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TBAG’S GUIDE TO WHITEWATER THE DIRTBAG’S GUIDE TO WHITEWATER THE DIRTBAG’S GUIDE TO WHITEWATER THE DIRTBAG’S GUIDE TO WHITEWATER THE DIRTBAG’S GUIDE TO WHITEWATER THE DIRTBAG’S GUIDE TO WHI
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Middlebury & Somewhere In the Middle
Paddler: Tyler Curtis =Photo: Scott Martin
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Left to right: Danny Mongno, Knife’s Edge, Moose River, NY. Will Crimmins, On Photos: E
ne Whistle Falls, Brokeback Gorge, NY. Brian Murphy, Crystal, Moose River, NY Eric Adsit
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Paddler: Brian Paradis Photo: 7 Foot Media Tellico Ledges, TN
Paddler: Brandon Bloomquist Photo: Eric Adsit White Salmon, WA
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Paddler: Tyler Curtis Photo: Scott Martin Ottawa River, ON
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Above: An unknown paddler has second thoughts about taking that second lap. Tim Widmer Photo. At Left: Unknown in search of water in the jungle. Eric Adsit Photo
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Jared Seiler races towards the King of NY Title. Crystal, Moose River, NY. Scott Martin Photo
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From The Source... When I started paddling whitewater, I had a lifejacket, a snowboarding helmet, a 2-piece rec paddle, and a 9-foot sit-on-top kayak I “co-owned” with my parents. Maybe it’s the residual recoil from witnessing the mess known as Black Friday, or maybe I’m just a dirtbag yearning for simpler times, but for some reason I miss those days. In many ways, starting this magazine parallels my early paddling career. For one thing, I had no idea what I was doing, and to a certain extent, I still don’t. My editing software was less than acceptable: I was doing layouts in Microsoft Word and publishing photos taken on an iPod. In my effort to produce and publish original and quality content, I missed a whole issue. But that’s what dirtbags do. Gear or not, funding or not, we do what we can to do what we love. Slowly but surely, I’ve upgraded my equipment; a new PFD here, a DSLR there, but one thing has remained the same: Support and contributions from great friends. Just as every new paddling partner offered a free shuttle, spare floatbag, or tossed me a rope, so too did every reader contribute to this magazine. We’re catching up, we’re growing, and we’ve got a lot we’re looking forward to. Whether you’re just trying to escape the 9-5 in NYC or dirtbagging whatever unprotected wi-fi signal you can just to check your email and read this issue, we’re glad to have you here... Welcome to The Dirtbag’s Guide to Whitewater. Editor-in-Chief, Eric Adsit
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Dirtbags
Editor-in-chief: Eric Adsit Words: Harrison Rea Scott Martin Joel Meadows Nicholas Gottlieb Photos: Brian Paradis Tim Widmer 14
On The cover:
Scott Martin’s photo of Tyler Curtis launching a massive wavewheel on the Ottawa River near Curtis’ home makes the most of harsh light and glare.
Beta
Scott Martin Photo
From the source .............................................12 Homecoming....................................................16 Subculture...............................................22 The dirtbag solution....................................28 Somewhere in the middle............................30 getting the shot: the long haul................34 Middlebury.................................................36 15
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h o m e C o m i n g
Eagle Section of the Beaver river, NY
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In June 2013, I set forth on an ex-
pedition to a land filled with rivers rarely mentioned in guidebooks, with warm water, big drops, and even bigger holes. There are no major cities here, only small villages connected by winding forested roads, but the people here are friendly, even welcoming.
Eric Knierem finishes the Independence River’s Z-slide.
A local contact picked me up at the airport, which featured only a handful of gates. During our two hour drive into the thick of prime paddling territory, my contact insisted I stay with his family for the duration of my expedition. Grateful as I was, his further insistance I call him “Dad”only hinted at what would develop into a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome. I was greeted into Dad’s home by his wife, who also insisted I call her “Mom” and their two daughters, Nicole and Heather. The fridge was well stocked with a brew from just across the border called “Molsen Canadian,” and would accompany most dinners. I was able to find a few members of the local paddling community and even a boat to borrow from Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company. Will Crimmins, Dave Gardner, Chris Peck, Scott Martin, Brian Murphy, and even the elusive Dr. Gameday would all make appearances, along with several others, as I explored the area.
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A rainstorm the week before my arrival had primed the rivers to perfect flows, but only a few remained flowing by the time I oriented myself to my new surroundings. I made it to the local benchmark class IV+ Bottom Moose to warm up, but the many tributaries of the Black River that had inspired the trip dropped too quickly to catch.
By the end of my stay, I had paddled 8 different sections, soloed two rivers, and dropped a blind mandatory 45 footer three times in four days.
Disheartened by the clear skies but determined to repay the goodwill of my hosts, I began assisting Dad with the renovation of his front porch. Every dry day it would seem I was joined by another member of the community to install railings, secure tin roofing, or perform some other bit of construction.. And finally, just after the roof was finished,
the rains came. The paddling community came out of the woodwork, picking off run after run, day after day. I spent 10 days in a row paddling, quite often completing two different sections in a day. By the end of my stay, I had paddled 8 different sections, soloed two rivers, and dropped a blind mandatory 45 footer three times in four days.
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It is for these reasons that every paddler should make an expedition home high on their list.
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If that weren’t enough, my hosts invited me to join them for almost every event they were involved with, from Nicole’s graduation to their celebration of national indepence. By the end of my stay, it was impossible to seperate the identities of Mom and Dad from those of my real parents, and both Nicole and Heather seemed like real sisters to me.Those members of the family with no previous obligations packed into the small sedan to see me depart, and encouraged me to make another visit soon. It is for these reasons that every paddler should make an expedition home high on their list. Dictated but not read. Eric Adsit
Clockwise from left: Ryan Dwosh finds his way home through the jungle of Northern NY. Local chief-of-paddle-gear Will Crimmins on a highwater Independence lap. Tony Gianfagna goes big at Hole Brothers. No stranger to airtime, Scott Martin puts down the landing gear.
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SUB CULTURE
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As I was sitting in an eddy next to a tiny riffle on the Hiwassee River in Tennessee this summer, I looked upon what seemed like seventy five or maybe even a hundred people sharing the eddy with me. I knew I was witnessing the largest ever gathering of its kind. We were all kayakers, and we were all there for squirt boating. That innocent little riffle is actually a magnificent underwater playground, the kind that only a squirt boater would seek, one that any other paddler would float through without a second thought. It’s just a little jet of current flowing over a shelf into a deep pool, barely rating a class I on the I-VI scale. The unique thing about this little riffle lies in its underwater currents which can’t clearly be seen from the surface. These currents are why so many paddlers were there that day and why they keep coming back. This spot on the Hiwassee (called The Leslie) and many other similar locations on rivers around the world are ideal for squirt boating, a specialized form of whitewater paddling using an extremely low volume kayak designed to sink beneath the surface as much or more than it floats. As a whitewater paddler, chances are you have at least heard about squirt boating. The red headed stepchild of the kayaking world, it is most often seen as a cryptic, secretive pastime with only a dwindling lot of old wizards remaining, holding all the knowledge. It is true that there are dusty squirt boats hanging unused in garages across North America, but in reality, today’s squirt
Paddler: Jeremy Pou Photo: Leisure Sports Photography, Fayetteville, WV Location: Pillow Rock Rapid, Upper Gauley River, WV
trailblazers are continuing to push the boundaries of the sport into uncharted territory. The Hiwassee gathering and others like it are clear proof that squirt boating is alive and well today, and its contribution to whitewater kayaking over the last thirty years cannot be underestimated. In his original work on the subject, The Squirt Book, Jim Snyder defines a squirt as: Sinking all or portions of a boat by using currents and strokes in order to accomplish hot dog maneuvers. Since the late 1970s, competition slalom boating has evolved around using the pivot turn (a stern squirt) to make faster turns and thus faster times. Modern slalom boaters literally squirt their way down the course, taking a more direct route by leaning against the current as opposed to with the current, as most kayakers would do. In the early days, those slalom boaters, along with a few ingenious fellows from the mid-Atlantic, began pushing the limits of the pivot turn beyond what was useful for running gates, solely in their pursuit of fun. In short, using the pivot turn for enjoyment is how squirt boating was born. It is a highly entertaining way to play your way down the river using currents otherwise inaccessible to other types of kayaks. Freestyle kayaking, if not hatched directly from squirt boating, was hugely influenced by the early squirt pioneers and their radical moves. Guys like Jesse Whittemore and brothers Jim & Jeff Snyder were performing smooth cartwheels, splats, and other rodeo-style moves in their
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Paddler: Sarah Anderson Photo: Curt Lamberth Location: The Leslie, Hiwassee River, TN
“The red headed stepchild of world, it is most often seen secretive pastime with only lot of old wizards remaining the knowledge.�
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f the kayaking as a cryptic, y a dwindling g, holding all ”
custom made play-machines long before many reading this were born. The original squirt idea of future water is one of the primary keys to modern freestyle kayaking technique, and it is no surprise that many of the world’s top freestyle competitors also enjoy and excel at squirt boating. The art of reading rivers and features has also gained immensely from squirt boating. Running rivers in squirt boats requires an extremely high understanding of currents and river features. Navigating a difficult rapid in a squirt boat takes far more thought and attention to detail than when paddling a normal whitewater boat. A veteran squirt boater may see currents he/she can use to their advantage, or choose to avoid, that other paddlers may not see or care about. Every small wave, rock or hydraulic must be analyzed, every precise paddle stroke and boat lean anticipated so that the boater not only navigates the rapid cleanly, but with clearly purposeful style. This is referred to in the squirt boating world as charc. In The Squirt Book, Snyder defines charc as: Charging Arc. The angle of attack of a boat’s long axis as it encounters local currents/features. Directly related to strategy or lack thereof in river running. A broad charc is perpendicular to the current; a steep charc is toward parallel. Also used in reference to people’s attitudes, i.e., bad charc. This concept undeniably carries over to the river running and creek boating arenas. And finally, the Mystery Move: the ultimate charc. The mystery move defines squirt boating today. The mystery move involves sinking the entire boat and rider beneath the surface of the river; essentially controlled underwater kayaking. The mystery move is a difficult maneuver requiring precise boat control and a high understanding of both the surface and subsurface currents. While it may look easy or casual to even an expert non-squirting paddler, the mystery move requires total commitment to the ride, a commitment that most will not easily take on.
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The most interesting thing about the mystery move is that nearly all who are regular seekers of the move will say that it produces a feeling that cannot be described without actually experiencing the ride. It can be loosely related to the feeling one has after a great powder day, ocean surfing session, or waterfall run, yet still completely different. It creates a uniquely pure mental state that inspires many feelings: happiness, contentment, focus, a sense of accomplishment, a feeling that nothing else in the world matters, that all is right in the world, and a feeling that the rider’s soul is totally in-
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tertwined with Mother Earth and her primary resource: water. John Trembley, an expert boater from Knoxville, TN, puts this feeling in great perspective: “For me, one of the most fundamental things that is happening is that the mystery experience inspires awe; and each of us who are lured by the mystery move into this experience of awe relates to it and expresses it in their own way.� Merriam-Webster defines awe as: an emotion variously combining dread, veneration, and wonder that is inspired by authority or by the sacred or sublime. This mental state
Clockwise from Left: Jake Rozier catches some ends at The Weasel, N. Santiam, OR. Photo: Joel Meadows Kirby Ederly getting deep at The Weasel. Photo: Emile Elliot Ryan Young & Joel Meadows share the mystery trance at the same. Photo: Emile Elliot
is commonly referred to as the trance by squirt boaters, and is generally achieved after repeated adventures beneath the surface. The mystery trance is often discussed, and more often than not, moves into the hyper-philosophical zone, extending far beyond kayaking into thoughts about life, purpose, and existence. While this all may seem a little out there to the casual reader, it is clear that those seeking mystery moves are onto something much deeper (pun intended) than just having a little fun on the river. Over the next few issues, we’ll dive into the sub-sport of squirt boating, it’s his-
tory, techniques, equipment, and influences on other types of boating. We’ll also dive deeply into the modern mystery move-centric era, and the physical and philosophical state of trance. Above all, the intention of this series is to share a different perspective on whitewater kayaking as a whole. I truly believe that by adding even a tiny bit of squirt boating style and theory to your paddling, you will improve as a paddler, and it may open up a new world of liquid bliss that you never knew existed. -Joel Meadows
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Dirtb e h T a
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t i u o l n o S
There are two common potential causes for this type of shoulder positioning: 1. Improper cueing: A muscle is firing when not needed. And this misfiring is pulling your shoulder out of position. Furthermore, your poor, confused muscle has to not only work against everyone else, but also has to work overtime. 2.Lack of Flexibility: Due to short, tight muscles, you are physical unable to achieve a stable shoulder position.
Luckily, we can help reduce both problems with the same multi-purpose physical therapy tool: The Lacrosse Ball. The LB is cheap, easwith Harrison Rea ily available, and most importantly, unlike your We all know whitewater poses inherent risk to girlfriend they never get tired, and they always injury, and injuries can take critical time off the know exactly how you like it. Think of the LB water to heal. Worst of all, seeking out the help as your personal massage device. of a Physical Therapist to repair the damage The Sorority Shoulder done is expensive. While Harrison Rea is no doctor, his suggestions may allow prevention and maintenance to save time, money,and effort, all of which are invaluable to a true dirtbag. Throughought this series, Harrison will target knots, scar tissue, and sliding surface issues to increase flexibility, muscle elasticity, and help put the spring back in your step (or any other movement important for paddling). - Eds.
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Back paddling, lowbraces, and rudders can all reveal a deficiency in shoulder mobility. If you find your shoulder coming forward like a sorority girl posing for a picture at a party, it might be time to listen up. If you find yourself in this shoulder position and encounter any kind of unexpected force (e.g. hitting a rock while low bracing or rolling in a hole and suddenly finding the green water), you’re basically asking for a shoulder dislocation.
Step 1. If you have to make a face, you’re applying too much Generally identify the area of muscle and roll pressure
Step 1
the ball around the affected area, in this case, pec minor. To find pec minor, raise your arm laterally until it is parallel with your shoulder. Bend your elbow to press the palm of your hand against your chest. Pec minor can be found around the base of your palm.
Apply pressure to The LB with both hands to the most tender and tense segment. Do so for two minutes or until you feel a change in tension or flexibility, whichever you notice first. No excuses for not using this exercise because you can do it anywhere.
Step 2 With the ball in the same place, lean against a doorway and extend your arm, raising and lowering it through your full range of motion.
Step 2. Don’t make a pain face!
During this and all other exercise, it is important to stay out of the Pain Cave. This means never going so hard that you are unable to keep a straight face and keep your breathing calm and even. Do at least the first exercise as part of your warm-up, or if you don’t warm up (shame on you), as your entire warm up, before paddling. Perform once daily on non-paddling days as well. If you stick with this until the next issue, pec minor will be in good enough shape that we can start to shift focus to another frequent problem area.
Words by Harrison Rea Photos by Eric Adsit
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Som whe In Th Mid 30
meere n he ddle 31
Somewhere in the middle, you find out it’s a lot bigger than you thought... 32
It starts out as an idea, a trickle in the shadows of your mind. You know there’s an ocean of experience somewhere far, far away, but you don’t know how long it will take to get there. But the beginning and ending aren’t nearly so important as the middle.
The bottom drops out. It seems as if you’ll be swallowed whole, rejected, thrown, and rag-dolled. And sometimes you are. The drop was too powerful, too different. It flipped you and maybe even spat you out on shore, worn out and carping for air.
As you approach the middle, things come at you fast. There isn’t much you haven’t seen before, but it’s moving faster than you’d like, and the twists and turns come just frequently enough that you’re always on your toes. Every time you think you have something mastered, a new lesson comes pouring in.
But when it doesn’t, when you join the flow of the river downstream and through the boiling, churning chaos beyond the horizon, it’s the best feeling in the world. You know now, and that horizon will never exist in the same way. And then there’s always one more. You feel like you’ve been working too hard and too long, and there’s always one more. You might want to give up or be angry, but then you remember the trickle at the put-in. You remember the hard, icy ideas in the shadows of your mind melting into a stream of consciousness that stretches for mile after mile, day after day.
Quite suddenly, without having really done anything different at all, you’re in the middle. There’s a bit more push, and lots more to learn, but there’s a little more room to breathe too. Things seem to slow down, at least for a little while. You settle into pools and drift. You look backwards and realize how far you’ve come. You look forward and realize something else: You can’t You remember that someday, you will see what comes next. reach the end. At your first horizon line, the edge of what you know becomes a very real thing. The middle is filled with horizons, the unknown. Friends might guide you through the next step; it certainly makes things easier. But at some point, you’re going to go into it alone. There’s only one way to go...
Previous page: Tom Whipple drops into Lochsa Falls Facing page: Chloe Alley-Sarnack ponders life in the middle. Words and Photos by Eric Adsit
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Getting The Shot:
The Long Haul By Scott Martin
When the opportunity arises to paddle a multi day section of river I get very excited. Multi day trips are by far my favorite type of river trip. Depending on your trip, the planning and logistics can often consume hundred of hours. If you plan correctly you can enjoy your adventure without questioning or doubting your equipment. If you don’t, it may cost you… I try my best to keep my camera equipment list down to a minimal. Money doesn’t grow on trees, so some of my lenses are heavy... real heavy, like my 70-300mm. I break my list down and ask myself questions as I go. Essentials: Camera Body Memory Cards: Do I have enough? Lens Cleaning Devices: I try have two light weight cloths, if one gets wet I have a back up. Ever try get rid of water droplets using photoshop? It sucks! Batteries. This is a big one. Do I have enough? I often take 3 to 4 batteries. How am I going to charge them? From my past experiences I have taken my charger with and stopped in the craziest shops, tourist info centers, houses, gas stations plugged my batteries in and waited. Sometime this takes 3/4 of the day. I have also used solar powered panels which worked like a dream. If you are able to afford solar panels (Goal Zero makes good ones) and are in a rush they will be very helpful. I prefer the old school method as you never know who you will meet when you adventure into a small river town.
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Lenses: You want to cover all your bases with out being ridiculous. Luckily for us kayakers/ river floaters we don’t carry these things on our back (until we portage). I always want a solid zoom lens: 70-300mm f 4.5/5.6 works great. A wide angle lens for tight gorges. camp, landscapes, I like a 24-85mm f 3.5 A prime lens which is great for low light, portraits, and landscapes. My workhorse and its cheap a 50mm f 1.8. Bag/case: Watershed drybag or Pelicase. Try to reorganize this every few days. After a day or two of shooting, my bag looks like my camera threw up in it. Umbrella: You never know when it may rain and having an umbrella is critical to shooting in the rain. Also they make great fishing poles or spares. Maybes: Reflector, these are super light, small and packable. They can very handy for portraits. Notes: I rotate batteries daily and take them out of the camera at night; the camera drains them. In cold conditions, I put the camera and batteries into my down jacket first thing in the morning and try warm them up before use. Shoot like you are shooting with film; don’t fire away and slideshow your photos from the day on your LCD screen. Make sure the camera is switched off before putting it in your bag. Take everything out your camera bag if it feels damp inside. Even a few hours a day make a huge difference.
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Tucked just out of sight of the visiting leaf peepers from Massachusetts, a few hundred feet below a major road outside the quaint New England college town of Middlebury, VT lies one of the most dramatic bedrock river gorges in the state. Its sculpted corridor houses four back-to-back waterfalls, the final two hidden beneath overhanging walls poised to collapse any millennium now. The whitewater run is roughly two miles long with the gorge proper – the “Birth Canal” – appearing early, followed by 1-1.5 miles of “run-out.” Of course, depending on water level, the “run-out” can be a deserving run in its own right, but it lacks the grandeur of the sheer-walled cathedral upstream. Nowadays, with the details of the river well known, people often put in at the bottom of the Gorge, either because they’re working up to it or because the water is high. Many groups hoping to paddle the whole river choose to scout the gorge from the rim before their first time down. When it was first run by the Kern brothers in the mid ‘90s, they approached it quite differently. Willie told me they “[just put on and] approached it like running a river,” climbing high to scout. For those of us who live locally and paddle the Middlebury as our staple run, it’s hard to imagine looking down into the shadows of the room between the final two rapids and wondering what sort of monsters made their home there. I didn’t scout the entrance waterfall my first time down, but I knew generally what to expect, so when we rounded a corner to see the walls rise up and close in over an obvious horizon line...well, I wasn’t surprised. I didn’t think, “How on earth do I scout this? Can I get out below? What if there’s – god-forbid – an ‘un-un’ down there?” I’ve had my fair share of those experiences, scrambling up high on shore trying to get a glimpse at the questionably runnable but un-portageable rapids far below, but the Middlebury doesn’t fall into that category in my mind. Yes, the rapids change year to year (it’s one of the more volatile riverbeds in VT), and yes, every spring I’m worried about unportageable wood in Re-
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Middl
lebury
birth. But usually I hike in from the rim to check for wood before the first run of the year and call it good. And regardless of the subtle changes to the lip of Fallopian or the transformation of Cunnilingus from perfect watery boof to unpredictable wall-ride, the basic character of the rapids never changes. So, every year, we paddle in knowing more or less exactly what to expect. It’s not something I regret, necessarily, but writing this article, I find myself thinking about something Doug Ammons’ wrote adamantly about the Stikine: “[limiting beta] is the real shit. It’s how I recommend every group approach things, and especially the Stikine.” The Stikine is on a different plane than the Middlebury, but thinking about the Middlebury in this light has helped me understand Doug’s point. There’s something that’s lost when you know exactly what’s downstream. Boofing waterfalls into gorgeous places is a big part of why we kayak, but there’s an aspect of it that isn’t just about having fun. People don’t climb Everest because they like taking short, incredibly difficult oxygen-deprived steps up a mountain. There’s an aspect of adventure, of exploration, to kayaking that is becoming harder and harder to find, and the Middlebury has fallen victim to that trend. Not that all is lost – even without the feeling of exploration, the Birth Canal remains an amazing place. My first time rounding the corner and dropping off the entrance waterfall stands out to this day as a favorite moment in my kayaking career; in my life. So, for those who run it regularly... don’t forget to really experience it. Get out and scout sometimes; really spend time in there. For everyone else...when you’re ready, come to VT, drive up Route 125 until you can see the river and put on. There’s a gorge down there somewhere, and eventually the river crosses underneath 125 again at the takeout. You can scout everything with some effort. And don’t watch my Youtube video of the river. -Nicholas Gottlieb
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To Pu
ut-ins filled with friends...
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