BY BOATERS FOR BOATERS September/October 2005 Wilderness PADDLING A Family Tour of Quebec’s Wild Rivers-The Hard Way What’s Not Wild and Scenic About the Clavey? Second Thoughts About a Second Descent in the Jungle Nighted-Out in a Wild Cali Misadventure September 11th, 2001: Forgotten in the Alaskan Backcountry A VOLUNTEER PUBLICATION PROMOTING RIVER CONSERVATION, ACCESS AND SAFETY American Whitewater Journal Volume XLVI, No.5 DEPARTMENTS 3 The Journey Ahead by Mark Singleton 4 Safety First! Safe Wilderness Paddling by Ambrose Tuscano 6 AW News & Notes 10 History: River Issues, Then and Now by Sue Taft 12 Interview with Daniel DeLavergne by Clay Wright 52 Donor Profi le: The Grand Canyon Initiative by Jamie Saul 54 Events: Gauley Festival 66 The Last Word by Ambrose Tuscano FEATURES Wilderness Runs 14 Family Vacation: Hundreds of Miles From Anywhere by Barry Tuscano 20 Rio Huataracu: The Whole Empanada by Steve Frazier 26 California’s Clavey River by Brette Valle 28 Lessons From an Unintentional Overnighter by Christie Dobson 30 The Wilderness of Giant Gap by Geoff Jennings 34 When Ignorance Was Bliss: The Homathko River by Lila Marie Thomas STEWARDSHIP 42 Ausable Flow Study a Blast! by Kevin Colburn 43 Cheoah River Release Dates Set! by Kevin Colburn 44 Alberton Gorge Protected, Volunteer Recognized by Kevin Colburn 44 Chattooga Headwaters Still in Limbo 46 Taking on River Access Challenges 48 NEW Online Tools by Lila Thomas 50 Volunteer Clean Up by Josh Egenolf RIVER VOICES 56 Taming Raymondskill Creek by The Dogg 62 The Upper Pack River by Natty Role CFC UnitedWay #2302 Support American Whitewater through CFC or United Way All the federal campaigns, and a few of the local United Way campaigns will allow you to donate through them to AW. Check to see if yours in one of them. Also, check to see if your employer will match your charitable contribution - double your money , double your fun! Publication Title: American Whitewater Cover Shot: Issue Date: September/October 2005 Pat Keller in the Second Statement of Frequency: Published bimonthly Authorized Organization’s Name and Ad dress: Act of Tragedy, Day American Whitewater P.O. Box 1540 Three Homathko River Cullowhee, NC 28723 Photo by Johnnie Kern Printed on Recycled Paper River Stewardship, an through direct participation in public decision EDUCATION: AW shares information with the Integrated Approach making processes, grassroots advocacy, coalition general public and the paddling community building, empowerment of volunteers, public regarding whitewater rivers, as well as river Our mission: “To conserve and restore America’s outreach and education, and, when necessary, legal recreation, conservation, access, and safety. This is whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities action. accomplished through our bi-monthly AW Journal, to enjoy them safely,” is actively pursued through a monthly e-news, americanwhitewater.org, paddling our conservation, access, safety and education efforts RIVER ACCESS: To assure public access to whitewater events, educational events, and through direct under the umbrella of River Stewardship. The only rivers pursuant to the guidelines published in its communication with the press. national organization representing the interest of official Access Policy, AW arranges for river access all whitewater paddlers, American Whitewater is the through private lands by negotiation or purchase, national voice for thousands of individual whitewater seeks to protect the right of public passage on all Together, AW staff, members, volunteers, and affiliate enthusiasts, as well as over 100 local paddling club rivers and streams navigable by kayak or canoe, clubs can achieve our goals of conserving, protecting affiliates. encourages equitable and responsible management and restoring America’s whitewater resources and of whitewater rivers on public lands, and works with enhancing opportunities to safely enjoy these AW’s River Stewardship program adheres to the four government agencies and other river users to achieve wonderful rivers. tenets of our mission statement: these goals. AW was incorporated under Missouri nonprofit SAFETY: AW promotes paddling safely, publishes corporation laws in 1961 and maintains its principal CONSERVATION: AW’s professional staff works reports on whitewater accidents, maintains a uniform closely with volunteers and partner organizations mailing address at PO Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC national ranking system for whitewater rivers (the 28723; phone 1-866-BOAT-4-AW (1-866-262-8429). to protect the ecological and scenic values of all International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty) and whitewater rivers. These goals are accomplished AW is tax exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the publishes and disseminates the internationally- Internal Revenue Service. recognized American Whitewater Safety Code. American Whitewater Board of Directors & Staff Journal Staff TOLL FREE NUMBER AW STAFF Editor Ambrose Tuscano Sutton Bacon 866-BOAT4AW P.O.Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC 28723 [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] Atlanta, GA Tim Kelley Mark Singleton Assitant Editors Tim Catalano and Mike Hoffman Chris Bell [email protected] Executive Director [email protected] Potsdam, NY Asheville, NC Graphic Design/Production/Photo Editor Christie Dobson Asheville, NC Don Kinser [email protected] Artwork Editor Chris Conlin Rich Bowers (Honorary) [email protected] [email protected] Marietta, GA Kevin Colburn Contributing Writers Bellingham, WA Ambrose Tuscano, Phil Sayre, Dan Centofanti, Sue Taft, Clay Mark LaCroix National Stewardship Director Wright, Barry Tuscano, Steve Frazier, Brett Valle, Christie Dobson, [email protected] Geoff Jennings, Lila Marie Thomas, Kevin Colburn, Bryan Dave Cernicek Moscow, ID Griesemer, Josh Egenolf, Jamie Saul, The Dogg, Natty Role [email protected] Thorton, NH [email protected] Jackson, WY Photo Contributors Jeff Leighton Adam Fenster, Dan Centofanti, Tommy Hilleke, Johnnie Kern, Tom Christopher [email protected] Carla Miner Kitty Tuscano, Barry Tuscano, Matt Terry, Dan Dixon, Brett Valle, [email protected] LaFayette, CA Membership Manager Brad Brewer, Alley Fontenot, Christie Dobson, Taylor Robertson, Lancaster, MA Geoff Jennings, Willie Kern, John Scibek, Bryan Griesemer, Kevin Lewis West Valley City, UT McNair Evans, Bobby Miller, Jeff Wolfram, Justin Miller Adam Cramer [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Anderson, CA Events / Advertising Coordinator Ben VanCamp Washington DC P.O. Box 1540, Cullowhee, NC 28723 Evie Locke Craig Plocica phone 828-713-5825 [email protected] Development Director e-mail: [email protected] David Ennis [email protected] Charlemont, MA Asheville, NC Safety Editor Charlie Walbridge Bryson City, NC [email protected] Route 1, Box 329F, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525 Eric Nies e-mail: [email protected] Steve Exe [email protected] [email protected] Morgantown, WV Dave Steindorf Stewarship Reports Editor Mercer Island, WA Jason Robertson, [email protected] Aaron Pruzan California Stewardship Director Kevin Colburn, [email protected] Liz Ferrin [email protected] Paradise, CA [email protected] Jackson Hole, WY [email protected] American Whitewater Magazine Task Force Santa Barbara, CA Jeff Espy, Dunbar Hardy, Dale-Marie Herring, John Mason, Norwood Scott Tanya Shuman, Ambrose Tuscano Jennie Goldberg [email protected] Thomas O’Keefe [email protected] San Francisco, CA Pacific NW Stewardship Director Missing Copies and Address Changes Seattle, WA [email protected] Patricia Supanich Seattle, WA [email protected] American Whitewater is printed by Joe Greiner [email protected] Spencer-Walker Press, Inc., Newark OH. [email protected] Vail, CO All rights reserved. Raleigh, NC Charlie Walbridge Ben VanCamp Kristine Jackson [email protected] Outreach Manager EDITORIAL DISCLAIMER [email protected] Bruceton Mills, WV Asheville, NC The opinions expressed in the features and Rock Island, TN [email protected] editorials of American Whitewater are those of BOARD OFFICERS the individual authors. They do not necessarily Andrew Jillings President: Sutton Bacon [email protected] Vice President: Don Kinser represent those of the Directors of American Clinton, NY Whitewater or the editors of this publication. Secretary: Norwood Scott On occasion, American Whitewater publishes Treasurer: Jeff Leighton Chris Kelly Asst. Treasurer: Patricia Supanich official organizational policy statements drafted [email protected] and approved by the Board of Directors. These Columbia, MO policy statements will be clearly identified. 2 American Whitewater www.americanwhitewater.org www.americanwhitewater.org American Whitewater 3 September/October 2005 September/October 2005 River Stewardship Toolkit: demonstrates that, when given the tools and education they need to become The New Tool in effective, those who take the time to enjoy our nation’s rivers become their strongest AW’s Arsenal advocates. by Mark Singleton These efforts have long-term implications for the addition of new places to paddle, I am happy to announce that American as well as the preservation of old ones. Whitewater’s River Stewardship Toolkit is Many of the whitewater resources we take now available online! This resource will for granted are available today thanks to provide users with more than 10 years of years of work from grassroots volunteer top-notch expertise in river conservation