October 2004 Novice Whitewater Clinic - October
16-17, 2004
Chris Collins
As I recall about eight paddlers signed up to help with this clinic and to enjoy a great weekend of paddling and camping in the Ozarks. Actually Steven Deyoe, Dotty Thompson and I were the only ones that participated. Dotty was our newest KCKA member at the time and our only novice. It was pouring down rain when we arrived, we were all in the same vehicle and we were without a shuttle.
Most of the whitewater rivers in the Ozarks were too low to be usable for training. We decided to fall back on the North Fork of the White River because it is mostly spring fed and almost always has water suitable for learning eddy turns and ferry moves. It is a very beautiful river and always a joy to paddle.
I watched the weather and radar until our departure Friday morning. I was not sure if it would still be raining when we arrived, but I was pretty sure the weekend would be acceptable. After all, if we are dressed for a cold-water swim, we should be able to handle a little rain or drizzle.
Around midnight on Friday, the moon and stars replaced the rain clouds and the terrestrial radiation was accelerated. Terrestrial radiation is the term used to describe the Earth’s heat being radiated into space. If the sky is clear, the temperature drops all night until the sun rises high enough to begin heating the Earth’s surface. The warm surface then heats the air. An overcast sky will act like a blanket to reduce the temperature loss due to radiation.
If I remember correctly, the temperature dropped to 33 F Saturday morning and 32 F on Sunday morning. Nothing actually froze except us. Not really, but putting on cold and damp paddle clothing on Sunday morning did present a challenge. The days warmed up to 50 – 60 F and it was truly beautiful.
On the way, we stopped in Springfield to visit Ozark Adventures, one of our long time business members. They are less than a quarter mile off Highway 60 as you go around the south part of Springfield. There were a few items we wanted but could not find locally before we left. I walked in with a copy of the Kansas Paddler and greeted the owner. He smiled from ear to ear and was very anxious to help us. We all found a few things we could not do without. Dotty found a helmet that fit so she would not have to wear her biking helmet. Our business members do appreciate knowing that you see their advertisements in our newsletter.
We got to Mountain Grove just before dark. This is the last town with facilities before reaching the campsite. We picked up a few supplies at their new Wal-Mart. We then stopped at Subway to pick up dinner, cookies and a sandwich to eat on the river. By this time it was dark and the drizzle had turned to real rain. I polled our group of three to see if we wanted to make use of the nearby motel, continue to the campsite or go home. Steven and Dotty voted to continue. I was concerned about Steven and Dotty having to pitch their tents in the rain. It was of little consequence to me because my van was my tent and my bed was already made.
We finally maneuvered through Ozark hills and the rain-induced fog to arrive at Riverside Canoe, which is just downstream from Patrick Bridge. We got there early enough to raise the owners and arrange for a Saturday morning shuttle. Steven and Dotty pitched their tents under a picnic shelter located about 75 yards from a bathroom with flush toilets and hot showers. It worked perfectly. Their gear never got wet. Our enthusiasm to get a campfire started with wet wood, in the rain, was low and that effort lasted only a few minutes. We all went to bed and slept 10-12 hours.
Steven and I had borrowed and scrounged enough clothing, spray skirt and a whitewater paddle to provide Dotty with a warm and enjoyable experience. We were all three pleased to say that it worked. I believe Dotty had a great time and she has agreed to paddle with us at least 26 weekends during 2005. She will spend the remaining 26 weekends biking around or across Kansas.
Steven and Dotty work together at a local medical facility where people receive help in the form of tiny springs and/or balloons being inserted in their veins. That can’t be technically correct but I am sure you get the idea. I first met Dotty at Mountain High, another one of our long time business members, several days before our trip. She was swapping out a defective boat for a new one and I helped her move up to a Perception Enduro. This decision was based on her desire to participate on some of our lighter whitewater trips and still be able to use the same boat to paddle on flat water.
I use my Enduro for flatwater and have paddled it on Class III whitewater so I could recommend it highly. It has thigh braces, a standard size cockpit and support pillars which are needed for safety reasons when paddling whitewater. These features are not currently available on the recreational kayaks.
Dotty had just finished Jim Johnson’s Red Cross kayak class and was ready for some basic training in moving water. On Saturday we took our gear to Hammond Mill Access. I drove the van to the Blair Bridge Public Access where I met Allen Maxey, the owner of Riverside Canoe Rental. He shuttled me back to Hammond Mill and provided entertaining conversation on the way.
I am guessing we launched about 11:00 AM. About a mile down the river we were ready to begin stripping off layers of clothes to match the increase in temperature and the warm sunshine. The water was about 60 F so we had to stay protected in case of a swim. I was especially concerned about Dotty because a bad experience like a cold swim could cause her to loose interest in future trips. We decided to use Saturday for a float trip and let Dotty get used to her new boat since this was its maiden voyage. She did great.
Sunday morning we put in at Twin Bridges at 9:20 AM and took out at Hammond Mill Access. Again, Allen Maxey shuttled me back to the put-in. By the way, we were unable to contact anyone at Twin Bridges to pay the access fee. A sign in the window indicated that the place was for sale.
The Twin Bridges run is my favorite. I had run it once before with Cliff Long. The stream is much narrower and a little more remote. We found many more strainers and obstacles that created eddies. Again, Dotty did great. By the end of the run, she was beginning to get the hang of eddy turns and she never took a swim. She learned much faster than I ever did, and Steven did a great job helping her.
The Twin Bridges run was 5.11 miles by the trip meter on my GPS and it lasted 1.8 hours. This included the time we spent playing in every eddy we could find. Our gear was loaded and we were on our way back to Wichita by noon. I think Dotty is now ready for training on the Mulberry or an equivalent stream in the spring.
I would like to express special thanks to Susan and Allen Maxey, the owners of Riverside Canoe Rental. Their place was beautifully groomed, the showers were hot and their service was great and fairly priced. Best of all, since it was off-season, there was only one other small group to share the campground with us. We saw deer every time we entered and exited their property and listened to one or more coyote howl at night.
On the way out, we scouted the Hebron Access located a few miles upstream from the Twin Bridges Access. We will have to catch it after a nice rain or sometime when the more popular sections are too high.
Come play with us in the spring!
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