HCC NEWSLETTER --- MAY 1972
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For quite a while, the HCC Executive Board. has been discussing ways in which we -could offer canoe training to our members, One or two recent past attempts have fizzled; and yet we get constant inquires from new members on training sessions. Now we will have another opportunity for some good, basic river canoeing training and practise. Elmer and Gwen Mackison and Howard Young attended a two-day course in Pennsylvania' recently and will share their experiences with us soon. Below are articles by Elmer and Gwen telling of their weekend, followed by the specifics for our training course.
Red Ridge College of River Canoeing — Elmer Mackison
On Friday, May 5, Howard Young, Gwen and I arrived in eastern Pennsylvania just in time to register for a very interesting, exciting and informative weekend. I had. written to Bob McNair, author of "Basic River Canoeing”, over a year ago inquiring about the Red Ridge College of River Canoeing only to find that it would not be held until this year. I wrote again this spring and received information and application blanks. Two weeks later Howard Young and I received confirmation of our acceptance. Gwen decided to go along for the ride and was able to fill a last-minute opening,
From the very first evening the emphasis was on cutting down on mileage and learning more canoeing by playing the river. This was brought out by some excellent home movies of the Buck Ridge Club on theLehigh River. It seemed that in most of the movie everyone was paddling upstream — surfing and attempting to surf on waves and in general playing with the river.
Rolling out of bed at 6:30 in the morning in 30-degree weather isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do as we found out on Saturday. Gwen and Howard were in one of six groups, and I was in still another. We were told ahead of time that we would constantly be changing partners and.be expected. to paddle in both ends of the canoe and on either side. We also were expected to always paddle on our knees. This was somewhat hard to take not being used to paddling on my knees except for very brief periods. But after two days, I found that I didn’t mind. but rather enjoyed this position. Not to mention that it kept me from falling out on my head at least once.
As soon as the shuttle was taken care of Pete Hellier, one of my instructors, gave a demonstration of paddle strokes and commands that we would be using for the next two days, The water was fast with slight riffles in the current where we put in, we were told to stop and assemble in an eddy that was along the far bank about 30 yards downstream. As soon as everyone was in the eddy we were shown how to do a forward. ferry. After practicing this a couple of times, we were told to change positions and then we repeated the process. Next came the back ferry using the same procedures, learning both bow and stern positions. After a half hour of paddling, we were still only maybe 35-40 yard downstream.
These were manoeuvres that come in handy on any stream as we were to soon find out. The stream that we were on, Catawissa Creek, was narrow, windy, fast and lined with trees on both banks. In other words, a typical Indiana stream, the high water had caused many trees to fall into the stream making knowing what you are doing and quick manoeuvres important to the lead canoe. The manoeuvres were the same for the rest of us, but not nearly as unexpected. In the next few hours, we must have portaged. around, lined through and maneuverer around fifteen or twenty trees.
Later in the day we were introduced to the correct way to do an eddy turn. This is a manoeuvre that is fun to do one. Also serves a very practical purpose. It is one way of stopping your downstream motion very quickly to look over what is ahead of you downstream. It is also a quick way to get into a haven of safety (an eddy behind a rock) until help can arrive or until you can figure a way out.
When the day was over everyone was tired and ready for bed. But first, everyone went to town for dinner and then back to camp for classes. There were many nodding heads during the lectures that evening. Finally, a little later, we were all in a very sound asleep
The next day started out much the same but as soon as we got to the river, we could tell that it was going to be a very different day. The stream, the Big Nescopeck, was wider, faster and instead of trees, mostly rocks. There was some delay getting started because several other groups were wanting to use the same two mile stretch of the stream that we were going to use. Yes, two miles, but we spent over five hours on the water. We undoubtedly could have paddled this stretch much faster, but we probably would have lost a canoe or two. Or at least swamped several because the water was class III rapids and met some of the qualifications for class IV. By working the inside of the curves, back ferrying through the rapids, and by playing the river smart, we didn’t have that first canoe turn over (several took on some water)
The only near casualty that my group had occurred during one of the most unusual accidents that I have ever seen happen along a river. We were stopped along the bank looking over difficult stretch of the river when I saw the bowman of the canoe in front of me look quickly to the side and drop forward. Almost in the same instant, a dead log about ten feet long and fifteen inches in diameter fell on him. This tree had stood there undoubtedly for years seemingly waiting for this precise moment to fall, striking, luckily, only a glancing blow along the back of the bowman.
This same tree served another purpose. While we were waiting on John to recuperate. It floated downstream much as an unguided canoe, only to slam broadside against a boulder about fifty yards downstream. It pointed out very well the importance of not letting your canoe turn broad side in the current. A short time later we passed. Gwen and Howard‘s group, after one of their classmates had put a canoe broadside against two rocks. We later saw the owner of this canoe paddling home in the remains, a shell tied together with ropes and bent like a banana.
When we finally got back to camp it was time to take our final exam. We have yet to receive the results of this test.
Much praise and admiration are due to Pete Hollier, Bud Vye, Lew Hopkins, my instructors for the weekend, for their patience, encouragement, and enthusiasm. I am sure that the other instructors, who all donated their time were equally fine and understanding, I feel that the weekend was well spent. It was educational in that I could see how these skills could be used. here In Indiana as well as in the rougher waters of neighbouring states. These were skills that we should all know and be ready to use when an emergency arises and the only way to be ready to use them is to be constantly practising by playing with the river. For a more fulfilling and safer enjoyment of the rivers join in and learn more canoeing.
And in Another Group — Gwen Mackison
In our class it was brought our quite dramatically that you are not much better than the poorer partner in a canoe team. In our group we had quite varied abilities. One girl had never been in a canoe before, and one gentleman was 70-mile marathon racer who had travelled and raced across the country. The rest of us were spread out between the extremes.
We had two instructors who paddled with the weaker canoeists. The first day one instructor and his partner had a serious spill. Even though he was a very capable canoeist, the water was so forceful that he could not avoid getting broadside to a log. After standing in the cold water for some time, the men finally recovered the canoe. After the spill we spent about an hour playing around this obstacle, ferrying and doing eddy turns.
After the first day, I was a little disappointed because I felt that I could handle everything that was presented to me. It wasn’tuntil the second day, that I realized how important this preliminary training was. The water was really rough and what had seemed easy on the slower water became quite tricky.
Most of the women in our group were either good or poor canoeists (no in-betweens). Rather than put two women together, our instructor avoided changing partners as much as possible, but we did change places. Let me tell you it is really an experience to paddle stern with 195-pound inexperienced bowman! Especially when you have to paddle on your weaker side and he sits so big and wide that you can’t see around him
On the second day our group had a very serious spill which may have been avoided if our group had stayed together. The lead canoe got far ahead because he thought the group was in front of him. He had passed us while we were sitting in an eddy shortly after we put in. The second canoe tried to catch him, and in doing so lost sight of us (We were the third canoe). We had to hold back for the canoe behind us (It is the responsibility for one canoe to look after the canoe behind them). Anyway, the lend canoe spilled, recovered, and. was on the bank when the second canoe came along. The second canoe got broadside on two rocks at the top of a fast chute. The girl was quite shaken and was pulled ashore and left while the others tried to free the canoe. About this time, we come around the bend and I saw the man standing in the middle of the stream. I quickly decided. this should be looked over, so I drew the bowinto the closest eddy, jumped out on a rock and signalled all boats behind me to come into the eddy.
We then walked downstream to see what the problem was. I found the girl lying on a rock scared to death. She didn’t make much sense so I changed her clothes and got her something to eat and drink. By the time the others arrived she could talk sensibly and wasn’t shaking so badly. They had lost their dump bag and spare paddles which were recovered downstream.
We ate lunch while the men got the canoe out. It was really twisted. and all the thwarts were broken out. They jumped on it to straighten it the best they could and then tied it together. The owner took the canoe on alone with the escort of the lead canoe. The girl got in with an instructor who was paddling alone because of first-day dropout. We became the lead canoe. We were running late and had to hurry back to take our written tests, so the instructor told me to take the lead and not stop until we reached the end. This was quite an experience not knowing what lay ahead and having the responsibility to lead the others.
Everything ended up fine, with many happy memories of the past two days. With very sore muscles we headed home with 13 hours of driving ahead of us.
And now, THE HOOSIER CANOE CLUB TRAINING "COLLEGE”
DATE: Two one-day sessions (choose one day), June 10 & 11 (note the change from the schedule. This is being substituted for the Graham’s Creek trip.
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FEE: $1.50
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To Cover the cost of Bob McNair’s Basic River Canoeing. If you have a copy, no charge.
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PRE-REGISTRATION:
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Call Gwen and Elmer Mackison as soon as possible.
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291-7382
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Friday, June 2, is the last day for registration. Register as individuals (you may not paddle with your spouse!). Registrations will be taken on a first—come—first—serve basis since the group
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- will have to be limited to a workable size.
DETAILS: Available from Gwen & Elmer when you pre-register. Stream will depend on water and weather conditions that weekend. It will be held as close to Indianapolis as possible.
MATERIAL COVERED: Basic canoe strokes, ferrying, eddy turns, river reading, etc
