Dear Fellow Paddlers,

In spite of all the snow in the mountains, this spring's whitewater season proved to be one of the shortest on record. Local rivers lasted only a few weeks and even then Hudson was dry by the middle of May! However, it made a comeback because of the rain in late May and early June. Let's all hope for a better summer paddling season. The spring trip to the West River for the NVCC sponsored race was a big success however, with a good turnout and very respectable finishes by the club members.

The summer schedule has its share of whitewater trips for everyone who did not get their fill during this past spring. The recent graduates of the whitewater clinic will enjoy the Androscoggin, while the more experienced will appreciate the Dead and Kennebec rivers in Maine, and the Rouge in Quebec. Flatwater paddlers also have a variety of trips to choose from. Something for everyone!

As always, a lot of members played a part in making the Bow & Stern successful. Thanks to all the contributors, to Al Roberts who loaned us his PC to type it, and to the Schroeders at PIP printing, for printing this issue.

See you on the lakes and on the rivers,
Margaret & George McIntosh

The Annual Spring Meeting was held at Our Lady of Grace Parish Hall, Colchester, on Sunday, March 1, 1987. After dinner the business meeting was called to order at 7:15 PM by president Rich Larsen.

Rich thanked:

• Pat Ezekiel for coordinating the dinner
• The Datillios for catering the dinner
• Charlie Thompson for arranging the program
• Tim Marugg, in advance, for the evening slide show, and
• Committee Chairpersons

Treasurer Cathy Chamberlain reported a balance of $1079.87 with $187.96 in the General Fund and $891.91 in Education and Safety. Rich explained the Education and Safety Fund and called for suggested uses for the Fund.

Peter Alden moved to accept the minutes as presented in the Bow & Stern.

June 1 is the deadline for the next issue of the Bow & Stern. The McIntoshes said there will be no last minute extensions for late articles.

Anne Chetham-Strode reported that last summer both the Advanced Tandem Clinic and the Decked Boat Clinic were successful.

Ray Gonda said that the Whitewater Clinic is scheduled, this year, for May. This later time is to see whether training in warmer weather will keep more people active for a longer time than in the past. Two possible dates were proposed:

May 17 - Pool session at the YMCA
May 23 - River session

Ray asked for volunteers. Lots of help is needed.

Ray suggested that possibly the topic of river conservation should be discussed by members at meetings, instead of its just being reported in the Bow & Stern. He suggested that the topic should be included in the charter as a club concern.

Anne brought attention to the article in the Bow & Stern on the C-D races for all skill levels. Races will be held the first and second weekends in May. The NVCC will sponsor the races in conjunction with the West River Whitewater Association. Call Anne if you can volunteer your help. She will reserve campsites.

Call Rich if you can chair the June meeting. Rich described Executive Meetings, and invited interested persons to attend. Minutes of the meetings are in the Bow & Stern.

There was no old business.

New business:

Mike Fullerton passed out a sheet on safety guidelines. A discussion of them followed. Give your suggestions to Mike.

Anne is making up First Aid Kits using $200 authorized by the Executive Committee. Anne sent out letters to canoe schools asking for items which they include in their kits. Anne said each trip leader should pass along the kits to the next trip leader. She asked people to sign up either that night or to call her to help make up the kits and/or to help with the safety clinics.

Dave Cunningham of Red Cross, who has canoeing experience, will teach a multi-media First Aid Course; $30 per person. Some CPR will be covered but certification is not issued. Charlie Thompson noted that the Standard Red Cross First Aid Course (7 evenings) is only $17.50, and for $10 more one can earn CPR certification.

The meeting was adjourned.

Program: Tim Marugg presented a good slide show and narration of his Alaskan trip. He also showed several of his whitewater runs and nice shots of the majestic Alaskan scenery.

Respectfully submitted,
Betsy Schneider

Vermont Passes Rivers Bill

Vermont became the first state in four years to pass a statewide river conservation bill and the 29th in the nation. The bill was the last to be enacted in the session and was finally passed the House, (an earlier weaker version was passed by the house before going to the senate) by a 59-58 vote after becoming one of the highest priority bills and capturing some of the most dramatic debates of the session. It was passed well after midnight on Friday April 24. The Governor signed the bill at a ceremony beside the Winooski River on June 5th near Middlesex. Leadership from the private sector on this bill came from members of the Vermont Rivers Alliance. What distinguishes this bill from most other states are provisions affecting all of Vermont's rivers rather than just special rivers as in most other states bills.

This bill was the first in the nation to make use of the opportunity presented by new hydro amendments to the federal power act. The Vermont bill provides guidance to the state for the implementation of a system of protected rivers called "Outstanding Resource Waters". It amends existing laws to enable a ban on some new hydro development and most gravel extraction. It gives the state clearer and much stronger authority to enforce laws on stream alteration and instream flows across the state. The law would prohibit gravel extraction for municipal or commercial purposes for all watercourses, except for private, non-commercial use by adjacent property owners in limited quantities.

According to Eric Palola, Associate Director of Vermont Natural Resources Council, "The river bill begins to get us away from the patchwork of regulatory measures we currently employ in support of our rivers; it is not the final step for river protection in Vermont but it certainly gives us a great springboard". The rivers bill was targeted at treating "in-stream" issues as opposed to land-use issues that a strictly wild and scenic rivers approach used by the Federal Wild and Scenic Rivers Act engenders.

Important for paddlers is the possibility of protecting some of our most important whitewater sections of rivers in Vermont. The Cruisers can take an active role in initiating and carrying through such an effort under this bill. Many of the rivers issues described in this newsletter over the past years led directly to many of the provisions of this bill. The river bill represents the first round (and a victory) at protecting Vermont's rivers. Looking to the future, more work lies ahead as some of the tougher land-use issues associated with protecting the river banks and river corridors begin to be addressed.

Ray Gonda

Have you ever wondered who to contact when you have a question or any other club business? Well wonder no more! Here is a list of all the contacts you ever wanted to know:

If you have questions, want to help, or even have some club business, please call the appropriate person(s).

The experiment of moving the clinic to later in the year when warmer weather and water prevail was an unqualified success. In a very short period of time close to 30 open boat students enrolled and nearly a dozen closed boaters. The usual classroom / pool session / river session format was followed and again the student's evaluations of the program were very positive. Aside from predictable and anticipated problems such as noisy fans at the pool session, a few rough spots at the classroom session, and the threat of "no water", the effort was a clear-cut success. The open boat crowd appeared to be a little older this year and was over 50% women. The closed boat student group was predominately male.

An effort was made this year to pull in as many new instructors for both the classroom and river sessions as possible, the idea being to "refresh" the program by creating an identity with the program by a broader base of the club membership. What I have learned over the years is that many members really want to have the opportunity to teach some aspect of paddling be it the classroom or the river. In balance an adherence to the established clinic format was maintained as training technique for the new instructors. The program has worked well in the past, has been designed with a tremendous amount of thought and is partially the outcome of considerable trial and error testing.

The encouraging aspect of the school this year is how well the classroom instructors, totally new to the program (but with a format to follow and guide them) and on extremely short notice, performed. The pool session went well even though an hour was lost trying to get into the building. This success was because of the familiarity of the individual instructors, most of whom were students in the clinic at one time. It has been my "a priori" belief and subsequent observation that those who have been through the clinic best understand it and are the most compatible with participating in it as instructors.

The independence given to the team leaders of the open boat river groups this year has proven to add strength to the program. One group used the White River, three used the Winooski, and one group, which intended to use the Lower Lamoille, moved at the last minute to the Winooski. The cooperation given to us by Green Mountain Power Corp., through the enthusiastic assistance of Walter Oakes, in providing water from 119 at Essex Junction is a debt to us.

The most rewarding aspect of the clinic for me (having been a high school teacher for a decade) is to have laid out and followed a strategy nearly seven years ago, on how to build a program and how to develop some pride and identity in that program by it's participants, to anticipate how the influence of the program could affect the attitudes and behaviors of the club members themselves as relates to paddling, and to see it all come to fruition. One seldom has this opportunity in everyday life, let alone in a favorite pastime.

Reports from Mike Fullerton (open boats) about the section from Sharon to West Hartford were very good. As an alternative, the Winooski was used in a mode of last minute desperation. But it turned out to be a surprise and a very satisfactory training area when used intelligently. The closed boats used the White River. This river section was selected by Jay Appleton after a scouting trip earlier in the week. Mike tried out the White as part of our experiment in flexibility and as a result of the geographical distribution of the instructors and students in his group.

If the clinic next year is again held late in the year, my recommendation is that the open and closed boats share the White River by going on separate days. Furthermore I strongly recommend that student evaluations be done in the field immediately after the river session at the takeout spot. The alternative is contacting by phone or by mail 90% of the students and entreating them to locate, complete and mail in their evaluations. These evaluations are a core part of the continued success of the program and to responsiveness to or evaluation of student perceptions.

Ray Gonda

Kennebec Gorge: August 21-24, 1986

Moosehead Lake was being drawn down, so there was plenty of water released by Harris Station: 6200 to 6500 cfs, and a Sunday brunch 4800 cfs. Releases ran all day, allowing us to let the livery companies go first, and enjoy a sporty class IV run without having to dodge rafts or be distracted by bikini-clad rafters. The weather was sunny (even without George's blessing!).

The gorge is narrow and winding, with nearly continuous sets of 4-8 foot wave trains. This results in vigorous surfing opportunities. There are few holes, but the eddies are boiling; they can provide the greatest challenges on the river. The run from the dam to Carry Brook is 4 1/2 miles, and can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 4 hours.

There were no serious mishaps; we had a few unplanned enders and J055'5 helmet was ripped off in a hydraulic. Luckily, the trip home could be financed with bottle returns.

Alan Rexford, Jay Appleton, Joss Coggeshall.

Pennsylvania (Turkey Paddle): November 26-30, 1986

Destination - Youghiogheny and nearby rivers.

Driving time - Twelve hours thru Thanksgiving traffic, as well as steady rain and fog.

Camping - Ohiopyle State Park, a 4 star campground, knowledgeable ranger, hot showers and no people.

Weather - Days 40 - 60 degrees, nights frosty.

Water level - After 18 hours of rain, the rivers were up four feet above normal. The Yough was running at 6 1/2 feet.

Day 1 - Middle Youghiogheny, class II, big water
A 10 mile stretch was run from Ramcat to Ohiopyle. Excellent scenery, through a deep mountain valley. A good warm-up run. A bicycle path follows the entire run on river right. Beware of the 20-foot drop just below the take out.

Day 2 - Casselman River, class II-III
Put in at Markleton Post Office, takeout 7 miles downstream at Forthill. Fairly continuous action, fun drops and waves, some maneuvering necessary, comparable to the Dead River. A swimmer mentioned that the water was quite chilly.

Day 3 -
The Turkey Paddlers scouted the famed Youghiogheny loop. The group decided that at 6 feet, the river was more than most wanted to tackle. Fast water, lots of it, humongous waves, terminal holes, a possibility of a swim and difficulty of rescue were some of the considerations. Average summer level is two feet. Instead the group toured Frank Lloyd Wright's "Falling Waters" and explored Falls Market.

Trip Highlights - Glissan's Truck stop on Rt. 400 near Chalk Hill provided a full Thanksgiving feast for $4.50, including the usual turkey and trimmings as well as homemade soup, homemade bread and homemade pies (15 varieties). Violas (Mables) Restaurant in Confluence did finally get everybody's breakfast - in four stages (Teo liked the hot chocolate which consisted of a full cup of whip cream and a little cocoa to pour on top). Falls Market ... A good place to get anything for anybody. Cucumber Falls is a worthwhile visit, be sure to walk behind the water curtain. The heated bathrooms and free showers at OHSP were a favorite.

The group agreed that the paddling was above average and particularly enjoyable being off-season with no tourists, or rafters. This is a trip that will be repeated.

Marvie Campbell

Mad River Icebreaker: March 28, 1987

The weather was cloudy and the river was only at a moderate level. Nevertheless, (and as with all Ice Breakers), the cruisers came out in droves to kick off the 1987 season. Breaking into three groups, we headed down the mighty Mad from the bottom of the Moretown Gorge. The river provided ample opportunities to practice peelouts, ferries, and surfing: skills grown rusty from a winter's rest. Examination Rapid proved a challenge for many, with rocks to dodge and holes to charge through. The snow covered takeout at the Fish & Game Access was uneventful, however everyone seemed excited that paddling season was upon us, and that the time to stop burning wood was not far off.

Jay Appleton

Upper Lamoille: April 5, 1987

Thirteen boats participated in this one, but the trip leader accepts chastisement for not writing down all the names! The weather was rainy, but not cold, one of the first Upper Lamoille trips I can remember where freezing to death was not a concern. The level was 3.5' at the start but 4.5' at the takeout. That is the proper level at which to run this section. The motel drop was reduced to some small waves, but large features developed below it. The stretch from Rt. 16 to town was fast and worthy of respect. Strainers abounded below the dam, but all were easily spotted and avoided. Several decked boats paddled under the trunk of a river wide strainer only to look back and see it moving!! A good reminder to always carry around these obstructions.

The run was completed without problems, the few swimmers and one boat pinning being handled well. Look for 4.5' for a good time.

Mike Fullerton

Huntington River: April 4, 1987

This trip was the "season opener" for me, meeting at the Village Green in Huntington at noon. The weather was cooperative, and held off from the predicted rain. The river was scouted the night before to check the water level, because the rest of Vermont was flooded. The Huntington River was low, but the trip remained as scheduled.

We proceeded slowly on the river, and stretched the trip to about three hours. Put-in was up-river about 2 bridges, with take-out just above the Gorge. There was a strainer around the first bend, which managed to wake everyone up, but caused no spills.

We celebrated Mark Selig's first solo canoe trip, and welcomed Sue Schmidt (soon to be Mrs. Tom Leahy) into the cruisers. We ended the trip with some encouraging words to Joan Gardner for a strong upstream ferry to avoid continuing into the Gorge!

Cathy Chamberlain

Lower Lamoille: April 11, 1987

The Upper Lamoille trip was scheduled, but due to about 4 days of lousy weather (no rain), we decided on running the Lower Lamoille.

The level was 7 1/2 feet and the weather was sunny with the temperature in the mid sixties. There were 14 boats so we broke into 2 groups and had a leisurely trip. Lunch was at the island below Two Island rapids. Norm Lavoie recounted the early history of the club.

At the Five Chutes several people pulled their boats up and went through several times. This was a beautiful day.

Bill Gerlack

Indian River and Hudson Gorge: April 12 & April 19, 1987

Hearing that the Hudson was already in the mid sevens the first week of April, we knew that it was time to deviate from Cruiser protocol and start running the Hudson. The weather both days was absolutely delightful: warm, bright sun, and no bugs. The levels at the North Creek gauge in the morning were 5.5 and 4.5 feet respectively. Both days water was going over the dam and the Town of Indian Lake provided a full gate for two hours, but notably kayakers were running the dam the first day. The Indian was it's usual boisterous self: lots of hydraulics to weave around, and great surfing with sobering consequences. On the Hudson, the Narrows (a.k.a. Staircase) had large reflected diagonal waves, which made for brisk river wide ferries. Harris (a.k.a. Big Nasty) is always difficult. The highlight was watching Anne drop with perfect poise and precision into a huge hole which fractured her boat in several places. Look for this crew to be running the Hudson in the sixes or low sevens next season.

Jay Appleton

White River: April 19, 1987

Easter Sunday morning was beautiful, with clear skies and shirtsleeve temperatures. One step into the water however convinced me to wear my wetsuit. A good-sized group of 12 boats had shown up in spite of the problems reaching me. My telephone had not yet been connected since our move to Jeffersonville. My apologies to all who tried. We split up into two groups of six boats each and enjoyed the lazy day. The water looked very low when we scouted the river, but as usual, the crystal clear water of the White was deceptive and was very paddleable. A wrecked raft, left from someone's earlier expedition provided a diversion as we all did a "raft eddy". The "chair eddy", behind an automobile seat separated from the raft proved too small. Actually the raft was quite an eyesore, I hope it is removed soon. The big hole at the lunch rocks was less powerful than at high water and didn't eat any boats as far as I know. We only had one swimmer that I know of and hopefully no one got poison ivy this year.

George McIntosh

Schroon / Hudson Rivers: April 25, 1987

The weather was clear but cool (some said downright cold) as we put in on the Schroon. The river was low, but a good warm up. After a lunch break we proceeded to Riparius for a single run of the lower Hudson. That too was low, but fun with several well developed surfing waves. An enjoyable stress-free day. Stress was to be the menu for the morrow.

Mike Fullerton

Hudson Gorge: April 26, 1987

Again the weather was clear, but this time warmer (ignore the frost we scraped off the windshields). The gauge read 3.8' at 8:45 and we anticipated a mellow run. That feeling was reinforced when we saw the dam open only 3/4 of the way. The Indian seemed easier than usual, and everyone made it with only minor stops to bail.

Somehow the Staircase seemed larger. The drop below it seemed huger. Harris Rift seemed enormous. The class III below it seemed like a class IV! Mysteriously the gauge had climbed to 4.7' when we took out.

No one has any idea where the Hell all that water came from.

Many of us had never run the gorge at that level before, and found it quite an exiting experience. Only two people swam, one of them only briefly, and despite large features, we all did quite well. I would like to try it again at that level, knowing what I was in for.

Mike Fullerton

* 8 person raft. Used by canoers with knee problems.
+ A non ACA recognized variant consisting of a tandem canoe with double blade amidships and single blade rescuee forward. Highly maneuverable.

Contoocook River: May 2, 1987

This was the first "official" club trip on the Contoocook, though Tony and Adrian have done it several times. The run is not long (about 2.5 miles), but all of it is good. Put-in and take out are easy.

The drops are mostly class 2-3, with significant features to look out for. As with many of our rivers, the best is last. This one is called Freight Train, and rates a 4. It can be carried if desired.

We ran the river twice (three or four times is possible with an early start) with no major problems. Weather was great, in the sixties and sunny. This river holds its level well, and is apparently popular in late season.

Mike Fullerton

West River Recreational Release: May 9-10, 1987

The usual West River Weekend in the spring. The numbers of people were subdued. The lines were small or non-existent. Gorgeous weather and good water levels made for perfect paddling. The Saturday feed at the Campbell's topped the weekend.

Al Roberts

Rouge River - Memorial Day Weekend: May 23-25, 1987

Due to the lack of water in our region a trip was planned to the Rouge. The level was reported to be at low levels. When we arrived the temperature was about 48 degrees which felt like winter compared to the 80 degrees of the day before. We decided not to paddle in a thunder and lightning storm. We ended up camping at Rally's Campground, which is in a picturesque spot on the Rouge below a falls. We had the campground to ourselves. After a Mexican meal, and a good sleep, we set out to paddle the Canyon section of the Rouge. A raft guide said the river came up 2 feet overnight. At the Canyon we scouted the drop and decided to carry. The Carry, while not trivial, is do-able and takes 15-20 minutes. The carry was finished just in time to retrieve a kayak and paddle. The rapids downstream, which were trivial last year, had turned into class three big water rapids. We had one more set of swimmers but the day ended fine. Monday turned out bright and sunny and the river was a little higher. As before we took the dry route in the Canyon. The waves and holes were even bigger, certainly the biggest water I've been in. The hole called Turbo is a sight to see from below and above water. It's more pleasant from above. The Rouge at this level is definitely for advanced boaters.

Al Roberts

Hudson River Gorge: May 30, 1987

It's nice paddling the Hudson in 85-degree weather with no bugs. Due to thunderstorms during the week, the natural level was at 4.1 with the hour-long release, the level was 4.6. This is a sporty technical heavy water run as several paddlers found out. Luck was with us as one boat became pinned in a minor way and was removed without difficulty. However the importance of tying float bags to the floor of the boat was illustrated as the float bag floated out of the boat. All in all, the trip was an excellent one.

Al Roberts

From the Whitewater Chairman...

Even though we had a drought this spring there was still good paddling to be found. We even paddled a few new rivers that should be added to the schedule. The Moose and another section of the West turned out to be sporty runs.

The schedule went well, but trip leaders need to better coordinate with the chairperson changes in plans/leaders. This is a courtesy as well as good communications.

On the issue of equipment, there were several times this spring when improperly equipped boats proved to be a hinderance to safe paddling. Proper painters and secure flotation is a must for enjoyable, safe, trips.

Al Roberts

**************************************************************
*                       PLEASE NOTE                          * 
*    The deadline for the March issue of the Bow & Stern     *
*    will be Feb. 15, 1988. If the meeting occurs earlier    *
*     than usual the deadline will have to be adjusted.      *
*                                                            *
*             Contributions should be sent to:               *
*                      Margaret McIntosh                     *
*                       RRII, Box SV-14                      *
*                  Jeffersonville, Vt 05464                  *
*                                                            *
**************************************************************

On August 29 & 30th a rescue workshop will be conducted on the Androscoggin River in New Hampshire. It will be put together primarily by Ray Gonda and Anne Chetham-Strode and will contain elements similar to last summers workshop on the same river (see description last issue Bow & Stern) as well as extracting boats from pin & broach situations and whatever else we feel is desirable. This year it will be offered under the "auspices" of the Safety and Education committee which will give it some additional degree of club officiality. Come join the fun!

Ray Gonda

NOTES:

1. TRIPS SUCH AS THE DEAD WHICH REQUIRE PRIOR ARRANGEMENTS REQUIRE ADVANCED NOTICE TO TRIP LEADERS (2 WEEKS).
2. OTHER TRIPS WHICH ARE A LONG DISTANCE (GREATER THAN 3 HOURS), A WEEKS NOTICE TO TRIP LEADERS SHOULD BE MADE.

1. SOLO OPEN BOAT CLINIC - TALK TO ANNE CHETHAM-STRODE, 434-2599.
2. NORTH CAROLINA FALL PADDLING? TALK TO SHERI LARSEN, 878-6828.
3. TRIP TO ESOPUS IN SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER TALK TO AL ROBERTS, 899-4129, OR RICK DAVIS, 434-2599.
4. FIRST AID CLASSES - TALK TO ANNE CHETHAM-STRODE, 434-2599.

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