I was fortunate to be able to take the River Safety Class while at Week Of Rivers. I started paddling back when, as Joe Berry puts it, “Safety was having three boaters.” After my 20 year absence from whitewater, I was impressed with how much emphasis is put on river safety.
Atlantic Beach, NC. Monday afternoon July 19 2004.
The short of it: I was able to give four swimmers a kayak ride after they got caught in a very large and powerful Rip Tide. I made several mistakes during the rescue but got away with it. I was lucky.
The long of it:
Paddlers: Knut Radloff and Craig McKinnon
37 ft/mile gradient, steep slopes, rocky cliffs, mature hardwood growth, rhododendron. Sounds like a Nantahalaesque mountain stream? This Raleigh whitewater jewel feels like it with lots of class II ledges, pretty scenery and few signs of urban development.
Standing on the shores of the huge McCoy rapid and looking at the thundering swells of this gigantic Ottawa River from my little Kingpin Icon, I felt so ready. Ready to conquer, ready to continue where I left off last year.
The rivers of southern Chile have now replaced those of Costa Rica and a few closer to home, like the Chattooga and New River Gorge, in my affections. I splurged and spent a major portion of my carefully saved dollars on an NOC trip to Patagonia in February, and had the best paddling vacation yet. I'll try not to gush too much, but here are some of the details and highlights.
