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The Zoar Rap |
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Paddling news from Zoar Outdoor |
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Dryway releases start May 27th! |
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Feast and Famine |
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7 Main Street Charlemont MA 01339 |
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To contact us: |
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Zoar Outdoor will be hosting the 3rd Annual
DemoFest on June 23rd - June 25th on the Deerfield River. DemoFest is a free event open to the public where manufacturers display the latest whitewater kayaks, canoes, paddles and life vests for paddlers to try out. This is an opportunity to test drive boats, use paddles, learn about the latest gear from the company reps, and get some instruction from some of the most accomplished paddlers in the country. Manufacturer representatives, national team paddlers and Zoar Outdoor instruction staff will give free mini technique clinics on the water. |
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Excuse me… do you have any maternity sprayskirts?
I manage a paddling school and I’m pregnant, how are these two things going to fit together? I have read all the books and websites to see what other women have written about their experiences. There is not much written for pregnant women who paddle, though there are many things written about the benefits of exercise and pregnancy.
At about 2 months I started feeling the effects of my pregnancy while paddling with my husband and a group of friends. It was a warm fall day in New England and I was paddling on the Dryway section (class III-IV) of the Deerfield River. We were all having a great time playing on this one eddy line. My stern squirt had me looking at the blue sky and colorful leaves. It felt great to be out paddling. I flipped over and while I was hanging upside down setting up for my roll, I suddenly had this thought “Am I hurting my baby?” I rolled up and shook my head. Where did that voice come from?
Sitting back in the eddy, I tried to come to terms with this anxiety which is a bit out of character for me. I realized that my head was not in the game and it would be best if I walked out before I reached the class IV section. My husband was supportive yet surprised. I had never walked out on this section before. There was a trail nearby so I told the rest of my group to go ahead. I knew the trail was used by the raft guides but I had never hiked it myself. How bad could it be?
Before I started hiking, I chatted with a raft guide. I mentioned that I was carrying out and excused it by saying I had a stomach ache. My husband and I had not told anyone yet about my secret. The raft guide was a bit surprised and said, “You know it’s kind of steep. You may want to leave your boat and we can come get it later.” I said I would be fine and started on my way.
Halfway up the trail I realized what he meant by “kind of steep.” With my boat on one shoulder and hanging on to a tree root with the other hand, I made my way up the knife-edge ridge.
“What am I doing?” That little voice in my head was really screaming now about all the things that could go wrong. I realized swimming the river would have been easier. This was definitely not the kind of day I had originally planned. I reached the top of the trail a bit frazzled and dismayed. The first person I bumped into was Mo, a friend and another female paddler. I didn’t mean to tell anyone, but after my hike, the words came tumbling out of my mouth. “Mo, I’m pregnant and it sort of messed with my head while I way paddling today and I just had the craziest hike out.” We both laughed and giggled about my joyous secret. At that point I realized the news was out and I would look at paddling very differently.
During the fall I continued to teach on the river since I didn’t show much and still had my flexibility. By the winter, I moved indoors to teach in warm heated pools although my belly announced my condition. Since most paddling gear does not come with a stretch panel for expanding bellies, finding equipment to fit was an issue. I realized that while some of my students were in awe, it did make others feel uncomfortable. One of my students said, ”if she can roll with her belly than I can roll with mine.” We all had a good laugh but I realized it was time to stop paddling professionally. Someone asked me why I continued to teach for so long and the answer came quite naturally, “It’s what I do. I feel good. I feel strong. And I’ll continue since I’m not putting my baby or myself at risk.”
It is crazy how your body adjusts and grows with the new life. It’s tough to know how big you’ll really get. I marked the size of my belly by the size of my sprayskirt. At 7 months, I was in a medium sprayskirt; the next week I had to use a large; and the following week, an extra large. By the end of March I couldn’t fit into a skirt at all and my balance was really off. I knew I would not be in a boat again until after William was born. Spring became more than just waiting for the snow to melt. This spring represented the start of a whole new life.
On May 11th, 2005, after 15 hours of labor, William was born; healthy and beautiful. I stayed at home for 6 weeks but knew I had to get back to work. After about three months, I started working on the river again. I am very fortunate to work for a family-friendly company and William is a sweet-natured boy who was easy to have at work. He sat on my desk in a bouncy chair smiling contentedly at any of the raft guides or instructors who stopped by to check him out. William will be fortunate to have a whole staff of older brothers and sisters to paddle with.
Teaching on the river while breastfeeding presented interesting hurdles. I had to wrestle with how to feed my son and take care of myself while attending to my students. How could I balance it all? Thankfully I have a wonderful husband who is very understanding and is a boater himself. The problem wasn’t so much keeping the baby fed. I can easily pump and store milk for feeding the baby during the day. The issue was that I needed to alleviate the pressure caused by milk buildup. The plan was my husband would meet me at the lunch break with the baby during a clinic. He would entertain my students while I went into the woods to nurse my son. To my delight I found everyone encouraging and supportive. “It’s really cool you guys can do this,” was one student’s comment. William loved to see his mother but was not always ready to nurse, so the riverside nursing solution was short lived.
My husband, family and friends all provided me with the environment to have a successful pregnancy. When I recently asked my husband how it was for him during my pregnancy, he said, “ I was very proud how long you continued to paddle while still staying in your comfort zone. A lot of spouses would be nervous about any damage if any thing went wrong. I didn’t have that because I trusted your knowledge of boating and of yourself. It was a hoot to watch you at the pool and when you had to wear a bigger skirt. When you finally decided you couldn’t paddle, I was impressed you could just let it go. I knew you would get back to it soon afterwards.”
Someone once said to me that when raising children, you should keep doing what you love to do. Your children will see how happy it makes you and that will, in turn, affect how they view life. I truly believe this.
Every pregnancy is different and before you start any exercise or activity, it is best to get advice from your health care provider. The March of Dimes website states “Unless there are medical reasons to avoid it, pregnant women can and should exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes on most, if not all, days. Exercise helps women feel better. The calories burned help prevent too much weight gain. Exercise may help pregnant women avoid gestational diabetes, a form of diabetes that sometimes develops during pregnancy. It can help build the stamina needed for labor and delivery. Exercise enhances well-being and promotes early recovery after labor and delivery.”
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The beauty of the Deerfield with its predictable flows is that there is a variety of locations to paddle even when the water is abysmally low elsewhere. So as we enter the summer season and rivers recede around New England, here are a few fun sites that can help you get that whitewater fix no matter what the level. Descriptions start at the headwaters and work downriver.
When there is a minimal flow coming down the West Branch of the Deerfield, Readsboro Falls becomes a great drop for practicing advanced creek moves. The rapid is located north of Readsboro, Vermont on Route 100, two miles out of town next to a big white barn. Park on a little pull-off area before the barn, then walk down the street with the stop sign to the old bridge between the barn and the house.
When the WB is runnable (0 or higher on the gage rock behind the Readsboro General Store) this is quite a formidable drop with two very sticky holes that many expert paddlers have been roped out of. However at low flows it is a great double drop falling approximately 9 feet in two steps that is great stroke timing practice for your boofs and meltdowns. Setting safety is still a good idea, since even at very low water the hole can hold a boat.
Heading downstream, the next spot involves putting in above the Dryway dam and paddling upstream for about 800 yards. This puts you just downstream of Sherman Dam and the now defunct Yankee Atomic plan. Even at minimum flow this rapid is a class II. If you need something to pass the time while you wait for the Dryway to turn on or are just in the neighborhood then this will give you just enough of an eddy line to cure your twitching.
Next up is good ol’ Zoar Gap. This rapid never fails to provide something, whether you have the minimum 125 cfs or a cranking 10 grand, it’s always runnable. However at low flows this is still a great place to come and practice or take newbies. Put in at the bridge and you can paddle up to the first set of eddy lines where it is still deep enough to stern squirt and cartwheel.
At low flow in the Gap itself there are still a few possible lines. Most of these lines are more for giggles than anything else, but to get through without touching rock takes some skill; especially if you want to try the slot move in between the Hammer and the Anvil.
The river becomes a bit more urban as you head into Shelburne Falls and the Glacial Potholes. Local legends, Lance and Barney, ran this very serious class V+ drop several years ago. If you happen to see a teenage boy scouting it just please don’t encourage him, especially if he has a video camera nearby.
Downstream of the Potholes is a pleasant class I-II rapid at minimum flow. This can provide a scenic place to paddle along with great places to get coffee before or afterwards. Park in the spaces downstream of Mole Hollow Candles and put in below the falls.
Further downstream comes #3 Dam. This is accessed by driving out of Shelburne Falls on Conway Road and continuing straight at the stop sign where the river turns 90 degrees right. Where the diversion returns to the main river just below the powerhouse there is a small play hole with some powerful current. There is parking right by the dam. This will provide you with more than enough entertainment and is located very close to Lamson and Goodnow’s Kitchen Outlet Store which is a great place to dream about a new espresso machine!
The final low water spot is at Wilcox Hollow just off Route 2 east of Shelburne Falls. Go past Aubuchon Hardware down the small hill and you will see a small wooden sign with red lettering that says “Wilcox Hollow”. Turn down this road and drive to the end where you will find a small boat ramp. Put in here and paddle upstream to the outflow of the dam. While not the strongest flow it does provide some eddy lines at low water.
So don’t despair the dry weather as there are still places to paddle on the mighty Deerfield River. Who’s to say that a lack of rain should stop you getting your fix when you need it? Get out there and enjoy the sun while you can and fall in love with ELF boating (Extremely Low Flow).
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The first time I paddled the Concord, I had two years of rafting under my belt and a little kayak experience. Being somewhat new to rivers, I had only paddled in a wilderness setting, such as the Rouge River in Ottawa, rivers in Maine, and the Deerfield. My first visit to the Concord River in Lowell was a training day on a weekend before we were going to run it commercially. The river was just dipping below flood stage, so it was still quite swollen. What impressed me more were the surroundings, and how many people lived right next to this raucous class III and IV run. Coming from the Zoar community, I’ve learned to take every advantage to play on a river, so it was surprising to see nobody recreating on it.
We raft a short section of the Concord, just before it flows into the Merrimack through the old mill section of downtown Lowell. There are three rapids: the first is Twisted Sister, a class IV that can take on different personalities depending on the flows. At higher water, it’s run-and-gun, while avoiding the big holes. At lower water, it turns into a technical s-turn. The second rapid is Three Beauties, a class III+ rapid that wraps itself around an island and drops into a calm pool bordering the beautiful backyard vineyards of an old Portuguese neighborhood. During May, the backyard gardens are as impressive as the whitewater, especially considering what’s on the other side of them – bustling downtown Lowell. I’ve paddled Three Beauties at several different levels. From low to medium, it becomes a perfect raft and kayak surfing wave/hole. From medium to high levels, the surfing disappears, but several high standing waves appear. The third rapid is the old Middlesex Dam. It is runnable from medium to high levels. With a good 8-foot drop in elevation, it is short but sweet, and is a fun ride to the bottom.
The Concord River is unique because you can go from an urban setting to wild whitewater just by turning a corner. |
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It’s funny how as parents, we think we know the things that will interest our children: what jobs will become appealing to them in the future, what kinds of girlfriends or boyfriends they will choose, what sports they will enjoy. Let’s face it, there are many times that we are wrong . But let me tell you…this time I was right on the money!
Cory and I have always been the two “fish” in the family. If there was water, Cory and I were in it. So, when the opportunity arose for Cory to take part in Zoar’s after-school kayaking program I thought it would be just perfect for him.
I brought home the clinic information and chatted about it with him. To my surprise, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. I thought to myself, “What do you mean you’re not sure? Hello…are you my kid? This is such a great opportunity.” I managed to keep my thoughts to myself and told him to think about it and let me know the next day. I wondered if I was getting him into a sport that he really didn’t want to be a part of. Oh my gosh, was I being one of those pushy parents?
I wanted Cory to take this clinic for so many reasons. I had taken just two rolling clinics this winter and all I could think about was how excited I felt when I was in that pool working on a roll. It’s like you tap into this totally different energy within yourself that you never knew existed and it leaves you with a feeling that is just unexplainable. Even though you are exhausted after wet exiting so many times, it still leaves you with such a rush….even someone like myself who just plain isn’t very good (yet). But, in addition to my very minimal experience, there was much more. Every day I get to work with people who are happy, energetic people all of whom live such very active, healthy lifestyles. I want my children to know that lifestyle. But, what parent wouldn’t?
Cory woke the next morning and let me know he was ready to give it a try. That day I brought him home a new shirt to wear paddling. Cory is a typical male; you know the saying, “boys and their toys”. Once he realized that there was a lot of cool stuff that went along with paddling, he was sold on the whole idea and it was enough to spark the interest.
The first couple of classes came and went. Cory had fun, but it was when they had their first rolling session that you could actually see that glow of excitement in his eyes. He didn’t get his roll that first class, but was determined from that point on that he was going to get it. I don’t know how many times that weekend I heard “I gotta get my roll the next time”. It was a long weekend, but that’s when I knew that I hadn’t pushed too much. I was right! He loved paddling and would continue to. It’s not just all about the gear after all.
Every day, all he talks about is paddling. He now has a combat roll that he actually used for the first time the other day on the North River. You’d never think that a kid would get so excited about being sucked into a hole upside down. It was all he could talk about and probably will be for a while. Today is another big day. He gets to take his river run with the Kayak Academy. I have no doubt that he will be beaming from ear to ear when he arrives back this afternoon after spending the day out on the Deerfield.
I can’t begin to explain how great it is to have Cory share in what Zoar is all about. He has been encouraged and supported by so many of the staff members here as well as some of the kids that were a part of the Kayak Academy in the past. Everyone is so genuine in their excitement for him as I’m sure they are for anyone who begins paddling. How lucky he is to be with such wonderful people. As for me, I guess that I better start learning. Cory is going to need someone to paddle with. In the meantime, I have a feeling that I will be hangin’ out on the shores of the Deerfield. See you out there!
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