White Water Canoe Instruction: Day 2

Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Started the day in the classroom. Kate assigned our 20 minute and 5 minute presentation topics that will be requested randomly when we next meet to continue the course in a week or two. My 20 minute was "Canoe Types: Design and Construction." Thinking that it wasn't going to help me directly to get back my confidence on the river, I asked for a new topic. I now have "Fundamentals of River Current" which feels more pertinent to my own learning to actually get back on the water. We'll need to submit an outline of the presentation that will be submitted to the ACA in conjunction with our exam and certification.

Next we looked at the American White Water site to get information about how the local rivers are running. Evan and Kate had already decided that they would find an appropriate location on the Green River where we could practice drills. Evan also asked if anyone was having concerns about going out given that a man died on the Green River last week in roughly the same area they were taking us.  Apparently he was an experienced paddler but was caught in a strainer and died. He figured someone may have it on their mind so better to talk about it. I said that I would need to balance my heightened concern with the need to find my confidence again.

Next, we were treated to the videos that Evan made yesterday as we practiced certain maneuvers. It was fun to review and see what we were doing right or wrong. Then, out to the boathouse. I was driving the van and trailer today--yay, more experience! We followed Evan who drove his truck and led us down a dirt road to the Green River, not far from the college. We unloaded and Jen and Evan drove the van and truck down the road for shuttle placement. While they were gone, Kate reviewed various river signs that we learned on the Raquette River trip in September and are more a vague memory for me that I need to revive.

We did buddy checks of our pfds and dry suit zippers, then Kate and I buddied up for the morning run as sweep, assuring that no one is left behind. We stowed our gear and ourselves, knelt on the pads, folded our feet under the seat and slid into the thigh straps which are new this time around. I took the bow and we slid out into the current. Haven't felt this ride since September--6 months ago! We practiced strokes, watched for hazards, and worked the angle I need to plant my paddle that will turn us into eddys, then switched positions so I'd get time in the stern. I'm much more comfortable in the bow but need to work on my J and other strokes in the stern if I'm going to be certified. Kate is a knowledgeable instructor and a huge cheerleader and she makes me feel confident and capable. At one point we were paddling and Kate kicked us into high paddle gear. I saw Aaron and Coquette on opposite sides of the river without their boat. Since they looked okay, Kate said she wanted to help Evan. We were wompin' but I wasn't sure what the goal was. Evan had the runaway boat in tow but Kate was steering us straight for it and pushing me to paddle hard. About 2 strokes from the overturned boat I yelled, "Are we doing a bump. . . ?" Yep, we did a bump rescue. We kept paddling hard to repeatedly bump the boat to the shore. We were told that boats often get loose again because there's nowhere for the swimmer to get up on shore and, in the struggle, the boat floats off again. Not the case this time.

We all gathered for lunch and laughs while the sun, especially welcome given the chilly wind, jumped in and out of the clouds. We switched boat positions for the next run and Evan and I paired up while Kate took the solo boat. Evan got us sliding into eddies right and left, pushing me to work my plant of my paddle just over the eddy line and lean into the turn--awkward as you paddle on the opposite side but crucial to making the boat turn upriver in the eddy. He told me I have an instinct for what I need to do and that I need to stop thinking about what the proper stroke is. Just go with it. He kept bouncing us from one maneuver or eddy to another so I wouldn't have time to think. It was fun and what I needed. Eventually we switched so I had to work the stern Js and sweeps. Along the way he asked if I wanted to surf the white water behind a large rock. We paddled straight up below it and then I had to do Js or  small sweeps or corrections to keep the boat straight and in-line with the rock and just ride the wave. Evan would either stroke forward or back depending on how close we were to the rock. We wanted to be just below it but not touching. It was pretty cool and I remember watching a guy do that on the Connecticut in his tiny white water kayak. Evan says you can sit there for hours and watch the wave in a meditative way. Eventually we bowed out so others could take a shot at it. Aaron switched out with Kate so he could try the new solo but he said it was killing his ankles after a while. It does take time for ankles to become weight worthy after you uncurl and try to stand.

We had some fun waves to play with and I talked with Evan about the river so I could clarify some things for my presentation next week. Eventually we came to the van and went ashore and loaded the trailer. I missed the loading so that Evan and I could drive back and get his truck. Kate was good at directions and helped me backup to the trailer so it could be hitched up. Finally got to back the trailer in at the boathouse and it's a lot harder to accomplish than you'd think. . . and I was trying to miss the mud holes. I remembered backing up Ed's toy trucks as a kid. I had it down.

All in all, good practice and good fun.