yeion inside! FALL IN. LOVE 2.7 SECONDS. I IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT IT'S BECAUSE YOU'VE NEVER LAID EYES ON THE JAVATM BEFORE. THIS HIGHLY RESPONSIVE CREEK BOAT MEASURES IN AT 7'9:' WEIGHS ONLY 36 LBS AND ANSWERS YOUR EVERY DESIRE WHEN PADDLING AGGRESSIVE LINES. AND WHEN IT COMES TO DROPPING OVER FALLS. ITS STABILITY AND VOLUME PROVIDE EFFORTLESS BOOFS AND PILLOW- SOFT LANDINGS.WHETHER YOU'RE 7 A BEGINNING CREEKER OR AN OLD HAND, ONCE YOU CLIMB INTO A JAVA YOU'LL KNOW WHY THEY CALL IT FALLING IN LOVE. Forum ......................................4 Features Corner Charc .................................... 8 Letters .................................... 10 When Rashfloods Hit Conservation .................................. 16 IFERC Takes Balanced Approach on Housatonic Access .................................. 18 IAccess Flash Reports Whitewater Releases on the North IFlow Study on the Cascades of the Nantahala Fork Feather IGiving the Adirondacks Back to Kayaks IUpper Ocoee Update Events .................................. 24 Canada Sechon IIf You Compete, You need to Know This IMagic is Alive and Music is Afoot Dams Kill Rivers in Canada Too! INew Method for Paddlers JimiCup 2001 IRace Results ISteep Creeks of New England, A Review Saving the Gatineau! River Voices ................................... 64 IGauley Secrets Revealed IBlazing Speedfulness s Dave's Big Adventure IWest Virginia Designed by Walt Disney INotes on a Foerfather ILivin' the Dream in South America Whitewater Love Trouble .................... 76 Cover: Jeff Prycl running a good one in Canada. Issue Date: JanuaryIFebrua~2002 Statement oi Frequencv: Published bimonthly Authorized Organization's Name and Address: American Whitewater P.O. Box 636 Prmted OII Fit3 ,pled Paper Margreb~lle,NY 12455 American Whitewater Januaty February 2002 ing enough for most normal purposes, but he does have a girlfriend and she has a gun and knows how to use it. "Turn and face the strange changes. "David Bowie Ambrose is no stranger to the pages of Ameri- By Bob Gedekoh can Whitewater. He has contributed several ar- Beginning with this issue I will be sharing the Ambrose is a little too big for Tricky Whu, but he ticles and served as an Associate Editor for about editorship ofAmerican Whitewaterwithmy young is just the right size for extreme boating, since he ayear. He is Bobby Miller's personal editor and he friend Ambrose Tuscano. After ten years alone at is far too big to fit into any siphons. He spent last aspires some day to be asked to join Bobby Miller's the helm of this peculiar ship, I welcome the summer following Roc Skribar down classic Class posse. Ambrose really loves poems about company. This means that I will have more time V runs in California, then went slumming and whitewater and hopes that you will all send him to think, more time to write my own articles, paddled the Grand Canyon this fall. Now he is some to edit. Unlike me, Ambrose actually knows more time to get wasted and raise hell, more time back in the Sierras, working in the ski industry when it is appropriate to use a semi-colon. to chase women and, most importantly, more (ski bum) and waiting for the rivers to rise so he The Staff and members of the American time to kayak. And it means that Ambrose will can set a world record by running afalls six inches Whitewater Board are also very excited that have less time to do all of those things, which is higher than the one Tao ran. Ambrose has agreed to come on board as Co- good, because those things were starting to get Ambrose graduated from Davidson College Editor of this magazine because, like me, Ambrose him into trouble! last spring with a major in Field Biology. (Aside will work for nothing. Besides, they think he is Ambrose's father and I started kayaking to- to certain WW students who kayak, it only took less perverted than I am and will be a good gether about fifteen years ago. Back then Ambrose him four years.) As best I can tell he minored in influence on the magazine and me. They think he didn't want much to do with whitewater. All he paddling the Green River. He spent a semester will keep me from publishing nasty things. Boy, wanted to do was play hockey. Naturally, we fig- doing fieldwork (and, of course, kayaking) in are they in for a big surprise. Wait till they read ured he was going to grow up to be a real wuss. Costa Rica. Like his parents, Ambrose is a granola his first Forum! You won't find stuff like that in Then one spring day when he was about sixteen, eating vegetarian tree-hugger. But he does drink Paddler! Ambrose decided that he wanted to learn to kayak. Coke when they aren't around. He is also one of As for me, I'm really looking forward to our Aweek later he paddled the Upper Yough. About the world's foremost experts on the mechanics of collaboration. Between the two of us we should be a week after that it became obvious that he was bluebird fornication. able to come up with all sorts of wild and twisted more fearless and a far better paddler than his dad. Ambrose is adevoted fan of Britney Spears and ideas. By this time next year American Whitewater It took Ambrose a little longer than that to get the World Wrestling Federation. In fact, he re- will be the most talked about whitewater maga- better than me. (But not much.) cently had a picture of Britney and The Rock zine in the world. And quite possibly every hair on Since then Ambrose has paddled rivers all over tattooed on his hind end. AW Executive Director Risa Shimoda's head will the country. Ambrose is single, very smart, and good look- be whit. ac cnnwl So you've seen the latest kayaks, canoes, and playboats. You've read the reviews, studied the specs, and eyed the edges. But what you really want is to get your feet wet. At NOC, our paddling professionals understand this need to try before you buy, which is why our Wesser Outfitter's Store has an unbelievable stock of demo boats. Stop by our store, and we'll be happy for you to take a few out for a test-paddle. -.* - 7 *.-* -A- And when you buy a new boat from NOC, you'll also get a free one-year member- ship to American Whitewater, including six issues of this magazine. That's a $25 value! So you can paddle a brand new boat and help protect America's rivers, all at the same time. (Sorry, but this offer does not include used or sale boats. New J MaffMaffir? OL? ffie Wave memberships only.) hehrhd ffie NDC sfore. Three Restaurants Outfitter's Store & Mail Order Ropes Course Mountain Bike Rentals Whitewater Rafting on 6 Southeastern Rivers 1 (goo) 232-7238 MIM)MIAOC.CO~ Loco fed oh ffie Nohfohoh 30 Years of Outdoor Adventure Rrhr American Whitewater v January February 2002 ps Forum By Ambrose Tuscano airy Peter was the kind of man who AND THE was a woman. He nearly marched right up to attracted attention wherever he her and spun her around forcefully, but fortu- H went-and it wasn't just his size nately he realized his mistake just in time: the either. He seemed to rub people the wrong bag was not his. Instead, in his most suave way; you might say hewas a bit coarse. Itwas voice he tried one of his bombproof pick-up not uncommon to find him at the take-out of THRONE lines. "I think I see some good hard paddling a popular river in the midst of a crowd of in your future," he crooned. p$%%ed off boaters. The big Hairy Peter, a "That's a good one," she said, laughing. head taller than the rest, would gesture cock- "You must be a boater." ily at his fellow paddlers, until they looked "How did you guess," Hairy asked in amaze- like a pack of rabid dogs with hackles raised. ment. Now, what, you might ask, could one "I think your sleazy line blew your cover," boater say that could offend his comrades so? to Morgantown, fled West Virginia for the woman answered. Well with Hairy, it could be any of a laundry Asheville and finally reached his ultimate, "So what brings you to California," Hairy list of issues that might drive his mild-man- friendless dilemma: boating alone was dan- asked, with something close to genuine inter- nered boating partners to sputtering and gerous. The day this point became painfully est in his voice. Truth to tell, he was shocked speaking in tongues. Sometimes itwas some- obvious to him he was dragging his boat that she hadn't tried to smack him. thing as innocent as, "Tell me you really down to the put-in trail to the Green for "I'm doing a feasibility study," she replied believe the Cheat's a better run today than it another lonely solo run. Suddenly he heard with a smile. was fifteen years ago." a rumbling sound coming from up the hill. "A what?" he asked, puzzled. "But Hairy," ableeding-heart boaterwould He turned around just in time to dodge a "You know, a first descent," she simplified. protest in disbelief, "back then the Cheat was kayak, skipping madly down the trail. As he "Oh," he laughed, "why didn't you say so the dirtiest river in the east." stood there frozen in shock another boat before. Actually, I'm looking for someone to With a patronizing smile Hairy would say, came flying out of the trees to his right, sailed boat with.