camping spots

Nice! Makes me want to pack now.


Spoke with my son the other day he wants to take up kayaking, we'd be going to the youghageny river. I'm trying to talk him into lessons, I think it'd be the best way to learn, learn the techniques and try different boats. My attempt at learning by throwing myself into it, didn't work so well.

 

That picture is looking down at Mooney falls from the Canyon rim. Every night I would walk out to the top of the falls, looking out toward where the picture was taken from, that's the place to hang out at night, chill, and intraspect. The spiritual presence is unmistakeable!

The Youghageny river's definitely on my list, though I hear parts of it are quite challenging, might be up my alley at this point.

The initial learning curve to kayaking is difficult. It's a dangerous sport, easy to get yourself in life-threatening situations. Something seemingly harmless like a log, or a couple of closely spaced rocks can pin you to where you can't move, you're under water, helpless. A lot of folks die that way, though it is easily preventable if you understand the hazards and have the boat control to avoid them.

I spent a lot of time on flat water, practicing rolls and various maneuvers. Then as I started to get the hang of it, I increased the difficulty of the rivers I paddled, but always kept it within my comfort zone, better to be safe than sorry. I run stuff now that I would've never dreamed I could even a year ago, but it's through experience (and baby steps) that I got where I am, but I still have a long way to go.

I say if your son's into it, bring it on! Younger folks pick it up quick, but just be sure you hook him up with folks that are qualified, and make sure he understands and respects the dangers.

Good luck

 

I think the yough is a safe place to learn, it's fairly commercialized. I remember a hazard that was dynamited due to a death and future safety concerns. It's a great white water trip, scenery and water are fabulous. I'd kike to do some West Virginia waters; the Gauley and New are rivers I've heard about.

 

The yough is definitely a big one from the perspective of whitewater enthusiasts. The Gauley and the New are also big on my list. I've had a standing invitation for the past couple years in a row to run the Gauley with some friends of mine, but I haven't been yet. Gauleyfest is the largest Whitewater Festival in the world, and from what I hear it's a damned good time!

 

camper
here is a website for camping in arizona:

http://where2camp.tripod.com/
hope it helps
angel

 

I've been meaning to go to the "jump" or whatever they call it. I forget what route it is in West Virginia, but Base Jumpers converged there, I don't know if they still do. They used to jump from a bridge that crosses the New River. That'd be a trip. I'd like to do that in my lifetime. Lets do it, hahaha.

 

Sedona looks beautiful. Can I legally camp by the side of the road in parts of Kaibib National Forest? I like to travel, but can't afford to go first class. Here in the Allegheny National Forest one can camp from their vehichle without any kind of permit.
Thanks for the response, Rich

 

camper,

Sedona, AZ is very beautiful, and a favorite of Arizonians! The bright red rocks contrast the deep, green pines. It's an "artsy" area, new agey and spiritual. On my RAND McNALLY map, it shows the MANZANITA campground, just northeast of Sedona. Just north is Flagstaff and Northern Arizona University. There's probably some partying there.

You asked if you could camp by the roadside of the road in the Kaibab National Forest? It appears that there is a fee to enter the Kaibab National Forest, and a seperate "user fee" for camping. I did a YAHOO search for "Kaibab National Forest" and came up with their website: USDA FOREST SERVICE, Kaibab National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/. Check out: >Passes & Permits and >Current Conditions. Some campgrounds may be closed, some are open. You can also E-mail them. This should help you somewhat.

There is the DEMOTTE campground, on the north side of THE GRAND CANYON, in the Kaibab National Forest, but it's not next to the north rim.

When I attended Arizona State University from 1973-1974, I did go "party rafting" on the Verde River, just northeast of Phoenix. You tie a bunch of big, black innertubes together, saving one for a styrofoam cooler (food and drinks), then everyone climbs into the tubes and launch off down the river. The river bottom of the Verde was rocky, and sometimes a rock would hit your bottom! It was fairly slow going, except a few rough spots. Pretty tame. You pass by Suguaro cacti, bamboo shoots, desert landscape and some cliffs (with Mexican kids "cliff diving" into the river). When I visited Lake Tahoe and Reno, Nevada. I noticed them river tubing, also!

In Michigan, I've been canoeing down the Huron River (north end). When the Huron River goes by Ann Arbor, MI, it gets very wide, like a lake. But where I go, it is alot narrower. The Clinton River is close to me, but it goes through alot of city. Further up north, there is the Au Sable River (in the HURON NATIONAL FOREST), by MIO, MI. By the MIO DAM, they offer paid scenic boat trips on the Au Sable River, but you can also canoe and kayak on your own, if you wish. I've also heard about the RIFLE RIVER, also.

On ANCHOR BAY (on LAKE ST. CLAIR), I went "tubing" on the back of a boat, but mostly I go "wave-running" (i.e. jet-skiing). One girl, on her birthday, went wave-running for her first time on Anchor Bay, turned her head to look back, then hit another boat broadside. Unfortunately, she died instantly. I didn't know her. Kayaking on wild rivers is dangerous enough, but "wave-runners" are almost as dangerous, but in a different way.

Mooney Falls reminds of GLEN ROCK FALLS, somewhere past Sarnia, Ontario, although smaller, and without the canyon walls, but scenic, peaceful and serene.

Whitewater kayaking, on THE COLORADO RIVER looks insane (in many spots)! Even if you're an expert and well-experienced it looks like a huge risk!

Happy Kayaking!

Peace, love and understanding . . .

 

I did The Gauley in W. Va. the boat had a guide, good thing too these are not beginer waters. Anything over a class II needs lots of experience.

 

The Gauley is more like class IV/V, big water with big consequences like undercut rocks to get pinned on or to break your bones if you swim. The good part is you can walk the harder stuff, you just gotta know your limits.

The Grand Canyon is huge water, mainly class IV, but the hydraulics are so huge you best have the boat control to avoid them 'cause there's no hope for rescue! There's an older guy I boat with from time to time who's well connected on the Grand Canyon, and he knows it so well, he gets invited to guide trips there all the time (the rest of us are looking at a twenty-year waiting list just to get a permit). Last time I saw him, he was planning his sixty-something trip out there, celebrating the fact that he'd averaged one trip per year for every year of his life!

Here's a picture of me and another guy puting in on a (class III/IV) river in Vermont last Spring. What you don't see is the huge hydraulic about a mile down stream that swallowed me, and wouldn't let me out until I exited my boat and swam. That was my last swim, knock on wood.

 

Nice pic! I've been on some bigger waters and been almost scared out of my wits the whole time, one big long adrenaline rush. Playing in it and knowing my limits, with the ability to avoid what's beyond my limit would make it much more pleasurable. I was looking at some kayaks on the internet, some pretty sophisticated designs. Kind of like a boat designed to fit different types of water.
I had an experience in a hydraulic when the yough was at flood stage, the lower yough was closed, but the middle was open, not much of it was white, except a submerged boulder that was usually six feet above the water, I stood on the bottom twice between attempts to enter the raft that was circling overhead.

 

Steve, good to see you're hangin' in there, Buddy, I'm not a big fan of PM's (it's a little up close and person for my comfort zone, that's my personal problem I guess), but I was a little worried about your deal with your girlfriend, hope it works out for the best. I've thought of taking a little break myself, all this political speak has got me cross-eyed, it's great to wanna change the world, but we gotta be realists...

Seven Falls, part of the Potomac River, is the outside cutting edge of whitewater, class V+, big water, big drops, big consequences if you fuck up. Check out the American Whitewater websight for descriptions of any rivers in the country (including the yougheny):

http://americanwhitewater.org

(I dunno why, but this link doesn't seem to be working, maybe copy/paste it into your browser).

The link to the Great Falls description is:

http://americanwhitewater.org/rivers/id/741

I paddle with a guy on occasion who runs it regularly, and he's fuckin' good! I'm not quite ready for that shit yet, maybe in a few years. A seriously talented kayaker died there this Spring. It's a bummer the law is so harsh around those parts, but it's probably for public safety, people die there all the time, if you end up in the water, you die, unless you're lucky. Where I am we toke all the time on and around the river, gets me ready for a good run, unless it's on the edge of my abilities, in which case I do it with a clear head and toke after. I've got a little water proof box where I store my goods, so on easier runs I just pull into an eddy behind a rock and do a couple tokes, we call it a "safety meeting."

Camper, you must live pretty close to the Yough, you never know what the cat might drag in, I'll be in your neck of the woods soon enough...

I've had some scary swims, but ironically enough my last one (on that river in the picture, and it happened in a hairier spot than you see in the picture) was probably the most dangerous, but I wasn't fearful in the least, I guess it comes down to focusing on getting yourself to safety, not being paralyzed by how fucked you are, it's a good survivalist instinct in general to get you out of sticky situations (focus on the solution process, not the problem).

Anyhoo, hope y'all are well, take it easy,

Mark

 

Steve, keep up the fight, I hope your GF is able to be comfortable. A hard thing she's asked you to do. Don't know if I could do it. It is a choice some of us are going to face when each of us nears the end, and I think we should have a choice. Physician assisted suicide is something that should be available everywhere, along with councelling and compassionate care. I'm sure you are a help to her, I see your care for others in your words.

 

...Holy crap, the latest words on the Howdy thread are beautiful, and Camper, it's good to see you goin' off on there, brothah, bring it on!

...Shit, now I'm gonna spend my entire lunch hour processing those nuggets, and then I'll have to come up with some goodies of my own to throw in the pot, this forum is downright addictive!

 

Hey Mark, I think individuals can make the difference. The internet is a wonderful tool, maybe the world isn't in such a dire state. If we can talk freely to each other without any intermediaries, problems can be worked out. Look on the bright side of life, which I have a hard time doing at times. Wouldn't it be great if each person could talk to any other? Sometimes I feel silly thinking this way, but what's the alternative?

 

Camper, hello...what you said is the part of the Quaker religion I love. The idea that you don't need an intermediary to talk with god. Just sit quietly and listen. That is the beauty of nature and camping....I love winter camping and hiking when it is snowy and cold. Not many people and it is quiet enough to hear god speaking through the wind and the trees.

 

The outdoors satifies me with a peace available nowhere else. I watch my dog explore with all his senses, the weather blow through while wildlife adapts, the water shaping the earth, nature rules! There is plenty to keep all my senses occupied without disrupting my contemplations.

 

I'm reading a book by Jon Kabat-Zinn, titled; Where Ever You Go There You Are. It's probably the best book for self help that I have read. In it he goes into meditation techniques that are understandable, like just sitting and focusing on breathing and letting the thoughts my mind usually has to just pass while continuing to focus on my breathing. I can't do his thoughts justice here but I can highly recommend his book. Getting personal on a forum, that's something that could be harmful, as I've learned that there are alot of trolls out there, but if you can ignore those, it can be therapeutic. Maybe a better way is to send messages to those you come to trust.

 

The way Jon Kabat- Zinn describes meditation doesn't seem mysterious at all, just being still and being present, not wanting to be anywhere else. Contentment. I'm still struggling, but when I look back a year I see I've made progress. Life's been a trip.

 

Fuck trolls, they only have power if you grant it to them, but I can see keeping a few cards hidden on a public forum if something's personal. I respect your judgement to edit that post, Steve, but I'm flattered you were comfortable and trusting enough to share that with us...

Wherever You Go There You Are, I dunno if I've read it, but I can't tell you how many times I've used that statement to provide guidence for myself and others. You can run, but you cannot hide from the ghosts within yourself, all you can do is accept them and confront them, it's up to you. The Four Agreements and the Power of Now are a couple other Buddhist-based self-help books I've read recently, good stuff.

Buddhism, as I see it, is the embodiment of what you describe as your relationship with nature, camper (and I also share this relationship). It's about being at peace with one's self, being mindful, and living in the moment. I often feel the same way while outside as I've felt when I meditate, extremely mindful and focused on what's around me, yet totally at peace. I've meditated in the living room of a Budhist Monk friend's house, and I've "meditated" while back packing, but I can only imagine what it's like to have those two forces at work simultaneously, like what it must be like to be a Monk in Nepal, for example...

...I'm sittin' here waitin' for a phone call or email, lookin' to go run a creek today, I just wanna go launch my kayak off some waterfalls...