[thechat] white water

[Marlene Bruce]

Hi Ron (and Joe),

>Glad to hear there are more "water rats" out there!      ;-)

Well, kinda sorta. I'm not really a water rat. Though I love 
kayaking/rafting/canoeing/etc., I have to have someone to do it with 
or I never go (and so I've done relatively little). Does sailboat 
racing for the last two years qualify me as a water rat? Somehow that 
seems a bit different.

I've been rafting through Grand Canyon three times (last time was 
about 9 years ago), though it was in the cushiest fashion, on big 
motorized pontoon rafts (my way was paid by someone else, so I didn't 
have a choice, or really any complaint about it). GC is one of the 
most awesome places, and I'd like to go again someday, but in a much 
smaller raft.

About 4 years ago I took a kayaking course, and at the end I bought a 
used kayak from a woman who was moving to Japan. I've got all the 
basic gear for it, and I did take it out *once*. Then I broke up with 
the boyfriend I'd done the class with, and that was the end of that. 
I'd actually would really like to get out white-water kayaking again.

>(September).  It was pretty bogus --- imagine a "whitewater trip" ... where
>you have to paddle the last two miles ... in a nice cold rain!!!   Bummer!

Sounds pretty unpleasant. The GC trips were 226 miles, and if we'd 
been paddling there would have been long stretches of calm river. But 
it would have been glorious anyway.

>If you get a chance over Pennsylvania-way ... try the Youghagheny
>{'Yok'-'a'-'gain'-'e'} ... excellent ride in the Spring!   [Sorry - couldn't
>find a decent link this morning!]

I've heard of both the Youghagheny (and even knew how to pronounce 
it!) and the Cheat. I live in DC, so both PA and WV are within a 
reasonable distance.

>Always wanted to ride the Cheat river in West Va. ... [where you get to ride
>a 9' waterfall!!] .... haven't had a chance yet!

Maybe we should have an evolt watersport get-together. That would put 
a different slant on "evolt drinkie!"

Marlene