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Newsletter of The Bluegrass Wildwater Association March/April 2000

In This Issue: Life at Eight Degress North Latitude is Pretty Good!The Upper Middle Fork: A Secret River in the SkyACA Acts to Prevent Streamgage LossesBig South Fork in the Road: A need for your OpinionWartburg, Tennessee.... More than just another townNPFF 2000 Another good Festival!

Roy Bachmeyer

What is it that would make a former enthusiastic member ofBWA circa mid-‘80’s give up the river life in the southeast USfor the mundane world of sea kayaking in a boring environ-ment where it’s warm all the time. Why would anyone wantto kayak in an area littered with rocky headlands, sandybeaches, clear water, coral and marine life? Isn’t kayakingsupposed to be the challenge of trying to keep fear undercontrol in some big rapid, trying to keep dreadfully pollutedwater out of one’s nose when upside down on the Ocoee orFrench Broad or some other industrially-enhanced water-way?

I’ll tell you the enemy of whitewater kayaking. Love. Lovehas killed more weekend trips than all the droughts of thecentury. Love made me move from Lexington and the giddy

Life at Eight Degrees North Latitude is Pretty Good!

Continued on pg.3 Continued on pg.6

Todd Burris

The Bob Marshall wilderness complex is one of themost pristine and remote wilderness areas in the lower 48United States. It is comprised of approximately 900,000 acresof wilderness. Glacier National Park which lies just northtowards Canada is 1.25 million acres of wilderness consistingof glaciers, rugged mountains, pristine lakes, and abundantwildlife. The Great Bear Wilderness area was comprised as acorridor to connect the Bob Marshall wilderness area withGlacier National Park. These three wilderness areas com-bined total over 3 million acres, making it the largest wilder-ness complex in the contiguous United States.

Being fortunate enough to have lived in Whitefish, Montana forseven years I was able to enjoy much of this beautiful country.In the winters I would spend my days skiing and working onthe Big Mountain ski resort. My summers were filled guidingwhitewater trips for Glacier Raft Company out of West Glacier,Montana. There are numerous rivers in the area to paddle,some of which include; the Swan, Elk, Clark Fork, and Lochsa

The Upper Middle Fork: A Secret River in Big Sky Country

Editors note: Roy Bachmeyer is A BWA paddler from the eight-ies. After disappearing for a few years,he got back in touch withus from our Website .Roy sent this story of where he went andwhy for publication in the Bowlines. Thanks Roy!

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Bowlines is the Newsletter of the Bluegrass WildwaterAssociation, POB 4231, Lexington Ky, 40544

Club Officers 1999-2000

Join in on the Fun!

BWA website: www.surfbwa.orgJoin the BWA! BWA Membership $15/individual; $20/Family yearentitles you to receive the newsletter,10% discounts at many localand out of state outfitter shops, use of club kayak, discount at poolrolling sessions, a listing in the BWA Handbook, a stream gaugeguide, and web site with a listserve for member’s messages.

Meetings are held the at 7:30, the second Tuesday of each month atPaisano’s in Gardenside, Lexington, Ky.

Submission of Newsletters articles preferred on zip or floppy disk (Mac or PC)or typed. Pictures can be digital or ready to be scanned. Please includedstamped envelope for return. Files can also be e-mailed to:donspang@aol.com

PresidentVice-PresidentTreasurerSecretarySafetyProgramNewsletterCyber CommunicationsConservationNational Paddling Film Festival Co-ordinaterEquipment CoordinatorAt-Large Members:

Past PresidentWildwater Cats Rep.

Gary HoaglandAmy ShipmanJohn FoyDave MerrifieldBen AskrenPaul SingletonDon SpanglerKathy ColeJim Daniel

Zina MerkinBill WebbBurgess CareyTom HillmanBill LynchCorrine Voils

502-845-2704606-278-4236606-278-2536 606-223-5943606-255-2768502-696-2634606-277-7314606-272-4744502-223-0728

606-268-2508606-219-3400606-885-9444606-624-4373502-682-3967606-299-1977

Springfield, Va. -- The stream gages Thai paddlers have come torely on for up-to-date water level information are being lost at analarming rate due to a lack of funding support from the Clintonadministration and Congress. Without a significant increase in fund-ing, hundreds of gages will be lost over the next few years.Responding to this threat, the American Canoe Association (ACA)has began a major advocacy effort to make lawmakers aware ofthe importance the USGS (United States Geological Survey)Streamgaging Network plays in people's lives, and to get the peo-ple who depend on streamgage information to make their voicesheard.

The ACA is calling on paddling clubs to make their members awareof this problem and to urge those members to write their congres-sional representatives. It is critical that both the White House andCongress understand that the nation's stream gages have a lot ofpublic support. "It is both ironic and unfortunate that at a time whentechnology has greatly improved paddlers' access To streamflowdata the gages that provide that data are being lost," says DavidJenkins, Director of Conservation and Public

Policy for the ACA.According to Jenkins, the current funding problem stems largelyfrom the fact that many potential advocates for gage funding havebeen unaware of the problem, and because this diverse constituen-cy has never came together to push for 'increased funding, "WhenCongress and the Administration are only hearing from groups rep-resenting state geologists, civil engineers, and flood plain managersIt is hardly a wonder why they have not connected this issue to theneeds of The general public. It is time for lawmakers to finally hearfrom average voters about how important these stream gages are."

The USGS Streamgaging Network is currently comprised of over7000 gages nationwide. Approximately 70% of these gages arenow equipped with satellite telemetry and can provide real-timedata to paddlers via the Internet. Beyond the problem of notenough funding, the problem for USGS Is compounded by the factthe agency fully controls only $5 million of the $89 million currentlyspent on gages each year, the rest is controlled largely by state,local, and other federal partners. Therefore, when a locality or anagency such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decide that agage is no longer a priority, the USGS is virtually powerless to pickup the tab and keep the gage operational,

The Network's infrastructure is in decline at a time when it is need-ed most. The hardening of watersheds through development,increased demand for water and changing weather patterns allunderscore why an increased investment in the Network is so vital.One only has to look at the frequency and magnitude of majorflooding events, and the human costs that result from such events,to understand why more data is needed.

The role the USGS Streamgaging Network plays in outdoor recre-ation and recreation safety also provides a compelling case forincreased funding. Canoeists, kayakers, fishermen, and even back-packers regularly rely on stream gage information to help ensure asafe and enjoyable outing. Streamflow data is used extensively inthe whitewater paddling community to assess the skill levelrequired to safely paddle a given river or stream.

To meet these demands requires that the Network be more thansimply maintained, it greatly needs to be expanded and modern-ized. The ACA is asking Congress for a $20 million dollarincrease in funding for the USGS Federal Program in FY 2001.Increasing this funding from $5 million to $25 million will providethe support necessary to help the USGS Streamgaging Networkto meet 'its current needs.

This substantial increase in dollars for the USGS FederalProgram, when combined with more modest increases in the fed-eral matching funds for the state and local cooperative program,will not only prevent the loss of hundreds of gages over the nextfew years, it will help USGS begin to meet the growing publicneed for additional streamflow and water quality information. TheACA, along with other recreation groups such as Trout Unlimitedand American Whitewater, is asking members to contact their rep-resentatives in Congress, let them know how important streamgages are, and urge them to 'increase funding for FY 2001.

For more information about this Issue and to contact your electedrepresentatives please visit www.acannet.org

ACA Acts to PreventStreamgage Losses

Paddlers Asked to Voice Support for Gages to Lawmakers

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kinship of the BWA in an earlier time to a small town in Iowa. Igot married. The nearest whitewater was below a brokenweir on a polluted river. Try squirting on an eddy line next toa clearing where turkey vultures watch from the bank, struttinganxiously each time one flips and rolls up.

After three years, my wife and I ended the pain. For post-divorce therapy, I commuted to North Carolina one week amonth to boat. This was not a good career move for a smalltown lawyer.

Finally, in ’93, I had to deal with the reality of my mother’sAlzheimer’s Disease. I decided to do something special forher before she had to move into an extended care facility.

We were sitting on her couch in Lexington when I said, "Mom,I want to take you on a vacation. Would you rather go toFlorida or Thailand?"

She sat straight up, smiled, and said, "Thailand!"

And so it happened. I consulted with the folks at theSanders-Brown Center for Aging about the advisability of sucha thing. I was told that if her enjoyment of the place wasgreater than the anxiety of being away from her known sur-roundings, it could work. "Fine," I said. And off we went.

I had lived in Bangkok for two years in the early ‘70’s and wasfamiliar and comfortable with the country and spoke a func-tional amount of the language. (Never mind that I had neverstudied any language at UK because I never thought I wouldleave the state.) I contacted a Thai friend who knew the prin-ciple owner of the oldest resort hotel in Phuket, a beautifulisland I had visited in 1975 and remembered fondly. She tookcare of arrangements and we left for Thailand.

The first few days were dicey, as anxiety definitely increasedand enjoyment was not to be found. I wondered if I had madea reckless error, like when I tried to run Lower Keeney for thefirst time.

And then I got one of thosechunks of good fortune thatcomes when one is doing theright thing. I met a womanwho was sympathetic to mycause. She agreed to helpout with my Mom. Shehelped a lot, as every Thaiwoman naturally is accus-tomed to helping out withaged relatives. My motherhad more fun and displayedmore mental liveliness than Ihad seen in twenty years. Itwas marvelous to see how acup half empty is also a cupalmost full, when the environment is supportive.

Came time to take my mom back to Lexington to her new"residence". By this point her caregiver and I had realizedthat we had a pretty fair time with each other. This was not

anything I had desired. After my Iowa divorce I vowednever to have another relationship lasting more than twelvehours. My idea was to have a good time, then return toemotional stability. This one just snuck up on me; it wasnot something I had sought out.

Also, I had met Philip Miles, an English windsurfer-seakayaker, and Dave Williams, an East Coast squirtist whohad recently made the transition to ocean kayaking. Sobetween love and kayaking- since on Phuket they wereonly 10 minutes apart- I figured what the heck, try the trop-ics for a while. My first achievement upon returning toPhuket was to purchase a Sea Lion.

Then the story spreads out to cover the time from '94 topresent. In my non-boating time I married Anya, who hadcared for my mother. We have a four year old son who isavid passenger in the cockpit of my kayak. Anya, bless herheart, paddled a Sea Lion to Bon Island, a mile offshore,and ran the boat onto the only exposed rock near a widebeach. Then she tired on the windward side of the islandand fell out of the boat. It was entertaining, really, paddlingback to the mainland with her bowline tied around my waist.She laughed wildly about how funny everything was.

Time went by, filled with frequent day paddles along thecoast or around islands. I made my first crossing. It was 10miles of relentless heat. A crossing is a big step up from aday paddle. It’s important to train for a longer distance thanthe crossing. It isn’t good to run out of steam short of thegoal, with no eddy in sight.

Then there is the mental component. I stared over the bowat the line where the non-changing blue of the sky meetsthe ever-rippling blue-green of the ocean. What I am goingto think about, minute after minute, hour after hour. Thegoal, a dark smudge on the horizon, doesn’t seem to getany bigger. Time does go by. It is a very good feeling tostep out on beach.

The ocean is different from ariver. The first principle: don'tlook back at the place youstarted from for a long time.It’s discouraging. On my firstcrossing I allocated oneminute per hour for rest andwater. This was a paddlebest done in daylight, despitethe heat, because of theunpredictable nature of thewinds and resultant changesin swell in the ten mile chan-nel between Phuket andRacha Island.

In ’98, I went along with Daveon a training program for two fit non-kayakers who were ona mission. (Have a look at their excellent website,http://www.caske2000.org ) At the time, Dave was theTraining Director of a company that took "eco-tours" intopristine areas around the famous Phang Nga Bay.

Eight Degrees North Latitude, continued from pg. 1

Dave "Rambo" Williams

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continued from pg.3

We paddled with the two young stalwarts to nearby islands.They did the ten mile crossing on their own to Racha Island.For their final exam, the four of us set out from the east coastof Phuket to Yow Noi Island, second leg from Yow Noi to AoNang beach in Krabi, then on to Phi Phi Island. The final legwas the twenty-eight mile return to Phuket. We worked outcrossing times with the nautical charts and tide tables in thistide-sensitive area.

Day one wasn’t a good time. Life lesson learned: don’t pad-dle for six hours in the middle of the day in tropical sun if youhave a hangover. It is not the same as running a river with ahangover.

Day two was a taste of things nowmaterializing in my life. Day twowe kayaked from the resting pointon Yow Noi Island to Hong Island,about five miles away. HongIsland is an absolutely spectacularlimestone karst island, with sandybeaches, clear lagoons, and lots oforchids. It also had a hong, aninterior room in the deeply erodedlimestone rock, that we paddledinto. After an hour at Hong Island,we departed for Ao Nang. Wepaddled into the face of a steadytwenty knot wind, a welcome relieffrom the heat. We rode the ebbingtide like a rocket across and down the Bay.

We rested in Ao Nang, a popular tourist destination whereDave had previously worked. The chart showed it was nine-teen miles to our destination on Phi Phi Island. Again, theebb tide could work in our favor. We changed our strategyon the timing of this leg. As we had the chart, a compassand flashlights, we decided to leave at night. Three or fourhours of daytime paddling is tolerable, but a long paddle isbest done at night.

Fate was kind. It was one night away from full moon, a clearnight with a calm sea. We left the beach at midnight andstopped for brief rest intervals at two islands. One, BambooIsland, was loaded with fruit bats mating in the trees andmaking quite a racket. We pulled up on an uninhabitedbeach on Phi Phi Island to lie back in the water and watchthe sun come up. The night was close enough to a peakexperience. Whitewater paddling is great, and so is seakayaking!

I spent some time last year with Philip paddling among theislands south of Krabi in Trang Province. Trang is beyondthe reach of the backpackers and the package tour groups.Some Thais venture there, but the area is mostly unspoiled.It is desirable as a paddle destination. The islands are lovelyand not far apart. There are rocky headlands, deep clearwater with good coral for snorkeling, striking cliffs, and cleanbeaches.

One island has a remarkable navigable cave that is now pop-ular with some local tour groups. Years ago I swam the cave

with some friends without instructions or flashlight. As weapproached daylight at the other end of the cave, I couldsee clearly what we were swimming toward. I was entirelyblown away. It was one of the most charming sights on theplanet, available only to those enter through the cave.

Now, at peak visitation time, there may be half dozen boatsanchored outside, discharging hoards of lifejacket-clad Thaisto float through the black cave to the interior of the island.

Culturally, most Thais fear the ghosts and spirits said to livein caves. They have been taught for generations that noisewill drive away the ghosts. So each tour group seems to viefor the ‘Most Noisy Award’ while dog-paddling through thedarkness.

We struggled to get our SeaLions through the cave at nearhigh tide when there were notourists. At one point we had toslither down inside the boats,faces below cockpit rims, andpush against the roof with ourhands. The tide rose a bit moreand sealed the cave; we hadshut the world out of our sweetlagoon for several hours!

We heard the first group oftourists entering the cave, full ofnervous laughter. So, out of their

sight, we shrieked and shouted, loud demented stuff. Theyall screamed and we laughed until we hurt.

Dave and I did many other paddle trips in Phang Nga Bay.Within the last several years, dozens of companies andindependent operators have made an utter mess of a fewpopular destinations. There are still huge areas of the Bayand its magical islands left for quiet exploration.

Then there are the places I haven’t yet paddled. Dave oftenspoke of the wonders of paddling further south in the marinenational park that includes the big island of Tarutao andother islands with good coral, jungle down to the beaches,and lots of wildlife.

Later, Dave changed jobs and made fiberglass sit-on-topboats for meager salary. He was not happy. He prepared togo back to the US to earn a living. Then entered the handof fate. A friend of Dave did not want to see him leavePhuket. "Take people kayaking, form a company, and I’ll putup the money". I needed to make a living, after my sabbati-cal from practicing law, so I joined in. We had a bunch ofdecked touring kayaks and we had knowledge of specialareas. So, we formed a company and created a website -www.paddleasia.com. We soon added a section about Lao.

Lao PDR is a very special country in the midst of problemcases. It is called Lao: the French, known for their fries andtoast, added the ‘s’. In southeast Asia, Burma is repressive(its government is funded and coached by the Chinese.)Cambodia is primitive but heavily armed, Vietnam is just toocommunist for anything to work, Thailand is great but

These happy kids are always eager to help us launch.

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continued from pg. 4

overdeveloped.

Lao is digging out of the hole of French colonization and thebad effects of having been on the butt end of the VietnamWar. Lao is still a beautiful land withrelatively little tourism. It has a "rev-olutionary" government that works.

In l997, Dave, Noah Shepherd,some other friends and I, were prob-ably the first contemporaryWesterners to paddle the Ou River.We stayed in villages that had neverwithin memory had Western visitors.The people were curious and open. The villages had no trasharound the houses since there was no money for packagedgoods. At night, we did what boaters do; we ate, we dranklots of delicious Beer Lao, and had a good time. The vil-lagers, especially the children, gathered to watch. Of all thedifferent sorts of Westerners, we were the ones who came toenjoy, not to convert them or to take from them.

The Nam Ou joins theMekong just above LuangPrabang, the former capi-tal. This town is a preciousjewel. As we approachedby motorboat, the enginequit a half kilometer fromtown. We got out ourkayak paddles and strokedin synchrony to a landingpoint. A silent way to entera town that globalizationhasn’t yet reached.

We traveled east fromVientiane and floated theNam Hinboon, also a strik-ing area. But the Hinboonarea has already beenaffected by a massivehydroelectric project calledthe Nam Teun 1. Unfortunately, the World Bank loves to fundsuch wasteful projects and, being run by bankers, is not con-cerned about the environmental and social costs. We had topass a camp for the families of the Lao project workers. Itwas a huge, trash-ridden shanty town, sadly different from thetraditional villages along the river. It was the ugliest thing wehad seen in Lao.

Last year we went back to Lao to check out ("recce", inEnglish parlance) two rivers we had heard about. Both are afew hours by road from Vientiane and have brisk currents.The scenery is wonderful.

From inquiries on our website, we realized we had underesti-mated the interest in Lao. People want to see a country thatis just opening up to tourism. Last November we took our firstgroup to Lao. We did all the research we could and made itclear up front that we didn’t know what to expect on someparts of the trip. The trip was great; several of our guestssaid they will come back this year.

We use a licensed tour company in Lao for ground supportand logistical assistance. One of its people, a very sharpman who knows how to act on our needs, no matter how

extreme ("get us all the Beer Lao inthis village, please"), will continueto accompany us. We use a mostremarkable shuttle vehicle. It is apurpose-designed third world bus,suitable for dirt roads in monsoonrains or dry season. Made withheavy wood planks and reinforcedwith steel cross-members behindthe cab, it could probably take a hit

from a mortar round and still move on. It carried our inflated10 person raft and two inflatables on the roof with lots ofroom left for expansion.

Does Lao have whitewater? Look at a map. Lao is moun-tains and rivers, with a fairly defined rainy season. Ichecked out one solid III-IV run that has only been done bea group of fools in cheap inflatables (including me, but I had

to get down it somehow.)A month earlier it wouldhave been class V, withno way out except to fin-ish it. We have goodinformation about anoth-er river and we are look-ing into a third. Thesehave not been kayaked.We’re going back. Firstdescent, anyone?

Sandwiched betweenocean trips and Laorivers are the bird andwildlife viewing trips toKhao Sok, an excellentnational park just threehours from Phuket. A

touring kayak on a quietlake is the ideal mobile

wildlife-viewing platform. Looking through binoculars at gib-bons making their early morning calls is precious and unfor-gettable. We’ve seen wild pigs, heard the heavy whoosh-whoosh of hornbills flying overhead, watched troops of lan-gurs and macaques moving along their aerial highways,identified brilliantly colored birds, and listened at night to wildelephants moving through bamboo only yards away… all ofthis from our boats.

Life at eight degrees north latitude is pretty good. I havetime for my family and my orchid garden. Researching morerivers in Lao is an ongoing project and we have a good planto expand into Cambodia. I miss whitewater weekends withBWA friends, but I like being in this location. To me, the bestcelebration of being a kayaker is to enjoy both rivers andoceans!

Thanks to Don for the fine editions of "Bowlines" and toBarry for the updates. Hope to see all of you on my nextvisit home. You know where to find me.

The floating bungalows of Khao Sok are a great base for kayak exploration.

I miss whitewater weekends withBWA friends, but I like being in

this location.

To me, the best celebration ofbeing a kayaker is to enjoy both

rivers and oceans!

Bear wilderness where the planes precariously touch down.There are a few log buildings at the airstrip, and a ranger isstationed there throughout the summer, as a resource forpeople accessing the river and the trail crews working in thearea. Strand Aviation in Kalispell is the locals choice forflights into Schafer Meadows. It is possible to strap kayaksonto the bottom of the planes, depending on the pilot, butmost prefer the boats to be put inside the plane which cantake up needed space for passengers and gear. The cost offlying in is approximately 100-150 dollars per persondepending on how many planes are used for people andgear. When flying in to float the river a raft is recommended

for support, as itwould be imprac-tical to float the35 miles in a sin-gle day. Self sup-port in a canoe isan excellentoption as well. Itmay be possibleto fit two canoesand people intoone plane. You will want tospend as manydays as you canon this river. Ifyou have a fewdays to float youwill be able to

spend more time playing as well. The fishing is great andthere are day hikes to lakes with scenery that are simplyincredible. Don’t forget the bear spray if you plan on camp-ing and hiking on the river, and always practice no-tracecamping techniques.

The river rats favorite mode of travel to access the uppermiddle fork is by foot. This method of access is recommend-ed only for kayakers. It is only possible when the road isopened to the Challenge Cabin. You take U.S. highway 2east out of West Glacier and when you reach the Bear Creekriver access it will be 8-10 more miles to the ChallengeCabin road. The sign for the road to Challenge Cabin is eas-ily seen from the highway. When the road clears you drivethe road to a horse outfitters camp. The road ends at thehorse camp so it is easy to stay on the right path. The trail-head to the river is very easy to find. It is south out of thehorse camp just follow the forest service signs for the uppermiddle fork trail. You will then have to haul your kayak by footfor a few miles till you hit a creek running alongside the trail.If the water is high enough you float the creek for another 4-5 miles until you reach the river, if not you continue hiking aneasy trail to reach the river. It is an 8 mile hike by trail toreach the river. It is best to take a long cam strap that youattach to your boat. It creates a great hauling strap to putover your shoulder and across your chest to pull your boat.When you do reach the river you will have a good twenty-fivemile paddle to the take out. When paddling the river in thisway you must get an early start, and you will still be takingout in the evening regardless. It is possible to do a small selfsupport in your kayak and spend one night on the river, but

rivers. The main staple of local boaters has to be the Flatheadriver.

This river system is comprised of the middle, the north, and thesouth fork respectively. The middle fork of the flathead securesthe southern boundary of Glacier National Park where it comesout of the Great Bear wilderness and flows southwest towardsthe confluence with the north fork. The section that flows fromthe headwaters in the Great Bear wilderness to the border ofGlacier National Park is referred to as the upper middle fork ofthe flathead. The north and middle fork river system is a naturalfree flowing river entirely dependent on rain and snow melt for itswater flow. The northfork which flows outof Canada establish-es the westernboundary of GlacierPark. Both the northand middle fork areprotected wild andscenic river systems.

The water flow dur-ing summer is crystalclear. On a sunnyday the water turns aturquoise blue coloras a result of glacialmilk. This glacial milkis a white powderthat becomesdeposited at the bottoms of the rivers and lakes in the area. It isa result of glacial movement crushing rocks and debris resultingin a white powder that is carried away into the rivers and lakesduring the spring melt. This white powder settles to the bottomof the rivers and lakes and when the sun reflects off this glacialmilk it creates a magical blue color.

The rivers are filled with rainbow, cutthroat, and the endangeredbull trout. The north fork is the primary river used by local fisher-man, although the middle fork has good fishing opportunities aswell.

The local whitewater outfitters use the middle fork section,which flows through the John F. Stevens canyon, for their half-day whitewater trips. This section contains a series of eightrapids in a five mile stretch of river. Five of these rapids are asolid class III, and the remaining rapids are class II. This sectionis the primary play area of the local whitewater boaters. It offersgreat surfing and playing depending on river levels and hasexcellent access. The rivers are extremely cold even in the mid-dle of summer. The average water temperature is a brisk 45-50degrees in mid summer. During the spring melt this temperaturewill be even cooler.

The upper middle fork is considered by many to be onethe most pristine rivers in the lower United States. This sectionof river is considered very remote and access is limited. The onlyaccess is by plane or through a hiking trail. The forest servicemaintains a ranger station at Schafer Meadows. This is wherelocal aviation companies will fly groups into out of Kalispell,Montana. There is a grass airstrip in the middle of the Great

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A Secret River , Continued from pg.1

Don Spangler

7

the weather is so unpredictable that you must be prepared foranything. I have seen it snow six inches in the middle of June.The great thing is that it will not get dark until 9:30 in the springand 10:30 in mid summer. I have hiked into the upper middlefork and I have accessed it by plane, and both are worthyadventures. If you can arrange to fly in this is probably the bestway to go, as the views flying in are spectacular, and you get abetter sense of just how remote this river is. Hiking will be wellworth it as well, just be prepared for a very long day.

The upper middle fork is a spring run due to river levelsdecreasing consistently after the spring melt. The typical sea-son of the upper middle fork is from June to July depending onsnow pack and the rate of melt. The upper middle fork run isaround 35 miles in length from Schafer Meadows to the takeout at Bear creek. This section contains 4 major rapids. The firstrapid is the Three Fork Series it is a class IV rapid. This is along set of rapids with nothing to technical for a kayaker. If tak-ing the human powered route you will miss this first set ofrapids. The next rapid is 25-Mile Creek it is a pretty solid classIII run. The Lunch Creek Series is next, it is a good class II -IIIrapid that consists of a longer set of rapids similar to the ThreeForks Series, but not as technical. Both the Three Forks andthe Lunch Creek rapids are broken up into sections, with threeor four sets of rapids in each. The river is a pool and drop sys-tem so there will always be breaks of calm water after eachwhitewater section. The major rapid on the upper middle fork isSpruce Park it is a class IV-V rapid. This is one the prettiestsections of the river as the river confines into a small gorge.This rapid is the most technical of all the rapids, as there are afew large boulders to miss and a few keeper holes to avoid.Spruce Park rapid is the last major rapid, and the take out is 7or 8 river miles past Spruce Park. It is possible to scout andportage every rapid to determine your preferred route. But, theportage at Spruce Park would be rather difficult and I would not

recommend floating the river if your not comfortable pad-dling every rapid. The rapids are rated higher than theiractual technical difficulty due to the remoteness, which mustbe taken into account.

A swim or accident on the upper middle fork could poten-tially be very serious. This river is very remote depending onwhere you are on the river. The nearest rescue could be upto 30 miles away. Once you do find help it could take sever-al hours if not a whole day for an actual rescue party toreach the river. Mistakes could be fatal on this river. Theweather, water temperature, and the remoteness of the rivercalls for attempts to be carried out by advanced paddlers.Those equipped in wilderness first aid and adept at wilder-ness river rescue is a recommended asset. If someone hasa life threatening accident on the river it could be more thanserious. When paddling the upper middle fork you should beaware of what you are getting into as far as rescue andaccess is concerned.

Some of the gifts this river has to offer are rare. While pad-dling the river one summer with my friend WrightHollingsworth and Keith Ledford, both from Kentucky, nowMontana transplants. We were blessed with the uniqueexperience of watching a large black bear and her cub for-age for food as we were floating along a calm section of theriver. I have seen bald eagles dive and catch trout within 20feet. These are experiences that I can only describe as mag-ical. The chances of seeing wildlife is very good on theupper middle fork. There are grizzly and black bears,moose, elk, mountain lions, lynx’s, badgers, coyotes, fox,birds of prey, and mountain goats all present in the area.While the chances of seeing some of these species are rare,the chances of seeing many are great. In the spring andsummer the wildflowers are just as spectacular with indianpaintbrush, lupine, glacier lily, beargrass, and shooting starflowers to name a few. The trees in this area consist ofDouglas fir, various spruce and pine, western larch, and afew other species.

Kayaking is the most intimate way for me to commune withthe river. There is much more to kayaking than surfing andgetting enders. While playing is an important part of my riverexperience it is only a part of the reason why I paddle. Thespirituality that I find on the river is one of the biggest reasonfor me to kayak. Nature teaches me many things if I keep anopen mind and a watchful eye. I have never conquered ariver and I never shall. It is important for me to respect allrivers whether its a class I or a class V. My respect flowsfrom the belief that nature is a power much greater thanmyself. In all my outdoor recreation I find peace, serenity,and beauty that is unsurpassed in any other experience.Kayaking is a gift to me. It is a way to share and communewith nature.

If you paddle the upper middle fork may you blessed with allthe gifts it has to offer. It is a very unique river. A secret gemthat few will ever have the chance to see. Many locals havenever had the opportunity to experience this treasure. If youare fortunate enough to paddle it you will know why it is sospecial, and why it should remain a secret.

8

Many of us enjoy the Big South Fork National River andRecreation Area for whitewater paddling, mountain biking,fishing, back packing and camping. The pristine gorges,rich biodiversity and fragile arches are only part of its'allure. But like many special things, sometimes they takea little work to keep them that way. If you're interested inthe future of the BSF read on...

After being established by the US Army Corps ofEngineers in 1974, the BSF was transferred to theNational Park Service in 1990 for jurisdiction and man-agement. Less than two years ago, the NPS invited com-ment on the general direction development should take atthe BSF and many BWAers responded. A newly craftedDraft General Management Plan is a direct result of thatcomment period, which notably has eliminated a moreintensive development option that was originally pro-posed.

The Draft General Management Plan includes twoAlternatives for guiding future development of the BSF. Ano action alternative is ”not an alternative that can beselected or impletmented because it soes not include themanagement unit approach required by NPS policy.”.Clarification of this policy was requested from NPS by JimDaniels (BWA Conservation Chairman). NPS stated thatcommenteres were freee to specify any locations in theBSF area where they did not want to see encroachmentfrom develement. General plans are typically updatedevery 10-15 years and the NPS has no stated preferencebetween the two development alternatives. Beforeexplaining the key difference between these alternatives,a little background is needed.

A little less than one-half of the BSF is considered"gorge", which includes the main gorge enveloping theSouth Fork of the Cumberland River and a multitude ofsmaller gorges encasing smaller tributaries. The entiregorge area (including said tributaries) falls under what isclassified as a Primitive Recreation Management Unit andis protected under a myriad of environmental acts. Anyproposed development explicitly excludes the gorge.

The Big South Fork stream is designated a "NationalRiver", but not a "National Wild and Scenic River".While the latter would afford the BSF even greater pro-tections, Congress has specifically guaranteed the riversome of the same protection from federal or federally-assisted water development projects. Further, higherwater quality and in-streams were clearly defined ofparamount importance and guaranteed protection.

Consequently, the main focus of the draft managementplan pertains to the plateau surrounding the gorge.Both of the alternatives which have been proposed tofurther develop the plateau treat the gorge with thesame protective status. In general, Alternative A wouldpermit slightly less development of the plateau areas,thus slightly more environmental protection. Conversely,Alternative B is slightly more pro-development and lessenvironmentally benign.

Alternative AUnder Alternative A, a Backwoods RecreationManagement Unit would be applied to about 75% of theplateau, with the remainder (20%) designated as anEnhanced Recreation Management Unit. (About 5% ofthe BSF lies within Scott State Forest.) Six gorgeaccess points would qualify for Enhanced Recreationdevelopment including Hwy. 297 (Leatherwood), andanother 5 access points would qualify for BackwoodsRecreation management (including Burnt Mill Bridge).

Alternative BUnder Alternative B, a Backwoods RecreationManagement Unit would be applied to about 65% of theplateau with the remainder (25%) designated as anEnhanced Recreation Management Unit. In terms ofgorge access points, the key difference underAlternative B is that Alum Ford and Station Camp wouldbe moved from the Backwoods Recreation category toEnhanced Recreation management.

A Backwoods Recreation Management Unit wouldemphasize the natural condition and appearance of theplateau, permit trail development and would serve as atransition zone preparing visitors for a more primitivegorge experience. Roads would generally remainunpaved, and would primarily serve visitors with accessto trails, and secondarily for driving pleasure. Campingareas would be small and unimproved. Harmony withthe natural environment would be emphasized at allpoints.

The Enhanced Management Recreation Unit would gen-erally permit a higher level of development than theabove. Roads would be paved, a higher density trailsystem would be built and designed to sustain heavyuse, improved campgrounds would be built, and off-roadvehicles would have designated routes. In general,

Big South Fork

in the Road

A Need for your Opinion!Don Spangler

9

principal activities would require more intensive manage-ment.

Both Alternative A and Alternative B would permit thebuilding of a new Visitor's Center off Hwy. 297 (to BandyCreek), continued river access at Leatherwood Ford, aswell as a new overlook at Leatherwood, a new road/park-ing approach, and a new museum storage facility.

At O &W bridge, both Alternatives would continue to sup-port passenger vehicle access, improved trailheads, andriver access east of the bridge. West of the bridge, fur-ther development is vaguely defined.

Both Alternatives would also expand the equestriancamping at Station Camp, with road improvements,including pull-outs (with Alternative B calling for paving,with picnic areas developed).

Finally, at the confluence area, off Airport Road,Alternative A permits an improved river access trail, park-ing and road development. Alternative B would allow thesame, with the addition of a new overlook and picnicarea.

Total construction costs for Alternative A is estimated tobe about $20.2 mil, compared with approximately $34.5mil for Alternative B. A complete copy of the DraftGeneral Management Plan can be found atwww.nps.gov/biso

The above represents a fairly accurate, although selec-tive, description. The following is this writer's own eval-uation of advantages and disadvantages of each alter-native.

Alternative A: AdvantagesManages the BSF primarily as a natural area, with

limited development in selected areasProvides healthful outdoor recreation, while preserv-

ing the free-flowing condition of the BSF and it's tribu-taries

Preserves the natural integrity of the gorge and thecultural values of the area

Alternative A: DisadvantagesPermits excessive development on the plateau

region, further endangering the tributaries of the gorgeand the gorge itself Neglects to assess the environmen-tal impact of further developing the plateau

Fails to mitigate the environmental damage causedbycurrent illegal off road vehicle use

Alternative B: Advantages Places an emphasis on outdoor environmental educa-

tionProvides for increased non-passive outdoor recre-

ationIncreases equestrian camping, relieving other camp-

ing congestion in the park

Alternative B: DisadvantagesPermits excessive development on the plateau

region, endangering the tributaries of the gorgeFails to acknowledge current polluting behavior

adversely impacting various tributaries (such as PineCreek) and encourages further erosion of environmentalquality to other tributaries (inevitable with the creation ofan overlook off Airport Road)

Encourages further development of designated offroad vehicle trails

So what do you want to do? If you want to have avoice in this, download the Response Form from theweb address cited above or use the form attached withthis newsletter. Responses can be made by e-mail to:biso_superintendent@nps.gov or by writing:

Superintendent Big South Fork NRRA4562 Leatherwood Ford Rd. Oneida, TN 37841

In addition to individual comments, the BWA SteeringCommittee has recommented that the BWA submit aformal response.Thanks for listening. Valerie VantreseDon Spangler

10

11

Wartburg, Tennessee.... More than just another town near a river for

the Bluegrass Wildwater Association

Don Spangler

For almost 3 decadesWartburg, Tennesseehas been a destina-tion for BWA mem-bers. Even in the daysof not so great roadsyou could head southdown HW 27 and bethere in about 3 1/2hours or so. Backthen its population was not much more than about500.(It has barely doubled in the past 30 years.) With thecoming of spring rains and warmer temperaturesMildred’s (perhaps the best loved of all restaurants theBWA fed at) could count on seeing a large group of BWAboaters every weekend morning chugging down coffeetill it warmed up enough outside to head to the river.

Within a short drive of Wartburg is over two hundredmiles of great pad-dling streams withthe heart of the onthe Obed-Emorysystem. The ObedRiver with its twomain tributaries,Clear Creek andDaddy's Creek, cutinto theCumberlandPlateau of eastTennessee creat-ing water avenuesof beauty and fun.The Plateau istalked about in areverent mannerby boaters of theSoutheast. Itpromises some-thing for everyboater. Want ashort run? You cando the classic Jetto Lilly. Somethinglonger? Do Devils

Jay Cromwell

The Landmark Wartburg Courthouse sitsnears the Obed Wild & Scenic Park Office.

Just 4 minutes from downtown Wartburg is this runnable waterfall. BWA tradition was to have a firsttimer to the area eat a big breakfast at Mildred’s and then go to Potter’s Falls and shame them intorunning it. The results often made for good stories around the campfire.

Breakfast Table to Nemo. Want something more con-tinuous and harder? How about Crooked Fork Creek?LIke to do overnight camping trips on the river? Trythe Obed or Clear Creek. Yes, you have dozens ofpossible trips and many of them will end up at Nemobridge. What a Whitewater Paradise!

Not only does the Obed-Emory have some of thefinest whitewater you will ever paddle, but thescenery is spectacular! The steams run throughrugged canyons as deep as 500 feet. River Accessis limited so you believe you are in the middle of afaraway wilderness. It is one of the most pristine,wild, and rugged river systems many will ever paddle.The surrounding forest abounds with beautiful wildflowers. You most likely will see beavers, otters, bob-cats, raccoons and deer. For these gifts we shouldalways help protect and preserve it as it is.

From January to early May rains almost always pro-vide enough water to paddle something in the river

Don Spangler

12

system. At times it is more water than you mightbelieve could fit in such a small drainage (up to about180,00 cfs on the Oakdale gage). But those outra-geous levels come only rarely. Most paddling is donebetween 350cfs to 15,000 cfs on the Oakdale gage.As the amount of water increases it offers up smallerstreams higher up in the drainage to lucky paddlers.Runs that may have been class II become class III,class II runs may become class IV, and class IVruns...look out!

In the early days of theBWA it was decided thatof all the places we couldhold a clinic and introducepeople to paddling thishad what was need for aclinic: sections of riversthat would almost alwaysguarantee a place toteach. Not only that, itwould introduce an aspectof paddling to newboaters. Something thatcould never be found andappreciated just by pad-dling on some river alongside a road or fightingrafts for space to play ahole. A pristine anduncrowded river. Thiswould show students riverrunning at it’s best!

The peace and magnifi-cence you experience inthis “WhilewaterParadise” is somethingthat becomes a part ofyou. When you return toyou job on Monday itinspires and refreshes soyou can cope with all theproblems and tasks ofyour every day world.From the moment youleave the river, yourdreams are of a quickreturn to this magnificentwork of nature.

Back in their work-a-dayworld paddlers will oftendaydream about the next

trip to Wartburg and theObed-Emory river system.They fantasize about driv-

ing up the hill on highway 27 and entering the smalltown of Wartburg. They know they will feel the demonsof the modern world leaving as the spirits of the riverarrive. That is how it is, when you are about to enteryour Paradise. That is why Wartburg, Tennessee hasalways been more than just another town near a riverfor the Bluegrass Wildwater Association.

If the good white water does not bring a smile to your lips, then just look around. How canyou not be happy in such a wonderful place as this?

The confluence of the Obed and the Emory has been the introduction of many BWA mem-bers to Paddling. It has been a great location for most of our clinics!

Don Spangler

Don Spangler

13

Turning the century, the National Paddling FilmFestival 2000 continued its tradition of innovation in pre-senting images of human powered water sports.Launching into cyberspace, the NPFF reached out to allthose who could not physically join us in Lexington,Kentucky, by bringing much of the festival to the web.Still Image entries were put up on the web about aweek before the festival, for all the world to look at andvote on. Though this pushed the entry deadline a cou-ple weeks earlier, it meant that many more people wereable to enjoy these great photos. As it turns out, JulieKeller made a sweep of the still image categories, win-ning Favorite Web Image, Best Slide and Best DigitalImage. The prize for the Digital win was a color printerdonated by Lexmark, Inc. Julie also won the adult divi-sion of the Safety Poster Contest, with a photographmemorializing Scott Bristow.

The Motion Image competition also went out toa web server, where 100 people at a time could sign onto watch. While images jumped around a bit as thetransmission speed ebbed and flowed, viewers wereable to get a good sense of the content and “personali-ty” of the films.

And this year’s films had personality! Perhapsthe strongest overall set of competitors in the festival’shistory, this year’s competition had judges and audiencealike struggling to choose their favorites. A wide spec-trum of styles and subject matter kept viewers’ interestthroughout the day. The shortest entry was 3 30 sec-ond Public Service Announcements on boating safetyby the National Park Service. The longest was anabsorbing 52 minute documentary by Joe Yaggi of BaliFilms recounting the adventures of five paddlers whotransnavigated Borneo, seeking a river passage throughuncharted jungles. A Kayak Adventure in Borneo, withits rich cinematography, compelling storyline andfootage of remote rivers, was a treat for boaters andnon-boaters alike.

Team Daft:Disabilities and Finely Tuned byAndy Watts profiles a whitewater trip with disabled pad-dlers, illustrating ways in which they compensated forthe disabilities through special outfitting and assisted

paddling.The deter-minationand adven-turous spiritof thesepaddlerswas inspir-ing. TeamEugenetakes an off-beat look ata communi-ty of boatersfromEugene,Oregon,mixing excit-ing creekingshots, cre-ative effects,and thought-ful momentson environ-mentalissues andthe sisterhood of women paddlers.

The amateur films were outstanding this year.Rainy Days, by Dan Nicholson, won the Amateur: Opencategory, with footage that celebrated creek runs in therain forests of the Pacific Northwest, and a plot thatconveyed the spirit of the community of paddlers.Peter Simpson’s Tabaze Tour won the Amateur:Extreme category with a tease of a film (less than 4minutes) showing some first descents in New Zealandand Chile. His entry form describe it as “Intense andsweet as all good runs are.” It left viewers wantingmore, and we hope this is just a taste of a longer film.The winner of the Amateur: Conservation and Best ofFestival: Amateur was Dave Steindorf’s More ThanPlumbing: the North Fork Feather. This documentaryshowed the effects of a hydropower plant on the ecolo-gy of this river in California’s Sierra range, as well as onthe once thriving tourist industry in the area. Footageof the river channel shot during the failure of part of thedam showed whitewater runs as they could be. Seethis film and then support AW’s efforts to win releasesduring relicensing proceedings.

Rick Gusic’s Grin Factor 10: the Ohiopyle FallsRace showed another river issue, access. This enter-taining film shows people in a variety of craft attemptingthe falls when it was opened to paddlers for a special

Winning Digial Image by Julie Keller

National Paddling Film Festival 2000Another Good Festival!

14

one-day event in November of 1999. Historical and hys-terical footage are combined in an effective way to makea point for increased access to this part of the river.NPFF veteran Milt Aitken treated paddlers to a compre-hensive view of the Chattooga watershed, with views ofselected rapids at various water levels, in his Deliver MeFrom the Paddlesnake. Adding to the impact of this filmis a well-crafted safety segment. A must see for anyonecontemplating this river.

The winner of the Professional: Open and Best ofFestival: Professional categories also profiles a river, oneof the BWA’s favorites. The Breaks of the Mountain: theRussell Fork Gorge by Tom Hansell of Appalshop is anincisive look at the relationship of a smallmountain town to the river it calls home andto the whitewater boaters who play there.This film captures the beauty of the area,the anger of the mountain folk about theenvironmental toll which the coal and tim-ber industries have exacted, and their anxi-ety over whether tourism is really going totreat them any better. This film is areminder that our playground is someoneelse’s backyard, and illustrates that a mutually supportiveand amiable relationship can exist between boaters andtownspeople.

The Safety/Instructional category was particularlystrong this year. Paul Bonesteel/ WaterworksProductions entered a clip from The Paddler’sPersonal Trainer, both instructional and safety orient-ed as it demonstrated stretch and strengtheningexercises to improve paddling performance andreduce the potential for injury. This film is an impor-tant addition to any paddler’s library. PerformanceVideo delivered another exceptional film this year, Inthe Surf, which tackles both the technique and theetiquette of paddling in the surf. Clear instruction,and a move by move breakdown of getting into andout of the waves, make it seem easy. The winner ofthe Professional: Safety/Instructional category wasPlay Daze by Ken Whiting and Chris Emerick. A bitshorter than the other instructional films, at 45 min-utes, this duo’s fast-paced video packs a lot of infor-mation into an enjoyable package, with great music,

bright and clear video and good use ofcamera angles and special effects toillustrate the moves.

Ben Aylesworth’s Gush was enteredin the Professional:Open category, butmany would agree that it belongs inthe Extreme category for a number ofreasons. As always, Ben has pushedthe limits, with unusual storylines andfantastic film technique. Watch for the

surprise ending of this film -- the festival audienceloved it. The winner of the Professional: Extremeand the audience voted Paddler’s Choice awards

was Eric Link’s Twitch 2000. With almost morbidcuriosity, the audience watched the daring deeds ofthe best of the big drop paddlers. Beautiful scenery,interviews, and a little comic relief rounded out thefilm, keeping us from overdosing on adrenaline. Manywere heard to wonder aloud, “But what’ll they do forthe next film?”

This year’s festival was so good, that eventhose films which didn’t win are well worth going out ofyour way to see. And a lot of money was raised forriver conservation causes as well. Much gratitude isdue our sponsors, who donated gear for the SilentAuction and supported us in other ways as well.Please be sure to let them know you appreciate theirsupport of the NPFF!

And last but not least, the volunteers whoplanned and worked at the festival deserve our thanksfor making this happen. Though most of the BWAhelped out in one capacity or another, please make apoint of thanking these committee members: ZogAitken, Ben Askren, Jana Bowling, Kathy Cole, JimDinger, John Foy, Barry Grimes, Carolyn Komar, LynLewis, Rich Lewis, Mike Molnar, Sam Moore, Paul“Sockeye” Singleton, Rich “Mr. Party” Smithers, DonSpangler, Valerie Vantreese, Prince Vittitow, andCorrine Voils.Zina Merkin, NPFF Coordinator

15

Upper Ocoee Release Dates

Lower Ocoee Release Dates

Ocoee River 2000 Release ScheduleOcoee River 2000 Release Schedule

TheTheOcoee RiverOcoee River ,,dry for manydry for manydecades due todecades due towater diversionwater diversionfor hydropowfor hydropow --

erer, now is the, now is thefocal point of padfocal point of pad --

dling in the Southeast when the rainsdling in the Southeast when the rainsquit. quit. AA greatgreat

learning andlearning andplaying riverplaying riverfor paddlers,for paddlers,it can proit can pro --

vide you thevide you theskills to go onskills to go on

to serious classto serious classIV and V waterIV and V water ..

While mostly aWhile mostly aclass II-III+class II-III+

run,run,some rapidssome rapids

approachapproachgood Class IVgood Class IV

in technicalin technicalpossibilities.possibilities.

Check it outCheck it outthis summer!this summer!

Don Spangler

16

Bluegrass Wildwater AssociationPO Box 4231

Lexington, Ky. 40504

BWA Monthly Meeting LocationPaisano’s Italian Restaurant, 1765 Alexandria, (Gardenside, near roll session YWCA)

“Special” Italian Buffet for BWA Meetings in the Best of the BWA Eat & Meet Traditions!

Russ has been work-ing hard this pastWinter!

While most of us werethinking about otherthings, he was busywalking the banks ofhis beloved Red Riverlooking for trash. Hehas it all stacked upand ready for volun-teers to pick up in theirboats or herd as itfloats down the river.(For those who do notremember or know,

Russ Miller is one of the Champions of theBottle Bill in Kentucky.)

May 13 is the day you can do you part! Ifyou care about the rivers we paddle andwant to help clean them up go to the RedRiver Clean up. Put in time is 10:00 am atBig Branch. Take out will be at Sky Bridge.Pizza will be there for all who help! Want toCamp the night before, come on up!

Need more info? Ask your Prez, GaryHoagland or call Russ at 606-668-6454.You can also e-mail: oatmeal@mrtc.com

Annual Red RiverClean-up

Saturday, May 13

Don Spangler