Tiny South of the Border 2 D PQ

Home , Millrace Rapids, Recreational kayak, Saluda River, Sea kayak

. November December 1993

- A tiny South of The Border 2 d PQ. 47 '

VolurneXXXVIII, No.6

20...... Rain Forest Whitewater by Gary Korb 48 ...... Futaleufu Fandango A Chilean Adventure by Greg Hd 54...... Gonzo .. the Monzo An Argentinean adventure by Earl Anderson

60.- - ...... Adventure .. the Congejal A Honduran ~Gloratoryby C;reg Hd

37...... Briefs It's Finally Time by Kurt Menchow 15...... conservation Hydropower Update Grand Canyon Update 93 AWA RECEIVES $40,000 CONSERVATION ALLIANCE GRANT

34 ...... ELECTION TIME for AWA Directors - - 39...... Races Gauley Race, Gore Canyon, Great Falls, North Fork of the Payette, Upper Yough

m.mmm~m.m~mmmwm~mm.~ Dave Blair, great Falls Race '93 Front cover "Howard Tidwell on his way to 4th overall in the Upper Gauley Race. Photo courtesy of Whitewater Photography. Back Covec Race Organizer, Donnie Hudspeth, trying to pass. Photo courtesy of Whitewater Photography Printed on Recycled Paper

American Whitewater v NovemberlDecember 1993 squirt. This raises as interesting question. Why do I hold onto them? Well, there are lots of reasons. Note that I didn't say good Sailors refer to the shoals off Cape reasons, just reasons. Hatteras as the Graveyard of the Atlantic. When I first commit a boat to the top During the past 500 years countless ships of my garage, I am usually in the throes of have fallen prey to these treacherous wa- denial. ters. Now they lie on the ocean floor. "This boat isn't dead," I tell myself. I suppose Pearl Harbor must be the "It's only sleeping." Graveyard of the Pacific. So, where is Sometimes I engage in resurrection the Graveyard of the Youghiogheny? Well, fantasies... that with just a little magic... the sad fact is, it seems to be located in the and a lot of Shoo Goo and fiberglass... top of my garage. This is the Unhappy these boats will return to life, like Lazarus. Hunting Ground for whitewater veterans I keep waiting and hoping, but it hasn't no longer river-worthy. Canoes once sleek happened yet. and smooth, now dented, folded, and Sometimes I imagine they might serve cracked. Kayaks once fire truck red and some useful purpose. Be used as demon- school bus yellow and jet blue, now strators at a wfikwater safety clinic. Or as scuffed and faded into pathetic pastel planters for next season's petunias. hues. And then there is the rationalization I'm too embarrassed to take an actual that there simply is no politically correct count, but there must be close to a dozen Many died respectably of old age, way to dispose of them. I hypothesize that victims of my whitewater obsession... and slowly worn away by countless low water my trash man would refuse to take them if occasional ineptness... lying in state in my runs on the Big Sandy and Cheat. Only I set them out with my garbage on Monday private boat mausoleum. Meanwhile, func- their shells remain; their skeletons were morning. But I've never really tried. tional items which by all rights should be extracted and transplanted into new hulls, A large manufacturer of kayaks has re- stored there... like lawn mowers, weed eat- new hulls that no doubt ultimately suffered cently been advertising that their new ers and chain saws... are stashed in all the same fate. plastic is recyclable. I congratulate them sorts of inconvenient places. Two met sudden, violent deaths, vic- on their environmental consciousness, but That's because I don't like to go into tims of pitons on the Black and the Top somehow I suspect that their gesture isn't the top of the garage very often. It's too de- Yough. Their noses are flattened like pig going to make much difference. My guess pressing. There are ghosts there. snouts; pig snouts with nostrils that leak is that most boaters are going to continue I take some comfort in knowing that I They deserve Purple Hearts. to be like me, mindlessly and resolutely am not the only boater with an ever bur- Others perished dishonorably, clinging to defunct boats, unwilling to let geoning non-flotilla of plastic, kevlar and pretzelized around rocks on the go. fiberglass corpses. Some of my friends Blackwater and Tygart. I keep them hid- Maybe it's because there is a lot more have just as many...if not more. I'll bet that den in the back. at stake than just plastic or epoxy and a lot of you have collections just like mine. And then there is the saddest one of glass. all, a tiny sliver of a boat that still looks Oh, I know that I will never ride these How did these noble vessels come to river worthy. It died of a broken heart, be- dilapidated relics through the rapids again, such ignominious ends? trayed by a master who never learned to but they still carry a host of irreplaceable

Editor: Bob Gedekoh, Box 228, R.D.#4, Elizabeth, Pa. 15037 Emeritus Editor: Chris Koll Graphic design: John K. Victor, 29080 Westfall Rd., Williamsport, OH 43164 Advertising Director: Phyllis Horowitz, Box 85, Phoenicia, New York 12464 ... river conscious clothing.. . (914) 6885569 Safety: Charlie Walbridge Conservation: Rich Bowers, 1609 Northcrest Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20904 outdoor . cloth~ng. cempony @TECTONIC Address Changes: Keith Morgan, 2601 Tanglewood Dr., Durham,NC 27705 14760 ~ernorialDrive, Suite 300-105 Haghp, TX 77079 Missing Copies: Contact Phyllis Horowitz Free Catalog pione & Fax: (713) 589-8747 American Whitewateris printed by SPENCER WAmRPRESS,INC., Newark OH. All rights reserved.

American Whitewater v November/December 1993 - Presents Whitewater Dancer II This video has it all! Underwater rolls, the 89 Worlds. Rodeos. memories. Not just the memories of their Hot wave and hole surfing, Class last, unfortunate cruises; but also of that V wipeouts, Tunes by World blustery spring day when I first survived Famous Fiddle Master Papa the Cheat, and the sunny summer day John Creech! HI-FI stereo 55 Min. when 1 first dared to paddle over Wonder Falls, and the brisk fall day when I first ran How to Organize a Successful Rlver/Outdoor Cleanup the Gauley from the Dam to Swiss and the Entertaining and informative. Of special interest to clubs. Get frigid winter day when I threaded my way involved. CLEAN UP A RIVER. HI-FI stereo 18 Min. through a glittering maze of rock and ice on the Top Yough. H'ighlights of the Grand Canyon '90 I know that it's crazy to hold on to all Get into The Grand Canyon. See the big drops and an my old boats. But what the hell, the top of innertube run of Lava Falls. With wild tunes. my garage is big and there's nothing wrong HI-FI stereo 43 Min. with keeping the lawn mower in the basement. ' Highlights of the Upper Yough, Gauley, Russell Fork and After all, it's only proper to show a Big Sandy little respect for the dead! See all these runs on one tape, with hot tunes. HI-FI stereo 43 Min.

How to Modify a Sabre Bob Gedekoh All you need to know to turn a Sabre into the honest plastic playboat in the world! With action footage and outrageous tunes. HI-FI stereo 49 Min.

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American Whitewater NovemberIDecember 1993 conditions kayakers have no part in a bizarre ritual of two direct our letters to the right choice but to line up and wait people canying each kayak up man. their turn to run the rapids. the few yards to the road. Respectively submitted, Playing is rarely an option. They said it was easier that Jeffrey L. Buchrnan I am writing to voice my I will welcome the permit way. Kingwood, Texas strong agreement with Dave system they are about to put in Is this the future of Garity's letter in the July/ Au- place on the S. Fk. Even whitewater boating? Thou- Editor's reply: gust issue. though it will severely limit the sands of screaming rafters on Thanks for catching our To quote Dave, UWeas frequency I paddle that river every pool and kayakers who error. Those wishing to pro- hard boaters must come to re- (who wants to wait for a per- find canying their own boat test the proposed alize that rafting companies mit for a measly class III run?). too much effort? hydroproject on the Pacuare are not our allies." No where Anything is better than the cur- should address their letters to is this more true than here in rent level of use on the S. Fk. On the edge, President Rafael Angel California on the S. Fk. of the I also agree that Chuck Massey Calderon in Zapato, Costa American. On any summer whitewater boating is not a Grass Valley, California Rica. They may also contact weekend the rafts are actually sport for the masses. I re- River Conservation Intema- touching each other with no cently picked up a brochure Editors's note: Chuck tional at (202) 463-4378. breaks even between different for a major kayak manufac- Massey worked as a rafi company's trips. turer. The whole slant of the guide on the New and Gauley I have come upon pools catalogue was to sell kayakjng rivers in the early 80's. He where you can't see the water to the public. Not to sell their has been kayaking "longer for all the rafts and, of course, kayaks to kavakers. This mass than there have been plastic they are all water battling and m&keting A1only serve to boats'! Dear Editor: yelling. I have seen the custom- further degrade the quality of The problem of crowding Enclosed is a copy of a let- ers so involved in water battles the sport. This degeneration of recreational rivers by corn ter that I wrote to the Times- that they continue on through was further demonstrated mercial users seems to be West Virginia that they pub- the rapids. I would bet that a when I took a group of begin- ubiquitous and, lished after I was denied ac- lot don't even remember the ners down their first class III unfortunatly, I doubt that it cess to the whitewater within individual rapids. Under these run. They wanted me to take is going to go away. That's the park. why we must lobby for some I guess things have gotten reasonable and equitable even worse now, with the managerwnt in these situa- Ranger prohibiting kayakers tions. who put in upstream of the As for bizarre rituals... park boundaries from even well... Chuck... you live in scouting the falls before run- Calgornia! ning them! "Stay in your boat", be blasts from a bullhorn. As government increases, freedoms decrease!

Text of letter... Reprinted OUTFITTERS from newspaper STORE CATALOG Dear Sir, I Dear Editor: Recently the Times- West I enjoy reading American Virhia did a story and ran Whitewater magazine and pictures of members of the support the efforts of the orga- Marion County Chamber of EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR nization. Commerce running Valley In the July/August 1993 is- Falls in their inflatable kayaks. ) WHITEWATER PADDLING, sue, Mark White's article, "In The article led one to believe ' Search of the Leaping Bobo that kayakers are welcome at WE MAIL ANYTHING FROM A PAIR Fish", the author or your edito- the park. rial staff made a rather signifi- According to the article in OF NOSECUPS TO A KAYAK. cant error in the sidebar the paper. Park Superintendent piece,"Do Your Part". Presi- Alfred Dean said, "It is your dent Oscai Arias (1989 Nobel park. We would like you to Peace Prize Honoree) has not come use it." This may be true FOR A FREE CATALOG CALL been in office since 1990. In for politicians but not for aver- (800) 367.3521 1990 PUSC candidate Rafael age taxpayers. Angel Calderon was elected I was recently told by Mr. FAX (704) 488-2498 president. It would certainly Dean that I could neither make more impact for those of launch or depart from my Y 19 W, BRYSON CITY, NC 28713 -91 14 us concerned with the preser- kayak on park property. I was vation of the Rio Pacuare, to informed that I might be in- American Whitewater v November/December 1993 American Whitewater v NovemberDecember 1993 jured and hold the park liable. to "Wild and Wrmde@ulJ: is and should be protected as a This would seem to me to be Now it'sjust getting to be haven of natural beauty, The an unreasonable denial of ac- west virginia. environmental impact of ex- cess. haust spewing jet skis could be State parks should be a Bob Gedekoh nothing but negative, and the center of access for outdoor ruining of the aesthetics of the activity, whether it be fshing, Gorge is unquestionable. I hunting, hiking or, yes, even have also written to the New UJAlTE OR PHONE FOR OUR kayaking. To promote the River Gorge Park Ranger about state on TV as a whitewater ha- this situation. I hope that oth- F RE€ DISCOUNT CRTRLOG I ven, then not to even let ers with similar experiences Eureka, Jansport, Sierra Designs, whitewater enthusiasts put on have also written to you, and Slumberjack, Cannondale, Peak 1, in a state park, is ludicrous. there is something that can be I would encourage our re- Dear Fellow Paddlers, Chouinard, Ma, Optimus, lows, I, Iamwritingtobringto done before the scores of jet sponsible DNR officials to re- skiers see this video on Discov- consider their attitudes dealing your attention a recent occur- rence on the New River Gorge, ery and think that it's "open with forest and water access West Virginia On September season" to overrun the New points. I believe that our DNR 26, 1993, the day after the River with their noisy, pollut- and Park Service should pro- ing safety hazards. mote laws to pennit water ac- Gauley Festival, three of us were paddling the New River cess and portage. I would like Gorge, when we were as- Sincerely, to see our DNR become prob- Stuart A. Thompson lem solvers and not part of the saulted by the din of four jet skis near Lower Kayrnoor Nashville, Tennessee problem. rapid. We were informed that a Editor's Reply: Sincerely, video was being taped for the Discovery Channel and that we Bill Young fin- Neil Young recently Bruceton. West Virginia must stop until they were ished. We tried to stay out of wrote, '2natural beauty their way the best we could. should be perserved like a This monument... " Apparently Apparently the situ- was much out of fear for our own safety, since the Vanilla Ice and company see ation has continued to the world a bit dz2erently. I deteriorate at Valley people on the jet skis (including the Rap artist Vanilla Ice) know whose C.D.s I buy. Falls State Park. And, 2y were very disrespectful and Your's was not the only it makes you feel any complaint that we heard better, Bill, AWA Direc- had no apparent concern for others on the river. During the about this situation. Admit- tors aren't faring any tedly evergone has their own better than you. course of our interaction with them we were prevented from definition of fun, but the One of our own, who using a section of the river, prospect of our whitewater recently launched le- rivers being overrun by jet gally above the park screamed at and cursed by the cameramen. Worse, there skiers is not a pleasant one. boundaries, was barred were three occasions when Let's hope that this is a from scouting the falls short lived phenomenon. from the mid river boul- rampaging jet skis nearly rammed our canoes and kay- ders by your bullhorn aks. In talking to 15-20 other Specially for the American toting ranger. All of this is sup- paddlers at the take out, we whitewater enthusiasts,KSE is found out that others had simi- organizing a kayak adventure on posed to promote safety within the park!?!?!? lar experiences. the most famous whitewater rivers I am hoping that something What hypocrisy. of Europe.This unmissable trip can be done to prevent these Can you imagine a akes place over two weeks in June, more dangerous sce- types of craft from using the during which time we visit: New River Gorge in the future. nario than forcing some- First, FRANCE one to run a fourteen high speed motorized foot watevall without boats have no place on a nor- ITALY mally crowded river for safety SWITZERLAND looking at it first? Be- cause you are worried reasons. Because of the re- SLOVENIA about liability? lease on the Gauley River, the New River was relatively & AUSTRIA That's not just hy- sparsely used on that day. For further information about this pocrisy... that's stupid- ity! Even so, there were several unique opportunity contact: near misses. A high speed col- We'll add this to our lision between a jet ski and a Kano Ski Europe (KSE) ever growing list of seri- Hoofdstraat 202, 6024 AB Budel ous access problems. kayak, canoe or raft could easily prove fatal. Second, I be- The Netherlands West Virginia used lieve that the New River Gorge Tel: 00-31 2521 11369 or 00-31 4950 1 8497 American Whitewater November/December 1993 Fax: 00-31 4950 1 8462 v the first SELF-BAILING

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PRICES RaNGE FROM $980.00 & UP American Whitewater v NovemberIDecember 1993 WEST VIRGINIA'S MOST COMPLETE PADDLING SHOP Located in the Heart of the Anita Adam Bob Glanville Mac Thornton Star Route 1, Box 46 66 Deer Run 322 10th Street SE New & Gauley Rivers Edmond, WV 25837 Glenwood, NY 14069 Washington, DC 20003 Products from: Perception, Wilderness Ric Alesch Jack Hession Charlie Walbridge Systems, Silver Creek, Harmony, 14262 W. Warren Place 241 East 5th Avenue 230 Penllyn Pike Patagonia, Stohlquist, Rapidstyle, Lakewood, C0 80228 Anchorage, AK 99501 Penllyn, PA 19422 Extrasport, North Face, Teva, Alps, Bill Baker Bill Hildreth Executive Director Nike, Birkenstock, AND MORE! 2953 Birch Street 78 Beechwood Street Phyllis B. Horowitz, Denver, CO 80207 Cohasset, MA 02025 P.O. Box 85 Pope Barrow Lars Holbek Phoenicia, NY 12464 136 13th Street SE Box 63 (91 4) 688-5569 Washington,DC 20003 Coloma, CA 95613 Lee Belknap Diana Holloran President: Risa Shimoda Callawav 1308 Maryland Avenue Route 1, Box 90 Vice President: Mac Thornton Glen Ellen, VA 23060 Fairview Mountain Road Secretary: Anita Adams Risa Shimoda Callaway Reliance, TN 37369 Treasurer: Jim Scott P.O. Box 375 Chris Koll Denver, NC 28037 MCK Building Associates Tom Christopher 221 West Division Street Syracuse, NY 13204 P.O. Box 85 931 Union Street Rear Phoenicia, NY 12464 NORTH AMERICAN Leominster, MA 01453 Jim Scott (914) 688-5569 RIVER RUNNERS, INC 3715 Jocelyn Street NW Bob Gedekoh On U.S.'Route 60, 'A Mile Washington, DC 20015 Rich Bowers, Conservation Program Director Box 228, RD 4 1609 Northcrest Drive East of U.S. 19 Intersection Elizabeth, PA 15037 Pete Skinner Silver Spring, MD 20904 Susan Gentry Box 272, Snyder Road West Sand Lake. NY 12196 Keith Morgan, Database Manager 252 Deer Creek Trail 2601 Tanglewood Drive Hoschton. GA 30548 Durham, NC 27705

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Force Newsletter and the Whitewater and undercuts; vertical pins, pins on de- Whitewater Safetv Task Force Volumes I1 and 111. bris, and two whitewater boaters who Ignoring 27 dam related incidents, were literally sucked under while still in most commercial incidents, and several their boats by peculiar currents (one on a incidents involving boaters with practi- steep creek, and one in a squirt boat in cally no whitewater experience, our evalu- very high water). Boaters who died from Reviewing the Past ation of the remaining 100 incidents indi- entrapment in trees (Wo) were not in- cated that the top three killers of experi- cluded in the pin category. Decade enced whitewater paddlers were: Pins Deaths attributed to Long Swims were (25%), Long Swims (25%), and Swimming just that: long swims in very fast, dimcult Compiled by Lee Belknap from data Into Entrapments (15%). water. collected b~ Charlie Walbridge Dam related incidents were excluded The category of Swimming Into from the study because many did not in- Entapments included those who perished volve whitewater boaters and because the out of their boats while attempting self reporting of such incidents is thought to rescue. 11% of the fatalities involved During the past ten years whitewater swimming into trees and 4% involved foot recreation has become increasingly popu- be incomplete. Most deaths involving commercial operations were excluded be- entrapments. lar and its enthusiasts more skillful. As a cause of the relative inexperience of the What can we conclude from all of this? result the limits of the sport have been How can each one of us avoid becoming pushed ever higher. Unfortunately, during victims and because it is difficult to obtain reliable information about these accidents another depressing statistic? this time the list of fatalties among skilled The number of deaths that occurred as whitewater boaters has grown to over one due to potential litigation. A few commercial fatalities were included, when the cir- a consequence of swimming is somewhat hundred. surprising and raises a number of issues. As part of AWA's ongoing effort to im- cumstances which contributed led to the death were clearly applicable to experi- Perhaps the old adage that "If you aren't prove whitewater safety through educa- enced noncommercial paddlers as well. swimming once in a while, you aren't tion, a review was performed of the fatal n The category of Pinning Incidents in- pushing yourself hard enough has be- accidents reported by Charlie Walbridge in come obsolete, especially when applied to The Best of the Whitewater Safetv Task cluded those on rocks, bridge abutments,

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American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 3tatd River I # St. I River 1 # CO 1 Arkansas AL Little 1 AK L~ttleSusitna 1 ID Lochsa 1 PA Lower Yough 1 WV L. Blackwater 1 NY L Salmon 1 TN L Tellico 1 ME Machb R. 1 CA Merced 1 -W L Meadow MO M~ss~ssippi 1 -WV ! New 2 NY Moose 1 ID i N. Fk Payette 2 AL Mulberry Fk. 1 MA 1 Quaboag R. 2 CA M. Fk. Feather 1 C~_LRuss~an 2 ID M,Fk. Salmon 1 -ID S Fk Clearwater 2 NC Nantahala 1 I BIO-BIO (Ch~le) 1 -NY Niagrja Falls 1 CO Cache La Pudre 1 NY Normans Kill R. 1 CA i Cal Salmon 1 VA North R. 1 -PA- I Casselman- 1 NY Oukout Cr. 1 WV ! Cheat Canyon 1 PA Pine Cr. 1 -CA Cherry Cr. 1 NM Rio-Grande 1 BC i Ch~ll~wack 1 TX San Marcos 1 PA i Clar~onR 1 OR Sandy 1 -CO 1 Clear Creek 1 CO--(&lorado R. , 1 -NY Delaware 1 X%Y?W PA Delaware 1 PA Sli e Rock Cr. AK Eagle 1 CA EelR. 1 TN SuckCreek 1 NM ' Embudo 1 AK Susitna 1 NY / EsopusCr 1 MT Swan 1 AZ Grand Canyon 1 CA SLFk. American 1 -WA Green R. Gorge 1 ID S. Fk. Payette 1 I .!atate (Mexico) 1 NC I Tuckasegee 1 1 MN Kettle R. 1 CA 1 U. West Walker R. 1 CA Klngs R. Canyon 1 NH West R. 1

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American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 15 15 ANNUAL TRENDS 10 - 10

5 - 5

0 , 0 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96

&!!;&gpEEm!KzSiACCIDENT SUMMARY advanced boaters in class V and VI water. mc:(12 W) There is much to be said for having a 7-n 100%bomb proof roll and a healthy respect for the power and difficulty of Bad Hydrauli (6.m) whitewater, especially at unusually high or

Entnprnont (51.0%) low flows. Boaters need to honestly consider the limits of their own abilities before undertaking a difficult river descent. Of course, occasional swims are inevitable, but those who swim should be educated to avoid rocks, debris and strainers where entrapments can occur. In recent years many new boaters have progressed to advanced status rapidly, accomplishing in months what used to take years. Unfortunately, their river reading skills and their appreciation of the dangers inherent in running difficult, technical whitewater is often limited by their lack of experience. More experienced boaters paddling with such individuals should do their best to call attention to these hazards. What else can we do about all of this? You tell us... the Letters to the Editor Sec- tion of this magazine represents a fine fo- rum for discussion. We also encourage boaters to report all fatal accidents to Charlie Walbridge at 230 Penllyn Pike, Penllyn, Pennsylvania 19422..

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American Whitewater NovemberlDecember 1993 Supporters by Rich Bowers

As the end of the year draws near, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many people who supported the AWA Conservation In the SeptemberIOctoberissue of the Journal, the AWA con- Program. Supporters of servation program reported their participation in the June 17 Fed- this productive and h- eral Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) National Hy- portant endeavor in- dropower Roundtable, and discussed optimistically their hopes cluded AWA Directors, for the newly appointed FERC Co-oners. Regional Coordinators, Rich and daughter Danna on In late September, in response to requests presented by the p and countless of indi- the Sacandaga River, N Y AWA and others at this Roundtable, newly appointed FERC vidual boaters commit- Chairwoman Elizabeth Moler announced specific policy changes ted to protecting our riv- within this agency to improve public participation in dam em. relicensing. For the FERC, increased public input will result in Support came in many forms; free food and lodging, transpor- more thorough analyses and better decisions. For boaters, it tation, equipment loans, technical assistance, vacation time do- should mandate better notice on upcoming projects and offer lo- nated to river work, guide services and general encouragement. cal clubs and individual boaters a better chance to get involved. In many cases a thank you also goes out to whole families The new policy calls for. scoping meetings and/or public com- who had to put up with endless evening and weekend discus- ment on draft assessments for all projects (currently only rarely sions on such exhilaratingtopics as hydro development and legal done Environmental Impact Statements @IS) offer final public 4 settlements. comment periods); more multi-project assessments, which re- By no means is this listing complete. However, without the group applications in the same river basin; and, greater use of the support of the following people and companies, the AWA Conser- EIS. vation Program could never have attained the level of success In addition, Chairwoman Moler announced the Commission's that it achieved in 1993: intention to solicit comments on their legal standing regarding dam decommissioning and addressing cumulative impacts on a Doug and Diane Oliver river. AWA regards each of these as critical relicensing issues. John Frachella Barbara and Courtney Parker to update their rulings regard- Pete and Bonnie Skinner ing access to public river re- Pope and Julie Barrow Tim New York sources. & Nancy Shanahan This ruling came about due Charles Ware Access Decision to a trespass case developed Alder Creek Kayak by the New York Sierra Club Hoffman, Williams, Lafen & In late September, a state and their paddling members. Fletcher judge in New York offered a fa- Matt Lutz vorable preliminary decision Scootch Pankonin regarding river passage in the Perception, Inc. Adirondack Park (Moose California Canoe & Kayak River). This ruling stated that Wayne & Susan Gentry the historical determination of Ron & Lorraine Stewart river navigability (floating In the Tallulah Falls Maine Professional River Outfitters logs) was antiquated, and that relicensing case (see article in Al & Sandy Ainsworth the present definition of navi- last issue), the State Depart- Phyllis Horowitz & Dennis McLean gability included recreational ment of Natural Resources has Tom Christopher & Shirley use. While precursory, this of- formally withdrawn its opposi- Jackie Krusek fers a precedent setting opin- tion to whitewater recreation Bo & Kathy Shelby ion regarding a high profile in this area Negotiations have Finally, a special thank you to American Rivers, Inc. Without case on public access rights. recommenced with Georgia their enormous support, donation of office space and supplies, If this ruling is not over- Power and scheduled expertise and general commitment to rivers, the AWA Conserva- turned, which seems unlikely whitewater releases on this tion Program (and specifically our hydropower efforts) might at this time, this may offer a outstanding river segment are well have remained in the dark ages.. strong incentive to other states moving forward..

American Whitewater Novernber/Decernber 1993 1849 C ST. NW,Washington, D.C. 20240 or their U.S. Senator or Representative. Grand Canyon Update 93 US. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510 U.S. House, Washington, D.C. 20515 News of Interest to Whitewater Boaters Freeway by Bill Baker In a major victory for environmentalists, the Arizona Trade AWA Director Corridor Study has recommended improving U.S. Highway 93, rather than extending 1-17 from Flagstaff, through the Grand Permits Canyon, to the canyonlands of southern Utah. The Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is arguably the best extended river trip in the United States, featuring 225 miles Grand Canyon Support of wilderness, spectacular scenery and terrific whitewater. The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that Unfortunately, the waiting list for private boaters is seven to eight Nicolino, a conceptual artist from California, is trying to collect years. For the latest permit application guidelines, call the Per- enough brassieres to create a four mile long streamer across the mits Office at (602) 6387843. Grand Canyon. Lisa Dickey, a representative of the Grand Canyon Trust, Clear Skies? commented enthusiastically that Nicolino's work will provide "a The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously upheld a great deterrent to low flying helicopters." precedent setting environmental clean up agreement negotiated The Grand Canyon Trust is a non-profit organization dedicat- by the Grand Canyon Trust, the Environmental Protection ing to conserving the natural and cultural resources of the Colo- Agency and the Navajo Generating Station. The 1991 agreement rado Plateau. For more information contact: Route 4, Box 718, requires a 90% reduction in sulfur dioxide emissions from the Flagstaff, Arizona 86001. (602) 7747488. coal powered generating plant near Page, Arizona The agree- The Grand Canyon Field Institute in a non-profit educational ment had been appealed by the Central Arizona Water Conserva- organization offering learning experiences designed to enhance tion District because its customers will have to pay more for the the enjoyment of the environmental and cultural aspects of the power used to pump water uphill from the Colorado River to Canyon. Contact: po box 399, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023. Phoenix and Tucson. The CAWCD is expected to appeal this de- (602) 638-2481. W cision again, this time to the Supreme Court. Quiet Skies? F'irst the good news. Late last year the Federal Aviation Administration agreed to strictly enforce the flight free zones created by the 1987 Na- tional Parks Overflights Act. The act (301) 746-5389 was intended to "substantially restore natural quiet and experience". second skin Pile@ Now the bad news. Unfortunately, a tights, vests, and 25 acre expansion is currently under- one-piece suits way of the helicopter facility at the 'upper youghW Grand Canyon Airport. Riverside Shop Boaters concerned about this P.O. BOX 70 matter should write to: 276 Maple Street Secretary of the Interior Friendsville, MD RA FTING/RIVER MANAGER 21 531 for growing outdoor center. Respon- call for sible for overall rafting operations on 3 Free catalog rivers, guide hiring and ongoing training, record keeping and customer service. Candidates should possess extensive rafting and trip leading experience on class IV rivers, strong managerial and people skills and ability to work independently. Send resume and references to: Zoar Outdoor, P.O. Box 245, Manufactured in the Charlemont MA 01339 \\ United States bv Mountain Surf, Inc.

American Whitewater Novernber/Decernber1993 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm CONSERVATION 1 Finlandia Grants Available for I River Conservation ACA Developing Access and Conservation Program

White, an AWA Regional Coordinator from Salt Lake City, has The American Canoe Association has hired David Jenkins to asked the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to conduct fill the newly created position of ACA Coordinator for Conserva- a formal study to determine the feasibjty of scheduling releases tion and Public Policy. Jenkins formerly worked on the Hill, han- from the Milner Dam on the Snake river. The Milner section run is dling public policy issues for a U.S. Senator, and at a major D.C. 17 miles long and terminates in Twin Falls. law lirm, working on the Superfund. During the wet years of the early 80s, the Milner section of One component of the ACA's new conservation initiative is the Snake flowed at 15,000- 20,000 nearly all summer long. Pad- the Paddle Free Program. The goal of Paddle Free is to provide a dlers from Idaho, Utah and Wyoming enioved whitewater that ri- coordinated support network that will allow paddlers across the valed that of the Grand Canyon only; nation to respond to local threats to their favorite rivers and homes. But from 1986 through 1992,~ streams. the Milner Dam. With a simple letter or call paddlers will be able to gain ac- This year the Milner Dam spilled 15,wu crs tor one wee& cess to strategic and legal advice, connect with other concerned then ran at 1,700 cfs for one month. Even at this lower level it is paddlers or groups, seek the clout of national organizations, gain said to be a worthwhile run. access to sources of funds and find assistance in publicizing their White is cooperating with Liz Paul of Idaho Rivers United in concerns. this effort to obtain regularly scheduled recreational releases. Another component of the ACA initiative is the F'inlandia They are currently compiling a list of boaters who would be inter- Clean Water Fund. This fund has been established by Finlandia ested in such releases. To register your support, send your name Vodka, in conjunction with the ACA, to provide grants to local and address to Mark White at 2034 E. Hubbard Avenue, Salt Lake *nllns engaged in efforts to preserve and protect America's rec- City, Utah 84108, (80 1) 582-3445 or contact Liz Paul at (208) 343- :;$; ~alwaterways. In its first year the fund distributed more 7481.. - I than $50,000 to more than 20 groups. Many of these grants were directed toward rivers of interest to whitewater boaters. Grant applicants included the West nrginia Rivers Coali- tion, The Dead Pigeon River Council, New York Rivers United, Downstream Alliance, Idaho Rivers United and the Rivers Council of Washington. The Finlandia Clean Water Fund hopes to double its grants for 1984 and ultimately provide as much as one million dollars worth of grants per year. With these two initiatives the ACA joins organizations such as the AWA. American Rivers, the River Net- workand countless lo& groups in WHITEWATER PADDLERS : THIS NIMBLE INFLATABLE their coalition dedicated to protecting ICANOE WILL BLAST YOU THROUGH CLASS IV, CATCH I the nation's rivers. W EDDIES. HANDLE LOWER-- - FLOWS- -- - ... -Solo and Tandem lnflatables - II and 16 foot models RUGGED HYPALON SELF-BAIL CONSTRUCTION Perfect for Day Trips / Ideal for Wilderness Runs Tracks ~reafinfiatwater, Lakes and Ponds LIGHTWEIGHT & PORTABLE - SMALL BUNDLE FITS CAR TRUNK, PICK-UP, 4x4, CAMPER, RV, AIRPLANE All you need to be... Somewhere On A River S6AC~-800-280-SOAR - --am INFLATABLES 507 N. 13th St. #409, St. Louis, MO 63103 PHONE314-436-0016 FAX ~314-436-2332

American Whitewater NovemberAIecember 1993 To Address River Access Issues

The American Whitewater Affiliation has received a $40,000 cess Director. grant from the Conservation Alliance to be used to secure better "Whitewater is scarce to begin with, making up less than 1% access to whitewater rivers and streams. of our nation's river miles. Whitewater recreation opportunities The AUiance Grant is targeted at opportunities to improve become even more scarce when boaters are not permitted to get river access through private lands. on or off a river." The grant funds will be used to: Access to many excellent whitewater runs has been limited, Purchase specific lands needed for river access. according to Bowers. Gaining access to rivers through private Provide incentives for private landowners to allow lands has become especially difficult. river access. "We are finding more and more barbed wire across Improve river accessibility at hydroelectric projects. whitewater rivers. Access problems are increasing due to landowner liability concerns and increased side stream develop- The Conservation Alliance is a coalition of 36 companies in ment," said Risa Callaway, AWA President. the outdoor industry. Over the past five years the Alliance has According to Callaway, "Assistance from outdoor industries jointly funded over $1,000,000 to non-profit groups to address im- is critical to finding a solution to this problem. Money is seldom portant outdoor recreational and conservation issues. available from other sources." She noted that traditional philan- The monies granted to the AWA will be used to continue its thropies will often fund environmental protection projects, but work to assure public rights of passage on navigable rivers and "seem not yet ready to embrace people's need to connect with streams according to Rich Bowers, AWA Conservation and Ac- the outdoors.".

Everyone Deserves a Taste of Southern Pried Creekin' Adventures heralds a new type of program designed for the selective This video is 45 minutes of extreme paddling paddler - those of you who aim to on some of the South's most outrageous creeks become highly competent boaters. and rivers. Features the Tellico, Watauga, You are guaranteed that your Overflow Creekthe Whitewater, the Toxaway, instructor is one of the best in the and forbidden Mystery Creek. Paddlers include field, and is committed to help you reach the goals you set. Dave 'Psycho' Simpson, Nolan Whitesell, Forrest our Specialty Trips are designed for a Callaway, Russ Kullmar, and Kent Wigington. quality vacation exploring new rivers and The video climaxes with fist descents of Triple cultures. Intermediate through expert Falls and 50-foot Coon Dog Falls on Mystery kayakers are invited to join us on a Creek, Music narration add to your enjoy- vacation N1 of paddling and and adventure in Colorado, Chile ment of the unbelievable action!

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Gentry Video Productions 646 Deer Creek Trail Ask for our free color booklet on how to excel at kayaking! Hoschton, GA 30548 a-trr nr. M~MI (706) 654-2725 American Whitewater November/December 1993 STOP!!! 1'1 OUT! The Hottest New Kayak T

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American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 nian jungles, Costa Rica or New Zealand. You're off to the Olympic Peninsula of Washington. With winter temperatures in the 40s and 50s and more than 150 inches of rainfall per year, the Olympic Peninsula is one of the few temperate rain forests on the planet. It is also a winter whitewater paradise, a land of towering mountains where rivers drop as much as 5000 feet in twenty miles on their way to the sea. Washington in winter may not be as toasty as Costa Rica or Chile or New Zealand, but then you can do mystery moves without fear of piranha f~shand crocodiles and portage without fear of pygmy headhunters or deadly vipers. Of course you may have to deal with an occasional slug in your booties. There are more than 70 runs in the Olympics, ranging from class I to VI. A few of them flow during the summer due to snow melt, but November through May is the best time to experience the whitewater of the Peninsula. All you need is a copy of "The Paddler's Guide to the Olympic Peninsula", available at many whitewater outlets. Your target is a beautiful and unique place, although unfortunately much of the land outside of the Olympic National Park has been ravaged by the timber barons. American visitors soon discover that they do not need to travel to Brazil to see a rain forest under siege. What follows is hypothetical itinerary for a week long November trip through the Olympic Peninsula for a group of class IV-V boaters on a budget. Of course, potential trippers need to be flexible dependmg on weather conditions and water levels. DAY ONE: THE GREEN lar point at which Goforth Creek falls into the river from the rim of the RIVER GORGE gorge. You land at the airport and dis- Euphoric from you Humptulips cover typical weather, 55 degrees, with run, you barely notice the one hour light rain faUing. In short order you drive to your next target, Matheny rent a van and pick up your rental Creek boats and head for the Green, an 11 mile class III-IV run less than one-half hour away. At 2400 cfs it's nice and DAY THREE: juicy, a good play level. You surf your way through a beau- MATHENY CREEK tiful sandstone gorge and pause to The river is flowing at a comfort- warm your hands and feet in the warm able water level so you decide to springs. Then, happy and exhausted, paddle all 12 miles in one day. This you hit a restaurant and then a grocery gem, which flows through sedimen- before driving an hour and a half out tary rock, has a pooVdrop character. into the terra incognita of the Penin- You will paddle through rain forest sula. gorges and, sadly, an occasional clear cut. At the put-in Matheny Creek is DAY TWO: EAST FORK small, about 300 cfs. The action starts with the Tongue of Pleasure. Next you -RIVER boof Sharks' Fin Falls, then twirl your After eating in Aberdeen, you head paddle as you negotiate some of the through the ceaseless drizzle to the friendliest class IV and V whitewater Narrows Section of the Humptulips. you've ever experienced. This is what This is a small class 111 river that flows Corsica must be like. through a fantasy gorge of water Soon the volume has increased to sculpted basalt. Everyone paddles the 800 cfs and there are play spots every- fish ladder which marks the entrance where. After an endless series of class to the gorge. This makes for some III and IV rapids the river opens up and comical photographs. The vegetation salmon explode out of the shallows in and smooth rock walls create a tunnel the final mile before the take-out. You with lots of places to play; the gorge is might even catch one while your mysterious and intoxicating. You friends run the shuttle. pause for more photos at the spectacu-

American Whitewater November/December 1993 DAY FOUR: SAMS DAY FIVE: SURFING RIVER THE PACIFIC AT LA After an hour long shuttle you ar- Above: A narrow slot on the South Fork PUSH Sams rive at the launch for the River. of the Skokomish You decide to run the class V rapid be- You pack a picnic and head out to low the bridge but pull out to portage La Push to check out the waves. A Yosemite Sam Slam, the class V+ drop sunny day greets you with glassy eight that follows. Now you have entered footers that spill off in slow motion. A the first gorge, known to boaters as harbor seal watches as you surf until Yosemite Sam. The river drops 160 sunset, demonstrating every kind of feet in the first threequarters of a mile whitewater trick and wipe-out known and the polished rock walls make it all to man. Finally you head back to the more intimidating. Your portage Forks for dinner, feeling positively the last drop in the gorge, then, after macho after your game of football paddling a brief section of open water, with the Pacific. you enter the second gorge, the Son of Sam. THE Book For Rafters! This gorge is a lot friendlier than 'A must for the first time floater Yosemite Sam, so you boat scout ev- >rthe grizzled guide." ery rapid except the last one, the Son -Les Bechdel, Co-Author, of Sam Slam. AMERICA'S FUNNIEST This is a split falls that backenders PADDLING HOME one of your compadres. VIDEOS As the river opens up and you enter some class III water the sun breaks through the clouds for the first time REWARD: $300 since you arrived Washington. in Gentry Video Productions wants to Guard your eyes and watch out for the include your funniest, most outrageous sunburn!!! home paddling video in our upcoming A rainbow arching over the old video - America's Funniest Paddling growth timber leads you to the final Home Videos. Send us a of the clip gorge, Play It Again Sam. After scout- and you could win the $300 prize for the ing the first rapid... you guessed it... Funniest Paddling Video Clip. If your clip Play It Again Sam Slam, you commit is chosen to be included in the video, you will win a free video. We know you've yourself to the gorge, the longest of captured some great moments on video, the three on the river. You linger at and now you can share them with several play spots within the gorge, paddler's everywhere. Include your name, then paddle into the open for the final The compfetegufde to address, phone, and a brief descripiton three miles to the take-out. Once WHIEWAER fiAf TING along with the clip. We will return all again the river is alive with salmon and Techniques and Equipment entries. So come on, send it in! Deadline you even spot an eagle wrestling a Jeff Bennett in 1/30/94. twenty pound fish to shore. There are Send $15.95 + $2 s/h to: elk too, a herd of twenty fords the Gentry Video Productions Swiftwater Publishing Co. river just above its confluence with the 646 Deer Creek Trail PO Box 3031 mighty Queets, your take-out. Portland, OR 97208 Hoschton, GA 30548 Phonelfax (706) 654-2725

American Whitewater NovemberlDecember 1993 DAY SIX: THE SITKUM RIVER Totally whipped, you decide to pass on the upper Sitkurn and run the lower section instead. This is an ex- traordinarily beautiful gorge with massive sitka spruce and waterfalls cascading in from the sidewalls. If you keep your eyes open you might even see a mountain lion dining on salmon; I did last fall. The first few rapids are big and exciting. The biggest, Cotton candy, offers smooth sailing to those who boof it correctly, but is quite capable of backendering and windowshading those whose line leaves something to be desired. The bottom of the run is mellow but beautiful, so you float along, watching the salmon and savoring the scenery. After you finish the Sitkum you pack your boats and travel two hours to the South Fork of the Skokornish, the longest drive of your trip!

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American Whitewater November/December 1993 DAY SEVEN: SOUTH FORK OF THE

With the take-out only 37 miles from my house, this is my backyard river. The "Skok" is one of the most spectacular runs in the region, featuring huge undercut boulders lying in a basalt gorge that is 500 feet deep. You stop at the bridge to scout the river on the shuttle, but since you are 500 feet above the water, it is difficult or maintain your perspective. Dropping a rock from the bridge and watching it fall gives you some appreciation of the depth of the gorge and the size of the rapids below. After running a challenging but friendly boulder maze in the first gorge, you climb out of your boats to scout Bad Mama Jama Last spring I watched paddling ace Scott Shipley slice through this midcleanly, but odds are &r you eieball this one, you'll be happy to make the short, easy portage. Between the first and second gorge lies a mellow section where herds of elk are often seen, stamped- ing up the hillside. You scout several class Vs in a row just after entering the second gorge. Everyone elects to carry High Steel Falls, the only drop on the river that Paddle the~-- -untamed torrents among pristine World Heritage still hasn't been paddled. Just below For experienced midorest, some of the most this menace you scout Bobbing for I paddlers! isolated and inaccessible I Butler. If the water level is high, ie. I whitewater on earth. I above 800 cfs, this is a class VI, worse to my mind than High Steel Falls. One- half hour later you reach the last class V, Mr. Toad's Wid Ride, a long maze of I the raging whitewater of tropical holiday of a lifetime! I I tropical North Queensland. More exhilarating whitewater than you would For complete details, contact: normallv experience in one EXPLORE KAYAK I .# x I--- I I entire season! Bodo Lenitschek

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American Whitewater NovemberIDecember 1993 Only $399 for new Pyranha Stunt Bats and Mountain Bats $299 for new Pyranha Tourers Plus shipping costs from Middletown, PA. The Mountain Bat (on the left) is an extremely stalk and easy to paddle kayak. 'This is for both the novice paddler looking for a first boat or an expert paddler looking for a boat to paddle those class IV - V rivers.

The Stunt Bat (on the right) is a high perfomlance kayak for all you river runners and rodeo paddlers. Paddling the Stunt Bat you will be amazed at how responsive the boat feel!!. This is due to its low volume and sharp rails. This is a very fun kayak to paddle.

Thc Tourer (not pictured) is a flat water kayak that resembles a sea kayak except thc l'ourcr has a much larger cockpit. This is a very fast and stable kayak due to its long keel line and IT shaped hull.

There are a limited number of these boats remaining, so it's first come, first served. Offered by Whitewater Toys, Inc. Woodland Hills, UT - Call (801)423-2927 Or you may call New Wave Kayak Products in Middletown, PA (717)944-6320

American Whitewater NovernberIDecernber 1993 carsized undercuts with wierd currents determined to knock you off line. Mr. Toad guarantees an exciting finish to a hair-raising day: DAY EIGHT: VANCE CREEK It has rained heavily all night so you take a look at Vance Creek, a tributary of the Skok It is low, but rising, and by the time you hike to the put-in it's at a nice level. This small creek offers 3.5 miles of continuous class 111 and IV whitewater with one class V-. It flows through a steep valley with some beautiful old growth forest. You stop to take pictures of the waterfalls plummeting into the river. By the time you finish Vance Creek everyone is mellow, bemoaning the fact that their vacation is over. At the restaurant you relive the highlights of you Olympic paddling adventure and discuss the feasibility of a three day self-supported journey through the Grand Canyon of the Elwha. This will be no simple undertaking; the Elwha offers an incredible, but treacherous, challenge in the heart of the Olympic National Park But by the time you reach the airport and head for home, everyone is psyched... come July you will return... and the Elwha will be your target!

Wilderness Kayak Expeditions Olympic Peninsula Fly-Ins and Day Trips Rentals, Instruction Paddling Raft Supported Trips When To Go: November through June water levels fluctuate wildly so you have to be flexible. But be it high 90%349=45883732 Encore Circle or low, there is always someplace to Y(TBll I paddle. WHITEWATER OUTFITTERS Anchorage, AK 99507 Weather: In spring and fall temperatures should be in the 50s, 60s and 70s. In the winter they range into the 40s and occasionally there is snow. Where To Rent Boats: Olympic Outdoor Center (206) 697-6095 Specializing in canoe instruction and guided Pacific Water Sports canoe trips on Interior Alaska River (206) 246-9385 River Rat (206) 535-2855 Box 81750, Fairbanks, AK 99708 Swiftwater (rafts only) (907) 479-5183 (206) 5473377 How Do AWA Members Find Out More: Contact the author in Port Or- chard, Washington at (206) 876-6780... provided you are an AWA member in good standing!. American Whitewater November/December 1993 Carolina ... Whitewater

by Clay C. Brennecke photos by Lisa KO Srnarr rapids diagram bg Tim Burke

With a population of 500,000, Co- lumbia is one of a few major American cities with significant whitewater flowing through the middle of the town. Here the lower Saluda River flows The 1993 Saluda Whitewater festival, Columbia, S.C. eleven miles from the base of the Lake Photos by Lisa Smarr Murray Dam to its juncture with the Broad River to form the beautiful Congaree River and Swamp. Water levels in the river vary considerably from day to day depending on the de- by Clay C. Branecke mand for power, but local boaters have discovered play spots at virtually More than 300 paddlers and curios- rescue demonstration to wildlife offic- every flow. ity seekers spent the afternoon of Sat- ers and rescue personnel from all over The average volume of the river is urday, August 7 at the first Saluda South Carolina. Parker also organized 2091 cfs; the highest ever recorded Whitewater Festival in Columbia, a well received rescue rodeo and "Ne- was 67,000 cfs. "High flows" of 21,000 South Carolina. The festival was pro- anderthal Rock Rescue" for cfs occasionally occur for prolonged duced by the Palmetto Paddlers, a lo- whitewater boaters, with whitewater intervals when the S.C.E.& G. lowers cal whitewater kayaking club with rescue accessories as prizes. the lake dramatically to allow property more than 100 members. The festival culminated with a owners to perform dock maintenance. Besides providing an opportunity raffle of more than $1200 worth of Local boaters consider the range from for boaters to sample the lower Saluda merchandize donated by the 12,000-21,000 cfs to be "high", big wa- River, Columbia's unique "whitewater Nantahala Outdoor Center, Percep- ter by almost any standard. gymnasium", the festival featured com- tion, man, Patagonia, the North Face Because the water can rise from petition in rescue events and booths and local merchants. 100 to 21,000 cfs in less than one hour, set up by local whitewater shops. South Carolina's own Perception, a siren and flashing light system has The festival was facilitated by the Inc. unveiled it's newly modified been installed to warn fisherman and release of water from the South Caro- Dancer, just two days after the first sunbathers of rapidly rising river lev- lina Electric and Gas Hydropower Fa- boat had been molded. The new els. Nevertheless, local kayakers res- cility at the Lake Murray Dam. Negoti- Dancer is four inches shorter and has cue an average of 40 fisherman and ated by the Palmetto Paddlers, the a flatter hull and higher side chines for sunbathers a year, helping to avoid 5000 cfs release was the fmt ever enhanced stability. Prijon, Inc. also drownings and expensive and hazaxd- scheduled by the company specifically brought demonstration boats to the ous helicopter rescues. for recreational purposes. Members of festival, including its new Gambler, a At 10,000 to 21,000 cfs the Saluda the club have been extremely encour- small blunt-nosed creek boat, and Hur- offers boaters its very own "in house" aged by the cooperative attitude of the ricane, a play boat. creek, a narrow channel through a utility company in granting the release, Encouraged by the success of the heavily canopied forest with lush veg- which occurred during one of the festival, members of the Palmetto Pad- etation. "The Creek" contains two worst droughts to hit the Southeast in dlers are already planning next year's nice rapids including a slot move, sev- recent history. event, tentatively scheduled two eral sizable, but punchable, holes and The Palmetto Paddlers provided a weeks after the Ocoee Rodeo. They a few intimidating logs. free shuttle for all of the whitewater hope to include their own full blown At very high levels enormous box boaters and spectators at the event. whitewater rodeo at the Maytag Hole car-sized hydraulics appear on the Laura Parker presented a whitewater during the next Saluda River Festival. Saluda, capable of cartwheeling boat-

American Whitewater NovemberlDecember 1993 Left: .The pop up hole on the Saluda course taught by local paddler David dating to 11,000 years B.C. have been River, Columbia , S.C. Gossett at the University of South located along the river, native Arneri- Carolina in Columbia The Columbia cans farmed and established villages Right: View from the second drop in area has a health hair boating popula- in 500 B.C. TheCreek " at low water tion, including Britt "Bull" Gentry, who During the Civil War the Confeder- has made numerous extreme first de- ate army maintained a POW camp be- scents throughout the Appalachians. A side the river. On February 15,1865 number of talented "Hot Dog" play the Confederates burned their own ers in a fashion that makes "Sock 'Em boaters call Columbia home as well. bridge to deter Union General Dog" look tame. River levels tend to They include Todd Braswell, winner of Sherman's advance on the city. The re- rise in the afternoon during the sum- the intermediate squirt boat competi- mains of that bridge still stand be- mer, when power demands increase tion at the 1992 Ocoee Rodeo, and tween Pop Up Hole and the Shannon substantially as southeasterners crank Preston Om, who captured the same rapids. up their air conditioners. This facili- award in the 1993 competition. On February 16 Shennan show- tates exciting after-work boating. Some paddlers on the Saluda com- ered the South Carolina State House But local boaters maintain that the bine their whitewater boating with with cannonballs from a hill above the Saluda is just as much fun at the oppo- fishing. The river plays host to trout, Saluda He finally led his army across site extreme. Squirt boating flourishes perch, bream, catfish and monster the river on a pontoon bridge and on the Saluda at low flows throughout large mouthed bass. Kingfishers, great burned the city, but not before torch- the summer, even in the driest years. blue herons and a number of different ing the largest cotton mill in the state, warblers frequent the banks of the the Saluda Factory, which was located Most paddlers put in at Columbia's river, and boaters occasionally spot beside the river. A dam beside the fac- Riverbanks Zoo, said to be one of the ospreys and even bald eagles. tory was also destroyed, leaving top ten zoos in the nation. The zoo The Lower Saluda corridor is a rich jagged rock scattered through what is graciously allows boaters to use their botanical area as well. Mountain laurel now known as the Millrace rapid. Now parking lot; in return, many local boat- and Spanish moss mix in an unusual kayaks that are damaged by the rocks ers have elected to join the Zoologic fashion along the river. And the en- within that rapid are said to have Society. A series of foot trails along dangered rocky shoals spider lily fallen victim to Sherman's Revenge. the river allows boaters to avoid an on- thrives near the confluence of the Paddlers desiring more informa- road shuttle. Saluda and the Broad- one of only tion about the Columbia, South Caro- The Saluda is boatable on a daily twelve colonies known to exist in the lina area or about next year's Saluda basis and is ideal for beginners as well United States. River Festival should contact the Pal- as seasoned veterans. More than 250 The Saluda River corridor has an metto Paddlers, 141 l Ellison Road, students have completed a kayaking interesting history. Prehistoric sites Columbia, South Carolina 29206. W

American Whitewater November/December 1993 WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS ANOTHER GAULEY FEST SUCCESS STORY

ell, I've got to confess that we did experience a few anxious mo W ments during the day on Septem- ber 25, as the rain teemed down during Gauley Festival set-up. Granted, boaters are used to being wet, but there's a limit! Torrential downpours do tend to decrease attendance and put a damper on things. But we experienced a break in the weather that was nothing short of miracu- lous. The rain stopped completely as the Festival began and did not resume until during cleanup (when it returned with a vengeance and poured about an inch before morning). Thanks to this perfectly timed window, the Gauley Festival was a tremendous success and attracted record-breaking crowds - well over 2,000 in paid attendance, plus volunteers and exhibitom When all the bills are in and the final tally is made, it looks as though AWA will have netted about $27,000 for the Whitewater Defense Project. Not bad for a seven hour event! Best of all - we had loads of fun! In addition to regular Gauley Fest attractions such as the Silent Auction, Marketplace, Bluegrass Wildwater Association Videofest, band, food, etc., etc. etc., there were a few new twists this year. The Coastal Canoeists, Bluegrass Widwater Association and AWA each sponsored whitewater carnival games to boost the party spirit of the evening. We witnessed some intense competition at the rope pull and throw bag contests! WVRC, the Sumrnersville radio station broadcast live from the Festival- providing great music during band lulls and con- Beuren Garten of Bluegrass Wildwater Association ducting whitewater interviews throughout braves the weather to ready the club's popular game the evening. for the crowd. Photo by Phyllis Horowitz We were especially delighted to be able to feature Brant Miller performing selec- Colorado Director's Ric Alesch(1eft) and Bill Baker tions from his recent recording Music River - Original Whitewater Songs and prepare to sell T-shirts. Photo by Phyllis Horowitz River Ballads. Numbers such as "When You Pulled Out with Your Dagger (You Director's (L to R) Tom Christopher, Pete Skinner Left a Blue Hole in My Heart)" went over and Charlie Walbridge ham it up at the gate(notice Moving Left, R&h4 Left, practicing for the really big with the crowd. that Skhner is out of uniform!). Photo by Phyllis impending onslaught, the gate crew greets early So, thanks to those who came out to Horowitz arrivals. Photo by Phyllis Horowitz work. And thanks to those who came out to play. If you weren't there this year, An extremely damp executive director andGauley A WA president Risa Shimoda Callaway is happy to maybe we'll see you next September 24? Festival Coordinator Phyllis Horowitz relishing the Same time, same place.. see old friends. Photo by Phyllis Horowitz final count. Photo by Rich Bowers

American Whitewater NovemberlDecember 1993 -, ' ~alifornkand Tennessee; and a few other regions throughout the world, where whitewater is prevalent. An even more colorful subspecies, NCLS scientists are extremely con- According to the NCLS report, little dubbed Macho kayakutus squirtus by cerned that the continued destruction is known about the unusual lifecycle of NCLS researchers, thrives best in an of whitewater habitat may result in the the typical machokayakutus. These environment that is almost exclusivelv total extinction of this rare and scien- amphibians resemble the mammalian subaqueous. Like porpoises, they sur- tifically valuable species. primate Homo sapiens in a few superfi- face rarely, and only to observe, and "The disappearance of the cial aspects, but they resist domestic then mimic, the peculiar antics of oth- machokayakutus could have severe captivity, have extremely low intellec- ers of their kind. implications for all human life on this tual abilities, and exhibit a unique and Research is ongoing to determine planetn, said Dr. Blair. pungent body odor. They thrive in ru- if the machokayakatus can endure Some scientists now researching ral or wilderness environments with land-based captivity without expo- the machokayakutus believe that un- heavy rainfall, migrate long distances sure to whitewater. Scientists re~ort derstanding genetic codes embedded to locate suitable habitat (recent that some elderly specimens ha;e sur- in their DNA may hold the key to new sightings include Alaska, Chile, Nepal vived relatively long periods of separa- miracle cures for a number of baffling and New Zealand), and have radically tion from their native aquatic habitat. medical problems which have plagued polygamous reproductive habits. Those specimens, however, were se- the human race for centuries. In its na- Like anadromous f~h, dated with near lethal quantities of al- tive habitat, the typical rnachokayakati migrate up and down cohol and stimulated by constant ex- machokayakutus is resistant to dis- river systems, sometimes entering into posure to whitewater videos. Re- eases such as depression, alcoholism, parasitic relationships with terrestrial searchers report that, even under senile dementia, priapism, mammals (known as Shuttle bunnias) these favorable conditions, survival in stress-related anxiety, spouse abuse, to facilitate their rapid migration from a terrestrial environment is touch and and other common, but one watershed to another. go for these highly sensitive creatures. difficult-to-treat, disorders..

American Whitewater NovemberIDecember 1993 by Jonathan Katz

ey boaters! How many times have you driven 500 miles to your favorite river, only to find Hthere's not enough water to float a stool? Doesn't this just rip you to the gills? Make you want to stroll through the mall with your Uzi on full auto??? Well save your ammo cause your troubles are over. The good folks at McBride, Omaha and Company proudly present Rapid in a Can, your anytime, anywhere ticket to instant whitewater action. No need to add water. Each 38 ounce can contains enough ingredi- ents to produce 900 feet per second of pure cold water for a guaranteed mini- mum of three hours. Simply set the flow rate, break the seal, and get ready to rumble. The can emits a fine mist, which instantly expands and thickens to form a river of the good stuff. The condensation takes place over a hundred feet, and the end result is water, and plenty of it, cascading down your favorite river bed. make water." but the dump sounded like a hot night "It's ridiculously simple," says Dr. "It's called hydrogenesis. Easy as 1- in Beirut. Rounding a heap of old tires Theodore McBride, the inventor and 23. The catalyst is cheap, non-toxic I saw a blue van with a battered Dag- Professor of Recreational Chemistry at and friendly to the environment. The ger Impulse on the roof. I approached Yale. "Ever wonder how they cram all major cost is the can itself, which has cautiously. that flame into a Bic lighter? The an- to be double walled because the gas is On the other side of the van, wear- swer is liquid gas. For fire, use butane. cold. That's why we charge. And the ing topsiders, blue jeans, a weight lift- For water, we use hydrogen." water is pure as driven snow. One ing belt, and nothing else, Omaha sat "As you know, water is made up of hundred percent H20." on the ground in the sun. He was sur- two itty bitty atoms of hydrogen and Of course I wanted to know more. rounded by gear arranged in a semi- one great big old atom of oxygen. So Dr. McBride directed me to his circle: a boom box playing Black Sab- There's always lots of oxygen at the business and paddling partner, Ken bath; a cooler of beer, open; a bottle of put-in, unless you boat at very high al- Omaha; "Down the landfill- it's where tequila, open; a bag of chips, open; a titudes. The missing ingredient is hy- he trains when he's not drowning." bag of marijuana, open; and a 9 milli- drogen. So, we liquefy it and package I drove as close as I could, then meter automatic. The van door was it in pressure cans with a sealed cata- walked into the hot stink, towards the open too but I could not see inside. lyst. Break the seal and the catalyst sound of gunshots. I knew that Omaha I said McBride's name and Omaha causes the hydrogen atoms to mix was into whitewater biathlon- a sport motioned me to sit. "Beer," he with the oxygen in the atmosphere to that combines paddling and shooting- belched, handing me a can of Key-

American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 stone. 'Tequila" they both discovered they shared a Omaha's voice again. "Shot the tail He took a long belt but I passed. common distaste for low water. right off! Hard to hit... tails. They "I'm on ascent today," he said. "Weed." Omaha rambled on: "I told move so fast. 'Nother box of shells, He handed me the joint he'd been McBride if he built it, I'd test it. And he honey." smoking, and spoke again. did. Since then we've paddled it ev- Arden took me aside. "He's a pig "Sure, I know Bam Barn McBride. erywhere, dry rivers, steep creeks. on land, but he paddles like the Mar- Good boater. Lousy shot. Me. I can Hell, we even made a class 2 in my quis de Sade. When he's not boating shoot the eye out of a rat at 50 yards. driveway. Last month we went to he's getting loaded. Says there are Go over there and look" He waved the Yankee Stadium and popped a can. I only two directions in life, up and gun and I did what he said. made the first open boat descent of down, and he likes it steep both ways." 150 feet from the van I found a the upper deck, a 30 foot waterfall into I decided to leave. Omaha was get- dead rodent. Half his head was gone. foul territory. We videotaped it. Key- ting seriously toxic, weaving and "I never kid," he yelled. stone is going to splice in some beach blithering and firing his automatic. I When I returned he had his arm bunnies and use it for a beer commer- snuck away, back around the tires, around a short woman with a yard of cial." with his voice fading in my ears. red hair and lots of built-in floatation. He handed me another beer. "Key- "Hey Arden. Let's get belayed!" He introduced us. "This is Arden stone is weaselpis, but since the Yan- Tygart, my playmate of the month. kee Stadium run I get it free, Yup. I'm I caught up with McBride again in She keeps me on belay." the first man to ever boat Section 27A. his lab at Yale. He was lifting a small Eventually he got around to Rapid Great trip- a little short though. Go beaker of clear liquid, using both in a Can. "McBride's a genius, but it look in the truck." hands and straining hard. "New took him a while to get the catalyst The back of the van was stacked project," he said. "Heavy water." right. We were messing with hydro- floor to ceiling with Rapids in a Can. He explained that they were ex- gen, you know, and we kept getting There's hudred of trips there. Any perimenting with deuterium instead of these huge detonations. I'd be sitting river, any season. Drought. Mid-Au- the usual hydrogen. "This stuff packs in a eddy, waiting for the water to rise, gust. Brings any river up to flood more punch than ordinary water. and KABOOM! Trip cancelled." stage in ten minutes with a quick twist Heavier, wetter, more buoyant, flows Omaha had made the first descents of the wrist. Cheaper than the cost of faster. It really jacks up a rapid. Most on the liquid. "It paddles just like real booze and gas for the ride home. class three runs will go straight to water," he said. Winner of the 1992 Paddle anytime, anywhere. The end- class four, and most holes will just Men's Open, he met McBride at the less spring." crush you. This will turn your local Payette Biathlon last summer, where Another barrage of gunfire, then play spot into a real monster. It'll keep Don't be sticky... Let $20 find a hole in your pocket-. 3% The A WA is fighting to save our whitewater resources. You can help. Your $20 membership fee is funneled directly into our effective . river conservation actions. Plus--every -. -a, member receives a bi-monthly subscription to American White water... the best semi- + professional whitewater magazine in the world! -%. . Join the AWA today and receive American Whitewater at home Yes, I want to join the AWA and receive a subscription to American Whitewater. I've enclosed my tax-deductible contribution of $20.00 ($25 Canada, $30 overseas) to help conserve our whitewater resources and promote river safety.

I would like to make an additional contribution to AWA's Whitewater Defense Project as indicated below. AWA membership dues ...... $20.00 WDP contribution ...... $- I would be interested in working as an AWA volunteer. Total amount ...... $- you interested!" believe." He mumbled something about still Rapid in a Can has been en- having problems with radioactivity, so dorsed by major sportsman's societies, u Kayak trips for experts only, with no rafts to wait I cleared out and went looking for for including Masterbassers, Ducks With- for. Run the Bio-Bio while the proposed dams a boater to interview who had paddled out Ends and the Hell's Angels. remain unbuilt. Then go on to the legendary water- McBride's product. So, there it is folks. A revolution, falls of the Fuy and the giant, clear waves of the Futaleufu. Run more whitewater and see more of I located Dick "Hot Line" not a dinner party. Stuff Rapid in a Chile than you can any other way. Call now to Pylczocszki, dean of Connecticut's Can in your honey's stocking this reserve your choice of kayak model and departure all date, and to receive further information and a list whitewater community, who seemed Christmas and keep her wet year. of all past participants, (who have come from nine like a regular guy. He thinks the possi- To order, just send $29.95 and $3.00 to different countries,) so you can confer with some bilities for Rapid in a Can are end- the McBride and Omaha Chemical of them. Sport International, 314 N. 20th St., Suite 300, Colorado Springs, CO 80904 USA. less. Company, and paddle ti1 your polys rot 719-5M-1784. 800-779-1784. FAX 719-630-1892. "Some of these eastern rivers, like off.. the Swift and the Pemigewassett, only come up about fifteen minutes a year. Now we can run them any time, any season. We call it the artificial surface. Get six paddlers to throw in a 5 bucks a piece, pop a can, and paddle your brains out!!!" Custom built wood canoe According to General Colin Powell, and kayak paddles, handcrafted Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to your specifications and a duckie boater, McBride and Omaha's product has significant impli- K .J. Backlund 261 15 Clarksburg Rd. cations for desert warfare. "I thought (301) 253-4947 Clarksburg, MD 20871 Bam Bam McBride was making it up. Then he flooded my basement. Now I

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American Whitewater November/December 1993 Joe Greiner

I like to think of Paddling has taken me to all six boatable continents and to myself as a teacher, "good places that I would never hike to. I like gravity on MY SIDE as it shepherd", and good-will am- is in whitewater. My travels have made me sensitive to the twin bassador. issues of preservation and access. These are issues that the AWA I have been pad- and its board address more effectively than any other organiza- dling since 1978, starting in tion. I am in awe of the efforts of many of the board members and the stem of a tandem canoe many of the AWA membership who are not on the board. I have and switching to kayak in been of some support to these people in the past and will continue 1983. I got a lot of my experi- that support in the future. ence through club boating I feel that all of us in the boating community are thrice- and I have served the Caro- blessed. First, with our health. Secondly, with the magical, mys- lina Canoe Club as Cruise terious, and sometimes mythical places that we have open to us, Chair and Secretarymea- many of which are hidden from the majority of people. And lastly, surer. I was a club delegate to the Chattooga Symposium of 1990. with our skills that allow us to safely visit these places. I was lucky to be a articipant in Nantahala 'SO, an international To share the skills, I will continue to teach those who want it. raftiig peace rally, where I was a member of one of the Soviet To share the places, I will continue to be a "good shepherdn to teams. I have been the "volunteer coordinator" for the AWA those who ask. To help preserve those places, I would like the Gauley Festival the last two years. privilege to call myself a member of the board of the AWA where I I owe a lot to many people who have shown me boating tech- will continue to support those who are in the forefront of the ac- niques and introduced me to various rivers. I can never directly cess and preservation causes. repay those who have given their time and energy to me. But, I I will continue to do all I can to be a good ambassador for the have become an ACA Instructor-Trainer and I try to share my en- sport on and off the river, within and outside the boating commu- thusiasm and love for whitewater and its settings with those who nity, helping to spread the fun around and deliver the messages of want to learn technique or who want to see a new river with a preservation and access. "good shepherdn along.

THE

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American Mitewater NovemberDecember 1993 Bill Baker Denver, Colorado Bolivar, Pennsylvania

I have actively I 1 People that know been involved with me will tell yoithat there's whitewater issues in Colo- not much that's more impor- rado for the past eight years. tant to me than whitewater. For two years I was presi- It's been a consuming interest dent of the Colorado for more than twenty years. Whitewater Association, and I'm hamiest when I'm being I am now starting my fourth I challenged by a pristine rive'r year as Conservation Direc- in the company of other com- tor. I was a member of the mitted paddlers. Although I've BLM's advisory board study- never engaged in any commer- ing Wild and Scenic designa- cial endeavor related to tion for the Arkansas ~iier.I whitewater, it's always been have been working with the Friends of the Poudre, Friends of the my pleasure to promote our sport and expand the appreciation for Arkansas, Friends of the Anirnas, High Country Citizens Alliance, our free-flowing rivers. Four Comers Action Coalition, (Clear Creek) Canyon Defense Every time I've seen a threat to our rivers by competing inter- Coalition, Environmental Caucus, and the Colorado Environrnen- ests, I've encountered AWA. We sort of fell in together and, for tal Coalition. many years now, I've worked with and for this mazing organiza- Major victories have been won, especially at Clear Creek, tion. As a regional coordinator I've been involved from the begin- Boulder Creek and Two Forks. However, there is much work ning to protect access on both the Upper and Lower Yough. I was still to be done: major threats loom on the Anirnas, San Juan, Ar- involved with early efforts to save the Gauley and have annually kansas and Poudre. A second term as director of the AWA will worked to build the Gauley Festival into the major event that it improve the visibility of the Colorado issues, and will enhance the has become. presence of the AWA in the western United States. As Director, I will continue to contribute my energy and time towards the goal of protecting and preserving our wild rivers.

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American Whitewater NovemberDecernber 1993 Joe Pulliam I Ron Stewart Harriman, Tennessee I Chattanooga, Tennessee

I'm a big fan of I love whitewater. AWA. No other organization I love to paddle, especially on does so much for rivers, so wilderness rivers and creeks. much for whitewater as a My family says I'm addicted sport, given what I'm sure is a to whitewater. I'd say they're limited budget. To date, my right" involvement with AWA has I've been fortu- been primarily passive, nate to have had the opportu- though I have been involved nity to paddle extensively in a number of projects, most throughout the U.S. and por- recently the Paddle-A-Thon. I tions of Canada and Europe. I look fonvard to the opportu- count the friends I've gained nity to take a more active and the experiences I'ie had role. on water as among the best things I've had in life. During the I'd like to see AWA continue to focus on issues in which the past few years, my efforts have increasingly turned to projects organization has been most effective; river conservation, river ac- aimed at protecting and preserving rivers, particularly those cess and whitewater safety. streams and rivers which flow through wilderness areas. I have I've been infatuated by rivers since I was a child. I've paddled conducted numerous paddling clinics for school and club groups, canoes and kayaks for twenty-five years and have seen incredible published articles for AWA, served as an AWA River Coordinator changes in our sport and in our rivers... some positive, some since the program was conceived, worked on several conserva- negative. I've been involved professionally in the canoe/ kayak in- tion projects in the southeast and served as a consultant on vari- dustry for longer than I care to admit and am currently President ous river related issues. of Dagger. I've also served as a regional chairman for an adopt a river program for Tennessee and currently serve on the boards of some local conservation programs, primarily in regard to river is sues. Still, my love is to be on whitewater, whether it be with my children or some of my students in a canoe, or kayaking with friends on any number of the steep creeks in the southeast. Re- Pope Bamw cent efforts have inchided participation in the Tallulah Gorge in- Washington, D. C. tervention, working on a protection plan for North Chickamagua Creek Gorge, and representing various paddling organizations, including AWA, in efforts to stop woodchipping operations which While I have threaten watersheds in the southeast. served on the AWA Conser- As AWA director, my efforts would be largely targeted at vation and River Access river protection projects. Issues such as access, water use alloca- Committee, AWA has tions, water quality, and wilderness environs may seem far away moved beyond its warfare when we're perched at the top of a steep drop or focused on the against abusive hydropower moves we need to make to negotiate a set of gates. But unless we proposals. As the organiza- act aggressively to protect the rivers which bring us so much tion has grown in size and pleasure, we could easily lose some of the best. On the other sophistication our agenda hand, this is also a time when we gain some new rivers if we act has become broader and decisively. Just as it's been exciting for me to run a new rapid or more ambitious. We are de- help pioneer a new creek, it's been equally as rewarding to see manding- and getting- river protection efforts made by AWA pay off. I hope to see AWA changes in the management continue in its commitment to these kinds of projects. of water projects that effect whitewater. We are asking for the removal of dams that are especially damaging to river ecology. And we are seeking to dramatically improve public recreational access to all whitewater rivers and streams. I am seeking reelection to the Board of Directors to continue, and expand upon, this exciting work. My experience as a board member and river conservation advocate, and my growing contacts throughout the environmental and boating community, can assist AWA move towards its destiny as the nation's leading advocate for whitewater sports.

American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 It's Finally Time by Kurt Menchow

It took five years but I finally did It. At Last year, a buddy of mine almost con- went to the put-in a back way. The sun first, I didn't even know I was preparing to vinced me to paddle It. When we got to broke through the clouds and the sky be- do It- I was busy trying to stay upright do- Friendsville the wind was blowing; it was gan to clear. At the put-in I saw many of ing ferries and peel-outs in Virginia Chute. 38 degrees and drizzling. The experts the people I had boated with during the But as time crept by and I mastered the were there. past five years. AU had run the Upper basics well enough to paddle up and surf Suddenly, my stomach didn't feel Yough before. the wave at Rocky, I began to hear stories right. My head hurt. My heart was beating We put on the river. The first mile or about It from other boaters. too fast. I should have slept more. I so seemed flat. Then some easy rapids I would hear snippets in the eddy from should have had a bigger breakfast. and some play spots. I was having fun. wave-masters who not only got on the "The Top is running; let's do the whole The rapids got harder. The river got wave and stayed there, but spun, back thing." steeper and more powerful, the limes surfed and pirouetted with ease. Salvation- an excuse. more technical. I eddy hopped the river "Rode too low on the pillow and went "I think I'll pass- it's my first time and with a friend, scouting as we went. When I right into the hole ..." they would say, or, doing both is probably too much" couldn't see, I followed. "Missed the boof and dropped sideways Knowing smiles. Losing control or going off-route over the falls; didn't come out for what Sunday I got the call. "Hi. You're do- looked like it could be dangerous, but I seemed like ..." They were talking about It. ing the Upper Yough with Ed, Molly and I was having fun. I never even flipped. I progressed from novice to beginner next Saturday." He was trying to get me At the take-out a number of people re- to intermediate. I paddled the mighty there again. "You won't have any prob- marked that I had good lines, looked confi- Nanty, the Lower Yough and lems... you've paddled harder stuff... just dent and comfortable, and was in fine Pennsylvania's Stony. A couple of NOC be at my house at 8:30." form. The sky was bluer. The beer tasted courses on the Ocoee, Laurel Creek and It was time. better. the Nolichucky helped hone my boat con- Monday, I ran an extra mile. Tuesday, I I had finally run the Upper Yough. trol and confidence. And the snatches of added extra weight to the bench press and I had finally done It. conversation about It became full-blown curls. Wednesday, I concentrated on tak- stories of conquest and mayhem, told by ing dynamic strokes through every gate. Postscript: I'm glad I waited until I was paddling companions after full days on the Thursday and Friday, I rested. I was going ready for the Upper Yough. (So it took New, Cheat and Gauley. to be ready for Saturday. After five years, five years!) Because my whitewater and I saw videos of It. I heard more sto- it was time. mental skills were up to the challenge, and ries. I learned the names of the rapids and It rained on the way there. The sky because I was with a great guide, among the best routes vicariously: Bastard was grey and foreboding. It was only 68 friends, and the River Gods were smiling, I (...across the chute, eddy hard right...), degrees- chilly for noon on July 30. had a lot of fun. Triple Drop (...catch the eddies above We pulled of Interstate 68 and were The Upper Yough is technical, pushy, each drop...), National Falls (...sneak on stopped dead on the ramp by the steep, and could be dangerous. By writing the left, just like at Double Hydraulic...), Friendsville Day parade. this I don't mean to encourage others to Meat Cleaver (...then you'll see Wally and "We're going to miss the water. They run the Upper before they are ready... just the Beaver-go between them...). won't let us through!" I smiled. Per- to secure "bragging-- - rights- ". Ijust wanted I ran the Upper Nanty, the Upper haps another reprieve. to share my experience- and poke a little Tellico, swam some of the North Fork of We left a vehicle near the exit and fun at myself at the same time. the Payette. I went to Costa Rica and . paddled the Pacuare and the Reventazon. Everywhere I went someone trying to fig- If you need a hat, get a hat, If you need a helmet, you need a ure out if I was going to be a boon or a bane on the trip would ask, "Have you paddled the Upper Yough?" It. The Upper Yough. It had developed a personality. A mystique. Some- how, It had become steeper, pushier, more technical, and more dangerous than any other river in the entire world. I envi- sioned towering waterfalls with class V approaches. A must-make eddy lying just below a mandatory hole-surf, the last refuge brochure and above a terminal boulder sieve. Power ferries up through an eddy fence, across the face of a keeper, and into a boiling micro- 303-449-8599 eddy.

American Whitewater NovemberlDecember 1993 by Chuck Kern

Kayaker Eric Jackson is a versatile McCoy's rapid, using both the hole and a the assistance of principal sponsor Equi- man. Just ten days after posting the fast- large recirculating eddy located above the nox Adventures. Other sponsors who do- est time at the Great Falls of the Potomac island. American Chris Roberts placed nated boats and prizes included Dagger, Race in Washington, D.C., he dominated third in the squirt boat category. New Wave, Perception, Prijon, Piranha not one, but two, of the classes in the first Second place in the surface boat cat- and Trailhead. Ottawa River Rodeo held in Beachborg, egory went to Corran Addison and third Those participating in the event Ontario. place went to Chuck Kern. Two natives of praised the site at McCoys's Rapids as one At Beachborg, Jackson demonstrated Montreal, Jeff Watson and Steve Narosid, of the best in the western hemisphere for some spectacular acrobatics in McCoy's also posted strong showings in surface playboating competition. The hole was Hole, capturing first place in the surface boats and, as a consequence, were asked big, sticky and dynamic- but not danger- boat category. He then proceeded to prove to join the Canadian team at the Nationals ous. The recirculating eddy offered a vari- that an open boat can do anything that a to be held on the Ocoee in October. ety of currents that showcased the talents closed boat can do, given a large enough Dale Johnson of Georgia and Mark of squirt boaters of all abilities. More than hole; claiming first place in the open boat Scriver of Ottawa placed second and third a few of the competitors speculated that class as well. Last year Jackson repre- in the open boat category, beating the McCoy's would make an excellent site sented the United States at the Olympics southerners Bailey Johnson and Billy for a future World Championship, pro- as a member of the slalom kayaking team. Davis and a local paddler sporting a furry vided spectators could be accommodated. Vermonter Chuck Kern edged out his Viking helmet. The organizers have already announced brother Willie by half a point to win the The Rodeo, held August 28, was orga- their intention to make the Ottawa Rodeo squirt competition, which was also held in nized by local paddler Kevin Brongh with an annual event..

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American Whitewater NovembeiVDecember 1993 ...... Races

1993 Upper Gauley First Upper Gauley Race Race Results

Wildwater a Thrilling Success Roger Zbel ...... 4529 Andy Bridge (Cl) ...... 50:41 by Donnie Hudspeth. Race Organizer Jason Sullivan...... 5238

Men's Kayak Mondav morning October 4 Boat- . . events- eight miles from Initiation to be- Howard Tidwell 5250 ers were congregating around a black low Sweet's Falls! On the Gauley long ...... pickup truck in the parking area at the pools alternate between big. pushy rapids. BobVernon ...... SO1 base of the Summersville Dam. As the Inevitably. in spite of a staggered start. Mike Hipsher ...... 54: 19 sun burned off the last remnants of fog. there would be lots of racers passing rac- Mark Emerlin ...... 54:30 the number of boaters milling about con- ers. We figured this would add to the ex- Jeff Best ...... 5454 tinued to grow. Something out of the ordi- citement. Steve Kauffman ...... 5509 nary was about to occur- history was in the It did! Dave Bassage ...... 55. 19 making. It was the registration for the first Consider the race from my perspec- Marco Collela ...... 56: 10 Annual Animal Upper Gauley Race. tive. Bob Vernon started sixty seconds be- Dan Gavere ...... 56: 17 The idea of holding a downriver race hind me. He passed me in the approach to on the Upper Gauley came out of the clear Donnie Hudspeth ...... 56: 18 Pillow. cruising in his Phoenix Cascade. Greg Gill 5623 blue West Viasky just this August. I But then I passed him in the meat of Pil- ...... was paddling the Gauley at low water. 600 low as he was "detained" in the river right Eric Lindberg ...... 5642 cfs. with my old friend Shenvood Horine. eddy. Later he passed me for a second Scott Hasson ...... 57: 18 We were stroking the pools and basking in time... I never caught him again. Shenvood Horine ...... 5725 the sun when. out of the clear blue. In Lost Paddle Howard Tidwell slid by Brabec Daniel ...... 5745 Shenvood announced. "You know. we re- me ... in fact three whitewater crafts ran Chris Hipgrave ...... 5907 ally should have a downriver race up the infamous Second Drop simulta- John Edmunds ...... 5933 here." neously. Howard. myself and a raft! At the Scott Coulter ...... 61: 11 From the very beginning it sounded third drop Howard went right; I went left. Alex Harvey ...... 61:23 like a good idea to me. He edged in front of me by taking the cen- Bryon Hunter 61:45 Of course the Gauley River. by current ...... ter line of the Fourth Drop. I never caught Ted Helvoigt 6225 legislation. is a National Recreation Area him again...... Thousands of rafters pour down the river But for much of the race I could see Mike "Slick Hottinger ...... 7207 each fall. looking for thrills on a Howard... and Bob Vernon... and Eric Rob Dobson ...... 12627 whitewater river that has been voted one Lindberg... not far ahead of me. This was of the "Top Ten" in the United States. typical; nearly all the participants said Men's C1 Hard boaters have long considered the Up later that they could see the boater ahead Bill Hem...... 5629 per Gauley to be the "proving grounds" for of them in the pools. This served as a vi- Dean Tornko ...... 5726 achieving "expert" status. Mastering the sual indicator of one's speed in respect to Upper Gauley is certainly one of the major the competition and an impetus to keep Women's Kayak goals for most eastern boaters. Clearly. moving. It also kept one guessing. Colleen Laffey 5828 racing down the Upper Gauley would ...... Were you gaining on them? Or were Jocelyn Hernried 61:12 present a serious challenge. they leaving you behind? Why did they run ...... When the National Park Service that drop over there? Would it be faster? Enga Lokey ...... 62:52 granted the special use permit and the I saw it all on race day! The race Jan Messer ...... 6325 ACA sanctioned and insured the event, our turned out to be everything we hoped dream of an Upper Gauley Race became a for... and more. Clear blue sky and cool Women's C1 reality. Like other downriver races of this whitewater. Friends going head to head. Heidi Domeisen ...... 8509 type- held at the Upper Yough. Gore Can- wearing ski bibs with glitter on their faces. yon of the Colorado. Great Falls of the Rafts actually pulling aside to let racers go Thanks to... Potomac and on the North Fork of the by! New Wave and Fezeption for the do- Payette- our race would offer boaters a Charging down the river as fast as nation of kayaks to be ,u.sed as prizes. chance to show their stuff on difficult possible. passing and getting passed. try- To North American River Runners whitewater. Only those who knew the ing to chose the fastest routes on the fly. for the use of their radios and for their Gauley well and felt comfortable paddling And I saw three kayakers running enthusiastic support and assistance. it alone at a high speed were encouraged Sweet's Falls at the same time. trying to Other sponsors... too numerous to to enter. pass one another and going full tilt boogie mention... who donated gear, nwn.eg The Gauley Race would be consider- for the finish line! and time. ably longer than most of the other similar Now that was a race!! The National Park Service for their . support. The ruff companies... who pulled aside to facilitate the race.

American Whitewater November/December 1993 Gore Canvon Downriver

August 22,1993 New Records Set at MEN'S KAXAK John Jaycox ...... 1943 * Nelson Oldham 20:12 ...... * The thirteenth annual Upper Yough Race was anything but Hank Bevington ...... 20:52 unlucky for the legendary Roger Zbel, who definitely trounced Cory Nielson ...... 21121 the competition once again. It was the twelfth time Zbel has Nick Kimmet ...... 21:56 posted the fastest time on the four mile long, class IV-V course. In the process Zbel set a personal record; his time of Tim Kennedy ...... 22:15 27:35 seconds topped his time in last year's race by more than Dave Eckhardt ...... 22:21 half a minute. Larry Vermeeren ...... 2224 Like Zbel, SquirtrneisterJeff Snyder abandoned his standard tiny craft for a voluminous wildwater kayak and captured Rick Gusic ...... 2228 second place with a time of 30:18. National team member Jerry Penning ...... 2238 Andy Bridge proved once again that a singlebladed paddle is a Chris Webster ...... 2254 potent weapon, capturing third place in his wildwater C1. Brad Pollack 2327 Fourth place was claimed by Ted Newton, who also paddled a ...... wildwater kayak. Ed Lucero ...... 2425 Meanwhile, all those hours spent mountain biking paid off Tim Brown ...... 2428 for Morgantown's Bob Vernon, who posted the fastest time in Zack Drennen ...... 2430 a slalom boat and placed fifth over all. Not far behind were Zbel's business partner in Precision Rafting, Phil Coleman, and Gary Weiner ...... 2503 local schoolteacher Scott Stough, who finished sixth and sev- Calvin Bergstrom ...... 2546 enth respectively. George Longshore ...... 2901 Nationally ranked kayak racer Kara Ruppel posted the fastest woman's time at 3342, finishing eleventh overall. Open Blues Viasard ...... 4247 boater John Deardorf set the fastest time in his division at Jeff Parker ...... DNF 48: 12. Chan Zwanzig ...... DNF One of the most interesting and impressive entries in the Bob Blount DNF 93 race was a team of adolescent boaters from Washington's ...... Valley Mill Camp. Paddling as a group, they demonstrated phenomenal stamina and finesse on the difficult course. The *breaking old race record Valley MiCamp has long been a spawning ground for national racing talent; watching the V.M. team in action clearly represented a preview of the future of the sport. WOMEN'S KAJTAK The difficult job of timing the race fell again to Teny Peterson, who handled the task with her usual efficiency and Cheryl Chipman ...... 2823 aplomb. A special prolonged release granted by Penelec facili- Marsha Miller 34:36 tated the event...... Nearly 80 whitewater boaters participated in the Upper Yough Race this year. The race was held on Wednesday, Au- gust 25. This year's event was organized by boat designer RAFTS Jesse Widdemore, who also hosted the traditional party later Twin Lakes Rafting 26:43 that evening. And like this year's winning times, this year's ...... party was universally declared to be the best ever. Clear CreeMColorado Headwaters ...... 2707 The bash, held in Friendsville's riverside park, featured a Timberline Dream Team ...... 2734 hot electric band and a corn and pig roast that satiated even Timberline Shredder ...... 28:52 the most famished competitors. Prizes included original tro- phies created especially for the event by artist Chuck Stump, Fluff...... 29 14 who also participated in the race, finishing sixteenth. Girls Do Gore ...... 31:49 The Upper Yough Race continues to be one of the high- Vail Mtn, Rescue ...... 31~51 lights of the eastern boating season, combining an atmosphere of intense, but friendly, competition, a celebration of the Boom ...... 33.23 comraderie of river running and an appreciation of the unique Nova Guides ...... 34: 12 beauty and challenge of the river. Haribags ...... 3758 As one competitor observed, "When it comes to the Upper Riff Raft 4435 Yough there are no losers. Everyone who paddles the course ...... is a winner." Posse ...... 1:03: 16 .

American Whitewater November/December 1993 1993 Upper Yough

(K-1 unless otherwise indicated)

1.Roger Zbel (WW-K-1) ...... 2735 2.Jeff Snyder (WW-K-1 ...... 30:18 Eric Jackson, a Bethesda, Maryland kayaker who represented the United States in the 1992 Olympics, won the Great Falls Invi- 3.Andy Bridge (WW-GI) ...... 30:46 tational Rapid Race on the Potomac held August 15,1993. Jack- 4.Ted Newton (WW-K-1) ...... 31:37 son completed the quarter mile course, which plummets 55 feet 5.Bob Vernon ...... 31:57 and terminates with the spectacular 22 foot Spout, with a time of 6.Phil Coleman 3256 57.66 seconds. As a publicity stunt Jackson made his second run ...... without a paddle, handrolling twice to complete the course in 7.Scott Stough ...... 33:05 110.90 seconds. 8.Howard Tidwell ...... 33: 17 "I figured my first run was good enough," Jackson told re- 9.Rick Gusic ...... 33:27 porter Mike McCormick of the Washincrton Times. "This race is a publicity stunt, so doing it without a paddle was my way of do- lO.Chris Huffman(WW-K-1) ...... 3333 ing what I do best, which is showing off." Jackson confidently 11.Jesse Whitternore 45.George Garrett waved to the crowd of 1500 observers as he crested the Spout. More than fifty whitewater boaters participated in this year's 11.Clay Wright (Fastest Slalom C-13743) race according to wildwater champion and race organizer Andy 11.hRuppel 46.Kurt Casey Bridge of Valley Mill Boats. "There were more spectators, more (Fastest Woman 33:42) 47.Charlie Bokor racers and more hoopla than ever before," Bridge observed. Bridge posted the fastest time in a C-1. The race was covered ex- 14.Jethro Best 48Joe Greiner tensively by the Washington D.C. print and electronic media. 15.Steve Kaufman 49.Paul Braeger Clay Wright of Bryson City, North Carolina was second with a 16.BiU Heller 50.Brian Good time of 60.48, while Marty McCormick of Potomac, Maryland, also a member of the 92 Olympic Team, captured third with a time of 16.Chuck Stump 50.Chris Good 60.73. McCormick paddled a kayak in the race instead of his usual 18.Colby Mackley 52.Neil Dana competitive craft, a (2-2. McCormick's (2-2 partner, Eliot 19.Mike McMillan 53.Leon Goraty Weintrob, also a former Olympian, placed sixth. Fourth place 20.Tim Kennedy %Ken Keyser was captured by Sam Drevo with a time of 64.05. One of several craft that submarined at the base of the falls 21Jeff F'indlay 55.Wade Zinter was a two man plastic kayak containing two local daredevils, 22.Jake Nill 56.Jim Werkman Tom Brothers and Billy Bob Taylor. Their 16 foot long vessel van- 23.Myk Herrera 57.Steve Strothers ished with its occupants at the base of the Spout after landing in a near vertical position. 24.Chuckie Morris 58.Erica Ruppel "It was dark down there!" Taylor, who paddled in the front, 25.Bob Gedekoh 59.Mark Lovett told reporter McCormick. Both men were assisted to shore by 26Jeff Feguson 6O.Ryan Goodrow safety boaters after exiting their K-2. Each had successfully com- 27.John Cornwell pleted the course in one man kayaks, Brothers placing 29th and 61.Jason Sullivan Taylor placing 38th. A number of other boaters who were briefly 28.Chris Danz 62.Pat Norton recirculated at the base of the Spout were quickly rescued. 29.Doug Lieb 63.Keith Blonairs Kayaker Mike "Boomer" Januska of Baltimore sustained the 29.K.i. Wolpert 64.Dave Fusilli only serious injury, shattering his right ankle when he lost his line and his boat pitoned on a rock at the base of the falls. Januska 31.John Hartman 65.Valley Mill Camp had fractured that same ankle earlier this year on the North Fork 31.Louis Gettman (K-1 team) of the Blackwater River in West Virginia This was the first mis- 33.George Allman 66.Jan Messer hap in the five year history of the Great Falls Race. 34.Coleen Laffey 67.Dave Bassage The following ranlcings were provided by Andy Bridge of Val- %.Jerry Penning 68John Deardorf ley Mill Boats. 36.Dave Martin (Fastest OGl48:12) 1. Eric Jackson 37.Emile Ladonne 69.Russell Ford (OG1) 11. Chris Good 2. Clay Wright 12. Paul Schelp %.Tom McEwan 7O.Kelly Meyers 3. Marty McCorrnack 13. Corbett Leith 38.Hanley Loller 71.Paul Joffrion (OG1) 4. Sam Drevo 14. John Horrell 40.Eric Schreiber 72.Kurt Springman and 5. Doug Geiger 15. Tim Kennedy 6. Eliot Weintraub 16. Chris Hipgrave 41.Mark Fair Heather Miller 7. Tom DeCuir 17. Eric Schreiber 41.Jamie Klein (Fastest R-2 65min) 8. Tom McEwan 18. Michael Crawford 43.B.J. Johnson 73.Bill Siand John 9. Rick Gusic 19. Rick Drevo 10. Jason Sullivan 43.Ben McKean 20. Gil Rocha Danz (R-2) continued on next pa.ge

American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 Races

Left to Right: Billy Bob Taylor & Tom brothers in a Duo, Great Falls Race '93; The Great Falls Race is on; Clay Wright, Great Falls Race '93; Clay Wright, Great Falls Race '93; Great Falls Hair Race cont. 21. Andy Bridge (GI) Second Annual N.F. Payette Dubbed a 22. Bill Hall 23. David Bruton 24. Gerald Penning "Fast Get Together", Not a "Race" Chris Strittmatter 26. Carl Malatin A Com?nentarg by Doug Amm 27. Bob Walsh 28. Bi Beresford Despite a country wide time before we slated some cialism and antagonisms of se- 29. Tom Brothers phone alert, attendance at the event on this amazing stretch rious competition into the very 30. David Jeffrey North Fork of the Payette of water. activities that serve as our ref- 31. Charles Monis "Fast Get Together" remained The "Fast Get Together" uge from such hassles. Rodeos 32. Pablo Perez small, consisting only of regis- expanded to two events this used to be such a realm, but re- 33. Scott Norwood (Gl) tered North Forkers. However, year. On Saturday we held the cently are becoming a source 34. Jonathan Brown the participants made up for same 2.5 mile class V sprint of attitudinal pathogens. One 35. Woody Calloway their small numbers by an from Slide to the bottom of sees similar unfortunate atti- 36. Brian Collins overflowing enthusiasm for the Pectoralis Major as last year. tudes cropping up elsewhere: 37. Ben Swope river and friendship. Notable On Sunday we added what can "My creek was steeper than 38. Billy Bob Taylor by their unfortunate absence only be considered an outra- yours"; "I ran a higher water- 39. David Blair were two long-time North geous event; a 15 mile Top to fall"; "My run may have been 40. Mike Bailey Forkers, the venerable Rob Bottom Class V marathon. The slower by two seconds, but 41. Bill Brunner Lesser and Tony Brennen of level was about 2100 cfs, pro- had a touch"; 42. Leon Gorbaty Boise. viding lots of big water action. "I use brand X, you're a 43. Daniel Herring The 15+ miles of class IV+ In contrast to formal races, geek for using brand Z"; ad 44. Nelson Hoffman and V rapids that comprise the our "Fast Get Together" was nauseam. 45. Christian Brunner North Fork of the Payette are inaugurated last year as a cel- We want the focus to be on 46. Greg Dutton widely recognized among ebration of the North Fork, the the eqjoyment of moving wa- Open canoeists Psycho kayakers as being one of the friendships that have grown on ter, and so will keep our sc- Sipson and Will Reeves premier whitewater runs in the its waters, and the camaraderie called "race" low key. This is failed to finish, as did the K-2 world. With a gradually in- that comes from paddling it in contrast to the current push team of Bothed Taylor, and creasing number of kayakers with like-minded people. We for bigger, more elaborate ro- Rob Mingo, Mike Januska, Ji capable of running the river wish to avoid importing the deos and races; the outcome of Underwood and Chris Wilson. safely, it was only a matter of rules, bureaucracy, commer- which will be more hype of in- American Whitewater v Novernber/Decernber 1993 **11 .,OUALITY WHITE WATER PRODUCTS" 11 -1- -1- IA~~IC~N welding 6 mfg. 1993 North Fork of Aluminum rowing frames, camp kitchens, dry boxes and tables. the Payette Achilles & SOTAR inflatable boats and FishRite aluminum boats & sleds. "Fast Get Together" (503) 773-5582 Results 1385 Justice Road Day one...Slide to Central Point, OR 97502 Pectoralis Sprint Call or Write for our 2.5 miles Free River Equipment Catalog ' Doug Ammons 1255 Charlie Muncey 1331 Dan Givens 1350 MarkWhite 1354 Tim Shah 1405

Mark White on the Day two...Top to Bottom 58:00 Irv Brier 1 hr, North Fork of the Marathon Jerry Moffat 1 hr, 58:OO 15 miles Guv Robbins 1 hr. 58:00 Payene ~Gele~aMontague,'~ly Doug Ammom 1 hr, 4056 Kholer and Jim Curzon... Com- Conrad Foumey 1 hr, 4223 pleted course but declined to Charlie Muncey 1 hr, 4243 be timed... "instead seeking a

Mark White 1 hr, 4305 more personal rapport with the A Tr I l,r * I Qt al rr RIVP~tq~~~mc*~ Dan Givens 1 hr, 57:20 river." PO Box 209 Sprmgf~eld.OR 97477 503 (747-2272)

NEW '93 CANOE

dividuals over the river, more mixture of extreme serious- arbitrary rules, more control ness and fun. To forget the les- )e$eeder( by sponsors, and greater sepa- sons of respect, personal hon- The Rapid Solution to your ration of the sport from its esty, and responsibility for roots. We feel that we can companions that the river has shortboat dilemma. Shorter, each have our personal chal- taught us is foolish, and we Lighter & Quicker lenges without forcing them will not let it happen. We have into something that interferes agreed that for as long as we cum- with our eqjoyrnent of the wa- have anything to do with this ter and each other. Hence we event, it will never have any have our "Fast Get Together". prizes or commercialism. It One can never underesti- will never be used by equip- mate the will of man to bend ment manufacturers for adver- nature to his whims, but the tisement. It will never be dis- character of the North Fork torted into something the river will work against attempts to experience should not be. We subjugate it to a racerhead will do our best to keep it true mentality. Even our short to those things which we love "sprint" is too long and too about kayaking. hard for people to come in I polled my fellow partici- READY - m - PZAY from outside, learn the lines pants on whether they thought Satisfaction Guaranteed! quickly, and feel comfortable the actual times and places Call today or Try a Test Drive at our racing down. Additionally, it is should be published. They uni- Nantahala Outpost likely that no one can paddle formly said yes, but that a de- the North Fork without gaining scription of our goals should 404-xms30Manta weekdays huge respect for it. Those of be given. So, please keep in 704-4S2386 Nantahala River us who are on it regularly mind that it is likely the only know this beyond all else. true "resultsn were our smiles The power of nature is a and laughter at the take-out, great equalizer; but it also gives and our personal joy in run- us much more. Many of our ning the river. NF, best friendships have grown up Doug Ammons (for all 23624' MenDrive, Atlanta, CA 30341 from the North Fork's unique the North Forkers).

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Rodeo World Championship Posters $6 (postage $1) POSTAGE I I American Whitewater v November/December 1993 Rodeo WWBWWWBWWWBWWWWBBWWWWWBBWWBWWWBBWBWWBWWWWBWWWWWBWWWWWBWWBBWWWBW So, You Say You Have Invented a Sport? Whitewater Rodeo ... The Road to the Worlds by Risa Shimoda Callaway AWA President

he development of instead of paddling from play T whitewater rodeo into a spot to play spot, many world class sporting event played Park 'n Play, driving has been a lot more diff- from spot to spot, so as not to cult than anyone ever an- get worn out before the com- ticipated. Of course, we petition. should have known that Yes, a growing nurn- n creating the framework ber of folks "work at play- and gaining international paddling five days a week recognition for a new sport Several of our best competi- would take more than an tors practiced all fall, winter afternoon! But, participat- and spring to make the team ing in the process has been for the World Rodeo. exciting and rewarding; al- Whitewater rodeo beit, clang ('scuse my has evolved. drawl) tough. During the eighties In developing several events appeared whitewater rodeo we have around the country, then raised the profile of struggled to survive. A few whitewater paddling in didn't make it. Organizers of general. There are pros rodeos were mostly local and cons to this. We can boaters who consented, now tell our moms, who sometimes naively, to take on have questioned our sanity the responsibility of organiz- lo' these past few years, to ing an event: printing posters, turn on ESPN and watch finding judges and pursuing our friends perform. Our support, or at least the be- moms can finally see for nevolence, of local landown- themselves that paddling ers and businessmen. can be exciting, fun and safe. Burnout was understandably a prob- On the other hand, we have also Risa Shimoda Callaway, founder of the lem, as was maintaining continuity witnessed a number of serious hjuries National Organization of Whitewater from year to year. As a consequence, sustained by overconfident intermedi- Rodeos and Bob McDonough co- the number and size of the rodeos ate boaters whose experience in squirt architect of the guidelines document grew slowly. boats lagged behind their level of skill. which was sent to over forty paddlers Some rodeos fell victim, not to apa- And, overcrowding has occurred on for their approval thy or loss of support, but rather to some rivers, threatening both access natural disasters! Consider the short- and the quality of the river experience. lived Wenatchee Rodeo, an event that Whitewater rodeo has contributed was ahead of its time; claiming na- to the growing numbers of boaters in But these days folks are taking tional attention, strong sponsorship the country and it wiU, no doubt, con- whitewater rodeo a lot more seriously. and great media coverage. Organizer tinue to do so. It is important that we Consider this year's rodeo held at Hell Frank Meyer and his colleagues did a utilize this increase in the size of our Hole on the Ocoee... the rodeo at great job... until a flood diverted the constituency to lobby against threats which the eastern US. Team was cho- water away from their famous Snap- to the river environment. sen. Paddlers drove up and unloaded dragon Hole during the winter of '90! Whitewater rodeos first became their boats at the Hole at precisely As the '90s arrived, rodeos began popular in the mid 1970s, invented by 1034 am., perfectly timed to the ar- to take on a new look. Often the suc- a few avant-garde, aggressive, twenty- rival of the water from the dam release cess of an individual event still pivots something paddlers who just wanted upstream. They had started practicing around the energies and talents of one to show off for each other. One of the on the river at precisely 9:00 am., and or two people, but the organizers now first, the Stanley Whitewater Rodeo, they had followed the water down- have the support of more businesses, organized by Joe Leonard, was low stream, stopping to warm up at En- national organizations and park and key, but lots of fun. trance, Slice and Dice and Flipper. But recreation groups.

American Whitewater NovemberfDecember 1993 Former hyperactive, under utilized posal ultimately submitted came from haps even leading to the fulfillment of hippies have established themselves as the organizing committee on the the dreams of those hot dogging ten business people with the skills and ex- Ocoee. Voila, Susan Genty became year olds out there who would like to pertise necessary to organize profes- the Grand Poobah of the Worlds! see whitewater rodeo in the 2004 sional events in a competitive setting. To say that all was smooth sailing Olympics! The need to work with local govern- from that point would be like saying The World Whitewater Rodeo ments, public land management that the joys of home ownership end Steering Committee was developed, groups such as the Forest Service and with the payment of the closing costs. consisting of regional representatives the BLM, and utility companies (who In the fall of '92 the local organizr who have played key roles in the de- often control water flows) necessitate ing group started to realize the enor- velopment of the sport. It includes such interpersonal skills before the fun mity of the task they had undertaken. Steve Schemer of Oregon, Nancy Wiley can begin. Meetings were held throughout the of Colorado, Mark White of Utah, Risa Finally, in the summer of 1991, the winter to develop plans for team trials, Shimoda Callaway of North Carolina, concept of whitewater rodeo was cel- publicity, international coordination, John Schreiner of Pennsylvania, Chris ebrated in England with the World and so on. Chris Spelius and Bob Spelius of North Carolina and Susan Stunt Boat Championships. Partici- McDonough became the primary ar- Wion Gentry of North Carolina. pants came from the US. and many chitects of a document which outlined Spelius also serves as the international European nations. Chris Spelius, who the philosophy of rodeo and proposed liaison; while Gentry serves as the rep- represented the US., along with Bob an extensive list of guidelines for es- resentative of the Ocoee's local orga- and Roxanne McDonough and Bob tablishing whitewater rodeo as an in- nizing committee (LOC). McDougall, returned in his usual en- ternationally recognized event. Working closely with this group is thusiastic state. He had lobbied suc- The organizing committee sent the Jim Daly, organizer of the '93 Bob's cessfully at the U.K. event to hold the documenthallotto over forty people Hole Rodeo, who provided a wealth of next championship on our side of the who had participated in rodeos during fairness and common sense. Atlantic. But since it was already late the past ten years. Topics included As whitewater rodeo matures and summer, even the very capable orga- were judging philosophy, team qualifi- becomes more visible there will no nizers of the rodeo at Bob's Hole de- cations and team makeup. The docu- doubt be growing pains. Paddlers will cided that nine months was not ment took into account some of the no doubt complain about competitors enough time to prepare to host a rna- similarities between whitewater rodeo invading "their rivers" and that award- jor, world class event. and figure skating, gymnastics, aero- ing prize money has ruined the "pure" Likely candidates for a '93 event in- batics and diving. The response to the nature of paddling. But ultimately deal- cluded Bob's, the Payette, Animas and document was compiled by Hannah ing with such issues should strengthen Tulsa, who had put on a great rodeo Swayze of Bryson City, N.C. the sport. that year, The Payette organizers were Meanwhile, the AWA nurtured Na- Rodeo is here to stay, but we must experiencing a changing of the guard; tional Organization of Whitewater Ro- enhance its potential and not be the Anirnas organizers said that their deos (NOWR) joined forces with the spoiled by its current glamour. We are site was in a state of flux and that they ACA to become part of the ICF (Inter- showing the world another interesting were already playing host to too many national Canoe Federation). This aspect of whitewater boating... as we events; arid the release of water at should provide access to the interna- are creating the future.. Tulsa became uncertain. The only pro- tional canoesport community... per- American Whitewater v Novembern>ecember1993

The sixth rapid down the first mile of the Upper Canyon was a real Goliath. I peeled out of a boiling eddy cocked left and punched three twelve foot diagonal waves coming off the vertical canyon wall. Then I angled right and threaded the needle between a huge pourover and a mega-hole. So far, so good. But the water was total chaos, churning left toward a house sized boulder at heart stopping speed. I powered across the current, managing to stay upright, and drove into the eddy at the bottom right. As I gazed back upriver I thought, " Damn.. .that SOB isn't even named!" It was January of 1993 and my good friend Earl Davis and I had abandoned our homes in western North Carolina for a ten day whitewater adventure in southern Chile. After traveling one- third of the way around the world we had arrived at our expedition leader's base camp on the shore of the Rio Futaleufu. Chris Spelius, aka. Spe, is a tall muscular guy with straw blond hair and a big smile. His camp is nestled between the Rio Azul, the Futaleufu and a seven thousand foot +++++++++++++++ snow capped triple peak called the Three Monks. Page 47: Access by ox cart on the Futaleufu. Photo by Ed Michaels It was winter back home, but in Above: Spe having "too much fun" on the Futaleufu. Photo by Juan Pablo Chile it was summer and the air was lsquierdo warm and fragrant. The deyfloor was carpeted with wild flowers and grasses. By the next morning seven

American Whitewater ~ovember~ecember1993 +++++++++++++++ Phil DeRiemer entering The Zeta

other boaters had arrived. Our adven- the rock walls began to loom upwards spun into a quasieddy. After a couple ture on the Futaleufu had begun. and we entered one of the toughest of determined sweeps my bow was re- For narrative clarity this article is sections of the river, the Upper Can- directed back downstream, although an account of a hypothetical descent yon. Here the ominous vertical wall now I was a few feet to the nght off of the Rio Futaleufu from top to bot- were so sheer that they precluded por- line. I missed the pourover to my left tom. We actually paddled each portaging. When we reached this section but was snared by the edge of the hy- tion of the river several times over the of the river the sun disappeared and draulic to my right. course of seven days, starting with the the sky grew dark. Was this a fore- Wham! It stopped me dead. It felt easiest sections and progressing to the warning of what was to come? I was like my boat was hocked from under more difficult ones. more than a little nervous. me by a gigantic sledge hammer. Only the first of the six rapids in After a brief thrashing the hole spit The Upper Canyon this mile long portion of the river had me out. Thank you river gods! I rolled been named. We bank scouted this on my second attempt. The water drop, Inferno. It was quite a sight! around me was exploding without ap- The first put-in was twelve miles The river, typically 250 feet wide, parent rhyme or reason. Froth was ev- upstream of the village of Futaleufu on was constricted severely by the 200 erywhere. It looked like Tomahawk the Rio Espilon. The Rio Espilon was foot cliff walls that defined the canyon. Missiles were being fired into the river. the clearest river I have ever seen. The A flow of 12,000 cfs and severe gradi- I powered to the right with all the rocks on the bottom of the river shim- ent made this one mother of a rapid. strength I could muster and my mered in the sunlight. After paddling To run Inferno correctly one Corsica S responded nicely. I clipped two miles of this ghkning, pale-green needed to negotiate a series of huge di- the edge of another hole, but I leaned water, we flushed onto the Futaleufu. agonal waves coming off the river left forward and dug my way through it. Our guides were Phil DeRiemer wall, then turn to the right and slip be- Moving right was a battle because and Mary Hays. We couldn't have tween a pourover and a mega-hole. nine-tenths of the volume of the river asked for more competent safety boat- Next the paddler had to power across careened into the left canyon wall. ers. When not leading expeditions or a fiendish wave train to river right to Fortunately I won the battle. Several guiding river trips, Phil is a photogra- avoid being smashed into the rock other members of our party flipped as pher and kayak instructor. Mary has a face on river left. The fact that two well, but everyone rolled quickly and degree in nursing and would probably rafters had died in this rapid just two recovered their lines successfully. It be working in a hospital today, if she months before our run weighed was one hell of an introduction to the hadn't caught the river bug. She has heavily on my mind. Futaleufu. traded in her stethoscope for a paddle But... I was ready. This was it. "So much for Inferno," I thought. and she leads whitewater expeditions There was no use thinking about any- "That's one down." all over the world. Phil and Mary were thing but tackling this rapid. I entered The next rapid was not too hard, as world class paddlers, ready to lay it on angled to the left and powered through long as one avoided the unfriendly ed- the line for us if we got into trouble. the twelve foot waves. Then I angled dies. On the Futaleufu it was quite Not long after we hit the Futaleufu, right and... Whoops!... inadvertently possible to clean a rapid, only to get

American Whitewater November/December 1993 Phil DeRiemer running The Zeta

hammered in an eddy, where the water through the Upper Canyon. and into a vortex that made the Room often undulates up and down as much By comparison the next two rapids of Doom at the Gauley's Pillow Rock as two feet. Whirlpools appeared and were easy... although once again they look trivial. On the other hand, if you disappeared unexpectedly and it was featured predatory eddies. were knocked off line to the right, not uncommon to get caught between But the sixth rapid in the Upper your destiny lie in one of two boiling two boils and munched in the fold. Canyon was another monster... the eddies, the second of which was The third rapid in the Upper Can- Goliath I described in the introduction jammed with recirculating lumber. yon was a baddie. Almost all of the to this story. Small wonder that I was Most of the logs in this eddy had been current piled against a vertical rock so elated when I reached the bottom. there for so long that they had been wall on river left. No wonder Spe re- I had made it through the infamous stripped of their bark, buffed smooth ferred to this as the Wall Shot. The Upper Canyon and I was still kicking! by the jostling and bleached white by trick was to start to the right- long be- the sun. A two foot high eddy fence fore you thought it necessary. barred any chance of escape from I peeled out of the eddy into the The Zeta and these eddies. screaming downstream flow. Man, But the worst was yet to come. Not this baby was cooking! I cocked my the Throne far downstream the main current boat and started to dig in. I could see slammed into an undercut rock wall. After a short interlude of flat water There were so very many ways to Phil and Mary in the eddy at the bot- we arrived at one of the Futa's pre- tom signalling me to "paddle like hell". have a bad day in the Zeta! miere rapids, The Zeta The Zeta had I could tell by their expressions that Phil DeRiemer was the only such a bad reputation that most kayaker in our group to challenge this they felt that I should have started people had decided that they were go- right sooner. But the current had a beast. His line was perfect. Phil made ing to walk it long before they even lay it look deceptively easy, cruising into mind of its own; it was pitching back eyes on it. I decided that I would look and forth, pulsing and frothing. I had the champagne bubbles which fizz to this at it with an open mind and decide for the surface for three hundred feet be never been on water moving fast. myself. Suddenly I was stopped by a ten low the rapid. It took me about one second to After another brief respite... some foot breaking wave and backendered. make the decision. I would definitely first flat water... we came to the If ever I needed to roll on my try, be walking the Zeta Here the river this was it. I focused on rolling till my granddaddy of them all, the Throne was constricted to fifty feet by shear paddle broke the surface. Then I Room. The Futaleufu achieved tre- rock walls. The river fell about twenty mendous power here by virtue of an swept, hipsnapped, and was up. Fortu- feet while turning ninety degrees to nately I was still on line. unrelenting steep descent. Fourteen the right. The potential line was very foot diagonal waves in the shape of a V I continued my drive across the narrow and the approach was a night- main flow and made it to the bottom led directly towards the Throne, a mare. A huge diagonal breaking wave humongous, smooth rock that looked right eddy. But there were no whoops blocked the entrance. of jubilation or howls of victory. No in- like a oversized water ski jump. Al- If you were knocked off line to the though the throne was 150 feet wide deed, the mood in that eddy was a very left, you would ride onto the pillow serious one. We were only half way and 20 feet high, the current was so

American Whitewater November/December1993 +++++++++++++++ Phil DeRiemer running The Zeta strong that it spilled up and over the was benign, all you had to do was to The fourth eddy move was the top. As a consequence, the back of the set up and wait for the appropriate toughest to make. Here one needed to Throne featured a twenty foot moment to roll. This was nothing but power through a dmgonal hole without pourover! good old fashioned fun! getting stopped. If you failed to punch Needless to say the correct line Spe's camp was marked by a sandy it, you would be surfed into the maw. I was to avoid the Throne. But this was beach on river right and it was a wel- just made it. easier said than done. The best line come sight after a day on the river. Spe Now it was time to face the final was right to left, avoiding the vortex spared no expense... a Chilean chef plunge. I peeled out of a squirrelly beside the throne to the right and a se- prepared and served gourmet meals eddy into the main current, frantically quence of mega-holes to the left. and a masseuse kneaded paddler's heading right to dodge a malicious Our host, Spe, related a tenifying tired muscles. Hot showers and, yes, pourover. The power of the river was account of a run on which he flipped even a sauna were provided to revital- awesome, but I managed to stay up- and rolled in the diagonals which lead ize exhausted boaters! right. But one of our group was not so to the top of the Throne. He came up lucky. disoriented and facing upriver, while Peter flipped in the churning cur- the current was pushing him further The Terminator rent, missed three rolls and swam. Be- and further up the face of the Throne. And revitalization was clearly in or- lieve me, there is no good place to Miraculously, he managed to extract der, because downstream of the camp swim on the F'utaleufu, but this was himself from this precarious situation. lie the Terminator. After scouting this particularly bad place. Peter was I can't imagine how. rapid several members of our party headed toward big trouble down- But we didn't need Spe's story to shouldered their boats. But Earl, stream. But he swam so fast across the scare us away. Just lookhg was Charlie, Peter, Allen and I decided to current into the sanctuary of a river enough. None of us felt inclined to go for it. The Terminator was about left eddy that he outran the safety confront the Throne. one half mile long, requiring four eddy boater! moves on river left, then a peel out "I saw that eddy and I wanted it!" into the main current for the approach he explained later. Sadly, his paddle, wavy Gravy to the final drop. The consequence of an old and faithful companion, was Downstream we paddled a wave missing one of the eddies meant that gone forever. Peter endured the train with ten foot swells that contin- one was destined to run the monstros- razzing graciously, bemoaning the fact ued for two miles. Three fourths of ity at the bottom right down the that he was "reduced from a stud to a the time we were buried in the middle. It was one of those rapids that geek in five seconds." troughs, unable to see our surround- was an honest class IV, if you made all After the Terminator the F'utaleufu ings. Then briefly we would crest the the right moves. But if you screwed began to dish out sequences of explod- wave, get to look around, before plum- up, it was a class VI. In the center of ing wave trains. On one occasion I was meting into the next trough. Occasion- the river half way through the rapid lie pitched so high off the crest of a wave that I went airborne. I was having ally one of the waves would break and a thirty-five foot wide hydraulic with a than it would be backender time. But this twenty foot backwash. more fun I thought possible. Charlie, on the other hand, got a

American Whitewater November/December 1993 closed window as well. He took a thrashing in the next two wave-holes and then he tried to roll. Four times he tried, without success. Phil got to him and Dick grabbed the bow of Phil's boat. Dick was too whipped to effectivelyhipsnap, so he hung on, staying in his flipped kayak but keeping his head above water until Phil could muscle him upright. Unfortunately he was not so lucky in the next rapid; he flipped and swam. Once again Phil came to the rescue, managing to tow him safely to shore. Now Dick had his fill of the Futaleufu; he spent the rest of trip reading on shore. Dick wasn't the only one worn down by the challenge of the Futaleufu. On another day on this same section of the river I nearly tasted Humble Pie. We had been paddling for a number of days and fatigue had set in. This was apparent to Phil and Mary; they kept bitching at me to paddle harder. I didn't want to tell them that I was paddling as hard as I could. My arms were so tired that it felt like I was strokmg through wet ce- ment. Before long I flipped in a hole. I managed to roll, but it felt weak. I started to get a little worried. In a stretch of flat water I got lost in my taste of the river's power while bob- wave slammed shut on me, breaking thoughts and I failed to notice that the bing in the safety (?) of an eddy! The back on itself at the worst possible river was piling onto a vertical rock water boiled, a whirlpool appeared, time. I made the classic m&take of not wall to my left. Half of the current and he was sucked downward, kayak leaning into this explosion of water. spilled 90 degrees to the right and con- and all, to his shoulders. AU we could The wave slammed into my chest and tinued downstream, but half of the see was his helmeted head spinning face so hard that I heard my helmet current spilled off to the left into agar- round and round in the spiral. slap the deck of my stern. My boat gantuan eddy that was anythmg but looped over and I found myself upside friendly. That's where I found myself. down in the monster, getting the Span kings hydromassage of my life. After several After a quarter mile long wave train seconds the wave-hole pulsed and I known as the Himalayas we came to was released. one of the Futaleufu's most memo- I rolled just in time to be eaten by rable rapids, Mandaca Mandaca ter- the next one. Over I went again. I minated in a series of twelve foot hadn't managed to catch a breath be- waves that pulsed at regular intervals. tween these munchings and I was get- The waves broke upstream with a ting pretty low on air. A sinful thought deafening "Ka-whump!" at five second crossed my mind. "You know, a fel- intervals. If you hit one when it col- low could wet-exit in a situation like lapsed, a battering was inevitable. For- this!" tunately, after a brief spanking, the "Butn,I told myself, "not this fel- wave form cleared and you could roll low." And so I persevered and rolled and continue on your merry way. again. The windows of the next two I sailed up and over the first wave waves stayed open and I managed to on a clear window of smooth green sail through upright. water. But the window of the second Meanwhile, Dick had looped in a

American Whitewater November/December 1993 Page 52: Bill Peisner entering Inferno on the Futaleufu. Photo by Juan Pablo Isquie~rio

Page 52 bottom: Mary Hays... safety boater extraordinaire!

Right: Earl Davis on the Rio Azul

Bottom: Gregg Hall (left) and Phil DeRiemer (right). Exploding waves at Mundaca

The center of the eddy was boiling so I decided to stay on the edge by the river bank and ride the current upstream. But at the top, when I attempted to peel out, I could not punch the eddy line to reach the main, downstream flow. I paddled furiously, but to no avail. I realized that I was trapped in a depressed eddy. The rest of the group had disappeared, so I was on my own. I drifted down the eddy line, almost to the point where the water piled onto the rock wall. I really didn't want to make the circuit through the eddy again, so with fifty feet to go, I summoned all my strength and plunged across the line. I made it into the current that spilled off to the right side of the rock wall, but I plopped into a small hole and flipped. I was beginning to have a really bad day. I flushed out upside down and rolled, just in time to have my stern sucked down by a whirlpool. I flipped again and went spinning round and round. I was tired, out of breath and worried about being alone. I irnag- ined that I was being flushed down a pool my offside roll is bombproof, but All too soon it was time to return huge toilet bowl. I never seem to use it in a clutch. to the states. On the way to the airport I attempted an on side roll but I knew that it was time to go for we spotted a gigantic blueice glacier failed. I knew why. I was working my offside roll, but I did what always snaking its way down a high mountain against the swirl of the whirlpool. do and went for my on side roll again. valley. Sadly, we would not be around Prior to accepting participants in Fortunately, I managed to make it up. I to revel in the fruit of its meltdown. his trips, Spe asks all candidates to fill quickly joined the rest of the party At least for a while. But come next out a skills assessment form. As my downstream and regaled them with year, I hope to be headed back to my "biggest weakness" I had listed my re- my misadventures in the flat water of newfound whitewater heaven in luctance to use my offside roll. In a the Futaleufu. southern Chile again.. American Whitewater v NovemberIDecember 1993 .%#- -4-

American Whitewater v NovemberlDecember1993

We soon discovered that it was one feel to it... a feel that suggests that of those 60 foot drops that would offer there is a large obstruction nearby that more than just a "high risk endeavorn. is preventing the water from tumbling the exception of Howard, whose Paddling that falls would surely have off the face of the earth. As I rounded "paddle hard and hope style" led him, represented "gambling with your a bend I could hear a big rapid; it had once again, to provide us with the kind healthn. We quickly decided that we that deep, heavy sound that I don't like of entertainment that we had come to would forgo running this monster, sav- to hear when I don't know what lies expect. ing our bravado for the rapids down- downstream. But inspection soon re- We spent the rest of the morning stream. vealed that the situation was not as paddling and scouting one magnificent The next morning we packed some ominous as it sounded. rapid after another. The character of extra food and bivy sacks, just in case This rapid, which we named Tres the Monzo evolved; long complex rap- we would have to spend the next few Amigos, featured three navigable ids taking the place of sheer falls. nights on the river. Our next rendez- drops. The first was a fifteen foot These rapids demanded concentration vous with the drivers was to be Lake plunge into a small pool. The river as we descended the river from eddy Stefan. The only reference we had was then narrowed and poured over a ten to eddy. We established a routine in a standard road map, so, in the typical foot slide. The rapid culminated with a which one individual paddled ahead, Tenth Street style, we knew nothing twenty foot vertical into a large pool. scouted, then shared information with more about the run than where to put The Monzo was flowing at about 1000 the rest of the team. in and where to take out. Eyeballing cfs, providing clean launch spots for As I drifted around a bend I could the map suggested that this section of each of the drops, launch spots that al- see the Monzo disappear into a steep, the river would offer about twelve lowed us to avoid the tremendous re- deep walled canyon. I decided to scout miles of action followed by a three versals at the bottom of each falls. We before committing. This proved to be a mile cruise across the lake. all negotiated Tres Amigos without in- wise decgion. First the Monzo flowed Putting in below the big waterfall, cident, setting the mood for the wild through a river wide hole with a nasty we started paddling flat water. The paddling that was to come. pattern of recirculation. The hole was type of flat water that has that peculiar The second rapid was a double bounded on each side by the canyon walls. Below the hole the Monzo that his style of river running was my boat against the wall with his dropped over another sixty foot water- probably not going to be compatible kayak. I gingerly climbed out of my fall, making the possibility of swim with the canyon below. boat onto the wall with one end of my less than appealing. The eddy above We came up with a plan. Howard throw rope clipped to my grab loop the falls was one of those that you and John would portage along the can- and the other end in my mouth. know that you are not going to miss, yon rim until they reached a point at Perhaps if I had been making this because the alternative is totally out of which the river became more forgiv- climb with appropriate shoes on dry the question! ing. Then they could descend to the rock the difficulty of the traverse A couple of the Tenth Streeters ne- water level. We would wait for them at would have seemed moderate. But gotiated the hole without incident, the first spot that seemed appropriate. with my bare feet slipping on the slick making it almost seem mellow. But The whitewater downstream rock and the prospect of tumbhng into then Rafael dropped into the hydraulic proved to be every bit as challenging the river and being swept into the tor- with less than the requisite amount of as we had anticipated from the canyon rent downstream, I felt like I was solo- momentum, and proceeded to get rim. Fortunately everyone was pad- ing a major wall in Yosernite. After sev- worked over pretty well. He finally dling with a sharp edge. eral lffy maneuvers I climbed onto a managed to surf out of it like a champ, At one point the Monzo turned ledge that offered a vantage to what lie but the sight of his close call con- abruptly to the right. Unfortunately downstream. vinced the rest of the group to portage most of the water flowed under the It was not a pretty sight. If I had the hole. overhanging left wall. On the right a known what I would have swam into The next portage, around the sixty stone buttress extended out into the had I taken a spill, I am sure that I foot falls, necessitated dragging our powerful current. From my boat I would have found some good reason boats through an endless morass of could see that running river left was for someone else to make the climb. A bamboo. When we finally found a spot out of the question and that I would portage was clearly in order. to climb back to the river, the sun have to scout by accomplishing an "I'd I returned to the eddy and posi- poked its way through the clouds, illu- better not fall!" climbing traverse tioned myself along the wall, ready to minating the falls in a way that made around catch each member of the party and being below it feel great in more ways the right buttress. The eddy along help them exit their boats. The eddy than one! the right wall was tiny, so Greg pinned was boiling; it would have been im- The next rapids looked steep and complex. The river was dropping into a deep canyon and it looked like scouting and portaging was likely to repre- sent a major endeavor. At some point paddling becomes a "solon experience. Irrespective of the communal experience and skill of the group, each individual must have the whitewater technique needed to survive. Any member of the group that does not have these requisite skills places themselves, and the other members of the party, in a compromising position. And while it is typically not the philosophy of the Tenth Streeters to set limits based on one another's paddling abilities, we decided that Howard had already provided too much excitement and that it was time to convince him

Page 54: Tenth streeter Wade Bullock tackles the last of the Tres Amigos. Photo by Earl Alderson

Page 55: Greg Goodyear negotiates the Tres Amigos. Photo by Earl Alderson

Right: Earl Alderson powers through a steep rapid on the Monzo. Photo by Greg Goodyear

Left: Howard " entertaining" at DOS XXs. Photo by Earl Alderson

American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 possible to climb out of a boat without waited for a while, but as we got the lake. I was feeling great; I love ex- assistance. After everyone was safely colder and colder, it seemed more and ploring unknown river canyons in re- on shore, we scrambled across some more sensible to move on down- mote areas better than any other kind boulders, returning to the water when stream. We decided to continue until of paddling. The Monzo had fed this the Monzo became a little less nasty. the river became too difficult for appetite, one which had driven me to Eventually the canyon widened Howard and John to manage alone. travel so far in search of adventure. and the rapids became more manage- We decided that this would give us The world seemed almost perfect... ex- able. We stopped and waited at the time to scout and to solve any time cept for the fact that Howard and John first spot where it seemed feasible for consuming problems which we might were still missing. Howard and John to descend to the encounter. Rafa and Greg began to paddle river. Unfortunately, for the fmt time Fortunately the furor of the Monzo across the lake, while Wade, Tom and during our trip, it was cloudy, rainy subsided and we were able to move I built a fire and waited. It was six and cool, &g the prospect of - quickly through the rest of the canyon p.m., ten hours since we put on and spending a night on the river with our without scouting or portaging at all. four hours since we parted with our Spartan gear less than appealing. We Soon we paddled the last rapid into friends. We were having a fine time,

American Whitewater NovemberIDecember 1993 it moving. We tried to push start the sixteen hours to accomplish the quar- stubborn vehicle, but to no avail. Rafa ter mile portage, which ended with a and Feto had taken the truck to 200 foot vertical rappel to the river. Barolochi to run an errand and they did not return until 2 p.m. I thought to myself, "What did they It was at this point in time that we do to deserve such a fate?" experienced the wild ride in the truck Which of the laws of river running described in the introduction of this had they violated? They had taken re- article. As a consequence it was four sponsibility for themselves and they p.m. when reached the put in. We hadn't done anything stupid. There knew that if we were going to make it could only be one explanation for their out of the canyon by dark, we would misfortune, "$%*#IHappens!". have to make a virtual wildwater run The next morning Rafa and I de- of the Monzo. Surprisingly, charging cided to paddle the next section of the over those big drops without hesita- Monzo while the rest of the Tenth tion or contemplation turned out to be Streeters recuperated from two very a lot more fun than I expected. When stressful days. A local assured us that we reached the point where we had there were no waterfalls on this sec- last seen John and Howard, we tion of the river, and he was right. It stopped and mounted a search. was a beautiful class III run that The bamboo was incredibly dense flowed into a small village, where we and we eventually concluded they met the rest of the crew. lying around the fire, reveling in the must be further downstream. Clearly it It was a perfect ending for our accomplishment of having completed would be faster for us to look for them Argentinean exploration. Of course the the Monzo canyon without injury. But from the river than from the canyon Tenth Streeters were still hungry for as darkness closed in, the reality that rim. And so we continued, faced, once adventure. We can never get enough. John and Howard were still missing again, with he perilous portage/ tra- So we crossed the border into Chile... became a real buzz killer. verse around the rock buttress. All the headed for the big waters of the I could not understand where they while, we were scrutinizing the river- Futuleufu... a welcome relief from the could be. It seemed impossible that sides, but to no avail. As we paddled tight, technical challenge of the Rio they could have gotten into serious across the lake, we could only hope Monzo. trouble on the last part of the river. that they would be waiting in camp. Eventually we decided to paddle Happily, we were greeted with hot Editor's note: This is not the first across the lake to camp. We con- food, mote and, best of all, Howard time we have covered the accomplish- vinced ourselves that they had become and John. They had plenty of wild sto- ments! exploits of the Tenth Street fatigued and, not knowing what lie ries to tell us from their journey Paddlers and we hope it will not be the downstream, had decided to bivouac through the Bamboo Forest From last.. and paddle out in the morning. We de- Hell. Their hands looked like ham- cided that if they didn't show up by burger from fighting their way through morning that we would go back to the the bamboo thicket. It had taken them top and paddle the river again, looking for them. We slept well that night because we were mentally and physically exhausted. It continued to rain throughout the night and the morning dawned cold and damp. We sat staring at the lake and waiting, imagining everything b.: that might have happened to John and Howard. The events of the preceding Page 58: Tenth streeter Tom Wise, a.k.a. day had left us weak and tired. The Hydro, in DOS XXs. Photo by Earl Alderson last thing anyone wanted to do was to load up, ride to the put in and paddle Top: Author Earl Alderson enters the the Monzo again. Canyon of the No Return on the Monzo. But as the morning passed and Photo by Greg Goodyear they did not appear we reached the conclusion that something must be se- Right: Tom Wise takes the plunge at Tres riously wrong. So, Tom, Greg and I Amigos on the Monzo. Photo by Earl loaded our gear onto the VW bus. But Alderson the bus refused to turn over and soon Bato ran the battery dead trying to get

American Whitewater NovemberIDecember 1993 We were aclmidng the six foot brilliant emerald snake from the k "safety" of the eddy when, shouted, "Get away from that

thing! He can swim too!'', ,/

Getting to our Honduran adven- ras, and had been orchestrated with ture was, as is typical of Third World Rios Honduras, a Colorado-based snake... it was a Morte vacations, at least half the challenge. company led by Dick Eustis in collabo- With five intermediate stops, we were ration with Jonathan Dirkson and their Verde, the green in transit for twelve hours from our Honduran partner, Pepe Herrerro. takeoff in Cleveland to our arrival in With roots in the Rocky Mountain Out- death snake, the most the oceanside city of La Ceiba Our door Center, Dick, Jon and Lany team had taken shape in Miami, where Vermeeran have been in Honduras for Tom Taylor, Jim Maruna and I met a little over a year, working to develop Mary Hayes, Steve Barnett, Paul their rafting business. We were to be Central America. Blusko and Kelly Simms. At the air- their first hard boating guests and the port in La Ceiba, we encountered the first to sample some of their new- usual horde of 12 year old "porters". I found river runs. And this fellow managed to keep hold of my bags until Our fust stop was the local barber- we were within a few feet of the bus, shop. With our kayak-topped bus before they were snatched away and double parked in the street, we spilled hoisted the final two feet. And then, off the bus in full river regalia and of course, the usual demand, "One dol- streamed into the shop, where the lar!" black market money exchange is lo- seen. With no The Partenon, our hotel, was up- cated. Good rates...efficient. .. and no scale by Honduran standards. Located paper work! known antidote, only 100 feet from the beach, we had It was a cool grey day, in the 70s, air conditioning, hot water and access but it was February... so who could to a good restaurant. Lodging in Hon- complain? Our first run was to be on its bite meant duras ranges from $3 to $13 per night, the Lower Section of the Congrejal. largely depending upon the availability Running from the mountains to the sea certain death. of hot water. beneath the 8000 foot Pico Bonito, the That night we walked along the Congrejal has four runnable sections, beach, enjoying the full moon and creatively named Lower, Middle, Up- kicking the coconuts. Now this was per and Top. Those of us from the Top: Wade Bullock going gonzo on the living. It was not until morning, when east immediately made the connection Monzo. Photo by Earl Alderson we were scratching our first flea bites, with our own You@ogheny, which that we saw the medical waste, dog has similarly named sections, but, over Page 61 top: Tom Taylor down a slot shit and people dumping their garbage the next few days, we would discover pails into the surf. that, in stark contrast to the Yough, the Page 61 bottom: Jonathan Dirkson jamming Our trip was the first Nantahala Congrejal offers continuous class IV-V down yet another gnarly slot. Photo by Gia Outdoor Center venture into Hondu- water from top to bottom, without sig- DeAngelis American Whitewater NovemberDecember 1993 nificant stretches of flatwater separat- ing the runs. The only flatwater we encountered was between the usual takeout for the Lower Run and the sea I suppose one could call this section the Bottom Congrejal, in more ways than one. One day Tom, Jim, Larry and I decided to forgo the usual bus ride back to town and to paddle the Bottom to the sea, then up the coast one-half mile to our hotel. Paddling another hour and a half, we left the pristine jungle behind. The river widened, became shallow and gravelly, and meandered through the city, where it pretty much became a communal privy. We spotted bathers, rock slapping laundry women and stained "squat rocks* lining each bank. Such are the realities of the Third World. But the rest of the Congrejal more than made up for the degradations of the Bottom. In fact, while in Honduras we only paddled one other river, but the Congrejal in itself was well worth the trip. Located only twenty minutes The similarities t~ the Upper from town... and with a hot shower, Yough did not end with Aqua Berm. soothing surf sounds and air condi- One long, frothy drop was quite remi- tioning at night... the Congrejal had a niscent of Triple Drop. Jim took one lot to offer. look at it, flipped, and ran the whole thng upside down. The Lower The best ender mot on the entire Congrejal, the ~olodeck,is located not The Lower Congrejal is a good in- far downstream. This rapid's moniker troduction to Honduran whitewater is in keeping with the apparent fasci- paddling. Rios Honduras had paddled nation of the Rios Honduras staff with this section of the river more than the Star Trek saga. Their shuttle bus forty times; it was the only section that is called the Enterprise, their beach they used for commercial rafting. The house headquarters- the Starbase, drops are narrow, blind and fairly their pickup - the Shuttlecraft and their technical. hand held portable radio -the Away Consider Ziplock. The correct line Team. here demands that you paddle hard and straight toward what looks like an ankle busting piton rock. This is the The Upper route that feeds you optimally into the Still wanning up for the more chal- current, which immediately zips you to lenging Middle Section, we spent our river left with amazing speed and au- second day on the Congrejal paddling thority. the Upper. Here we were joined by Gia Or Aqua Berm, which I call Hondu- DeAngellis, the hand roll queen of Vir- ran Hinzerling, because of its similarity ginia We soon discovered that the to its counterpart on the Upper Yough. correct lines on the Upper were But, in the Honduran version, the pil- tighter, blinder and more precipitous, low is a bit more narrow and the con- than those on the Lower. One of the sequences of spilling off the wrong most dangerous spots on the Upper way a little more nasty. And the ap- Congrejal featured a horrendous un- proach is not easy; one must negotiate dercut known as Taco, because of its a left to right ferry in front of some propensity to fold boaters over. Larry, real ugly stuff, catching a small eddy Steve, Tom and Mary ran it, but at the from which it is possible to boat scout bottom they all agreed it would be the the remainder of the drop. last time. At least 90% of the current

American Whitewater NovemberlDecember 1993 surged into the undercut. The sneak in us. but were hiding behind the rocks ferred to call it Open Heart Surgery. It river right was 99% rock and 1%flow - so'as not to ruin our "wilderness expe- featured a small .&rging slot ju& to the ing wate, but somehow Jonathan man- rience"! How's that for consideration? right of a massive rooster tail. At the aged to negotiate it without leaving his bottom a big boiling pool heaved up boat. The rest of us hit the portage against a house sued boulder. It was a trail. The Top real adrenalin pumper. Because the Upper Congrejal is The next day we set our sights on The take out for the Top was a steep and blind we ran the river by the Top Congrejal; it was only the thatch hut rimmed soccer field. The hopping from eddy to eddy, being care- third time it had been paddled. Our ragged, barefoot children who lived ful not to continue downstream until put in was on one of the four feeder there could not have been more aston- the boater behind was in a position to streams that fuse to create the river. ished at our appearance than if we had see the line. We maintained visual con- We portaged a steep but potentially arrived in a spaceship from Mars. Gia tact with one another as much as pos- runnable rapid where these tributaries took their pictures and when we got sible in an effort to keep track of all came together. back to town she had them processed members of our party. Downstream we encountered a quickly. When we returned a few days 'At one point in time I was running rapid I called Two Falls because it is later she distributed themto the chil- sweep and I KNEW I was running similar to the Five Falls section of the dren. They were quite amazed; none sweep, but when I glanced upstream a Chatooga Section Four. We boofed of them had ever seen their own pic- saw a single white helmet pealung out over the first horizon into a tiny eddy, tures before. We were, of course, from behind a rock. "What's going on just above a second horizon line. tempted to give them money and here?" I mused. One interesting feature on the Top candy, but Mary advised against it... re- I asked Mary if Gia had gone by... I was a triangular tunnel, about two minding us that the innocence of child- was sure she had, but she was the only boat widths wide and a paddler's hel- hood has already been lost along many one in our party with a white helmet. met high. Here it was possible to of the rivers in Costa Ria.. where Mary confirmed that it could not be paddle both under and between two kids greet boaters with their hands Gia boulders. Tom spun inadvertently on out. So who was behind us? Those of the approach, flipped, and went you who are used to the crowds on the through it backwards, making it look The Middle Gauley, Ocoee, Yough or Arkansas so diffkult that nobody followed but may be surprised that I was puzzled at Mary. Her line was clean because she On our fifth day in Honduras we spotting another boater. But you must caught a favorable eddy that allowed tackled the Middle CongrejaL All of remember that we were on a stretch of her to set up for the hot dog rnaneu- the rapids on this section of the river river that had only ever been paddled ver. are manageable, with the exception of by a total of twelve people. We found One of the last big drops on the the Subway. You can imagine how out later the helmet belonged to one of Top had been named Fools Rush In by that rapid got its name. Four spherical the raft guides; they had put on behind the first descent team, but Jon pre- garage sized boulders form a maze-like

American Whitewater NovemberIDecember 1993

the issue of stream bed title. For these rivers, the stream bed is owned by the State, not by the stream side landowner unless, prior to Statehood, ownership of the stream bed was txansferred into private ownership by the United States (or the by Pope Barrow King of England in the case of lands part of the original 13 colonies). State ownership of submerged stream "The potentialities of the public trust are beds in navigable waters was first de- 99 clared by the Supreme Court in 1842 in enormous and need only be awakened .... Martin v Waddell (41 US. 234,16 Pet. 367 (1842)). Chief Justice Roger Taney de- Professor Rogers in Environmental Law clared that "dominion and property in navigable waters, and in the lands under them, [were] held by the king as a public Inmplex concepts of navigability and North Umpqua in Oregon, are regulated in trust". According to Justice Taney, this stream bed property ownership to resolve ways which are unfair to one segment of public trust was a property right which these disputes. Using these concepts is the boating public. In the case of other riv- passed to the people of each State "when like plunging through a dark, thick forest ers which flow through public lands, such the Revolution took place". of judicial opinion. Fortunately, there is a as the Youghiogheny in Pennsylvania, dis- Although Martin v. Waddell applied better, simpler, more direct, and more criminatory fees are imposed on private only to States which were part of the origi- comprehensible path through this legal boaters entering the river. nal 13 colonies (the 13 east coast States, morass, and some progressive States are There is a line of public trust cases plus Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, taking this path. The alternate path by- which hold that the government, in admin. and Vermont), the same principle was ex- passes gnarly issues of navigability and istering natural resources held in trust for tended through the "equal footing doc- stream bed ownership, returning instead the public, must avoid a substantial im- trine" to all States subsequently admitted to the ancient concept of the public trust. pairment of public uses [2],achieve a fair to the union. [5] (State ownership of the The public trust doctrine states that balance among competing uses, [3] and stream bed of navigable waters of all certain natural resources, such as air, wa- not impose discriminatory fees on one States was ratified by Congress in the Sub- ter, and wildlife, are imbued with a public segment of the public.[4] If applied to dis- merged Lands Act.) [6] trust and that the government has a trust- putes involving river access on public The public trust doctrine was at the eeship responsibiity to protect and pre- lands, these opinions could significantly core of the Martin v Waddell case. It also serve these resources for public benefit. improve public recreational opportunities strongly influenced specific decisions re- According to the doctrine, these resources garding whether a particular stream bed cannot be completely transferred to pri- RIVERS FLOWING THROUGH was retained in State ownership or trans- vate control without a valid public pur- PRIVATE LANDS ferred by deed to private ownership. pose. Rights of public access to rivers which Under the public trust doctrine, the Use of the public trust doctrine to deal right of the public to use a State-owned with public rights of water use is not a nov- flow through private lands are controlled in part by Federal law and in part by State stream bed is held in a public trust by the elty. Historically, the doctrine is the start- State for the benefit of all citizens. This ing point for American judicial analysis of law. The law of navigability has frequentlj been seen by courts as the key to unlock right cannot be eliminated or transferred public versus private rights in freshwater to private ownership, except to the extent streams. the answer to the question of what rights are public and which are private on water consistent with the public purposes inher- The public trust doctrine is built into ent in the trusteeship. Mindful of the pub- the fabric of American law. It has strongly ways flowing through private lands. Un- fortunately, the key has more often than lic trust responsibility, Congress rarely influenced the decisions of both Federal granted private title to these waters prior and State courts in cases regarding rights not unlocked a Pandora's box of inconsis tent and confusing judicial opinion, pro- to Statehood and courts have been reluc- of public passage on lakes, rivers, and tant to interpret ambiguous pre-Statehood streams. In fact, the modem public trust viding more questions than answers. Federal law determines who owns the deeds as transferring stream bed lands out doctrine is generally considered to have its bed of rivers deemed navigable under the of government ownership.[7] origin in a case involving the public rights Courts have held that where, under the to navigable waters in Lake Michigan. [l] Federal rule of navigabiity. The right to use the surface of those waters for naviga Federal title navigability test, the stream The doctrine can enhance public acces bed is State-owned, the public right of rec- both in the case of rivers flowing through tion is also a matter of Federal law. State law determines who owns the reational navigation in the waters above public lands and in the case of rivers flow- that stream bed is secure, subject only to ing through private lands. bed of rivers NOT navigable under Fed- erd law, and more importantly, what pub- limits established by the Federal or State lic rights exist to use those rivers for boat- government [8] RIVERS FLOWING THROUGH ing, fishing, swimming and similar recre- Unfortunately, however, it is always PUBLIC LANDS ational purposes. difficult to apply the Federal title naviga- A number of rivers (such as the bility test. This makes it difficult for any- Yellowstone and Niagara Gorge) which one to know whether a particular stream RIVERS NAVIGABLE UNDER bed is State-owned or privately owned. flow through public lands are closed, in LAW part or entirely, to recreational kayaking, FEDERAL On the other hand, courts have found a raft'ig, and canoeing. Others, such as the For rivers which are navigable under wide variety of rivers and streams to be Colorado in the Grand Canyon, or the Federal law, most courts begin and end navigable under the Federal title navigabii- the analysis in public passage cases with ity test. Any river on which, in its natural

American Whitewater November/Decemb~ and ordinary condition, small craft could ational opportunities, especially for exclusive right to use the waters of all non transport people or goods in commerce at perts who favor steep and challenging navigable streams.[l2] the time of Statehood is deemed navigable whitewater. In most States, however, applying a va- under that test. Even if logs were (or could As mentioned earlier, in a few States, riety of statutes and legal doctrines, courts have been) floated downstream at the court decisions have prohibited customary have developed a body of case law to sup- time of Statehood, courts consider the recreational river use on rivers flowing port the public right of passage on streams river to be navigable under Federal law. through private lands where the stream which flow through private lands. Some bed is owned by the stream side land- States, like Wyoming, have relied on State RIVERS NOT NAVIGABLE owner.[ll] In one unfortunate situation, constitutional provisions to assert a public UNDER FEDERAL LAW Georgia, the legislature has proclaimed right of navigation on these streams.[l3] Some, like Maine, have relied on State The public trust doctrine is of even that stream side landowners have the ex- greater importance in resolving issues of n public versus private rights in the case of rivers and streams which are not navi- f gable under the Federal title navigability test. In these cases, the stream side landowners generally own the stream bed.[9] Some courts, like the Colorado court in People v. Emmert, have ended their analysis at this point, stating that stream bed owners have the exclusive right to control waters flowing over the surface. In this area of the law, however, gener- alizations are extremely dangerous. For all non navigable rivers, stream bed The Iiambla ir a very fart, (ompad kayak. It! arymmetrital ownership and the public rights to boat, swim, fish or wade are determined under V Hull provider {peed, {tability and mtrolin tight State law. The resolution of disputes con- dertena and waterfall jumping. An extellent choice for cerning ownership and public rights varies widely from State to State. women B ~mallerpaddlen, lteep creek expert$, A In the original 13 colonies, property eginnen of ktygrade. was granted by the King of England to various large landowners. The King's grant transferring title to this property, in some cases, retained stream bed ownership. If so, that ownership passed to the State as the King's successor at the time of the revolution, and the State may still own the river bed of a stream even when the river is not navigable under Federal law. Again, as in the case of navigable rivers, whenever the bed is owned by the State, the public right to boat, fish, wade, and swim is protected by the public trust interest of the State in those waters and not subject to restriction by stream side landowners. It is now relatively clear that the public trust doctrine covers public out- The Hurricane redefiner the door recreation, as well as such traditional uses of waterways as commercial navigation and fishing.[lO] A more difficult situation arises in the hull and wide low volume ftern. Rerirtanc~free spinning, case of those non navigable rivers in which, under State law, the stream bed is inrtafitaneoul enden and unklie~bleedge ton&ol make Cora FrppCdtd10(1Conta& clearly owned by the stream side land- thir the ultimate rodeo hole and wave lul.fing boat. W~LDWASSERSP ORT USA, IN(. owner. PO Box 4617, Boulder, CO 80306 This is a critical issue for whitewater PUONF: (303)44-2336 FAX: (303) boaters who seek out smaller, steeper fiemem ofthe Prijon advantage: r ~&+-237$ creeks since many of these may not be High performanre in daign navigable under the Federal navigability Revolufl~navmattrial and manufarmring prwmHTP Pla test. In the case of east coast States, under The itrongat phtk quaI1ed by none the original land grant the government t may not have retained stream bed title to Europer$unrivaled manufamer wib 30+ yearr wperiew I many of these streams. These are often I ;Ti -----e--- streams which offer outstanding recre-

American Whitewater November/December 1993 statutes.[l4] Some have relied on the com- ;dated from a constitutional challenge 4. Neptune City v Avon_bythe_Sea, 294 mon law and an expansive State law con- )wed on the Yakhgd' clause of the Con- 1.2d 47 (1972). cept of a public navigational easement. stitution since the legislation would 5. Pollard's Lessee v Hagan, 44 US. (3 1151 nerely be clarifying existing public fow.) 212 (1845). In several States, California and Wi rights. [23] 6. 43 U.S.C. 1301-1315 consin particular, the public trust doctrine The public trust doctrine has the po- 7. Laurent, Judicial Criteria of Naviga- is deeply entrenched in constitutional pro- ;ential to improve public access opportu- rility and Federal Cases, 1953 Wisc. L. Rev. visions and case law. In these States and nities both for rivers flowing through pub- 3. others (161, the doctrine could be much lic lands and for rivers flowing through 8. Shively v Bowlby, 152 U.S.l (1894). more widely used to sustain rights of pub- private lands. In the private lands context, 9. Donnelly v United States, 228 U.S. 243, lic access to rivers and streams flowing greater use of the public trust doctrine ?62 (1913), mod$?.ed at 228 US. 708 (1913). through private lands and over privately can circumvent the need to apply complex lo. Neptune City v Avon-by-the_Sea, 294 owned stream beds.[l7] and difficult legal concepts of navigability 1.2d 47,54 (1 972). Under the public trust doctrine, private and could lead to greater clarity and con- 11. People v Emmert, 597 P.2d 1025 ownership of land does not extinguish the sistency in the chaotic body of case law Cola. 1979). Doubt has been cast on the va- public trust in associated natural re- which now governs the availability of pub- idity of this decision by a subsequat opin- sources, the air and water flowing over lic rights of passage. It could also be used bn of the Colorado Attorney General and by and through that land and the wildlife as the basis for legislation codifying rights miformly critical scholarly review. which moves about in that water and land. of public passage on small streams. 12. GA CODE ANN 85-1304, 1305. The public trust applies to all natural re- Successful resolution of these issues in 13. Day v Amtrong, 362 P.2d 137 (Wyo. sources, wherever located.[la] the State courts, and persuading State leg- 1961); State v Red River Valley Co., 51 N.M. Under this theory, the public trust in islatures to do the right thing, will not hap 307, 182 P.2d 421 (1945). the waters of streams flowing through pri- pen overnight. In the meanwhile, caution 14. Gratto v Palangi, 154 Me, 308, 147 vate lands is, in effect, an encumbrance on is in order. Given the confusion and diver- 4.2d 455 (1958). See also Leighty, Public the property which authorizes a number of sity of judicial opinion which now con- Yights in Navigable State Waters -Some public uses. A number of California cases trols rights of public passage, recreational Statutory Approaches, W Land and Water have followed this approach. 1191 The Cali- boaters on small streams flowing through L.R. 459 (1971). fornia courts have declared that a public private lands would be wise to seek per- 15. Luscher v Reynolds, 625 P.2d 11 58 trust easement or right-of-way exists in mission, where feasible, from stream side '1936); People v Mack, 19 CaLApp. 3d 1040, rivers and streams which is incapable of landowners and to avoid conflict and con- 97 Cal. Rptr. 448 (1971). private ownership and which authorizes frontation with those landowners as much 16. See Strom and Strom, Stream Fishing the public to make limited use of those wa- as possible. Law in Michigan: Let's Redefine Navigabil- ters for hunting, fishing, and boating. [20] Sicethe loss of a single trespass case ity, Mich. Bar Jour. 390 (May 1990) Courts in Wisconsin have also found a on a single river can have ripple effects I Z See Dietz v King, 465 P.2d 50 (1970) direct relationship between the public which reduce access opportunities wowing public access to a beach access trust doctrine and public rights of access throughout an entire State for decades route. to small inland streams. The Wisconsin Su- thereafter, recreational fishermen and 18. People v Truckee Lumber Co., 48 preme Court held that Four Mile Creek, a boaters should avoid lawsuits unless they P.374 (1897) stream navigable by logs and small boats, are fully prepared ahead of time with a 19. Marks v Whitmy, 491 P.2d 374 was open to public recreational use as a well-funded expert legal team and a smt- (1971). public highway;this right of access is held egy to win. This approach has worked 20. Forestier v Johnson, 127 P. 156 in trust for the public by the State irrespec- well, for example, in Montana (Dearborn (1912); See Frank, Forever Free: Navigabil- tive of the private ownership of the stream and Beaverhead Rivers) [24] and is cur- ity, Inland Waterurays, and the Expanding bed. [21] rently being pursued by the Sierra Club Public Interest, 16 U.C. Davis L.R. 579 Sicethe Wisconsin court in the Four Legal Defense Fund in New York (Moose (1983). Mile Creek case found a public right of rec- River). 21. Nekoosa-Edwards Paper Company v reational use whether or not the State or On the other hand, with thinner legal Railroad Commission (228 N. K 144 (1930). the stream side landowner owned the river and financial resources, and in a more 22. See also Collins v Gerhardt, 237 Mich bottom, it was unnecessary for the court to hostile judicial environment, boaters have 38, 211 N.K 115(1926). delve into the complex issues of navigabil- lost critical lawsuits in other States (e.g. 23. Just v Marinette Co., 201 N. W2d 761 ity and stream bed title described above. Armuche Creek in Georgia). [25] (Wisc)(l972). (221 For help or advice in solving your river 24. This strategy has been taken on the access problems, for information about Dearbom and Beaverhed Rivers in Montana A BASIS FOR NEW STATE access rights in your State, or for free cop with good results (Montanu Coalition for ies of the American Whitewater Affiliation Stream Access v Curran 210 Mont. 38 (1984) LEGISLATION river access paper, write Rich Bowers, and Montana Coaltwn for Stream Access v In States where the public trust doc- AWA, 1609 Northcrest Drive, Silver Hiklreth, 21 1 Mont. 29 (1984)) and is cur- trine constitutes an existing limit on the Spring, MD 20904. rently taken in New York in a case on the exercise of private property rights, the Moose River defended by the Sierra Club Le- doctrine provides a basis not only for suc- END NOTES gal Defense Fund. cessful litigation but also for State legisla- 1. Illinois Central R.R. v Illinois, 146 US. 25. For a description of the case in Geor- tion codifying and clarifying public rights 387 (1 892). gia, see Judge Loggins Renders Decision, of access to recreational waterways. Codi- 2. In re Trempealeau Drainage Dist. The Eddy Line, newsletter of the Georgia C& fying existing common law rights of public Merwin v Houghton, 131 N. K 838,842 noeing Association, vol26, no. 8, August access to resources already impressed (Wisc) (191 1). 1991. The Colorado situutionh prior to the with a public easement would greatly 3. State v Public Sew. Cornm'n, 81 N. K Woodward Opinion is analyzed in People v clarify public versus private rights in these 2d 71, 73 (Wisc.)(1957). Emmert: A Step Backward, 52 Co1o.L.R. 247 streams. Any such legislation would be in- (1981). 1

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