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We've got trips for all skill levels led by top NOC instructors, Join us A for an adventure you'll 1 never forget. * 13077 HWY 19 WEST BRYSON CITY, NC 28713 American Whitewater v SeptemberIOctober 1995 R AIRE uses the latest technology and innovative design to build high performance craft that are durable, compact, and self bailing. PUMA AIRE builds six models of catarafts, nine rafts, three inflatable kayaks and two sea kayaks in a variety of colors. AIRE leads the way in the industry and so should you. P.O. BOX 3412, DEPT. AO, BOISE, ID 83703 (208) 344-7506 FAX (800) 701-AIRE American Whitewater v SeptemberIOctober 1995 Letters ........................................... 8 Johnny Wonder by John Weld Forum .................................. ......................6 V Ain't Too Proud To Beg by Bob Gedekoh Briefs ..........................................................92 Treasury Bonds and River Runners V Hair Race Slated for Moose Festival V AWA Strategic Plan by Brian J. Whetstine V NEW SECTION - RIVER VOICES 0 Conservation V California Agribusiness Water Pork .. 15 V Navigability New York ....................... 18 by April Holladay V TOP 40 WHITWATER ISSUES ......... 19 Safety V River Accident Overview 1995 .......... 29 by Bill Tanger Whitewater High in Guatemala by Joe Greiner Access V Verboten Hairboatin' ......................... 16 Humor V The Face of Doctor McBride ........... 112 teenagenTackle ereen Narrows by Jonathan Katz by Peter Kennedy V Murphy's Law of Whitewater .......... 112 The Desert in Flood FrontCovec Fred Coriell , age 15 at "Gorilla" Green Narrows, by Tyler Williams Team Adventures Back Cover Joe Greiner running Cain Killed Abel, Genesis Gorge, Polochic River An ~quadorianWahoo by Enga Lokey Printed on Recycled Paper W hitewater Shang +La! by Jeffrey Parker and Bridget Thomas American Whitewater SeptembedOctober 1995 to "just follow the raft." He had charged into the Garfield Slide, oblivious to the fact that he was entering one of the three AIN'T TOO PROUD biggest rapids on the run. A buddy of mine recently told me that he never likes to read guidebooks before TO BEG he paddles something new because they "just make him nervous." From what I've At 6,000 cfs the Garfield Slide rapid on seen and heard lately, a lot of boaters feel Colorado's Animas River is not to be the same way. taken lightly. Nearly a quarter of a mile Guidebooks often make me nervous, long, it features innumerable exploding too. That, in fact, is why I read them. I waves, ugly pourovers, menacing rever- figure sometimes I ought to be nervous. sals and, to make matters even more dis- Nervous enough to ask myself if I, and concerting, a strainer. There is no pool at those I am paddling with, are good the bottom of the rapid. Instead, the enough to attempt a new river. Nervous Animas turns abruptly to the right, then enough to make sure that the river is rages on through several miles of con- running at an appropriate volume. And tinuous, booming, class IV whitewater. nervous enough to recognize and scout There are practically no eddies and dmcult rapids, like the Garfield Slide, the current is swift and powerful, com- before I flush into them. mensurate with the flow and gradient of When I was learning to boat, Burrell 80 feet/mile. At 9,000 feet in elevation, and Davidson's Wildwater West Virginia this torrent, solely fed by snow melt, is The unfortunate kayaker hit an explo- was my bible. It led me to a number of frigid. sion wave a third of the way through the great adventures and kept me out of a lot At 6,000 cfs the Garfield Slide rapid on rapid, backendered, and exited his boat, of trouble. The margins of my copy are the Animas is not a good place for mon- just in time to tumble into the first of covered with the notes I made over the key business. That is why it is specifi- several gigantic reversals that he was years. I still take it with me whenever I cally mentioned in several guidebooks to destined to endure. He flushed from one head for the mountain state. Colorado, which, incidentally, also sug- to another, then was swept around the I carried three guidebooks to Colorado gest that the optimal level to run the bend and out of sight, still in the grasp of on my recent vacation and I will be tak- Animas is 2000 cfs. the icy Animas. ing at least two guidebooks to Idaho We were on shore scouting the There was nothing we could do; our when I fly there in two weeks. Garfield Rapid several weeks ago, plot- boats were a quarter mile upstream. So When I decide to paddle unfamiliar, ting our strategy, when we spotted a pair we were relieved to find him, about a mcult whitewater, I want to know as of kayakers and a raft upstream. Without mile and a half later, on shore with his much about it as I can. hesitation the raft plunged into the maw kayak. Somehow, perhaps with the help Of course, guidebooks aren't the only of the rapid. One of the kayakers fol- of the raft, he had managed to extract sources of whitewater information. lowed, not far behind. himself from the river. Of course his Three years ago, four of us were ner- From our vantage point we knew that "epic" had taken a toll, but all things vously preparing to put on the Animas, the line he had chosen would almost cer- considered, he was lucky... and he knew again at about 6,000 cfs. Two of us had tainly lead to what Colorado boaters eu- it. paddled the river before, albeit at much phemistically refer to as an "epic." We He confided that he had never paddled lower levels. were not disappointed. the Animas before and that his plan was We knew how to recognize the "Big Editor: Bob Gedekoh, Box 228, R.D.#4, Elizabeth, Pa. 15037 Emeritus Editor: Chris Koll Art direction/Graphic design/Production: John K. Victor, 396 Church St., Chillicothe, OH 45601 Contributing writers: Pope Barrow, Howard Davidson, Carla Garrison, Joe Greiner, Rich Hoffman, Jonathan Katz, John Weld, Mark White Production Assistant: Teresa Augustin Advertising Director: Phyllis Horowitz, Box 85, Phoenicia, New York 12464 (914) 688-5569 Safety: Charlie Walbridge Conservation: Rich Bowers, 1430 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Phone (301) 5899453 Fax (301) 589-6121 Missing Copies and Address Changes: Contact Phyllis Horowitz American Whitewater is printed by SPENCER WALKER PRESS, INC., Newark OH. AU rights reserved. American Whitewater v SeptemberlOctober 1995 FORUM IFORUM . FORUM. FORUM. FORUM IFORUM . FORUM IFORUM Three," the Garfield Slide, No Name and :alls over the years. The danger, and the nent whitewater boaters that I know find the Broken Bridge rapids. We also knew 3asy way to avoid it, is not apparent Porn out as much as they can about difficult that the river was likely to offer us plenty upstream; but virtually everyone who new runs before they attempt them. They of unexpected surprises. paddles the Upper knows about it. None- know that there is nothing more "geeky" Just before we launched, a local theless, four newcomers managed to pin then getting pinned or going for a nasty boater stopped by for a chat. She obvi- there, on busy days when there were doz- swim, especially in places where this ously knew the river, but, although she ?nsof Upper Yough veterans on the river. could easily be avoided. had a boat on her roof, she declined our rhis apparently happened because they There is a place for taking pride in offer to come along. I got the impression were too proud to ask and too cocky to one's boating ability and self reliance. that she was sizing us up, trying to decide scout. Fortunately, none of them were But there is a place for prudence, as well. whether this motley crew of Easterners killed. As for me, when it comes to acquiring had any business attempting a high wa- Every Gauley season I see boats hope- information that could keep me out of ter run on the Animas. There was the lessly jammed into the deadly siphon in trouble, I ain't too proud to beg! usual posturing and the exhibition of bra- hitiation Rapid, a well-known spot that vado on our parts, no doubt heightened has claimed two lives, but is easily Bob Gedekoh by the fact that our visitor was a woman. svoided. Every year there are close calls She appeared to know and understand st a slot in the ledge above Ship Rock... this game, and she politely let it run its the site of a fatalitv three seasons ago. course.