At any rate, we finally wore the woman at the counter down and a supervisor waved our boats onto the plane. We were off to Ecuador to bask in the tropical sun while running crystal clear rivers in remote jungle gorges. And that's mostly what we did.

The demonstrations in Quito didn't bother us except that we couldn't get as close as we would have liked to the old part of town due to the possibility of being tear gassed along with the thousands of indigenous people who were fed up with a government that was inattentive to their needs. So we settled for a bird's eye view from one of the many hills surrounding the city.

On the second day, we met Mark at the airport. He had flown separately from New York. And on the third day we drove over the 14,000-foot Papallacta Pass to the small town (population about 1000) of Baeza 70 kilometers east of Quito.

From Baeza we ran 5 different rivers in 6 days of paddling. We paddled big water on the Quijos, steep stuff on the Cosanga and the Jondachi, big, steep, technical stuff on the Oyacachi, and rock-bouncing rapids on some nameless tributary of the Oyacachi. And on Friday evening at about 6:00 pm they overthrew the president of Ecuador. A military junta took over for the evening, and the next morning the former vice president assumed power following Ecuador's constitutionally mandated system of succession without an election. We asked the special forces soldiers guarding the outpost just outside of Baeza what they thought of the coup d'etat, the new president, and their military

The following Tuesday I hopped a bus back to Quito. As the bus labored up the steep narrow road with 1000-foot drop-offs over Papallacta Pass, my seatmate pointed out the window at an apparent landslide below the road just ahead of us. He spoke in rapid-fire Spanish to a woman in the seat behind us. When he had finished, I asked what was up. "Last week a bus went over the edge of the road just up ahead of us, killing 18 people. My wife and I were on it and we lived by clinging to the ceiling." I was amazed and a bit shocked, but I figured as long as I kept this guy next to me I'd probably survive the rest of the ride to Quito.

At moderate flows, the tribs offer creek-like runs with steep, boulder-choked rapids that range in difficulty from class II to class V+. In high water, they can become raging freight trains that will challenge the most able experts and can be dangerous to those not prepared for their unrelenting power.

Here are a few of my favorites from north to south:

North Branch - This small creek follows Route 100 between the center of Wilmington, Vermont and Mount Snow Ski Resort. Its class II rapids are normally runnable throughout the spring as the manmade snow turns to mush. Put in anywhere below Dover on Route 100. You can paddle as far as Harriman Reservoir or take out in Wilmington. There is a nice play spot just upstream of the main bridge in Wilmington.

West Branch - Five miles of class IV and V whitewater offer some of the most difficult creeking in the area. Classic big-boulder rapids like Face Plant, High Chair and Low Chair keep you on your toes, while the specter of the class V+ Tunnel Vision haunts many a West Branch boater's dreams. Put in at Readsboro Falls and take out at any of several bridges in Readsboro Center. Between 3 and 5 on the gauge behind the variety store in Readsboro represents medium water.

Cold River - When the Dryway has lost its challenge and the West Branch still seems like too much of a leap, the Cold River provides an excellent class IV run to help you work up to more difficult whitewater. Running through a steep wooded valley, the Cold follows Route 2 for its entire length providing an easy out if you find it's more than you bargained for, yet you're only aware of the road in a few places as you enjoy the incredible scenery. Put in at the Savoy bridge a few miles upstream of the State Forest entrance and take out either at the State Forest (avoiding the most difficult rapids) or near the confluence with the main Deerfield.

For more information about these and other local rivers, check out Steep Creeks of New England by Greg & Sue Hanlon and/or Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide by Bruce Lessels, both available in our Outfitters Shop.

Spring runoff should allow us to experience some of New England?s best steep whitewater. The clinic will be taught by top river runners who will pass on their years of experience and in-depth knowledge of creeking technique.

If you want to explore New England?s best hidden whitewater, this clinic is for you. For advanced closed canoe and kayak paddlers only.

Old clinic dates removed.

On this 3-day river run we will take advantage of spring water levels to run several Southern New England classics. Possible river choices include the Westfield, the Millers, the North, the Green, and the lesser known branches of the Deerfield. Participants must be competent class II/III boaters and capable of self rescue in cold. fast-moving water. For intermediates and up.

Old clinic dates removed.