We split the classes up at the put-in with myself taking the kayak students (recreational kayaks, not white-water) and Mary Carol Cooper and Virgil Johnson taking 4 student canoes each. We provided the normal on-shore instruction, including safety practices, then placed the students in the water. (Actually we put their boats in the water, with students in the boats.) Then we practiced at the relatively calm backwater under Knight’s Bridge until…..
... several of our canoeists, drifted down steam and got caught in the current. At this point we decided to begin the trip portion of our clinic and chased after the “lead” boats. Water conditions on Elkhorn this day were great for instruction. Low flow (just above summer pool level) provide some push downstream and a cushion over riffles and rocks, without totally making students respond to rapidly approaching obstructions. As for obstructions, there were few, although some students managed to find ways to get their boats stopped in the stream. With 14 student boats, this was inevitable. Thanks to the help of ‘sweep’ Ron Lawson, all boats eventually made it downstream.
The clinic was as much a learning experience for the organizers/instructors as it was for the students. S they were learning paddling strokes and how to maneuver down a creek, we were learning how to “herd cats”, finally figuring out that we may have taken on more than we could handle. This was brought home at the lunch stop (which was fairly early in the trip) and we found that 5 canoes had already continued downstream. Off goes master canoeist and former adventure racer Virgil to corral in the strays.
We caught up with them at “the Claw” where they had judiciously opted to wait for us. At this point, most of the class saw fit to portage their boats around the current, while a few of the instructor/safety crew demonstrated how to safely maneuver this location. Only one spill by a student at the entrance of the rapid and he got out well before danger, so again, a learning experience.
Those familiar with the main Elkhorn know that this is close to the Canoe KY shop where we stopped for our mid-point. Here, only 1 kayaker and 2 canoeists chose to cut their trip short. Whereas I feel it was because they just wanted to get their rental money worth, my story is they were enjoying the quality of instruction, now that we got them all back together.
From here we took off for our next 6 miles of river, with the weather and water level holding for a pleasant float. Still, a few wrong decisions as to proper line through some areas got some of us “scraping paint” or just plain getting stuck. Still, only a few more swimming episodes (I’m not sure that these weren’t planned to cool off) and we were at take-out and the Canoe KY shuttle.
Thanx to all that participated as students and very special thanx to those who acted as instructors or safety boaters to make this year’s clinic a success of Cecille B. DeMille proportions.