Time Out......."I got shit to do."

   Something came up.  Life is good, which means it is also busy at the present moment.  Additionally, writing the story is tough....tougher than writing the Weeks, so it takes a lot more time.  Can't be gettin' it wrong, now can I?  Because of that, I have to extend my timeline and disappoint some people.  Basically, don't be surprised if Round 2 doesn't appear until the beginning of next week.  However, just to keep everyone on their toes, Round 2 is titled "The Fat Bastard of Fourteenth Street", followed by "Week 20:  Daisy Dukes and Cowboy Boots........gets me every time."  Have a good weekend everyone........I know I will.


   See ya on the rivah, or in West By God.  PEACE  

Round 1: The Fourteenth Street Whore (The Background Story)

   Sorry sweetheart.  You are going first because you just aren't that important anymore........and after reading the entire story you will see that you never really were.........the only special thing about you was who you represented to me in my mind.  Ready or not.......Round 1:  DING DING


"Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life."
                                                                        ~Marilu Henner~ 

After reading this story you will see that I failed to follow the advice above.

  I met the Fourteenth Street Whore very soon after she graduated high school.  The ironic part about the entire story is that I am pretty sure myself, Marcelle, and Marlow were the first people in RVA she met when arriving here.  She was moving to RVA to go to VCU and needed a job.  Her high school background was with the Y, so she emailed all the Y Directors (and I know some of you are reading this right now) and I happened to be the first one who responded.  I used to get emails like hers all the time.  The only reason I even responded to hers on that particular day was that I had just lost a guard to another pool and needed a replacement..........I still wonder to this day what my life would be like had I never responded to that email. Funny how the smallest decisions can lead to the biggest life changes...................Anyway, she met me at the coffee shop down the street from my house for an interview one summer day in 2010, and I had walked to the interview with my family, so she and Marcelle looked each other in the eyes and shook hands..........ohhhh, how times have changed since that day.
   The FSW and I worked well together, and it was obvious from the very beginning that I needed to be careful around her, so I was.  I handled myself very professionally, despite the obvious crush that she was quickly developing.  When Marcelle crossed paths with her again at a Y event, she came to me in private afterwards and said, 'I don't like the way that girl looks at you.  Watch your back around her."........It amazes me how quickly other women pick up on things about other women.  I was clueless to the fact the FSW was constantly flirting with me.........but then again, I have no game what-so-ever.


"It is not enough to be well-intentioned; one must strive to put those intentions into action in a capable way. One must consider the effect his actions will have on others. Looked at like this, to persist in ignorance is itself dishonorable."
                                                                           ~Andrew Cohen~

   As the year progressed the Fourteenth Street Whore became an outstanding employee professionally.  She was, and still is smart as hell, motivated, organized, caring and charismatic........it was just that she was a train wreck of an employee personally.  I dealt with emotional breakdowns during her shifts, inappropriate communications outside of work, arguments with other employees over the stupidest shit imaginable........basically she turned the Aquatics Department of the Petersburg Y into her own little version of the Real World.........but she was attractive, and when it comes to attractive, sweet women, I am a pathetically passive human being, so I blew all of it off as not being that important and failed to do my job...........but I am not going to lie, she intrigued me.  I just couldn't figure out why.
   In the early Fall of 2010 she came to me crying one day and said she was homesick and was considering transferring.  I told her to hold off.  Then I sat her down at my desk to get a hold of herself and found the one thing that always helped me relax..........kayaking videos.  :)  I pretty much had her hooked within five minutes of watching.  Now, here is where I fucked up Big Time........I agreed to teach her myself, and because I knew Marcelle would flip out, I hid it from her..........yep.  Pretty fucking stupid.  (My intentions here were innocent and solely based on one thing.  I wanted to teach kayaking to anyone.....and I mean anyone.  But true boaters either have it or they don't.  And the fact was, she had it and I knew it, so I wanted to be the one to teach her..............funny, I remember feeling the same way about another girl at one point in my life, but we will come back around to that.
   It was later in the Fall that I realized just how much trouble I was in.  Marcelle was traveling to CVille almost every other weekend with the boys and always wanted me to go.........this was not working well for us or our marriage, but I will explain that later.  With Marcelle gone all the time, the FSW's job was made that much easier with me.  On Halloween she showed up at my back door (oh yea.....she lived two blocks from us.  You could almost see her house from ours) in a trench coat.  When she dropped the trench coat she was wearing a burlesque outfit........yea.  I am still shocked she was wearing it, and no, nothing happened.  Funny thing is, after leaving my house she went to a public bar, apparently danced around in it all night, and actually created problems with the bar because guys were trying to grab her.  (when you present yourself as a whore, you are treated like a whore)  I should have seen all of this as bizarre behavior, but instead I let it roll right off my back.....plus I was in denial about the seriousness of what happened because I ended up alone in my living room with a half naked eighteen year old employee.  I figured she could have said anything she wanted to after that and I would have no way of defending myself, plus there is no way anyone would ever believe me........just like how y'all just read the sentence "there was a half naked eighteen year old swim coach in my living room and nothing happened", and responded with a big 'yea, whatever Justin.'  See, no way to defend myself........and the time eventually did come when she blackmailed me, but we shall get to that later.


“The bonds of friendship dwindle with age, Oliver. But a little blackmail lasts forever.”
                                                         ~Stephen Hunt, The Court of the Air~

   By the next spring the FSW had fully dug her claws into me and I was finding myself in hotter and hotter water all the time.  First she wanted the head coaching job of the swim team, but I went with someone else who had a lot more experience and professionalism.  I told her that it was important for her to take a year and learn from others before taking on a leadership role herself.  Basically, she was too young, and I knew it...............this decision did not go over well.  The head coach did an amazing job helping to grow and train the team, as well as taking on the additional responsibility of training what I saw to be an up and coming swim coach.  It was a perfect set up because the head coach would only be there for an agreed one year before returning to another team.  It couldn't have worked out better...........until the train wreck came.  I ended up playing referee all season long, dealing with emotional breakdowns, bull shit drama, and stress.  Lots of it.  Worst of all, I was now trapped.  Because of my stupid ass decision to train her to kayak in secret, I was now constantly worried about what she could pin on me, say about me, etc.  I had given a crazy ass 18 year old girl full power over the outcome of my life.........and I lived with this fear for over two years.  It sucked.........a lot!  But it was my fault and I deserved all of it.
   By the end of the season the FSW was holding onto her job by a string, but then she decided to put a nail in her coffin.  She sent threatening text messages to the head coach...........well, that pretty much sealed her fate as a swim coach.  Even if I had wanted to back her up, I couldn't.  She fucked herself, and she knew it.  I was simply heartbroken at the fact that I had created a perfect set up for an outstanding swim team with a coach who was young, available for the next six years, and LOVED the Petersburg Swim Team  (and she did love what she did.  I never once doubted that.  I know you are reading this and know how much that team meant to you.  I blame myself.  My lack of responsible management is what lead to your downfall within the Y organization.  I put too much trust in you, and for that I am sorry.)  So in the end, she was canned and I was left with a swim team that lacked the leadership I promised.........however I figured the new situation would at least help create some space between her and I........boy was I wrong about that one.
   Kayaking lessons became more and more frequent, plus I made a few calls and found her a job within an organization at VCU....... ........yep, you guessed it.  The VCU OAP program, which contained half the social network that I had in my life at the time.  I had friends who worked for them, were alumni, students, friends, friends of friends, etc., etc., etc.  Basically I placed her right in the middle of my entire social life on the water, which at the time was my entire social life.........period...........this was surely about to become a problem, and boy did it ever!......stay tuned......because I haven't even begun to REALLY fuck up yet in this story.


"The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace."
                                                   ~Michael Jordan~

Sorry Celle.  I didn't understand what Jordan meant until it was too late.  See ya on the rivah.........hopefully teachin' a dude.   PEACE        
     

Additionally ~ The things I did to help the FSW were not done because I had secret motives to try and sleep with her.  I was well aware that I had the ability to sleep with her at any time.  She made that quite obvious from the beginning.  I just chose not to.  The things I did for her were done because I cared, about her, and every other employee that I managed.  There were other employees there that came to me for help, or for kayaking, or just to talk, and I was always there for all of them.  I just wanted to make sure they were all taken care of, and just wanted to see her happy.  Those truly were my original intentions.....so with that said, it really sucks how it all ended.

The Ground Rules

"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."
                                                                                    ~Jimi Hendrix~


   It is time to begin the story (one day late I might add.......sorry, Bristol took a toll on me, but that will be explained later.)  I have already received more feedback than I care to receive based upon the first post about the set up.........so here are a few ground rules.

1.  I am not writing this story to entertain you.  I do not care if you want me to present evidence to validate it.  I don't care if three people or if 30,000 people read this.  I am not doing it for anyone else but me.  It's selfish, but y'all seem to be pretty entertained by it so far, so be happy with what you get.  Besides, there will be plenty to gossip about without the evidence.

2.  I don't care about your opinion of anything I write.  Read it, form your own opinion, and live with it.  Everyone's perception is their own reality.  If yours is different from mine, ok.  I'm cool with that.......question is, are you?

3.  There is one thing that is very important to remember..............I want to tell the truth.  Why?  Because for over two years I lived the biggest lie anyone could possibly live.  Everything in here is the way it happened, with certain non important points omitted to protect any legality issues.  But NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING is being written any differently than the way it happened.  Remember this rule after reading the stories about the families..........only then will you understand why I stress this that much.


   "Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding."
                                                                                   ~Ralph Waldo Emerson~ 

Those are the ground rules.  Short, sweet, and simple...........now, enjoy the story!

See ya on the rivah!     PEACE   

Week 19 Conclusion: "Birthday Suits at the Strip Club and Rainy Day Rafting Adventures"

"It's my birthday........why am I the only one here not in my birthday suit?"
                                                       ~Me....while in the Champagne Room~


   Birthdays..........they kind of suck as you get older.  It isn't fun to have a birthday and have to go to work, or to do the same thing you do every other day of the year.  However, in today's society, almost everyone does exactly that, and most people do not get any presents on their birthday or do not have any once in a lifetime experiences on their birthday.  I believe there should be an extra holiday in every benefit package of every company, and it would be mandatory to take that holiday on your birthday.........even all the freaks who think working 80 hours a week to "get ahead" is a good thing.  (by the way, it is those freaks who are the assholes destroying this country by failing to balance work and life.  Work is not meant to be your life.....if it is, then you have no life.  Kayaking, writing, equestrian, traveling, wood carving, bucket listing, painting, playing Cello, meditating, listening to great music, floating a rivah, napping in a hammock,  etc.......these are the things people should live for.  To the people who work 80 hours a week because they "have to" or because they "love their jobs" I have one thing to say.......you are all complete assholes and everyone you work with hates you, even if they have convinced you they don't.  But they all go home to loving families and their life........you don't.  You just keep working.  Seriously, you people really piss me off......and if you are reading this questioning whether or not you are one of those people, well, you probably are)  Anyway, excuse the rant.  Back to the birthday story.


"God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well."
                                                                               ~Voltaire~



   I was determined to spend my birthday doing something special..........kayaking, writing, and the strip club sounded like three activities that would fit that criteria.  (even though I kayak everyday, it is still special......yet another thing to love about my life)  I boated early in the day and enjoyed some low water soul surfing, and even hit a full lap and paddled Hollywood.......which I rarely do these days.  It is too far of a walk.  Once I finished my daily lap and received a Happy BDay from the Riverside crew (thanks guys), I retreated to the coffee shop to spend the afternoon writing.  (I ended up accomplishing nothing.  All I did was watch Vimeo kayaking videos and hanging with Lindy.......but it was my birthday, so fuck it!)
   After an hour or so of wasting time Lindy walked in carrying a big, soft green pillow.  It was my birthday present!!......................yes, my only birthday present for the entire day was given to me by a homeless man.  I think that is awesome and gives me hope in humanity.  The conversation we had about the pillow went like this........

Lindy - "Happy Birthday buddy."
Me    - "Aww...thanks Lindy, but you didn't have to buy me a present.  This is too much."
Lindy - "Don't sweat it man.  I found it down the street by the dumpster."
Me    - "ohhh............thanks."  (Then I smelled it.  It smelled fine)
Lindy - "Now buy me a cup of coffee so we can celebrate your birthday in style."

   Yes, Lindy is awesome and I am honored to call him one of my friends.  (By the way, I ended up using the pillow................don't judge me.  It was comfortable.)  The rest of the afternoon was spent hanging out with Lindy at the coffee shop and then taking a walk to Pipeline for a safety meeting.


"Around the outside of the room other beautiful women wearing little or nothing at all flitted between the infatuated, intoxicated men, sometimes luring them away for a private dance.  The men would follow obediently, weighed down by lust and credit cards."
                   ~R.D. Ronald - The Zombie Room~

   Once the evening came it was time to start thinking about The Strip Club, which meant I needed to figure out how to shave and not smell like a homeless man any longer.  (seriously......sometimes I smell really bad)  I hit up one of the great friends I have and he said to have at it with the shower, shave, and clothes washing........that is the greatest thing a homeless man could ever hear sometimes, so to EVERYONE who has offered that up, along with dinner, thank you.  I am truly indebted for life.  (.....and please don't feel as though you are fishing for me.  Your not.  I was taught to fish on my own.  But regardless, those things are all luxuries, not necessity.  That is why I can fish for myself, but don't sometime.......get it.)
   I met up with the one man that you should attend the strip club with if you do not go with "The Man".............I went with "The Dude".  The Dude and I did not even get to the club until almost midnight, which technically meant it was no longer my birthday, but you need to remember rule #5 of the strip club.............stripper time and normal time do not add up.  I had at least a five hour window to work with.  The night was filled with the same funny as hell conversations with the ladies, the observation of some highly skillful gymnastics routines (one of which received a standing ovation), and some birthday boy fun.  The night concluded with a stack of ones that I rained down on Carmen (future ex-wife #2), followed by a great talk with Carmen for a while about the social dynamics of the club, The Island Life, her life, tattoo's, and whitewater. The Dude made my birthday a birthday.........which is why he is and always will be The Dude........thanks bro.  We all ended up paddling to The Island at sunrise, discussing safety aspects of the rivah while watching the sun come up (which was an awesome end to a birthday.....it reminded me of the ending to "Dazed and Confused"), and passing out until about 1:00 p.m. (remember, stripper time.  It's cool.)  Thanks to everyone who made my birthday special.  It was one to remember, especially once you hear about Bristol (future post......and a good one).
 

"Invisible threads are the strongest ties."
               ~Friedrich Nietzche
            

   On Sunday I met up with a friend that was in town for the weekend looking for some adventure.  She and I live far away from each other but share a lot of common ground and have hung out in WNC before. It was good to spend the remainder of my birthday weekend with someone who got me.  We went to the VMFA, had lunch at The Urban Farmhouse, went whitewater rafting and visited The Island in the late afternoon and evening, paddled Pipeline after the sun went down, headed to Bottom's Up for dinner, and then hung late night at her hotel.  (on that note, homeless people love hotels, or at least this homeless guy does.  I find them to be awesome for some reason, especially with free continental breakfast.).......we also walked the Southside Floodwall earlier in the day, and walked Richmond Hill in Church Hill.  For one day, I feel as though I gave her a pretty good tour of the REAL RVA.
   The birthday weekend ended up to be more of an adventure than I thought it would be, but for the most part I behaved myself.  However, living day by day has it's true bonuses, like not knowing what is coming next.  Well, for me it was Bristol Motor Speedway, Nolichucky Rafting, and a redneck education unlike anything I have ever received..........so stay tuned.


"I'm from West Virginia.  If you didn't know what was happening in NASCAR, you were on the outside.  NASCAR is a big league sport, but it's also still country and redneck."  
                                                                                                               ~Randy Moss~

The fact that quote is coming from a black man is what makes it so awesome.  The diversity that I see coming in our country's future is one of the true inspirations that keeps me going.

See ya at the Strip Club.......stay off those poles.  PEACE
   

Week 18 & 19 "Open Boating", "The LSD Dude", and "My Birthday Weekend"

"Fast, hard, and down the middle."
        ~Tallman-Boatertalk~


   Week 18 ended up being all about one thing on the river........Open Boating.  Now, I may have lost my kids, my house, my money, my possessions, all my dignity and self worth, and my overall way of life in my divorce............but I still have her Ocoee.  If you take out the kids from that list, I think it is a pretty fair trade. (I know that quote just won me the hearts of every single blade fanatic who reads this)  For those of you who are not paddlers, open boating is canoeing on whitewater.  Open boats have a lot more rocker on their hulls, and they require inflatable air bags to keep water out.  They are also cut shorter (my Ocoee is 10.5 feet)  You are also sitting on your knees instead of your butt, and obviously use a canoe paddle instead of a kayak paddle, hence the term "single blade".  Here is a pic of me in Pipeline in my Ocoee, otherwise known as my new favorite boat.  (Pink is still closest to my heart though.  She is just hurtin' these days)

Photo by:  Rich Young

 

As you can see, my canoe is held together with duct tape and a prayer, which is what makes it so bad ass.  It has been creekin', surfin', big water stompin', and every other thing in between, and it is tried and tested to be a proven beast.  I am loving paddling it and can't wait to get it up to West 'By God'.  

   Open Boating has a deep and rich history in paddling.  It is the truest form of whitewater paddling.  Stroke development in all other paddle sport is based off of the original strokes designed for canoeing.  In WNC, the kayak camps make kids learn to paddle a canoe before they are ever allowed to even sit in a kayak...........that is a true teaching technique if I have ever seen one.  I taught myself a proper draw stroke after taking the ACA course and realizing I sucked at kayaking. (this was five years ago)  I developed the technique of my draw stroke for years.  When I first pulled a draw stroke in a canoe, I understood why open boating is so addictive.  Whenever I am on the Gauley or New, or paddling a creek and see an open boater style a rapid or surf a hole, he has my respect, because it is damn hard to do, much more so than kayaking, but when you lace a rapid in a canoe, damn does it feel sweet!  I am looking forward to the new world I am having the chance to discover in my paddling career, and can't wait to take my skills to bigger rivers.............But no matter how diversified I become in my time on the water, I will always stand strong in one belief..........SUPing sucks, and it always will!!!!!!!! (that last part was for all the stand up paddlers out there.  You all know it is the truth.  Please Stand Up Paddle Boarders, go back to the lakes.  You do not belong on whitewater.  Edging people.  It is all about edging, and you guys don't have them!......additionally, a beautiful woman paddling an Open Boat is so much sexier than watching a beautiful woman eat shit on a SUP....it just is.)  And for those SUPers who want to bitch and whine and say "don't knock it till you try it"..............see below.

Photo by: Rich Young

   Yes, this is me kicking the shit out of everyone at Dominion Riverrock.  This is also still the only day I have ever stood on a SUP, and the only day I ever will.   

   My goal for the remainder of this year is to have my Open Boat on the Lower Gauley by the end of Gauley season.  Paddling it everyday to and from and around The Island will help a great deal, but I am thinking that the real way to step up my Open Boating skills is to hit the NRG.........maybe that will happen.  We shall see.

"it was fast, it was out of control, and it hurt."
                        ~Hipgrave-Boatertalk~


   That quote has absolutely nothing to do with anything in this post, but it is such a great quote I had to use it.  It is also from Boatertalk, which is the grassroots online communication board of whitewater paddling.  It is full of great quotes from true, everyday, no name kayakers just like me, in the trenches of everyday life as river bums.  It is as deep in the culture of kayaking as you can get online, and it is easy to become lost in the world of Boatertalk for hours.  If you ever want to climb into the mind of a kayaker, check it out.
   Week 18 ended with a little Island vacation.  When I vacation from The Island I find myself wanting to stay indoors.  I guess that makes sense.  It isn't that I don't love the outdoors.  I live in it.  Obviously that is not the case.  It is just that a vacation, in a way, is a break from your own reality.  Well, if that is the case, then domestication is my break from reality, and in turn is my vacation.  Funny how that works.


"I just blew a ferry."
          ~p1pn8ez-Boatertalk~


   I am now taking tonight's quotes one step further.  They are all being stolen from Boatertalk and they will probably all have nothing to do with anything being discussed........but c'mon, that last one was pretty damn funny, and yes, I am that immature.  And if you don't get it, deal with your stupidity alone.  Don't ask someone to explain it.
   Week 19 was the lead up to my birthday, and although I am completely broke and homeless, I knew somehow adventure would find me, and I was right.  On Tuesday evening I paddled down to The Island on an absolutely glorious evening.  The sun was setting and the light against the rocks of The Middle Lines glowed off the late summer landscape.  As I approached the entrance to a low water Triple Drop I noticed a thin line of smoke rising up from the rock island between triple drop and LuLu.  Then I noticed a man standing on the rocks watching me approach.  This was the closest I had ever seen a non paddler get to The Island (although he was still cut off by a fast moving Class III rapid) so I decided to talk with him.  He said he had come out to camp and made his way to that spot, and I told him he was welcome to swim across the channel and join me at camp for dinner.  


"You've got to be tough to be stupid."
                        ~Brabec-Boatertalk~


   I paddled down to camp and built a fire and started dinner.  I told the "dude from the rocks" to swim across the top of the channel above Triple Drop and walk the entire way down the trail to camp, so I knew it would take him about fifteen minutes.  After about 20 minutes or so, the dude from the rocks wandered down the trail looking rather perplexed by the world he had just entered.  I properly introduced myself, and we sat on the hillside discussing The Island, The Rivah, and the lives we were both drifting through.  He was a young college kid and told me he was a "rock crawler", which I pretended to understand, but in reality I thought he was bat shit crazy.  Then he told me he had taken three hits of acid earlier in the day, which clearly explained so many things that had confused me over the first hour of the conversation.  I thought about what he had just told me, and then finally responded with.........."dude, I don't think this is the best environment to place yourself in after dropping three hits of acid."  It was all I could think of to tell him.  I just know I wouldn't be ok stuck in the middle of a  whitewater river environment, alone, on three hits of acid........I mean, would you?
   The rest of the evening was spent being entertained by stories of a dude on acid.  We drank Absinthe, gave war cries at midnight, and danced around the fire (and no, I was not on acid too), and then I went to bed.  The dude from the rocks told me he was just going to sit out and watch the city for the night.  I told him to enjoy, because solo time on The Island was a special thing.
   When I awoke the next morning for work, the dude from the rocks was gone.  There was no sign of him anywhere.  Apparently the acid wore off, or he found some rocks to crawl, or decided to body surf Triple Drop (he had told me the night before that he wanted to do that.......I tried to explain that it was not the best idea, but I don't think he was listening)  Whatever happened, he had vanished without a trace, like another ghost of The Middle Lines.  It was just another unique experience in life on The Island.  So to the dude from the rocks, "good luck bro, in whatever adventures you find."

 
"If all else fails, paddle like hell."
              ~John Heffernan~


   The end of the week brought the arrival of my thirty-fifth birthday............son of a bitch am I old!  That is half way to seventy.  Well I don't feel like it (or at least I didn't until I blew out my back), and I responded to someone earlier in the week that asked me how old I was by saying, "I'm 35 in body, 12 in spirit, and 21 in maturity given the activity."  That speaks a lot of truth in just a few words.
   The way I saw things on my birthday was like this..........a man can do whatever he wishes on his birthday without having to worry about being judged for his actions.  With that being said, there was only one destination worthy of the occasion.......Strip Club!  Hell yea, 'Merica!...........(to be continued)


"If the earth were flat, I'd paddle off the edge."
                    ~Dinver McClure~



"Stay off those logs"
    ~Justin Harris~


           

Week 16 and 17: "The Variety of Life", "Med Withdrawals", and "Shit Gets Real"

*****The Island Chronicles have seen a lot of action the last few days.  It is because I am laid up with a messed up back and all I can do is write, so I am using it as a chance to catch up to the now.  (On a side note, it is not recommended to paddle an eight foot Mini Max raft like a canoe using a Norris Paddle.  It will fuck your back up........badly)  If you have ever messed up your lower back, then you know how much it sucks............now imagine living on an Island with it..........yesterday I finally retreated and am recouping at an off Island location.........messed up back, heat, strippers, and shacking up with a girl.......those are the biggest deterrents to The Island Life.........in case anyone ever decides to do this, make a note.  Enjoy Week 16 & 17.*****

"(The term) 'Controversial', as we all know, is often a euphemism for 'interesting and intelligent'."  
                                                                                                          ~Kevin Smith~

   Week 16 was a very different and interesting week, and it turned out to continue the trend of self-evaluation and discovery of a world I never knew existed.........a world full of interesting people.  Monday was my day off, and I spent most of the day at my favorite writing spot......the big leather chair at Shockhoe Espresso.  I love the atmosphere at Shockhoe Espresso.  The diversity that cycles through on any given day is remarkable.  First there is Lindy.  No coffee shop is complete without a homeless guy in a light yellow button down shirt and a backpack ranting about modern society........wait a minute, that sounds like a description of me.  hmmmm.  There are lawyers, suits, hippies, cooks, security guards, hotel employees, bike messengers, feisty little business girls determined to prove themselves to the world, out of work writers and artists, med students, hipsters, high school kids, gay couples, straight couples, regulars, not so regulars, tourists, locals, and every beautiful women that works at The Martin Agency (and there are tons of those).........what does this group of people represent?  Easy answer.......the ones that fell through the Starbucks Filter.  And THAT, is what makes them so interesting............get it?


"I think...if it is true that there are as many minds as there are heads, then there are as many kinds of love as there are hearts."
                                                  ~Leo Tolstoy


   On Tuesday I met up with a new friend.  The day before moving to The Island I ran into two girls sitting on the Southside Floodwall watching the sunset.  As it turned out, they ended up being the first two random people I ever told about The Island, and we still talk today. (thanks to the joy of Facebook)  I walked with one of the girls to Pipeline after having coffee, and had a very interesting discussion.  During the course of it she explained to me that she was basically stuck in a holding pattern for one year and was ready to move on, but her tone made it sound like she was ready to get out of RVA and move on to the next phase now.....she just couldn't.  I told her that was actually a cool position to be in........it gave her the ability to do whatever the hell she wanted for the next year......then I realized someone should be giving me that advice.  I was in a holding pattern, which gave me basically the ability to do whatever I wanted to do......only my timeline is every day, because the boys get older and older everyday.  It is amazing how much you can learn about your own life by talking to someone else about theirs.


"A lot of people resist transition and therefore never allow themselves to enjoy who they are.  Embrace the change, no matter what it is;  once you do you can learn about the new world you're in and take advantage of it."  
                                      ~Nikki Giovanni~


   I spent the end of Week 16 hibernating for the entire weekend at a friends house, off The Island......I am not going to lie.  Sometimes the A/C, cable, a shower, and soft warm couches are a good thing.......but only when done in limited amounts........like mushrooms.....I'm kidding.........mushrooms are perfectly fine all the time.  Hibernation weekends are like a battery re-charge.  (not like being laid up with a fucked up back.  This just sucks)  I didn't talk with anyone all weekend and have found that I am very comfortable with solitude after two seasons on The Island.
   The hibernation period began the process of my med withdrawals from Celexa.  This was part of the reason for the isolation.  I felt like I had the flu all weekend and was content with simply bearing with it until it passed.  Part of the withdrawals included a sixteen hour sleep session, the wonderful world of diarrhea (I know....TMI), tingly sensations in my fingers and toes, and sleeping patterns that rotated in three to four hour shifts............I am pretty sure weed has never had that major of an impact on the human body.  The system really baffles me.  In short, the withdrawal systems continued for almost three weeks, slowly wearing off as time passed.
   Week 17 continued the pattern of withdrawals, but by the end of the week I was itchin' to get back to things so I headed back out for The Island Life.  Late in the week I enjoyed an evening paddle with a friend from Charlottesville.  I planned to meet up with him at First Break.  It was a beautiful solo paddle out to the top of Belle Isle, but while soul surfing First Break a strong storm blew up quickly and I retreated to hiding under my canoe.  I didn't do this because I am a wuss. (I was already wet)  I did it because the temperature of the rain drops felt like they were just above freezing.  Seriously, the weather patterns lately are awesome, and I cannot complain about being cold in the middle of August in RVA, but these rain drops felt like little ice bombs.  The cool part about it was the storm was quick, and after blowing through, the evening sky revealed a magically beautiful sunset, just like hundreds of other sunsets The James offers up all the time.  It truly is and always will be my favorite river in the world.


"They say all marriages are made in heaven, but so are thunder and lightening."
                                                               ~Clint Eastwood~ 


   The end of Week 17 brought on the "Shit Gets Real" part of the story.  I had lunch with a friend who is also a police officer.  His main concern was my safety, and he made some valid points about the behaviors people can display when backed into a corner that they don't want to be in.  A perfect example is me.  I was backed into a corner when I was threatened with losing the boys, and I made some pretty stupid decisions that made things worse...........The Fat Bastard of Fourteenth Street was backed into a corner earlier this year, and made some pretty stupid decisions that made things worse.  The difference between the two situations was this.  I actually felt bad for him at one point, and backed off because of it.............Marcelle has never backed off on me, and I don't think she ever will.  So if I can deal with it, then he can too.  Next time, keep the cops out of it.

"A man does not die of love or his liver or even old age.  He dies from being a man."
                                                           ~Miguel Di Unamuno~            


"See ya on the rivah"
               ~Justin Harris~

Week Fifteen Bonus: "Virginia is for lovin' whitewater......Nelson County style!"

“Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle.”
                                                          ~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland~

No better place to find the answer to that question than on a rivah.   :)

      Nelson County is the shit!....period.  Some Virginia boaters would disagree with me, but they are simply missing out on the hidden goods.  There are certain things that make this part of Virginia such a magical place..........

1.  It is two hours from RVA
2.  It offers up Class IV-V tight, technical creekin' in multiple drainage's.
3.  There is something for every kind of boater up in those deep mountains.  If you aren't feeling up to the gnar, just head downstream to find something more your size
4.  It takes a massive amount of rain to run and is notorious for skunk trips, which makes it so much more magical when you finally catch it right and put on.
5.  There are big drops to be had on Staton's Crick for those looking for some extra gradient.
6.  There are breweries on the way home.....need I say more........Devils Backbone is the shit!
7.  It's our own little piece of whitewater heaven right here in our own backyard.
8.  The whitewater goes for miles, is non-stop, and has a lot of different features throughout each creek.
9.  It has pristine waters draining from a wild and beautiful wilderness.  (for those of you wondering where this magical place is located, think Crabtree Falls.  If you have been there then you have driven through a lot of the drainage that we love to paddle.)
10.  The scenery is spectacular, and everything is roadside.

   Here is the Nelson County proof about the list above................................

Big  Boof at Switchblade on The Cascades

The slides of The Cascades

Seven straight miles of this.  Nelson is whitewater heaven.

   I stated in the previous post that RVA is surrounded by world class whitewater. This keeps the gems of VA a secret to all those but the ones that know........and if you are one of the ones that know then you know we have our own little slice of heaven here in VA. There are many in Virginia who feel that outsiders should stay out............not me. I say come on out our way and see for yourself. Virginia has creeks, drops, runs, and stouts to rival any other state in the East...........and I am willing to put a case on that to prove it!

   The next time it is raining in RVA.......and I do mean a lot, think about the boaters of this town........because they are doing one of two things. Either they are sitting in their offices cursing Mother Nature for the fact that Nelson only runs on work days, or they are on their way to Virginia's little piece of whitewater heaven. That is the life we live, and it is what we all love to do.


"The first river you paddle runs through the rest of your life. It bubbles up in pools and eddies to remind you who you are."
                                            ~Lynn Noel~

See ya on the rivah...................hopefully stylin' it in Nelson County!    PEACE

Week Fifteen Conclusion......"Scariest Place on Earth"

“It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.” 

                                  ~Lucius Annaeus Seneca~

   Great Falls.............thinking about that place gives me chills.  There are lots of boaters reading this post right now who run Great Falls regularly and have no problem with it..............I am not one of those boaters.  I will take The Narrows, Lower Meadow, Upper Gauley at high water, etc., long before I want to paddle Great Falls......but I have too.  I have to defeat my nemesis.  Every boater has them, and Great Falls of the Potomac is mine.  Here is what I am referring to for those of you who do not boat.........

   Great Falls is just outside of Washington D.C. and drains a large portion of Northern West Virginia and Maryland.  There is A LOT of water in Great Falls.  It is usually too high to run, which makes the summer the best time to catch it (disregard this summer.....remember, we are in a rare year)  There is also A LOT of gradient in a short span at Great Falls.  When you combine a ton of water with a lot of gradient, it usually equals one thing........Class V-V+ whitewater........the stuff that will kill you.  

   I learned to paddle in WNC, which contains tons of creeks.  Creeks contain an unbelievable amount of gradient with not a lot of water.  Big volume rivers contain a little gradient with A LOT of water.  (The James at flood stage is a good example).  Great Falls contains both.....which is what makes it so hard.  Entering the Falls is a cool experience.  You arrive in a parking lot with tourists, walk through forest, and put on to a flat water river that looks like a lake.  After a short paddle you drop over a ten foot dam and cruise down some Class II-III for about 200 yards.  Ahead of you is what looks like a giant hole in the earth.  There is mist rising up out of the hole and huge pointed black rocks peering up over the horizon..........sounds like the entrance to hell.  The first rapid on the Maryland side of the river is Pummel, which is a clean 20 foot boof (and I do mean BOOF!).  As you cruise towards the edge of the hole a horizon line appears in front of you.  If you have scouted Pummel before, it doesn't help to do it again.  Just run it and save yourself the nerves.  Rocket down the slide at the top of the drop and pull the biggest boof stroke imaginable, do your sit up, and brace for impact.  Boofing at Pummel is mandatory, otherwise you have the pleasure of finding out how the rapid got its name. When you clear your thoughts at the bottom (which is hopefully fast), paddle to the first eddy you see and then look around and take it in.  There are massive waterfalls all around you, thundering over and through huge rock formations. It is an impressive and intimidating sight.  

Boofing into the entrance to hell!....or whitewater heaven.

  There is so much to explain about Great Falls, that I am going to let American Whitewater do it.  The link below is to the AW river page for Great Falls, just like the link in the last post to The Narrows.  If you have never heard of AW, check out the site and become a member.  They are our voice in government, community, and social affairs pertaining to rivers, land rights, environmental protection, etc.  In short, American Whitewater is the heart of the paddling community.

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/5553/

“Not all those who wander are lost.” 

~J.R.R. Tolkien~

  So now you can see why RVA is such a great boating town.  We have it all, and we have a lifetime of road trips to keep us entertained.  It doesn't matter if you paddle Class I or Class V+, there is something for everyone.  I have been paddling for a decade now, and still have more rivers and creeks on my to do list than I have on my checked off list.  Last summer I paddled the following:

Five laps in three trips on the Green Narrows             Western North Carolina
Three laps in three trips to Great Falls                         Washington D.C.
Big Sandy Creek                                                          Northern West Virginia
Three laps in three trips on the Upper Yough               Western Maryland
Top Yough                                                                 Northern West Virginia
New River                                                                  Central West Virginia
Three laps on the Lower Gauley                                  Central West Virginia
One lap on the Upper Gauley                                      Central West Virginia
Two trips and tons of laps on Valley Falls                    Northern West Virginia
One trip to the North Fork of the Tye                          Nelson County, VA
One trip to the South Fork of the Piney Cascades        Nelson County, VA
One trip to Staton's Creek (Feb. 2013)                        Nelson County, VA
.....oh yea, and about 8 to 10 laps on Reedy Crick        RVA
.....and about 200 laps on The Jimmy                            RVA

  This list is not that impressive compared to a lot of paddlers in this town, or anywhere for that matter.  (I may have missed something.  I rushed it)  And believe me, this list scrapes just the surface of the whitewater in the Mid-Atlantic.  But whitewater and the whitewater lifestyle are the same in all areas of the country and the world, and one thing is for sure...............kayakers are dirty, gypsy like, traveling, nomadic bums.......and that is awesome.  Here are some of the best displaying some of the best and showing you how a proper whitewater road trip is accomplished.....seriously, these boys are the best there is, and they get better and better every year.  Watch this video to see just how beautiful our sport can be.

http://vimeo.com/68798514

To see a lot more pics from last summers travels, check out this album on Facebook. (The haters will love it. It is mostly of them, and the FSW as well.......Fat Bastard may be in there too.......The Dumb Ass on the Log definitely is)  That is all.....Enjoy :)

https://www.facebook.com/justin.harris.58/media_set?set=a.231559340286434.47002.100002971097796&type=3

   My list above includes three little cricks at the end that deserve some special attention..............so stay tuned, because Nelson County, VA has a lot more to offer than brewery's and backwoods..............


“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
             ~Lao Tzu~


See ya on the rivah!.....or travelin' to the next one.........PEACE

West By God

"Country roads, take me home to the place I belong.
West Virginia, mountain momma, take me home, country roads."

~John Denver~

Go ahead, you know you want to sing the song........

   For those of us in RVA, West Virginia is a closer drive than WNC, and it offers up the best whitewater around........and tons of it.  I have spent a a lot of time in both WNC and West VA, and the coolest thing about the two are how different they are, and yet so close together.  WNC is all about creek boating.  West Virginia is all about Big Water, deep dark creek missions, and play boating.  It's also about the New River, Gauley, Cheat, Yough (yes.....I know what state it is really in.....haters), Canaan Valley area, The Blackwater, Snowshoe, Gauleyfest, Cheatfest, bluegrass, and moonshine.  (and a hell of a lot of other R rated material)  Something tells me you are going to be hearing a lot more about West By God in the future on this blog, but here are some pics to hold you over until then  (all photography by yours truly.  ENJOY).....................

Sunset around the New River

Gauley shuttles are always interesting and beautiful

Valley Falls........paradise

Big Sandy Crick.......one of my all time favorites

The Gauley River........one of the best in the world

The New River Bridge

Rich knockin' out The Keeneys

Soul Surfing on the New

Valley Falls, WVa

Butterflies!!!!!!!!!

 

You could spend a lifetime in West By God and still not find everything there is to offer up in kayaking.  It is that wonderful................now, last but not least.  The Scariest Place on Earth........(to be continued.  Pic space)

"Come to West Virginia and we'll show you how to live..."

        ~Joe Manchin~ 

see ya on the rivah!.....PEACE 

Week Fifteen: "The Heat of Summer" and "Yakin' Trips"......lots of pics in here!

"It ain't the heat, it's the humility."

                     ~Yogi Berra~

   Week Fifteen brought the inevitable doom of RVA heat.  For those of you reading this post who are not from the Mid-Atlantic, know this.........It is hotter in many places of this country than in the Mid-Atlantic, but when that Mid-Atlantic humidity arrives, from ATL, through RVA, on up to DC, it is terribly uncomfortable, and I was living in it.  The heat of summer was my worst enemy on The Island, and I was about to deal with it for the entire week.  I couldn't complain.  It had been an amazing summer weather wise, and I needed the dose of reality for a week.   I was surprised at how well I was able to deal with the humidity.  During the day I was off The Island working, which gave me an excuse to bitch and whine about how hot it was.  I noticed everyone else was bitching and whining about it, so why couldn't I.  But in the evening, once I returned to The Island, bitching didn't solve anything.  John the goose would just stare at me, as if to say, "Shut up wuss.  I have 70 layers of feathers on and you don't see me bitchin', now do you."  (remember, I talk to the geese.......it's cool.  I'm crazy.  I am allowed to)  I developed a system.  I would do all the work requiring movement to be done early in the evening, and I would eat dinner early as well.  After dinner I would sit on the hillside, naked as a jay bird, and would read or write.  After the sunset I would go to the rivah and soak in it for fifteen minutes, moving as little as possible.  Then I would return to camp, air dry, and then lay down and go to sleep. This ensured I was as cool as possible when I laid down for bed.  (sleeping in humidity is the worst.  The stickiness is unbearable)  This system worked well and for the most part I slept soundly through the week.

   Due to the heat and humidity of the week, the crazy stories of The Island were kept to a minimum.  (it was too hot for the strip club)  I remained low key and stayed out of trouble all week, simply working in the day and chillin' at night.  (no pun intended.......because I WASN'T chillin' at all.  I was hot)  This allowed me a lot of time for reflection.  I looked back on the ride of the last two years and started to make terms with the past and evaluate where to go in the future.  One of the things from the past I did evaluate was the difference between the summer of 2012 and the summer of 2013.  The theme this summer for my life is "The Island".  That is obvious.  The theme of the 2012 summer was obvious as well.........."Yakin' Trips".  I spent the spring and summer of 2012 going on 13 kayaking trips throughout the Mid-Atlantic, all while raft guiding in RVA during the week.  I have stated that this is not a kayakers blog.  But what it has become is a kayaking blog for a lot of people who do not kayak.  So I feel an obligation to do what any kayaker wants to do.......teach people about the joy of whitewater kayaking........and there is no better joy in kayaking than road trips with your friends and family. (in my case my friends are my family) 

   RVA is not only a great whitewater town because of the James.  The James allows us a weekly training site to prep ourselves for the missions that we have the ability to make during the weekends.  We are centrally located between three world class areas for whitewater boat ridin'.  To our southwest (six hours) is Western North Carolina.  To the West (three to six hours) is the one and only, West 'By God' Virginia.  To our North is Great Falls of the Potomac........otherwise known as the scariest place on earth in my opinion.



“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”
                                                                                                               ~John Muir~

   Western North Carolina.........this is a story that will be told in the next few weeks.  See, I lived there.  I fell in love there.  I was happy there.  It is that simple...................it is also one bad ass place to be a kayaker.  When it rains in WNC (and it rains there A LOT!), the creek boatin' is some of the best in the world.  When it doesn't rain in WNC, the creek boatin' is still some of the best in the world.  We all owe that to the wonderful Green River Narrows.  (http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/1080/)  Additionally, WNC is full of rivers to paddle, trails to hike, rocks to climb, and some great food to eat........and there is tons of it all.  Here is some of my photography from last summers adventures in the great WNC.

The Famous Narrows at 800 percent flow

Steve stompin' out The Monkey

WNC is full of deep gorges and beautiful whitewater

Yes, it is that stunning!

   The whitewater is not the only thing the WNC has to offer.  The hiking is spectacular.

The Art Loeb Trail

  WNC is the shit.......no doubt.  But West 'By God' may just top it......now there is a debate worth having!   (to be continued.......I ran out of picture space) 

.............................see ya on the rivah!  PEACE

        

Week Fourteen Part II "Craziest week yet!....Absinthe induced fires, High Water, Strippers, and River Rescues"

*****Below is Part II to Week Fourteen.  This is the omitted story of the river rescue.  If you have not read Week Fourteen Part I, you might want to do that before reading this.......and you should also read "The Dumb Ass on the Log".  It plays a part as well.  Enjoy!*****

Part II - "The River Rescue and The Great James Debate"

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go.”
                                                                           

                                                                             ~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland~

   That quote describes my entire existence until I can find a way back to the life I once had..........which means every new horizon line I see will be bringing new adventures, and new and colorful people.  So while I am living this existence that is judged, mocked, and ridiculed by all the haters, I will most likely discover more about this world then any of them could ever hope to throughout their entire lives.........point is, "HATE ON HATERS!"

   Any who.............Week Fourteen continued with the same bizarre, yet highly enlightening experiences that it started with.  By Tuesday I had already cruised Pipeline at 8+ feet with a six year old (on that note, all James River Outfitters abandon Pipeline over seven and a half feet because it is just "too big".  C'mon guys. A six year old did it with a smile on her face the whole time.  Give the people what they want.......the ride of their life!...............I know I tried to give them that last summer, and it was four feet.  Mother Nature made it easy for you guys this year.)  I had also met a ton of new people, had been taken to dinner by a group of beautiful, bikini clad women and a motocross racer with an A Team van, had late night Absinthe hits on The Island with new friends, and run "The Middle Lines Work Out Program" seven times in four days.  I had fulfilled an entire weeks worth of adventure into half a week.
   Then Tuesday came and things got even wilder.  I paddled off the island later in the morning and met a friend for lunch, which involved a pretty intense conversation.  After lunch I met with a financial planner. Why a financial planner wanted to meet with a homeless kayaker living on an island I do not know?.....but I went with it.  I was happy that I did, because I received some valuable advice and had a bit of reality dropped on my ass...........basically, I'm screwed and need to work my ass off for the next 73 years.  Oh well.  I finally reached work around 2 pm that afternoon (My boss was so happy with me.....again, sarcasm).  We headed up to Brown's Island to finish some work and meet up with a city official about some projects on the island.
     

“Too many times we stand aside and let the waters slip away, till what we put off till tomorrow has now become today.  So don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied.  Choose to chance the rapids and dare to dance the tide.”

                                                                     ~Anonymous~

   We had only been on Brown's Island for about five minutes before the Fire Department, Police, and River Rescue arrived at the boat ramp and came walking up to us.  My boss happens to somehow know every firefighter and cop in the city and had the 'situation assessment' in 30 seconds.  They had not located the victims, but said they received a call that there were distressed swimmers somewhere above Pipeline.  We headed down to the bottom of the island and started searching the river bank for the problem.  My boss had walked ahead of me and located the victims near the entrance to Pipeline rapid.  He then turned around and gave me a strange look.  I came up on the scene, looked out in the river, and saw Randbo......yes, Randbo (this is what happens when you allow someone to name their own character in a story), a fellow boater, standing on a pile of logs with one female.  They were stable, but in a precarious position.  The river was about seven and a half feet, and neither were wearing a PFD.  The reason the situation was so strange was that we both knew Randbo, and both knew that he was a competent boater.  It was one of those situations where things looked different than they really were. A competent boater would never end up in a situation like the one Randbo was in without something strange having happened.  

  All I could do was look out at Randbo and yell, "What the fuck dude!?!"  He just looked back at me and shook his head and told me to get a PFD to him.  Unfortunately I knew that with the arrival of the Fire Dept. I was not allowed to be involved in the rescue for liability reasons (plus I didn't have a kayak), so all I could do was sit and watch. Although Randbo.........yes, Randbo, and the victim were safe, they were in a rather unfortunate spot.  They were located in the batch of trees that separate the left side entrance to Pipeline from the entrance that takes you towards the tree slot boof.  From this position there is swift water on both sides with very small eddies that are few and far between, making rescue difficult.  Additionally, the location is at the top of a rapid that is about 300 yards long.  It would be a rough swim for someone who was not wearing a PFD and is not accustom to swimming Class III-IV whitewater............actually, it would be a rough swim for ANYONE not wearing a PFD.
   The rescue took quite a bit of time and was difficult given the circumstances.  The River Rescue Squad used jet boat rafts to push through the current, but at times the force of the water was stronger than the boat. The lack of larger eddies just added to the difficulty.  Eventually River Rescue made a successful recovery of both the victim and Rambo.....I mean Randbo.  I spoke with him after the rescue was made to get the entire story about the circumstances of the situation.  Randbo had been walking his dog on the pipe at Pipeline and had seen three distressed swimmers above Pipeline being swept down into the top of the rapid.  He was able to rescue two of the victims himself by swimming them across the channel to the river left shore.  He stated that the third victim freaked out a bit when her turn came, so he decided to call river rescue.  Rand was correct with everything he did in the situation because he has a decade of experience on the river.  If you do not have that amount of experience, then do not ever attempt to save someone in swift water.  Call River Rescue or find a kayaker........quick.
   Over the last five years, I have been involved with numerous river rescues, both on my own and involving The River Rescue Squad.  I have also participated in numerous trainings with the fire department concerning swift water training on The James.........................................anyone who is in our paddling community knows that I am in a tough position right now.  How do I write the following constructive criticism bluntly, honestly, and with conviction, (like all other posts), but without upsetting anyone?  It is a tough question to answer, but here goes my attempt.  I pray this comes across well..................  

“It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.”
                                                        ~George Washington~

   The James River is a unique anomaly in the whitewater paddling world.  We possess the best urban whitewater anywhere in the United States.  This has created two important factors that play into the amount of activity and problems we have on The James.  First, we have a large and close culture of boaters in this town.  There is A LOT of whitewater skill in RVA, and every year it grows.  This creates a lot of knowledge and experience on the rivah.  We also have a large paddling population and only one rivah.........this creates waaaaaayyyyy too many cooks in one kitchen, and everyone seems to have their own recipe about how to bake up a solution to the dilemma of River Rescue.  

   Second, we have created an extremely beautiful and well maintained Park System (Thanks Ralph and Nathan) that draws thousands of people to the banks of our rivah every year, giving the general public direct access to dangerous whitewater........................no offense, but the general public is incredibly stupid. Example #1:  Last summer I watched a man take an inflatable pool chair down Hollywood with his eight year old daughter sitting on his lap.  No helmets, no PFD's, no common sense.  The end result was myself and a fellow boater picking both the man and daughter out of the logs below the main drop, all while the daughter was screaming and clawing into my arm because she was so scared.  While I was dealing with that, my fellow paddler was bitching out the father like no other..............and rightfully so I might add.  If you do stupid shit you should be made to feel stupid, especially when your stupidity endangers a child.
Example #2:  Go to Belle Isle on a busy weekend and watch the crowd.  Within half an hour you WILL see someone do something stupid involving the rivah........guaranteed.  Additionally, the stupid person is most likely drunk.  This will help you understand Example #2....actually this IS Example #2.     

   Due to these circumstances, there is a culture clash on The James.  You have the general population that uses the rivah for hiking, walking, biking, sun bathing, and swimming.  Then you have the paddling community.......the most knowledgeable rivah group in RVA..........finally, you have River Rescue trying to keep all of us safe.  Given these circumstances one thing is for sure..........River Rescue is in a tough spot.
   If you asked most paddlers about their opinion of River Rescue in RVA it would be negative and critical.......that's fucked up.  Before I go on, I will call myself out and say that at times in the past decade I have been very critical of River Rescue.  (I am no longer like that, but in all fairness I am about to put myself in the same group this is all going to fall on in this blog.)  I now support them 100 percent and think given the circumstances they do a phenomenal job.  Here is why:.................

Undated Journal Entry

   "................Paddlers who criticize River Rescue should think about this..........Imagine going to the Fire Department and receiving one days worth of training on how to be a firefighter.  Then on the day after your training, you are handed a hose by a firefighter and told to go into a burning building and save an entire family.  The whole time you are in the burning building, the fire department is going to stand outside, and criticize every move you make...........that is pretty much the equivalent of what we as paddlers do to River Rescue all the time...........THAT"S FUCKED UP!!!!!  I don't know about you, but I would not feel comfortable saving people from a burning building with a hose and a prayer........I would be more worried about my own ass.  (sorry, I don't like fire.......I like water.  I will save you there, but I run from fire...........and bears.  Bears will kill you.....actually, that is a joke.  Don't run from bears.  If you do then bears will kill you.......seriously.)  
   For this reason I do not blame any Firefighter who is scared shitless when they have to make a river rescue, because I can guarantee I would be scared inside that burning building.  (which is why I would probably run)  Firefighters have a tough job because they need to have talents in so many different areas."

   Based on the situation that I witnessed at Pipeline combined with my past experiences with River Rescue, safety on the James, the knowledge of paddlers, etc., I had one question that continued to resonate in my mind...........................If River Rescue had responded to the scene of "The Dumb Ass on The Log" and been forced to attempt a river rescue in Hollywood at fifteen feet, would they have been successful?..................every paddler in this town already knows the answer to this question...........NO.  I need to make it clear that I do not enjoy using honesty and bluntness to answer that question, but it is the truth.
   I bring that point up for a reason.  Hollywood at Fifteen+ feet is an extremely deadly environment, and as I have stated before , if you are going to paddle The James at that level, you damn well better know what you are doing.  River Rescue does not have the experience to make those rescues, but more importantly, based on my observations in the past, there is the possibility one of them could drown during the rescue.  If that were to happen, the paddling community should ask this question.......Who would that death fall on?  Not the firefighters, they are heroes.  Not the city.  The don't take responsibility for shit! (ex. Baseball Field....dumb asses).............It would fall on the kayaking community.  And if it fell on us we would justify that asshole Curt Autry stating that the rivah should be closed down over twelve feet, but more importantly, we would have a heavy weight to bear as a community, with little or no voice about our home away from (or in my case my home at my home.......or something like that).

"Great leadership does not mean running away from reality. Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better."
                                                    ~John Kotter~ 
   What can we do about it?  Well, we can continue doing what we have been doing and talk about all these great things we can do, and then have a big meeting about it, and then have another meeting with the heads of all the little organizations.....oooh, it could be at Legend's.  That would make us really cool.  Then we could get the outfitters involved, and then have another meeting about that.(are you starting to get my point........eventually I think they actually did go rafting last summer........right boys?)...................or we can actually identify the people who can "get shit done" and allow them to do the things we all know they are capable of doing (The Fat Bastard of Fourteenth Street does NOT fall under this category).  The fact is we as a paddling community will never be as strong as we could be with a rift between ourselves and River Rescue.  The situation that I described above is a time bomb ticking.  Every year we get better at kayaking, which means every year the risk factor is stepped up a little more.  In a previous post I discussed river levels.  The James has not seen a 20+ foot flood in 16.7 years.  We average one every 5 years (give or take).  We are overdue for that 20+ footer, and I know there are plenty of boaters in this town just drooling at the chance to run the Lower at that level................unfortunately a lot of those paddlers are dumb ass college kids encouraged through Team WAV to run shit they are not ready for.  (Example #1.....go read "The Dumb Ass on the Log".  Team WAV was involved in that debacle.)  This is one example of what will lead to this recipe becoming an unfortunate reality.
   I don't have the answers to the question of exactly what to do about the situation.  That is not my job.  My job is to call it out so that hopefully the kayaking community will start talking about it (instead of talking about the crazy dude living on an island........what's with that guy?)  Hopefully the people who have the ability to make an impact can come to the table, instead of the ones just looking for the notoriety of being involved.  I think the community has already done a good job of exemplifying the results of that path.  As far as I am concerned, there is only one person in this town who can link the two groups together............and he is the only one who has actually produced results.  Some of you guys should stop running your mouths long enough to see what is actually being accomplished.  If everyone were on that page, we wouldn't need to hear about "Dumb Asses on a Log"............now would we?

"Leadership is action, not position."
                                   ~Donald H. McGannon

Pray For Rain.  See ya on the rivah................hopefully not on a log.  (sorry, I couldn't help it)