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Order, I 900, Dept. 3ozeman, ). Or call -9090. ratagonia donates IUYO ot pre-tax protlts or 1% ot sales-whichever is greater- to preserving and restoring the natural environment. ~oiumexX'XVI, No. 5

Not as smart as the average bear When it comes to keeping a bear away from the picnic basket, these boaters fail miserably By RICK DAVIS

Get Lost! Practical tips for avoiding the crowds on popular Eastern runs By DAVE BASSAGE

She broke my ... Tales of carnage on 's North Fork Payette By CHRIS KOLL

No ordinary river trip for two pals Paddling 's endangered Great Whale River By PETER SKINNER

Dancing with the Bear Another southeastern steep creek challenges for the title of the country's hairiest run By RON STEWART

Conservation American Whitewater's annual list of the country's "Top 40" whitewater issues

American Whitewater Briefs Memories of past Gauley seasons... Gauley survey to be conducted... Safety survey results concerning Gauley incidents

Safety *What is a boat to do? By CAROLYN PORTER .Shoulder dislocations: painful paddling injury By STANLEY BURBANK

End Notes Here's the real list of dose calls on the river By GARY CARLSON

Front cover: John Regan runs "B" side of Armageddon on Bear Creek. Photo by Roger Zbel

Clearer vision

This may come as a surprise to many of you folks who know me--but I am not actually a modest kind of guy. Now ordinarily, a lack of modesty wouldn't distinguish me from a thousand other whitewater personalities--all of whom possess an inflated opinion of their boating skills, physical appearance or overall value to society. That is except for one key factor: I'm also as blind as a bat. I've always avoided wearing glasses on the river--mainly because I never liked the way they looked. And because I also can't wear contacts, I've often flirted with near-disasterous situations that a clearer vision could have helped avoid. Boating seems a little more exciting when you can't tell whether that line of foam is a breaking wave or a pour-over... or if that dark hump is a submerged rock or maybe a turtle floating just beneath the surface. No wonder to this day there are a lot of paddlers who refuse to follow me down a river. But this year I bought a pair of perscription sunglasses--and for the first time in 10 years I can see what's going on around me and still look cool. I'm especially looking forward to this year's Gauley Season and subsequent Festival. Even for a person with limited vision, the scene at the Gauley is a handy barometer of what's happening in our sport and organization. Future trends in boat design, paddling technique and equipment styles always seem to make their first public appearance at the Gauley. It's probably because the Gauley attracts a heavier concentration of high-end boaters to a single location at any one time than at any other place in the country. Maybe the world. I'm glad I have glasses so I can see what's going on. The Festival has also emerged as an annual event of national significance. Next year's hot videos always seem to be premiered; prototypes of the next popular boat design seem to always be on display; and of course, information regarding the latest threats to our whitewater resources is there to be shared. I hope to see you there. Especially this year now that I can recognize people standing more than 10 feet away. Of course, if you can't make it to the Gauley--you can almost get the same benefits from reading the pages of American Whitewater--the world's best semi- professional whitewater magazine. But personally, I'd rather be at the Festival. You can drink beer there.

Managing Editor: Chris Koll, 25 South Street, Apt. 67, Marcellus, NY 13108 Editor: Bob Gedekoh, Box 228, RD 4, Elizabeth, PA 15037 Advertising Director: Phyllis Horowitz, Box 85, Phoenicia, NY 12464; (91 4)688-5569 Conservation: Pope Barrow, Mac Thornton, Peter Skinner Safety: Charlie Walbridge Address Changes: Keith Morgan, 2601 Tanglewood Dr., Durham, NC 27705 Missing Copies: Contad Phyllis Horowitz American Whitewater is printed by EBSCO Media, Birmingham, AL. All rights reserved. P URPOSE

The American Whitewater Affiliation (AWA) is a national organization with a membership of over 1300 whitewater boating enthusiasts and more than 50 local club affiliates. The AWA was organized in 1961 to protect and enhance the recreational enjoyment of whitewater sports in America. EDUCATION: Through publication of a bi-monthly journal, the AWA provides information and education about whitewater rivers, boating safety, technique, and equipment. CONSERVATION: AWA maintains a national inventory of whitewater rivers, monitors potential threats to whitewater river resources through its "River Watch" system, publishes information on river conservation, works with government agencies to protect GORILLA PADDLING nw NARROWS OF ~IEGREEN and preserve free-flowing whitewater rivers, and provides technical advice to local groups regarding river management and river conservation. AWA also gives annual A TERRY SHlELS PRODUCTION 'GORJLIA' is an adrenaline chagd film vhih duumenU the awards to individuals to recognize exceptional contributions to river conservation and an running of North C.mlina's Green River Gorge. lhk potentially fatal section of wh~le~t~rcalled The Nam' rsr until rtecntly annual "hydromania" award to recognize the proposed hydroelectric power project which lhwghl lo be unrunnable. woudl be most destructive of whitewater. Follow Fonert and Riu C.llsvly. Rab McDonwugh, ThVinius. EVENTS: AWA organizes sporting events, contests and festivals to raise funds David Bcnncr, and athem dmlhia minaua journey many mnsider foolhardy. Di-r why lhw hairboslcn find this dsnp- rivcr for river conservation. Since 1986, AWA has been the principal sponsor of the annual so imitiblc. Gauley River Festival in Summersville, West Virginia, the largest gathering of whitewater Pmdurcr/Dirtnor Tcy Shield dramatic point of vicv piclvrta let you crpenenre vicariously the .chiivcmenu of lhere daring fcr in a boaters in the nation, other than at international racing events. 12 112 minute film that is redefinin~the realm of gorrib~lity In SAFETY: AWA promotes paddling safety, publishes reports on whitewater whilewtcr sport. To gel a VII of %ORILIA' rend $19.95 t U.OO pege and accidents, and maintains both a uniform national ranking system for whitewater rivers handling lo: TERRY SHIBIS PRODUCTIONS (the International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty) and the internationally recognized AWA 9627-HVim. Cirrk Charlotte. NC 28213 Safety Code. 7W-549-9315 ORGANIZATION AND PURPOSES: AWA was incorporated under Missouri non-profit corporation laws in 1961 and maintains its principal mailing address at PO Box --I nnnn n 85, Phoenicia, NY 12464. AWA has been granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. The charter includes the following purposes: encourage the exploration, enjoyment, and PRODUCTIONS preservation of American recreational waterways or man-powered craft; protect the wilderness character of waterways through conservation of water, forests, parks, wildlife, and related resources; promote appreciation for the recreational value of wilderness cruising and of white-water sports. PROFESSIONAL STAFF: Except for membership services and the Executive Director position, all AWA operations, including publication of the bi-monthly magazine, are handled by volunteers.

Anita Adams Jack Hession Pete Skinner Route 2, Box 614 241 E. 5th Ave. Box 272, Snyder Rd. It's a Rapid Education! Princeton, WV 24740 Anchorage, AK 99501 W. Sand Lake, NY 121 95 Bill Baker Diana Holder A leader in whitewater instruction since 1972, Keith Thompson MKC offers highly persond instruction from 9429 W. Dr. Route 1 Box 90 1171 N. 10th St. Beginner to Expert levels in both and Littleton, CO 801 23 Fairview Mt. Rd. Laramie, WY 82070 open - leading to diplomas recognized world-wide. Pope Barrow Reliance. TN 37369 Mac Thornton Located on the Modawaska River, MKC 136-13th Street, S.E. Chris Koll 322 10th St. S.E. provides all equipment and transportation Washington, D.C. 20003 25 South St., Apt. 67 Washington, D.C. 20003 during he course, as well as the creature comforts of a vacation resort, including Bob Gedekoh Marcellus, NY 13108 Treasurer delicious meals served up with old world Box 228, RD 4 Sara Lawrence Claire Gesalman hospitdity. And better yet, our rivers are Elizabeth, PA 15037 6660 Bacchi 6301 Hillcrest Place clean, warm and uncrowded. Dan Givens Lotus, CA 95651 Alexandria, VA 22312 Join directors Clmdia and Dirk - national whitewater champions - and stoff for an 300 Straugh, #705 Tom McAndrew Executive Director unforgettable PADDLING VACATION! Boise, ID 83712 5535 Ridge Ave. Phyllis Horowitz Bob Glanville Philadelphia, PA 19128 PO Box 85 Box 635 66 Deer Run John Porterfield Phoenicia. NY 12464 Bury's Bay Glenwood, NY 14069 RR2 Box 669 Cntuio KOJ 100 CEnTRE S""":(613) 756-3620 Orrington, ME 04474 Winter: (4M) 447-8845 There Has To Be A Reason Why In Just Two Years Mohawk's XL Series of Whitewater Playboats Has Become America's Most Popular. Try One and Find Out.

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DISCOUNT ON BOATS & ACCESSORIES ORDERED AT THE FESTNAL New Wal~eKayak Products 2535 our id to^ Road FREE CATALOG FREE CATALOG Middletown Pa. 17057 Phone (717) 944 -6320 to flop ungraciously upside down in the cold sobering river water. "Wwaayycoool," yells my wife by Dear Chris, way of encouragement. "Can you do it Dear Editor, again?" she asked as she armed herself Just wanted to thank y'all fer the with a camera. Hair today, gone tomorrow. NO opportunity of joining the Ender Club. I The rest will be history if you WAYIII That's all we need is another pond apparently sent in the right amount of con- reprint this, for I not only did it again for- paddling magazine. Keep printing those tribution money but quickly forgot about it, ward, I did it backward, and half pirouet- hair boat'n articles. This is my response to not realizing the change it would effect in ted, and rode the wheelie, grinning that a letter entitled "No more hair" that ap- my life. carefree grin of a kid with a new game to peared in the MaylJune issue. On the day before stopping mail discover. And the proud parents were lurk- I'll never consider myself to be a delivery and leaving on our honeymoon (I ing nearby with a camera to catch the hair boater, but I sure enjoy reading those married Karen, a river nymph) we received moment for posterity. Karen consumed artides. And do you think that just because a package from AWA which contained an three rolls of film and my only regret is that I read these artides, I'm going to grab my official "Ender" T-shirt and membership in the "Ender" T-shirt that launched my new boat and run out to do mystery moves at the the "Ender" Club. Oh! That I could but touch passion lay hidden under layers of spray bottom of Niagara Falls? Naaah, I don't the hem of their robes, let alone stand in skirt, jacket and vest, not being promi- think so. their lofty company. I donned the gnarly nently displayed as it rightfully should. I think the AWA, ACA and other garb for our two-day drive to the S. Fork So I ask you... do you have any whitewater organizations do an excellent Payettein Idaho, exposing my person to its Polish Ender T-shirts? I want to keep my job of educating and informing the paddling then unknown properties. styled pompadour dry. How about a Mys- community on safety and the dangers of Upon arrival and after a manda- tery Move T-shirt for the budding squirtist river running. All we can hope for is that tory hot spring soak, I jumped into the who hasn't joined a lounge lizard act? each individual paddler can judge his own kayak for some surfing on "the play wave." Neeley's (not Bill) doesn't it get us deep skills, abilities, and limits properly. Being rusty and losing my ferry angle (or enough. I'm sure my friends Larry and Pat Hair boating has been around a being drawn by an unknown hand) I landed want an EnderIMystery Shirt for their long time. I would guess those paddlers unintentionally in "the pop-up hole" next to Whitesell paddling. who first paddled the , Gauley or "the play wave." What's that you say? 'It ain't the Upper Yok could be considered hair boat- "What do I do now?" I sez to shirt?" Blasphemer1Anyway, the moral of ers. These paddlers have years of experi- myself as I'm sucked into the frothy maw of this story is... if you wanna play the blues ence and are well seasoned. They know diving current. My skin crawled and the wet you gotta live 'em, and if ya wanna ender- the dangers and risks involved and accept hair rose at the back of my neck as I -ya gotta join the "Club." them. There will always be boaters push- plunged forward and was shot vertical as if Thanks for the shirt and all that ing the limits. It's like that in any sport. Not from a cannon. Aarrggl I was airborne. came with it. to glorify them or anything, but the sport Rising above the mists of the earth with wouldn't be what it is today if someone nothing between me and the high heaving Most Sincerely Yours, hadn't kept pushing to do more challenging heavens but a determined and stubborn Rick and Karen Norman rivers. Heck, we'd still be paddling seal skin gravity sucking me backdown, down, down Pasadena, CA . The sport has come a long ways over the years. A lot of safe and durable equipmenthas been developed. And we've learned a lot about safety and rescue tech- niques. I agree with Mr. Siposs, hair boat- ing is notfor everyone. But that is no reason to censor it from the AWA Journal. As for myself, if every kayak trip was a quiet and safe enjoyment of our waterways, and I didn't have just a little adrenalin pumping through those veins, well, I guess I'd take up a new sport.

Sincerely, Donald Gens Zoar Valley Paddling Club

(Editor's note: Take a look at this month's fineup, Don. There's enough expert-level whitewater reported in this issue to raise the hackles of the most experiencedpad - dler.) By POPE BARROW A WA Conservation Editor

AWA conservation volunteers have been hard at work 3. Pemigewasset River, New Hampshire across the nation, struggling with a tangled assortment of Issue: Hydro relicensing; possible wild and scenic designation. whitewater river issues. Concerns range from the ever-present Current Status: A 30-mile section of the Pemigewasset River from threat of hydropower development to the fastest growing menace, Plymouth to Bristol (above the whitewater section and above the river passage and river access restrictions. proposed Loon Mtn diversion) is being studied for possible inclu- Recently, Conservation Chairman, Pope Barrow, sur- sion in the national wild and scenic rivers system. AWA is working veyed AWA regional coordinators and river conservation groups on relicensing of the Public Service Co. of NH Ayers Island Dam throughout the nation to identify the top 40 whitewater river issues Project in orderto obtain summerflowsin the class II-Ill whitewater alive in 1991. Here's the list. section. Contact: John Porterfield, AWA (207-825-3566), also Phil Huffman, NPS (61 2-223-5013). 1. Kennebec, Dead, and Penobscot Rivers, Maine Issue: improving flows for whitewater in hydro relicensing 4. , Current Status: John Porterfield is working with Central Maine Issue: Relicensing of existing hydropower dam. Power and Georgia Pacific, with help from the National Park Current Status: whitewater groups, organized as New England Service River Watch Program, to improve whitewater flows when Flow and aided by American Rivers, are seeking improved flows projects on the Penobscot, the Dead and on the East and West and possibly the removal of one of the many dams on the No. 5 outlets of the Kennebec are relicensed. John desperately needs section of this popular whitewater run. Test flows for whitewater volunteers to help negotiate flows on the Dead. He is also were attended by a huge turn out. Contact: Bill Hildreth, AWA and Contact: John Porterfield, AWA (207-825-3566) New England Flow (617 -383-2785)

2. Saco River; Maine 5. Little River, Massachusetts. Issue: flows for whitewater Issue: Limited access and poor flow information. Currentstatus: National Park Service is looking into the possibility Current Status: AWA regional coordinator E.J. McCarthy contin- of obtaining whitewater releases in relicensing. Releases would ues to press the Town of Springfield to allow private boaters permit boater to use a reach of the river which is now bypassed. access through Springfield Water Dept. property to this class III- Contact: Dan Haas NPS (215-597-6477) IV run in Massachusetts (just east of the Farmington). Contact: E.J. McCarthy, AWA (RR 380-A, W. Cornwall, Ct. 06796) Tom DeCuir, 1st Place, Ocoee Rodeo BILL BURGER Response's advanced design features give you more control plus more stability. This kayak will go as far as you can take it! Like 1st and 2nd place in men's and 1st in women's at the 1990 Ocoee Rodeo! 1 st and 2nd overall at the New River Rodeo in Virginia. Top finishing playboat at Montana 's Big Fork Festival, - I- I ------a Want to know more? mI m~m-nmm-I-U I UrlI II mum Call or write for our free catalog! I I~WIma mrm WWUUVITM 11 1- P.O. Box 1500, Harriman, TN 37748 61 51882-0404 -- I bs. Cross-linked * Pol, inbow of colors to c gallons

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KAYAKS INC, - McCALL IDAHO FOR DEALER NEAREST YOU (208)634-7444 6. Moose River, New York. 9. Beaver and Raquette Rivers, New York Issue: Right of passage through canoeable segment. Issue: Relicensing of power project upstream of whitewater run. Current status: A $5,500,000 trespass action has been brought Current status: Negotiations are underway between the utility and aginst 5 boaters who paddled a section of the South Branch of the whitewater boaters to insure access to the river and improved Moose which flows through posted property owned by the recreational releases. Contact Pete Skinner, AWA 51 8-585-7580 Adirondack League Club. The boaters are being defended by the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund. This will be a precedent-setting 10. Mongaup River, New York case. Contact Tom Kligerman (518-457-5920) or Bob Srier, Issue: Unlicensed hydropower without recreational benefits SCLDF (202-667-4500) Current Status: Boaters have been excluded from using the whitewater of the Mongaup by the present owner of this old 7. Sacandaga River, New York unlicensed power project, Orange and Rockland Utilities. An Issue: Access to the river. independent developer want to take over the project and provide Current Status. The Niagara Mohawk Power Company (NIAMO) better recreational benefits. Orange and Rockland is trying to get continues to exclude private boaters (but not commercial outfit- Federal legislation to allow them to keep their monopoly without a ters) from this popular run. Whitewater boaters are trying to bring license. Contact: Ken Fishman, KCCNY (21 2-228-5753) the company around through negotiations. Contact: Carol Liebfarth AWA/ACA 51 8-279-3989 11. Gennesse River, New York Issue: River Access Restrictions 8. Salmon River (Pulaski), New York Current Status: NY State Parks authority has outraged paddlers Issue: Access, improved releases from unlicensed power project. by requiring that they sign up 2 days in advance of paddling the Current Status: FERC has declared that the Salmon River is not river and pay fees to boat the whitewater section. Contact: Jerry a navigable waterway. The old existing hydropower project, Hergrave, AWA 716 -663-3888 owned by the Niagara MohawkCompany,is not subject to Federal jurisdiction if this ruling is upheld. The State of New York is 12. Upper Youghiogheny River, Maryland appealing the ruling and AWA has filed a friend-of-the-courtbrief Issue: Relicensing at FERC. supporting the navigability of the stream. Without FERC jurisdic- Current Status: AWA is seeking to continue whitewater releases tion, it will be extremely hard to persuade NIAMO to provide from the Penn Elec Company's Deep Creek Project. Boaters are whitewater releases. Contact: Jerry Hergrave, AWA 71 6-663- also asking for better advance notice of flows. Maryland State 3888 or Bob Glanville, AWA, 716 -847-7019 fisheries agencies are looking into flows to protect fish habitat which could cut back on water availabilitvfor boating. Meanwhile

The Mountain Bike My of Knowledge A Paddler's William Nealy Guide to the Obed/Emory SOURCEBOOK IA Sourcobook ot Intormatlon I Watershed 1 Monte Smith for thest Menasha Ridge Pres! The Whitewater Sourcebook A Sourcebook of Information on books at your favoritt American Whitewater Rivers specialty sho~ Richard Penny Or call us at 1-800-247-9437 the power company has asked FERC to declare the river non- 15. James River, Virginia navigable and, therefore, not subject to FERC jurisdiction. Con- Issue: Possible wild and scenic designation tact: Pope Barrow, AWA (202-546-3766) Current Status: The city of Richmond is considering asking the Governor of VA to designate the falls of the James as a wild and 13. Blackwater, Williams, Cranberry, and Shavers Fork Riv- scenic river under section 2(a)(ii) of the Federal wild and scenic ers, West Virginia rivers law. This would eliminate the persistent threat of hy- Issue: Possible Wild and Scenic designation for 13 rivers in the dropower development at various sites on the James in Rich- Monongahela National Forest, including excellent whitewater . mond. Contact: Charles Ware, AWA (804-231-01 18) Current Status: A coalition of 21 groups formed by AWA is building a political consensus for wild and scenic designation and for 16. Johns Creek, Virginia restoration of damaged water quality to keep the trout healthy in Issue: Access Problems several of the streams which are impacted by add rain. The Forest Current Status: An almost legendary battle continues between Service had completed the fist phase of its study. The only boaters and a landowner (John Looney) who owns land on both opposition so far has come from the State Department of Natural side of the river near the take-out. This isVirginia's best whitewater Resources which has adopted a hostile and antagonistic attitude creek, but Mr. Looney claims ownership of the stream and for reasons which are still unclear. Contact: Roger Harrison, WVa promises to take trespases to court. The State Attorney General's Rivers Coalition (304-472-0025) office is currently investigating the rights of public passage through Virginia rivers like Johns Creek. Contact: Pope Barrow, AWA, 14. Gauley River, West Virginia 202-546-3766 Issue: An agreement has been reached between AWA and other concerned groups and the National Park Sevice to permit private 17. Russell Fork, VirginiaIKentucky hydropower development at the existing Summersville Dam. The Issue: Releases for whitewater project will cannot adversely affect whitewater recreation in any Current status: Negotiations between fishery interests and the way although it will use releases from Summersville Dam for Army Corps regarding Russell Fork releases may lead to less generation. Another proposed project (the Parcoal Project) up- whitewater- or none at all. AWA is trying to work out a compro- stream of the dam near Webster Springs would divert water from mise. Meanwhile hydropower developers are planning to install a the Gauley into the Elk and could severely cut backon whitewater power project at Flannigan Dam; AWA and EPRO) have inter- flows at the Gauley. AWA and American Rivers are fighting the vened at FERC to oppose anything which would make whitewater Parcoal Project. Contact: Anita Adams, AWA (304-574-0482) less available. Contact: James Stapelton, AWA (606-754-9779)

The Paddlesports Industry Leader Since 1972 We're the people who not only offer quality products hut the service to go along with it 18. Armuchee Creek, Georgia Issue:: River access problems 20. Ontonangon, Manistee, Black, Pine, Presque Isle, Stur- Current Status: The Georgia State Supreme Court will hear geon, Paint, and Brule Rivers; Michigan arguments in October in a trespass case brought by a river-side Issue: Possible wild and scenic designation (also hydroelectric landowner against kayakers and canoeists who paddled down relicensing at the Ontonagon) this creek. The lower court has ruled against the boaters in a very Current status: Legislation to designate these whitewater rivers discouraging decision which suggest that no whitewater river in with 7 other rivers in Michigan in a single omnibus bill has been Georgia would be considered legally navigable and open to pending in both the House and Senate since early 1990. A stall recreational boating. In a prior case, the popular Chatahoochee continues although the Forest Service supports designation. A River was found non-navigable. Similar cases are pending in New few private landowners, stirred up by the National Inholders York and . Legislation to change State law has virtually Association, continue to fight the legislation. Contact: American no chance of passage. Contact: Andy Warshaw, AWA (404373- Rivers (202-547-6900) 6683) 21. Pine River, Wisconsin 19. Little River, Alabama Issue: Hydroelectric relicensing Issue: Possible designation as a new National Preserve Current status: Boaters and river conservationists are trying to Current Status: Prospects for designation look good although improve the recreational opportunities at the Pine River in the some opposition has developed. AWA Regional Coordinator, Ken FERC relicensing process. Dam removal is an option at this point. Burst is working with Congressman Tom Bevill to have the Little Contact: Angie Tornes, NPS (402-221-3481) River Canyon protected as a national preserve. The Park Service has completed a new area study of the area and found it qualified. 22. Clear Creek, Colorado Recently, environmental groups were able to have the river Issue: New dam and quarry under consideration. designated under State law as an Outstanding Natural Resource Current Status: The Colorado Water Resources Agency is study- Water under the Federal Clean Water Act. This will protect water ing a new water supply dam which could destroy this popular quality. The Alabama Power Company (which owns most of the whitewater run just northwest of Denver. A proposed quarry could land) is cooperating with environmental groups and Congress- increase noise, traffic and pollution in the canyon. Contact: Ric man Bevill. Primary opposition has come from an out-of-State Alesch, AWA (303-985-8620) rabble rouser opposed to the establishment of all new parks and other Federal land areas. Contact: Ken Burst, AWNFriends of the 23. Yampa River, Colorado Little River (205-977-5063) Issue: Cross Mountain and Juniper Mountain Dams

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Dagger Company, Inc. Route 8. Box 204 Harrlman, TN 37748 6 151882-8223 PADDLES FOR THE 903 Y- Y- FORTHE COnillPULSWE OVERACHIEVER We're like you. Always doing the best we We affectionately call our brand, new can. Then going ourselves one better. krayton-lined, adjustable kayak saddles TLCs. That's why we always refine Yakima Because they grip your ,:, refinements. Like our new 6 millimeter kayak or rowing skewer. shell without Mountain bikes are transported over rough deforming it. territory. So we provide extra heavy duty And prevent hardware. The new skewers aren't any lateral motio only bump-proof. They're Like us, we know you'll bullet-proof. An obvious never be satisfied with just one benefit for road bike sport. But it's good to know you enthusiasts, too. only need one rack. For everything from bikes We're also really up on our new and boards to boats and skis. A Yakima. tie-down wheel buckle. Which borrows Made by compulsive overachievers for the latest ski boot technology. So it looks compulsive overachievers. great. And works even better. 4 P.O. Box 4899, Arcata, CA 95521 Current Status: The Colorado River Water Conservation District continues to push for these 2 dams in northwest Colorado for 26. Animas River, Colorado hydropower and water diversion. Meanwhile the BLM is studying Issue: Possible irrigation diversion 83 miles of the river above Dinosaur National Monument for Current Status: The proposed Animas La Plata Projed would possible wild and scenic status. The Yampa is the last undammed divert water from the river to provide agricultural water to farmers river in the Colorado Basin and has excellent whitewater in Cross south of Durango and for the Ute Indian Rese~ation. Mountain Canyon. Contact: Ric Alesch, AWA (303-985-8620) Contact: Ric Alesh, AWA (303-985-8620)

24. Arkansas River, Colorado 27. Colorado River, Arizona Issue: Possible dam, flow and access problems, wild/scenicstudy Issue: Environmental damage downstream of Glen Canyon Dam. Current Status: As appropriate for the nation's most heavily used Current Status: AWA has joined with numerous other river groups whitewater river, the Arkansas has almost every river problem in and environmental organizations to back legislation requiring the book. Although the whitewater run is now under State man- changes in the Glen Canyon Dam flow regime to reduce environ- agement, nothing in the plan prevents dam construction. The city mental damage downstream in the Grand Canyon. A bill has of Colorado Springs has proposed 2 different dams (the Mount passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is now pending in Princeton and Elephant Rock dams) above Buena Vista, each of the Senate. Contact: Kevin Coyle, American Rivers (202-547- which would divert up to 113 of the river. The BLM is studying the 6900) river for wild and scenic status, but is ignoring the incredibly scenic Royal Gorge section. Meanwhile, there are access problems 28. East Fork of Owyhee River, ldaho galore. Worst of all, in August, Trout Unlimited obtained an Issue: A proposed Air Force bombing range supported by gover- injunction in a local court which stopped summer whitewater nor Cecil Andrus would dose down 150,000 acres between Deep flows. A major mess I!! Contact: RicAlesch, AWA (303-985-8620) Creek, Battle Creek and the East Fork Owyhee . The East Fork has been found eligible for Federal wild and scenic status, but 25. Gunnison, Colorado would be disqualified if it was bombed into oblivion. Issue: Possible water diversion Current Status: Local groups are opposing the Air Force plans, but Current Status: The AB Lateral Project proposes to divert water the outcome is uncertain. Contact: Wendy Wilson, ldaho Rivers from the river near Montrose for hydropower and Arapahoe United (208-343-7481) County proposes to diver water from the upper Gunnison to the front range for municipal water supply (lawn sprinklers). Contact: 29. Falls River, ldaho Ric Alesch, AWA (303-985-8620) Issue: Hydro development in progress Eastern Boaters! You've called us for years about spring levels on the Fish, Hudson and Moose, and now, we've moved our shop to serve you better. We're located directly on Rt. 12 North in Barneveld, New York, 10 miles north of Utica. Stop in on your way north to Adirondack rivers, the Black River in Watertown and the in Ontario, Canada.

As our name suggests, we are a total wilderness outfitter complete with equipment for rock and ice climbing, backpacking, canoeing, and cross- country and telemark skiing. What ever your outdoor addiction, we are here to assist you! MOUNTAIN SPORTS Route 12 North, Barneveld, NY (3 15) 736-5336 Current Status: A proposed hydropower project would dewater 7 miles of dass Ill whitewater (and trout habitat). Whitewater 32. Elwha River, Washington groups were caught off-guard by a quiet developer, and the Issue: Possible removal of 2 existing hydropower dams project has already received a FERC license. But the U.S.Army Current Status: Numerous environmental groups are asking that Corps of Engineers has not yet issued the required 404 Permit. 2 existing hydropower dams (Glines Canyon and Elwha) on this Boaters were able to get a stop work order issued against fabulous whitewater river be removed. The park service has continued constructionuntil this permit isfiled. Meanwhile another studied the removal option and found it feasible. This would set developer has applied for a preliminary permit to build a second an exciting national precedent which might be followed else- project about 5-7 miles upstream. Contact: Wendy Wilson, ldaho where. Environmental groups and the park service argue that one Rivers United (208-343-7481) project cannot be relicensed by FERC since it is inside a Olympic NationalPark. But, FERC is dinging to its reputationfor hydromania, 30. South Fork Salmon River, ldaho and refuses to cede authority to the park service. Issue: Over zealous regulation Contact: Carol Volk, AWA (206-876-6780) Current Status: The US Forest Service is requiring private boaters to obtain permits to float the main Salmon after running the South 33. North Fork, Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers, Washington Fork. This is a noncommercial river which offers an overnight Issue: Access problems kayak trip with no jet boats or commercial raft zoo. But only those Current Status: Stormy relations between boaters and the will lots of $$$ can fly out or take a jet boat when they reach the Weyerhaeuser Company have led to access problems for boaters main Salmon. Private boaters want the Forest Service to lighten at the put-in and take out on the North Fork. Another private up. Contact: Wendy Wilson, ldaho Rivers United (208-343-7481) landowner temporarily blocked the take-out for the Middle Fork run. Boaters are looking for a new take out to avoid future 31. Lochsa River, ldaho problems. Contact: Sandie Nelson, Northwest Rivers Council Issue: Possible new highway could degrade environment. (206-547-7886) Current Status: Retiring U.S. Senator Steve Symms got $12 million placed in a Senate appropriations bill to enlarge Highway 34. Klamath River, Oregon 12 along this popular whitewater run (a national wild and scenic Issue: Possible hydropower development (Salt Caves Project) river). If the money is also approved in the House of Representa- Current Status: The Citvof Klamath Falls continues to push ahead tives, the enlarged road will bring more traffic, congestion, noise with this heavily contested project. Numerous environmental and scenic degradation. Contact: Wendy Wilson, ldaho Rivers groups continue to fight on all fronts. The State has denied a 401 United (208-343-7481) water quality permit on technical grounds, but the FERC may

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35. American River, California 38. Mokelumne River, California Issue: Possible construction of Auburn Da Issue: Proposed hydropower projects. Current Status: The Auburn Dam proposal is still alive in the form Current Status: Amador County's license application before FERC of a 430 foot high expandable flood control dry dam with gates. to build the Devils Nose Dam is still pending and San Joaquin The dam would periodically flood large 35 miles of the North and County has obtained a preliminary permit to investigate construc- Middle Forks of the American, and could be converted to a tion of a Middle Bar Dam. Both dams are environmental night- permanent reservoir by merely dosing the gates. Conservation- mares. Contact: Friends of the River (91 6-442-3155) ists are backing an alternative river-based national recreation area (like West Virginia's Gauley River NRA) and less expensive 39. N.Fork Stanislaus River and less environmentally damaging methods to solve the flood Issue: Possible hydropower project control problems which do exist with the American River. Contact: Current Status: The Calaveras Co. Water District and Northern Ron Stork, Friends of the River(916-442-3155) Cal. Power Agnecy have applied for preliminary permits to build the Ramsey-French Meadows hydro project which would elimi- 36. Merced River, California nate the Boards Crossing Run on the N.Fork of the Stan. Contact: Issue: Possible wild and scenic protection for Lower Merced Friends of the River (916 -442-3155) Current Status: Designation of the Lower Merced as Wild and Scenic (in addition to the existing 71 miles on the main stem and 40. Tatshenshni River, Alaska (and Canada) 43 miles on the South Fork added last Congress) is still being Issue: Proposed huge copper mine pushed by river conservationists, but is being resisted by the Current Status: The mine would severely impact the wilderness Merced Irrigation District. Meanwhile a giant new dam which quality of this amazing wild and beautiful river by dynamiting the would drown the river up to Briceburg has been proposed. top off Windy Craggy Mtn, creating a huge open pit mine, storing Contact: Friends of the River (916 -442-3155) 18,500 tons of highly acid waste rock each day in a4112 mile long reservoir with an earthen dam located on 3 earthquake faults, 37. Yuba River, California construct 65 miles of road and two pipelines in a wilderness. Issue: Proposed hydroelectric/flood control projects Contact: Jack Hession, AWA & Sierra Club (907-276-4048) Current Status: The Yuba County Water Agency is collecting

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Around boaters' campfires you hear stories--lots of them. In the East, one river keeps turning up: the Gauley. TheGauley is many thingstomany people. To many it is a place to prove themselves against the next level of diffi- culty. To others, it's a place to find an adrenalin rush or two. And then there are others who just come to be entertained both on and off the river. To me, the Gauley is a magical place. For one thing, everything about it is big. From the East's largest earthen dam rising 500 feet above the river to the man- sion-sized rocks with potholes in their tops as if to say "Look how much water regularly went through here before the dam." The rapids on the Gauley are big- -yet not so unforgiving as some other Ap- palachian rivers. Still, they demand a great deal of respect. The Old Days home. But when that resped is offered, Back in the old days there was Part of the adventure once in- theuGolly"gladly opens up its secret moves, more adventure to a Gauley trip than there duded getting there. For Southerners, there raw power and wonderful natural beauty is today. In a way, today's paddlers are a was the West Virginia Jobs Program--re- for the paddler's delight. little deprived when they are able to make cently renamed the West Virginia Turn- No wonder it remains the center- Sunday runs in warm weather and then pike. This perpetual non-motion machine piece of so many campfire stories. hop in the car and drive the interstates was started in the 50's and slowed Gauley season traffic through the mid 80's. We didn't really mind though, as a friend once overheard on his CB, "You should have seen the old road." I can't remember who's campfire I was at in the early 80's when I heard a story about a group who allowed a fellow passenger to navigate a shortcut to the river. "I've got the greatest shortcut" he says. wJustget off the interstate here." The van left the four-lane and went up and over the mountain, down avalley or two, up over another mountain, and then after an hour or two, they crossed another interstate. So far so good. A couple of more hills and another hour brought them to still another four-lane highway. The shortcut came alongside of it, then went back up the hill. They waved at a hitch hiker up on the four-lane as they sped by. Twenty orthirtyminutes later, they came back down from the top of yet an- other mountain and saw another four-lane. They waved to the same hitch hiker... Then they tore up the map and banished the navigator to sit in the boat tied to the roof for Sweet's Falls Sharpenyour Rver Leader Slulls

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) 1989 NOC the rest of the November drive. (I'm not told to me to preserve the character's ano- have the week off that the Gauley Festival sure, but the boats my have been stacked nymity: was on. on their sides). "Just out of college and in my first "I found myself on the road alone The Shuttle real job, I had been bitten by the Gauley that year, with no plans but to head to the Backthen, river successwaseven bug a few years earlier and had returned Gauley and find someone to paddle with. I more difficult than it is now, especiallyif one each year to enjoy the challenge of the arrived late that night to camp in the dam wanted to take out of the Upper at the end Upper Gauley, the serious party that al- parking lot, a campfire glowing with a dozen of the day. Back then, Peters Creek was ways occurred at the Gauley River Festi- or so hard core river-rats guzzling whiskey one of the few available choices. val, and the easier day of play boating on and swapping stories in aserious Southern The railroad tunnel at Peters the Lower Gauley and on the New River drawl. Preparing for the worst, I pulled a Creek was always a treat, especially when Gorge. Vacation planning had turned vi- fifth of Jose Cuervo and a fifth of Jack you hadn't planned on using it and had thus cious that year, with my plans shifted by a Daniels from the trunk and headed for the left your waterproof flashlight in the car in boss that didn't understand that I had to I commotion, fully aware of what I thought November, after 6 pm. The five guys carry- ing a raft ahead of you, and the dozen other boaters in the tunnel were never enough to diminish even the greatest train lover's fear of trains. Nobody's ever told me firsthand what it would be like, but apparently it has happened sans raft. One sunset, after safely complet- ing the mile-long hike at Peters Creek, a work train came creeping by. I'd never seen anything like it. This train was grind- ing the tracks to that proper 'round" shape that railroad rails are supposed to have. A shower of sparks sprayed from the wheels. There was an engine and two cars with 26 grinding wheels each. A tank car with two men on the back, hosing down the brush, completed the procession. Only weeks later did I remember that the tracks from Peters Creeks led down to the tunnel by the river and I won- dered if the shower of sparks helped illumi- nate the tunnel for any straggling paddlers. On my very first takeout up Pan- ther Creek, I would have laughed at any- one who foresaw its present popularity. But a couple of years later, it became a nor- mally acceptable access point to the river. Stunts, the cable car, and other horrors Back before the Government would admit to the existence of a "Gauley Season" for whitewater boaters, there was more room for occasional extra-legal ao tivities. One story I heard from reliable witnesses was that of someone who called himself "Danger Bob". This guy had the ability to ignore common sense and do alligator entries above the jets of water being released from the dam. The results were apparently spectacular, and he re- peated the stunt several times before Dan- ger Bob faded back into the crowd. Another story came to my atten- tion while working on this piece, but none of the personalities involved would own up to their participation--presumably to avoid in- carceration or commitment. Lacking a willing source, I'll re- count the episode second-hand as it was would be the peril of being a Yankee in the the time, a Millennium Falcon and a wt- with the Mission Impossible theme song southern West Virginia court of the Gauley. down Prijon '82 and other exotic river craft. whistling through our heads. We crept low "I took a swig of the tequila and I was in a beat-up[ Dancer. A lot of great towards the ladders and open air intakes passed it along. Where you from? Con- things had happened on the river that week, atop the outlet tubes. There were no signs necticut,I belched. Hmmm. You smoke the including a scary trip up behind the tubes. of Rangers, Army Corps officers, or of good stuff, I asked, preferring a dull glazing But the two things I remembered most anybody. We had the place to ourselves. to a hangover. Yep. The ice was broken, were incidents that occurred off the river: 'The air was rushing headlong the gifts of good smoke and hard liquor the tour of the dam tubes and the cable car down the intake shafts, my knuckles gripped bridging the gap across the Mason-Dixon ride. white against the weathered iron ladder line. I was in. "It was late at night. Our attitudes rungs. I felt my feet touch cold concrete; I "I paddled that week with some of were properly adjusted for adventure, and held onto the ladder rungs to avoid being the finest paddlers I had met anywhere. we quickly scaled the fence next to the sucked into the fan-shaped aerators that They were in boats that I thought radical at thundering tubes, vaulting the barbed wire mixed air with the water sucked out of Summerville Lake. We took turns touching the fan jet of water with our fingertips, surprised at the heat and friction burn that resulted. It was a deafening, wild place and we each wondered how many bits our bodies would be blown into if we let go of the ladder rungs. I dimbed out before I had the chance to find out. "We were all pretty wound up when a couple of guys decided to let us all in on a little secret: there was a cable car and wire that spanned the river just belong the parking lot, and they had succeeded in freeing the cable car earlier and had taken a test ride. How about a spin? We scrambled down the rip-rap to the river left side of the cable, strung 60feet above Entrance Rapid. Four of us dimbed in, the safety chain was fastened, and we pushed off, the cable screaming through the pulleys. Yelps and yahoos met the G-forces at the bottom of the cable, and we glided through the dark- ness close to the other end of the cable, rachetting the car up the remaining slope with the hand bar. Swoosh! "We screamed back and forth a few more times, adrenalin junkies fixed on fear, white knuckles gripping the safetyrail. And like any junkie, we wanted more ex- citement, more fear. Soon, we were begin- ning to bounce the car as we sped back and forth. What is the cable breaksl" my alter ego screamed across my synapses. "The next plateau was reached when we began bounang and swinging the car during our low orbit flights. It was like a religious experience: instead of fearing and dreading the fact that 1 was definitely going to die as the cable broke to scatter us 60 feet over the Entrance Rapid rocks, I be- gan to say, "Screw it, if I'm going to die, I might as well enjoy myself on the way." "To this day--1have yet to have a similar experience in which the thresholdof abject fear was reached and broken in the name of pure screaming fun." Information needed for river plan NPS to conduct Gauley paddling survey The National Park Service will be and tracking entry and exit points. because there are no public roads that conducting a river use survey on theGauley Three questions will be asked at access the river anywhere between the River this fall. The purpose is to determine the launch site: dam and Swiss. patterns and levels of commercial and pri- 1. Is the trip commercial or pri- Commercial companies who do vate use at all existing river access points. vate? not own land in the NRA pay access fees to This informationis needed for the 2. If commercial, what is the landowners. Private boaters who put on or General Management Plan and the ac- company's name? take off the river in the middle section are companying Environmental Impact State- 3. What is your zip code? trespassing as they climb extremely steep ment being prepared for the NRA. These Three questions will be asked at slopes or walkalongrailroad tracks or trails documents will guide NPS planners and the take-out site: carrying kayaks and related gear to their managers in determining what develop- 1. Where did you eat lunch today? vehicles. Conflicts have occurred between ment and land acquisition alternatives to 2. If you camped overnight, where the private and commercial boaters over consider for this new unit of the NPS (es- did you stay? vehide parking and use of the private ac- tablished in 1988). 3. Where would you prefer to see cess areas. Each Saturday during the six con- public launching and take-out facilities lo- Although the NPS has no regula- secutive Gauley weekends, NPS person- cated in the Middle Gorge? tory authority over the numbers of people nel will be stationed at Summersville Dam, The last question is particularly using the Gauley (the enabling legislation Panther Creek, Woods Ferry, Bucklick, important for private boaters to answer. directed that the state would regulate all Koontz Bend, Peters Creek, Swiss and Exceptfor the publicaccess located imme- commercial watercraft services), it does Jodie. Each launching craft will be as- diately below the Summersville Dam, all have responsibility for land based services, signed a number attached to a wrist band other existing access points in the Middle such as providing publicaccessto the river, worn by one person per craft. The wrist Gorge and near the town of Swiss are changing facilities, etc. band will be collected wherever the craft owned by the commercial outfitters. Ac- If you are paddling the Gauley this takes off the river. This will provide an quiring one or more of these sites is a fall on a Saturday the Park Service asks accurate method of determining trip length priority: the situation is particularly critical that you cooperate with their personnel

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A complete line of accessories, clothing, books, specialty items, G. great new gifts for Christmas. Call today for our free mail order catalog 8Christmas flyer 1-800-426-763 7 1 -800-4CORNE.R We guarantee your order will be processed the same day it is received. Give us a t y today. P.O. Box 379A Durango, CO 81302 doing the survey and take the time to give thoughtful answers. The Park Service is AWA Safety Survey identifies trying to streamline the survey so that there will be no launching delays and only 60 seconds should be required to retrieve the Gauley boating hazards wrist bands and ask question 4,5 and 6. By DAVID WALLACE If you will not be on the Gauley, the NPS would still like your input regard- The AWA "Close Calls and Seri- was a paddler attempting the river for the ing the development and facilities that you ous Injury Survey" induded 17 reports of first time and following a more experienced feel should be considered for the Gauley. separate non-fatal a dents which oo boater without scouting. The victim either Written comments should be sent to the curred onthe Upper Gauley between 1980- 'lost their way" or was not aware of the Superintendent,New River Gorge National 1990. No reports were received on the safest line. Almost half sited 'unseen ob- River, p.0. box 246, Glen Jean, West Vir- Lower Gauley. Most of the Gauley reports stacles" and 80% sited "bad judgement" as ginia 25846. were filed by "experienced" paddlers, contributing factors. Another avenue for input isvia the though many were unfamiliar with the river Reviewingthe data suggests that noncommercial whitewater boating orga- itself. the Gauley is no place for swimmers, boat- nization representative on theGauley River Vertical and horizontal pins ao ers out of control or off their line. The rapids NRA Advisory Committee, Kim Castro. His counted for almost half of the incidents (8), mentioned here are particularlyunforgiving address is Route 2, Box 280, Fayetteville, while entrapment in rock sieves accounted and paddlers would make sure they no the West Virginia 25840. for three more. Sixty-five percent of the correct routes before they attempt these The enabling legislation for the Gauley accidents fell into these categories. rapids. Many advanced and expert boat- NRA directed that an Advisory Committee The rapids most often named were Initia- ers are reticent to get out of their boats and be established to consult with the NPS on tion (4 people), Lost Paddle (4 people), scout and prefer to play follow-the-leader, "matters relating to development of a man- Conestoga(2 people) and House Rock (2 but receiving detailed routing instruction agement plan for the recreation area and people). No deaths were reported to the andlor scouting before tackling these rap- implementation of such plan". This Com- survey, but in the past,cci deaths have oc- ids would seem prudent. mittee is expected to have its first meeting curred at Initiation, Lost Paddle and Full results of the national survey late this fall or early in 1992. Conestoga. with a detailed analysis will be induded in The most typical scenario reported an upcoming issue of American Whitewater.

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Call (413) 339-4010 for our color brochure. Mohawk Trail, Charlemont, MA 01339 CEtse barely wide enough for a kayak. It The second drop (S Turn) is long, Great Fall race: requires precise moves at every stage. wet, and ccmplexwith holes, pillowedboul - Pins are a definite possibility. The exit is so ders and a slightly unpredictable charac- a class VI sprint nz trrow that kayakers have to lift their ter. No one seems to run it the same way PE tddles vertically to avoid being hung out twice. Low volume boats do exquisite pir- By BISHOP WHEEL to dry with a paddle hooked on the left and ouettes here on their tails. Failure to brace ricjht rocks. Some boaters (and ALL open hard at exactly the right moment could lead Great Falls of the Potomac. It's E bc ,aters- even Nolan Whitesell) sneak the to a dump and MANDATORY roll not many site of spectacular beauty, the kind of placx to1p drop by taking a less confined route yards above the 22 foot Spout. that shows up on the Sierra Club Calendar arlound the far right which drops into a big ADRENALIN REQUIRED But scenery is not what interests the SO~ft foam pile. This takes longer and usu- Put all three drops together and whitewater maniacs who specialize in run. ally results in a flip and roll in aerated water you have one Hell of an exciting place to ning the amazing cascades of whitewate~ at the bottom. paddle. With first-time Falls boaters, the which crash through this rocky gorge. Thi~ is dass V/VI whitewater within a 112 hou~ drive of more than a million people. The Prijon line of kayaks are blowmolded from HTP-the linestHigh Molecular Weight There is a lot of whitewater on the Polyethylene. Its stiffness and durability to- Potomac Falls line, even at low water. It all gether with our true Keyhole cockpits and collision plate footbraces set a starts with a bang, right at Great Falls a-- National Park. There are four runs righl The Finest Kayaks Around the World and here: the Virginia side, the Maryland side, the gorge through the island , and the "fish ladder". The water level is critical for each of these runs, and in normal late summer flows (between 3.1 and 2.7 on the Little Falls gauge) it's the Virginia side that really attracts the hard core whitewater maniac. T-Cany on The Virginia side of Great Falls is Predictable and responsive, exciting whitewater in an incredibly beauti- the T-Canyon offers optimum ful setting, but a lot of ugly things could afety and performance for everyone om steep creek boaters to beginners. happen to a paddler here. The total drop is joy to paddle on any adventure. equivalent to a 5-story building (more than 55 feet), broken into roughly 3 major rap- ids. The two upper rapids (U Hole and S Turn) are complex dass V drops. The finale is an almost sheer 22-foot falls (the Spout) which tilts imperceptiblyto the right. Unfortunately for the hapless boater who fails to power out far enough to the river-left side of this monster, most of the water crashes down on to a massive Invader ., ., - The HOTplayboatforthe new boulder thrusting out from river left. An- decade is available in either light other rock protrudes slightly out from the ,extreme configurations. Unmatched wall behind the center of the drop, hidden r surfing, yet very comfortable on the by the liquid white veil crashing noisily over jge. Simplythe bestplayboatthere is. the falls. Boats have been broken in half here when their stern hits this hidden rock. NO PLACE TO SWIM Terrifying swims- mostly through subaqueous darkness- have been known to occur, both in the bottom falls and in the drop above the falls. Swims are especially dramatic at high levels (above 3.1 on the Little Falls Gauge). Photos always show boaters dropping dramatically off into space from The worlds first whitewater K2 the bottom drop (the Spout), usually with very intense expressions. The Spout is a dassic photo opportunity, but the upper novices. You can fall in love with a Topo-Duo. two drops are more complex, if less dra- For information on these boats and the rest matic, whitewater. of the Prijon line, call or write: (303) 444-2336 The usual route through the top Wildwasser Sport USA, Inc. P.O. Box 4617, Boulder, CO 80306 drop is a tight, steep, rocky, winding stair- fear is so strong you can almost smell it. It But quite rapidly, the experience changes No paddle I all looks more or less reasonable scouting fear into ecstasy, often all at once, and you Another Great Falls addict from the shore, but when you finally dam- get hooked. A totally averse reaction be- (known locally as 'Copter Man" because of ber up the Flake, past the hornets nest, to comes an addiction." his frequent flyer status with the helicopter the top, get in your boat, and look down- Although no one has yet detected rescue squad on the Potomac) blew his stream, all you can see is the lip of the top a statistical link between whitewater boater spray skirt in the second drop. Unfazed by drop, big rocky walls, and blue sky. The and ax murderers, there probably is some- this catastrophe, he was so fired up he maelstrom of white froth downstream is thing to Dietz's theory. The number of nearly ran the Spout with a boat full of entirely out-of-sight. Great Falls addicts has been growing. So water. Fortunately, Tom McEwan (one of ITS NO FUN IF YOU AREN'T SCARED many are now addicted that a race has to the safety boaters), quickly and forcefully Why would anyone want to boat be held to sort out who is who and establish injected a dose of sanity and prevented in this frightening place? Is it reallyfun? Or a pecking order. This year 23 addicts that particular interesting event from taking is there some strange perversion which showed up. Some compulsive veterans place. causes us to be attracted to hostile places had more than 50 trips through the falls Then there was a well-known C-1 like this with danger written all over them ? under their belt. racer (many times world champion These are the kinds of thoughts that go RACE ATMOSPHERE INTENSE slalomist) who attacked the top drop sofast through your mind- at least they go through Even with a very high level of and furiously in a low-volume race boat that your mind before your first or second or expertise (and testosterone) in evidence he slammed into one of the upper rocks third run. After 3 or 4 runs, you are more or among the participants, the race atmo- and pinnedforcefully against it. Fortunately, less brain dead and no questions come to sphere added an additional element of after a few moments of anxiety and some mind. intensity. The need to go fast. It cuts out the peculiar paddle work, he managed to pry SHRINK EXPLAINS BEHAVIOR eddies, the rest stops, and precise gauging himself freeand fired off downstream, none Psychiatrist Park Dietz, an expert of each stroke. Predictably, there were a the worse for wear (physically at least). on sado-masochism, explains that what few exciting moments. CROWDS PRESENT PROBLEMS makes whitewater boaters tick is more or One veteran C-1 paddler (a survi- Having a boat wreck in Great Falls less the same thing as what makes some- vor of several exciting high water swims in of the Potomac is the worst nightmare for one a sex killer. According to Dietz,'people the spout) hit a rockat the top of the second nany D.C.-area boaters. Still the biggest who do dangerous sports, like bungee- drop and lost his grip on his paddle. He then nrorry D.C. paddlers now have at the falls is jumping or sky diving, will tell you that they proceeded to run the entire drop in true s universal nightmare: river access restrio are really quite terrified when thevfirst do it. Boater-Out-of-Control mode: Look Mom- tions.

- ) lndusfry ) Environment ; .. CHOOSING A WHITEWATER KAYAK? ...,.,..:.: .,...,.. > \\.'.... . I Some still get VANHA designs just because he invented the creek boat. Others appreciate the cross-over excellence of his includes designs ... popular at instructional schools worldwide and a travel, recreation, and the outdanr Each issue outdm TRILmy runaway favorite of European rodeo winners. For you Ben Wnning photography and insightfularticles on the ~rmalrewards Franklin took the guesswork out with his 'for' & 'against' list ... adventure. ,-R,L~ hebY" Undenbnd what corporate hefiais thinking and dpg Why VANHA? Why Not? the environmenf and what fple are thinking abut c00nnte blew. I Tullm isthe magazine presenting the viwinb of en~imnme~~~~~UNIQUE ACCELERATORS deliver more power per stroke. Limited anddone. in,jusw...~~l~~ ~fi\~d~comane,xpI~m sense whatapproach needs creates to b. donea I*~Y ...andfowm what for isoutdmr king PRECISION CONTROL eliminates that sloppy loose feeling. concems..,a~,,,,&,g YOU to determine the issues for PufieF. SMOOTH & SMART hull has an expanded "sweetspot". Availability I- SUBSCRIBE TO TWLOGY Why NOW? Reasons Not To AND WE'L DONNE $4.95 TO LIMITED EDITION, for those independently minded. Can't THE AMEMCAN WHllMlATER AFFlW! DARING CONCEPT - leave timid boats behind. Think LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY - Bond with your new boat of $14.95 a year - 6 issues OR $19.95 for 2 years or return within 30 days. SAVE 36%OFF THE COVER PRICE Any Money Back Guarantee... if ycu're not 100% satisfied simply wrib CANCEL on your bill and return it. contact: NOAH INTERNATIONAL Rt. 4, Box 4638, Blairsville, GA 30512 TO SUBSCRIBE: for the better shops. Call: (800) 388-7456 4041745-8899 Credit Card Orders or Billing Available According to Great Falls Park shore above the falls. Everyone spokesperson, Jane Anderson, the 1991 is forced put in down stream and 1 race attracted a huge crowd of over 300 dimb over treacherous rocks in people to the adjacent national park on the the center of the river or enter Virginia shore. The view was outstanding, from the inconvenient Marvland but probably as dangerous for the specta- shore. More than one boatei- the tors as for race participants. Hundreds of author included- has been injured spectators where perched all over rocks by falling from these rocks on his , that national park service would like to see way to the top. no one ever get near. Needless to say, the In addition, under an park service officials were NOT happy informal agreement between the campers. Their tempers were not improved park service and local boaters, by the fad that they learned about the race running the falls is off limits be- through an article published 3 days ahead tween 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. of time in the Washington Post. Moreover, each person running Park service personnel com- falls must be registered with the plained that there was no permit for the State of Maryland Boating Ad- race, commercial hucksters were selling T- ministration so that his organs shirts in the park without permission, and can be donated should he fail to numerous park service regulations were successfullynavigate the course. openly flaunted by race organizers. Ex- Hopefully, the race pecting a low-key event, virtually no park next year- if there is a race- will service personnel were on duty at the early be more of a low key event at morningrace time to handle the crowds. By least so far as spectators are the time the park opened and was fully concerned. Otherwise a maior staffed, everyone was on their way out. park service crack down is in&i- The big worry here is that the park table. service will press for more restrictions on RACE RESULTS 2nd: Billy Bob Taylor, Falls Church, Va. boaters running falls. Even now, boaters 1st: Nelson Oldham, Washington, D.C. 3rd: Allen Roberts, Great Britain are not permitted to put in from the Virginia

TIGHT SKIRTS SPRAYSKIRTSn S AFETY What is a boater to do?

At first, I chased all the sputtering swimmers, towed out the stranded tubers, and gave ropes and directions to unpin boats. After a while, I began to realize that most people would survive without me.. .I developed the under-12 rule.

River mayhem! Howmuch assistance should boaters render to out-of-control whitewater novices in marginal equipment?

It is true that being a Texas sunburned, descend on the various river kayaker is somewhat of an oxymoron. Most vendors for tubes, canoes, duckies, and of Texasis flat, and what isn't flat isusually rafts. K-Mart is probably themost popular dry. We rely mostly on out-of-state adven- supplier of private river craft. Life jackets tures and a few really good floods to sus- are rarely seen and swimming abilities, tain us. Needless to say, most Texans have especially after numerous Lone Stars, are little familiarity with whitewater. I have generally limited. concluded that, by andlarge, the two don't Waco Falls has taken a number of mix well. lives. Most survive the wrapped canoes My favorite playspot is a little and pinned rafts, although rescue tech- side-surf hole below Waco Falls on the niques used are hair-raising. The swim- Guadelupe River. It's not much, but it's mers, whether in tubes or flushed out of the best we can do. The Guad is narrow their canoes/rafts/duckies, get ham- and cold at that point, fed from thebottom mered. On river right, they go down the of the dam-made lake a few miles up- main chute over a four-foot drop, get stream. The river release rates are deter- flushed to the bottom, and eventually pop mined by a formula guarded with the out to float out the rapid or, worse, get same secrecy given the recipe for Coke and recirculated into theeddy. There they cling withno regard for recreationaluse.Suffice to the big rock in the center of the river, to say, with some rain, demands from the shivering, coughing, stripped of their rice farmers, and the proper alignment of shades (retrieval of which is a cottage- the planets, the dam release will get up to industryamong enterprisingscuba divers), a whopping 550 cfs and my playspot will beers, gimrnecaps, and cigarettes, unwill- appear. And so do the whitewater ing to jump back into the current to flush wannabees. down stream. If they end up on river left, By CAROLYN PORTER On the whole, central Texans are they go over the drop into the rocks and wonderful people, but they have no idea then, bruised and disoriented, float into what to do in moving water. Their my hole for a spin. Of course, they all try to whitewater experience is limited to stand up as soon as possible. Foot-entrap- Astroworld. Herds of Bubbas and ment is usually responsible for the fatali- Bubbettes, soon to be drunk and painfully ties at this spot. Visit our booth at the Gauley Festival

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All boats vacuum bagged with the best materials available. Dealers call 91 9.88W4I 0 - We deliver. 1310 Starr Dr., High Point, NC 27260. Designs by Wilderness Systems, Jess Whittamore, Wick Walker, Tom McEwan, and John Abbenhouse. What is a boater to do? At first, I little girl went right to the bottom and, chased all the sputteringswimmers, towed without a life jacket, stayed a bit before out the stranded tubers, and gave ropes popping up. Her brother was dunked too Shoulder and directions to unpin boats. After a and struggled to reach his sister in the while, I began to realize that most people shockingly cold water. I got to her and, as would survive without me and I wasn't so many kids do, she climbed on top of the dislocations: getting to play much. Overwhelmed by boat and held my waist. She would have the hourly pinnings and deluge of tubers, stood on my head if she thought it would painful injury I developed the under-12 rule. help her escape the cold water. A friend How does the under-12 rule gave thenoseof his boat to the brother and By STANLEY 6. BURBANK work? Unless you are under 12 years old, we got them to shore for a family reunion. you probably will not be chased by me. I Mom was hysterical, having taken a swim When I first started paddling I might scream suggestions to you (which of her own, but seemed most concerned heard that shoulder dislocations were one you usually ignore anyway), but I'll wait about locating the family's toy poodle of the more common injuries in our sport. until you are in real danger to intervene. which had washed to the opposite bank. Fortunately, I have yet to see one on the I'll also try to move out of the hole as you Another day saw a father and his river, but I've handled enough to know float into it. I hate the thunk of someone's son, about 8, flip their aluminum canoe how serious and difficult they can be to head on the underside of my boat. above the Falls on river left. Over the drop treat in the field. If you are under 12, I will do my they went, onto the rocks, the heavy canoe If you have a choice, a good bro- best. I am angry that parents put their kids landing on top of theboy. At least they had ken bone is preferable to a dislocation any in frightening and dangerous situations. I life jackets on. I scraped the boy off my day. want kids to enjoy their day on the river, boat and onto the shore, where he stood A simple fracture is easy to move not have nightmares about it. Two inci- shivering and crying, his legs bruised and into splinting position and when splinted, dents come to mind and are all too typical. scraped. His father never thanked me or the patient's pain is significantly reduced. While happily surfing on day, I the other kayakers who retrieved his child, Dislocations, on the other hand, usually looked up to see two kids in a K-Mart boat, paddles, and possessions. Instead, he can't be moved at all and the patient is in coffin drifting sideways towards the Falls. berated his son to "stop bawling" and get intense pain during transportation. The little girl and slightly older boy were in. They paddled off towards Slumber A shoulder dislocation is the dis- far ahead of Mom and Dad. As the kid's Falls... but that is another story. placement of the bone end from the joint, raft flipped at the bottom of the drop, the usuallv as a result of a fall. The head of the

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humerus levers out of its socket, stretch- seen is to bend the lower arm (if possible) lem which must becorrectedimmediately. ing the joint capsule. I kayaking I would so that the hand canbe tied to the patient's This can usually be corrected by rotating expect, a fall on an over extended high head or helmet with some padding be- the hand and wrist only enough to renew brace would do the job nicely. tween the upper arm and the body. This circulation. If this provesunsuccessfulyou Some paddlers have recurrent works well but such positioning isn't al- may need to take more drastic action as shoulder dislocations. Each time it dislo- ways possible. explained in this article. cates it stretches the joint capsule further, A canoe paddle can also be used Once the injury has been stabi- making it easier to dislocate the next time. to support the arm but this is usually a lized, treat for shock and transport to the One of my paddling buddies has the little too straight for most dislocations. nearest hospital as soon as possible. The surgeon's scars on both shoulders where I carry a six-inch wide roll of 4x4 patient is usually more comfortable in a they had to take a couple extra tucks to hardware cloth which can be molded to sitting position rather than prone. prevent further problems. almost any angle, paddled and affixed to This is the standard procedure The signs of a dislocation are ob- the body and arm. for dislocations but when a dislocation is vious deformity and severe pain. The dis- Each dislocation presentsits own splinted in the position found circulation located head of the humerus can some- different immobilization challenge. The is often impaired so when medical help is times be felt in the patient's arm pit. The important thing to remember is the slight- more than a few hours away there can be shoulder will look more square than round est movement of the extended arm will justification of attempting to realign the and the patient will definitely not want induce severe pain and possibly do further dislocation. Alignment usually provides you to touch him or move him. damage. For that reason,whatever method significant relief from pain and may pre- Emergency care consists of stabi- you devise must be secure and it should be vent future disability. lizing the injury in the position found for simple enough so as not to do further Realignment works best when transportation to the hospital. If there's damage while the arm is being mobilized. attempted immediately after the disloca- anything about dealing with dislocations Before beginning immobilization tion. that can be described as remotely enjoy- make sure you have a pulse in the wrist The following two methods for able, it would be the challenge of finding below the injury. If none is found, press on realignment are suggested in the National a way to immobilize the usually out- the thumb nail until it turns white and Ski Patrol's Outdoor Emergency Care stretched arm so as not to let it bounce and release, if it takes more than just a couple Manual. sway. of seconds for normal color to return the 1. Have the patient lie prone on dislocation is causing a circulation prob- - One of the neatest methods I've an elevated platform such as a large rock

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V SPORTS & WEAR 34 SUSQUEHANNA ST. JIM THORPE, PA 18229 71 71325-4421 2362-A Dresden Drive, Atlanta, GA 30341 or log, high enough to allow the injured extremity to hang free. Tie a 10-pound weight to the patient's wrist. The gradual pull usually will relocate the shoulder within one to one-and-one-half hours. 2. The patient sits on the ground with the rescuer kneeling, facing the patient's side. An assistant sitsbehind the patient opposite the rescuer and anchors patient by wrappingboth armsaround the CASCADE OUTFITTERS patient's chest. The rescuer ties two cra- A Tr ,I,( r1 ,f Q"2lNr R,"W tqc >c vats together tomake alargeloop and slips PO Box 209 9 Spr~ngf~eld.OR 97477 503 (747-2272) the loop around his or her waist. The loop Toll-Free Order L~ne1 -800-223-7238 should be large enough so that it can be 1 pulled out in front of the waist about a foot. The rescuer then grasps the patient's injured arm in both hands and flexes the RlVERSPORT patient's elbow to a right angle. The loop 213 Yough Street Confluence. PA 15424 around the rescuer's waist is slipped over (814) 395-5744 the patient's hand and worked down to Featur~ng products from One of the top whitewater schools in the where it is just below the elbow. Keeping Perception, Aquaterra, Extrosport, country. Riveisport offers a safe yet the patient's forearmbent withboth hands, Voyageurs, Pacific Water Sports, Blue challenging experience for first-time beginners. the rescuer slowly leans backwards while Puma, Body Glove, Werner and more. as well as expens. Friendly instructors. small classes, excellent the assistant appliescountertractionin the Write for our FREE Cotalog of River Gear. equipment, and a beautiful riverfront camp opposite direction. The shoulder should Dealers: Ask about our Rescue Bogs, combine to provide the perfect setting for slip back into place. Spraysk~rts,and Pogies. learning whitewater skills. Students are Remember this is for emergency carefully placed in small classes according to WILDWATER DESIGNS skill level, paddling interest and age. We useonly, thebest first aid is accident avoid- 230 PENLLYN PIKE. PENLLYN, PA 19422 guarantee your satisfaction. Ask about bur ance. Practice your low brace and I'll see special clinics and group rates. you on the river. LLCPfir Creek

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Silvermine Rd., Box 5, Bryson City, NC 28713 (704) 488-9542 Not as smart as the average bear

By RICK DAVIS adage, "Birds of afeather, flock together." ~ollktivel~,this was as zany a bkch of Like a pet that resembles its dodoes I'd ever had the pleasure of pad- owner, Scuzzy and his raft were spittin' dling with. images of each other. Meet our next character, Slick. Many years ago, when itwasnew, Known as Mike Hottinger outside pad- Scuzzy's craft was a proud, bold vessel. dling circles, Slick was the one who had But, like everything that passes through conned me into this trip. At the time I Scuzzy's hands, a subtle metamorphosis didn't really know Slick very well. I knew had taken place. Now, it was a battered, he was originally from Chillicothe and tired, amorphous, motley mass of decay- that he had been good friends with Scuzzy ingrubber afflictedwith afestering, terrni- for years. nal rash of multicolored patches. And We'd met several months earlier yet, despite the countless hours Scuzzy at a kayakers' clinic in had spent performing painstaking But, being as we both resided in Jackson- shadetree surgery, his raft still had a leak ville, Florida, an area not renowned for or two. whitewater, I knew thatwe wereboth abit "I think I found them, though," tetched. And so it seemed we had enough he said. "Now, if that window caulk holds in common to warrant a three thousand up like it should, we'll be alright." mile journey to Hell's Canyon. Whether or not it was Scuzzy's I still don't know how Slick got idea to organize the Pilgrimage down the his nickname, but I started to understand Snake river was never determined. Cer- why he had it when he pulled his rust tainly everybody blamed him for it. eaten van into my driveway, three hours Scuzzy's real name was Steve late, to pick me up for our trip. Miller, and he hailed from Chillicothe, "We might have a little prob- Ohio. For the record, Scuzzy was acarpen- lem," he said casually, as we began load- ter. not that it'sim~ortant--atleast as far as ing my gear. hehas concerned: Scuzzy subscribed to a "Problem?" simple, subtly profound philosophy of life. "Yea My gas tank started leak- "My idea of a greedy man," he ing last weekend. I think1 fixed it, though. said, "is somebody who goes to work on I wedged a beer can tab in there and it Monday morning with five dollars in his stopped- more or less." pocket." It turned out to more thanless. In There was nothing subtle about fact, about $200 more, which is how much Scuzzy, who didn't get his nickname by When all was said and done. wc extra we spent on gas than anticipated. chance. He was six feet tall with ascraggly ddonly stare speechlessly at what surelj Then there was John Bolger. reddish brown beard and an ever expand- ad to be theEighthWonder of the World Rounding out our triumvirate of kayakers ing beer belly. He kept his long hair mat- fhatwith all the ropes crisscrossing hap and another Ohioan, he had no need of ted haphazardly beneath a greasy baseball azardly over the teetering haystack o. nickname. I had no reason to doubt John's cap, and when he was on the river his xir, lashed down with dubious looking credentials, especially after Slick assured usual attire was cutoff blue jeans (no belt mpert seaman's" knots. The whole rii me that John was an excellent paddler or underwear), a moth eaten T shirt and a hoked more like a garbage wow, with & whoroutinely tackled theGauley and New pair of old, wornout tennis shoes, held rer so slight list, than a support raft rivers and had participated in several Ca- together by several rotting layers of duct &&..eat your heart out! nadian expeditions. tape. "We're going to have to watcl I had never met John before, but He loved to smoke plastic-tipped ~urselvesgoing through Wild Sheep ant one look at his kayak told me he was a no- El Stinko cigars, though sometimes he hanite," Scuzzy said, "but I think we'll b nonsense kind of guy. The first thing I chewed tobacco, and he constantly spat lright." And so, with a hearty cheer ant noticed was the absence of grab loops. and more. He had no faults that I could everal hastily concocted prayers, thre "Hey Slick," I whispered. "Why ascertain. ayaks, one canoe and a four man raf doesn't he have any grab loops?" Having made hundreds of trips =led out fromunder the looming mono "I don't know. I guess it's be- down all kindsof rivers through theyears, .th of Hell's Canyon Dam and startec cause he doesn't want anyone grabbing Scuzzy had become an expert at loading .own the infamous Snake River. his boat." his raft. In fact, he was so good at it that it Now, before one begins to ques "Oh." hardly took him ten minutes to "arrange" ion the sanity of those who chose to pa The next thing I noticed about all the equipment our eight man party kipate in this venture, captained by a John's boat was his unique "flex" outfit- would need for our two day expedition ging river rat named Scuzzy, we mus ting. Every time he emptied the boat of through Hell's Canyon. ?member that there is truth to the olc water, the seat, pillars (styrofoam, no less) We're like you. Always doing the best we We affectionately call our brand, new can. Then going ourselves one better. krayton-lined, adjustable kayak saddles TLCs. That's why we always refine Yakima Because they grip your , ,* refinements. Like our new 6 millimeter kayak or rowing skewer. shell without Mountain bikes are transported over rough deforming it. territory. So we provide extra heavy duty And prevent hardware. 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/ V art by Nancy Sklavos i' and anything else he had packed away "Don't want to be sleeping where semi-automaticpistol and checked the clip. tumbled out. you're cookin' in bear country," Scuzzy Whatever misgivings I might of had about "Hey, Slick How can he paddle lectured, puffing on his ever present El Slick were now erased by his foresight in with everything loose in there?" Stinko. having brought a form of protection. "I don't know." Scuzzy appointed himself camp "I guess I won't be needing this," Now meet Hank Lewis. Another cook, and dedicated himself wholeheart- I said, sheathing my trusty little river knife Chillicothe inhabitant, who comman- edly to the task. It wasn't long before we with the three inch, semi-serrated deered the canoe. were all savoring the intricate delicacy of blade that hadn't even cut a rope or Hank was a tall,lanky man, given Scuzzy's culinary delights. whittled a stick since the day I'd bought it. to beer drinking and cigar smoking. I had Suddenly, Jimbeganchokingand "No need for overkill." seen him in action on the New, where he his eyes started bulging out of his head. Warily, wecrept back to the camp was known for screaming things like, "H-h-h-holy Jesus," he gasped, site. The bear, which Scuzzy had already "Sweet, Jesus... here I come!", when he beanie weenies cascading over his lips. nicknamed "Yogi", was right where we swamped and swam rapids like Double Z. "What, too much pepper?" left him, standing his ground in bold defi- Sometimes, when he was feeling extra Scuzzy asked. ance of our five petrified partners. frisky, he would just run rapids back- "No," Jim gagged. "It's a friggin' "What should we do?" I asked wards. bear!" nobody in particular. "I mean, I don't Manning the raft with Scuzzy All activity in the camp came to a think we should shoot it. Then again, if it were brothers Jim and John Cox of Con- sudden halt. Eyes peered across the river, charges, I'm gonna be standing right be- necticut and New York, respectively. straining to see the beast. hind Slick." Roundingout the party was Rags, "Not there," Jim said, frantically All eyes turned toward Slick and an Ohio prison guard. He was a mountain shaking his plastic spoon at the nearby everybody casually started shuffling in of a man, at least 6'3" and 225 pounds, and bushes. "Here. Right here!" line behind him. a menacing figure, as Slick would soon Not twenty feet away, a large "Maybe we can scare it," Rags find out.Unwittingly, theeight of uswere black bear lumbered nonchalantly out of said, hoisting a paddle. about to test the limits of our courage, the brush and stood on its haunches, snout "Wait a minute' Scuzzy advised, endurance and will to survive. skyward as he savored the enticing aroma looking over his shoulder. "Let me get a For all we knew, we were em- of freshly charred food. head start in case you tickle Yogi with that barking on a 48 hour joy ride down a river Now, the first rule of survival thing and he decides to play with us." that carved its way through the deepest when encountering a dangerous wild ani- We all chuckled nervously. gorge in North America, a beautiful, rug- mal in the middle of nowhere is not to "How can you make jokes at a ged canyon, teeming with wildlife. An d panic. Nobody knew this better than time like this?" I asked. the scenery was magnificent. The steep, Scuzzy. "Who's joking?" brown, eroded walls of the canyon tow- "Uh... don't n-n-n-nobody Suddenly Rags bellowed a war ered majestically over us. The deer and the move," he instructed. cry and charged the bear, waving the bear foraged along the shore. Hawks and But Jim and I had already broken paddle wildly. It was a bold show of other fowl cruised leisurely above us, sil- rank and were scrambling up the bank courage, but I had to wonder if he would houetted against the blue sky above the towardscamp,crashingheadlong through have done it had not Slick been there, canyon's high line. the bushes, Slick hard on our hee1s.J i m ready to back him up. Nonetheless, the But the sun doesn't long shine in quickly grabbed his foot long GI Joe sur- startled beast turned and bulldozed its the 7,000 foot deep canyon and it wasn't vival knife, complete with fishinglineand way back into the underbrush. long before the cool, lavender shadows of hooks, compass, secret decoder ring and a We quicklypicked up some rocks evening began to lengthen. After pad- variety of other nifty survival do-dads, all and let fly with salvo after salvo, chasing dling about seven miles, we decided to of which fit neatly into the handle. Hefting the creature further and further until our eddy out above Wild Sheep Rapid. it confidently and setting his jaw, he pre- weary arms hung limp at our sides. We elected to cook dinner on the pared himself for hand to hand contact "Okay. Okay!" Scuzzy said. rocky bank on the Oregon side and set up with the deadly monster. I admired the "Cease fire. He's gone... for now. Let's camp in a gently sloping meadow about steely courage of this carpenter from New finish eating and get this site cleaned up. I 1OOOyards inland. We'd seen severalbears York think old Yogi smelled our food. He'll be that day and this seemed the prudent thing Slickly quickly rummaged back for his'pic-i-nic'basket later tonight." to do. through his gear and produced a 9mm We contemplated loading up the 37 gear and moving downstream, but it was we were all too tired. home with him? You know, to lick it out too dark to run Wild Sheep, the biggest, It was about 4 am. when Rags for an after dinner snack?" Scuzzy asked. surliest stretch of whitewater in Hell's assumed the watch. Yogi had evidently "Geez, I hope not," Hank said. Canyon. Besides, we had no idea where grown weary of rummaging through our "Ain't a creature on God's earth deserves the next good campsite would be and the gear and all had been quiet for an hour or that kind of punishment." next major rapid, Granite, was only a mile so. But, for some reason, Rags did not feel "There it is... I think," Scuzzy or so ahead. We decided to stay put and comfortable with Slick's gun, so he de- said, squinting and pointing at a black, pie post a sentry throughout the night. cided to give it back shaped object on the bottom of the river, We stuffed as much gear as we Creeping silently to Slick's sleep- which was on the rise again. "Somebody could into a large, watertight feed barrel ing bag, Rags gently tried to wake him. wade in there and get it." that John, the Ohio farmer, had brought "Slick," he whispered. shaking "Why don't you?" Hank asked. along. He tied a line to the barrel and the his shoulder. "Wake up." "Because I'm the cook" other end toalargerockand heaved it into "Ummmmrnm." We were getting nowhere and I the river. The barrel floated out to the "Slick," shaking him a little was getting hungry. middle of a giant eddy. harder. "Wake up." "I'll get it," I volunteered, wad- "Hope that barrel don't come ~'Urnrnmrnrnm." ing chest deep into the bone chillingwater. loose," Johnsaid, gazing downstream. "If "Slick," Rags roared, shaking Taking a deep breath, I dove and began it does, we'll never find it." Slick like a paint mixer. "Wake up!" groping frantically for the skillet.1 opened Fifty yards below us Wild Sheep Slick's eyes snapped open and he my eyes and saw it. Rapid roared in hungry anticipation. tried to focus on the large, hulking shape "Got it," I sputtered at the sur- Most of the food was packed into bending over him. face, holding it over my head in triumph. a cooler, which Scuzzy stowed in the I'll never forget the hair raising, The fellows just stared at me in stony bushes. blood curdling shriek that followed. I imag- silence, then broke out laughing. "01' Yogi won't find it there," he ine it is still reverberating through Hell's I slowly craned my head upat the said. Canyon. large, flat, pie shaped rock. Defeated, I "What about the garbage?" Rags "Aaaaagggghhhhh! He's got slogged back to shore and sat on the bank, asked, holding a large plastic bag filled me!" Slick screamed hysterically, kicking shiveringin thebrisk, September morning with empty cans of beanie weenies, beer, and flopping on the ground like a pro air. paperplates, plastic forks and other refuse. wrestler in training. "W-w-w-well. ain't y-y-y-you g- "Can't hide it on the raft," John We all had a good laugh over that g-g-gonna 1-1-1-light the ccccamp stove said. "If the bear finds it there, he might one. so I can g-g-g-get warmed up?" I chat- tear everything up. And if we hide it in the "Har, har. har. You might as well tered. bushes, he'll be sure to smell it and then stand watch now, Slick," Scuzzy said. "I "No sense in that," Scuzzy re- we'll have a huge mess on our hands." don't imagine you'llbe getting much sleep plied, torching up his first El Stinko of the "Maybe we can sink it," Scuzzy tonight. Har, har, har." day. "Can't cook without a skillet. We'll said. "Yea, SlickYou don't want ol' have to eat breakfast cold." "I don't think that's such a good Yogi sneaking up on us while we're trying But the onlv food that we found idea," Hank said. "I don't like the idea of to get some rest," Hank added. "Har ,har, in the feed barrel wkthree raw potatoes putting trash in the river... even tempo- har." and a half a box of cereal. Breakfast for rarily. What if it floats away?" But the joke was on us, or, more eight was consumed in contemplative si- "How's it going to float away?" precisely, on me. Asdawnbroke,westag- lence. Scuzzy asked. "I'll just take this dirty iron gered bleary eyed down to the river. The And so we left. Because we had skillet, put it in the bag to weigh every- damage was incredible. Just as we feared, gotten such a late start the day before, we thing down, and drop it in the water... Scuzzy's idea of sinking the garbage bag had only paddled seven miles. Now, with thusly." Kersplash! "Besides, I need to let had failed. We had forgotten one impor- only a gallon of water and a half a box of the pan soak to loosen tant detail-Idaho Power stops releasing cereal to go around, we were facing a gut up the char." water throughHell'sCanyonat night, and wrenching 26 mile paddle through rela- We looked at each other dubi- the river level drops several feet. tively flat water to the take out. ously, hoping Scuzzy was right. John, The plastic bag of garbage was It was nearly sundown when we Slick and I hid our kayaks high up on the high and dry when Yogi found it. The site wearily paddled up to the boat ramp at bank, as did Hankwith his canoe. Scuzzy, looked like a goat had exploded. Pittsburgh Landing. Surprisingly, a group Rags, Jim and Johndragged theraft down- Trash was strewn everywhere. of Forest Service personnel was on hand to stream to get as much of our gear away The water cooler, which held our break- greet us. They surveyed us warily. from the cooksite as possible. fast provisions, was gone. We did eventu- p re you guys experienced pad- That night, we took turns stand- ally locate the lid, which had several teeth dlers?" one asked doubtfully. "I mean, ing watch in case Yogi decided to pay a marks gouged into it. Yogi had apparently thatraft lookslike shit! Thinkyagot enough little visit. The man on watch was armed had quite a party. patches on it?" with Slick's gun. "Well, let's get going" Scuzzy Too boneweary, hungry, wet and It wasn't long after we'd turned said. "I think we have some food in the cold to talk, we just looked at Scuzzy, who in when Yogi returned. For hours he barrel. I'll cook breakfast while you guys wasn't the least bit insulted. raised a ruckus down by the riverbank, clean up this mess. I'll just clean out the "Evidently not," he smiled, puff- looking for his pic-i-nic basket. skillet and..." ing contentedly on a fresh El Stinko. "It "Anybodywant to go down there But the skillet was gone too. still leaks." and watch him?" Scuzzy mumbled. But "You dont reckon ol' Yogi tookit DESIGNS THE 1991 OCOEE See for yourself why the most dynamic whitwater events are growing in number and size around the world!

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Practical tips for avoiding the crowds on the East's popular whitewater runs

By DAVE BASSAGE

A few days before the Memorial Day weekend I was talkhg to my buddy Joeon the phone. "Boating on the New this week- end?" I asked. "Should be a great play level!" "No way, man!" came the reply. "With the Cheat and Tygart dried up it's going to be a zoo out there." I was forced to agree. After eight years as a full time raft guide on the New, Gauley, Cheat and Upper Yough, I knew that this Memorial Day weekend, tradi- tionally the most crowded weekend of the year on the New and Cheat rivers, would be especially jammed as rafters and hard boater converged upon the Gorge. Sunday ran true to form. Al- though I was lucky enough to be on the first raft trip on the river on this busiest day of the busiest weekend, the scene as we passed Cunard was downright comi- cal. Kayaks and canoes of every style and color dropped like lemmings into the wa- ter. Ender waves looked like a de- partment store the day after Christmas. There must have been 100 boats in the eddy waiting their turn to exchange safe haven for a chance to dodge rubber in search of the ultimate surf and maximum air. I was surprised to see Joeeddied out in Paddler descends through top drop of Lost Paddle on the Gauley while otherboaters wait the next rapid in his squirt boat, looking in crowded eddy above. tired but happy. "Decided to join the zoo after Rule #2 Go early and beat the full time. Since then I have logged 160-600 all?" I asked. rusk whitewater days per year, almost half of "We put in at the crack of dawn," What about rule #l?Keep read- them"p1ay days", and1have never looked he beamed. "We've had Ender Waves to ing! back. On most of my "play days", even on ourselves for the last four hours! Every- Eight years ago I quit my teach- popular rivers at the height of the season, one else just showed up. We're outta ing job and adopted the raft guide/ my friends and I have had the rivers to here!" kayakerl canoeist/ river fanatic lifestyle ourselves. Thesesamefriends, includingJoe, est, often twice as busy as Sundays. Fri- One more note. Hardly anyone have threatened bodily injury, or, worse days are almost as busy as Sundays. Next rafts or boats on Mother's Day. I suppose yet, boat sabotage, if1 divulge our secrets. is Monday, Thursday, Tuesday and they all stay home to take Mom out to But, Iretain my faithin humannature, i..e. Wednesday in descending order of dinner. Next year give Mom a real treat- the forgiving attitudes of my friends and crowdedness. tell her you're going to leave her with the the tendency of the masses to remain the So much for normal weekends. house to herself, oiextol the beauty of a masses. On three day weekends the middle day nice drive through the country as she runs And so, I will share some of our always has the most rafts. The first two your shuttle. secrets with you. Not all of them, mind days have the most privateboaters.On the Rule #2 Go Early-Beat the Rush you, just the ones that would be labeled third day everyonedriveshomeand hardly Come on now. You get up early "common sense" if common sense were anyone goes down the river. The holiday to go to work, don't you? Isn't a river trip a little more common. itself is generally the least crowded day of just as important? thought so. How General Principals a three day weekend, ie. Memorial and early? Rule #1 Avoid Peak Days Labor Days and the Fourth of July. The first rafts usually hit the wa- Peakseason on year-round rivers Rivers with limited releases have ter at 8 a.m., but the real rush starts around starts Memorial Day weekend and ends their own peculiar traffic patterns. More 9:30 and continues for a couple of hours. Labor Day weekend. Saturdays are busi- on those later. Combine this rule with #l;don't worry

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I. countless great runs. Thus was born the "Crackof Noon Club". Party hearty, sleep late, meet for a leisurely brunch, pick a river, call gauges, switch rivers, and put in during the heat of day behind everyone else. Of course, this techniquecan not be recommended for virgins making their first descent down any river, but if you know the run, it's the easiest way to dodge the crowds. It'seven possfble tocombine rules #2 and #3 and go early and go late. Hods that? Start early and pack a lunch. Play until the crowds arrive, then find a nice sunny perch overlooking an entertaining hole or tough rapid, and sit back and watch the show for a few hours. Relax. Enjoy. You're on vacation. When the numbers dwindle you'll have the river to yourself again. Rule 14 Consider Alternate Runs Most good rivers are located near other good rivers that don't run as often or are lesser known. Trade your place in the masses for an opportunity to expand your horizons and add another run to your river resume. Study your guidebooks and consult an outfitter or knowledgeable lo- cal boater for best options and pertinent information about levels, shuttles, etc... On busy release weekends, the Lower Gauley can often provide an uncrowded Special Tricks for Special Rivers alternative to the popular Upper section. Here, A WA executive director Phyllis Horowitz The Cheat launches into a dynamic ender, The commercial Cheat season starts with a whimper in early April and runs even more often in the winter. This raises an interesting point. builds steadily though Memorial Day. Go The Gauley The first descents of the Gauley were done on any other day besides the last five Dam release rivers offer special at the 1000-1800 cfs range. Since then weekends (that's 353 opportunities) and challenges. Put in too early or too late and boaters have become accustomed to the you are unlikely to see much traffic. If you you'll not only miss the crowds, you'll 2200-2800 cfs range that the Corp usually must go on a busy day, go early or late in miss the water too. The Gauley is not as releases during the 20 day fall Gauley the day. The first rafts leave the Camp- bad as most in this respect. season. Many boaters have come to be- ground at 8:30 a.m. with the big rush an Unlike the Upper Yough and lieve that this is the only time that one can hour or more behind. the Ocoee, the flow from Summersville run the Gauley. If it is wet there are countless Dam is adjusted gradually. Unless there is Not true! I have run the Upper alternatives. Check the natural flow on an extreme emergency the Corp will not Gauley as low as 370 cfs in fiberglass with- theTopor Upper Yough, try the Big Sandy, raise or lower the river level more than one out portaging or patching. At the other LittleSandy, Tygart Gorge, Tygart-Middle foot per hour, which translates to about extreme, theLower Gauley has beenrun as Fork or any of the steep creeks nearby. 1000 cfs at normal, runnable levels. So if high as 40,000 cfs on the Belva gauge. Keep in mind that although the the phone message at 304-872-5809 says That's a fairly wide window of opportu- Cheat is traditionally a spring river, it that they will release 2600 cfs from 8 a.m. nity. Some years the river stays above 500 drains the largest undanuned watershed until 2 p.m., you can safely put on at 7 a.m. cfs all year. in the state of West Virginia and it doesn't or 3 p.m. and have 1600 cfS-an excellent Of course the river is different at takemuchrain to bring it up in summer. It kayaking level these levels. At lower levels Pillow and During midweek traffic is minimal, but in midsummer, when the lake starts to get low, there may not be any releases on Tuesday through Thursday at all. The duration of the release and the amount of natural flow control the where rafts may in- length of time you have to paddle the vade your personal river. An exquisite study by hydrologist space. Steve Tavlor has shown that when there is Local alter- minimal natural flow and a two hour re- natives to the Gauley lease, it takes so long for the front of the include the New, release to fill up the pools and eddies, that Cranberry, Cherry, the "bubble" of peak flow shrinks from Williams or Meadow, about 40 minutes at Gap Falls to nearly a depending on natu- point at Lost and Found. This means that ral flow conditions on the lowest sections of the river the flow and your abilities. starts to drop as soon as it peaks. The New ~aftsare usually found near the This is the front of therelease, especially on the lower easiest river to miss section of the river, so a good strategy is to the masses on. Since hang back a bit. The river risesquickly, but the flow is consistent, tapers off slowly, and most of the lower you can put on at any rapids are still okay at flows equivalent to time of day. If you 1.7. Playing at the bottom of Pillow Rock--Gauley River. Another find yourself in the Since most comvanies are now trick at avoiding crowds is to remain at one big drop until the middle of the rafting using self bailing rafts, cohrontations be- brunt of the masses of passed leaving the river to you. rush hour, you have tween hard boaters and rafts have dimin- no one to blame but ished. Nevertheless, a prudent hard boater IronRingbecomemoredifficult and should yourself. On a typical Saturday the first will keep an eye upstream and will not be scouted or portaged. Running the river rafts hit the water at 8 with a peak begin- dally in crucial eddies, like the ones below at higher levels requires knowledge of the ning at 930. After 11:30 the numbers Hinzerling or National Falls. river, expert skills and a strong group of dwindle again. When the natural flow is greater companions. Most hard boaters put in at than 1.8 there isno need to worry about the Other fun facts-The 20 day fall Cunard. At higher levels the raft compa- release at all, unless you want to avoid a Gauley season does not draw the lake nies put in upstream at Thurmond, so a high water run. This is also a great time to down to winter pool. After the traditional Cunard put in willbeat the rush. Some raft head upstream to Swallow FallsState Park 20 day season, the flow isreduced for three companies shorten their trips and put in at for arun ontheTopYough (thewater from weeks while the tailwaters are stocked Cunard when the river drops below two the power plant comes in at the bottom of with trout. Then the Corp opens the gates feet. This createsarealzoo;ashuttle bunny the Top Yough). again and completes the drawdown, usu- can be a real plus in dealing with this Other high water alternativesin - ally around Halloween. Flows of 1500 or situation. clude Bear Creek, which flows into better may continue through the early Sometime soon, perhaps by the Friendsville, the Big Sandy, the Cheat and winter. time you read this, the Cunard put-in will the Blackwater. Drought years sometimes bring be closed temporarily by the Park Service. So there you haveit- a few simple summer water! Although the main prior- They plan to install a ten stall bathroom, strategiesthat just might improve the qual- ity of the SurnmersvilleDam is flood con- improve the road and create better and ity of your next boating trip. I hope I was trol, a second priority is maintaining the separate parking areas for private boaters, of some help... but not too much. After all, quality of the water through Charleston, a comrnercialvehiclesand fishermen. Local my paddling buddies and I still intend to function of the oxygen content of the hard boaters have very mixed feelings stay a stroke or two ahead of or behind the Kanawha River. So, when the New drops about this. While this work is underway masses. below 2200 cfs, the flow is supplemented it will probably be necessary to put in at with water from theGauley. In areally dry Thurmond. Editors note: Dave Bassage is a rapguide and season this can lead to releases of 1500 cfs The Upper Yough kayak instructor fir North American River from the Dam. This is a tricky river to get to Runners who can befiund either on fhe back If you must go during Gauley yourself, but it can be done. Weekend ofa raft, or not at all, unless you know the rest season, Monday is the best day. Fridays releases have become more common dur- of his secrets. are pretty busy, Sundays are busier, and ing the past two years, but they are still Saturdays are packed with rubber, espe- rare and are usually crowded. Friday is cially during the first fourweekends. Your clearly the busiest day during most of the best bet is to put on early and sprint down year. On Fridays commercialoutfitters run the river to the big drop of your choice. full tilt and lots of private boaters join the Then stop and enjoy the show for a few fray. Mondays are the next busiest days. t's the year 2004. You have ticipation in the Federal flood in- been enjoying a marvelous surance program, and perhaps , I whitewater adventure on levees in the towns. the gorgeous Laurel Fork of Founded by the AWAin 1989, the the Cheat. Suddenly, the pristine, West Virginia Rivers Coalition has laurel-choked forest gives way to a concrete goal: to guarantee the scrub and mud flats. You turn a future of thirteen West Virginia bend and you are confronted with "crown jewel" rivers in the a monstrous earthen dam, over Monongahela National Forest two football fields wide and as high (see next page). Included on our list as a 12-story building! (The dam is are whitewater classics like the kept without a reservoir most of the Smoke Hole Canyon, Blackwater, time to be able to absorb flood water.) Shavers Fork, Laurel Fork, and the Fences and buoys block your path Cranberry. We are now conducting and you face a bone-crunching half an intense grass roots political cam- mile up the mud flats and paign in West Virginia for designa- Dry Pork Dam over the crest of the dam. tion of these rivers under the Wild Law1 ?Or* Du Dam advocates want to build and Scenic Rivers Act. Designation five of these boondoggles in the would mean: upper Cheat watershed. They would justify this proposal by in- no dams or hydropower projects. voking the fear engendered by the improved water quality. Great Flood of 1985. Only one catch: the dams would protect better management of mining downstream communities only and timbering. from a 100-year flood. The Great enhancement of river access and . - ap of Cheat Basin from state-sponsored Flood was much larger than that. river recreation. The West Virginia Rivers dam study. Coalition thinks there are better Our campaign is gaining ways to handle floods, like early momentum, but it is expensive. If warning systems. limits on con- YOU have not already ioined structio; [n the flood plain, par- kc,we need your hGp!

/ Yes, Count me in with over 240AWA members who have already joined WVRC! Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution of $ . Donors of $20 or more become WVRC members ($10 for West Virginia residents).

Name Address Home Phone Address Work Phone City State zip - Make your check payable to "AWAMlest Virginia Rivers Coaiitlon" and send to WVRC, Box 606, Buckhannon, WV 26201.

Please let me know how else I can help! She broke my head ... She broke my boat ... She broke my ankle ... "She broke my dick ..." "She broke my dick!" We glanced toward thebar where four rangy timbermenslouched over their beers. Oneelucidated on an affliction that sounded singularly painful. None of the four looked particu- larly damaged-except for the effects of a six-pack or two. They were tall and raw- boned with thick, ropy arms still marked by the grease from a day in the woods. The four were similarly attired in high-water blue jeans supported by wide red suspenders, t-shirts rninussleeves, and thick steel-toedboots.Although their hard hats remained back in their trucks, their hair was still contoured to the shape of a helmet. But perhaps I should explain how four Eastern whitewater boaters found themselves in a saloon in Lowman, Idaho at eleven o'clock at night... We had arrived 48 hours earlier when the timbermen rose unevenly from circle violently together. with the intention of spending eight days their stools and staggered toward us. We "Wharn!" Their chests slammed running the North Fork of the Payette shared looks of apprehension and I calcu- together with aresounding thud. Then the River-one of the most challenging sec- lated the odds: four tired and hungry pad- other two leaned back, repeating the pro- tions of continuous class 5 whitewater in dlers against an even number of inebriated cess for the benefit of the other two. theunited States. But after scoutingmuch timbermen. "No head buttin', now," warned of the 16-mile run during our first morn- But the four halted on the dance broken dick, as if repeating rules of an oft- ing in Idaho, we kept finding excuses for floor before our table here they joined played game. delaying the inevitable. hands, raised up on the tippy-toes of their Our pizza had arrived and we The afternoon of the first day we steel-toed boots, and lurched into a back- wolfed it down. Just because we were had run only the comparatively easier woods Idaho rendition of ring-around- hungry, of course. But in the back of our lower five miles of the North Fork acouple the-rosy. minds, we were a tad concerned that the of times. We needed to get a feel for the "Look-we're the cloggin' log- "clogging loggers" might decide to be- continuous and pushy nature of the river. gers," hooted the one with the broken come the "flogging loggers" and invite us At least that's what we told ourselves. dick. for the next dance. And on the second day, we chose Suddenly, two loggers facing They needn't have bothered. to run the Deadwood-a beautiful wilder- each other leaned outward-using their During the next five days the North Fork ness tributary of the South Fork of the weight to swing the other two links of the Payette would batter and bruise us plenty. Payette. The Deadwood's 26-mile length coupled with its continuous class 3-4 rap- ids would further prepare us to tackle the guts of the North Fork. At least-that's what we rational- ized. But if the truth be known, we were probably just afraid that the North Fork would break our dicks.

So that's how we came to be in Lowrnan, sitting as quietly as possible in a corner table, observing the local color out of the corner of our eyes. We didn't get off the Deadwood until 7:30, then the shuttle back to the reservoir lasted over two hours, so by the end of the day the saloon in Lowman offered the only promise of a hot meal. Our pizzas had not yet arrived ...... Opposite: Scenes from the carnage--re- pairing bodies and boats on the North Fork. Coming out to Idaho was Bob So the warning bells never rang source of water for Idaho's vast irrigation Gedekoh's idea. Or, if you wanted to be in my head when they should have been system so flows on the upstream branches formal, Doctor Bob Gedekoh's idea-see- clanging a five-alarm. are regulated to insure an adequate down- ing how Bob is head of obstetrics for a After boating some of the stream level. major Pittsburgh hospital. Bob has prob- continent's toughest whitewater, if Bob During the early summer, natu- ably boated more class 45runs in North was growing antsy about the North Fork- ral flows from the South and Middle Fork America than any other person with a -maybe this river was just a little unusual. are sufficient to maintain adequate levels "normal" nine-to-five job, and we were on the main Payette. But as the summer damn glad to benefit from his practical 1 confess I'm like a lot of Eastern progresses and water in the two branches river experience (not to speak of his exper- boaters. There's always a silly game being diminishes, flows are augmented with re- tise with needle and suture). played about the size and composition of leases from reservoirs on the Deadwood- But what made the trip effortless the boat you paddle. which flows into the SouthFork--and from was the inclusion of Tim Kelley. Tim is an Hell, some paddlers1could name Cascade Reservoir on the North Fork. engineer captain with the U.S. Army. Hav- would never be caught dead in a plastic The Deadwood Reservoir is ingmissed the spring boatingseason while boat unless you intended toplummet down smaller than the expansive North Fork completing the Armq's Ranger course, Tim some extreme 500-foot-per-mile cascade impoundment, so as autumn approaches was enjoying a whitewater summer of fun like the Green. and the lake is pooled down-most of the paddling virtually every day of his two- Now, I'm not quite that self-con- Payette'sflow comescourtesyof the North month leave. scious. I like keeping a plastic boat around Fork He'd started in June, squirting on for when my glass boats are cracked or The end result is a variety of the Ocoee and hair-boating on the Green leaking-whichis pretty much all the time. whitewater runs with dependable flows before working north to the Upper Yough, But I've alwaysbought small plastic boats- on the Payettesystem -all within an hour's Black and Ottawa. -like the Perception Sabre and later the easy drive from Idaho's state capitol. Of course, in the Army, a two- Reflex. And I figured, he ll...if a Sabre will The South Fork offers a number month leave has its price. Tim was sched- work on the Upper Yough or Gauley-I'll of spring and summer runs ranging in uled to leave in mid-August for assign- be okay on the North Fork. difficulty from class 3 to 4. The Middle ment in Korea A week on the Payette So I loaded a battered Sabre on Fork boasts a small class 4 spring run. The would cap his vacation and provide a dose Tim's racks. I'd just leave it in Idaho. Deadwood provides a class 4 lower sec- ofwhitewater tocany him throughmonths Tim has a similar mentality. He tion and a class 4plus upper run. And the on the DMZ. doesn't even own a plastic boat. So his main Payetteadds anintermediate section Anyway, the plan was for Tim to Screamin' Meanie sat up there beside my starting at Banks. leave his truck at his family's home in Sabre. Of course, after years of squirting, But we had traveled cross-coun- Colorado before shipping out. So Bob and Tim better understands the dynamics of try to sample the bad dog of the Payette I would simply throw old boats on top of making small boats perform under trying system: the 16-mile class 5 section from his truck and we'd fly in to Boise to meet conditions. And so he figured he'd be Smiths Ferry to Banks known simply as him. Equipment hassles would be avoided. alright on the North Fork. "the North Fork". Charlie Pettigrove, a developer Bob, more familiar with Western from Washington, D.C., would not be as water, brought an old Dancer he didn't Most of the guidebooks say you lucky. He'd have to fly in separately, rent mind leaving out there. And that's the can scout theNorth Fork from Idaho route a boat and car, and meet us at the river. model Charlie rented. 55 which parallels the river for its entire As editors of American But the wisdom of my choice of course. But don't believe it. Whitewater, Bob and I communicate con- boat was immediately questioned during What you see from the road is stantly. And through the early summer, our initial day on the Upper North Fork. impressive: a torrent of froth and foam Bob provided frequent updates on the We encountered a group of local ascending up and out of sight. But we status of the trip: boaters led by a paddler named Guy: didn't gain a true perspectiveof the power "They're predicting flows in the "Do you mind if we tag along, and speed of the river until we scrambled 1,200 cfs range-a good first-time level ..." just to see the lines?" 30-feet down over the steep slope of gran- Then later: "You aren't paddling any of those ite rubble to the water's edge. "There's a good chance the Dead- tiny boats?" Guy asked, as he unloaded his Close to thewater, I found myself wood will also have water... " Aeroquatic. "A group of Easterners tried walking with deliberate caution, checking And later still: paddling the North Fork in those last to see that every footstep was secure. My "The river's up to 2,000 cfs. That's ye =...and they got munched." normal scouting gait, bouncing from rock supposed to be a good level. I just hope it "We ll... ahem.. .ahem." to rock, was noticeably absent. isn't too good ..." Inches away, the river roared To be honest, I didn't pay much Let me tell you about the Payette downhill at a ferocious clip, ricochetting attention to Bob's increasing level of ex- River: off the shoreline with hissing reaction citement over challenging theNorth Fork. Forty miles north of Boise at the waves, tumbling over hidden ledges, re- I figured-a boating trip is a boating trip. little crossroads town of Banks(thatls pro- bounding off boulders, exploding into You put-on ...y ou paddle...y ou take out. nounced Boy-see by the natives), the three mounds of froth and disappearing into Actually I was more looking for- forks of the Payette come together to form churning hydraulics. ward to seeing theIdahoscenery and drink- the main stem of the Payette. Perhaps it was my imagination, ing the local beers. The main Payette is a critical but it almost seemed that it I'd venture too close, or perhaps slip and touch the water, I'dbe instantly sucked into the maelstrom, likeamoth drawnintoafan, andbe flushed downstream and out of sight in the blink of an eye. It wasn't just the gradient that energized the North Fork-though there's plenty of it. Dropping 1,700 feet between Smiths Ferry and Banks for an average gradient of 106 feet per mile, the river resembled a watery s&case climbing up into the Idaho mountains. But what compounds the fury of theNorth Fork is the severeconstrictionof its riverbed caused during construction of the two-lane route on the west bank and the Union Pacific railbed on the east shore. Tons of graniteboulders were pushed over the side of the narrow river corridor, chok- ing theNorth Fork to awidth of 50 feet and less. Bob tookone lookat the funnel of water and said: "Thank God they didn't build a top two sectionsfor aday of fun. Andwith four-lane highway." some trepidation, so did we. And we also thanked God that But we were concerned with our the predicted release for the upcoming unfamiliarity with the river. The North week would be for only 1,200 cfs. Because Fork is simply too continuous to scout. even though North Fork regulars run the And so we were relieved that Guy allowed river in excess of 2,000 cfs-at low flow the us to joinhis group-despite the size of Tim North Fork appeared perfectly capable of and my boats. applying a beating worthy of any cloggin' logger. Thereisbad news and good news in running continuous whitewater like the "Well, I don't suppose we can North Fork. The bad news is that you put it off any longer," Bob said the morn- know you're in a physical and psychologi- ing of the third day. cal ordeal. The anticipation is positively "Start at the top?" Tim asked ea- painful. gerly. But the good news is-once the "Start at the top," I said with a action starts, you don't have time to worry resigned tone. about it ...j ust move, react and survive. Although the North Fork is con- And so it was. We opened with a sidered one run-the stretch from Smiths few quick warm-up rapids that left us Ferry to Banks--is commonly defined as wondering..." You mean these aren't even right to avoid Nutcracker Rock at the bot- three sections: the top, middle and bot- named?"... before the river dropped out tom. But the seamisfairlyexact.You don't tom. frombeneathus at Steepness, an appropri- want to punch themeat of the hydraulic... It Maybe it's because there is just so ately named cascade where the river plum- can push you left. And going left at Nut- damn much whitewater packed into that meted 20 feet through a series of soft' cracker is no fun." 16 miles-20 named rapids and 20 more foamy holes. I nodded grimly, and glanced unnamed but still significant drops-that My boat was tossed like a leaf, enviously at the wiser people portaging. paddlers figure a whole bite of the North stalling perilously at the brink of every Guy made the move into the Fork is just too much to digest. hydraulic while the larger boats crashed eddy. I followed close behind, boofing a The Upper section contains four through. rock on the left shore as close as I thought named rapids connected by a series of Guy eddied on the left at the top possible. But not closeenough. My tail was continuous class 4 spread over four miles, of Nutcracker, the next named drop. Tim pulled back into the hole and I found but it's themiddle stretch where theNorth and I joined him while the other four myself sidesurfing below the ledge. Fork gets down to business. Ten named members of our combined parties headed Guy sat watching impassively drops combined with constant unnamed for the carry on the right. from the security of theeddy only five feet rapids to produce nearly seven miles of "I like to boof over the left of the away and by the look on his face, I figured virtually uninterrupted class 4-5 top hole into an eddy," Guy stuff like that happens all the time on the whitewater. explained."Then you run a seam through North Fork. But try as I might, I couldn't Most local experts combine the the center of the next hole and move hard drive the Sabre left out of the hole. And I Apparently, the North Fork had no rules against head butting. I rolled up to find a blown spray skirt, smashed glasses, and blood running down my forehead. Back on shore, Bob confirmed that the cut would require su- tures. Given the option of a physicians assistant in Banks or Bob's tender minis- trations performed at riverside, I opted to get the sewing done immediately. Even though he still wore his lifejacket and spray skirt, Bob's attitude turned professional as soon as he donned rubber gloves. "I have some thin suture mate- rial, but I don't think it will hold up well if it gets wet," Bob said to me. "And I don't think keeping your stitches dry will be an option." I laid across the tailgate of Tim's pickup while Bob performed the proce- dure. For the benefit of pictures, we stuck wasn't enthralled at the prospect of exiting waiting at the bottom. He crawled up the a stick between my teeth, but in reality, right and missing the critical seam. bank to route 55 with a severely sprained Bob was well equipped to deal with the Finally, after what seemed like an right ankle. problem, expertly placing six stitches. eternity, I pried my tail out, drove the nose Even Tim endured damage. Not A veteran of several wilderness forward, and exited with a perfect ender. to his body... worse than that. He ruefully expeditions, Bob even had a treasure trove As luckwould have it, Imanaged to pirou- estimated his glass boat would require of antibiotics in his first-aid kit and he ette the boat whileerect, slap the tail down five hoursof grinding and patching before made sure I took liberal doses. and hit the seam on a perfect line. Nut- the next day's run. My body was pumped full of cracker Rock flew by on the right. "She broke my ankle," said bacteria-killers, for several days after the Nutcracker was the last rapid I Charlie. accident, I was able to cure the infirm with remembered that day. The rest of the river "She broke my boat," said Tim. just the touch of my finger. passed by in a blur of braces, last-second "She broke my body" I said. And moreimportantly, I was able scramblingand windmill flurriesof paddle The next day, my words would to paddle the next day. strokes. ring ominously true. The river unfolded at a frantic When you live in the East, par- pace. The velocity of the water forced in- Bob Gedekoh is a handy guy to ticularlyin upstate New York, it's difficult stant decisions. Wavesconstantly erupted have around when you're running hard to perceive of a location where the sun in my face and obscured my vision. I'd rivers. shines more than 50% of the time. blink away the froth only to be confronted A couple years ago, Bob was on And in Idaho, the sun remained with another hole to punch or apitonrock the scene when an open canoeist was bright in the sky all the time. to avoid. washed under House Rock on the Upper We camped at a Forest Service Of course, I did remember the Gauley. He emerged three minutes later, campground up the South Fork, sur- infamous Jacob'sLadder -mainly because blue as a pair of jeans, and Bob revived rounded by tall pines with a view of the I hadample opportunity to study therapid him. Saved his life. river. A natural hot spring lay just one from shore while I carried. Guy ran the And thanks to Bob's prescription hundred yards away. drop effortlessly while Tim fought to con- of ice, compression and elevation along Our vacation developed into a trol his Meanie through the pushy entry with athoroughly professional ankle wrap delightfully relaxing routine: every day holes before successfully boofing into a of duct tape, Charliewaspronouncedfitto we'd sleep until wakened by the sun which- must-make eddy on the bottom left. paddle the next day. -being on the western edge of the Moun- I escaped the North Fork on that If only he could have performed tain Time Zone-did not occur until a re- first day without any noticeable scars, but a similar miracle on my ailing muscles and spectable hour. I still felt beaten, bruised and thoroughly inappropriate boat. Thenwe'd ambledown to the hot wom.Horsingmy Sabre through theNorth We put in towards the end of the spring for an hour's soak, casually load up Fork's turbulent water had proven an ar- middle section, just above Screaming Left the truck, then head off for an extended duous ordeal. Turn, intending to rundown to Banks. But breakfast at a cafe in Banks or Smiths Charlie was also a little worse for a mile into the trip at the tail end of a rapid Ferry. After eating, we'd snooze for an- wear. He had ski-jumped pour-over in named Jaws, my boat caught an edge and other hour-usually while Timpatched his Bad Jose-the second named rapid of the over I went. boat-to allow our food to settle. middle section-only to find a piton rock "Mam!" We never put-on much before

Tim dismissed my concerns as empty: "It's the boat ...y ou're lucky you even made it down this river alive in that thing." But I wasn't so sure. Maybe it was me. Now that I'm looking40 straight in the face-maybe1 no longer possessed the skills to handle a river like the North Fork. Maybe I never had the skills to begin with. In any case, I was soon to find out the truth. Charley had left that morning to catch a flight back to Washington. But he had left me his rental Dancer. If I was trashed today-I would no longer have any excuse...

Oh, Hell-a fertile imagination can always come up with excuses. And as we slid down the bank at the put-in, I was already testing a couple promising new ones. noon. By that time the sun was high over- lar memory-enhancing technique in the "You know-I've never paddled head and the temperature well into the operating room while digging out a bad a Dancer. Ever." nineties although in Idaho's arid climate, gall bladder: "Bull shit," Tim said. "I saw you the heat felt more comfortable than op- "Let's see-'Kind surgeons hate borrow one once when you didn't want to pressive. loathsome lawyers' guts.' That's kidney- run your glass boat through the Poop Originally, I had hoped to sample stomach-heart-lungs-liver-gall bladder. Chute on the Black." a number of the area's ample whitewater. Ahhh! This must be the sucker." "That doesn't count. It was only Maybe sandwich the difficult North Fork On theother hand, Tim's method one rapid," I protested. between a couple play days on the South didn't make much more sense. The North "Well, you'll probably get used Fork or main Payette. There would have Fork's rapids formed an acronym that toit fast on theNorthFork," Bobobserved. been plenty of paddlers to boat with. Ev- spelled "SBDSSBKCBPJG ...", a combina- "I'll see how it feels on the Upper ery day we met dozens of folks drawn to tion that might mean "It's a bitch" in Rus- before I do the Middle..." I started to say, the Payette for the scenic beauty or the sian, but draws a blank in English. but Tim and Bob were already out of hear- playing on the Staircase or Canyon runs. Of course, as a West Point grad- ing, heading toward Some-I mean Steep- But when it came time to run Tim is accustomed to remembering con- nescand I had to paddle to catch up. shuttle, invariably Tim's trucknosed north fusing acronyms like SECDEF, CINCPAC up Route 55 and we'd leave the crowds or NORAD. Hell, yournight tell himl'Let's Once on the river, neither Bob's behind to tackleanother piece of theNorth mount an assault on SBDSSBKCBPJG," doggerel nor Tim's backhand shorthand Fork. and he'd know exactly what you meant. were of much use. We recognized certain Though I doubt it. A little later, I rapids, of course-but once in the Middle caught him scrawling SBDSSBK ... on the section, the action was too continuous to "Some nasty dogs snap, snarl and back of his hand with an indelible marker. figure outwhereBad Joseended and where bark ..." Bob announced to us from across Personally, I didn't know if I Know-Where-TOGOstarted. But even the breakfast table at the Cougar Lodge in wanted to remember the names of the though we seldom knew precisely where Smiths Ferry. rapids. I didn't know if I wanted to see the we were-the North Fork still felt more Tim and I exchanged puzzled North Fork again. comfortable tome... less terrifying and more glances. It was a Monday morning--a fun. "It'sjust amethod for remember- couple days after I had banged my head- Maybe it was thebenefit of aboat ingthenamesof therapids," Bobexplained. and Bob and Tim's memorization efforts with more volume. Or maybe it was the "You take the first letter of the rapid's were in preparation of our attempting a result of added familiarity with the river. name and work it into an easily recalled top-to-bottom run of the river. Since we But suddenly my dread vanished and I phrase. See-there's6Some,' that's an's' for hadencounteredatotalof nine other North realized that this North Fork was going to Steepness; then an 'N' for Nutcracker; 'D' Fork paddlersover the previous three days be a good time. for Disneyland; 'S' for S-turn and so on ..." of the weekend, we didn't figure we'd It was just like that night in "That's too complicated," Tim meet anyone to help us with the lines. Lowman. The sick feeling while watching argued. "Why don't you just make an Today we were on our own. the loggers approach replaced by relief acronym-just one word-out of the first And I wasn't exactly looking for- and laughter when the good old boys letters." ward to it. broke into raucous dance. Neither process worked for me. Since I'd bashed my head, I'd Now that I know the steps, I'd I tried to pictureBobusing asimi- agonized through a period of self doubt. like to come back to the ball. RAPID TRANSIT SPECIALIZES IN:

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Rapid Transit DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED 824 Old Swede Road DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED FREE BROCHURE Dougassville, pa. 19518 FREE BROCHURE (21 5) 385-3765 Paddling Quebec's endangered Great Whale No ordinary river trip for two pals

Charles Puwis photo

Paddling the Great Whale with Doug While Steve Massaro (A.K.A. The Manchild) and Eric Hertz (The Organizer) Copius quantities of crimson liq- both snuck the drop river right, the Duo uid are now running down the back of (us) charted a slalom course down the Doug's neck onto the black rubber of the middle among a mine field of huge hy- newhry top, mixing with the spatter of draulics, anyone of whichwould of turned northlands rain. The black flies (a few of the Topo-Duo into a pretzel, ejecting us the 15 million crazed aerial blood suckers both into 10 - 15,000 cfs of warm, but per acre in this northern Canadian wilder- violent whitewater. By PETER SKINNER ness) have struck my partner in ernest up front in the Topo-Duo - our whitewater The Trip and its Raison d'etre vehicle of choice for this first descent Quebec's Grande Riviere de la Baleine - You see, not only is this a first TheGreat Whale. "No wonder Doug com- kayak/raft exploratory of these rapids, plained that the neck gasket felt too tight - this is the first time my buddy Doug and I his neck has already becomequite swollen have paddled this new 2 person kayak from so many bit&," I muse.-ASthe stern together and the first time in some years man, my paddle works wonders scraping that Doug has plied big water. Not to off these new pests, but more blood flows wor ry... we did a few successful rolls in as he slaps and scratches. "Ah, the sharks flatwater and we've seen lots together in will be here soon ...." the last decade. So, No Problem... the roar While battling the bugs, we are of the drop ahead doesnot threaten us-it's floating and gloating right now -basking a 'Boat Scout,' or so it seems until we get in our success threading the needle on a close and beat a hasty retreat to the eddy very threatening rapid about a mile back. above one huge drop. The Great Whale - La Grande Rivierede IaBaleine- is our present locale, the culmination of a month of frantic planning, equipment and personnel se- lection and site assessment. Eric, the prin- cipal of Earth River Expeditions and an ardent conservationist, really did most of the work. He flew up to the river in June, (there are no roads into this area on the eastern edge of Hudson Bay) and toured the area by float plane with the Cree indians. He assured us that the river was only Class IV. "We would love it, he said.... and Hydro Quebec plans to dam it up and essentially all of the adjacent riv- ers flowing into James and Hudson Bays too!" Our visit could give us and others on the trip an intimate river level intro- duction to the impacts these gigantic hy- dro projects would wreak on one of the dozens of major rivers affected by the (See James Bay projects. sidebar) Charles Pu~isphoto Michael Kennedy ballasts the front tube as his raft crashes through the Whale's My Relationship with Doug enormous waves.

'Boat Scout' ... hmmm that re- minds me of my first river trip with Doug some 10years earlier. He had just moved in across the street - he was an accom- plished kayaker in the Adirondacks - I had ranged a bit more widely in the same craft. We immediately had a kind of man to man simpatico and I was ovejoyed to find a new victim for my more assertive brand of whitewater riversport. His wife was not amused..... While an accomplished paddler, Doug had not really ever tasted real sin - BIG WATER. So sometime in 1981, we took off one day for a sampling of Cana- dian brand big water - thest. Lawrence at Montreal - Lachine Rapids in particular at say 300,000 cfs or so. I warned him about big holes -how you recognize them, how you avoid them, how you play them, how you escape them. He was psyched!!!!! I think that maybe I failed to emphasize the 'avoid them' approach enough... The ferry out to themiddleof the river to line up took at least 20 minutes and even then we weren't sure where we ., were. Once we began our approach, I in the lead, the velocity increased, and pres- ently a telltale horizon and hump of water the size of small hill appeared.... BIG HOLE no doubt. Time to take quick evasive action. Whew, I just missed the corner of the monster. I spun around on the foam pile the size of a football field below the hole to warn Doug that this was one of those holes you play in .... Phil Raphals photo

Members of the expedition watch plane depart during lunch stop on the second day of the Great Whale descent.

Too late. With a lookof innocent No Ordinary River Trip kind of Mission From God, only we wear determination, he attacked and conquered helmets, not the pork pie hats of the Blues the hill - only to descend into the bottom- This is not ordinary river trip for Brothers. less hole out of sight. Seconds passed, two pals - this is really an expedition in the The Crees are consummate hosts. boat parts appeared, then violently disap- broadest sense. Not just that the northern They feted everyone with feasts of goose peared. Finally, the boat emerged next to lights are so bright that the campsites and caribou (see photo,....) and put us up in mine and he rolled up - very slowly. A shierall evening in the eerie green their homes in Whapmagoostui located at little wiser andmuch wetter, his sprayskirt glow of ionizedfireworks; notjust that the the mouth of the Great Whale as we pre- askew,theboat was fullofwater. "Couldn't glacier smoothed hills and squat black pared for the trip. They patiently and get stabilized in there," he observed rue- spruce trees and lichenlmoss carpet eloquently explained their culture and the fully. stretches hundreds of miles in all diirec- impacts of the hydro projects. We were Numerous rapids, waterfalls, in- tions with almost nothing human in be- literally adopted by the tribe, no questions dividual marital and living arrangements tween; not just that we are halfway to the asked. later, we are still pals - we were even Arctic Circle on the 55th parallel; not that housemates for a while - 'Take Me To the just that we guests beiig introduced fmt- Meanwhile, Back at 'Boat Scout' River' or 'Dixie Chicken' served as the hand to the subsistence based human cul- morning wake up music - rivers and con- tures of the Inuit and Cree peoples; it's Doug and I are now backat 'Boat servation the glue which kept us close. that we are here to support some truly Scout,' three days later, this time with two Now, although we work in the same of- influential people from the Northeast seek- rafts full of journalists, and other notables fice, he the lawyer, me the scientist, our ing to understand the dimensions of the trying to decide whether and how to run lives have separated a bit. But it is great to impacts that the world's largest hydro the rapid. The Manchild pilots one raft be back in the same boat again - a major projects have already had and will have on bearing among others, New York Senator rapid ahead - inextricably reliant on one- the environment and human culture. Spon- Franz Leichter and his wife Nina along another's skills and determination. sored by AWA and several other groups, with Assemblyman Bill Hoyt, the noted we are here to see what this international energy expert and Northwest Territories environmental brouhaha is all about - a canoeist. Eric pilots the other with Bobbie (203)672 -6365 U.S.Rt. 7, Box 302 West Cornwall, CT 06796 - Dry Suits (Stohlquist, Bermudes) - Polypropylene TOPS and Bottoms SALES - Paddles by Mitchell. Prijon, Backlund, RENTALS and Wenonah - mats by Prijon, Perception, Wenonah, and INSTRUCTION Mad River - Pogies, Paddle Jackets, and P.F.DTs Pants - Pile Sweaters and HOURS: Weekdays 10-5,Sat. & Sun. 9-6 10% Discount to all HACKS,FRC, and CCRA members. Closed Tuesdays Kennedy Jr. the very effective conserva- run one of the big rafting outfits in Maine. rapid just below, a big falls - a mandatory tion lawyer associated with NRDC and In fact, the whole family of the late Robert portage. 'Boat Scout' features Wave I - a Pace University Law School, and Mike Kennedy, youngsters included, spent doz- 15 foot mountain, frosted on top with a Kennedy, the CEO of the Citizens Energy ens of weekends exploring whitewater riv- cross curler. Wave I1 is a hydraulic, a Corporation from Boston and their two ers across America by raft and kayak And cross-curler and a washing machine - de- kids along with the Cree guides. we, Doug and I, are the lowly safety pending on the moment. The last Wave is The Kennedy's are by the way, kayakers and occasional entertainment. a certifiable big water meat grinder. In no strangers to whitewater. Mike used to The waves are huge and the next between trips portaging our camping gear,

Charles PuW photo Charles Pu~isphoto Phil Raphal phob we peer into the guts of this rapid, plotting routes and likely boat and paddling re- sponses. The sun is out - clear skies above. The bugs are in remission for a time as the upriver wind keeps them at bay. Most elect to walk - we will run it and Manchild will pilot empty rafts with the elder Kennedys aboard. The approach is problematic - upriver rocks block comfortable access to the chosen route. The glassy smooth tongue is long and bereft of marker signs. No bubblestreet or anything. The speed of the water approaching the wave train is very fast. A small miscalculation would send a boat into the left hand hole where a swim would be the most likely outcome. This swim in turn could have most dire consequences just downriver. As bad as my paddling reputa- tion may be, Doug remains blissful in the We hit the first wave just right. the meatgrinder. We raucously surf there bow. Although our eskimo roll in the Doug'sback and helmet are silhouetted on in avkety of very unstableattitudesamid really bad stuff is untested, I think we will the sky as we are launched into space. The collapsing walls of water. Then the un- make it. I feel his powerful strokes pdus landing in the trough is extraordinaryand thinkable - the stern - me included - gets out into the river as I twist my head violent. We are first surfed sideways, then swallowed whole. around and rudder the upstream ferry. upriver, spun around and then mercifully We backender - big time! expelled upright but right into the jaws of Anxious seconds tick past. "We should - My mind races... "Oh, Oh... this is be OK now....." I guess. We spin to face the test. "YES ....." Doug exclaims with conviction when he sees our po- sition - we are exactly on course. We pickup speed -the cameras are up- we are on the tongue.

Kayaking for Two

Piloting the TopDuo is truly fun. Since I bought it last year, I have been in the Dancer once. Instead of paddling cfs River Gear & Outerwear solo, a parade of experts, intermediates, rank beginners, my wife and kids have sat 352 Cmnea, &?de up front, all delightingin theexperience of Liwpd, New York: i3090 paddling - guide included. The boat is (315) 652-83W forgiving and easy to roll. As long as they help out, I can usually roll it alone. They KOKOTAT/RAPIDSTYLE/EXTRASPORT/NRS/ learn to peel out and do eddy turns and BACKLUND, SIDEWINDER & MITCHELL PADDLES/ brace without flipping. They get thecheap thrills of whitewater without the penalties TIGHT SKIRTSAILDERNESS SYSTEMS/ we all suffered solo. NEW WAVE/CLIMB HIGH/CRITTER In big water the boat is fast, MOUNTAIN ...... AND MORE. but it is big -kind of like a supertanker -the large surface area gives big waves a lot of chance to push it around. Right now on this tongue, the Topo-Duo feels like the Exxon Valdez.

Back on the water, again it. The rollmust work now or never." The right equipment, deciding to run the drop Ihave. Ihope this trip helps balance the turbulence wrests the paddle from one or not. Youhave only yourself to consider scale. He'sbeenmy professionalcolleague, hand, but eventuallyI get itback onto the or to blame. It is quite another to find a my confidante, my Best Man, my lawyer, right hand side. Iknock twice on the hull person whose skills not only compliment etc. etc. He'll be there once more now. to signal the cadence to Doug. The sweep, your own but also enhance the overall Two knocks, one pause, two si- the lean back... then nothing happens. experience. If, like a close relationship or multaneous sweeps andheads onthe deck, Dougmust have had some trouble setting a musical duet, things work out, the result and we are suddenly upright and quite up. Back into the position, again two is a whole greater than the parts - the smartly, thank you. Above the roar of the knocks, but this time, Doug sweeps early success even more worthy. rapid, we hear the shoreside cheers. We and a violent vortex messes mysweep. spin and ferry joyfully into the big eddy Things are definitely getting more seri- Being there when needed above the falls. The exultation of our new ous..... friends on shore could not however, come AsI set up once again,I recall that close to equalling the prideI feel for giving More on Kayaking for Two Doug said that he would continue to try my best and getting his best - both at the rolls indefinitely - like Doc Blackadar al- same time. This river - this trip has brought Paddling double in big water or ways said. Come to think of it, Doug has out the best in all of us. Hopefully, itwill steep stuff is not for the faint of heart. It is always been there whenI needed him and do the same for others to follow in the one thing mastering skills solo - bracing, I have always tried to do the same - but decades to come. rolling, reading the river, choosing the somehow he has always given more than

Social and environmental implications of the projects

Hydro-Quebec's hydro projects will change that age old lifestyle. By dam- ming up the Great Whale and the Little Whale and diverting or reversing the flow of other nearby rivers and greatly increasing Phd Raphals photo the size and storage of Lac Bienville, the Cree peopk prepare paddlers feast: lnside the gigantic ceremonial teepee at company will flood vast areas of traplines Whapmagoostui, Cree Indian women roast Canadian geese as childrenlook on from a and eliminate fisheries. Underwater, bao bed of black spruce boughs, terial decay of the groundcover (trees, peat, etc.) forms methane which in turn creates ated electricity. and transmission rights of way to prey on methyl mercury, the bio-available form of In addition, the water release flow the wildlife heretofore reserved for each this toxic heavy metal. Already the natives regime dictated by power demand, not Cree trapline. The road will also bring all around the La Grand project bear danger- nature, will also change the character of the ills of modern civilization to a people ous levels of mercury resulting from eating the ecology and other hydrologic charae whose heritage is living off and on the land, the fish and other game, themselves bur- teristics of the two great bays that these not consuming goods, services and en- dened by this heavy metal. rivers flow into. The impacts on migratory ergy. The roads to the La Grande project The global atmosphere suffers as birds hunters and bird watchers cherish have already introduced all the elements well. Already, over the equivalent of 100 are essentially unknown. of modern society down south - drugs, million tons of carbon dioxide has been Of greatest immediate concern to alcohol, rapes, mime etc. Gone will be the released by the decomposition. This re- the Cree at Great Whale is the nearly one 5,000 year old heritage of the Cree - avery lease may have exacerbated global warm- billion dollar road and airport construction high price for this project. Set adrift in a sea ing. In fact, recent analyses have shown project which will be used to carry con- of comfort seekers like ourselves, the In- that the carbon dioxide emissions from struction workers and supplies to the project dians have really nothing left to do but these hydro projectsmay be nearly equiva- sites. That road will bring hunters from the hang out - for the foreseeable future. lent to discharges from fossil fuel gener- south who will foray outward from the road Wear your colors PR" ->

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DANCING with the Bear

I

Soot! Shoup photo By RON STEWART "I made some studies, and reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it. I can take it in small doses, but as a lifestyle Ifind it too confining." Lily Tomlin/ Jane Wagner: The Search for Sims of Intelligent Life in the Universe.)

There are many "Bear Creeks" in the southeast. This is the story of one of them. I couldn't tell if the look on Doug's face was delight or Creek is one of the outstanding runnable creeks in the southeast. disbelief. We were looking for the first time together at the rapid It's all the more remarkable in that most of it can actually be run; we were later to name Stairway to Heaven. This was really the and if a few trees wereremoved, the whole runconceivably could reason I had dragged him here - down the steep escarpment, go- slipping on loose rocks, clinging to poison ivy vines - down to Like many of the creeks and rivers in the area, Bear take a look at what was to be a serious encounter with gravity. Creek begins with the confluence of several small tributaries on For those of us who love steep creeks, Bear Creek has top of a relatively flat plateau. By most standards, Bear Creek is been one of the most exciting finds since the Narrows on the tiny, really tiny. But, by the time it has finished cutting through Green. Super steep, tight and spectacularly beautiful - Bear the sandstone bedrock, it has formed a spectacular deep gorge. One day, after pouring over some tightly bunched contour lines on a map, I decided to check it out. Jees!! Now there was some insanity. But with abit of wish- ful thinking, you could almost imagine a few routes and maybe, with some water, it would go. I took a boating friend to see it. Hebegan laughing hysterically. I decided that if I wanted to have anyone to paddle with, I had better shut up about this one. And so the boating seasons passed. Last summer we finally made it over to the Green Narrows. Now, there again was some real craziness. Hats off to Bob McDonough, Tom Visnius, Dave Benner, John Kennedy, Forest Callaway and others who pioneered that incredible run. The Green pushed back horizons for many of us; and with the marketing of some new boats, running steep creeks be- came more feasible. It was time to revisit the Bear. Doug Welman agreed to take a look. As we crossed the bridge where we would put in, he began to curse. "This is smaller than the Overflow put-in!" (Over- flow is another mind bogglingcreekwhich flows into the Chattooga.) He immedi- ately began rummaging around for a cold beer to make the trip worthwhile. I had forgotten to bring any- thiswas definitely going to be a challenge. Scrambling down cliffs into the middle and steepest part of the gorge, we could hear water, but couldn't see it. Fi- nally, through the trees asteep set of closely spaced falls began to appear. The impact of seeking Stairway to Heaven for the first time is lasting. Doug's paddling glands began to salivate; and for the next few hours we climbed over boulders, into crevices and down steep slides. We even began to name rapids - Surrealistic Pillow, Fish Bowl, Snake Pit, Cosmic Trigger, Big Bang.... Chuck Ester photo In the fading light I mentioned Johr Regan clears the first drop and approaches the second drop of Stairway to Heaven. - that as far as I could recall we had just seen thelast rapid of any consequence. But sure lead us out. Luck was with us. In the hit me - "Stairway to Heaven". It was enough, just downstream was yet another darkness we came upon (of all things) a set perfect. Appropriately, the rapid above it big one. "Oh yeah, I forgot about this one. of stairs which led up, up, way up, all the came to be known as Knockin' on Heaven's I guess it was just a momentary lapse of way to the top. I hold with the theory that Door. reason." So be it. Momentary Lapse of divine intervention was at play. We headed to my place for din- Reason was named. Walking back to Doug's truck, ner. My wife Lorraine said she had never By now it was dark. The cliffs we again played the naming game, trying seen such excited little children. loomed hundreds of feet above us. Hav- to think of something appropriate for the We thought we had seen most of ing hiked with me on numerous occa- first big rapid - a triple set of 15- to 20-foot the steep stuff. Little did we know that sions, Doug had, of course, anticipated falls, each spaced only aboat's-length apart. below the point where we had hiked out this moment and had come prepared. Un- We estimated the total drop to be at least 60 was to open a series of intense boulder fortunately, the batteries in his small pen- feet. I don't know how many times I drops as difficult as anything we had light weren't feeling well. A Bic lighter pissed in my pants just thinking about boated before. would have been about as useful. We running it. Doug thought it looked like a We made our first attempt one extinguished it to seebetter and decided to giant stairway. Something I had once relatively warm December afternoon last try a side canyon, hoping that it would heard began turning in my head.... Then it year. Doug, Brian Fisher and I scraped

64 flipped and had to brace hard to pullit out. But as soon as theboat was stable and back on line, I knew I had it. Coming off the final falls, a surge of adrenaline ballooned into pure exhilaration. After several more intense rap- ids, we made it to the confluence with a major side creek as dusk began to set in. It's hard to explain, but there were clearly moments when something seemed to take over and just do the right thing. Doug and I were taking turnsleading- leapfrogging through the eddies, coming to a technical drop (and often just going), making the moves almost as if guided by some inner sense that knew just what to do. Scott and Brian did a great job, sometimes following our lead and some- times making a wise decision to walk. Darkness definitely becamea factor. Doug is a superb paddler, one of the best. He did a great job, not letting the darkness get us out of sync. Finally the gradient let up. We John Regan photo bumped off small rocks, squinting, look- Roger Zbel plunges into the Fish Bowl on Bear Creek. ing for a paper cup in a tree. Each time we run Bear I think down Bear through a thick fog and light deliberation about rapids and where to back to that first run, not quite believing drizzle. Doug and I were in Corsica S's, run them that the dayGght seemed to van- that we actually ran everythingwe did. If andBrianwasinaDancer. Itwasreally too ish even before we were halfway into it. I were to do an honest critique, then I'd say low, and darkness caught us not even We've run Bear several times since and we're fortunate it's a great memory in- halfway through the run. have it down to just a few hours, but that stead of an agonizing nightmare. But I'm So, again, up, up and up wewent, first complete descent remains as one of sure glad we did it. climbing over talus and slick terrain in our the truly-memorable experiences in our Runnable only after a good rain, drysuitswhile luggingboats and gear into lives. Bear Creek drops about 800 feet in its 3.25 the darkness. We weren't having fun. There was one point when we miles, the average gradient being238 feet/ Brian was ready to throw us both over the were preparing to carryStairway. The mile. It certainly seems a lot longer and a cliffs. more I looked, the more it seemed feasible. lot steeper than this. The overall gradient Near thetop thefoggrewthicker, After a lengthy deliberation, I said I was is a bit deceiving, particularly when you erasing any sign of mother earth. Great. going to run it &d, of course, immediately consider that the last half mile is relatively Now where to step? Talk about catching pissed in my pants. I tried to be stoic, but flat. The steepest section begins just over some major air time. A wrong step and the truth was that I was scared as Hell. a mile into the run at Surrealistic Pillow this definitely would have been a major What was that sayingfromm? and drops around 600 feet/mile for about league bummer. However, after wander- "...Fear is the mind-killer ..." But it wasn't half a mile. ing around in purgatory for a while, we just me up there. The future of two small Most of our runs have been at finally found two friends who had been children and my wife were inextricably relativelylow water, around 100 to 200 cfs. awaitingusin their car (would you believe bound in what I did. Without having a However, Doug and Terry Smith recently it - playing chess?). Lost on the board, say, without even knowing what was hap- did a run with more water and described they weren't interested in our tales of ad- pening, they would be running the rapid it as pushier and much more difficult, but venture. It was time for a major replenish- with me. There were also my boating by far and away a better level. ment of precious bodily fluids. friends whose lives could be on the line if Scott Shoup is one of these up- About a weeklater we caught the something went wrong. It was a terrible andcoming, hot, young boaters. I first Bear up again. Though still low, it was dilemma to be caught between these feel- knew him as acocky kid in my Precalculus b higher and more runnable. Scott Shoup ings and thebelief that the rapid would go. class at the Baylor School in Chattanooga joined us in a C-1. We had a reasonably Ropes were set, even though I'm I don't remember if he passed my course or early afternoon start and had good weather, not sure they would have been useful. not - something he said about not want- but it was still after dark when we finished Picking up my boat, I went to the top, ing to do homework and having a lousy the run. We had placed a white paper cup pushed off and entered the realm of phys- teacher. He's becoming so good that I in a bush to mark the take-out. You can't ics. When the first drop went clean, I felt probably should have just failed him on imagine the sense of exhilaration we felt a wave of relief. But it was the next move general principles. seeing the silhouette of that cup against that really worried me. Afraid of pitoning Anyway, he must have learned the night sky when we finished the run! at the bottom of the second drop, I decided something because he did an excellent Bear Creek is only 3.5 miles long, to drive off the right side. Landing at an analysisof Bear Creek, measuring the drop but there was so much scouting, so much extreme angle in shallow water, I almost between contours and then plotting a dis- tance-versus-gradient curve with some fancy graphics. We found theinformation interesting, particularly when comparing Bear to some other rivers of comparable size. Often someone wants to know how this river or that river compares to some known runs. I don't think that compari- sonsmean much when you're out there on the water, but they're interesting to look at. Roger Zbel and John Regan came down for one of the early runs. They have this habit of driving all night and then doing wild and crazy things on a river. Doug played space music for them all the way to the river to set the mood. John ran the second drop of Stairway down the middle instead of driving off the right side, as I had done. This turned out to be a better line. Aswithmany runs of this nature, there are several rapids that would have names on other rivers, but haven't been labeled so far. We decided to call the first rapid of any consequence Alpha As soon as you think you've run a significant rapid, then you just ran Alpha. There are more than a few good candidates early in the run from which to choose. There's anespecially narrow crev- ice not far into the run which has always been a bit unnerving. One Crisp Saturday in February, Francis Mallory dropped into the slot. As he shot out, going over aledge below the crevice, he found that his sprayskirt had been sliced. Talk about being ticked off! But, he wasn't the only one to come through and find a sprayskirt ripped into little ribbons. Francis chris- tened this one Edward Scissorhands. Not far below, a small wooden hiker's bridge marks the first mega-rapid. Surrealistic Pillow is a true mind-altering experience. An intimidating 15- to 20- foot, twisting boulder drop, it is, as yet, one of the only two unrun rapids on Bear Creek. (The other one could probably be done if a certain tree weren't blocking it.) Rogel Zbel photo Just beneath a tight slot with a John Regan experiences "Revelations" on Bear Creek. funky entrance sits a massive boulder, splitting the current. One channel leads to death and destruction; and, as one might ping. But you have to feel comfortable moved the tree at the top of Fish Bowl with suspect, the other side leads equally well running gnarly, congested routes. And, the help of some locals happening through to the same dismal fate. Surrealistic more than anything, youwant tobeable to the gorge. Pillow will probably have to await the handle thesituationwhen something goes After some sharp turns and blind invention of indestructible rubber bubble wrong, because sooner or later, it a. drops through the Snake Pit and Knockin' boats or someone certifiably insane. It Around the corner from Surreal- on Heaven's Door, the edge of the world usually doesn't take much scouting the istic is Fish Bowl - a 30-foot cascading suddenly appears. You know the one - decide tocarry on theleft. But, you know... drop which finishes with 15 feet of great seamonsters, more death and destruction, IdothinkIseealineonit. air. There was a badly paced tree at the etc. Most of the upper Bear run is entrance, so we had tomake this fancy Stairway to Heaven is one of the typical tight creek maneuvering. It is nar- move at the top before taking the big most intimidatingrunnabledropsI've ever row, yet has plenty of room for eddy hop- plunge. I recently went hiking and re- seen. I don't thinkit's as hard as Gorilla on the Green, but the potential for a screw-up is there, and the-consequences are un- thinkable. It's really one of the highlights of a Bear trip, whether you decide to run it or not. In fact, only a handful of people have actually tried it.- On one of theearlier trips a few folks ran it. There were a couple of clean runs and a few... well, thank heav- ens. Soon after that, four of us ran it and had four aces. I'll never forget what Bo Eakens said after he came screaming down the center at mach speed, blasting into the pool at the bottom, whooping it up after a perfect run. "This is turning out to be a cupcake rapid." Then he smiled. Bo, one of those solid paddlers who thrive on rivers like the Green, South Sauty and the Little River Canyon at high water, has become a real Bear addict. During arare summer run on the Bear in lateJune of this year, Doug Welrnan After a small falls the creek nar- It's not as steep as the previous and I discovered a giant oak uprooted and rows and one approaches Momentary section, but the non-stop action makes this lodged in the middle of Stairway to Lapse of Reason. The idea is to boof right, stretch every bit as intense. Punching Heaven, as well as numerous other new but the narrow slot at the top of the initial sticky holes, slicing across steep drops, trees blocking other rapids. Hopefully, by eight-foot drop has a bad habit of turning going down blind twisting alleys is par for the time this article is printed, some of the boats back to the center, where an all-too- the course. worst trees will have been cleared. But eager submerged rock lurks. Popped foot Dave Simpson, the first open keep a good lookout! pegs, dimpled noses and other bodily in- boater to make the run, called one memo- The pool below Stairway to sults are regular occurrences. It's getting rable labyrinth The Pinball Wizard. As I Heaven immediately slides off the 15-foot easier and easier to decide to carry this one recall, you start right, go left, bang off Cosmic Trigger and heads towards a 20- - especially at low water. rocks in the center. surf out of this hole, foot vertical falls known as the Big Bang. Doug gave a great name to this 4/ boof across a ledge on the right, immedi- Unfortunately, most of it splatsonto arock 10-mile section which begins at Surrealis- ately try to turn and thread through a slot ledge. tic Pillow: The Cosmic Mile. The grand against a big boulder and then hope like John Regan took a look and de- finale to this stretch is Armageddon, and Hell you can make the hairpin turn at the cided to give it a shot. He came driving it's everything the name implies. Rob- bottom. Okay, got all that? over the far left edge like a maniac. The lip ably the most sensible thing to do would Gargoyle follows. And it's worse. of the falls is shallow and scrapy, but he be tocarry the whole rapid on the far right Somewhere below all this is the managed to keep enough momentum go- and avoid a headache. But if we were last rapid. Whichever one you decide is ing to clear the ledge at the bottom by an sensible, we probably wouldn't be there in the last is called Omega. For me, it's the inch or two. the first place. little ripple at the take-out where I try to Roger Zbel followed, but slid a Sowe proceed to get in and out of get out of my boat without drowning. So bit to the side and splatted the ledge with our boats, walk around trees, look at boul- there you have it in condensed form - the his stern, and flipped. It was like being in ders with weird gurgling sounds emitting Bear from Alpha to Omega. amovie where the audience, gripped, sud- from their bottoms (or maybe the sounds Okav. Now a moment of serious- denly gasps at a terrifying scene. He rolled were from our ownbottoms) and exchange ness. I've no claims to being a hot creek up wincing, but able to paddle. The rest of all thismacho talkabout howwewould of boater -that distinction isreserved for the us passed. course run the rapid if it weren't for the deserving few. But after the recent tragic But the portage is so much fun, trees. As one would expect, it's long, events and near misses on the Green, I feel why miss it? The routine has become congested, steep and otherwise unfit for boaters need to be warned again about the somewhat of a ritual. Someone jumps and normally sane human beings. pitfalls of running steep creeks. hopefully lands in the pool on the far left. Following a few hundred yards Rivers like the Green Narrows After lowering boats, the rest leap like of nameless Class IV water comes the and the Bear Creek should not become lemmings into the clear, beautiful, freez- confluencewith a major side creek. At this rites of passage for the boating commu- ing water. YEOW!!!! point you can breathe a sigh of relief - if nity. Bear Creek is exceedingly dangerous The pacecontinueshelter -skelter you make it quick. Time to inhale and get and not the place for boaters who don't through acomplex, twisting Class V rapid ready for the next show. The volume have the skills or don't enjoy this type of called Revelations. Frankly, I don't re- increases substantially as the run turns extreme, technical paddling on the edge. member why we called it that. I think into aboulder garden with so many drops Bear Creek is a true gem. But be Doug and I were just feeling very religious and rapids that we haven't gotten around prepared or don't come looking for Bear! on the day of our naming mission. to naming many. 67 ADK Genesee Valley Carolina Canoe Club Headwaters Paddling Lower Columbia Canoe c/o Scott Trude P.O. Box 12932 Assoc. Club 3565 N. Creek Rd. Raleigh, NC 27605 Box 1392 22800 S. Unger Rd. Palmyra, NY 14522 Central Georgia River Bozeman, MT 59715 Colton, OR 97017 Adirondack Mountain Club Runners Hong Kong Snakes Kayak Meramec River Canoe Club RR 3, Box 3055 P.O. Box 6563 Club c/o Earl Biffle Lake George, NY 12845 Macon, GA 31208 22 Bushy Hill Rd. 26 Lake Road Adobe Whitewater Club Champaign Canoeing Simsbury, CT 06070 Fenton, MO 63026 P.O. Box 3835 40 Keech T. LeClair Hoosier Canoe Club Merrimack Valley Paddlers Albuquerque, NM 87190 Brayton Park, Beach Rd. 40 Dave Ellis c/o George May Allegheny Canoe Club Ossining, NY 10562 4770 N. 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Leaping Lounge Lizards Mt. Home AFB, ID 83648- Burned Out Canoe Club 40 James Tibensky c/o Rick Norman 5000 c/o Fred Vaughn P.O. Box 2576 3437 E. Green St. Outdoor Centre of New Box 15 Chicago, IL 60690 Pasadena, CA 91107 England McConnell, WV 25633 Greater Baltimore Canoe Ledyard Canoe Club 8 Pleasant St. California Kayak Friends Club Box 9 Millers Falls, MA 01349 14252 Culver Dr. #A-199 P.O. Box 591 Hanover, NH 03755 Ozark Wilderness Water- Irvine, CA 92714 Ellicott City, MD 21043 Lehigh Valley Canoe Club ways Canoe Club of Harrisburg Paddlers P.O. Box 2726 P.O. Box 16032 c/o John Ressler c/o Betty Walls Lehigh Valley, PA 18001 Kansas City, MO 64112 180 Andersontown Rd. 37 Chaparrel Dover, PA 17315 New Braunfels, TX 78130 Perception Kayak Club Sebago Canoe Club Three Rivers Paddling Club Wildcat Canoe Club c/o Perception Inc. c/o Richard Schneider c/o Paul Kammer c/o Michael Ranstead 111 0 Powdersville Rd. 1751 67th St. 400 6th St. 3425 E. 106th St. Easley, SC 29640 Brooklyn, NY 11204 Beaver Falls, PA 15010 Carmel, IN 46032 Philadelphia Canoe Club Sierra Club Alaska Tight Skirt Zoar Outdoor 4900 Ridge Ave. c/o Jack Hession P.O. Box 8 P.O. Box 245 Philadelphia, PA 19128 241 E. 5th Ave. #205 Ohiopyle, PA 15470 Charlemont, MA 01 339 Pikes Peak Whitewater Club Anchorage, AK 99501 Toledo River Gang c/o Kathleen Laurin Sierra Club Lorna Prieta c/o Mike Sidell 20 Manitou Ter. c/o Dave Kim 626 Louisiana Avenue Manitou Springs, CO 80829- 3309 Oxford Lane Perrysburg, OH 43551 1742 San Jose, CA 95117 U. of Maine at Machias Richmond Raft Co. Sierra Club RTS Library c/o Stuart Bateman c/o Lynne Van Ness 9 O'Brien Ave. 11048 Warwick Blvd. 159 Southwind Drive Machias, ME 04654 Newport News, VA 23601 Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 University of Tennessee River Rendezvous Sierra Nevada WW Club Student Activities Office P.O. Box 888 c/o Charlie Albright 343 University Center Telluride, CO 81435 7500 Gladstone Drive Knoxville, TN 37996 River Touring Section Reno, NV 89506 Valdez Alpine Club c/o Patrick Murphy T.A. J. c/o Andrew Embick 411 E. Las Flores Dr. c/o Brian Webb P.O. Box 1889 Altadena, CA 91001 Rt. 2, Box 424 Valdez, AK 99686 Rockin "R" ' Pilot Mountain, NC 27041 West Virginia Wildwater 1405 Gruene Rd. Texas Whitewater Assoc. Assoc. New Braunfels, TX 781 30- Box 5429 P.O. Box 8413 3334 Austin, TX 78763 S. Charleston, WV 25303

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Mail to AWA, P.O. Box 85, Phoenicia, NY 12464 Calling 'em close

Onct I had one of them near- CLOSE CALL ONE - I wuz hizownself." death experiences. gettin' ready to put on the Gauley when I I didn't have a second to lose. I I was gnawin' on a hunk of veni- was accosted by a shapely female boater. ducked into the men's room and quickly son jerkyand I tried to swaller achunk that "Guide me down the river?" she asks. donned three pile sweaters. As I emerged, wasn't quitemasticated.Ichoked, coughed "Shore," I sez. four more members of that endangered and wheezed but couldn't catch a whiff of ButbeforeIcouldfantasize about species were headin' straight for me. breath. Finally, I passed clean out. showing her my Dufek stroke, out of the But those boys took one look at Lyin' on the floor, I was suddenly bushespops12 members of apaddlin' club my newly bolstered physique (courtesyof conscious of an intense, white light. And from Ohio or Chicago or Philadelphia... Patagonia) and headed straight for the silouetted against the glare, two figures "You won't mind if my friends door! walked toward me. join us, will you," sez the comely bait. CLOSE CALL SIX-Iwasstuffed When they got closer, I could see Trapped! into so cramped a space I thought I was they were Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. And Fortunately, amile downtheriver already in a coffin. as they stood over my inert form, I heard I spied a gentle hydraulic. Certainly, the smell in the con- a resonant voice command: "Look," sez I, "a side-surfing fined space was worse than that of death. "To make this poor soul's pas- hole!" If it wasn't for the bone-rattlin' sage easier-you will sing and strip for While the group took numbers shaking and buffeting I was receiving, I'd him." and lined up in the eddy, I escaped down- a sworn I'd already passed on. Well, I thinks to myself, this stream. But it wuzworse than that... Iwuz shorely must be Heaven!" CLOSE CALL TWO - I signed in the back of a van with six other boaters But thenMarilynopened her beak on for a multi-day river trip out west. on an Upper Yough shuttle. and began to chirp out a tune while Elvis Unbeknownst to me, the feller in charge of There wuz no way I was going to promptly commenced to pull down his procuring food-a skinny dude named survive all the way to Sang Run. So1poked britches. Tirnothy-was a vegetarian. up my head and hollered: I immediately gagged. Out After two daysof tofu and bulgar, "Hey. ..ain't that amary-ju-wanna popped that offending piece of jerky and I was near the end of my strength. plant a growin' out in that there field?" soon after I returned to the land of the We never did find out what hap- The van screeched to a stop in an living. But I wanted no part of no more pened to Timothy-but thank goodness I instant and the other paddlers vanished. near-death experiences. was able to trap that stringyrabbit tomake CLOSE CALL SEVEN - I made So that'swhu I ain't filled out any a stew. a real error in judgment pickid a girlfriend of them AWA nclose-call" survey forms. CLOSE CALL THREE -I swear whose birthday fell during Gauley season. Even if I had almost seen Elvis on the river, ['ll never again try to put the moves on a When September rolled around I shorely wouldn't want to recollect the woman rafter when the PittsburghSteelers the first year, I told her a grandparent had experience. have booked a team river trip. That is, keeled over and off I went to paddle. Besides, I paddle class V water- unless she's goin' with the place kicker. I had such success that the next and every time you set out on a class V CLOSE CALL FOUR -I figgered three seasons I used the same excuse. But river it's a close call. [ had fooled the airlines into transporting I lost track of the years and when I used There's beena hundred times that my kayak when I flew into Phoenix for a thesame reason the fifth season, she be- I missed a single vital stroke during a Zrand Canyon trip. Told themit was a surf came a tad enraged. crucial fer ry... almost blew a "must make" board. You better enjoy the cockpit of eddy... or presented the wrong edge dur- Course, that's probably why my your kayak,kz she, "cause it's the only ing a boof. And in every instance, there boat and gear ended up in Hawaii. cockpit you'll be fitting into." was a moment of jeopardy when I was in Things ended up OK though. My CLOSE CALL EIGHT- Wewuz more physical danger than if I was out of buddy had an extra squirt boat that I bor- on the tail end of a paddling weekend and a boat and swimming in class IV stuff. :owed. betwixt the four of us, we only had a full But cuz I rassled with the Angel How'd my buddy get his low- tank of gas and $1.89 in loose change. and the see-saw of disaster rocked down in irolume boats out west? He brought 'em Thank the Lord for Milwaukee's my favor-I guess all those moments don't In the plane as carry-on luggage. Best. rate as real "close calls." CLOSE CALL FIVE -I was out But I feel a tad guilty not contrib- Mest on a paddlin' trip and walked into a uting to the AWA's "close calls" project. .ocal bar wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt. By GARY CARLSON whose every contri- So without further adieu-I'm presenting One of the good ole' boys at the ~utionis considered a close call by the my own personal list of close calls on >arwearing a hat that read-"Loggers, an Editors of this magazine. the river. Here's hopin' the paddlingworld ndangered species-turned and said: is safer for my efforts. "Lookee, here... it's Bob Dylan L w ah intsrnot~ona~usa, czechb he. 4, box 4638 blairsville, georgia 30512 * tellfax 40 I american whitewater

" AWA Journal mBox 85 Phoenicia, NY 12464