French traders who first explored and widely fluctuating water levels the area; however, wildwater boaters made any trip into the gorge an ex- have another theory. The Indians called pedition, not a "spur of the moment" the river Tokebelloke, which translates cruise. In 1961 Sayre Rodman, who freely as "Gol-lee, that's falling water!" pioneered several of the state's most They called it Gauley for short. difficult runs in a four man raft, ran Much of the river's isolation is due the entire canyon from Curtin to Swiss. to the ruggedness of the place. The While his first run had to be aborted Gauley begins as four separate trout because of an unusually high water streams which drain the western slope level (10,000 cfs), the second try made of the Monongahela National Forest, it to Swiss. The party told of high an area noted for having the highest ledges, long, turbulent rapids, and an annual rainfall in the Central Awwa- undercut rock which almost swallowed lachians. The Cherry, Cranberry, Wil- their rafts. At the time, no decked liams, and Upper Gauley all contain boaters were ready for that challenge. good whitewater, but each has been In 1968 John Sweet led a group of visited by the strip miner and the log- the country's most expert paddlers into

American WHITEWATER the Gorge. By this time the Summers- Stuart, one of the members of the ville Dam provided access, but they original trip, began leading members were still faced with a 21-mile run. of the Canoe Cruiser's Association down They spent the day racing the sun on the canyon, and Dave Hartung began a river which surpassed all expecta- telling anyone who would listen that tions. The word began to spread. Jim the river offered real possibilities for

VOL. XVI 11 / 2 61 a formidable downriver race. Several "Initiation" is a six-foot ledge; not paddlers acquired four wheel drive ve- difficult, but powerful enough to shake hicles, and exploratory trips found sev- off any lingering sleepiness. Then eral good access points, the most use- comes "Insignificant," so named be- ful one being at Peter's Creek. And cause one party, told that there was now, in October, 1972, nearly one hun- no significant rapids above Pillow dred canoeists and rafters had gathered Rock, was suitably impressed by this to run the gorge. one and gave it a name. "Tumble- We met in the shadow of the dam. home" is an extremely long rapid with The dam is at once both inspiring several large holes in attendance. I and depressing. Its bulk fills the entire watch the other paddlers' faces. When gorge, and the roar of the escaping on a river of continuous expert diffi- waters seems to shake the ground. It culty it is not uncommon to see people is a flood control dam whose capacity get "psyched out." Once this happens, will never be realized, a "drawdown" reaction times slows, skills slowly de- reservoir which exposes over two hun- teriorate, and mistake piles on mistake dred feet of steep, muddy banks in the until the paddler loses his boat or hurts winter, and a narrow mountain lake himself. No one seems near that state on which the power boat cowbcys can now, except the rafters who are look- roar across the placid waters which ing for a way out. Now the river pools, cover nearly twenty miles of challeng- squeezes to the left, and drops out of ing rapids. But today I was not wor- sight. Someone on top of a boulder is ried about habitats destroyed or peo- cussing reverently to himself. We've ple chased from their homes. The river come to Pillow Rock. was up, and for now the dam would It was below this rapid, at "Carni- be tolerated. fax Ferry," that a major Civil War bat- We bounced up the road from Peter's tle was fought. At stake were supply Creek in the back of Jon Dragan's routes to the Midwest. From one thou- truck, covering our backs and behinds sand feet above us, at Carnifax Ferry with anything we could find that was State Park, the view of "Pillow" is im- soft. One of the Dragan Brothers was pressive. The river narrows to one- treating us to an off-key rendition of third its usual width and falls in a "Almost Heaven-West Virginia" while continuous, foaming sheet for two hun- further back a veteran was trying to dred yards, exploding madly past sheer psych out a newcomer with stories of rock walls before throwing itself up "Five Boat Hole7' and "Sweet's Falls." on a huge, house-sized boulder which Next to me, two people mentioned that evenly divides the current. I'm tempted they had seen one of those yellow Japa- to scout, but Dragan's rafts are corn- nese "Kamakazi" rafts at the put-in, ing around the bend and the pool is and speculation began as to whether filling up with decked boats. This is or not it would make it to the take- no rapid in which to be dodging mov- out. By the time the truck began ing obstacles, so I headed down on last screaming downhill to the base of the year's memories. Start left, work right. dam, we had all agreed that they would Stay away from the right hand wall. want to take out at Carnifax Ferry. We Keep driving right to miss the rock were right. . . . suddenly I'm upside down, and in I latched on to some friends from the same place as last year. A quick Pittsburgh and suggested we beat the roll is followed by a smart eddy turn rafts to the river. There is a powerful behind the rock, which is followed by Class I11 jet below the dam suitable a back-ender on the opposite eddy line! for warming up. We did pop-ups and Whew! spins on the waves while above us the We took turns doing pop-ups at the multitudes began to stir. In a few min- eddy line and watching the rafts get utes we were hitting boats, and the tossed around in the rapids above. Pad- eddies were filling up fast. So we dlers came flying by in various stages peeled off downriver, and the canyon of deterioration: backwards, sideways, walls closed in behind. upside down . . . some preceded by

American WHITEWATER their boat and paddle. A couple of pad- down the "lost paddle" sequence, which dlers in downriver boats stroked calm- exacted its usual toll for passage by ly past, gazing quizzically at all the stealing several canoe paddles. By this confusion. Meanwhile, back at the ed- time the tension was beginning to rise, dyline, Mark Kuskie does a reverse and several people asked me if I could pop-up with a full twist in the psych identify the lead-in to Iron Ring. I position; the currents are really wild assured them that I could. behind the rock! It was almost too good They didn't have to worry. The left to leave, but the sight of five more bank was crowded with paddlers who members of the Pillow Rock Wildwater had stopped there for lunch to watch Swim Team racing their boats down the spectacle which would unfold. Most the rapid made us anxious to leave be- people would hustle their boats through fore we spent the rest of the day res- the crazy jumble of house-sized boul- cuing boats. I plucked one apoplectic ders to the base of the drop, but a few kayakist out of the water, took him lone figures sat perched on boulders, to shore, and continued downriver, watching the water. We landed beside paddling with a vengeance to get ahead the impressive iron ring imbedded in of Dragan's Rafts. the shore. What a day! The sun was out, the Iron Ring Falls is not really more water was warm, and the river was difficult than other Gauley rapids; its . . . interesting. An adrenaline-induced course is obvious and fairly straight- sense of humor prevailed. We paddled forward. Unlike the others, however, past the mouth of the nasty Meadow it is unforgiving. The river pinches River, which cascades down into the right, necks down to about ten yards, gorge in a marginally runnable fashion. and roars around a peculiar, scalloped, A year earlier seven of the most com- undercut rock. The only safe place to petent and daring boaters in the area run is up against the steep-walled right had reported the ratio of carrying to side, but this involves dropping into a paddling "disappointing," but the hik- deep hole which is much more power- ing was apparently spectacular. Now ful than it looks. This drop is frighten-

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VOL. XVI 11 / 2 63 ing because it is at the same time ob- stand the sight of running water. True viously runnable and terribly danger- confrontations between man and na- ous. I walk up to a crowd which is ture are both frightening and rare; listening to someone tell, between bites that's why they should stay. Iron Ring of kippered herring, how a year ago has much to teach us about ourselves. someone threw a 6" diameter log into Sweet's Falls is an eight-foot ledge the rock and watched it float out in with a tricky sneak passage on the left. two pieces. Two kayakists work their Not a few people wobble nervously in way up the shore together. They are the crucial eddy, but I don't feel like going to run. sticking around to see who takes the Jim Snyder runs first. He has prob- direct route into the huge, angular hy- ably run as much class VI stuff as any- draulic at the bottom. The river begins one, and his run is cool, fast, and clean. to turn sharply right, then left. The Mark Kuskie follows. His approach is walls steepen, and the railroad plunges shaky, but precise enough. Dave De- into the mountain. This loop is Koontz's maree comes cruising down, looks it Bend. over, and threads a precise course be- The first biggie is variously called tween the hole and the rock in a down- Back Ender and Five Boat Hole. A year river C-1, only to flip and roll in the ago I watched several successive back- final run-out. I watch the water; it end-overs in the last of three huge looks OK but I am still feeling the holes, so I opted for a twisting route effects of a nine-hour drive. I carry around the action and let other people around, ignoring the tasteless ccmment tickle their adrenals by submarining of one of the spectators. At the base down the center. It was a smart move; of the drop, a friend tells me he would the last hole was occupied. I stuck have run if I had. I paddle up to the around until a kayak was evicted verti- rock, and am suitably impressed when cally. I looked down into the guts of I can't break through the eddy line. the thing and decided I wasn't inter- When Jim Stuart first began leading ested. So we tooled on down to Koontz's trips into the canyon, he was concerned Flume, a high ledge with the right about the "Class VI Bandwagon" which hand passage overhung by a house- seems to form here each year. Paddler sized boulder. After running, we found follows paddler until people with no good surfing below. One unlucky fel- business in the rapid try it and go for low couldn't get out of a hole and a swim. He also noticed that other pad- stayed put as one of Dragan's rafts dlers would try to entice others to run, flew out over the edge and blasted him and that the worst offenders in this out. It was getting late. We hustled out respect were usually the first to carry. the Canyon Doors to Peter's Creek, The challenge of a class VI is so unique, where we left our boats and hiked out and the response to it so terribly per- the tracks to cars and food. Later on, sonal, that these intrusions are unwel- a few of us hiked back in to watch come and unwise. the moon play on the water. But this is not the only response to After a night at Peter's Creek, when Iron Ring's challenge. The iron ring tiredness and ginger brandy lubricated is what remains of an early effort to the imagination and calmed the nerves, blast out the undercut rock, which cre- we went back into the gorge to com- ated massive log jams during the 1900's. plete the run. Compared to the upper Several paddlers have suggested that canyon, the lower third is much easier. the job be completed. At stake is more There are no sixes, and only a few than just a brutal carry, but a philoso- easy fives. Most of the run is class IV phy for living in wild places. So much wave and hole action; a good ride with of what passes for a "wilderness expe- fine playing. A few people, wrung out rience" is counterfeit; the challenge of from their "survival run" of the me- the rock is not. The ones who want to vious day, are able to relax; others remove it are probably not lazy, but eagerly question Jack Wright about his they are no less insecure than the run down the canyon at 6000 cfs, more stereotyped army engineer who can't than double our flow. ("It was differ-

64 American WHITEWATER ent.") The last mile is pretty flat, but of running a river, perhaps not. In it moves quickly through unspoiled either case, he has plenty of room on canyonlands. The take-out is at the Lake Summersville. "Omega" railroad siding; a fitting end Recently it was learned that paddlers to a classic trip. may be getting a reprieve. Preliminary As we pulled out there was the usual studies showed that old mines in and exuberant wisecracking. Someone re- around Swiss had weakened the can- ported that Dick Holcombe and May yon walls so that they might not be McEwan, both first generation boaters able to support the dam. So while the and parents of top-ranked paddlers, had engineers retire to work on their pro- done their first end-overs at an in- posal it is time for those of us who significant eddyline somewhere above. know the Gauley to spread the word Someone suggested holding the Nation- before it's too late. al Open Canoe Championships here The weekend of Sept. 22-23, 1973, (you get on the tracks, grab your boat, we will celebrate the existence of this and run like hell) and there was talk unique natural treasure. The Corps will of a slalom at Pillow Rock (you give give us 2500 cfs of water, and guides the trophies to the survivors). But de- will be on hand to take "first timers" spite the warm sun and good company down the river. The Upper Canyon there was a shadow on the proceed- from Summersville Dam to Peter's ings. The shadow of a dam. Creek is Class IV-V, suitable for ex- No, I'm not talking about the Sum- pert paddlers only. The lower portion mersville Dam; I've learned to like is mostly Class IV, but it is more dif- that one. I'm talking about the eight ficult than the Lower Yough. It is hundred and seventy-five-foot monster suitable for competent advanced pad- that is going to be built where we stood dlers. If you are anxious about your sunning ourselves and whose flood wa- ability, run the lower canyon first. If ters will reach all the way back to we get enough people we can thrcw Summersville. The engineers are ex- the Corp's cost-benefit ratio into a cited; it will be the highest in the cocked hat and give environmentalists world; four feet higher than the latest the ammunition they need to fight this Russian record holder. It will generate boondoggle. power in an underpopulated area, offer On Monday morning we will run a "recreation" within a twenty-minute downriver race on the Peter's Creek drive of Lake Summersville, and serve section of the river. Slalom boats only as a "flush box" for the horribly pol- will be allowed to compete for the Na- luted Kanawha River downstream. tional Downriver Cruising Champion- A "flush box," for those of you who ships; however, for those who want to don't know, is a method of augmenting preview what is sure to be the site of low flows on stagnant industrial rivers a future national championships, there with pure water from an undamaged will be an "Expert" class for down- watershed. Surprisingly, many pollut- river boats. ing industries require relatively clean For information on this weekend, water to function. When the water gets please write me or Bryan Bills, 3329 too disgusting in times of drought, they River Avenue, Charleston, West Vir- have to close. Rather than force the ginia 25705. Some of you may want to industries to clean up the mess with stay longer to justify the long drive; their money, the government would if you do, the New River Gorge is al- rather build dams with ours. This is ways up at this time of year. A guide- not the only example of this madness book for all West Virginia rivers is (the Savage River Dam, which pro- available from Bob Burrell, 1412 West- vides control over the Savage River ern Avenue, Morgantown, for $5. Hik- Olympic Trials site, is a flush box); ers and rock climbers are especially however, it will be of no use to white- welcome, as the canyon's possibilities water paddlers or anyone else, for that for these sports are virtually untapped. matter. Perhaps the power boat cow- boy can experience some of the thrill

VOL. xv111 / 2 Aid-Fork Salmon Dam Completed Riggins, Idaho-April 1-Ceremonies now that they no lcnger have to make dedicating the completion of the last a 200-mile car shuttle at Dagger Falls." link in Idaho's multi-dam complex, a Jenkins admitted that he had no actual joint venture of the Corps of Engineers assurance from the Corps that revenue and the Bureau of Reclamation, were from the thousand-megawatt hydro- held in the town park today. Gov- electric plant at Riggins could be used ernor Smith declared that Idaho's full to finance the slalom, and that a Sierra recreational potential, long known to Club critic had even questioned wheth- the rugged few that had ventured into er revenue from the Riggins Public its wilderness areas, was now available Utility District (population 130) would to the millions of Americans that could finance the hydroelectric plant. Jenkins journey to Idaho in their campers. suggested that in the interim kayakers "Formerly remote wilderness canyons should try and find some remaining can now be visited by motorboat on local stream where they might prac- Lake Salmon and Lake Salway. Clear- tice. "Dodging rocks and boulders on water Campground is one of the most rivers is an excellent way to develop modern in the nation, with a mobile- technique for the real thing," Jenkins home park, supermarket, all trails and stated. camping areas blacktopped, and a ca- Colonel M. Q. Sullivan said the Corps pacity for 15,000 people," the governor was optimistic that they would be able declared. to fulfill all of their promises to miti- Reclamation Commissioner Roger gate the adverse effects of the network Hominy chided "preservationists" for of giant reservoirs. He estimated that delaying the project. A coalition group the projected population growth of calling themselves "The Taxpayers of Riggins would justify the project and America" had obtained an injunction construction of the ten-million-dollar blocking construction of the Lochsa di- practice slalom could begin prior to the version tunnel when ninety percent of 2012 Olympics in Red China. (However, the appropriations for the tunnel had this reporter learned that the Corps already been expended and the tunnel had already allocated 20 million dol- had been almost ten percent completed. lars for a feasibility study of the Rig- The group claimed that their rights as gins-Lincoln supply line and 5 million a minority had been ignored. "Our dam dollars to prepare a statement of the business is none of your damn busi- environmental impact of the slalom on ness," the commissioner reminded the downtown Lincoln). To conservation- taxpayers. "We simply can't afford to ists concerned by lack of action on the waste water when it is available." Corps' promise to re-locate wildlife An added highlight of the program displaced by the massive inundation, came when American White Water and Colonel Sullivan announced that tenta- Canoe Association racing chairman tive plans had been completed for the Fred Jenkins unveiled a model of the 2-million-dollar Riggins Roadside Zoo. national slalom course to be construct- While the ceremonies were in prog- ed in centrally located Lincoln, Ne- ress in the town park, demonstrators braska. The Corps of Engineers had in black rubber suits marched around agreed to the project to ameliorate the a pyre of burning paddles in the mid- loss of a popular white-water run due dle of highway 95 in front of Riggins to the Pistol Rapids Penstock now by- Cafe chanting "Concrete rivers have passing the Middle Fork between Dag- no trees!" Salmon National Forest Su- ger Falls Forebay Dam and Middle pervisor George Thompson stated that Fork Reservoir. as long as the demonstrators were or- "This is a giant step forward for our derly, they were within their rights. sport," enthused Jenkins. "Kayakers "They obtained a campfire permit from can now devote more time to training, me this morning," he noted.

American WHITEWATER Ms. Iris Sternperson, spokesperson for the demonstrators, explained that they were members of the River Run- ning, Paddling, Drifting, and Drinking Society, an organization for people who believed that non-competitive fel- lowship and the sheer enjoyment of the natural surroundings were an in- tegral part of their sport. "RRPDDS (pronounced ' rapids') is a splinter group that formed when AWA merged with ACA to form a 1,000-person super racing organization, the AWW & CA of USA, and left 50,000 canoeists, kayak- ers, raftspersons, and other assorted floaters and drifters with no one to represent our interests," Ms. Sternper- son explained. While Ms. Sternperson claimed the group was not anti-racing, she admitted to a personal opinion that mixed-double competition was destroying family life. "It wasn't the continuous disagreement about whether the red or green pole should be on the left or right, it was the post-race, gate-by-gate, WHOSE-FAULT bicker- ing about penalty points." The demonstration continued without incident until someone, reportedly a disgruntled local man, joined the pro- test by throwing his yellow raft onto the fire. Just as Commissioner Hominy launched into his now famous speech used to justify BuRec projects in Cali- fornia, Washington and Tennessee - "What's good for Idaho is good for Americaw-the audience dispersed be- cause of the stench. -C.T. For the most complete selections of White Water Kayaks, knowledgeable peo- ple rely on Klepper. They know thot at CANOES WEST BAGS kayak-headquarters they can find the spe- Made of waterproof sturdy nylon cific boats they need- whether fiber gloss Various shapes and sizes $7.50 - $19.90 or Foldaway models. Free Brochure - Write ANN DWYER'S CANOE CALIFORNIA Klepper also merits recognition as the P. 0. Box 61, Kentfield, CA 94904 leaders in racing craft of extreme design Dealer inquiries welcome - for top level White Water competition. Typical of this championship group: "MUEN- CHEN 72" and "LOISACH" in Diolen.

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VOL. xv111 / 2 By Tom Findlan, 1008 Li iberty St., Franklin, PA 16323

March 3rd arrived and so did thc 3 Hurricane Agnes, the storm which hit li [ayak season for 1973. The tempera - the East last June. -- - ,. " ture was a damp YY degrees as the Tour With that thought in mind, we ran of us stood on Breakneck Bridge over- under Breakneck and through the first looking the Slippery Rock Creek in few sets of riffles. As we emptied the Western Pennsylvania eager to begin. water from Joe and Walt's canoe, we Only I had been down this 3-mile sec- realized we were going to have a very tion of the stream before. That had unusual and very tense day. We peered been in my kayak during The Western at the fog, trying to cut through it, Pennsylvania Whitewater School the around it, anywhere, to no avail. We previous May. At that time, I had felt tried listening to the sound of the rif- that this would be a very nice stretch fles and rapids, but found the noises of the Slippery Rock to bring my to be grossly deceiving. The stream just brother and friends down in open flowed into the enveloping shroud of canoes. I had remembered four rapids fog and we had to follow. Several times which I felt could be run by good men we did go to the shore and scout ahead in open canoes. and it was a relief to know exactly My companions for this day's run what we were approaching. After about were my brother Joe, John Mahaffey, ten minutes, I looked ahead and things and Walt Pilewski. Joe and Walt were seemed very right for rapids. Upon in our 17-foot aluminum canoe and walking the shore line for a hundred Mahaf was solo in his 17-footer. Joe yards, we came to our first Class 111. and Mahaf have had considerable ex- This may not sound like much, but perience in whitewater, but Walt was with the fog and a relative unfamili- new at it although he has done much arity with the stream, we all preferred canoeing on quieter streams in this sec- caution. Once scouting the rapid, Mahaf tion of Pennsylvania. decided to run. I took movies from a Ten months had elapsed since I had nearby rock as he swept through the been here and my memory of the whitewater beautifully. Joe and Walt stream was a bit foggy. Unfortunately, left the throw line below and ran next. once on the water and down into the They too did well and I was last in gorge, we all realized that my memory my kayak. I was glad we looked it over. was not the only foggy thing that day. Coming upon water like that in the fog Over the stream hovered a fog which with only a moderate idea of the stream was so thick that the visibility was no could be very disconcerting. more than 90 feet. On a stream with After this rapid, we reached a calmer which we were familiar, this would stretch although we were constantly have been only a minor problem. How- imagining dancing water just at the ever, on this unfamiliar stream, it cre- edge of our visibility. It was like scuba- ated more serious problems. Before diving in slightly murky water-excit- starting that morning, and without ing but nerve-wracking. Our imagina- knowing about the fog, we had decided tions ran wild. Cautiously, we inched that we would scout everything in our way downstream with numerous order to completely eliminate the pos- little walks along the shoreline which sibility of being washed into a tree or usually meant climbing over mcssy some other obstacle at a narrow part boulders, under fallen trees and through of the stream. Upstream, we had seen underbrush. Finally, ahead we heard a a situation like this where a large tree loud roar and felt sure we were at the completely blocked a narrow chute. second rapids. A short walk revealed The tree had been washed down by we were. They were beautiful, nestled

American WHITEWATER deep in that foggy paradise. I stood and looked at them and could not under- stand why more people do not partici- pate in this sport I love so dearly. Joe I PADDLEA HAHN and Walt ran first, and although they I DESIGNED took water, came through very well. ~I'VMDICWINNER.. . Mahaf had been on the throw line C I- and I had the camera. I went to the top and ran next and it was a delight- HAHN AUGSBURG K 1 Sl.alom Compet8tton Kayak ful shot through the two sets of Class Solver Medal 8" K-IW 5235.00 111's. Mahaf followed and then we be- i gan picking our way along again. We worked our way into the third set which weren't bad and came through HAHN MUNICH C-t Slalom Competition Canoe very easily. Silver Medal for West Germany, A few minutes later we reached the I Bronze Medal for USA $240.00 fourth set which I recognized by a large rock in the center of the stream. This was one I definitely wanted to scout. As we walked along the bank HAHN SWING C-2 Two-Wan Slalom Competirion Canoe looking at the surging water, we came Winner of lnternat~onalEvents $320.00 face to face with some people out for I We are the exclusive licensed U.S. manufacturerr a walk. We didn't see them until we for all competition rlalom boats designed by were eighty feet apart and they were PAUL HAHN of Werf Germany ...latest designs If no dealer in your area, we'll ship a Hahn K-1 quite surprised to find anyone down Or C-l bv air anywhere in the US. and charge in the gorge on this very bleary, rainy only $40.00 shipping costs or less day. We exchanged greetings and as 0 I we walked on downstream to check P: HARISHOK LIFE VESTS, made in England. US. Coast Guard -> 0 accepted for kayaks end canoes. r the lower end of the rapid, one of the J Closed cell pliable PVC foam cell elements provide 0 men hollered, "Have you guys seen . everlasting buovancy and insulation. The Harirhok 1 2 guarantees maximum comfort and ufety to the kayaker 0 Deliverance?" We laughed. and canoeist and conforms to I.C.F. ruler. m P: Stock color: International orange 1 Walt walked to the lower end of the Other colors: Blue, purple, yellow I sizes: S,M,ML, L. XL ? rapid and I asked him to check down- To order specify size or chert measurement and 0 !- stream to see how it looked. He came -I measurement~ from~ shoulder to waist and state first. "c. - second, thrid choice of colors. .:. . ', II back and said it was just a bit turbu- Pullover type model: $25.00 lent in the middle. Because of his re- P: Zipper type model: $28.00 Add $1.25 per vest for shipping port and since the hikers had told us 0 in the US. it was quiet water from there to the P: 0 5% sales tax in Washington, bridge, we assumed it was just a short, i rend check or money order. easy stretch. In addition, I had remem- 4:r bered four rapids on my previous trip P: W and this was the fourth we were now 0 P- scouting. FLOTATION BAGS -safety far you your boar r Mahaf ran down first and other than Tough long lasting 20~milor lightweight 12-mil for 0 2 1 catching his keel on a rock at one p~int. 4 competition, form-fitting 2 .~.i. . .19 - ha-\- - -. err- , , . sn- - .~.z made it through very well. I followed P: C-l (2 bags) $12.50 1 in the kayak with not much difficulty C-2 (3 bags) $16.50 I Add $1.25 per set fat shipping in the US., 5% sales tax ? and pulled in behind one of the huge in Washington, rend check or money order r rocks so common on the Slippery Rock -J 4: Formore information to wait for Joe and Walt. They didn't 5 on our competition come and didn't come, and didn't come. P: boats, touring boats W and top a~~essories Just as I was about to go up to see 0 like paddle jackets. what happened, they shot out from be- spray skirts. car racks. - etc, write for free cata- hlaw Oiflce 32061 732 7082 r hind the rock with a boatful of water. log. Dealer inquiriel Factory - 12061762 -6977 4 invited. T n They had gone aground in the middle 4 - of the rapids and swung around as they MAIL ORDER MAIL ORDER MAlL ORDER MAlL ORDER washed off. Joe said he felt like he was

VOL. XV111 / 2 69 on a teeter-totter for awhile, but once moving they were okay. We bailed the water from our boats I SLALOM, TANDEM and prepared for the five-minute run TOURING and CANOES to the bridge. Joe and Walt pulled out I and I followed. John was eighty feet I fiberg!ass and behind, somewhere in the fog. All at wood/canvas once the quiet water changed to pretty fast water which changed to nice sized factory finished waves which changed to even bigger or kits stuff. We just had to keep going, di- rectly into that ominous cloud of fog. free brochure Joe and Walt were in front shipping water and wondering when all this was Inflatable kits going to end. I went past them trying coming soon to look for quieter water, but there was none. On we went for nearly another full SCEPIERCRAFT BOATS minute when I was finally able to get P 0 BOX 967 CORVALLIS. OREGON 97330 into an eddy. Joe and Walt feebly tried I to follow, but with a boat full of water, ALUMACRAFT QUETICO CRUISING74 LBS. the going was tough. They got washed Double-tapered cruising keel for easy turning plus out again into the current and I thought tracking stability. Length 17 feet . Beam 36" Depth 23%'' Capacity 775 Ibs. Cruising Keel . they were going over with all that Built-in Carrying Yoke and Pads Total weight water sloshing inside their canoe. How- 74 Ibs. Available soon in whitewater model. ever, they finally managed to get into ...... shore about fifty feet downstream. Mahaf pulled in out of the fog akout fifteen seconds later. We were tired and I commented to Walt about "that little bit of turbu- lence in the middle." Of course, my foggy memory had forgotten about the fifth rapid. I was helping Joe bail out Write ALUMACRAFT BOAT CO. 315 West St. Julien Street, St. Peter, MN 56082 his canoe and wondering how much -- further we had to go when I looked CLASSIFIED up and there was the bridge about 120 - feet downstream. It was covered by CANOEING, BACKPACKING GUIDE the fog, but being high was much easier BOOKS AND MAPS. Colorful re- to see. We were done; it was different, prints of the Voyageurs. Whitewater but nevertheless a fun day. We felt film rental. Send 50t for brochure to that with our caution, constant scout- WATER MEISTER SPORTS, PO Box ing, and throw lines at the rapids, it 5026, Ft. Wayne, IN 46805. Hqs. for really had not been anywhere near as quality paddles, and paddling, cy- dangerous as we had imagined while cling, backpacking accessories. Also trying to see through that damnable custom paddling trophies. fog. TJ1, BRONCO (slalom kayak, Tom Johnson design) - $150.00, TJ2 - WHITEWATER BOOKS $165.00, DH1 - $150.00. WHITE- Whitewa!er Sport by Peter Whitney, $5.50 plus WATER BOATS, Box 483, Cedar 25$ postage; Fundamentals of Kayaking by Jay City, UT 84720. Evans, $3.00; The Exploration of the Colorado River, Major Powell's diaries, $4.75 plus 256 Classified Ad Rates, Am. Whitewater postage. Send order and check to AWA Guide- Journal, 206 per word; send ad and books Committee, Ed Alexander, 6 Winslow Ave., check to the Editor, Iris Sindelar, 264 East Brunswick, N. J. 0881 6 East Side Dr., Concord, NH.

American WHITEWATER PARENTS BE AWARE By Alain Chardon, Box 93, RFD 1, Jefferson, NH 03583

Many articles have been written and tial to that white froth) has afforded printed in American Whitewater pub- us a grand opportunity for family fun lications: articles covering trips, Olym- and frolic. It has been a definite step- pics, regulations, boat building, train- ping stone for personal, as well as fam- ing, strokes, eddy hopping; photographs ily, development; plus a substantial ad- of kayaks and canoes splashing, pierc- dition to our family togetherness. It ing, plowing around, over and into should also be mentioned that the ca- rocks, or through foam, chutes, and nine of our household, Nip, accompa- haystacks; drawings of boat dimen- nies us occasionally depending on the sions, paddles, and rolling techniques. outing. (We don't want her to "bor- Much work, experience, and enjoy- row" someone else's lunch permanently, ment went into the production of these and so we neglect to throw her into numerous pictorial and verbal passages the car on excursions involving many -and much enjoyment was reaped by outside of our immediate family.) the reader who hopefully put to good Boating in whitewater builds a per- use any and all tid-bits gathered from sonality trait that is fundamental to our the publications. I, for one, eagerly human (supposedly civilized) world. look forward to each new booklet as Be it adult or off-spring, whitewater is I am a whitewater nut who delights challenging and produces conditions especially in running the white stuff. that require spontaneity and alertness The word whitewater triggers my for the safety of all people in the adrenalin. party. Each and every one of us can It seems to me, however, that there find ourselves in certain predicaments is another aspect concerning kayaking that were not envisioned in advance. and canoeing that should be discussed That's when each individual must be in detail. Possibly due to my marital ready to assist-people, boats, paddles, vows and state of parenthood, I have etc. Developing this ability of instan- a decided prejudice - or possibly due taneously responding to an adverse to these same vows I have observed a situation is something every person side of boating that not all members will profit from throughout their en- of this new exciting sport are in a tire lives. We, as a family, have been position to appreciate. In any case, on both the receiving and giving end Phoebe and I have a family of three of this spectrum. Each one of us feels young 'uns-Marc, 17; Stephen, 15; and that great benefits are achieved from Jennifer, 14. We have found that white- such occurrences for they are bound to water boating (or flatwater for that make one a more complete being. matter, although we seem to be par- Taking an active part in whitewater

KRYflK BRCKPRCKING EQUIP.

WATERPROOF BAGS. Absolutely woter and ortight 1 Koyok Inflatable Cargo Bags Patented Deslgns. LIGHTWEIGHT PADDLES, Canoe or Koyok. E~ght~nch wrde ABS Blades BOAT-TAPE, For Wh~tewoterRepolrs. BACK PACKS. Tents - Down or Docron Bags. Many hard to f~ndItems v VOYAGEUR ENTERPRISES llreeCATALOG- P.O. BOX ~IZ-A SHAWNEE MISSION, KS. 66201 VOL. XV111 / 2 slalom, wildwater, and downriver rac- knowhow that was received or that ing events have proven to be another was developed since first joining this rung up the development ladder. The fabulous sport in 1967. We find it hanging up of an actual slalom course exhilarating to share episodes with must be considered an accomplishment friends. Many times this turns out to when installation teams efficiently be the ingredient that enables them to complete the course. Working closely participate in this wonderful healthy with fellow team members allows the outdoor activity. younger set to work with other peo- Further involvement introduces boat ple and to achieve success away from repairing, fiberglassing, technical dis- their family and yet within it, so to cussions about customizing canoes for speak. Once more, it develops each more efficient handling (in or out of person individually and gives them an a race) and the actual work of creat- occasion to sprout out on their own. ing styrofoam seats, specific length Coordinated group effort in relation paddles, etc. Tackling this segment of to "time pressures" materializes while whitewatering with vigor allows one gatekeeping, starting, timing, gate scor- to begin to understand the intricate ing, finishing, and computing race re- facets of specializing a canoe. This sults. Areas of responsibi!ity are in- automatically leads us into another evitably delegated and it is challenging new cycle -new discussions material- and rewarding to execute these duties. ize, new friends are met, new chal- The conversations on the drive home lenges are presented-all of which ex- from a race always bring to the surface pands the horizons one more step. mind-stimulating pow-wcws which ex- Last, but by no means least, possi- plored possible methcds of increasing bly the greatest reward has been get- race running efficiency. Where were ting to meet other families who have the inequities? Where were the bottle- travelled down the whitewater road. necks? What could have been altered All of them are very different and yet to produce a better course? To what all are much alike. All are so sincere extent did the competitors enjoy the and vivacious - so obviously happy to course? And to what extent were pad- be part of such splendor. Nowhere have dlers challenged on the course? Many I witnessed people exhibiting a more viewpoints pop up and are aired ver- spontaneous inner self-release. bally. Obviously benefits are gained For all of these reasons and many from such contributions. more, I am truly thankful for what I feel the "en famille" approach to whitewater means to Phoebe and me life whether it be square dancing, ski- as parents (as well as individuals). For ing, barn building, or what have you it has provided up with a medium by is healthy and wholesome. Canoeing which we can prepare our children for and kayaking have enriched our lives a better and fuller life. I hope that this by allowing us to join in on a hap- article will bring to some other parents pening that we all can discuss and re- the chance of realizing the dividends view at a later time or date. Commu- of participating in this magnificent ac- nication is a very vital part of life and tivity. I know that it has been a very any common denominator acts as a vital part of our life. Pursue it, for catalyst to communication. I am always you will be amazed as to what it will thankful and grateful for opportunities mean to your family. such as whitewatering that allow us to explore, as a family, new areas of in- terest and their ccmposite components -be they physical exercise, perscnal development, mental parleys, or any- AWA EMBLEMS FOR MEMBERS thing else. During the past several seasons, an- Shoulder patches $1 .OO ea; decals 3 for $1.00. other rewarding portion of canoeing Send order and check to American Whitewater has appeared-that is passing on to Affiliation, "Deacon" Kiehm, 201 9 Addison St., others some of the knowledge and Chicago, 111. 6061 8.

American WHITEWATER WHERE IS WALTER BURMEISTER? American Whitewater recentiy re- ceived the following letter: USISCA George E. Larsen 1973 - P. 0. Box 1584 San Bruno, CA 94066 I desire to support the United Dear Mr. Larsen, States Slalom and Wildwater We have been interested in the pos- Canoe Team. sibility of updating and republishing the guide "Appalachian Water" which Name (print)

was originally published by the Canoe Address -. -- Cruisers Association in cooperation with Walter Kirschbaum who was or is guidebook chairman of your group. To date, I have been unsuccessful in locat- ing Water Burmeister who wrote the Type of Membership: guide or Walter Kirschbaum and hoped $100 Sponsoring you might be able to supply informa- [7 50 Supporting tion and/or addresses. 25 Contributing 10 Associate Thank you, 5 Paddling Moor & Mountain 67 Main Street Arnwnt enclosed $-- Concord, Mass. 01742 Arnxnt pledged $ Unfortunately, as many of you know, Wal- USISCA ter Kirschbaum died last year (see Winter, State College, PA 16801 1972 issue of AMERICAN WHITEWATER). We B3x 921 have no information on Walter Burmekster's Contributors will receive a decal. whereabouts; if anyone has any pertinent in- U. S. Income Tax Deductible. formation, please send it to the above address.

Joe Bauer, whitewater photographer whose work has been featured in recent issues of American Whitewater, on the other side of the lens, East Fork, Russian R. (Calif.) Photo by Jim Bauer Deliverance. . . Flambeau Stvle {or, A Stzlrgeon's Eye View of BernDam) By Gary E. Myers, 28W136 Hillview Drive, Naperville, IL 60540

By now, most readers of American only on a large, placid Illinois river, Whitewater have probably seen "De- and not for the past ten years), and liverance"-and if, like me, they saw Don had . . . well, he'd been in a canoe it in the dead of winter, they probably before: we'd show them how. Besides, found their hands automatically clutch- we had good maps, according to which ing for a paddle during the whitewater we started off with a long stretch of scenes. In addition, I was struck with quiet water where they could practice. an almost incredible deja vu, as if it No sweat. had been written about me (canoeing- In a magnanimous gesture, I offered wise only: the good folk of the Flam- to carry most of the gear in our canoe. beau region have, thankfully, less imag- After all, we were the experienced inative forms of recreation than are crew. Unfortunately, we were also the practiced on the banks of the Cahula- heavyweights: at that time, Don and wassee). It was a few years ago, and I both tipped the scale at close to 200 I was the proud owner of a new fif- pounds, and in a fifteen-foot canoe with teen-foot Grumman . . . all that extra gear, we ended up with Don and I rolled into Ladysmith, only a few inches of freeboard. Wisconsin just before sunrise on a cold, Ken and Dave covered the first few rainy September morning. There, in hundred yards stern-first, and then ex- the glow of neon from the cafe on ecuted some maneuvers that would Route 27, was Ken's car. We met Ken have been dazzling if they'd been and Dave inside and had breakfast planned. We all had a good laugh over before starting out. it, and soon they were working to- While waiting to pay our bill, I gether reasonably well. I was happily asked an old-timer for directions to oblivious to the fact that there was the Flambeau Lodge. He told me, then more of our canoe under the water asked: "Been on this river before?" than above it. I shook my head and he looked up We camped the first night just below one side and down the other before Oxbow, in the rain (it hadn't stopped) continuing, "Water's up a foot or more. and without a tent. I had no sleeping Been raining for two weeks. Better bag, only a plastic ground tarp and an stay away from the rapids. Real mean." old blanket. Tent? Sleeping bag? Who We dropped Ken's car at the Lodge needs them when it's above freezing? and set out in the rain for Oxbow, to I was tough. pick up the second canoe. "Better stay The next morning I crawled out from away from the rapids. Real mean," under the canoe, convinced that I'd Dave mimicked. We all laughed-what suddenly contracted terminal arthritis. did the old guy think we'd driven 350 I hadn't slept more than a few hours, miles for? "You guys are going to love and every movable portion of my this," I said. anatomy was suffused with dull pain We received warnings at the Oxbow, and cold. As I stood in the rain try- where we rented the canoe, and at ing to figure out how to get a fire Nine-Mile Tavern, where we put in. started, it occurred to me that if I I assured Ken and Dave that they had didn't keep moving I'd freeze to death, nothing to worry about, even though just like the character in that Jack neither of them had been in a canoe London short story. I felt very supe- before. I had canoed extensively (but rior to my neighbors back in Suburbia.

American WHITEWATER We hit the first of the big rapids on the North Fork that day. Wannigan Rapids was big and mean, the swollen Flambeau tumbling and roaring over the rocks. We bulled our way through . the standing waves, shipping surpris- ingly little water over our low-riding gunwales. We were high on adrena- lin, and we lost no time congratulat- ing each other on a job well done . . . extremely well done. We saw Ken and Dave hit the first pitch, and suddenly they were in trouble. They had been handling the canoe very competently on this, their second day, but they hit the first set of waves just wrong, and shipped a lot of wa- ter. They floundered into the second pitch, frantically trying to maneuver the logy canoe and somehow, with a timely combination of skill and luck, they made it through the second wall of standing waves. We paddled over to meet them at shore and were amazed at the amount of water in their canoe -at least five inches. It had taken a lot of muscle to get it through. The rain continued, and it got even colder (I'd guess it was no more than forty degrees). Don took the stern and guided us through Flambeau Falls. The drop was exhilarating, even though it's Cedar Rapids at Low Summer level. a fairly straightforward rapid. Ken and Photo by J. Aspnes. Dave followed us through uneventfully, and we made camp at the Forks. Ken and Dave watched from shore That night we built a tent out of as we paddled toward that tiny, tiny paddles and spare ground tarps and opening in the ledge that was the first managed to stay dry, if very, very cold. chute. Palms sweating, not speaking, I slept even less that night than I we moved ponderously through the had the night before . . . and the night oily-looking slick. The tension built in before that, I had driven all night to my mind as I saw a point of land crawl get there. By morning I was more like by at the edge of my vision: we were a vegetable than a voyageur. now irrevocably committed. Don said We stopped above Cedar Rapids to something, but his words were lost in look it over, since it's fairly complex: the roar. there's a very narrow chute through Suddenly the bow dropped, and I a rock ledge that runs from a small felt the acceleration: we were in it! island to shore; the current then rockets Water crashed over the bow and into into a very large boulder and ricochets Don's lap. The bow rose and crashed into the second pitch, a well-defined again, and as we came up I yelled to but narrow flume-like chute between Don to paddle on the left, for the the boulder and the island. The trick, boulder was looming ahead of us. We of course, is to get from the first chute bossed the overloaded craft cross-cur- to the second without either being rent and straightened her, just in time. smashed against the Volkswagen-sized We blasted into the second chute and rock, or entering said chute in any the boulder shot past us, inches on the orientation other than bow-first. left, as we slammed into and through

VOL. XVI 11 / 2 the second wall of water. I felt very, water below us and my mind reeled very competent. dizzily as I heard Don, as if from afar, Ken and Dave made it through, too; yell, "Holy -, this is IT!" We plunged however, they got hung up on a rock over and the roar, strangely inaudible below the second pitch and Don and until now, seemed to physically swal- I had a good laugh watching them low us in sheer noise. We lurched down weathervane helplessly for a few min- like a rocket out of control, at frighten- utes. They failed to see any humor in ing speed. In the split second that it it at all. took for us to reach the bottom of the As my heartbeat returned to normal, hole, I decided that we might just make I became excruciatingly weary. I hadn't it: I was keeping us upright-and it had more than a few hours of fitful wasn't as if I'd never run whitewater sleep for three days, and the cold was before. sapping my remaining strength. The I had, however, reckoned without others had had more sleep, since they our heavy and poorly-distributed load, had sleeping bags (though they did and that standing wave at the bottom claim that the chattering of my teeth must have been four or five feet high. kept them awake, I didn't believe We had picked the worst possible spot them). All I could think about was to run it, particularly with the river getting back to the car. Beaver Dam at all but flood stage. When we reached was next, but I didn't need it-I had the bottom of the hole, the canoe con- already proved I could beat this river. tinued on, knifelike, and sank. We paddled on and the others edged Helpless, we bobbed through the ahead of us. Nature had been calling maelstrom of spray and spume, bouyed for some time, and we finally decided up like corks by our life jackets. The to answer her. I yelled at Ken and canoe, completely submerged, was be- Dave, but the wind had come up and ing carried sideways into some large they didn't hear. The rain was coming boulders. Without thinking, I hooked in earnest now, and it was COLD. my elbows over the gunwhales and We examined the map before starting kicked at the nearest rock. The canoe out again, and agreed that we had a smashed me into it with stunning force long way to go before Beaver Dam. The and I felt a sharp, shooting pain in other canoe was long gone, out of sight, my leg; then nothing. Miraculously, the and we paddled in silence, dreaming canoe slid through the boulders with- of warm blankets and hot buttered out getting wrapped around any of rum. We rounded a bend and ahead, them', and I had time to consider, fog- t,hrough the mist, we could see the flip- gily, the import of being in this sort flip of whitewater. of predicament with a broken leg. I studied the map. "This can't be it," Another couple of hundred yards of I said finally. "And I'm too tired to extremely fast and rocky water bounced get out and look it over. We'll read US off a few more boulders, and we our way through." I couldn't really see finally began working toward shore. anything through the rain, and we Ken and Dave rushed out to help us. could barely hear each other because They'd made it over in fine shape and of the wind in our faces. I steered to had been waiting for us. "You picked the right of center and we paddled the worst possible place to run it," Ken wearily on. Gradually, I became aware said as he pulled the canoe ashore. I that this was no mere riffle-I still didn't answer as I tentatively stood up couldn't see or hear much, but some- in the shallow water and found, to my thing wasn't right. "This can't be it," great relief, that I could stand on my I muttered. Abruptly, Don dropped to leg. It hurt like the devil, but it wasn't his knees and began gesturing wildly broken. My pride was in much worse to his left. shape. The next thing I knew, he was lit- I've been back to the Flambeau sev- erally hanging in space ahead of me eral times since then, once during simi- as the river plummeted from under lar high water, and it never ceases to us. I had a glimpse of churning, boiling amaze me that we didn't drown, or at

American WHITEWATER least demolish the canoe. And anyone WHAT'S MY LINE? or who's stupid enough to purposely place his body between a sunken canoe and WHAT'S YOUR LINE? a boulder, in water like that, really Or maybe we should say, "How are deserves more than a sprained knee. your lines?" It was a valuable experience, though Have you ever seen a kayak doing . . . perhaps the most valuable of my 40 m.p.h. going end over end headed canoeing life: it taught me many things east on 1-90? Don't let the experience about preparedness and the proper way of one of WKC's club members be re- to approach an unknown rapid; but peated with possibly more disastrous most of all, it taught me firsthand how results. big and tough a river like the Flam- While headed east carrying four kay- beau can be, and how utterly power- aks atop the car and fastened with less mere flesh is against that awe- rubber cords, one kayak became air- some force. I learned that you never borne, apparently breaking the strap. beat a river -you may think you're Fortunately, the cars following were beating it, but you're just fooling your- far enough back to avoid a collision. self: when you make it through a rapid, Is it possible that you are still using it's because you've learned, either con- those expandable and stretchable sun- sciously or subconsciously, to work baked rubber straps for tie-downs? Or with the river, to cooperate. If you have you convinced yourself that a start thinking in terms of victory, good piece of stout rope, properly ap- you're in trouble. plied, is your ideal tie-down material? A lot of whitewater has passed under Let us all remember that state laws the keel of my trusty Grumman since are not written until the legislature then, and I haven't dumped her since sees a need to control a situation. This (knock on wood). I attribute this as could be disastrous for our sport. It is much to the respect for water that I known that some states have enacted learned in those few seconds on the laws which prohibit carrying any kind Flambeau, as I do to any skill gained of boat on top of automobiles or trucks. in all the years since. Respect for Let's police this problem ourselves whitewater is nothing to be ashamed and each of us do our part to guaran- of. Besides, running rapids is no fun tee a safe trip out and back by the unless you're a little scared. use of proper and adequate tie-down (The Flambeau was the scene of your edi- ropes on good solid racks, firmly fast- tor's very first uihitewater trip too, bat fwta- ened to the top of the car, and the nately it was at a low summer level and the whole thing secured to the frame with sternman of our banana boat-Jim Sindelm- sturdy bow and stern lines. was well familiar with the river and an expe- (Double, "A" type tie-downs are pre- rienced u~hitewater paddler to boot. So only ferred over the single bow and stern happy memories remain of that trip.-Ed) lines. ) Joe Goheen Safety Chairman Washington Kayak Club WHITEWATER When replying to an ad, don't forget COACHING MANUAL to say you saw it in by Jay Evans, U.S. Olympic Coach AMERICAN WHITEWATER A guide for the serious racer and the person who wants to help him. Tips on physical conditioning, mental preparation, HAUTHAWAY KAYAKS advanced slalom and wildwater technique, 640 Boston Post Rd. use of videotape, how to run a training Weston, MA 021 93 camp, psychological testing, etc. Slalom, Downriver, Touring and Junior Models Surf Kayak, Lightweight Canoes 201 McNutt, Hanover, NH. 03755 Paddles Spray Covers Life Vests Floatation

VOL. xv111 / 2 77 encountered by those working to es- BOOK REVIEW tablish a national system of scenic riv- FLOW EAST: A Look at Our North ers. The author feels that three items Atlantic Rivers, by John M. Kauffman. are basic to river preservation: public N.Y., McGraw-Hill, 1973. $7.95. 284 pp. ownership (and attendant careful ad- Author's background: "Mr. Kauffmann ministration) of river parks; regulation has served as Special Assistant to the of river use; and perhaps most impor- Director, National Park Service, and tant of all, education of the public from was Chief of Potomac Planning Staff childhood on, to "bring about a rever- for the National Park Service. At pres- ence for the earth." Mr. Kauffmann ent he is with the Alaska Task Force, discusses quite frankly the obstacles in and has Anchorage as his home base. the way of accomplishing these things: He has written extensively for publi- for instance, in the case of acquiring cations of the U.S. Dept. of the Interior privately-owned property for public as well as for National Geographic parks, the disgruntled property-owner Magazine." While this volume is prob- is likely to see it as "a scheme to let ably aimed at persons less knowledge- one man roast weenies on what was able about rivers than whitewater pad- another man's private property." His dlers generally are, a book of its cali- conclusions are undoubtedly controver- ber deserves to be read by anyone who sial but the arguments are worth read- cares about rivers. River conservation- ing if only to gain an understanding of ists are often accused of being over- the magnitude of the problem. emotional about their cause, and al- This is an excellent book on what though the author obviously is emo- rivers have been, are, and could be; tional about rivers, he has packed an we feel it would be a valuable addi- enormous amount of factual informa- tion to the river-runner's library.-ILS tion about rivers in general, and North- eastern rivers in particular, into this work. A brief cultural as well as geo- logical history of each river system is 9AWB entertainingly presented, and the grad- @@@a CANOE 8r KAYAK ual destruction of far too many of the rivers is detailed and deplored. Anyone FLOTATION who has been asked how strip mining, Electronically sealed . One Year Guarantee damming, poor timbering practice or 20 mil clear vinyl Convenient Valves sewage dumping can destroy a river, or KAYAK or C-1 BAG $6.25 each postpaid what a "wild" or "scenic" river is, and CANOE or C-2 BAG $9.00 each postpaid found himself or herself giving a vague, Sizes: Kayak bags are approximately 3', unsatisfactory answer, will definitely 3'/2', and 5' long and are used in pairs. profit from reading FLOW EAST. A!- C-1 bags are 4'/,' long and are paired. though the book is conservation-orient- Canoe and C-2 single center bag is 5'. Custom Bags: Price on request. Send pat- ed, it explores every facet of the river tern or dimensions of deflated size. in its natural state and that includes whitewater boating and racing, to NEOPRENE SKIRT which subjects Mr. Kauffmann devotes Lined inch nitrogen blown domestic an entire lengthy chapter. With the material. Taped and sewn seams. thoroughness he demonstrates through- $21 .OO each postpaid out the book, he gives the background Size: Indicate make and model of kayak of kayaking and canoeing and of the or canoe. If not standard, send pattern sport of slalom racing; he attended sev- or measurements of cockpit. eral slaloms (West R., Brandywine, Custom Fit: Prices on request. Send pat- Loyalsock, Esopus, Tariffville, etc.) and tern showing outside and inside rim size. talked with many top-notch boaters, 6 % Sales Tax for Pennsylvania Residents and as far as we can tell, his informa- P. 0. Box 59 tion is complete and accurate, as well Washington Crossing, PA 18977 as enthusiastic. Telephone (21 5) 493-5959 The book concludes with a discus- DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED sion of the progress made and setbacks

7 8 American WHITEWATER PRESIDENT'S SOAP BOX KAYAK CLUB - GROWTH, QUALITY BOATING AND AWA By J. Calvin Giddings The explosive growth in miscellaneous areas such as whitewater boating will affect g u i d e b o o k promotion and us all. Without organization standards, films, and books. . w and a sense of direction, we Lofty goals like the above w will face a spiraling increase in are fine, but someone must do E7 crowded rivers, streamside lit- the work and pay the bills. ter, restrictive laws, and no- Wide participation is essential; trespassing signs - all to go I urge each and every reader along with our dwindling sup- to help in some small (or ply of free-flowing water. On large) way. Among other the other hand if we work to- things, you can: 1) Urge one or gether, we may slow down the two boating friends to join dam builders, clean up our riv- AWA, thus providing an eco- ers, counter stifling laws, im- nomic base for better journal prove the general level of boat- coverage and expanded conser- ing technique and safety, and vation work; 2) Contribute a learn to treat one another and few extra dollars to AWA ear- riverside landowners with con- marked for the conservation w sideration. In short, growth fund; 3) Offer help to your lo- provides some opportunities, cal AWA affiliate in organiz- but if we do not act in concert ing a national AWA trip or en- to seize them, we can expect a campment in your area (see rapid deterioration in quality below); 4) Volunteer to help boating. AWA or one of its committees ~t is imperative that AWA (write to our able executive exert an increasing effort to director, Jim Sindelar, or to channelize growth into its most me with details of your interest constructive form. This will ~1-and available time) ; 5) Send timately help us all, but its US Your Comments on AWA achievement depends upon vol- and the roles You think it unteer help in both large and play play) in small units. If successful, a whitewater boating. number of important advances I will mention briefly one can be expected, including: 1) new Program that will likely expanded~~~journal un- be initiated in the summer of der Iris Sindelar's superb ed- 1974 if we get enough ~artici- itorship, providing us with an pation and help. This is a pro- . increased coverage of boating gram of national AWA trips safety, technique, equipment, and encampments, organized conservation, and where-to-go primarily by our AWA affili- information; 2) intensified ates. I hope each affiliate mem- effort to preserve whitewater ber and representative will be- streams throughout this coun- gin thinking about possible lo- try; 3) A lobby against unwise cations and scheduling in his area. Uniform guidelines are legislation on life preservers, being worked up for these equipment> and use events. If this program is sue- tions; 4) A national trips Pro- cessful it should help weld the gram to help us learn about whitewater community to- whitewater in other regions; gether in advancing techniques and 5) Developments in other and facing common problems.

VOL. xv111 / 2 79 AWA Affiliates, continued NEW MEXICO PENNSYLVANIA (cont.) UTAH