WHITEWATER ANDRAGOGY

 

       Definition of whitewater: frothy water (as in breakers, rapids, or falls)
       Definition of andragogy: the art or science of teaching adults

One of my all-time favorite westerns is Lonesome Dove. Written by Larry McMurtry and later adapted into a TV miniseries starring Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duvall, it's the classic tale of two retired Texas Rangers leading an epic cattle-drive to Montana. In the opening scenes, the stoic Captain Call played by Jones is seen trying to saddle a spirited dapple-gray mare they have nicknamed the Hell Bitch. It's not going well for Call as the horse tosses off the saddle and kicks him away.
Gus played by Duvall watches on with amusement as Call dusted himself off and walks angrily toward him and the corral fence. In their conversation, Gus utters a line that stuck with me over the years.
"Look who's talking. When did you change last?" he questions Call, "Still breaking horses when there's plenty of gentle ones."
Call refuses to budge commenting on the strength, intelligence, and the beauty of the animal despite its bad temper and willful ways.

For some reason, I thought about that scene as the pace of the river I was kayaking began to accelerate. I was approaching the succession of its oncoming rapids, where the rocks and water collided into a relentless storm of white fury. Frightening and exhilarating all at the same time, it's foaming and churning wild water that showed every sign of being untamable.
In the brief moments, before my anxiety yields to the rush adrenaline, I couldn't help but wonder why a man of my sensibilities is still trying to learn to paddle whitewater rivers when "there plenty of gentle ones" in this world.

"Do hear that?" Kim Sprague asked me as we listen to the low rumble of the rapids in the distance. For many, the sound of running water can be soothing. Who doesn't love the sound of a babbling brook or lake waves lapping along the shore? But that's not whitewater. Rapids roar. Rapids thunder. Rapids boom.
"Those who don't, can't hear the music." he declared.

Kim Sprague

I've known Kim, ever since joining the team of Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips. He is a few years older than me with a grey beard, weather face, and long hair that makes him look like a retired rock star on the way to a Grateful Dead reunion. A likable nomadic soul, he has doled out an exorbitant and comprehensive paddling education to me over the years. But it's not just to me. He shares his passion and his elan with everyone he meets on the water.

We were just downstream from where gold was first discovered in California on the South Fork of the American River. During the spring and summer, the Northern California river is a playground for whitewater kayakers and rafters seeking a rush of excitement. The first 5 miles from the Chili Bar access is brimming full of Class III rapids with intimidating names like Meat-grinder and Trouble Maker. The Marshall Gold Discovery Historical State Park access to the Greenwood Creek is the so-called easy section through the valley consisting of several Class II rapids including a popular surf spot named Barking Dog.
Descending at 33-feet per mile toward Folsom Lake "The Gorge" features the river's most challenging series of Class III rapids and is the last section of the river.
That section will have to wait for another day when my skills are hopefully more advanced. We decided on the alleged easy course for this lesson.

"We call this rapid Fuzzy Bunny," smiled Kim as we looked downstream scouting the rapid from our boats. He had already led me through a routine of paddling fundamentals in eddy turns and edge control most of the day. He had his work cut out himself, as he tries to break me of years bad habits. A paddling coach through and through, Kim preaches an effective and efficient stroke.
"Look where you want to go. Maintain your momentum and really drive your boat when crossing the eddy line," he instructed, "And no back paddling!"
He continued to remind me and reassure me throughout our time on the river that paddling whitewater can only be developed with time spent on the water.

Out on the river, I followed behind in a swift water version of Simon Says by attempting to mirror every one of Kim's movements. When he went to river right, I went to river right. When he edged to the left, I edged to left.
It's not just bombs away with Kim. He wanted me to catch and work every eddy along the river.
Catching eddies is an invaluable skill in whitewater paddling. In practice, it allows one to break down complex rapids into smaller chunks, but by doing so, paddlers evolve into better paddlers with even better boat control. Of course, for a newbie like me executing these moves can lead to an unplanned swim and rescue. Kim patiently takes it all in stride.
"We've all been there," he explained, "If you're not swimming. You're not working,"

Kayaking is a mental activity as much as it is physical. The hardest thing to learn is to stay calm, focused, and aware while on the water. I did my best to keep up, but like a lost tourist not knowing the streets and paddling tentatively, I missed a few eddies. To slow the motion of the kayak, I instinctively use my bad technique and pushed my paddle in the water as a brake as I moved past Kim safe in the eddy. He slapped the water with his paddle blade in rebuke. "Don't back paddle," he pleaded.

Barking Dog is a growling billowing white wave of water that comes in view moments after the river turns northward. A popular spot, river surfers, and playboater are lined up along the shore like kids in amusement park ready to ride the roller coaster. With technical skill, riding the wave gives them the sensation of flying as the river is hurtling below. Held in place by the steepness of the wave the paddlers will skip, veer, and flip down the front of it.
This dog does have a bite, however. While there is a large recovery eddy to left, there is is a powerful back eddy on the right just below the rapid. Churning like an out of control washing machine the water spins forcefully back upstream into a clump of trees that will only add to a paddler's misery. Just like in auto racing, the equivalency of crossing this eddy line is like hitting the wall at Daytona.
"T-Bone the wave," Kim commanded, "Hit it head-on. Keep it straight and stay to the left. If you turn sideways you'll roll!"

There is an electric moment of suspense as I approached and committed to running this plunging trough and its foaming crest. Following Kim, I dropped into the vortex. Suddenly, I was not just in it but I was a part of it. Like a thrill ride at Disneyland, the kayak was shoved down and just as quickly lifted up and hurled forward, only to be driven down again. I lost sight of everything except the bow of the boat as I'm doused with the wave's spray again and again. I scraped against the river rights eddy line swirls and all I could think of in my full-on survival mode is to keep my balance and just paddle aggressively as I can until the water smoothed out around me.

Looking back at the giant wave, I had a sense of euphoric triumph and as well as a bit of relief as I paddled back to join Kim in the foam-laced eddy below the rapids. As famed canoe guru, Sigurd Olson wrote, "In the grip of the river, a man knows what detachment means; knows that, having entered the maelstrom, he is at its mercy until it has spent its strength. When through skill or luck he has gone through the snags, the reaching rocks, and the lunging billows, he needs no other accolade but the joy that he has known."

There were some more trips through challenging rapids along the way to Greenwood Creek. An obstacle course rock garden at Highway Rapids and the exhilarating high mounting waves of Swimmer's Rapids to end the session at the take out.

Like every good instructor, Kim offered praise of success at the end of the day. He added a list of things to work on (don't back paddle) and think about it for next time. But, that will be another day. Tired and feeling a bit beat-up, I picked my boat up and followed behind him on a hike to the parking lot.
Looking back over my shoulder, I caught one last glimpse of the river and its easy flow. At that moment, the scene from Lonesome Dove about the bad tempered pony flashed across my mind.
"I never seen a more intelligent filly," says Call. "Look how she's watching."
"She ain't watching you, cause she loves you," retorts Gus.

Yes indeed, there are plenty of gentle rivers out there to explore, ride and meander. Some of my best days have been spent aimlessly floating along in a placid waterway. But rapids unleash something wild in me. Beyond no doubt with tales of epic swims, lost boats, and even lost lives, whitewater paddling does offer some tough love. But, I want to know and understand its untamed spirit despite its dangers unpredictability. Its thundering rush does certainly does call to me.
Do you hear it? As Kim says, Those who don't, can't hear the music.

You want to go?

Contact: Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips 
PHONE: 530-333-9115 or Toll-Free: 888-452-9254
FAX: 530-333-1291
USPS: Current Adventures, P.O. Box 828, Lotus, CA 95651
info@currentadventures.com
owner Dan Crandall dan@kayaking.com

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LEARN TO KAYAK: FEEL THE FLOW

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.  --- C. S. Lewis

It's the first and most common question I get from every excited, but nervous first-time kayak newcomer, usually as they are filling out the release form in the parking lot.

"We're not going to go upside down are we?"

"We'll try not to make that happen," I will reassure them, "Our boats are pretty stable."

But then I'll pause and issue caution, "I'm not going to guarantee it can't happen. If it does we'll get you right back in the boat. But, I think you'll be alright."

Kayaking is an intimate relationship with water. You can feel pretty vulnerable sitting in your boat, with only a few millimeters of rotomolded polyethylene keeping you dry and protected. Everyone who sits in a kayak for the first time, feel they're at the mercy of the water. The biggest challenge for most beginners is just getting used to the kayak during the first few minutes they’re inside of it. They've all seen the extreme videos of some kayaker blasting down some Class V waterfall and rolling in its foam only to pop up on the other side. For some, that is their thinking of what kayaking is all about.

"I’ve always been an “outdoorsy” person, and at one time I thought that I would be a forest ranger. I used to canoe when I was young and always looked forward to doing outdoor adventures when I had the time…and now I do!" said the first-time student, Joyce Molthen, "However, I was a little more nervous than I thought that I would be. But I was immediately put at ease through the guidance and humor of our instructor."

Offering the more peaceful perspective of gentle waters while experiencing the wonders of nature, our Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips class
reminds them by staying stay calm, relaxed with the flow the water and have fun. Fellow instructor Kim Sprague told the group, "We just love paddling and hope everyone else will love as much as we do."
It's our goal as instructors to take away any fear and instead instill confidence.

Emphasizing basic kayaking techniques and water safety, our groups receive dry land instruction before hitting the water. The eager newbies are shown parts of a kayak, parts of the paddle and a demonstration of the different strokes that can be used on the water. Again, with water safety being the most important part about kayaking experience, all paddlers are outfitted with PFD's.

Lakes are a great place to learn to kayak. In the comfort of Sacramento area's Lake Natoma, our paddling rookies push away from the shore and test their newfound skills of paddling. Boats steer from the rear we remind them as they bump into each other in the lagoon of the lake. I still find it amazing that after just a little practice of front and back strokes and turns that they are paddling almost like pros.

After we paddle across the lake the fun begins. We lead the group into the backwater of the lake. They find when quietly paddling along the narrow and winding channels of the slough, they get to see wildlife up close and personal in a way not possible from shore. Beaver and rivers otters can be seen peeking their heads just above the surface of the water, while turtles sun themselves on the logs before plopping into the water when we get to close. The wetlands also harbor many species of birds including a convocation of American bald eagles nesting along the high bluffs of the lake. For our student paddlers, there is a sense of stillness and solitude reminiscent of the peace found in remote natural areas.

"I’ve always enjoyed the quiet moments of life, and I can’t think of a better way to spend my day," said Molthen, "The complete serenity of the kayaking experience and enjoying nature in the midst of a large city is a dream come true for me."

On the way back the students are now relaxed and having fun.  Their paddling skills have dramatically improved since first getting into the kayak as they cruise back to the beach. And while they are a little worn out from the water workout, the experience has also sparked a new enthusiasm for kayaking.
"By the end of the 3-hour class, after we learned the basics," said Molthen, "I was confident in my basic skills, so much so that I wanted to go right out and buy a kayak and go to the lake every day. I’ve already signed up for another class."

But the best quote comes from another student, I overhear while I'm loading the boats back on to the trailer, "I thought I was going to drown today, but it was easier than I thought."

What to go... Current Adventures Kayaking School & Trips offers an array of kayaking classes for adults in the Sacramento area. Learn to Kayak- Discover Kayak Touring is designed as the first step in learning to paddle touring and sea kayaks. Learn about proper equipment selection and basic paddling safety and techniques.

Adventure and exploration are not just for kids. Discover why kayaking is the new activity of choice for baby boomers and beyond in the popular Learn to Kayak for Boomers 50+. Kayaking is great for fitness and easy on the body on a stress-free outing that will rekindle your youthful enthusiasm for many years to come.

2016 IN REVIEW: PICTURES OF THE YEAR

San Francisco Bay with Bayside Adventure Sports

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. -- Albert Schweitzer

I have to admit when it comes to kayaking, I could be classified more as a fanatic than just plain enthusiast. I think about paddling all the time day and night. I dream about my next trip on the river and visualize my last trip to the lake. I consider a day that I don't get out on to the water as almost a day lost.

Professional paddler and filmmaker Rush Sturges wrote on Facebook, "I go to sleep thinking about this river and I wake up excited to paddle it.  People ask me if I ever get bored?  And I never do at these levels. This is the first section of the Little White we call "Gettin Busy" at 4 feet today. It's fast, technical, and steep. But when you're in control of the flow, there's nothing better."

On Lake Tahoe with Cole Carlson

Lake Natoma with Taylor Carlson

I can picture myself in the same way. Anytime I cross any river bridge I look down wishing I was there.  Like Sturges pointed out, there is nothing better than being on the water. So as 2016 draws to a close,  I look back at some of my favorite places and people I had the good fortune of kayaking with this past year. My two sons who both came out to California for a visit this past summer. It was thrilling to take Cole on his first trip down the South Fork of the American River and both got to on an overnight trip to Lake Tahoe. Father and son camp-outs are always special no matter how old they are.

Any day on the water on with Dan Crandall, Kim Sprague, John Weed and the rest the gang at Current Adventures Kayaking School and Trips and The River Store, is always a great day. If it was just a job to them they would have quit it a longtime ago. But, it is their passion for kayaking that flows through them like an untamed river. They are deep in experience and share their thirst of paddling with first-timers and veterans with assurance, confidence and conviction. After paddling with them, you only have one question. When can we go again?

The Lower American River with Current Adventures.

And only to go again and again with Erik Allen, Brian Hughes and members of Bayside Adventure Sports. God created the Earth to RIDE IT. CLIMB IT. CATCH IT. EXPLORE IT. PROTECT IT. I'm hoping for some more trips like the one to Angel Island along with many day trips to some area lakes and rivers.

But mostly I couldn't do any of kayaking without the support and encouragement from my wife Debbie. Always up for an adventure, she shares my same passion of being outside whether on the water, snow or trail.

Lake Jenkinson with Debbie Carlson

In Chasing Niagara,  a film directed by Sturges and produced by Red Bull that focused on Rafa Ortiz’s journey of being the first person ever to go over Niagara Falls in a kayak, Oritz offers this lesson. “I don’t really believe in regretting things, you know?” said Rafa Ortiz. “I believe in that anything that has happened in my life is for a reason and you know there is definitely things that have happened in my life that I would, you know, if I could I would think that I want to change but I think that anything that happens is for a reason and it just makes me who I am.”

Like Oritz, these experiences made me who I am. So as the year comes to a close, I look forward even more adventures on the water, in the years to come and wish you all the same.

The Lower American River with Bayside Adventure Sports

Eppies training on Lake Natoma

Eppies training

Kids Class with Current Adventures

Eppies Race Day

Barking Dog Rapid

The Rainbow Bridge

Lake Valley Reservoir

Loon Lake

Loon Lake with Current Adveentures

The Shoe Tree on the Lower American River

Sunset on Lake Natoma

CROWDED WATERS

It's not like crossing the street. Out of the safety of Horseshoe Bay, some of the wildest sea conditions on the entire West Coast can be found.  San Francisco Bay is known for steep waves, fast and swirling currents and howling winds blowing through the Golden Gate. Adding to the chaos are the pleasure crafts, ferries and ocean-going vessels competing for the same waterway. Area guides and kayakers familiar with these water make it clear. You can't out run or beat the fast-moving ferries crossing their traffic lanes and caution should always be exercised.

"When I'm on the bay since I'm the slowest and smallest thing out there," said California paddler Mike Rumsey,  "I always trying to keep my head on a swivel and aware of my surroundings ."

"It's true that we share the waterways with all vessels," added California-based sea kayaker Kathi Morrison, "But believe it or not kayaks sit on the bottom of the right of way chain. We are no match for tankers, ferries, commercial vessels or something with a motor or sail. We must paddle responsibly and defensively understanding that vessels cannot see you or react quick enough to avoid consequence."

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Glare from the sun is being a possible reason for this week's accident involving a group of kayakers and a ferry on the Hudson River near Midtown Manhattan. Police say the New York Waterway ferry was leaving Pier 79 at 39th Street just before 6 p.m. when it struck 10 kayakers, sending multiple paddlers into the water. Five people were hurt, including one employee of the Manhattan Kayak Company who suffered a severe arm injury.
"He was lying on top of the kayak and there was this pool of blood and we knew that we had to go over there and assisted him priority," told Harbor Unit police officer Tommy Le to NY 1 News. 

An other paddler suffered a serious head injury, while the guide had a punctured lung and a broken rib, while others were hurt with minor injuries to the shoulders and back.

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

“It is a minor miracle that it hasn’t happened to some other kayaker or boater or jet-skier before,” Eric Stiller, owner of Manhattan Kayak Co., the group that led the kayakers who were injured., told the Wall Street Journal, “I tell people out here, we don’t have great white sharks. I’ve got something bigger and faster than great white sharks. Out here, we’ve got ferries,”

A preliminary investigation determined the captain of a NY Waterway ferry, backing up from Pier 79,  “was unable to see the kayakers behind him” before striking them, New York Police Department Chief of Patrol Carlos Gomez told the Wall Street Journal.
 “Apparently sun glare was a factor,” Chief Gomez said. “It sets, as you know, west, and he was looking behind him and the sun kind of blocked his vision or impaired it.”

The accident highlights the risks for recreational and commercial watercraft when they share the  increasingly crowded waterways. "When you have that mix you run the danger of collision between recreational and commercial mariners,” Andrew Coggins, a retired U.S. Navy commander and professor at Pace University who studies the cruise industry told the Wall Street Journal, "The collision, clearly illustrates the dangers involved in mixing commercial and recreational shipping. Commercial ships don’t always see recreational shipping and recreational shipping doesn’t always stand clear of commercial shipping.”

According to their news release, California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW) anticipates an increased number of recreational boaters on waterways during the upcoming Labor Day weekend and reminding boaters to following simple navigation rules can greatly decrease the chances of being involved in an accident. In 2015, 503 boating accidents, 232 injuries and 49 fatalities were reported to DBW on the state's waterways.

“Just like highway rules, navigation rules tell boat operators about right of way, signaling to other boats and how to avoid collisions on the water,” said DBW’s Deputy Director Lynn Sadler. “Not only must boat operators keep a sharp lookout for fast moving vessels, submerged hazards or swimmers and paddle craft, they must know navigation rules in order to quickly and safely respond to changing conditions.”

Those who lead recreational kayaks and stand up paddle boards tours,  should remind their clients they need to be vigilant when on the water.  They also should follow safe practices, including such common-sense measures as being aware of nearby vessels, staying clear of ships and avoiding designated commercial routes.

“Whoever is in the right or in the wrong, you’re the one who is going to get hurt,” said David Matten, of Long Island City Community Boathouse, which leads recreational kayak tours on the East River in the Wall Street Journal, “You have to stay away from the ferry. It’s incumbent upon us to pay attention, where they are and where they are going.”

"Assume no one can see you and give ship traffic a wide berth," agreed Rumsey, "Know were the ferry and shipping channels are. Even around the docks is like crossing the street stop look and don't play around moving boats."

"It's easy for a large group to cross the ferry path when the ferry is at the dock," points out California kayak instructor, Byrant Burkhardt,  "Actually a good idea, not knowing when it will launch but expecting the pilot would see them before taking off. The general rule when a large group crosses traffic is to stay close together to be more visible."

"Know the ferry schedule as it's easy to get displaced by their engines," added Morrison, "Stay in a close group, wear bright clothes and know that you cannot out run other vessels. Turn on your VHF radio to channel 16 monitoring all the ships."

Far off from any ferries or large boat traffic on Lake Natoma, near Sacramento, it was only crowded with small sailboats, paddle boards and dotted with kayaks. On the beach, surrounded by kayaking students Current Adventures Kayak School and Trips instructor Kim Sprague gives the last of his pre-paddle instructions before hitting the water. He hits one of the kayaks hard with his hand exclaiming that these boats are tough. You can crash into each other and they won't break. From the back a female student raises her hand and asks what about the bigger boats?

"I just always yield to the bigger vessel,"said Sprague.  Good advice when navigating congested waters.

THE WATER GENE

We are never far from the lilt and swirl of living water. Whether to fish or swim or paddle, of only to stand and gaze, to glance as we cross a bridge, all of us are drawn to rivers, all of us happily submit to their spell. We need their familiar mystery. We need their fluent lives interflowing with our own. ---John Daniel  

"Will I really need this?" Cole asked me.
I looked down at the fast flowing  South Fork of the American River,  our kayaks and then to one of my two crumpled up wetsuits I was handing him. The full neoprene wetsuit would be warm on that day, however, the water was even colder.
"It's pretty cold, " I said, "That water was snow a few weeks ago."

That is how I offer fatherly like advice. Usually by stating the obvious.  El Nino had provided moisture for a great spring runoff quenching the thirst of Northern California's dry rivers. However, my youngest son Cole didn't know that. This was his first trip down the South Fork. I promised Cole since moving here,  I would take him whitewater kayaking to coax him to come for a visit. He had experienced some whitewater back in Minnesota and Wisconsin, but he had never paddled anything like the South Fork before. It would take a learning curve.
He also hadn't paddled in over three years. That's not to say he hasn't been on the water most of the time. He was on leave from the U.S. NAVY and just back from a deployment. I joked with that he needed a bumper sticker saying "My Other Boat is the USS Arlington."

As I watched him roll into his west suit, all my memories of paddling and trips with him flooded into the back of mind. It wasn't so long ago I was taking him on his first canoe ride on Lake Trowbridge and camping trip to Lake Bemidji State Park. In those days, I was sure he would always be eight-years-old and hoping he would inherent my same love of paddling.

"This is why I am teaching you to kayak rivers," wrote Canoe & Kayak Magazine contributing editor Christian Knight in a 2014  Father's Day letter to his daughter, " The river will be the objective disciplinarian I can never force myself to be. It’ll reward you with euphoria when you do well and punish you when you don’t."
"I realize, of course, you are only 8-years-old now." he continued in his letter,  "I haven’t even taught you how to Duffek or how to roll. I’m still sheltering you from eddy lines that stretch and yawn into miniature whirlpools. I still clutch your cockpit through rapids that are whiter than they are green. If somehow, you do flip, I’ll pray you’ll have the composure to remember the steps I have instructed you to repeat back to me before sliding into every river we’ve paddled together."

Everyone knows that blood is thicker than water. But, when they're mixed together with an enthusiasm and determination to kayak or canoe, it becomes an overpowering energy, consuming of one's genetic makeup. It's the natural and instinctive need to be on the water, or as  fellow paddler, Kim Sprague calls it "The Water Gene." And when passed down to one's children, they will have an ingrained deep-rooted essential need to seek out rivers, lakes, and oceans. Hence: They were born to paddle.

When Cole and I slid into the South Fork we were paddling together for the first time in three years. The river carried us away swiftly through a line of standing waves.  He lights up smiling and says to me "This is fun!"
His "Water Gene" ancestry had kicked in with each dip of his paddle. I have no idea where I got mine. My dad wasn't a boater, but he took our family swimming every summer in Nebraska lakes and made sure I took part in school and church canoe trips. My dad would marvel then on how I could single handily turn the 17-foot Grumman aluminum canoe past the bridge abutment and back through the eddie line and right up to the landing. He might not have paddled, but at least he helped get me to the water's edge.

"My Dad showed me the importance of finding my own serenity." wrote Wet Planet Whitewater's   Courtney Zink, in a tribute to her father,  "His love for water stems from that, and from spending that time with him in canoes on calm lakes, rowing through rapids, and fishing from river banks, he introduced me to that connection as well. That has brought me back to the Northwest as an adult, to stand on the banks of the Washington whitewater and find a sense of peace and balance in the chaos of the river."

In running the popular surfing wave area paddlers know as Barking Dog,  I told him to wait upstream while I cruised down along the side of it so I could get some video and pictures. Now I'm sure many have gone through "The Dog" backward before both planned and unplanned. But, probably not on their first time through it. Cole paddled down after my signal and positioned himself looking upstream on the edge of the wave paddling with all of his might to stay there, before rolling back into the rapid. I held my breath and thought he hasn't paddle for a long time as he disappeared underwater. A moment, to my relief he rolls upright.  He has the water gene alright.
"I kind of hurt my shoulder when I rolled back." he later told me, "That's why I couldn't get right away. The second or third time I got back up."

I was proud like all dads would be. It was just like he'd scored the winning run or came in first in the race by handling that wave so well. A little family honor was upheld. The current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau knows about that family “rite of passage”.  When you grow up in Canada you need to know how to canoe early, especially if your father Pierre Elliott Trudeau. The elder Trudeau was Canada 15th prime minister and had a passion for paddling in the Canadian wilderness.

"Maybe my most indelible canoe memory from that cottage was one of the rites of passage for the Trudeau boys," the younger Trudeau recalled in an essay in Cottage Life magazine,  When we hit five or six years old, our dad would put us into the canoe and we’d shoot the rapids on the stream that went down into Meech Lake. There’s a little dam there, and in the spring they’d open the dam, and there would be a huge V and a standing wave. With much trepidation, we’d sit in the front and go down the drop. I look back on it now and laugh because my father was sterning, and there was nothing I could do from the bow to aim it right—but it was very, very important for us to do it. To get into the bow of a canoe with my father for the first time, to be the bowman for the first time, and to go down this big, scary rapid."

High flows mean high times on the South Fork of the American River. We followed each other along trading off the lead back and forth the rest of the way through the bouncy waves and churning rapids.  It was a treat to paddle with him after such long time. Every day in Father's Day when I get to paddle with him and see him challenging the currents and lines of the river. He is my paddling legacy flowing from my water gene pool.

We had just finished the run to add to our memories, when Cole said, "I'm sure glad you brought those wet-suits. That water was cold." Once again I stated the obvious. "Well, it's my job to take care of you"