Boating Beyond Youth
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Conservation • Access • Events • Adventure • Safety BY BOATERS FOR BOATERS May/June 2010 BOATING BEYOND YOUTH A California Whitewater Pioneer Reflects Mother of Hot Shot Paddling Daughter: “It Beats Being a Soccer Mom” Staying Fit & Limber A Sexagenarian’s Dream Trip PLUS A Canyon in India to Rival the Grand A VOLUNTEER PUBLICATION PROMOTING RIVER CONSERVATION, ACCESS AND SAFETY American Whitewater Journal May/June 2010 – Volume 50 – Issue 3 COLUMNS 5 The Journey Ahead by Mark Singleton 6 Safety: Thoughts from the Other Side of 50 by Eric Nies 42 News & Notes: NPFF Wrap-up by Bethany Overfield 44 Reviews: Whitewater Philosophy by Barry Tuscano 45 Reviews: Call of the River by Barry Tuscano STEWARDSHIP UPDATES 8 Colorado Stewardship by Nathan Fey 10 California Stewardship by Dave Steindorf BOATING BEYOND YOUTH 11 Major Problem on Minor Terrapin by Pam Ashley 20 One Paddler Lives his Dream by Henry E. Dorfman 22 Paddle to Stay Fit, or Stay Fit to Paddle? by John Amtmann 24 Antidote to Age: Flexibility and Specific Strength by Jessica Yurtinus 26 Reflections on a Long River Running Career by Richard Montgomery 30 Whitewater Boating Begins at Mid-life by Laurie Levknecht 32 Wild (and Scenic) Arkansas Whitewater by Brent Glover 35 A Little Wiser by Charlie Fox RIVER VOICES 36 Rivers of India: The Grand Canyon of the Zanskar by Stephen Cunliffe 50 Remembering Adam Shandro by Carter Wray Support American Whitewater through CFC or United Way All of the Federal CFC campaigns (CFC # 11351) and a few of the local United Way campaigns will allow you to donate through them to AW. Also, check to see if your employer will match your charitable contributions: double your giving . double your fun! Blair Samuelson rowing the Colorado Publication Title: American Whitewater River through the Grand Canyon. Issue Date: May/June 2010 Statement of Frequency: Published Bimonthly Authorized Organization’s Name and Address: Photo by Kathie Titus American Whitewater P.O. Box 1540 Cullowhee, NC 28723 PURPOSE RIVER STEWARDSHIP: making processes, grassroots advocacy, coalition regarding whitewater rivers, as well as river recreation, building, empowerment of volunteers, public outreach conservation, access, and safety. This is accomplished AN INTEGRATED APPROACH and education, and, when necessary, legal action. through our bimonthly AW Journal, a monthly e-news, americanwhitewater.org, paddling events, educational RIVER ACCESS: To assure public access to whitewater Our mission: “To conserve and restore America’s events, and through direct communication with the rivers pursuant to the guidelines published in its whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities press. to enjoy them safely,” is actively pursued through official Access Policy, AW arranges for river access our conservation, access, safety and education efforts through private lands by negotiation or purchase, Together, AW staff, members, volunteers, and affiliate under the umbrella of River Stewardship. The only seeks to protect the right of public passage on all rivers clubs can achieve our goals of conserving, protecting national organization representing the interest of and streams navigable by kayak or canoe, encourages and restoring America’s whitewater resources all whitewater paddlers, American Whitewater is the equitable and responsible management of whitewater and enhancing opportunities to safely enjoy these national voice for thousands of individual whitewater rivers on public lands, and works with government wonderful rivers. agencies and other river users to achieve these goals. enthusiasts, as well as over 100 local paddling AW was incorporated under Missouri nonprofit club affiliates. SAFETY: AW promotes paddling safely, publishes corporation laws in 1961 and maintains its principal AW’s River Stewardship program adheres to the four reports on whitewater accidents, maintains a uniform mailing address at PO Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC tenets of our mission statement: national ranking system for whitewater rivers (the 28723; phone 1-866-BOAT-4-AW (1-866-262-8429). International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty) and AW is tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the CONSERVATION: AW’s professional staff works publishes and disseminates the internationally- Internal Revenue Service. closely with volunteers and partner organizations recognized American Whitewater Safety Code. to protect the ecological and scenic values of all whitewater rivers. These goals are accomplished EDUCATION: AW shares information with the through direct participation in public decision- general public and the paddling community American Whitewater Journal Staff Board of Directors & Staff Chris Bell Norwood Scott Thomas O’Keefe Editor Ambrose Tuscano [email protected] [email protected] Pacific NW Stewardship Director P.O. Box 913, Soda Springs, California 95728 Asheville, NC San Francisco, CA Seattle, WA e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Graphic Design/Production/Photo Editor Megan Seifert Rich Bowers Charlie Walbridge [email protected] [email protected] Mark Singleton Contributing Writers Mark Singleton, Dave Steindorf, Nathan Fey, Henry Dorfman, Bellingham, WA Bruceton Mills, WV Executive Director Charlie Fox, Laurie Levknecht, Richard Montgomery, Jessica Cullowhee, NC Dave Cernicek BOARD OFFICERS Yurtinus, John Amtmann, Brent Glover, Pam Ashley, Barry [email protected] [email protected] Tuscano, Stephen Cunliffe, Eric Nies, Bethany Overfield, President: Don Kinser Carter Wray Jackson, WY Dave Steindorf Vice President: Norwood Scott California Stewardship Director Photo Contributors Adam Cramer Kathie Titus, Ciro Pena, Nathan Fey, Catherine Howard, Pam Chico, CA [email protected] Secretary: Jennie Goldberg Ashley, Henry Dorfman, John Amtmann, Stephen Wright, Arthur [email protected] Rosato, Mike Smith, Pat Owens, Stephen Cunliffe, Don Spangler, Bethesda, MD Adriene Levknecht, Grant Amaral Treasurer: Chris Bell Leland Davis Events / Advertising Coordinator Jeff Paine At Large: Dave Cernicek P.O. Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC 28723 leland@ phone 860-331-8323 brushmountainpublishing.com AW STAFF e-mail: [email protected] Swannanoa, NC Laura Blalock Safety Editor Charlie Walbridge Jennie Goldberg Finance Manager Route 1, Box 329F, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] Cullowhee, NC Seattle, WA [email protected] Stewardship Reports Editor Kevin Colburn, [email protected] Kristine Jackson Kevin Colburn American Whitewater Magazine Task Force [email protected] National Stewardship Director Jeff Espy, Dunbar Hardy, Dale-Marie Herring, John Mason, Rock Island, TN Missoula, MT Tanya Shuman, Ambrose Tuscano [email protected] Don Kinser Missing Copies and Address Changes [email protected] [email protected] Nathan Fey Colorado Stewardship Director Marietta, GA Longmont, CO American Whitewater is printed by Boyd Brothers Printing, Panama City, Florida. Evie Locke All rights reserved. nathan@americanwhitewater. [email protected] org Charlemont, MA Carla Miner EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER Eric Nies The opinions expressed in the features and Membership Manager [email protected] West Valley City, UT editorials of American Whitewater are those of New Paltz, NY the individual authors. They do not necessarily [email protected] represent those of the Directors of American Aaron Pruzan Jeff Paine Whitewater or the editors of this publication. On [email protected] occasion, American Whitewater publishes official Outreach Director Jackson Hole, WY TOLL FREE NUMBER organizational policy statements drafted and Asheville, NC 1-866-262-8429 approved by the Board of Directors. These policy [email protected] statements will be clearly identified. 4 americanwhitewater.org THE JourNEY AHEAD (little dinky dams), constructed around each dam removal spells a huge win for ver the last few weeks, I’ve taken the turn of the last century, are nearing river restoration. great satisfaction in watching the end of their useful life. Dillsboro Dam On each project, AW seeks land the removal of Dillsboro Dam was ripe for removal due to the fact that conservation, public river access, stream Oon the Tuckasegee River in North Carolina. it had not produced power since a flood flow information, and flow releases that The dam is a few miles from the American in 2004 took out its generation unit. AW benefit the aquatic ecosystem as well as Whitewater office, so it has been easy participated in the negotiated agreement recreational users. We have a proven track to check on the progress of removal. On and AW stood by the utility’s decision to record of success with each of these goals. February 3, 2010, the dam was “notched.” remove Dillsboro Dam while local county These enhancements create a triple bottom That simply means that a V-shaped slit was government spent over four years and line: they result in healthier rivers, they knocked in the concrete structure, allowing a quarter million dollars trying to fight provide local communities a sustainable water to drain from behind the dam. its removal (including a failed takeover economic base for tourism, and they Once the pool behind the dam drained, attempt of Dillsboro Dam by the county provide opportunities for healthy nature- rapids that had been hidden underwater commissioners through condemnation). based recreation. for the last 100 years showed themselves. Dam removal resulted in ten miles of free Dam removal and other