“It is all very beautiful and magical here—a quality which cannot be described. You have to live it and breathe it, let the sun bake it into you. The skies and land are so enormous, and the detail so precise and exquisite that wherever you are you are isolated in a glowing world between the macro and the micro, where everything is sidewise under you and over you, and the clocks stopped long ago.” – Ansel Adams
Folsom Lake rises and falls with the seasons. At its fullest in early part summer, the lake features some 10,000 surface acres of water and has 75 miles of shoreline. While during the winter the lake level drops to a thirsty and parched skeleton of its former self.
As part of the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area, the reservoir and Folsom Dam is a large watery expanse that extends about 15 miles up the North Fork of the American River, and about 10 1/2 miles up the South Fork of the American River located about 25 miles east of Sacramento, California. As a multipurpose waterway, the reservoir supplies much of the area's water supply while the dam operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation provides both flood protection and hydropower. For outdoor enthusiasts, it's a recreational destination for water-related sports as well as biking and hiking along its rugged oak-lined shores.
Most paddlers will forgo summer weekends on the lake escaping the speed boat and jet ski crowd that usually creates an ocean of waves. Late fall and early spring provide the best conditions for paddling.
It was on a late fall day a few seasons back that I made this trek to the lake near Dotons Point. A forest fire raging nearby had smothered the lake with a layer of smoke, while the low lake levels had left behind a dried stark and wondrous moonscape. The roads and paths to the water were blocked with large sharp rocks or gooey mud. The best solution was to find a level spot to park and carry the boat across the barren lakeshore to the water below.
Over the Bow is a feature from Outside Adventure to the Max, telling the story behind the image. If you have a great picture with a great story, we would love to see it. Submit it to us at nickayak@gmail.com
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Our friends at NRS and American Rivers are committed to cultivating common ground among diverse communities and making outdoor recreation welcoming and accessible to all.
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White House on the Potomac, 1836-37 White House Collection/The White House Historical Association
"Life is a great adventure…accept it in such a spirit. --Theodore Roosevelt
In the spirit of President’s Day, we salute those who have answered the call to higher office in service to our nation as President of the United States. From the high to lows, these men have shaped our country's history and standing around the free world. As Abraham Lincoln said, ”The Presidency, even to the most experienced politicians, is no bed of roses; and General Taylor like others, found thorns within it. No human being can fill that station and escape censure." But for some presidents, the river called and kept calling, offering adventure and liberation from the burden of our highest office.
In the early days of our fledgling nation, our country's rivers were natural highways allowing for westward expansion and transporting raw materials such as lumber, fur, food, and other supplies. Our early canoeing presidents identified with this need to explore our seemly less endless waterways.
Thomas Jefferson called the Ohio River the most beautiful river on earth. "Its current gentle," he went on, "Waters clear, and bosom smooth and unbroken by rocks and rapids, a single instance only excepted."
As river traffic began to decline by the 1870s, thanks to trains, a coinciding interest in nature emerged producing a new recreational activity called tourism. Affluent citizens and presidents were now flocking to scenic lake and river locations for fishing, canoeing, boating, for rest and relaxation.
Wisconsin's Brule River is often called the River of Presidents because five United States Presidents have visited and to fish the north woods river, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and Dwight Eisenhower.
Modern-day presidents dedicated themselves to environmental awareness and pledging to keep rivers running wild. It was President Lyndon Johnson who advocating for the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act in the 1960s who said, "The time has also come to identify and preserve free-flowing stretches of our great scenic rivers before growth and development make the beauty of the unspoiled waterway a memory.”
For many presidents, the call of the river poured into in their souls, making them who they were and guiding them on their path as president.
Here are 6 paddling presidents and their exploits on the water before, after and even during their presidency.
Daniel Huntington 1816-1906
George Washington 1789 to 1797 While our first president is mostly remembered for crossing ice-obstructed Delaware River on Christmas 1776 and leading a surprise attack on the Hessians during the American Revolutionary War, his days on the icy water didn't start there. In October 1753, Washington volunteered to lead a special envoy to make peace with the Iroquois Confederacy but more importantly tell that the French forces vacate territory claimed the British, after hearing their plans to establish forts along the Ohio River.
Traveling with the Ohio Company’s representative Christopher Gist on horseback, foot, and canoe across the Appalachians all the way to Ohio River and then up almost to the shores of Lake Erie Washington had various meetings with the Indian Chiefs of the area.
After delivering their message to the French, who said thanks but no thanks, the two found themselves double-crossed by their guide and on the run from hostile from Indians in the middle of winter.
Upon reaching the Allegheny River, they fashion a raft together in an attempt to cross it.
"I put out my setting pole to try to stop the raft, that the ice might pass us by," wrote Washington in his journal, "When the rapidity of the stream threw it with so much violence against the pole that it jerked me out into ten feet water, but I, fortunately, saved myself by catching hold of one of the raft logs; notwithstanding all our efforts we could not get the raft to either shore, but were obliged, as we were near an island, to quit our raft and make to it."
Wet, numb and exhausted they spent a miserable night on the island unable to make a fire. In the morning, luckily they had found the river was totally frozen so they were able to walk to the shore and continue on to Virginia and on to becoming the first president of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson 1801 to 1809 Though there little if anything was written about Jefferson ever paddling in a canoe, there is one thing we know for sure. He was obsessed with the rivers of the interior of what would later become the United States. In sending Lewis & Clark on perhaps the greatest paddling expedition he wrote,
"The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri river, & such principal stream of it, as, by it’s course & communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean, may offer the most direct & practicable water communication across this continent, for the purposes of commerce."
With a river and canoe trails named in his honor, it would be hard to leave him out of our group of river presidents.
Thomas Hart Benton 1889-1975
Abraham Lincoln 1861-1865 One of our first backwood presidents, Lincoln with a gift of storytelling and doling out homespun advice such as "It is not best to swap horses while crossing the river."
Yet unlike Henry David Thoreau and John Muir, Lincoln was not a naturalist and thought of waterways as something tamed and advocated improving and clearing the rivers to accommodate large boats for commerce. In 1849 he even filed a patent application for a boat buoying system to raise boats in shallow water.
Undoubtedly Lincoln had a deep appreciation for Illinois' Sangamon River. He was looking for a bit of adventure when the 21-year-old Lincoln and his cousin paddled away from the homestead in a newly purchased canoe in spring 1831. He didn't get far before being hired on to a crew building a Mississippi style flatboat at a river encampment near Sangamo Town. When built he and others would transport cargo and goods all the way down to New Orleans.
Every bit a riverman, the young Lincoln was described by one of the locals as "the rawest, most primitive-looking specimen of humanity I ever saw. Tall, bony, and as homely as he has ever been pictured.”
During construction of the boat, a tale is told how young Lincoln rescued two co-workers from the icy waters after they capsized their canoe and were swept downriver cling to an overhanging tree. Lincoln tied a long rope to a log and drop it into the current. As were others holding the rope, he jumped aboard the floating plank wrapping his legs around the log and drifted it towards the tree and men. Once the men were able to grab on to the log, he singled the others to pull them back like a fish on a hook.
That dramatic log rescue made Lincoln a bit hero along the river. But as he would later say, “It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong.”
What more could you expect from the president who went on to save the union?
Illustration from August 1886
Grover Cleveland, the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, 1885–1889 and 1893–1897 Fast-forwarding to the late 19th century, many of our rivers, streams, and lakes were much like they are now, were places for vacations while escaping the burden of the office. Looking at Grover Cleveland you wouldn’t think of him as an outdoorsman, but, he was an avid camper, hunter and but mostly a fisherman. As a matter of fact, he was such a passionate angler that the press often accused him of spending too much time on the water and not enough time at the White House.
He defended himself and the honor of all fishermen accused of being lazy in the Saturday Evening Post when he wrote, "What sense is there in the charge of laziness sometimes made against true fishermen? Laziness has no place in the constitution of a man who starts at sunrise and tramps all day with only a sandwich to eat, floundering through bushes and briers and stumbling over rocks or wading streams in pursuit of elusive trout. Neither can a fisherman who, with rod in hand, sits in a boat or on a bank all day be called lazy—provided he attends to his fishing and is physically and mentally alert at his occupation.”
Cleveland also published a book in 1901, called Fishing and Shooting Sketches, displaying his humor and love of the outdoors. He would write, "In these sad and ominous days of mad fortune chasing, every patriotic, thoughtful citizen, whether he fishes or not, should lament that we have not among our countrymen more fishermen." Theodore Roosevelt 1901 to 1909 He would be arguably our most adventuresome president. A cowboy, a soldier. a big game hunter and a river explorer, Roosevelt lived what he preached the “strenuous life.”
Library of Congress
"The man who does not shrink from danger," wrote Roosevelt, "From hardship, or from bitter toil, and who out of these wins the splendid ultimate triumph.”
A fierce naturalist and warrior for wildlife and wild places he left an enduring legacy through policy and legislation still felt today. As president, he designated five national parks and created programs that would protect 230 million acres of land.
"All life in the wilderness is so pleasant that the temptation is to consider each particular variety, while one is enjoying it, as better than any other," he said "A canoe trip through the great forests, a trip with a pack-train among the mountains, a trip on snow-shoes through the silent, mysterious fairy-land of the woods in winter--each has its peculiar charm."
After losing the 1912 election to Woodrow Wilson, Roosevelt accepted an opportunity to explore an uncharted tributary of the Amazon: the mysterious Rio da Dúvida, or River of Doubt. Despite little experience with the South American jungle, the burly 55-year-old ex-president called it his “last chance to be a boy,”
Traveling along the winding jungle waterway, the expedition was plagued by tropical illnesses, lack of supplies, alligators, piranhas, venomous snakes, and hostile native tribes, but mostly miles of tortuous rapids.
Roosevelt's crew were forced to either portage their boats on their backs through the dense jungle or shoot the whitewater rapids in their canoes. On one such occasion, one crewman drowns after attempting to run a waterfall.
Injured and sick Roosevelt finished the two-month river odyssey more dead than alive and never quite recovered. He died in his sleep in 1919 at the age of 60, but by then, the river of Doubt had a new name. It's now called the Roosevelt River.
Wisconsin Historical Society
Calvin Coolidge 1923 to 1929Silent Cal as they called him, loved the quiet tranquility of the water. In the summer of 1928, he escaped to Wisconsin's Brule River where he called the Cedar Island Lodge his "Summer White House."
Accompanied by his Indian guide, John LaRock, he could while away the hours fishing from his canoe which he appley named "Beaver Dick." It was a much more innocent time back then, so you'll have to take our word for it and not Google search this, but it was said he named it after the legendary mountain man Richard “Beaver Dick” Leigh who lived in the Tetons and Yellowstone area in the 1860s.
For Coolidge who had decided not to run for re-election as president and the canoeing and fishing seemed to take over his time that summer.
“These are true outdoor sports in the highest sense," said Coolidge, "And must be pursued in a way that develops energy, perseverance, skill, and courage of the individual."
However, many denounced his passion for paddling and fishing while ignoring his presidential duties. The nearby Duluth Herald reported, “Paddling a canoe up the Brule river is more interesting to President Coolidge than the Democratic national convention which opened at Houston today. Attention to business routine and recreation are again on the schedule today, with the president more anxious to master the paddling of a canoe against the Brule rapids than in learning what is going on at the … convention.”
When he left later that summer, he told the people he hoped to return someday but never did. He died a few years later during the height of the Great Depression and the birch bark canoe the Beaver Dick floated away into history. Jimmy Carter 1977 to 1981 In 1974, the strumming and picking of Dueling Banjos were still reverberating through the hills along Georgia's Chattooga River when Carter and his paddling partner Claude Terry canoed its free-flowing whitewater that was the backdrop to the movie, Deliverance.
Having grown up along a small creek in rural Georgia, Carter came to appreciate the water, but it was his time on the Chattooga that gave rebirth to his passion for wild rivers.
"The Chattooga was the first time I ever risked my life, I would say, in going down a wild river," Carter said in the short film Wild President by NRS and American Rivers celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.
Courtesy of Doug Woodward and American Rivers
While governor of Georgia, Carter says he learned all he could about canoeing and kayaking from Terry, the co-founder of American Rivers and capped off the training by making the first tandem canoe descent over Bull Sluice Rapid, one of the river's prominent Class IV rapids.
"There is a religious experience in coming over top of a huge rapid and burying your bowman’s face down until you maybe can’t see him,” Terry recalled in the film about their adventurous canoe run.
"I think it gave me a sense of heroism in confronting the awe-inspiring power Chattooga," Carter would add.
That experience transformed his life and shape his political career, just as it did Teddy Roosevelt's. He became a staunch supporter of the environmental causes and protector of wild rivers. Shortly after the river run, Carter successfully pushed to designate 57 miles of the Chattooga as Wild & Scenic.
As president, his administration designated more than 40 new Wild and Scenic Rivers, protecting over 5,300 miles of what can be thought of as our National Parks for rivers.
“My motivation was trying to preserve the beauty of God’s world,” said Carter said in the film, “I think it’s very important for all Americans to take a stand, a positive stand, in protecting wild rivers. I hope that all Americans will join together with me and others who love the outdoors to protect this for our children and our grandchildren.”
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Water is the most perfect traveller because when it travels it becomes the path itself! --- Mehmet Murat ildan
I've always loved the sound the sight and sound of rushing water. The raw power of churning and boiling water through a constricted channel, pouring downward and beating away at anything in its path. Its foamy spray of fresh and rejuvenating cool mist and of course, its thunderous crescendo of rumbling and reverberation. As naturalist John Craighead maintained that the sound of distance rapids is a "primeval summons to primordial values." While Sigurd Olson suggests that running rapids will touch the wildness in your soul.
Yes, from the babble of the brook to the earthshaking crashing of whitewater the sight and sound fast-moving water has always called for me. Even back in the Midwest, where the sight of a quick-moving water gradient was a bit of novelty to me outside of Minnesota's North Shore. To see anything that even resembled a waterfall, I had to visit a dam site or wait for a thunderstorm to pour water through a culvert.
Photos by Deborah Ann Klenzman
So walking the Grover Hot Springs State Park Waterfall Trail with my wife Debbie, I was brimming with that same excitement with every step along the way. Located near Markleeville, California in the eastern Sierra, Hot Spring Falls is just one the highlights for the park known for its vista views of towering peaks, scenic meadow and a mineral pool fed by six hot springs.
It's roughly mile and a half hike to the falls over a trail that outside of few places where we had to do some minor rock climbing is not that difficult and good for hikers of all skills levels. The Burnside Lake Trail starts near the campground across portions of a newly created boardwalk with resting and viewing platforms through the sensitive meadow area. In other sections, the trail is reinforced with pack soil over crushed rock. We followed it all the way out of the park on to U.S. Forest Service land leading along Hot Springs Creek where the trail branched off to the falls.
Before long we heard the rumble of the first set of falls. Climbing over the rocks and boulders we climbed down from the trail to the first set of falls along the way to enjoy the spray of the cold icy waters after our hike on a hot summer day by kicking off our shoes and dipping our toes in the pools below the chilly shower.
The stream cascaded down through a series of rocky outcrops, giving the effect of it's many waterfalls rather than just one, We continued to follow the creek up to the next fall and tranquil pool before finding another, which proved to be by far the most awe-inspiring view of cascade of the the trail. It certainly made the hike's scratches and sore feet all seem worth it as we admired its sight.
Dropping vertically from its cradle of rock and trees, the falls poured over the ledge in a magnificent fashion. I tossed off my shoes once again to relish in the falls, to feel its cold damp rock, be deafen by its thunder and bathe in its spray.
As contemporary Turkish playwright, novelist and thinker Mehmet Murat Ildan wrote, "Waterfalls are exciting because they have power, they have rainbows, they have songs, and they have boldness and craziness!” I can only agree. They are truly one of creation most magical and breathtaking sceneries. Their power, roar, and brilliance in nature's tranquility will always beckon me to travel their waterfall trails.
Over the Bow is a feature from Outside Adventure to the Max, telling the story behind the image. If you have a great picture with a great story, we would love to see it. Submit it to us at nickayak@gmail.com
#JustAddWater
Wow! What a great way to end a trip to Loon Lake. Came home to have my fabulous prize from @nrsweb and @kleankanteen waiting at the door for being a lucky winner in the #JustAddWater contest. Thanks, guys!
How can you #JustAddWater to your summer adventures? Tell them in a post on Facebook or Instagram, include #JustAddWater and tag (@nrsweb) and you’re entered! They are awarding weekly winners all summer, plus one amazing grand prize including a full SUP package from us, and gear from Chaco, ENO, Klean Kanteen, Ruffwear, and Yakima Racks. Learn more at nrs.com/justaddwater
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Record-breaking flooding has submerged parts of the Midwest this past month. According to reports, the flooding along the Missouri River and its tributaries have caused at least $3 billion damage and forced thousands from their homes as floodwaters penetrated or flowed over several hundred miles of levees.
Though some of the floodwaters are receding, the forecast for significant spring rains and snow runoff continues to put flood fighters on alert.
“The flooding this year could be worse than anything we’ve seen in recent years, even worse than the historic floods of 1993 and 2011,” said Mary C. Erickson, deputy director of the National Weather Service, in a conference call with reporters. The major flooding this month in Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and elsewhere is “a preview of what we expect throughout the rest of the spring.”
Flood waters are very unpredictable. Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water.
Most people underestimate the force and power of water. A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It only takes a foot of rushing water to sweep away a small car, while 2-feet of rushing water can wash away most vehicles along with the road under it.
Last week, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission sent out a plea to urge the public to stay off of rivers affected by recent flooding. Those who wish to canoe or kayak should wait until water levels recede or plan a trip on water bodies that did not experience flooding.
Our best advice we can give when it comes to paddling in flood waters is: DON'T!
Why would you even consider boating in a river, creek or any other body of water is at or above flood stage? You are not only risking your life but the lives of search and rescue crews, not to mention the possibility of arrest and fines if law officials issue orders banning all nonofficial watercraft in the flooded areas.
NRS listed eight dangers in flood stage boating in their web page article entitled Riding the Flood, that should always be considered before paddling in inundate waters
Debris in the water. The rising water pulls streamside debris into the flow. Banks get undercut and trees, fence posts, and structures fall into the water. You can find yourself sharing the run with all sorts of foreign objects.
Strainers. Trees and logs get lodged and create severe hazards. Water flows through and around them; you and your boat won’t. In larger streams, you may be able to avoid them. In a smaller stream, a strainer can completely block it. Undercut rocks and boulder sieves are also severe entrapment hazards that can be created or accentuated by high water.
Low head dams. A low head or “run of the river” dam is used to raise the level of a stream. Water flows over the lip of the dam and creates a perfect reversal on the downstream side that can go from difficult to impossible to get out of. They are dangerous at any flow but can be particularly strong at high flows.
Bridge abutments. They can catch debris and even block off the channel. Even without debris catch, they kick off big swirling side-curling waves.
Turbid water. The muddy flow hides hazards that would normally be visible.
Water out of its banks. The stream can flow out into the surrounding countryside, taking you into trees, brush, fences and other entrapment obstacles.
Cold water. Especially in the spring, cold water significantly increases the risk of hypothermia.
Fast current. Normally, the higher the water, the faster it is flowing. Things happen fast, you have much less time to react to conditions.
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“Yea, and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, even so, I will endure…For already have I suffered full much, and much have I toiled in perils of waves and war. Let this be added to the tale of those.” ---Homer, The Odyssey
Anybody else might have been having second thoughts. Nine days out after launching from Old Forge, New York in the spring of 2016, John Connelly had already patch dried his canoe after hitting a rock, was enduring freezing rain and suffering from a bit of a nasty stomach bug.
Photo courtesy of Rafael Gallo
It was an undeniably tough start for Connelly's Paddle Quest 1500 expedition, the first ever 1,500-mile solo canoe and kayak trek across the four major waterways in northeastern North America: The Northern Forest Canoe Trail, St. John River, Bay of Fundy and Maine Island Trail.
But for Connelly, there was no turning back. That simply wasn't an option.
"Despite falling ill and having to push myself through 20 mile days and frozen nights, I find genuine joy and spiritual uplifting when descending rapids I had never seen before," Connelly wrote in an update on the Paddle Quest 1500 website, "It is a journey of a lifetime with something new and may things unexpected around every bend. The people and places add to who I am and I will be much richer for this time well spent. New York is behind me, Vermont and the rest are in front. Bring it!"
Over the next 66 days, Connelly would paddle pristine whitewater and placid still lakes and survived violent sea storms all while being tracked in real-time by satellite and followed by thousands online. His personal trip was a call to inspire others to increase their time outside, citing research that suggests both physical and mental health benefits while in nature.
He completed his trip with triumph on June 24, 2016, when he arrived at Kittery, Maine joined by a flotilla of supporters and media to in with paddle him.
"My mind was blown right in half. It was amazing!" wrote Connelly on the Paddle Quest 1500 website, "I was overwhelmed by the reception I received and am eternally grateful for all the support I have experienced from friends, family, sponsors, media partners, the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and Maine Island Trail Association."
In his new book Dying Out Here Is Not An Option, he chronicles that epic 1500 mile solo canoe and kayak adventure across the Northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada.
We caught up with Connelly a couple of weeks ago to asked him about his new book, his epic paddling trip and his mission to get people to experience the outdoors.
OMA: The title of your book, "Dying Out Here Is Not An Option" is a pretty gritty statement. Why did you come up with that title?
JC: There were two conditions for my taking on this first-ever expedition. They both came from my incredible wife, Nicole. #1. She needed to know that I was safe at the end of every day. #2. I wasn’t allowed to die. Fair enough, right?! It got very real out there and there were a few times where I needed to remind myself of my promise not to die.
The route of Paddle Quest 1500
OAM: In your book, you chronicle your Paddle Quest 1500, a 1500 mile, 75-day, solo expedition linking 4 major waterways in the Northeastern US and eastern Canada. 2 Countries, 4 states, 2 provinces, 22 streams, 54 lakes/ponds, and the North Atlantic Ocean. Why did you pick this route and what would you do differently if you could do it over again?
JC: I had always wanted to canoe the Northern Forest Canoe Trail and I’d always wanted to kayak the Maine Island Trail, but never managed to be able to carve out the time. My 60th birthday was coming up and everyone, including my incredible wife, Nicole, urged me to do something special. Given the green light, I decided that “special” wasn’t good enough; I wanted to go for “epic.” Nobody had canoed the Northern Forest Canoe Trail AND kayaked the Maine Island Trail, so that would have been a first, and pretty special. But how about connecting the two with the Saint John River and the Bay of Fundy? Now, nobody has done that and it truly would be epic! That’s how I picked the route!
OAM: That was a long time on the water to be alone. What kept you going? Did you ever want to give up?
JC: I love living out of my boat for days and weeks on end. It’s where I find myself truly at home. That’s one reason why I row rafts on 16-day, 280-mile whitewater trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. But the alone thing made this trip very different. Thankfully, I had quite a following, a community, watching my progress in realtime on my website where my tracking feed was displayed. I also posted on social media and blogged, so I felt like I was sharing the experience with others. I felt “alone,” but I never felt “lonely.”
Photo courtesy of Brian Threlkeld
OAM: You began Paddle Quest 1500 to inspire an outdoor desire in others after studies confirm both physical and mental health benefits that come by communing with nature. It shouldn't be a tough sell, but it seems like more and more people seek the safety of the great "indoors." What's it take to motivate more folks to get outside?
JC: Yes, you only save what you love, so my lifelong mission has been to get people outdoors to experience the life-enriching experiences and benefits that can only be found outside. When people have these experiences, they care about resource conservation and stewardship for future generations. I have found that if I can inspire people to take those first steps and try something new in the outdoors, they’re likely to get hooked. With this expedition, at age 60, I heard from a surprising number of people of all ages that they were motivated to get outside, even if it was a mild adventure activity near to home. I continue to hear that my story is inspiring and makes people think that they shouldn’t wait; they should get out there too!
Welcome home. Courtesy of John Connelly
OAM: You have paddled around the country, but where can you paddle in your neighborhood?
JC: I live on Maine’s Casco Bay, so I don’t have to go far; just outside the door and launch from the dock. But I also have two whitewater rivers that dump into the tidal waters of Casco Bay; the Royal and Presumpscot Rivers. Both have great playboating features and can be pretty challenging runs with decent flows.
OAM: If you take anyone living or dead on an adventure with you, who would you take and where would you go?
JC: President Teddy Roosevelt, for sure. I would take him back to the Brazilian Amazon, to the River of Doubt, that he pioneered on a dramatic, well-documented expedition. He would be pretty stoked to trade wooden dugout canoes, fairly primitive gear and food challenges for inflatable rafts, state of the art NRS gear and Good To-Go dehydrated gourmet foods. And we would run rapids that he took days to portage around!
OAM: Once again back to the title of your book, "Dying Out Here Is Not An Option." We have to know did you ever come close to dying out there?
JC: There were three times in particular that tested my mettle as a canoeist and kayaker. I found myself using all my years of experience in difficult whitewater and surf to work my way through some treacherous conditions that, all too often, materialized in an instant. I definitely did say out loud to myself on those occasions, “Dying out here is not an option.”
A former member of the US Canoe and Kayak team and leader of LL Bean's Outdoor Discovery School, Connelly now works as an outdoors consultant. You can get his book Dying Out Here Is Not An Option at his website Paddle Quest 1500 or on Amazon or Kindle.
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Courtesy of Claire Abendroth, MLive Check out her other flood Photos
This past week roughly 70 rivers were at flood stage and more than 250 river gauges reported levels above flood stage from the Great Lakes to Texas according to the National Weather Service as heavy rains and intense flooding has ravaged parts of central and southern states. While this weekend, states along the Atlantic Coast are bracing for a major
Nor'easter expected to pound the region with damaging winds, heavy rain
and snow and severe flooding.
Flood waters on the Ohio River in both Louisville and Cincinnati were at their highest levels in 20 years. The river was expected to reach moderate flood stage along the southern border of Ohio and West Virginia in the coming days, the weather service said.
In Michigan, the water is receding after flooding that prompted evacuations after areas were swamped by high water from heavy rains and melting snow.
As the water gush city streets were turned into rivers enticing some paddlers to break out their boats and explore their flooded neighborhoods and the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing.
Last week, Colleen Curran and her husband Jesse Schultz launched their kayaks in a campus parking lot and toured the flooded college's landmarks and sports facilities paddling down the usually dry River Trail, or through Beal Botanical Gardens, where the water went right up to the university's library.
The coolest sight, she told MLive, was paddling through the baseball and softball diamonds, where water was so deep, at times their paddles didn't even touch the ground. The doors to the hitting and pitching facility were open, to paddle through, giving them the feeling of being on the Titanic.
"We kayak the same rivers all the time," Curran said, "It's not often it floods and we get to do something different."
Floodwater, however, can be very treacherous as Kalamazoo's Evan Curtis told Wood TV8.
"There’s a whole bunch of people kayaking, so we’re like, ‘Hey let’s go kayaking! We thought it would be a great idea. Like it’d be a great time.”
But, it didn’t take long for Curtis and the rest of his kayak club to figure that out that the flooded Kalamazoo River wasn't the place to play.
“There were spots that where it was pretty questionable,” he said. “Once we got to the river that was crazy. It was going so fast.”
Rescuers are saying that those high swift waters on the Paw Paw River and the Grand River are to blame for two missing kayakers presumed drowned in two separate incidents in Michigan earlier this week. While an Indiana State Police trooper and two good Samaritans quick action saved a kayaker’s life.
The Lansing Fire Department says rescue teams were told that the man fell into the into the Grand River water running fast after last week's major flooding, Tuesday evening near the Brenke Fish Ladder in Lansing. Witnesses reported a kayak and paddle were spotted floating down the river. Boats and divers were called to search the river.
"Given the water level and the speed the river is traveling right now, we knew this was going to be a long, intensive operation," fire department spokesman Steve Mazurek said.
Along the Paw Paw River, about hundred miles west of Lansing, rescuers were searching for another kayaker this week after two of the kayaks capsized after hitting a log in the river.
"One guy was able to get his kayak through the logjam and made his way to shore," said Dan Jones the Chief of the Watervliet Fire Department told WNDU-TV, "The other one swam to shore and the third one is still missing."
Searching the Paw Paw River
Officials warned that this not the time to on the Paw Paw River, because of the recent flooding.
"With the river being out of its banks there's a lot of entanglements and the channel that has the highest flow in it is pretty narrow," said Jones. "Stay out unless you're very well experienced," said Jones. "If you do wander into the waters, by all means, wear a life jacket it makes you much easier to find."
Kaitlyn Greene
While in Indiana earlier this week, state trooper Kaitlyn Greene was patrolling flooded areas when she was frantically waved down by the wife of a kayaker who was nearly submerged underwater and clinging to a metal culvert pipe. They had been kayaking in a flooded field when he and his kayak was swept into the culvert. He was able to grab the top of the pipe before being sucked underwater, keeping his head and arms above water.
Greene, a member of the local water rescue team was able to secure her throw bag rope under the man's armpits and around his back and with the help of two passing motorists pull the boater to safety.
"As bad as it sounds,” she told the Dubois County Herald, “Ninety-nine percent of what I do is evidence and body recoveries. It was refreshing to actually be able to do a rescue and he got to go home.”
So the best advice we can give when it comes to paddling in flood waters is: DON'T!
It's pretty simple advice but as one can see from the stories above, not always taken.
Flood waters are just very unpredictable. Each year, more deaths occur due to flooding than from any other thunderstorm related hazard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that over half of all flood-related drownings occur when a vehicle is driven into hazardous flood water.
Most people underestimate the force and power of water. A mere 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. It only takes a foot of rushing water to sweep away a small car, while 2-feet of rushing water can wash away most vehicles along with the road under it.
So why would you even consider boating in a river, creek or any other body of water is at or above flood stage? You are not only risking your life but the lives of search and rescue crews, not to mention the possibility of arrest and fines if law officials issue orders banning all nonofficial watercraft in the flooded areas.
NRS listed eight dangers in flood stage boating in their web page article entitled Riding the Flood, that should always be considered before paddling in inundate waters
Debris in the water. The rising water pulls streamside debris into
the flow. Banks get undercut and trees, fence posts and structures fall
into the water. You can find yourself sharing the run with all sorts of
foreign objects.
Strainers. Trees and logs get lodged and
create severe hazards. Water flows through and around them; you and your
boat won’t. In larger streams, you may be able to avoid them. In a
smaller stream, a strainer can completely block it. Undercut rocks and
boulder sieves are also severe entrapment hazards that can be created or
accentuated by high water.
Low head dams. A low head or
“run of the river” dam is used to raise the level of a stream. Water
flows over the lip of the dam and creates a perfect reversal on the
downstream side that can go from difficult to impossible to get out of.
They are dangerous at any flow, but can be particularly strong at high
flows.
Bridge abutments. They can catch debris and even
block off the channel. Even without debris catch, they kick off big
swirling side-curling waves.
Turbid water. The muddy flow hides hazards that would normally be visible.
Water
out of its banks. The stream can flow out into the surrounding
countryside, taking you into trees, brush, fences and other entrapment
obstacles.
Cold water. Especially in the spring, cold water significantly increases the risk of hypothermia.
Fast
current. Normally, the higher the water, the faster it is flowing.
Things happen fast, you have much less time to react to conditions.
The strap. It is a simple thing. A strong canvas, leather, or woven fabric nylon webbing that offer strong results. Used in place of a rope, its fasteners or buckles hold things in place. A mere two-inch-wide strip nylon can tow a car or truck. They come in a variety of lengths and colors. And when it comes to boating, its overlooked and often forgotten both in our thoughts and literally at the boat access.
You will never see your favorite boater's magazines with headlines like these... New Straps for 2015... Boater's Guide for Straps 2016.... or What Your Strap Color Say About You. That would just be silly. Canoes and kayaks will always get the glory. Those sleek, majestic and noble crafts that put us on to the lake and stream filling our paddling dreams. But, we ought to realize we would never even get close to the water without our faithful strap.
It was invented before time. Our prehistoric ancestors lashed their supplies together while trekking through the snow across what is now Europe chasing the woolly mammoth.
Needing provisions all tied together all tied together would, of course, help then to inspire travois, dogsleds and then the wheel. If man would travel he would need a strap.
The buckle came later. The Romans would develop it for their soldier's helmets and body armor. Made out of bronze, these buckles were functional for their strength and durability for the centurion. The concept is still used today in our plastic helmets and buoyant PFDs. But it was the strap that helped conquer the world. To carry a sword, the soldier wore a belt and buckle diagonally over his right shoulder down to his waist at the left holding a scabbard. Therefore, the strap and its buckle became important an element to the campaigning Roman army.
Throughout the ages, the strap and the faster became tools of war, peace and taming the wilderness. When the voyagers were portaging from stream to stream carrying packs laden with pelts while pulling their canoes along through the shallow water, the strap was there of course. Rough work and back-breaking work to say the least. Furs were in 90-pound bundles. If they couldn't be transported by canoe they were carried the men through the shallow waters. The standard load for a voyageur on a portage was two strapped bundles or about 180 pounds. There are reports of some voyagers carrying more five or more bundles and legends of them carrying up to eight. A physically grueling lifestyle not nearly as glorious as folk tales make it out to be and there helping shoulder the load was the fearless the strap.
Sometime in the age of automobiles, someone thought instead of carrying our canoes over our heads lets carry them over the tops of our Ford. It was revolutionary! No need to rent a boat at the lake when we could take our own trip down river. Tie the canoe down in the truck bed and drop it off at the access. Boundary Waters, Grand Canyon, or the Allagash River. No trip was too big or small for our friend the strap. Since we began carrying our boats with our vehicles, much the gear has had some wholesale changes. Roof racks now come with saddles, rollers and load assist. Trailers equip outfitters to haul numerous stacked boats everywhere. However new technology of boat transport, the strap has stayed the same. You can't change perfection. Its job has been, what it has always been. Hold it and secure it tightly.
We will either carefully tie down our kayaks or yank down on the strap, binding them with all our might. We all do this while taking the strap for granted. We lend them, we toss them and never seem to have enough of them. At the access, we will gently lay our canoes into the water while wadding up our straps into balls spaghetti throwing them into the back of the truck. We pay little concern as they become faded and frayed under the strain of our use. When loading up, one is always invariable left behind to another boater who doesn't have enough of them. Saying to us, "Use me till you lose me. I'll make the sacrifices to get you near the water. I know my time is short."
As you can see the strap is an ageless wonder, however its only a matter of time before your helpful strap is either lost or worn out and left behind in the access dumpster. So I give this tribute to the strap. The guarding of our paddle sports world, forever embracing our wandering.
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