May/June 2010 - Bluegrass Wildwater Association

Newsletter of The Bluegrass Wildwater Association May/June 2010
In this issue:
Why Canoe?
Looking Ahead
Lamenting a Paradigm Shift
Be Prepared!
Y C-1
Maybe Canoes Have Feelings Too!
Why We Canoe
Well, Why Not?
Off the Cuff: Comments from the Forum Worth Remembering
Clinic 2010 Photo Essay
Officer Elections at
May 8th General
Meeting at Panda
Cuisine
Dues Due
in July
Why
C
a
n
o
e
?
In the last decade or two we have often seen paddle sports depicted on TV and print ads, videos, and elsewhere. Scenes often show a car with a kayak or kayaks on top driving thru a parade in town, or going to a V+
whitewater river ora foggy shoreline, and in some case a daring lone kayaker going over some humongous
waterfall. The effect of this is to communicate to the public that the boat to have and paddle, especially if you
want to be cool and daring is a kayak. All this mass media exposure for kayaks has meant that, for the public, the
kayak’s desirability as the boat to have has overshadowed that of the canoe. So much for the power of modern
Continued on pg. 3
Looking Ahead
Coming BWA Meetings
Bowlines is the Newsletter of the Bluegrass Wildwater
Association, POB 4231, Lexington Ky, 40504
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Club Officers 2009-2010
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Russell Fork River Festival
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http://www.surfky-bwa.org URL
will be redrirected to new permanent URL:
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Officer Elections June 8 Meeting
Nominated so far:
Nominations may still be made at June Meeting
RESIDENT: Allen Kirkwood
VICE PRESIDENT: Tim Miller, Clay Warren
TREASURER: Fred Coates
SECRETARY : Keith Hubbard, Aleighia Barker
EQUIPMENT COORDINATOR: KC Frankenstein
SAFETY OFFICER: Hanley Loller
CONSERVATION OFFICER: Bethany Overfield
MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR: Heather Warman
BOWLINES EDITOR: Don Spangler
PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Phil Sisk
FILM FESTIVAL COORDINATOR: Brandon Jet
CYBER COMMUNICATIONS: Don Perkins
AT-LARGE MEMBER: Jason Powell, Wes Prince
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Allen Kirkwood
Fred Coates
Keith Hubbardl
Wes Prince
Phil Bubba Sisk
Don Spangler
Kyle Hoelscher
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Steve Ruth
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859-278-2011
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Enjoy this issue of Bowlines?
BWA Summer Roll Sessions
Check out Bowlines Online Archive with many
great issues going back to 1998!
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June 9, 19, 23, 30 July 7,14,21,28
May be cancelled in event of rain
http://www.surfky-bwa.org/html/bowlines_arcN.html
A must read for all members, our 30th Anniversary issue:
Clean your boats off before coming please!
http://www.surfky-bwa.org/bowlines/BL30thAnnv_Aug06.pdf
The BWA wishes to thank to thank Canoe Kentucky & Phillip Gall for their support.
We urge you to patronize them for your outdoor needs.
http://www.phillipgalls.com/
http://www.canoeky.com/
2
Why Canoe, Continued from pg. 1
marketing! This, after generations of Americans (and
Canadians) canoers have found the canoe to be the
self-propelled watercraft that is almost limitless in ways
it can be used in recreation.
.
No other watercraft that I know of has been so enduring and flexible in its function. But the spotlight of marketing, along with low priced mass-produced colorful
plastic kayaks, has created a shift in sales from
canoes to kayaks. I will concede that paddling a kayak
has a shorter initial learning curve. It is easier to learn
to paddle a straight line because you have a blade on
both sides. Yes, with two blades, it is also easier to go
faster and a new kayaker may succeed early on at
being able to paddle down a stream with out bouncing
off each bank. And one thing we value is quick success
at anything we do. But while at first you may find it easier to paddling a kayak, you miss out on many of the
opportunities that a canoe, decked or undecked, can
offer you. So here are some reasons why I would tell
you to learn to paddle a canoe.
Those early years were memorable. Sharing an adventure and canoeing with someone who to this day is still
a good friend was something I value. We found out a
lot about each other while we paddled together. The
hours of talking while we were paddling, learning to tolerate the mistakes of each other or arguing about
where to steer the canoe created an enduring bond.
That kind of give and take and companionship is a lot
harder to have between two kayaks. An overnight or
multi-day trip is not easily done with the kayaks of
today, but a canoe can still do it, even on whitewater.
In the early seventies I moved to Kentucky. Not finding
a place to rent a canoe I bought my first canoe, a used
aluminum canoe from a guy that was going into the
army the next week. A couple of weeks later I heard
about a race on the Elkhorn that next Saturday. I went
and was amazed to see real rapids on a stream that
was less than 1/2 an hour from Lexington. The next
day, with a friend in the bow, I was running the Elkhorn
I became enamored of canoes over 40 years ago. Back for the first time. Soon we did an overnight trip on the
then canoeing was just a way to get into the outdoors
lower Big South Fork. Devil’s Jump astounded me! It
away from things. Work worries, stress, home chores,
was the biggest rapid I had seen up to that time.
dull tv, enjoying rivers and the outdoors were among
Fortunately I had the sense to portage it. But I sensed
the reasons I liked to get in my canoe and paddle. But I at that time if I was to continue canoeing I needed to
soon discovered that the canoe could be more than just know more about paddling than I did.
a short escape from the more mundane world, it could
Fortunately a n outfitting store, SAGE (School of the
open another vista full of challenges and adventure in
Outdoors), had recently opened up in town. Not only
my life.
did they have all kinds of gear, much of which I had
My first experience with a watercraft was using a rownever imagined, they carried canoes, including the new
boat on a stream and lake in Indiana.. I found it unnat- fangled ones made with ABS. Better yet, you could
ural to be going in the opposite direction you were factake classes and learn how to paddle them!
ing when you were rowing. I traded the boat for a
Not only could you learn to paddle as part of a tandem
canoe and while my steering abilities were not much
better at first, at least I could see where I was going.
team, but you could learn how to paddle a canoe solo,
Soon a friend and I were renting canoes for trips on the something I had not thought about up to that time. Still
lower peninsula of Michigan. At first we just did short
better, you could learn how to paddle a canoe in whitedays trips but soon he and I would paddle tandem and water! I was hooked. I bought my first canoe, a state
of the art ABS Blue Hole OCA. It was the go anywhere
camp overnight along the river bank. This not only got
do anything solo or tandem canoe of that time. Soon I
us away from people, we were able to enjoy the forest
was going with others to the Rockcastle, the Red, the
and surprise wildlife as we quietly paddled down the
stream. We often saw fish in the stream, but neither of
Nantahala and other SE streams as I developed my
us were skilled in fishing so we generally carried steaks whitewater paddling skills. Along with early BWA memand other food in a small cooler in the middle of the
ber Stan Slater I took a solo paddling class under
canoe. We probably paddled around a dozen streams
Dave Moccia on the Elkhorn. Dave Moccia, also a club
on the lower peninsula before I heard about the Big
member, taught for Sage and was in the National
Two Hearted on the upper peninsula.. It was a stream Whitewater Championship races that year. That was
why he was voted a lifetime member of the BWA. We
that Ernest Hemingway had paddled as a young man
were proud that our young club had such a good padand then in later years written about in one of his
books. This led to checking out other streams to paddle dler as a member.
on the UP of Michigan. We found pit we could have
It was during this period that I began to realize the
new adventures wherever we could launch a canoe.
3
incredible possibilities of canoeing. A friend, Beuren
Garten, told me about his experiences exploring a cave
using a canoe. On a
trip to the Nantahala
we witnessed the
Canoe Poling
Nationals that was taking place that year.
Poling a canoe you
use a pole about 12’
long instead of a paddle. You stand up in
the canoe and use the
pole like a paddle or
you plant one end of
the pole onto the
riverbed and push the canoe in the direction you want
to go. The great thing about it is that you can go both
up and down rapids. In fact that weekend we watched
a guy go up Nantahala Falls! Try that one in your
kayak!
The following year we went on a trip to the St. John
river in Maine with a young couple by the last name of
Moore. While we did not do any poling on that trip, we
did find it quite enjoyable to stand up and paddle our
canoe in flatwater and mild whitewater. Later trips to
Canada we used this technique to stretch while we
crossed lakes or had a long section of flatwater to paddle. We had some really envious kayakers with us who
always had to pull over
to the side of the river
and get out while we
keep on going.
Afterwards, they had
no choice but to paddle
faster to catch up with
us. (We had most of
the food in our
canoes.) Crossing a
lake there was no
choice for them. If the
lake was several miles
wide or long, they were
in the kayak for a long time with no break.
risk a year or two worth of work in trapping. In many
cases it was a reasoable run to do class III or IV- or
less if you studied your route carefully. It often beat
carrying your boat and all the gear around the rapid.
They were some cases where it made more good
sense to use the portage. The portage is part of the
historic legacy going back to the Indians and fur trappers. You often felt that you were participating in the
history of North America when you carried on the
portage trails worn deep by centuries of portaging. The
old portage trails, camps and remnants of trading posts
you visited seem to embrace you as a part of that tradition.
Another technique
with a canoe that is
especially nice when
you are crossing a
large lake or on a large
and wide river is to set
up a sail on your canoe
or on a couple of
canoes lashed together. A couple of poles
and some lashing
ropes along with a
small nylon tarp can
make a great sail. One
person uses a paddle
as a rudder and the
other handles the sail.
If you have some good
wind you can make
some easy miles witj
your sail. If you know
you have places like
some large lakes to
cross you might consider buying a sailing
kit for your canoe.
Here is another advantage you have with a
canoe that does not
exist with a kayak, it is
easy to bring a girlWe went on to rips in Canada, the birthplace of modern friend, wife, son or
canoeing. Almost all Canadian rivers have a marker at daughter along. They
a rapid that should be considered for carrying. It is part often may have no
of the historic legacy going back to the Indians and fur interest in paddling by
trappers. At “Le Portage” I learned to check out the
themselves or in the
rapid before I started to portage. It is part of the historic case of a child may
legacy going back to the Indians and fur trappers. The not have the strength
canoes they paddled were not in the same class as my or skill to paddle by
Blue Hole canoe. Not only that, they did not want to
themselves. When
4
they get tired or bored, you can just tell them to take a
break and you will take over. They love it!
a lake. I have a custom 108” double bladed paddle for such a
situation. With it I can
double the number of
strokes when I paddle
and made better headway. It also makes
paddling while standing easy. With my 108”
paddle I do not have to
bend over for my paddle blade to catch the
water properly. I have
used this upscale paddle on many river trips out west
and in the great northlands of Canada.
Now, at this point some of you are saying “I want a boat
just to paddle whitewater by myself that is light and
easy to roll. I give you the decked C-1. With an easier
and stronger roll than a kayak it fits that demand. Highly
maneuverable, the C-1 also allows you to read rapids
with a better view than a kayak. Since you are in a sitting/kneeling position, you have far less to worry about
going over a drop and becoming entrapped. If you have
to eject from you boat, it is much easier to get out of the
C-1 than a kayak. Another plus, since you have all that
space in the front of the boat unoccupied you now
have space to put your spare paddle..... which may not
need to be a break-down model. There is also room in
both the front and the back for camping gear if you
decide to do an overnight river trip. How about that for a But I always go back to the single blade. It’s possibilimore flexible boat!
ties are endless and learning the incredible variety of
strokes and techniques along with blade articulation
One other thing I have noticed over the years, you are offers a challenge I always found absorbing. Pick up
less likely to dislocate your shoulder while paddling a C- some books by Bill Mason starting with “Path of the
1 or canoe than if you paddle a kayak. A canoer uses a Paddle” and you will start to understand. Learning to
low brace in most situations versus a high brace. Also
canoe is not something that is a short term thing. It is
rescue transportation is an option. I have rescued and
challenge that can a part of your life for decades. Try
paddled out a kayaker with a dislocated shoulder in my doing a j-stroke, you will not beat able to do it efficientcanoe. He would have had a long and difficult hike out ly and smoothly. That will come only with many hours
if it was not for my canoe. Also important, I was able to and many trips on the water. Oh, one last thing I have
get him to medical care in a timely manner.
learned by paddling a canoe, that is to have patience.
Just as in life, learning canoeing skills takes time and
I did find one useful thing in the kayak paddling world. patience. It is a journey that is never over and neither is
In some situations a double bladed paddle is useful in a enjoying your canoe. These reasons and more is why
canoe. While wilderness tripping you have a lot of
you should canoe.
weight from gear in your boat. Add a headwind to this
and it is difficult to made good headway on flatwater or Don Spangler
This article is dedicated to three BWA members who loved to canoe.
Dave Weiland
Beuren Garten
5
Butch Quire
Lamenting a Paradigm Shift
Bob Sehlinger
For the newer members of the BWA, Bob Sehlenger is one of the reasons the BWA & the NPFF exists. Bob was in charge of instructing for SAGE outfitter & School of the Outdoors that was located nears the UK campus in the seventies. It was like a NOC but without
the Nantahala River at it’s door. He taught and inspired many in those days to paddle, bike, climb, hike, sail etc. It was because of this
inspiration and association with Bob & Sage that we decided to form the BWA. Bob’s support in the early days along with his suggestion to me to start a film festival for paddlers was important to the BWA becoming what it is today. His association with William Nealy &
the start-up of Menasha Ridge Press gave paddlers and others books, maps and other kinds of information need to help enjoy outdoor pursuits. His generosity, especially in the early years of the NPFF, when he donated thousands of dollars to cover our start-up
costs while we learned how to run the Festival and make money at it, put our club on the map with an event that has lasted almost 30
years. I learned a lot form Bob, not including how to lose my canoe to the river, but that is another story.
Don Spangler
social dimension of tandem paddling that stokes my
love of the sport. To share a day on the river with
someone in the same boat is a delight, but melding
your paddling skills to become an efficient and finely
tuned team is almost transcendent. I’ve had tandem
partners over the years where verbal communication
was rarely necessary. Also, when you get old and
creaky there’s someone in the boat to watch out for
you, unless, it goes without saying, they’re older and
creakier than you.
It’s never flattering to date yourself, but when I started paddling kayak, I knew everyone if the state of
Kentucky who owned one. Ditto for C-1s. Though I
got into paddling as an open boater, I’ve always
enjoyed the ease and almost effortless mobility that
you have in a kayak. How can you not enjoy a light
craft you can paddle with very, very few negative
strokes (steering or corrective strokes that slow you
down)? The speed and freedom are exhilarating, as
is being low in the water with a river surging all
around you. So, why is it then that an open canoe is
my first and lasting love?
Of course, there are lots of other nice things about
an open canoe. Because you kneel you’re taller in
the boat and can see a lot of things that K-1 pad-
I have a couple of open solo canoes, but it’s the
6
dlers cannot. This makes eddy scouting easier and
reduces the times you have to eyeball rapids from
the bank. Also, I get restless when I’m cramped in
the cockpit of a kayak. In an open boat I’ve got plenty of room to stretch, move around, and change
positions, and it’s infinitely easier in a canoe than in
a kayak to hop out and take a leak. There’s additionally more room for gear in an open canoe. Camping
out of a canoe is much more civilized and indulgent
than stuffing what you need into a kayak.
after cutting their teeth in open canoes. It takes
patience to jell as an open boat tandem team, more
patience evidently than lot of paddlers have. For
them, paddling tandem is like hanging wallpaper
with your wife – a sure fire way to blow up a good
relationship. In my teaching days, for this reason, I
never let husbands and wives or boyfriends and girlfriends paddle together. I probably saved more marriages and relationships than Dr. Ruth and Dr. Phil
combined.
Then there are bugs. Can’t say how may times I’ve
squeezed into a K-1 with my spray skirt tight around
me when I feel a spider, a platoon of ants, or some
other tiny critter marching around on my legs. In a
kayak fending off those little feet is quite an ordeal.
In a canoe, pesky hitchhikers can be dispatched
instantly with a good swat. In an open boat you can
also invite critters in. I once rescued a king snake
from a small hydraulic and tossed him into the
canoe. It worked well for the snake, not so much for
me. If you ever encounter this situation, my advice is
to consult your tandem partner before tossing the
snake in the boat (Liz, are we speaking yet?).
My tandem paddling today is not without its challenges. My partner, Ted Sparks, also from
Birmingham, is one of the best open boaters I’ve
ever known. His river reading skills are so exceptional that I’ve nagged him for years (unsuccessfully)
to do a book for me on the subject. Problem is, he
paddles only on his left side and he’s very stubborn
about it. At the end of long day with Ted my right
side is in a state of total collapse. Of course he’s
used to the one-side thing, but it has had consequences for him as well. He started working with a
personal trainer last year, who, after a cursory
inspection said,” My God, you’re lopsided.” I guess if
Ted and I paddle more frequently I’ll be lopsided too.
An open tandem canoe forces you to improve your
water reading and control skills. Open boats can’t
always take the same lines as decked boats, and
are subject to swamping if one too many waves
wash over the side. Boat placement, therefore, must
be especially precise in an open boat – you just
can’t go crashing through stuff like you can in a
Tupperware kayak (though heaven knows we’ve all
tried).
I’m not expecting open canoes to make a comeback
in the whitewater arena any time soon. And though I
hate to see the popularity of open canoes decline, I
think it correlates with the loss of interest in exploration on the part the average paddler. I love nothing
better than exploring a new river. The hours I’ve
spent pouring over topo maps and Google Earth
looking for something new to float must run in the
hundreds. The old paradigm was buy a canoe,
explore the streams close to home, and then branch
out to distant rivers. The new paradigm is buy a
kayak, learn to roll, and paddle the same four or so
rivers all year long. I could stand on I-59 on any
given Friday afternoon and hitch a ride to the Ocoee
or Nantahala in about 5 minutes, but I never see
anyone on the beautiful streams within 30 minutes
of Birmingham. The paddlers for whom a whitewater river is nothing more than a wet roller coaster are
changing the sport in way that discounts the aesthetics and appreciation of the natural environment.
Something is irretrievably lost when it’s more about
the ride than the river.
Here’s a little true confession: I really enjoy a good
gunwale (pronounced gunnel). A skilled open boater
can really make an open boat jump by using the
gunwale as a fulcrum for powerful paddle strokes –
it’s a real mechanical advantage that’s absent with
decked boats.
Certainly I acknowledge the less appealing aspects
of open boating. I’ve probably spent more time sitting in eddies bailing a canoe than most people
have paddling one. So too, canoes are heavy buggers, but that’s why you have a tandem partner (in
addition to mooching his lunch when you forgot
yours at the put-in).
Bob Sehlinger
May, 2010
Today, the majority of paddling newcomers start out
with a kayak. In the last decades of the previous
century, however, many folks gravitated to kayaks
7
Be Prepared!
Fred Tuttle
Fred Tuttle showing us a alternate canoe only way to run Granite rapid on the Colorado in the Grand Canyon!
2010 is BSA ‘s (Boy Scouts of America) 100th
anniversary and I have been a member of that
awesome group 50 of those 100 years. But I
have been canoeing even longer ...... 55
years! Yes, I and a few BWAers are as old as
dirt. We call ourselves the Silverbacks or Old
Farts and get together a couple of times a
year to sit around the campfire, drink a little
bourbon, and tell tales. Sometimes during the
weekend, we may even paddle! But in 1995
many of us were still in our prime .... or so we
thought. So when Don Spangler’s number
came up on the Grand Canyon lottery, 16 of
us began preparations for the trip of a lifetime.
Some had been before, some several times,
and some were virgins to the Grand Canyon
of the Colorado River and its meandering
through the 5000 foot deep canyon. I would
later come to appreciate the canyon more as
a cathedral, a naturally carved tabernacle full
of splendor and magnificence.
What would I paddle? Open canoe, of course.
How would I prepare? I had no idea..... .I
mean, I knew people like Kent Ford and Nolan
Whitesell had paddled it in canoe but they
were whitewater gurus and I was just a lowly
flatwater racer. I was not a novice to paddling,
I had logged over 25 thousand miles in a
canoe, often paddling daily while in college,
medical school, residency, and private practice, but always training for that national
8
USCA championships. People like Don
Spangler, Beuren Garten, Mike Weeks,
Tubbo, Sam Moore, Lloyd Funkhouser, Rich
and Lynn Lewis, Win Hill, Marrea Mathews
and even Harold Burkes, had been so kind as
to allow me to accompany them on whitewater
trips. I was learning that sit and switch could
be replaced by kneel and brace .... and be
just as much fun, maybe more, and less work
and a lot less work!
can’t recall, but I do remember being upside
down very quickly when a large wave broadsided me on my paddle side. So there I was,
amphibious now, with only my red hull showing
.... but I had options. Like any good Boy
Scout, I was prepared. Plan A - try to roll in
very turbulent water, probably miss, and end
up swimming or Plan B - relax, hangout, tuck
and breathe air off the bottom of the canoe (try
that in your kayak!) in the trough and hold my
breath in the crest of the waves. Now I had
Anyway, I still needed to get prepared, so I
practiced this on calm water where I lived at
cleared my calendar for as many big water
Mallard Point north of Georgetown, but I had
trips as possible. I even signed up for a class not told anyone about Plan B. Therefore, my
at the NOC. It was during the advanced open kayaking and rafting buddies expected plan A.
canoe course that I met an insurance salesman form West Virginia, who all of things, had Anyway, after watching the red blob bob down
been a guide on the Gauley River. He claimed the rapid for over two minutes with no sign of
he had paddled the Colorado in an open
Fred, some were puzzled, some were frightcanoe. After seeing him paddle and swim the ened. The one closest to me, a fellow MD, by
Ocoee and Nolichucky in that huge Whitesell, the name of Loudermilk, had the presence of
I knew I would need a bigger canoe along
mind to snap a picture of this event that he
with a dry suit and maybe a hifloat-PFD!! My
later presented me with. He had also raced
mentor seemed to paddle all the biggest
over to my rescue when I finally managed to
waves and holes and didn’t care if his canoe
roll up in calmer water with his eyes as big as
filled up or he flipped and swam. I never saw saucers exclaiming: “Fred, we thought you
him roll his canoe; I doubt he could; but it did- were a goner! Do you know how long you
n’t matter. He had fun, lots of it, was always
were upside down?”
smiling, and positive, very positive! With nothing to prove my mentor was prepared to
“Relax, Frank” I calmly responded. “I know
enjoy the river.... I had a way to go.
exactly how long I was upside down! For as
long as two verses of ‘In the Garden’, and for
Ok, flash forward to October 1995 Colorado
those of you who don't remember here's the
River, Mile 93.4, Granite Rapid, Class VIIchorus ‘And He walks with me, And He talks
VIII. I was learning to dance with the waves!
with me, And He tells me I am His own, And
Go with the flow, never fight the river, for it
the joy we share as we tarry there, None other
would not be subdued or beaten in its rush to has ever known.’
Lake Mead.
Many more are the exploits of the Daunting
I distinctly remember scouting Granite from
16, “Spangler s Grand Canyon Crew” But sufriver left as river right was a shear cliff of
fice it to say, we came to have fun and we
granite reaching several feet high. I also
were prepared or quickly improvised.
remember that this was a much longer rapid
.
than usual with more wave acton: To me it
Life after two weeks paddling the Grand
looked like a class IX. Several were walking
Canyon is less exciting, but somehow more
back to their kayaks and I knew if I didn’t go
peaceful, more full of faith, purpose, and of
with them I wouldn’t go at all. So I strapped
course, preparation.
myself in firmly, thinking that being on my
Fred Tuttle
knees was a good position for this majestic
rapid. Who I followed into the maelstrom, I
9
Y C-1
Dave Merrifield
A canoe, especially if it is a C-1, demands not only high skills, but you are often more dynamic physically.
comfortable with canoeing and boat control
with a single-bladed paddle. I had tried
kayaking, but sitting on my butt slouching
Everybody knows what a kayak looks like.
through rapids felt awkward. I liked the
So what is this thing that looks like a kayak, leverage, reach and feel of a single paddle
but the paddler looks really tall, and he only blade. I liked being taller by sitting upright
on a pedestal. I could see farther and plan
has one blade on his paddle? And, more
better. But I hated bailing, and the idea of
importantly, why does he/she look so cool,
rolling as self-rescue appealed to me. I lack
so fluid, so effortless, so graceful and effithe stability gene, so this was vital to me.
cient on the river?
Sure you can roll an open canoe, but then
you need to find the bank and get the water
It’s a C-1: C for canoe, 1 for one person,
and the hyphen in the middle to represent all out or grow arms of full-on uranium to pull a
those amazing descriptive adjectives above. water-filled canoe around. You roll a C-1
back up and it’s just like moments before
Male or female, C-1 paddlers stand out. At
you flipped over – you’re upright, stable,
least they stand out after the circulation
returns to their ankles and they can stand at light, maneuverable – only your hair is wet.
You’re more maneuverable than a canoe
all.
due to the light weight and shorter waterline.
And, big attraction for me starting out, a C-1
I got into C-1 because I was familiar and
Everybody knows what a canoe looks like.
10
is hundreds of bucks, smackers, or
simoleans (depending on exchange rate)
cheaper than a canoe. Less plastic and less
rigging. Find any old kayak and with some
foam, seat belts, and bolts, you are on the
river.
But it’s not all sunshine, lollipops
and crispy
bacon. A C-1
is a challenging
beast to
steer
and propel.
You
have
half the
paddle
opportunities of a
kayak, and
somewhat less
steering. So, you
have to learn to be a
cunning paddler and get
the most out of every stroke. C-1
is not for the lazy boater. The craft is shorter than a canoe, and so it has less glide and
more squirreliness. And the kneeling position, while long on reach, leverage, and visibility, is short on long-term comfort.
Runners start the run in agony and await the
endorphin rush. C-1 boaters start in cushy
padded comfort, quickly degrade into ankle
anguish, and await that blessed moment
when everything below the knee falls asleep.
Open canoers can move around and fidget
into temporary relief. C-1 is an Iron Maiden;
every twist or turn encounters another honed
spear of glistening agony. True C-1 paddlers wear the pain as a badge of courage, a
shared sacrifice for their art, a martyrdom to
the river.
pokes you from both sides. You are a
peacemaker in the rivalry on the river. You
are welcome in all eddies. You can share
the wave and get in line for the hole without
a glare or a sneer. All paddlers welcome
you, and all rivers are available to
you. You don’t take up too
much room on the
racks, but you help
the canoeist lift
the beast.
You have
room for
more gear
(like food
to share)
than a
kayak,
but you
don’t end
up carrying everybody’s
spare whatever like a canoe
often does.
Canoeists envy the
fun you can have without
bailing, and kayakers are secretly amazed you can go straight at all.
Then the intangibles. Hardly anybody is
going to steal a C-1, because all C-1 paddlers are chock full of good karma. Only the
unknowing would steal one and try it on the
river, and I’m confident that karma imbalance would be righted quickly. C-1 paddlers
often develop one bicep and one pectoral
muscle way more than the matching ones.
It can make identifying them easy at the
pool or the gym… good conversation starter.
C-1: where else can you have this much fun
fully erect and wearing a skirt?
Dave Merrifield. April 2010.
C-1 as a hybrid craft crosses the boundaries. You are at home with the canoes and
at home with the kayaks. Gentle derision
11
Maybe Canoes Have
Feelings Too!
Charlie Buccola
Charlie, with his old trusty canoe on the Gauley.
It occurred to me a bit too late that my focus had been on the
wrong thing. Up until the decisive moment, I had been in hot
pursuit of a fellow boater who had flipped his kayak and was
swimming. He and his boat flushed past the boulder looming
ahead just as my mind calculated that I was on course to
meet the namesake Undercut Rock rapid (a.k.a. Miller’s Folly)
on the New River. A frantic maneuver almost got my canoe
clear of the rock but it really wanted to meet me up close and
personal. After a brief interlude plastered on the face of the
rock, I took advantage of one of the good things about open
boats – they make wonderful spring boards to leap off into the
current. I swam clear as the boat began its descent below the
waters.
From an eddy downstream my fellow paddlers and I pondered how to extricate the boat. A solo raft trip joined the
efforts but no one was coming up with a solution to getting
safely to the face of the bus-sized boulder. From time to time
my boat would rise above the surface only to disappear again.
After several failed attempts by the strongest member of our
group, out of the depths arose not one but two red canoe
bows. Oh no, I thought, my boat had broken in two.
I contemplated why a clean run had taken such an ugly turn.
Maybe my boat was getting back at me for losing my attach-
ment to it. On the way over to West Virginia, and even worse
while paddling it down the river, I talked with my travelling companions about my plan to sell this boat at the Gauley Fest that
weekend. Perhaps my trusty XL-13 was heartbroken that I
would crassly talk about dumping it for another boat. After all, it
was my first real whitewater canoe. Together we had learned a
number of useful things. Such as finding a dry line through a
rapid. (Ten gallons of water makes any boat less maneuverable.) Or that the fat nose of a canoe would usually rise up
from a steep drop rather than diving into the waters. Despite
the frequent ribbing from kayak buddies, they were only too
happy to let me haul gear for them in this spacious boat.
But in the end, it all worked out. After about half an hour my
boat popped out from the undercut and floated down to me
intact. It turned out that the other bow was somebody else’s
canoe that had been pinned in the undercut from earlier in the
week. My swim, like any with potential consequences, was
part of the continuous learning process on the water. Despite
the episode, it had been a fine day on the river. Saturday night
at the Gauley Fest a guy saw the boat, was interested and
bought it. That money was invested in a new boat – a canoe
of course – that took me on many more whitewater adventures. I hoped the new owner would enjoy the boat as much
as I had and not hurt it’s feelings.
12
Why W e Canoe
Bob & Elsie Miller
It all started Labor Day weekend 1981 in rented
aluminum canoes. A local friend asked Bobby
and I to join a small group of his friends for a
trip down Green River. It sounded like a fun
weekend so we were game to join him. I had
never been in a canoe and Bobby may have
sat in one once upon a time, but what the heck!
How hard could it be!
So a group of eight of us, all tandem paddlers,
sat off that weekend for a twelve mile
canoe/camping trip. Bobby and I had no experience and some of the others had gained only
limited experience in girl scout leader training.
It turned out to be very limited and I guess they
missed the class about storing expensive cameras and binoculars in waterproof bags.
The water was high and our spirits higher. In
spite of many near flips, a few upsets, drinking(!), high water and the lack of paddling skills
and river knowledge we all made it safely
through that weekend. Perhaps the innocence
of the paddlers was our redeeming factor.
Perhaps one good thing was by having no
experienced paddlers in the group we did not
know the rule that all mishaps are your partners fault. So If we goofed we just laughed
harder and laugh a lot we did. We though that
the river gods were truly smiling upon us.....
well, maybe it was just a grin. The river gods
claimed the camera equipment and binoculars.
I bet to this very day, somewhere in Green
River there is a male catfish hiding behind a
13
rock ogling a female with my binoculars. But in
spite of the losses we had an absolute ball!
This first trip is still a favorite topic of conversation when the old group gets together. We all
loved our jobs but with work comes stress and
the lazy river eased our stressful minds. There
just can’t be anything more fun and relaxing
than a group of canoe paddlers heading down
a river for a weekend campout.
It wasn’t long before we were canoeing every
chance we got. After a visit to the World’s Fair
in Knoxville in the summer of 1982 we headed
over to the Hiawassee River. The outfitter
there wasn’t sure we could paddle the
Hiawassee with three people in a boat, our nine
year old son was along, but we finally convinced him we were worthy of his rental. It was
a beautiful day and we were all alone. Yes,
that’s right, all alone. We stroked away the
stress of the crowded fair without mishap!!!!!!!!
Later that year we joined the Viking Canoe
Club to gain paddling companions and improve
our skills. That Christmas we purchased our
first canoe--a Mad River Explorer from Steve
Morgan at SAGE. Paddling clinics came next
and we have been paddling ever since.
you and your partner together.
But on that long paddling trip there is nothing
better to paddle in that that old faithful canoe. It
carries you and all the comforts needed for a
long trip and permits one of my favorite things:
it allows you to stretch your legs or stand up if
necessary. While we have enjoyed our many
kayak and raft experiences the canoe has
always been our mainstay.
Now that we have reached full maturity and our
hearts and bodies no longer seek the excitement of a raging river, our kayaks have gone
by the wayside. But we still have that Mad
River Canoe. Oh, it’s been ripped in half and
repaired and we have left a lot of red vinyl on
rocks in the riverbed and takeouts but she is
still river-worthy. (And so has our marriage also
withstood the challenges of life.)
Having come full circle we are back to paddling
the upper Rockcastle River and fishing from the
put-in down to our campsite. We have passed
along the love of canoeing to our son. He
paddles from time to time and takes his family
with him or at least his four year old daughter.
I hope she will learn to love the river as we
have. But even if those days of being able to
We have many trips under the old gunwales
climb into a canoe ever pass us by, the memonow as well as raft and kayak trips. So why a
canoe you ask? Nothing beats the adventure of ries of those trips, places and friends never
will.
a canoe camping/fishing trip on a week long
paddle, carrying a “ton” of gear in Quetico or a
wilderness trip in Quebec with friends. It’s also We would like to thank the BWA and VCC for
the challenge of having a paddling partner who setting us straight on the “Rules of the River”
that “all mishaps are your partners fault”. This
is unpredictable. It is remaining upright when
knowledge has definitely added excitement to
that partner may say go left they have not
our trips (and our marriage) whether it be our
determined which left they are referring to.
mistake or or our partners. In spite of it Bobby
Unfortunately this may still be true after years
of paddling together. Call it a test to see the the and I still paddle a canoe together.
marriage is still on solid ground. If you decide it
is a shaky at the moment then you may need to This article is dedicated to Mike Todd, the
friend that invited us on that first trip, and to
switch to a kayak for a while. I think I read
somewhere that the sole purpose for the devel- Beuren Garten with whom we enjoyed many
priceless canoeing experiences. Both have
opment of kayaks was to save marriages. But
since paddled off into the sunset but the memknow this, the challenge of working out your
ories of those trips will never leave us.
paddling differences can be what you both
need. The canoe is a caldron for learning to
Bobby and Elsie Miller
work out differences and that resolution in the
long run in the long run may be what will keep
14
Why A Canoe?
W ell, Why Not?
Jerry O’Conner
Well, why not? Let’s first acknowledge that
everything is a trade-off and start on level
ground. The same way a creek or river begins,
when some slight surface irregularity inevitably
etches a direction and the flow of falling water follows and carves a channel.
learning firsthand). Even before moving to
Lexington I had made several attempts to make a
run on the Rockcastle. It was only years later
that I recognized the wisdom of the outfitter who
refused to let us take his canoes out on what
surely would have been a fateful trip that snowy
November day. But I digress; that’s what hapMy personal history put me in a canoe long
pens to old farts after their brain cells have been
before I had ever seen a kayak. My early experi- more than adequately fortified with Wild Turkey
ence canoe camping with high school buddies
for a few years…
and a college outing club was seductive enough
to lead me toward whitewater, although this came Having no experience with solo canoeing I
close to turning out very badly, on more than one recruited an accomplice, and one drizzly gray day
occasion.
in March two graduate students from UK showed
up at the Elkhorn put-in with my “whitewater virBy the time I bought my first boat, a 15 foot Sea gin” canoe and no flotation other than the stock
Nymph aluminum “whitewater” canoe, I knew just Styrofoam blocks in the ends. At the put-in, there
enough to be dangerous. Amply armed with put- were no witnesses on hand to warn us, or even
in and take-out information from the first edition
laugh at us…
of Bob Sehlinger’s “Canoeing and Kayaking
Guide to the Streams of Kentucky”, (freshly pub- As we successfully negotiated the first rapid, the
lished in my home state), I prepared for my first
canoe came to life, and we became aware of the
descent on the mighty Elkhorn. I skipped the
river as a force of nature. I think the level was
section on Hazards and Safety, (and ended up
around 1.5 feet, and the Haystacks were in fine
15
form. As we plowed through the waves, they
jumped right in and came along with us. They
kept coming in until there was no room for more,
but we managed to remain up-side-up and paddle to shore. We were survivors, and my whitewater bondage had begun! Even the hypothermia that ensued before we finally got to the takeout (well past the conventional one that I learned
of later) was not sufficient to quench my quest for
more. I began to wonder, if I had been paddling
solo, would the boat have taken on less water?
My sense of survival was also stimulated; I might
need to get some mentoring if I wanted to keep
doing this for very long…
At the next BWA meeting I was captivated by the
video of kayaks somewhere in Tennessee performing a peculiar maneuver called an “ender”,
and the deepening channel of my canoeing
experience began to braid. During a subsequent
rope throwing practice at Sam Moore’s place, he
offered me my first time in a kayak. It was easy
to paddle compared to a canoe, and I’ve been
paddling both canoes and kayaks ever since.
Although I was advised to stick with one or the
other, I couldn’t decide which one I liked better.
A kayak offered a quicker ticket to bigger and
more powerful whitewater, while mitigating the
consequences of an upset if one had mastered a
roll. However, an open boat offered greater comfort, carrying capacity, an escape route in pinning
situations, and the higher dryer center of gravity
provided an extra margin of warmth in the wintertime. I soon learned that a C-1 also offered the
margin of warmth, but at the cost of comfort. At
some point a personal preference has to cut
through all the darn trade-offs! Since I haven’t
been constrained by personal physical conditions
or other circumstances to declare monogamous
allegiance to either canoes or kayaks, one
answer to the question “why a canoe?” seems to
stem from the polarity of form and function.
From play boats to working boats, all are
designed with this mix in mind. It’s up to us to
select the craft that best meets the needs of the
occasion. Is there anything better than an open
canoe for floating the Lower Canyons of the Rio
Grande? Is there anything better than a kayak
(not counting motors!) for getting through all the
flatwater in the Grand Canyon? If the fundamental idea is enjoying time on the water, the type of
boat should match the type of water. But what
about the situations where there is no obvious
choice?
The versatility of a canoe and its archetypal
shape places it closest to the apex of the form
vs. function divide. Everything else being equal,
there seems to be something more inherently
satisfying about paddling a canoe. Perhaps the
greater challenge of using a single blade paddle
confers a greater sense of accomplishment, and
this also manifests in getting greater pleasure
from watching a canoe or C-1 navigate a slalom
course than a K-1.
I will never forget the lone C-1’er who threaded
the needle right of the big rock at Humongous for
the cleanest run of that rapid during the 2001 US
Team Trials!
In south central Texas, where the predominant
moving water is class I-II, either boat will do.
Most paddle kayaks, but my preference by far is
a Mad River Outrage, with a custom saddle originally constructed in 1980 for my Mad River M.E.
This is comfort and maneuverability at its best!
When I see the quote that there is nothing better
than simply messing around in boats, the boat
that first comes to mind is a canoe …
jerry o’
16
Off the Cuff
Comments From the Forum
Worth Remembering
April 24 - May 2, A Propitious
Week of Precision Paddling
proposed that he follow me the next day to the Russell
Fork, which was coming up to a good level. He had
heard terrible things about the Russell Fork, but he listened to reason and relented.
The Week of Rivers this year featured a series of classics with good friends. This is an annual event that I
have done many years with many a boating bud and this
year was absolutely awesome. The camping and camp
food was the bomb and I just can’t say enough about the
camaraderie experienced over the past 8 days of consecutive boating with paddling friends.
We left the Smokies Monday morning on a beeline for
the Russell Fork gorge which had come up to a joyful
540 cfs when we put on with Gerald Delong, Damon
Patterson, Dave Alnutt, and Steve Ruth. Curly Steve,
now a believer that the Russell Fork was not the
“Den of the Devil� as he had heard, opted for a
second run when part of my ”WORE” (Week of Rivers
Expedition) crew arrived. Justin Bolender and Scott
Bradford arrived and were anxious to paddle. Gerald
Delong, ever the gracious Russell Fork host, offered to
paddle with them and so Curly Steve jumped in with
them for his second run, this time having dropped just
slightly to a little over 500 cfs. Great levels for sure as
Boles would soon admit after having first suggested
some trepidation at the level. I think he agreed that it
was a better level and more fun than the 350 run he had
done just recently before, for his first time on it. I did not
do a second run, having decided I better pace myself
since the trip was just getting started.
Saturday morning, April 24, 2010, I drove to the
Cheoah put in to meet up with YT and Wes Prince. Wes
was ill and not in transit, but YT and I hooked up with
Connard and Jason Dillow and put on at O’Henry’s with
what turned out to be a level of about 1700 cfs. Neither
YT or I know this run that well, although we have had a
few jaunts down, so we asked Connard to give us the
good lines. He did of course, but not until after he yelled
at me and YT to give him space. YT and I, being kinda
bombers as it is, grinned at each other, and gave him
space. Love that guy. He showed us the creek line at
Bear Creek and all and all it was a kickin run at a kickin
level. And, to make things even better, it started to rain.
Setting up camp at the Cheoah takeout on this first
night of the trip, we all huddled in Connard’s make shift
tarp city and began our first of many meals that would
occur at the campfire that week. It rained all night. The
next morning, up early, we decided to do a quick run on
the Cheoah, releasing 1170 cfs, and put on at the bridge
upstream from Bear Creek and bombed down, having
picked up a new boating buddy, Curly Steve, new to the
area from Pennsylvania. Given the logistics and other
factors for Connard and Dillow to get back to Western
Kentucky, we ran over to the Tellico which was running
somewhere between 2.2 and 3 feet on the gauge when I
checked that evening. My guess is closer to the 2.2
range. The ledges were brown and chunky, Baby Falls
was fun, of course, and I thought Jared’s Knee warranted
a class IV rating at that level. Just pure fun.
YT, Connard and Dillow left for home on Sunday and
being without a paddling partner at the moment, I proposed to Curly Steve that he go with me to run the Little
River on the north side of the Smokies, which was running about 2.5 on the way back to our mountain house.
After my first flip of the week long trip at the Meanies, (I
try to practice not rolling on the river, but my boof turned
into a rock 180 and me dropping in backwards with a roll
up in the eddy - whew!) we bebopped down, and loaded
up below a nice run at the Elbow for a wrap up of a busy
day paddling three rivers around the Park. From there, I
All day Monday, it rained a little here and a little
there. That night it rained even more. We were high and
dry in the Pavilion at Ratliff Hole and life could not be
better. Our favorite drainage was getting more water and
we were hoping for a steep creek run, perhaps on
Grassy Creek. We were not disappointed. Starting off
on Tuesday morning around 10 a.m., our team was
joined by Bubba who came and jumped on the train for a
day of premium (and precision) boating. The Russell
Fork came up to a perfect 600 cfs and the water quality
was clear and pristine until we got to Grassy Creek.
Running nicely and quite brown, we decided to hike
upstream to the confluence with Center Creek and put
on. Big fast slides down large drops with names like
Hatfield’s Revenge and Hyperslide made for icing on our
cake after a beautiful rainy morning in the Russell Fork
Gorge. On the otherhand, in hind sight, that is also
where I likely broke my Nomad, unbeknownst to me at
the time.
That afternoon, another member of our WORE crew
showed up, ready to boat: Wes Prince joined us, and
immediately jumped in on the next laps to take place on
Grassy Creek, at a much higher level than we had just
had an hour or so earlier. Hanging out in the shelter with
cell service, electric and all the fire wood we could burn,
gratis Gerald’s chainsaw attack on some down timber,
we sat back relishing the day, eating well on our
17
Coleman stove and charcoal grill, and enjoying the
sounds of persistent rain and an obvious rising Russell
Fork. We would have options the next day.
Wednesday morning we woke up to the Russell Fork
running at 2400 cfs, the sun shining, and our thoughts of
paddling the Guest River dashed by rumors of lots of
wood and no real enthusiasm to go. So, we started
aiming north and decided that we would drive up to
Audra State Park and camp along the Middle Fork of the
Tygart River. We got to the river rather late in the day,
but since it was only about 5 p.m. or so, we ran the short
shuttle and slid into the river from our campsite with the
river running a nice 4 feet level.
Class IV boating in a
pristine area defines the Tygart’s Middle Fork River. I
rate it as consistent in difficulty with the Caney Fork,
without Devil’s Kitchen and not nearly as long. Plus,
after running the Middle Fork, we got two nice rapids on
the Tygart itself, called S-turn and Shoulder Snapper. I
think we may have some video or still shots of Shoulder
Snapper from Boles. Great day, with great friends on an
awesome West Virginia river. I did flip a second time on
the whole trip somewhere on this run, but it was the last
flip of the trip, so I can’t complain. Just a wonderful day
in a beautiful place.
I won’t kid you, but the hike up the railroad tracks taking off the Tygart and going up the Buckannon River was
a pain. We got to my truck by dark, but we were all feeling great. We loaded up, drove back to our camp and
just as we were pulling back into Audra State Park, we
saw a suspicious White Van, pulling up to the turn in at
the same time. Of course, it turned out to be YT in his
“Stalker van” and he joined back up with the WORE
team in one of the best camping places in West Virginia.
Even if you don’t paddle, this is a great campground that
would be perfect for a family outing or bringing that certain special significant other to. You gotta go check it out
if you haven’t.
Thursday morning, we loaded up our vehicles and
drove to the Festival site where we dropped vehicles and
camping gear, loaded all of our boats on my truck and
drove to Rockville, the put-in for the Lower Big Sandy,
where we were meeting BWA’er Matt Walker and BWA
alumnis, Jay Ditty and Willy Witt, along with Eric
Hendrickson, Eric Nies, Bill (I forget his last night but a
really kind bro I have known for years) to do a run at
about a 5.6 level on the gauge. Not high, but a relaxing
level, we all had a blast on the Big Sandy. Wonder Falls,
is just a hoot, and our group watched Matt, Jay, Eric,
Eric and Bill run Big Splat, all of us being just fine with
our decision to hoof it. Great lines on First Island where
my buddy Don Kinser broke his jaw a few years back on
the run with me, Scott Bradford and Charlie Walbridge,
and we were all at the take-out that is shared with the
Cheat having beer and etc. Yet another fine day of precision boating by all. I am hoping that Willy or Jay or
someone has some pictures as they were shooting
some.
Friday morning, we made a kickin breakfast feast at
the phat site we had selected for the Cheat Festival (at
Cheat River Campground), took in the environs a bit,
and then headed for Friendsville, MD for the Upper
Yough. I really love going there, not only for the water of
course, but also because I usually see so many people
that I have known in this sport over the past 20 years or
so. I love my boating peeps, both old ones and the
news ones. Just my favorite bunch of folks. So, we
socialized, caught up with friends, and along with many
others, slid into the water around 1 p.m. There were
fourteen of us. By this time, we had been joined by Clay
Warren, Brian Sandman, Jon Dale, DJ and Chris, along
with Sarah Mello and Brian Mattingly. All solid boaters
on a solid class IV+ run.
The last time I was on the Upper Yough, it was running 1.9 on the gauge which was two years prior. A
summer release of 600 cfs, is 1.8 on the Sang Run
bridge gauge. On this day, we noticed it was bobbing
between 2.3 and 2.4 and it was rumored to be about 950
cfs at Friendsville. Apparantly, that is 2.1 by the “old
school” gauge, but, it was still juicy and a lot more action
than the last time I was on the run. Wow, what a difference. And, for the better. I think that was the most
action packed runs of the week and I was having a blast.
Except for one thing.
Since the Tygart, I had noticed that by boat seemed to
be leaking water - lots of it. I thought I checked my boat
for cracks, but I didn’t see any and thought it must
be screws loose or my spray skirt tunnel was not working
or something. I got tired of bailing the boat, so I just
kept muscling it around on a busy Upper Yough run.
When I got to the takeout in Friendsville, Sarah Mello
observed an 18 inch gash in my boat that promised to
spread to three feet. Dang, the end of that boat.
Back at the Cheat Fest, Heather Warman, Jason
Powell and Rebecca Lewis showed up and were rarin to
paddle the Cheat. Clay and YT, both stepped up to the
plate and the five of them put on at close to 6 p.m. This
is a long run, nearly 10 miles, so it was a bit of a gamble
with darkness, but the desire to boat generally decides
these things for us and so it did for them. They had a
great run, got off before dark and were back in camp
before any of us had to fret, full of smiles and all giddy
with the fabulous run they had just had. Apparently YT
is a bit of a slave driver and kept the crew on task moving down the river.
Saturday morning, with broken Nomad, but with my
Godzilla boat, a bit of tendonitis in my left elbow (from
duffek strokes on that side I surmised) and just simply
ready to have a relaxed run, the group split up, with most
of the crew going to the Upper Yough. On the otherhand, me, Clay Warren, Jason Powell and Rebecca
18
Lewis, did a run on the Cheat after running shuttle and
setting up the paddle trip that Clay and Heather did with
Aleigha on her very successful run down the Cheat
Narrows. She reportedly had a very nice tight line
through Calamity and did very well on the entire run.
The Cheat was running about 1.6 reportedly and was a
very fun level, although a bit lower than the last few
years. Jason Powell, man, that guy wants it and goes
for it. It had been awhile since I paddled with him and he
is really getting better and has a great attitude for boating.
I really enjoy camping and boating with Sandman and
Rebecca, both of them Vikings. Solid peeps and good
boaters. Love camping with Sandman as he pays attention to details like, tarps, and plenty of food, ice and,
well, he is just a joy to camp with. Rebecca, what a cool
sister she is. My first time meeting her. Anyway, I sure
do hope to do more boating with our Vikings bros and
sisters in the future. (By the way, if you can afford $20, I
think all Kentucky boaters, in addition to giving money to
the BWA and AW, should join the Vikings. We have a
long history with the Vikings and I am proud to say I am
a member of that organization as well.)
Sunday morning I woke to reports of flash flooding in
quite “full� as far as boating went, I packed up
and headed home by 9:30 a.m. On the way home I
called Don Kinser who for many years past had come on
this trip. He broke his foot last Friday. I firmly pointed
out to him that if he had blown off his responsibilities and
come boating with his buddy on the
Week of Rivers, he would not have broken his foot. He
really could not argue with that.
This was a good trip. I am scheduling it for the same
time next year and invite any and all to set that week
aside, especially if the runs I was describing above are
your cup of tea. Solid class IV boating in the Southeast.
What a joyful week of rivers with my friends. It don’t get
no better than that.
Brent
View the full thread: http://www.americanwhitewater.org//content/Forum/read/send/28,19936,20540/#msg-20540
How do I get a better fit in a
boat?
that you're trim in the water i.e. the bow and stern are
about the same distance from the waterline. Some
designs are different however and to be sure have an
experienced boater look at you from the side in flat
water.
Next you should have solid contact with little foot pressing effort at all thecontact points - hips, knees / thighs,
feet. You shouldn't have to push hard on your tippy toes
to drive the knees into the deck. These folks are the
ones that fall out of the boat before the boat is fully
inverted in a flip. Additional contact points can be added
by installing knee blocks on the side of the boat under
the knees or using a Jackson Happy seat (bag that sits
under the knee and helps keep the knee under the
deck).
Refinements in fit ...
You can shape the hip pads ... I put the Dagger wedge
pads in with the thick part to the back to follow the butt
curve more naturally. In addition you generally want to tilt
the hip pads up in front to match the angle of the thigh
as it rises to the knee pad under the deck.
If you think your knees are too high you can build up the
padding under the deck with successive layers of foam.
Some also add more hook for the knee under the deck
with shaped foam. Cover it all with skinned neoprene for
a soft touch and great friction.
For the feet I suggest adding a shaped foam bulkhead
block that has a bit of a wedge shape (experiment here).
If you shape it so that the foot tilts down a bit like you
are standing on your toes a little but the foot is fully supported you are less likely to injure your foot ankles during an unplanned big impact in the bow. You can also
add some padding under your heel in the bottom of the
boat.
All of this effort requires foam and maybe neoprene.
Canoe KY caries some foam as well as Philip Galls in
varying stocks. There are mail order sources as well.
Don't know of a local source for neoprene. I suggest taping before glueing while experimenting. Glue with
Weldwood Contact Cement available at Wal Mart,
Lowes, etc. Sit in the boat for a bit watching the boob
tube to see how comfortable the change is after sitting in
the boat for a while. Watch boating videos for the full
effect ;)
All I can think of for now ... happy fitting!
Wes Prince
I'll take a stab at this as I think proper boat fit is more
important than boat design for boat control and overall
enjoyment of the sport. It's difficult to roll, brace, surf or
even catch eddies in a poorly fitting boat. The more difficult the water, the difficult the moves with a poor fit.
View the full thread:
http://www.americanwhitewater.org//content/Forum/read/send/9,
21034,21067/#msg-21067
In general your fore / aft seat adjustment should be such
19
Too Much Fun!
Muddy Creek Flood Run
about those logs? He met up with some of them and he
became their bitch. It took a long time to get him to
shore, a very long time. Barbed wire tends to slow rescues down. Tim, you done good! Mike's boat was gone
and he had to walk out. The creek was so high that
crossing it to the road was not an option so he had to do
his best on river right. His boat was recovered and is
resting nicely on my patio at this moment.
Some of us boneheads decided that Muddy Creek was
the place to go. The gauge was stuck at 3.1 but when
we got in the vicinity, it was obvious that we had a lot
more water than that. We were initially going to take out
at the Caine (? spelling) bridge but the water was rising
It was raining so hard that seeing where to go was
and there was concern that the vehicles would be caught almost impossible. I actually got behind a roll of straw,
by the water.
one of several, and followed it, reading its behavior in
the water to help me determine where to go. May I take
Instead, we went to the lower takeout and left the cars
this moment to thank the farmer who donated those
there. Going back up to the put-in we saw water like
probes. I named the one I followed Daniel as it blazed
never before. Jeff was so anxious to get into the water
one bitchin trail for me.
that he drove his van through the stuff to get to the putin. Barry and Mel said no way and took our vehicles
Getting very close to the takeout, we took out. We were
back to the takeout. Good intentions never go unpunin sight of the place and walked about a hundred yards.
ished but we do appreciate the good karma. More on
There is where we discovered that our vehicles would
that later.
not be leaving that area anytime soon. The water was
Muddy was beyond cranking, it was kicking royal ass.
Huge is an understatement. I had done the creek at the
5-6 ft. level and it was pure fun. I have to admit that the
paddle was exhilerating, not all that difficult, but the danger level was significant as there were plenty to trees to
broach on and not an eddy to be found. The water was
beyond being in the trees, it was in the fields, making
lakes everywhere. And we shared the creeks with a
bazillion logs, not sticks, I'm talking friggin' logs. BMF's.
Trust me, they don't get out of the way and they don't
apologize for messing up your run. Those bastards.
rising at an unbelievable rate. The drivers did walk
across and we moved our vehicles to the front of the
church where we have left them, pretty much to fate.
Oh, by the way, we also left Mike there too. By the time
we got the vehicles moved and got back to the safe side,
the water had risen so much that by the time Mike made
it to the bridge, the water was too high to attempt to walk
it. There was also a huge amount of logs and debris in
the water that it could easily knock you off your feet. So,
Mike is sitting comfortably in his van at this very
moment. He has plenty of beer, peanuts, etc. There are
also locals around if he needs them. I just talked with
At 10 feet, there are no eddies, none. Okay, maybe
him and he assures me that he is fine. Biggest problem
three but that's about it and they weren't worth a damn.
is that the water keeps rising and has reached the botJeremy wound up in the water and had to walk out. We tom of the circle around the church. And the water is still
got his boat and Allen did a fine job of noosing his padrising between six inches to a foot an hour. Last I
dle but it got away. Jeremy, I'm glad a paddle is the only checked, my van does not have the swim option on it.
you wound up losing. Hopefully it will show up.
DAMN! We missed the window to the vehicles out by no
more than 10-15
We were correct in not parking at the middle takeout.
minutes.
The cars would have been submerged or worse if we
had left them there. We were paddling on a road that
Oh, remember me telling you about walking on the road
we had been driving on less than an hour before. Harry the rest of the way to the takeout? It was G - O - N - E
suggested that we not linger long there so back to the
within 30 minutes of our arrival.
boats we went to complete the trip.
At times it was raining so hard that one could not see so
we were all quite careful and thanks again to Harry for
taking over the lead. On down the creek we went.
There is a place where the creek splits and I've never
seen water bulge up like it did at the split. In one
respect it was one of the most beautiful formations I've
ever seen water do. On the other hand, it was some
scary shit! Allen flipped but rolled up like a champ.
Mike Larimore also flipped but came out of his boat. He
took a long swim and had the fool beat out of him but all
the crap floating with us. Remember me telling you
If you've never heard a kayaker pray for the rain to stop,
you have now. Now get this one.....it took us about 2
hours to get out of the area. The roads were all blocked
by high water. We finally got out by taking all these little
backroads and wound up on 52 around the Waco area.
We did wind up at Otter creek there at Stoney Road.
That house is 'going down'. I've never seen Otter like
this before. The amout of water was unbelievable. The
East Prong was up to the bridge. If you were on the
creek, you would not make it under the bridge.
What a day! We all agreed that this was not one of our
smarter days. For the most part, what a hardcore bal20
rapid just below lunch stop. Thanks Jason! Afterwards
Mackenzie went out to Larimore’s and laid out camp for
our family setting up the tent and getting the camp
kitchen set up, I trained her well (Honey, you know I’m
joking)! All was looking good and then on my way out
the door I looked at the radar one more time. And there
it was, a system building up some momentum.
zout run! On the other hand............what the hell were
we thinking?!? Lots of lessons learned here folks. I'm
just glad we are all still around to learn from them.
Everybody keep a kind thought out for Larimore.
Dallas
Dang!
View the full thread:
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send/28,20536,20536/#msg-20536
This post is for Hanley, Wes and whoever else likes
looonnnnggg posts.
I arrived at Mike’s around 6:30 pm Friday evening and
the first thing I did was set up a tarp. As soon as we got
finished putting it up, it started raining. Then the tornado
sirens started going off, that’s always a good feeling,
right!? Apparently one touched down near Todd
Garlands house Friday evening! Then after the rains let
up and off to bed the little ones went, the bottom
dropped out. It rained hard and that tarp kept us from
getting drenched. I thought to myself, so there’s that 2
inches of rain NOAA was predicting. Off to sleep in the
tent.
Now, now wait a cotton picking minute here (cause I
know you two boys have the time : -). I had 3 1/4?
pages typed out in word but I elected to shorten my post
and not to put all of my trip report on here because I didn’t want to put those behind their PC’s asleep. I was
thinking I should save it more for bowlines article? Now
I did chastise you boys slightly and I can understand the
rebuttal but I chose to be more short winded because
folks lose interest if you don’t get the point across quickly. Now if you want to read my full post here it is:
I woke up to dirty brown water at Mikes. That can’t be . .
. it generallytakes 24 hours for the water to get here.
Localized heavy rain brought the creek up with local tributaries. And it kept going up. At 10 am we went to the
put in to look at the bridge gauge which showed 2.75
feet and rising. While looking at the bridge guage I’m
staring down a group of Boy Scouts and there aluminum
canoes, more on this later. I got word from b6 that there
was a bubble on both the North Fork and the South
Fork.
Before I get started with this long post let me say:
As a trip leader you must make decisions and fast. My
decision was to cancel putting on at the forks. Whoa
whoa whoa, says the group “we want to paddle the
forks, how bad can it be? I had to explain to (scare) the
group it was not safe to put at the forks for this group.
The dam dam is to dangerous to portage with 15 or so
canoes. I did leave the window open for the few
canoers who know the creek and who have been on the
creek several times for many years at flood stage.
There were 4 canoes including mine wanting to run the
forks. The group leaves camp at record time of 12:30
pm. We get to Knights bridge and start dropping
canoe’s. As the canoes come off the trailer the 4 earlier
committed canoes start dropping out like flies and rightfully so.
Annual Ledgeman
Elkhorn Float
Thank you all for those of you who provided me with
water level information, safety boating and the camaraderie the BWA brings to annual Larimore / Ledgeman
Canoe trip every year. There was a big BWA turn out
and I love that. I was really glad to see all the boaters
come down to Larimore’s to hang out after you all got off
the local steeps. Thank you B6 for taking some pictures.
(If anybody else took pictures let me know.) I was really
glad to see the Grimes and many others once again on
this epic float. Thanks for coming out!
Now on to my super long (Hanley and Prince style) post:
We are making history all-right. Epic? . . . Definitely an
epic weekend. I thought to myself Friday while working
during the day when the rains weren’t coming in that the
canoe float was going to go off without a hitch. Boy was
I wrong.
The Elkhorn was running a great canoe level of about
600 cfs and dropping slowly Friday during the day. I was
stoked. Mackenzie went down to Franklin County early
kayaking the Elkhorn Friday with Jason Powell and
Company. Jason Powell brought a saw and they went
down to cut out a strainer at the Mill rapid aka Dead Cow
Now we have two canoes’ going to the top. We put on
around 1pm with a group of kayakers at 4.25 feet and
rising. I wanted to put on as fast as we could get are
gear together because the dam gets really sketchy
above 5 feet and the creek’s a rising. Church wave was
looking good for some on the fly kayak surfing but not
for me and Mackenzie’s sister Morgan’s husband, my
brother in law Chris (Mackenzie’s sister Morgan’s husband.)
21
We get down to the dam and I’m as nervous as I can
be. Getting out of thecanoe is less nerve racking than
getting out of tight fitting kayak but getting the canoe
over the dam and back on the water is a little tougher.
After getting past the recirculation of the dam we jumped
in the canoe and off we went through dam rapid. I begin
to worry about my canoe at “S” Turn aka railroad more
than I am worrying about myself. As we enter the rapid, I
am looking at one thing, the rail road pier in the center of
flow, that thing needs some dynamite for breakfast
instead of my beloved canoe. We stay river right through
“S” Turn and skirt the main flow wave train. We then
angled left of the flow to skirt the rail road pier. Shu-ew!
This sets the tone for most of the rest of the rapids as we
canoed down. Skirting the main flow keeps water out of
the canoe.
gear was found. The trip from Knights bridge from to
Larimore’s was fun but quick. The good folks who come
to the canoe trip every year didn’t seem to mind. A couple of canoes went on down to the bridge just north of
peaks mill and I went to shuttle them back to camp.
Saturday night we had a big feast, hung around, told lies
and celebrated with some libations. Fun times were had
and we even lit one of the large scrap wood piles a
blaze. We brought our camp chairs around hung out to
bright glow of the big fire.
All in all I was pleased with this years canoe trip. It was
a little short for most from Knights bridge to Larimore’s.
I do think this year will help me make better decisions on
what I might do in the future at flood stage for this annual canoe trip. I could have done things differently and
sometimes you just have to experience it to realize what
we could have changed.
A special note here: As we came down and eddied out
at Colston Lane, a special treat ensued. We got to witness Ben (I don’t know his last name) from TRR put on
Again: Thank you BWA!
the mighty Elkhorn. It was really cool to see him on the
water. Cheers to the folks of TRR that made this happen
on such an epic day! I heard you all did it twice that day! Thank you Mike Larimore for letting us come down and
stomp around your cool farm.
The second canoe followed most of our lines and we
Ledgeman
were cleaning it up. We went river left of the island at
surf city and the main wave was at least 6 feet tall. Epic
surfing for kayakers but today in the canoe we skirting
the green line just to the right of the foam pile. The bow BTW: Do you remember the group of boy scouts I mentioned when we were up at the Forks looking at the
smacking down and we took on water so we stopped to
dump. I think all in all we stopped to dump 4 times slow- bridge? Well, while I was looking at the bridge I started
talking to the one adult who was in charge of the six aluing us down a bit to catch up with the main group at
minum canoe at the put in with no floatation. I asked
Knights bridge. I had a blast tandem canoeing. It is
him if he had done this before. He said yes a year
something I still love to do. The gorge section of the
before and it was high then he said. I said it’s running
Elkhorn was awesome Saturday. I’m so glad to
really high and still rising. I told I would not take these
have experienced it with brother n law in my bow. If
kids, who ranged from 8 to 13 ish, down this creek right
kayaking gets to easy and boring then take on a real
now. It’s to dangerous. I said it very casually and mater
challenge and try canoeing!
of fact but I learned a lesson here. I should have been
more direct and maybe I should have been more
Now the canoe trip begins for the rest of the group here
assertive and maybe I should have put a little more fear
at Knights bridge. The big group puts on with happy
in him. Well they at least knew the portage over the
faces and the good times resumed. I’m guessing the
dam and I was worried about my crew so I thought.
flow at that point was around 5’ plus or minus. I was
happy and anxious to see my wife and son getting ready
to put on the might Elkhorn. This is Charlie’s second trip They ended up on river left above lunch stop having lost
on the Khorn. He did it once before in his momma’s belly three canoes and they were not going to attempt to go
any further. Thanks goodness no one was hurt. We met
: -) . All the kids had a blast! Thanks Mister Mellow for
lending out your raft. Thank you Tim Miller for being you up with them as we were making our way down. I told
and guiding the kiddos down lower Elkhorn. I heard you reaffirmed with the trip leader that I had warned him not
to take the kids down. Should I have been more consaid all the right things out there. This was a special
moment in my eyes to see our little one getting in the raft vincing or did I do all I could do? They made a poor uneducated decision they could have paid the ultimate
for the first time. A memorable time for sure!
price. Would that have been on me some? It is definitely something to think about.
I didn’t witness this but a couple of my buddies flipped
and swam one of the two or three rapids from Knights
View the full thread:
bridge to Larimore’s farm. They were fine all except for
http://www.americanwhitewater.org//content/Forum/read/send/2
some lightly blemished egos. I believe all the canoes
8,6373,21232/#msg-21232
had a blast. Also a bunch of kayakers swam down at
Larimore’s tree. Sorry about that and I’m glad all the
RF rescue story from Steve Ruth.........
22
at all. So I asked the guy who'd gotten the rope sort of
close how deep it was there. He said it was chest deep
where the rope was tied off.
My phone rang at 10pm tonite, it was the E.C. fire chief.
"Steve, there's a couple of boys hanging on a tree in the
middle of the river downstream of Rat Hole. We need a
kayaker to get to them."
Now if you've run that nice little Rat Hole to EC section,
you're probably thinking 'hanging on a tree in the middle
of the river? that don't sound right?'. Well you're
right...unless you've that section at 6,000cfs, which is
about what it was running this evening.
Well, what can a guy do? The boat was still loaded from
today's Grassy run, I pulled on my drysuit and grabbed
my pfd & sprayskirt and ventured up the road to find
about 7 fire trucks rescue vehicles blocking the road at
Pool Point. The fire chief flagged me and said they're just
downstream of the train bridge I
could head over the hill there. Well, that kind of includes
a 50 foot cliff to get to the river, so I said I'd float down
from Rat Hole. I ventured on and there were 6 or 7 more
rescue vehicles down there with at least two aluminum
type overgrown motorized john boats ready to launch
into the river.
Did I mention it was running 6,000cfs?
I got the guys attention and suggested maybe taking
those boats downstream beyond the bridge was a bad
idea. But, if they stayed on extreme river right, maybe
they wouldn't die...IF they got to the right spot on river
right where they could tie up. They were gung-ho for that
and even more gung-ho to tie a rope to my boat. No
thanks I told them, I'd just follow them downstream to a
place we could get a visual and assess the situation.
So that's what we did and all went beautifully. Except
one small detail. The boys weren't in a tree just downstream of the bridge, which we were lead to believe.
They were ACTUALLY in a tree downstream of
Meatgrinder, which is about 1/8 mile downstream of the
train bridge. Hell, I wasn't going to paddle down there in
the dark at 6k and when the johnboat rescue team heard
that, they
figured they wouldn't either. So we hiked downstream to
find 5 or 6 rescue folk on the side of the river shining
spotlights on the poor kids in the tree. One guy had managed, hanging onto trees in the moving water, to get a
rope (tied up mind you) to within 30 feet of the boys.
Did I mention I was the only person wearing ANY type of
dry (or wet) gear? So here's me and 6 guys who were
supposed to know what to do standing there looking at
the boys in the tree. By this time, they'd been there over
2 hours and were just about nekkid (the river had
stripped them to their underwear), miserable and near
shock. Well, the idea of a kayak getting to them wasn't
necessarily a bad idea...but the water was really moving
by them and there were trees all around. There really
wasn't any way to safely paddle to them and do anything
So I had them attach a rope to my pfd and ventured into
the flow just to get a feel of what we were dealing with.
My mind is boggled that the guy got the rope to the spot
he did. The river was pushing me hard and it was all I
could do to keep my footing. I got to the end of the rope,
but it was too deep...and swift,
to be able to throw anything on to where the boys were. I
retreated to the bank and we talked about it. The john
boat guys wanted to try to get their boat to that place
and probably would have tried it if I hadn't been there. It
took 5 or 10 minutes of talking to get them to give up on
that idea.
Thankfully, the county emergency management director
had contacted the corp as soon as the call came in to
turn off the dam release. After standing looking at the
boys in the tree for a half an hour or more, the river started dropping. Not a lot, but about 8" inches. After 3
attempts, enough time for the river to drop
another 6-8", I was able to haul a harness (attached to a
rope) to the base of the tree the boys were in. I managed
this by basically walking as far as I could, then lunging
from tree to tree, hanging on to anything I could grab. I'd
guess it took 10 minutes to cross about 50 feet of up to
chest deep flowing water on the last attempt. The boys
were in pretty pitiful shape at this point, I handed the harness to the boy nearest the flow and explained how to
slip it over his head and under his arms, then talked him
out of the tree. The bank crew knew to pull the harness
rope when I gave a blast on my whistle. All good.
So then it's me and the second boy. There wasn't any
way for the guys to get the harness back, so I had to talk
the kid out of the tree, convince him that I was going to
hang on to him while they pulled us both in. I had him lay
back on me and locked my arms under his armpits and
across his chest. When the crew saw us in position, they
pulled us in.
Now that I'm sitting here, I'm pretty astonished that
nobody died. There was just no way to get to them, they
were in a terrible spot, too many trees around to throw
ropes to them. If the river hadn't dropped...probably
down to 4000k...they'd still be in that damned tree,
unless they'd given out. I'm not sure how much longer
they could have hung on. When I say tree, I should say
very large bush. Maybe 4" across at the base. Your typical scrubby kinda baby sycamore.
The scary part is how clueless everyone involved, including me, was. The rescuers just didn't fathom the force of
the flow, the coldness of the water (until they tried wading in), or the danger of ropes tied to boats, trees, etc.
While I haven't had a swiftwater rescue course, I am very
glad for the knowledge
I'd absorbed over the years from people way smarter
23
stamps in forum entries are displayed correctly - Log into
the AW web site. Select My Account / Forum Settings
menu item. Then on the right menu, select the Options /
Forum Settings menu item. Set your current timezone and
DST setting. You have to update the DST setting manually
each seasonal time change. It does not change automatically
than me. And I'd love to grab some experts and show
them the situation to see if there wasn't something we
just didn't think of that would have made things easier.
First obvious thing is everyone having the proper dry
gear to be able to spend time in 50ish degree water. At
least they all had pfd's.
One last thing. Rescue missions beat the hell out of
recovery missions. Be safe out there.
Great Clinic!
Allen/DaddyO/Dude:
Steve Ruth
View the full thread:
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20657,20657/#msg-20657
Subject:
Re: RF rescue story from Steve Ruth.........
Message:
According to Steve, the 5 boys put a bass boat in at
Ratliff Hole at 8 p.m. last night with 6000 cfs, figuring
that they would take it down to EC. Apparently they
have been motoring it around in the river at Elkhorn City
and came up with the brilliant idea to take it up to Rat
Hole. They flipped at Meatgrinder and three of them
made it to shore and the other two where in the tree
where they
were retrieved, just upstream from getting to Pinball.
When Steve got to them one of the boys recognized him
and the first thing out of his mouth was: "Aren't you my
next door neighbor?" Steve replied that his momma
sent him to go get him. The next thing out of his mouth
was "This was the stupidest thing I have ever done".
That is why you are the MAN! I, totally, am at your
"beck and call" this coming year. And I look forward to
continuing to build this organization with you as our
President, heaped upon the strong pillars that nearly 35
years of committed river camaraderie, that makes up the
BWA, has provided us. I have no doubt and believe we
will continue to be the most dynamic paddling
club/organization of our size and type, in the country heck, the world. That is pretty cool and something to be
proud of and build upon.
The paddlers that have come out of the BWA through
the course of it's history, continues to amaze me. We
have always had and still do have, some of the best
"non-pro" paddlers in the country, and have generated
our share of "pros". We are integrated from those type
of paddling heights all the way to the beginners and
newbies that the BWA works so hard and diligently with.
Our efforts on a
national level are incredible, with the NPFF, the RFRR,
even the Gauley Fest, and of course, letter writing campaigns such as the Chattooga Headwaters where we
made a difference, and our contacts and former memBrent
bers are spread out all over the country and the world.
Of course on a local level, the BWA makes things hapView the full thread:
pen at amazing speeds when needed, not only with
http://www.americanwhitewater.org//content/Forum/read/send/9, cleanups, but with the push to acquire the Elkhorn Acres
20657,20683/#msg-20683
in 1999, as an example.
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Make sure your timezone is set correctly so the time-
Bottom line, we rock. I am and have always been fiercely proud of the BWA and all the things we accomplish
and have the capacity to accomplish yet further.
The
Presidency is a stewardship of the BWA and while each
President may have their own idea or legacy of that
stewardship, it is now your turn to imprint your own
unique style and perspective to this role. For nearly 35
years the Presidents baton has been passed from
President to President, and all made their contribution
and mark on the BWA. The baton was passed to me
from Bubba. I passed it to Hanley. Now he passes it to
you. Run, run, Mr. President!
Brent Austin
Past President (for a few more weeks)
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Photo Essay of 2010 Clinic
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Photo Essay of 2010 Clinic
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Your Annual Dues are Due in July !
You will be receiving a renewal notice by e-mail. You can renew on line, pay at the monthly
meetng or mail a check to: BWA, POB 4231, Lexington Ky. 40504
If you renew your membership and your payment has been received by 7/14,
you will be entered into a drawing for a fabulous prize!
Officer Elections June 8 Meeting
Nominations can still be made that day
BWA meetings
Meetings held Second Tuesday of every month at 7:30pm
To eat during the meeting come a little early so you can place your order before the meeting starts.
For up-to-date info on meetings always check http://www.bluegrasswildwater.org
Bluegrass Wildwater Association
PO Box 4231
Lexington, Ky. 40504