Our Own Ideal Year

Your February 1997 issue inspired me to write. I'm planning to join some friends on what we think is a unique year-long expedition--our own Ideal Kayak Year! Four of us plan to canoe and kayak the length of the Missouri River, from its headwaters near Three Forks, Mont., to the Mississippi at St. Louis and finish in the Gulf of Mexico.

--Donna Tatro, Lawrenceville, New Jersey

Roll Another One?

After reading about Peter Sturges' "Otter Roll Bar" invention in the Dec. '96 Paddler, my brother Manuel and I decided to give it a try. We did not have a PVC pipe at hand, so we headed to the club's gym and took a weight-lifting disk. We sandwiched a foam swimming board between the disk and the kayak's bottom and fastened the disk with four slings to the deck's loops. The set up is fast, the materials are easily available, you can change the weight as you progress, and best of all: IT REALLY WORKS! Thanks.

--Fernando Garcia, San Luis Potosi, Mexico

Unplugged Unaccredited

I was excited to see the "Glen Canyon--Unplugged?" story by Rhonda Claridge in August's Eco section, as what appears at first glance to be a radical idea is actually based on sound scientific and environmental precepts. And David Brower, the obvious choice for espousing the idea, is joined by other less well-known but formidable river advocates at the Glen Canyon Institute--the organization advocating the decommission of Glen Canyon Dam. Unfortunately, the Institute was not mentioned in Ms. Claridge's article. For those of us who might share the vision of a natural river ecosystem, of alternative and less harmful energy policies, of habitat restoration, and less wasteful water practices, please consider helping the Glen Canyon Institute in its mission. Although Mr. Brower makes for better reading, the Glen Canyon Institute will make for better results. For more information, contact them at 476 East South Temple, #154, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111.

--Tim Thomas, Durango, Colorado

Bangs Pangs

Regarding Richard Bangs' article on the Potomac River (Aug. '97): Has Mr. Bangs been paddling the rivers of the world so long that he has forgotten the specifics of the waters he supposedly paddled as a child? As a past resident of the D.C. area, and a past lead raft guide in the Harpers Ferry area, I found a great many discrepancies in his article that could lead to misinformation for those using the article as a guide. If Mr. Bangs' article was meant to be a piece of pulp fiction, he is to be congratulated for he succeeded in writing a good piece. But you have misled your readers in not letting them know it was fiction. Misinformation in the hands of the ill-informed can have serious consequences. By the way, Mr. Bangs, Bull Falls is on the Shenandoah River; and as for the hour portage around them, give me a break. You, I, and most anyone else can walk from the commercial put-in on Bloomery Road all the way to Harpers Ferry in an hour.

--William Goldstick, North Miami, Florida

Shuttle Rebuttal I found your description of the drive to Pittsburgh Landing in Hell's Canyon of the Snake to be a gross exaggeration. Perhaps the exaggeration is necessary to sell magazines, but it is a disservice to people who need accurate information for planning purposes. I have been over that road many times over the last 25 years. Not once have I found it so bad that I would hesitate to drive my new Cadillac on it. If you must exaggerate, please label it fiction.

--Walt Gray, Walt.Gray@pnl.gov

-- Contributor Jeff Bennett swears by the dings on his oilpan. --Eds

Boating Book

Regarding the "A Complete Rundown of Instructional Paddling Books" article by Jeff Bennett and Bill Cross (Aug. '97): A most enjoyable piece which is, however, grossly incomplete. They neglected to include Catch Every Eddy...Surf Every Wave by Tom Foster and Kel Kelly. This book should be considered vade mecum for any beginning paddler. It is without peer in terms of clarity of description and simplicity of diagram. Foster and Kelly have written the superior work emphasizing correct technique.

--Mark Nawrocki, Andover, Massachusetts

A Sign of the Times

Although I was honored in the May 1987 issue of River Runner for paddling each of America's Top 10 Favorite Rivers, I knew it had been a while since I got in my kayak when I went out to my garage last spring to get my spray skirt and other paddling gear and found a bird had nested in my skirt. Then I found that a wren had built a nest in my kayaking helmet. The enclosed photo shows that perhaps it has been a little too long since I have gotten out on the water. Happy paddling!

-- Spike White, Branson, Missouri

-- Spike just turned 85 and was recently profiled in Paddle People (July '97). --Eds

Blowing Smoke

I am surprised and dismayed that a magazine devoted to healthy outdoor activities and some level of cardiovascular effort would be involved with the "Camel" International Whitewater Challenge, much less permit it to be an advertisement for the cigarette by featuring a raft plastered with cigarette advertising material on its cover. There are certainly an adequate number of events involving canoeing, kayaking and rafting which don't depend on a business involved in the destruction of health. I think your coverage is inconsistent with the sports and activities you promote. I hope I can look forward to an editorial in which you agree not to support such events in the future or my subscription will be a short one.

--Bernard Friel, Mendota Heights, Minnesota

Grand Plans

I'm astonished that there has been no mention of the Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP) meetings. The re-working of the CRMP for the Grand Canyon is one of the most important issues ever for many private boaters. No matter what personal opinions the editorial staff may have about the importance of the meetings, this is news in paddling circles, and your omission is a poor business decision. A disappointed subscriber...

--Jo Johnson, Boulder, Colorado

Of Uzis and the Usumacinta

While well intentioned, the author of your article on Mexico's Usumacinta (Aug. '96) seems to have been manipulated by the Mexican government into penning an unabashed PR piece for the military. Mayan "guerrilla" activity exists on both the Mexican and Guatemalan sides of the border. There is no evidence, however, that any party has ever attacked tourists. To the contrary, river guides in the area have a long history of cordial relations with the guerrillas. These Mayan forces rely on an international presence to serve as witnesses to government-sponsored atrocities. Without the presence of such witnesses, both governments would have a free hand to continue their war without the embarrassment of international outcry. The two guerrilla factions want tourism to continue. So, if it wasn't the guerrillas, then who shot the rafters floating ahead of the author's group? It is highly unlikely that bandits would be operating in a sparsely populated war zone.

The author writes, "The holdup was interrupted by an army helicopter patrol on routine surveillance." Either the Mexican military was at the right place at the right time, or it was working with the supposed bandits in staging a media event. The author continues, "The soldiers boarded our bus at each road block...and talked with the chief guide about our plans." By the time his group reached the river, half the military in Chiapas knew it was coming, and by the time it reached the ambush area, an escort was firmly in place. He even says the normally camera shy Mexican military was hamming it up for the lens, and then quotes a Captain as saying, "We want you to tell your friends about this beautiful country, and the good people of Mexico." And that's just what the author did. In all likelihood, he was used in a three-pronged PR attack: the Mayan forces ("guerrillas") were cast as villains; the Mexican military was cast as heroes; and tourists who provide the necessary international presence in the area are being scared away. And, let's not forget, three innocent rafters were shot.

--Michael I. Niman, (address unknown)