Paae 5U1 I Amer~canWhitewater & Page 16 pernet-ion" CREATE NEV MOVES. ONE WITH WATER PATENT THEM. LIVE OFF THE LICEhSING FEES. .....CLEAN Departments Forum ......................................4 Features r The Hotel lnteramericano by Bob Gedekoh The Rio Pacuare Letters ......................................8 I by Walker Daves 50 1 Director's Cut ..................................14 Boatball... A Whole New Game by Rich Bowers I by Sonny Saloman 54 1 Conservation ..................................16 - r Celebrating Tallulah! r Proposed Amendments to Federal Power Act Solid Gold on the Undermine Environmental Protection European Freestyle Circuit 1 by Tonya Shuman 58 Access .................................. 24 r CRMP Eddied Out in Grand Canyon A Celebration of Gravity, Rock, & Water r Whitewater Access Site Secured on Elkhorn I by Hal Crimmel 62 Creek (KYI 1 r Kaweah River Navigability Threatened r Ohiopyle Falls Race Exploring Panamanian Whitewater r Management Alternalive Proposed for Salmon and 1 by Ian Andrews M. F. Salmon 68 1 r The New Megalloway r Intern Completes first draft of Hydropower Handbook Eco Adventure Gabon I by Howie Wolke 76 1 Events .................................. 42 r New for 2000 The Mid-Atlantic Drought Brou ht New r Schedule of River Events 2000 Discoveries to Great Fa1 Igs River Voices ................................... 86 I by Greg Morrison and Martin Radigan 7 r Highway Blues r Fast Floaters r A Tribute to Probes r Rubbertime r Days That Used to Be Briefs .................................... 90 Cover Photos by Tim ReeseO r Video and Book Reviews r Pete Carey Remembered Issue Date: JanuanIFehruary 2000 Statement of Frequency: Puhl~shedbimonthly r South Yuba Gathering Authorized Organizat~on'sName and Address: American IPhitewater r Moose Race Results P.O. Box 636 Printed on Recycled Paper Margretville. h'P 12455 American Whitewater January/ February 2000 The Hotel Interamericano By Bob Gedekoh No one could mistake the Hotel Interamericano of Turrialba, Costa Rica for the Hyatt Regency. It does not fea- 1 1 ture a five star restaurant, a luxurious I I swimming pool, or a championship golf course. You will not find any fancy I I mints on your pillow and travelers who I ( wish to take showers need to bring their own soap-a brand that works in cold water. Located next to an aban- doned train station a stones throw I 1 away from a raucous street market, in a country where drivers blast their horns I! or brakes, the Interamericano is not the place to stay if you want quiet soli- tude or to be pampered. The disco down the street booms past midnight and the neighborhood dogs don't stop howling until the neighborhood roost- everyone's friend and is an invaluable authored whitewater guides to the Ca- ers start crowing. source of information about Turrialba nadian Rockies, joined us. But if you're a whitewater boater in particular and Costa Rica in general. Come morning, the Interamericano visiting Costa Rica, the Interamericano She knows where to find boats and kayak team would congregate again to is the place to be. Two of that tropical how to arrange shuttles. Blanca can organize impromptu river trips and central American paradise's finest riv- tell you how to stay out of trouble and shuttles. Several expatriates from the ers, the Reventezon and the Pacuare, how to get out of trouble. She could United States have settled in Turrialba are easily accessed from the busy little probably tell you how to get into and opened whitewater operations: city of Turrialba, making it the epicen- trouble as well.. if you are so inclined. Loco Lee Poundstone, Ray McLain, and ter for Costa Rican boating. And the The Interamericano attracts Phil Coleman. All are friends of lobby of the Interamericano is the hub whitewater boaters from all over the Blanca: they stop by the hotel almost of the Turrialba kayaking scene. world. During my recent stay, I met every day to shoot the breeze and drum Presiding over the Hotel kayakers from New Zealand, three Ca- up business for their rafting operations Interamericano is Blanca Rosa Vasquez nadian provinces, Germany, Switzer- and kayaking schools. Happily, they Aguilar, an energetic and motherly land, and from every corner of the were willing to share their knowledge Costa Rican who spent several decades United States. There were familiar of local whitewater runs, weather con- in the United States working in the hu- faces as well-video boaters and raft ditions, and flows with private kayakers man resources department of a large guides from West Virginia, California, just looking for free advice. Unlike American corporation. As comfortable Maine, and Colorado, who were win- some of the large rafting companies, in front of her computer as she is in tering in Costa Rica. After dinner we who bus their customers to the front of her sewing machine, which sit would converge in the hotel's lobby, Reventezon and Pacuare from their side-by-side in the hotel lobby, Blanca swapping whitewater tales from headquarters in the capital city of San runs a tight ship. The Interamericano around the world. Two accomplished Jose, two hours away, Loco Lee, Ray may cater to budget travelers; miserly German boaters, Raymond Bulczak McLain, and Phil Coleman cater to kayakers, backpackers, and bird watch- and Andreas Schultz, regaled us with guests staying in Turrialba. Their ers, but it is clean, secure and efficient. tales of boating in Corsica, Italy, Mo- businesses visibly pump money into Blanca is on a first-name basis with rocco, Chile, and their new favorite, the local economy, not an inconse- most of her guests within a few hours Norway. Later in the week Stewart quential matter in a region whose riv- of their arrival. She seems to be Smith, a Class V boater who has American Whitewater January / February 2000 ers are threatened with hydropower de- mate is wonderful and the whitewater Many American kayakers who travel velopment. is superb. Costa Rica has a long-stand- to Costa Rica do so as part of packaged After these consultations the team ing democratic tradition and its lit- tours that cater to whitewater boaters. would select the day's whitewater des- eracy rate is said to be higher than that Expenses are prepaid; there is no need tination and call Diego Rodriguez of the United States. Ecotourism has to negotiate ground transportation or Solano, our trusty shuttle driver. Di- replaced banana and coffee farming as lodging and restaurants are pre-se- ego has worked as a river guide and the largest source of revenue; the lected. No doubt the trip leaders trans- knows the complex and rugged Costa Ricans have responded by estab- late the menus; their customers know Reventezon and Pacuare shuttles like lishing a phenomenal National Park what they will be eating. The trip or- Scott Shipley knows gates. On a couple System. Costa Ricans are understand- ganizers choose runs appropriate for of occasions when Diego could con his ably proud of their country and are their clients' abilities and arrange the wife or a friend into driving the truck, very gracious hosts. shuttles. The guides, usually Ameri- he kayaked along with us, proudly sharing his knowledge of his home riv- ers and leading us on hikes up some of the side canyons. One day when heavy rains turned the Lower Pacuare into a raging torrent, Diego said that he would have liked to paddle with us, but that his worried wife would not let him. By the end of that eventful day we all agreed that Diego's wife was a wise woman indeed! Riding shotgun in the shuttle truck was to be an interesting multicultural experience. Diego was, of course, fluent in Spanish. He spoke only a little English, but was deter- mined to learn more. Like most Ger- mans, Andreas seemed fluent in every language; his English was excellent and, as best I could tell, his Spanish was too. Of course I couldn't tell for sure, since my Spanish is so rudimen- tary that when I ordered food in a res- taurant I never knew what to expect. My knowledge of German is a tad bet- ter. But I was in Costa Rica; I wanted to speak Spanish, not German. Some- how our mutual interest in rivers over- came these language barriers; when there is whitewater to be discussed, kayakers will find a way. In the eve- nings we would wander around Turrialba, sampling the tropical fruit and ice cream, watching the sloths hanging from the trees in the town park, and joining the locals in last- minute Christmas shopping. We went to the movies and to a holiday mass. By the end of the week Turrialba was starting to feel like home. All things considered, my Costa Rican whitewater vacation was one of the best I have ever taken. It is easy to see what attracts boat- ers from around the world to Costa I "- - Rica. The people are friendly, the cli- P 0 Box 636 American Whitewater Januaiy / February 2000 can, nurse the guests safely down the I Whitewater Dancer II river. Traveling in the company of a This xrirl-n hrs it nlll ITnrl~rwatcr .--..., -- -*-. -----a , large group of like-minded individuals rolls, the 89 Worlds, Rodeos, Hot led by professionals, no doubt provides wave and hole surfing, Class V wipe- ',, by a shield from the inevitable hassles and outs, Tunes world famous fiddlematiter - culture shock that comes with foreign PAPPA JOHN GREACH! HI-FI stereo 55 Min. \, '\, travel. There is a lot to be said for this. ..- But I'm glad I didn't do it that way. I -- - _ had a lot more fun staying at the --. - The-Grmd~&yon -. G& ifvto the,GRAND CANYON.