5/23/99

The following is a true kayaking adventure of confusion, coincidence, chance meetings, rescue, intrigue, and romance (just kidding about the romance). Enjoy the ride!

I was scheduled to lead a novice trip on the Middle Fork River (Finnegan’s Ford to Audra). Since my boss (Bob) had been interested in kayaking but missed the winter roll class, I suggested he might want to consider this trip if he really wanted to try kayaking. My wife was against the idea and feared a repeat of a previous attempt to introduce a colleague (Scott) to the excitement of whitewater. Scott was ejected from his raft at Railroad (Yough) and endured a mild swim. The rafting experience was so stressful for him that he stopped on the way home, bought a pack of cigarettes, and resumed his old smoking habit! When I told him I was taking the Superintendent, he said if he were the Superintendent when I took him on the Yough, he would have fired me.

Bob and his 21-year-old son Todd decided to join up, and thanks to Alan Adams, Turner Sharp and Susan Klimas, I managed to equip two kayaks. Because of low water, I was sure we would end up on the Cheat Narrows -- not a bad alternative since the road allows a takeout at any time. Collin Klein, from Princeton, WV, called Thursday and I told him to meet me at Shoney’s in Bridgeport at 9:00 A.M. I originally said Taco Bell but then realized that it would be closed and suggested the restaurant right next to the Taco Bell in the K-Mart Center, which I thought was a Shoney’s. I also told Kirk Commarata to meet at Shoney’s. Unfortunately, the restaurant next to the Taco Bell is called Big Boy!

Saturday, the rains finally came. Hunt called at 7:00 A.M. Sunday from Charleston and wondered about my plans. The Middle Fork was now at 3.65, a decent beginner level, and I decided to do this run. Hunt didn’t seem interested in the Middle Fork.

I met up with Bob, Todd, Turner Sharp, Susan and Rachel Klimas, John and Linda Wiggins, Tom Daniels, and Jim Wallace at Burger King and headed to Clarksburg. I swung into "Shoney’s" (Big Boy), but saw no signs of other boaters. I caught up with our group at the Stoneycreek Exit, where we picked up Dave Lohr and Linda?.

At Audra, we found Mike McClanahan and Cheri Bailey waiting. They had received last nights voice mail from Susan about their decision to change Tygart plans and run the Middle Fork. But now the Middle Fork was raging! The gauge read 6.1 and probably rising! My scheduled novice trip ended at that point. We were now hoping to salvage another trip but the equation had changed considerably. We had two non-boaters and other new paddlers and a bunch of water!

After much head scratching, we decided to head up stream. Turner made his usual quick exit and when I crossed the bridge at Audra I saw John and Linda Wiggins turn right! I followed for about 1/4 mile taking several trailing vehicles with me before I decided we were surely headed in the wrong direction. As we all turned around, I saw Kirk and Collin pass by! They had been waiting for me at Shoney’s and finally decided to head for Audra on the hunch we might be there (sorry about the mix up!).

We headed upstream, guessed correctly at half a dozen forks in the road and finally caught up with the others at Route 33. As we were pulling out, I saw none other than Hunt Charach and his party make a U-turn and head East behind the growing caravan! Everyone exited at the Middle Fork crossing. More head scratching. Here the Middle Fork was a swollen, dirty mass of flat, moving water. Hunt, Chang, and Kenny Cooper were drooling at the possibilities elsewhere on the Cheat drainage (so was I!) and headed east. Our "uninitiated" seemed uninterested in the flat water and our entire group headed upstream. Although "the book" lists this section as easy Class II (30 fpm gradient), none of us had ever paddled here and it was fairly remote. There would be no pool for beginners to become familiar with the boats, strokes, wet exits; and walking out would be difficult.

At the put-in, the beginners had a shaky start and I began having my doubts. A mile downstream and three swims later, I did my best to tactfully encourage the new boaters to think about taking a walk. Instead, we dipped our paddles and passed the point of no return.

Bob’s second swim began in a small recirculating hole and ended in another. He took in some water and I guessed was now beginning to understand my Thursday email message that mentioned people die kayaking. He was about to gain a more complete understanding.

Approaching a bend with a fairly loud roar, we heard shouts to take out. I looked back and saw Bob’s kayak upside down, but he was still under the water and struggling to get out. Just as I was about to attempt a rescue, he was released and I saw the fear in his face. I shouted "Swim!" and his fear propelled him to shore. The boat and paddle vanished around the bend and I had a vision of a pink slip bobbing along behind. Walking this Class III rapid was the only option for Bob, and fortunately there was an abandoned road along this section of the river. He and Linda hiked downstream while the rest of us picked up the pieces. Tom injured a finger pulling Bob’s boat out of the water. After hiking 1/2 mile, Bob and Linda put back on and I prayed there would be no more whitewater.

No whitewater; just one mile of riffles and for miles of flat (but moving) water. Bob was beat and the rest of us were beginning to think the take out had vanished. I breathed a sigh of relief when we spotted the take out bridge. We had a total of 8 – 10 swims on this 11-mile run. Bob gained a new appreciation of the skills involved in kayaking, and I think I have enough material for at least two more articles regarding boating safety, novice trips, and rescue techniques!

Epilogue: I pushed hard for three hours to get home. Four miles away, just as I passed a dangerous intersection and realized I was traveling too fast, an explosion of red and blue lights lit up my rearview mirror, and I was stopped for speeding for the first time in thirty years of driving. I was certain I would get a ticket until I heard the officer as, "Been kayaking today?" There was no way this man in uniform would ticket a whitewater warrior on his way home from a novice tour of duty!