Whitewater Kayaking and Canoeing

Where it began; Vancouver Island in British Columbia

My first western trip in 1987 sparked my interest in whitewater. I had rafted with college roommates before through the famous Cribworks on the Penobscot River in Maine, but I had never paddled a canoe or kayak. My first time ever in a kayak was at Nanaimo in British Columbia, where I rented one for a sunset whale-watching paddle out around the San Juan Islands. Along the vertical walls of the coves, we counted five different kinds of starfish, and I was hooked. Seeing rafting and kayaking out West made me want to learn.

Back in New England, I took whitewater canoeing instruction through the Appalachian Mountain Club in 1988, as soon as I got back from that ’87 road trip. A year later, because it looked like a whole lot more fun, I enrolled in several courses for whitewater kayaking instruction. We spent a lot of time on lakes practicing strokes, wet exits, and other basic skills before moving on to a weekend on the river. That was where I really got hooked.

Paddlers gathered beside the rapids. — 01. New paddlers gathered beside the rapids, listening to Dave, the instructor, discuss the best lines to take and how to avoid capsizing around these old bridge pilings. He explained that submerged rebar could impale you if you capsized in the wrong place. He also discussed how to avoid getting pinned and how to find good eddies behind the abutments to eddy out and play in. Most importantly, he emphasized choosing the correct line and paddling hard to avoid capsizing. I was the safety boater, so I could hang around, listen, and take photos.

Weekends on New England rivers

During the 1990s, I went whitewater paddling with the AMC almost every weekend, traveling through New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine. Among the rivers I remember paddling were the Saco in New Hampshire and Maine and the Androscoggin around Berlin, along with many others nearby.

We always paddled the West River dam release on the first weekend in October. It was incredible, with warm water coming out of the reservoirs as they were drawn down to make room for winter precipitation storage. The fall colors that first week of October were always spectacular. We all camped at Jamaica State Park, sharing incredibly fun campfires and evenings together along with amazing days on the river.

A lot of the best paddling in New England was during the March and April snowmelt, which was generally freezing cold. We often wore 5-millimeter diving wetsuits from head to toe to protect ourselves from the cold. I remember bringing gallon jugs of very warm water from home and pouring it into our wetsuits at the launch before getting into our boats, just to start off a little warm. We would soon be soaked to the bone, especially anyone who was really pushing themselves.

02. Watching a paddler on the river, with helmets and PFDs ready. My friend Bob Koney is on the right, and the girl in the yellow shirt is Christine. The others are all students from the beginner whitewater instruction class. The boater in the background next to Bob is the famous Jim Healy, who was paddling a C1 and was my mentor on so many of these trips. I learned so much from him, and he always encouraged me to push it to the max in big water, especially on the Farmington River down in Tariffville, Connecticut, and in some of the giant keeper waves like Jaws, where we would spend all day playing in the holes. Thanks for everything, Jim. You’re the best.

Learning, then helping others

I became an AMC whitewater instructor and volunteered as a rear safety boater for beginners. Following behind the group meant helping new paddlers and rescuing people when things went wrong. Those weekends brought many friendships and taught me skills that have stayed with me throughout my paddling life.

03. Vermont, 1990: kayaking through whitewater beneath autumn foliage.

From canoe to kayak

I eventually switched from whitewater canoeing to kayaking because finding a canoe partner was difficult, especially when I had weekdays available. A kayak gave me more flexibility to choose my own lines, try more challenging water, and develop my skills.

04. Vermont, 1990: canoes navigating the rapids. The standing canoeist is the infamous Mel Noll, one of AMC Boston’s finest canoeists. Due to bad knees, he stood in his kayak and did all of his runs standing. I learned a lot from him. He was definitely one to push the limits and help new boaters learn to push their limits too.

A volunteer community

The AMC program was run by volunteers, with essentially no fees. The people receiving instruction covered the volunteers’ meals and accommodations. It was a way to spend weekends paddling, share what we had learned, and help others discover the rivers.

05. Vermont, 1990: a canoe running the waves, with other paddlers nearby.