The Week that is the MR340 is one of the highlights of my year and after its conclusion I always feel as though I'm drifting, a little lost and rudderless, so to speak. I'm drawn back to the rivermiles forum over and over to try to reconnect with the race but afterwards it is different.
The stories are great, the praise for the staff and volunteers, heartwarming, but the anticipation is gone. Replaced by pride in a job well done from some of the paddlers. Anquish from others and a pervading sense of an adventure completed by most.
As in years before the athletes were finishing in the 30's and 40's and 50 hour time frames. That is a good and wonderful thing, it keeps the back of the pack from becoming too congested. For there, you see, is were I've always found my comfort zone.
I've always contended that anyone can paddle for forty or fifty hours but it takes some special kind of grit to keep hammering for seventy or eighty hours. Just the logistics of keeping a man alive and working after eighty hours of grinding down the river places these teams at the back of the pack in a class of their own.
No they aren't the fastest, they don't set the records or take home the trophies. But they are the grinders who grab a couple of hours sleep and then roll back into the boat still wet from the last run. Only now they are also cold and stiff from lack of exertion. With stomachs sour from 3 days and nights of odd hours and odd food. With arms and backs and butts in pain. And they do it over and over again.
With minds fogged and sight blurry and blistered hands these people have all the marks and scars of champions except one....Speed.
If I were looking for traits to pass on to the next generation I might choose tenacity, attitude and perseverance over speed. I might choose compassion and congeniality over competitiveness.
Now don't get me wrong I would never suggest that these traits aren't exhibited by the winners as well, in fact they are and in spades. That is one of the things that has come to mark the MR340 as the spectacular venue it is.
But this is very important, I must impress on the "Back of the pack gang" that they are recognized as champions as well. Not speedy champions maybe, but champions none the less.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
2010 MR340 Canoe and Kayak Race
I have just returned from a week on the river participating in one of the greatest adventures that it has been my pleasure to enjoy.
The 5th annual MR340(http://www.rivermiles.com/) has finally come and gone and again the great stories abound. I saw disasters and triumps and victories and defeats. I witnessed people reaching into the depths of their souls and pulling out strengths they never knew existed and may never have discovered had they not had the courage to enter this race.
Sadly I also saw people defeated, sometimes by the river itself and sometimes by poor planning or lack of experience or countless other reasons.
Actually, there were exactly as many reasons to quit as there were boats that did not finish. No two stories are the same, but even those who didn't finish displayed the courage to make the attempt. And if everyone could pull it off, it wouldn't be the magnificent event that it is.
Many of those who failed will return with knowledge gained and they will succeed next time. Many who barely finished will modify their training and preparation, or change their equipment, or maybe just their attitude and they will compete at a higher level next time.
All the entrants and their teams will have memories to relive and stories to tell. And some very lucky people like myself will have many tales to share. It will take a little time for me to organize my thoughts and present them in a manner befitting the efforts I witnessed. Heroic or triumphant moments, Pain and suffering, crushed goals and crushed boats, comraderie and competition, these were flourishing on all fronts. I saw friendships established, and simple acts of kindness to strangers were abundant.
All these things happen on a daily basis in the natural world but in the condenced time frame of an 88 hour endurance race events happen so quickly and in such rapid succession that it presents a verson of life that comes at the observer compressed and so intense that only by thinking it through afterwards can one sort out the golden moments.
That is what I'll be doing for a while, sorting and recording those moments. A few I will share if I can figure a way to do justice to the efforts of these paddlers. Though I fear I may not be eloquent enough to display their talents and their character in the fashion they deserve.
I have entered this race in the past as a paddler. I have finished and I have failed, I have never won or come close but I have never walked away a poorer man. Tired, sore, dazed and daffy, but never with less than when I began.
This year I was offered the opportunity to man one of the safety boats (maybe they thought that anyone who had gotten himself into as many difficulties as I would be a natural at this) and I take great pride in the fact that I ran over not a single contestant. And I'm certain that with proper therapy many of the paddlers will get over their newfound fear of bearded bald guys driving fast boats.
This position gave me the chance to interact with many more people and witness the race from new perspectives and I hope I will use that wider vision to advantage. So, as I say, give me a short time to organize myself and I will offer a view that few have seen, a canoe race from the seat of a power boat.
The 5th annual MR340(http://www.rivermiles.com/) has finally come and gone and again the great stories abound. I saw disasters and triumps and victories and defeats. I witnessed people reaching into the depths of their souls and pulling out strengths they never knew existed and may never have discovered had they not had the courage to enter this race.
Sadly I also saw people defeated, sometimes by the river itself and sometimes by poor planning or lack of experience or countless other reasons.
Actually, there were exactly as many reasons to quit as there were boats that did not finish. No two stories are the same, but even those who didn't finish displayed the courage to make the attempt. And if everyone could pull it off, it wouldn't be the magnificent event that it is.
Many of those who failed will return with knowledge gained and they will succeed next time. Many who barely finished will modify their training and preparation, or change their equipment, or maybe just their attitude and they will compete at a higher level next time.
All the entrants and their teams will have memories to relive and stories to tell. And some very lucky people like myself will have many tales to share. It will take a little time for me to organize my thoughts and present them in a manner befitting the efforts I witnessed. Heroic or triumphant moments, Pain and suffering, crushed goals and crushed boats, comraderie and competition, these were flourishing on all fronts. I saw friendships established, and simple acts of kindness to strangers were abundant.
All these things happen on a daily basis in the natural world but in the condenced time frame of an 88 hour endurance race events happen so quickly and in such rapid succession that it presents a verson of life that comes at the observer compressed and so intense that only by thinking it through afterwards can one sort out the golden moments.
That is what I'll be doing for a while, sorting and recording those moments. A few I will share if I can figure a way to do justice to the efforts of these paddlers. Though I fear I may not be eloquent enough to display their talents and their character in the fashion they deserve.
I have entered this race in the past as a paddler. I have finished and I have failed, I have never won or come close but I have never walked away a poorer man. Tired, sore, dazed and daffy, but never with less than when I began.
This year I was offered the opportunity to man one of the safety boats (maybe they thought that anyone who had gotten himself into as many difficulties as I would be a natural at this) and I take great pride in the fact that I ran over not a single contestant. And I'm certain that with proper therapy many of the paddlers will get over their newfound fear of bearded bald guys driving fast boats.
This position gave me the chance to interact with many more people and witness the race from new perspectives and I hope I will use that wider vision to advantage. So, as I say, give me a short time to organize myself and I will offer a view that few have seen, a canoe race from the seat of a power boat.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Real First Dragon Boat
After only a few years the MR340 race has developed into both a traditional competition and hotbed for less than traditional approaches. Canoes verses kayaks, young verses old and carbon fiber verses recycled barrels have all contended. And as often as not the results are different than one would expect.
And so it has become a pageant of firsts.
This year we'll see a dragon boat competing for the first time. A forty foot behemoth of a canoe with a crew of twenty or so paddlers. And if one were to look at a cross section of previous competitors and put together an all star team, then it might look just like this dragon boat crew.
If they are successful, we will see the longest competitive run by far of a boat of this type. And to the best of my knowledge it will be the first time a dragon boat has raced on the Missouri river.
But it will not be the first dragon boat on the river.
In 1819, you see, a sternwheeler named the Western Engineer was built in Pittsburg, PA and brought to Missouri as part of a military expedition under the command of Major Stephen Long. As a military vessel the pilot house was built to be bullit proof and the paddle wheel was enclosed.
In an attempt to intimidate the native Indian population, a large serpent or dragon's head was built on the bow of the ship. The smoke from the firebox as well as steam from the boiler and engine exhaust were routed through the mouth and nostrils of this head. At 75 feet long and 50 tons displacement and with steam and glowing cinders exhaled from the beast's head it was thought the boat would strike terror in the Indians and command their respect.
It seems that most whites who witnessed the vessel simply thought it odd. As for the indians, it did apparently arouse their interest, and though they found it curious, they seem to have just chalked it up to more of the white man's unussual ways. Nowhere in the records of the expedition does it mention any fear occasioned by the dragon boat.
The Western Engineer did successfully ascend the river all the way to the site of today's Council Bluffs, Iowa, however its boiler became clogged and required cleaning so often that it made little better time than Lewis and Clark's previous ascent in manually powered vessels.
So, even though the dragon boat in this year's MR340 won't be the first the Missouri river has ever seen, it may still turn out to be the fastest.
And so it has become a pageant of firsts.
This year we'll see a dragon boat competing for the first time. A forty foot behemoth of a canoe with a crew of twenty or so paddlers. And if one were to look at a cross section of previous competitors and put together an all star team, then it might look just like this dragon boat crew.
If they are successful, we will see the longest competitive run by far of a boat of this type. And to the best of my knowledge it will be the first time a dragon boat has raced on the Missouri river.
But it will not be the first dragon boat on the river.
In 1819, you see, a sternwheeler named the Western Engineer was built in Pittsburg, PA and brought to Missouri as part of a military expedition under the command of Major Stephen Long. As a military vessel the pilot house was built to be bullit proof and the paddle wheel was enclosed.
In an attempt to intimidate the native Indian population, a large serpent or dragon's head was built on the bow of the ship. The smoke from the firebox as well as steam from the boiler and engine exhaust were routed through the mouth and nostrils of this head. At 75 feet long and 50 tons displacement and with steam and glowing cinders exhaled from the beast's head it was thought the boat would strike terror in the Indians and command their respect.
It seems that most whites who witnessed the vessel simply thought it odd. As for the indians, it did apparently arouse their interest, and though they found it curious, they seem to have just chalked it up to more of the white man's unussual ways. Nowhere in the records of the expedition does it mention any fear occasioned by the dragon boat.
The Western Engineer did successfully ascend the river all the way to the site of today's Council Bluffs, Iowa, however its boiler became clogged and required cleaning so often that it made little better time than Lewis and Clark's previous ascent in manually powered vessels.
So, even though the dragon boat in this year's MR340 won't be the first the Missouri river has ever seen, it may still turn out to be the fastest.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
To Race, To Dream, To Bloop?
Most folks who read this blog are familiar with the MR340 canoe and kayak race from Kansas City to St. Charles. This race has become a consuming force in the lives of many people and I must confess I am one of those people. Of course I know there are things in life that are more important. But thankfully, I've learned to ignore most of them.
I am one who thinks about the 340 all the time. It matters not if I'm addressing a stranger, an old friend or a co-worker, I've soon worked the conversation around to the race.
I even dream of it and one disturbing dream of one particular moment seems to reoccur more often than most.
Its not the time when I first find myself paddling in darkness on one of the world's greatest rivers. Nor is it the moment when I find myself on a collision course with a barge, knowing the other vessel has me outweighed by about a million times to the tenth power. That one doesn't bother me at all. Its not the embarrassing dream of emptying my water jug and dieing of thirst in the middle of the river or getting knocked cold by flying carp just yards from the finish line.
No the one that forces me awake in a cold sweat is the dream about a moment shortly before the race begins.
Hundreds of paddlers are present some already on the water and some still preparing their boats, arranging and trimming and launching. A thousand spectators line the banks and reporters are grabbing last minute quotes from those racers willing to talk. Helicoptors circle above and I'm sure NASA has at least one satelite zeroed in on the starting line. The Naval Atache' from the Swiss Consulate is chatting with a competitor to my right about amphibious tactics and I and my boat are ready to go.
Then it happens. I step into the boat and for the first time in forty years perform a wet entry. My boat shoots from beneath me and as I somersault into the river the last thing I see before submerging, head down and feet in the air, into the river are a thousand flashes from a thousand cameras all pointed right at me.
Sure every one has flipped a boat on entry at least once in his life. I'm sure it has happened to me sometime in the past but its been so long ago that I don't remember (I'm pretty good at forgetting that type of memory anyway).
Anyway, in my dream, the thousand souls that were so preoccupied an instant before all seem to turn in unison to catch my theatrics. I have visions of Scout Masters teaching canoeing all across the country and using photos of me as the example not to follow. I get calls from insurance companies wanting me to perform in a caveman suit. National Geographic finally prints a Greatest Bloopers in History edition and I make the cover.
My spraddled form makes the headlines across the country and youtube runs a contest just to choose the best video of my blunder.
Yes, that friends is the dream I awaken to at least once a week. It isn't paddling 340 miles that takes courage. It isn't sweating in the midwestern heat and humidity for days. Its not the ability to handle cramps and blisters and pain. Those aren't the things that make a racer who he is. Its the ability to face the nightmares and fears and be still goofy enough to just go out and step into that boat anyway. That is what makes a 340 racer what he is.
I am one who thinks about the 340 all the time. It matters not if I'm addressing a stranger, an old friend or a co-worker, I've soon worked the conversation around to the race.
I even dream of it and one disturbing dream of one particular moment seems to reoccur more often than most.
Its not the time when I first find myself paddling in darkness on one of the world's greatest rivers. Nor is it the moment when I find myself on a collision course with a barge, knowing the other vessel has me outweighed by about a million times to the tenth power. That one doesn't bother me at all. Its not the embarrassing dream of emptying my water jug and dieing of thirst in the middle of the river or getting knocked cold by flying carp just yards from the finish line.
No the one that forces me awake in a cold sweat is the dream about a moment shortly before the race begins.
Hundreds of paddlers are present some already on the water and some still preparing their boats, arranging and trimming and launching. A thousand spectators line the banks and reporters are grabbing last minute quotes from those racers willing to talk. Helicoptors circle above and I'm sure NASA has at least one satelite zeroed in on the starting line. The Naval Atache' from the Swiss Consulate is chatting with a competitor to my right about amphibious tactics and I and my boat are ready to go.
Then it happens. I step into the boat and for the first time in forty years perform a wet entry. My boat shoots from beneath me and as I somersault into the river the last thing I see before submerging, head down and feet in the air, into the river are a thousand flashes from a thousand cameras all pointed right at me.
Sure every one has flipped a boat on entry at least once in his life. I'm sure it has happened to me sometime in the past but its been so long ago that I don't remember (I'm pretty good at forgetting that type of memory anyway).
Anyway, in my dream, the thousand souls that were so preoccupied an instant before all seem to turn in unison to catch my theatrics. I have visions of Scout Masters teaching canoeing all across the country and using photos of me as the example not to follow. I get calls from insurance companies wanting me to perform in a caveman suit. National Geographic finally prints a Greatest Bloopers in History edition and I make the cover.
My spraddled form makes the headlines across the country and youtube runs a contest just to choose the best video of my blunder.
Yes, that friends is the dream I awaken to at least once a week. It isn't paddling 340 miles that takes courage. It isn't sweating in the midwestern heat and humidity for days. Its not the ability to handle cramps and blisters and pain. Those aren't the things that make a racer who he is. Its the ability to face the nightmares and fears and be still goofy enough to just go out and step into that boat anyway. That is what makes a 340 racer what he is.
Pick up the Ball and Run
Missouri's problems are no different today than those of any other state. A shrinking budget has hampered the efforts of the various agencies to do their jobs and in many instances has forced them to cutback. This doesn't mean the work doesn't need to be done, just that it falls on someone else to pick up the ball and run with it.
What this means is like if we were all members of a basketball team and the stars have suffered a series of injuries. Now its time for you and I to get off the bench and score for the home team.
The Missouri Coalition for the Evironment has just this past week filed a lawsuit against the EPA to force them to take over responsibilities for monitering water quality in many streams in the state. This would normally be done by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources if they had the ability, however they don't presently have the manpower or the facilities available because they don't have the money. And knowing enough about both the government and our legal system I believe that the Coalitions law suit, though maybe a step in the right direction, is simply an exercise in futility. During the time this suit is slugging it's way through the system nothing constructive is getting done. Just the thought of trying to force the EPA's beauracracy to move brings a knot to my stomach.
We should not let this time be lost. The fight for evironmental improvement is like a tug of war match. If you ain't pulling on the rope all the time then you're headed for the mud pit buddy.
We as private citizens simply have to take over where the government is stalling. And fortunately we have groups that can coach us in just what to do and how to do it. Check out the home page of the Coalition for the Environment these are good people. Donate to Missouri River Relief whose link is listed on this site. But another way is to go to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation site: http://mostreamteam.org/ . Here you can find out how to help in many different ways.
Maybe you are unable to lug a trash bag through the mud, or don't have the money to donate to one of the environmental groups. That doesn't mean you are helpless. Can you take a water sample? Can you help spread the word about the needs of our watersheds? Can you simply, with their help, educate yourself. So that when you are sitting in the coffee shop talking to your friends, you can offer encouragement and enlightened conversation to others.
Getting the word out about our environmental needs is as important as stuffing trash in a bag. Learning what we as individuals can do is far more constructive than sitting back and waiting for the EPA or the DNR or any of the other big players to recover and renew their efforts.
Please take a moment and find out in what ways you are suited to help. Everyone has different abilities but the job at hand is so large that we need you all.
Thank you,
Walt
What this means is like if we were all members of a basketball team and the stars have suffered a series of injuries. Now its time for you and I to get off the bench and score for the home team.
The Missouri Coalition for the Evironment has just this past week filed a lawsuit against the EPA to force them to take over responsibilities for monitering water quality in many streams in the state. This would normally be done by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources if they had the ability, however they don't presently have the manpower or the facilities available because they don't have the money. And knowing enough about both the government and our legal system I believe that the Coalitions law suit, though maybe a step in the right direction, is simply an exercise in futility. During the time this suit is slugging it's way through the system nothing constructive is getting done. Just the thought of trying to force the EPA's beauracracy to move brings a knot to my stomach.
We should not let this time be lost. The fight for evironmental improvement is like a tug of war match. If you ain't pulling on the rope all the time then you're headed for the mud pit buddy.
We as private citizens simply have to take over where the government is stalling. And fortunately we have groups that can coach us in just what to do and how to do it. Check out the home page of the Coalition for the Environment these are good people. Donate to Missouri River Relief whose link is listed on this site. But another way is to go to the Missouri Dept. of Conservation site: http://mostreamteam.org/ . Here you can find out how to help in many different ways.
Maybe you are unable to lug a trash bag through the mud, or don't have the money to donate to one of the environmental groups. That doesn't mean you are helpless. Can you take a water sample? Can you help spread the word about the needs of our watersheds? Can you simply, with their help, educate yourself. So that when you are sitting in the coffee shop talking to your friends, you can offer encouragement and enlightened conversation to others.
Getting the word out about our environmental needs is as important as stuffing trash in a bag. Learning what we as individuals can do is far more constructive than sitting back and waiting for the EPA or the DNR or any of the other big players to recover and renew their efforts.
Please take a moment and find out in what ways you are suited to help. Everyone has different abilities but the job at hand is so large that we need you all.
Thank you,
Walt
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The River of the Future
Recreational paddling is gaining popularity on the Missouri River as witnessed by races like the MR340, the Race for the River and this year's addition, the Race to the Dome. Each of these races generates more weekend paddlers as entrants spend extra time on the water in preparation for the chosen events. There are those out there who are opposed to recreational paddling on the river at all but that's another story. Even in a high water year like this the numbers are growing and I would wager given a dry year with a tamer current, more managable ramps and exposed sand bars the numbers will explode.
So here is my question. What ideas are floating around out there to make the river experience a more paddler freindly environment?
Many of the river towns have great parks and decent facilities right on the river bank, but some notable exceptions still exist . Boat ramps are available all across the state but many are a real handful to use. Some of them enter the current at a right angle and landing a lightweight craft broadside to the current can be a real trick. Even trying to pull a powerboat back on its trailer can cause serious damage to expensive equipment. And yes, you can make the point that inexperience is a contributing factor, but the fact remains that better designed facilities would enhance both the enjoyment and the safety of the boaters experience.
As recreational use rises the numbers of inexperienced users will rise also. And to be blunt these novices pay the same taxes and deserve the same consideration and access as those of us who have used the river for years and gotten used to its whims.
Camping is excellent at some access sites but quite primitive at others and though I applaud the efforts of both the DNR and the Dept. of Conservation I do think some upgrades are in order.
I understand that in todays economic climate the hands of these agencies are somewhat tied. But I also realize that even in good times one must begin asking the government for help years before it arrives. So if we begin talking and planning now, maybe we can see results as soon as the economic pressures ease.
So since what I am proposing is at present only a wish list here goes.
I would like to see few actual harbors constructed for private boaters. Say one every eighty miles or so all across the state. The Corps of Engineers has the expertise and the ability to do this and I doubt it would cost as much as one first thinks. As an example, the Noren ramp at Jefferson City is a nice but under utilized place. It is located on the inside of a bend and therefore somewhat sheltered from the worst of the rivers exesses (i.e. raging currents at flood stage, ice, etc.) Simply raising the dike upstream from this ramp and extending it back overland to the levee and straight downstream to offer protection from the worst of the current would creat a useable, sheltered harbor where a dock could be constructed. With the prefab boat docks available today one could be installed in the spring and removed before the ice comes down every winter.
Sure this may sound extravagant but it would increase the use of the river and generate more tax dollars. It would put more people on the water and raise that bar of awareness that is required to help improve the health of the waterway.
A harbor facility like this at intervals up and down the river would give paddlers a day to leave one and arrive at another or make for an easy afternoon run between ports for a powerboat and offer something other than a boulder covered bank to tie up to. Any areas that really take off could eventually be developed into full fledged marinas.
So give it some thought and post your ideas, and remember, this is only a wish list right now so no idea is too big or too small for inclusion. And nearly all ideas that would help the paddling public would also complement the needs of the power boaters among us.
Help me show what the river experience could look like in the future.
Thanks, Walt
So here is my question. What ideas are floating around out there to make the river experience a more paddler freindly environment?
Many of the river towns have great parks and decent facilities right on the river bank, but some notable exceptions still exist . Boat ramps are available all across the state but many are a real handful to use. Some of them enter the current at a right angle and landing a lightweight craft broadside to the current can be a real trick. Even trying to pull a powerboat back on its trailer can cause serious damage to expensive equipment. And yes, you can make the point that inexperience is a contributing factor, but the fact remains that better designed facilities would enhance both the enjoyment and the safety of the boaters experience.
As recreational use rises the numbers of inexperienced users will rise also. And to be blunt these novices pay the same taxes and deserve the same consideration and access as those of us who have used the river for years and gotten used to its whims.
Camping is excellent at some access sites but quite primitive at others and though I applaud the efforts of both the DNR and the Dept. of Conservation I do think some upgrades are in order.
I understand that in todays economic climate the hands of these agencies are somewhat tied. But I also realize that even in good times one must begin asking the government for help years before it arrives. So if we begin talking and planning now, maybe we can see results as soon as the economic pressures ease.
So since what I am proposing is at present only a wish list here goes.
I would like to see few actual harbors constructed for private boaters. Say one every eighty miles or so all across the state. The Corps of Engineers has the expertise and the ability to do this and I doubt it would cost as much as one first thinks. As an example, the Noren ramp at Jefferson City is a nice but under utilized place. It is located on the inside of a bend and therefore somewhat sheltered from the worst of the rivers exesses (i.e. raging currents at flood stage, ice, etc.) Simply raising the dike upstream from this ramp and extending it back overland to the levee and straight downstream to offer protection from the worst of the current would creat a useable, sheltered harbor where a dock could be constructed. With the prefab boat docks available today one could be installed in the spring and removed before the ice comes down every winter.
Sure this may sound extravagant but it would increase the use of the river and generate more tax dollars. It would put more people on the water and raise that bar of awareness that is required to help improve the health of the waterway.
A harbor facility like this at intervals up and down the river would give paddlers a day to leave one and arrive at another or make for an easy afternoon run between ports for a powerboat and offer something other than a boulder covered bank to tie up to. Any areas that really take off could eventually be developed into full fledged marinas.
So give it some thought and post your ideas, and remember, this is only a wish list right now so no idea is too big or too small for inclusion. And nearly all ideas that would help the paddling public would also complement the needs of the power boaters among us.
Help me show what the river experience could look like in the future.
Thanks, Walt
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