As spring days warm up, most of us want to get outside into the fresh air and greening world. When the sun shines, many of us also want to get onto water. I heard a sobering story today. A man paddling his canoe in the river near Prospect Park in Des Moines dumped and had to be rescued. He wasn't wearing a life jacket. That's a recipe for disaster. I've been a paddler for many years, and some close calls (mine and others) have taught me a few basic lessons about how to paddle safely.

Lake Red Rock Photo by Diane Lowry

Story 1: In mid-April, having recently purchased my first canoe, I went paddling with some friends in the Raccoon River. The air temperature was 30 degrees and the water temperature was cold. I remember seeing a guy in a dry suit swimming upstream using a strong butterfly stroke. "That's curious," we said as we got into our boats. Several miles downstream, I poked at a tire swing overhanging the river and was promptly dumped. I was able to walk to a nearby sandbar, but my loose bag of extra clothes was soaked. By the time my friends pulled out extra clothes from their stash, I was so cold that I couldn't think. They helped me pull on dry clothes, gave me a large candy bar to eat, and walked me up and down the sand bar. They even had to offer a group hug to help me regain body temperature. Thirty minutes later I was finally warm enough to continue the trip.

Lessons learned? When the sum of the water temperature and air temperature is less than 120 °F, you are at risk of hypothermia. That's when your body temperature drops and you can't function normally. Be prepared by dressing in non-cotton fabrics that wick moisture away from your body, like wool or polypropylene. Cover your head as you can lose considerable heat from your scalp. Invest in a wet suit or dry suit to help maintain body temperature if you get wet. Keep a dry bag or tightly closed plastic bag filled with warm dry clothes in your boat. Extra pants, shirt, jacket, cap and socks are much appreciated if you get wet or need an extra layer of warmth. Take snacks and water. Foods rich in carbohydrates, protein and fats will keep you energized. Paddle with a buddy as one of you can provide support or call for help if the other gets into trouble.

Story 2: My friend John and his buddy were fishing in the river below Red Rock Dam. They had life jackets...thrown in the bottom of the john boat. They dropped anchor and began to fish. A few minutes later, they realized they were being pulled back toward the dam face. The anchor wasn't holding and the motor wouldn't turn over. John told me later that as the boat was sucked down, he began to swim for his life. The deadly hydraulic forces kept pulling him down. He finally pulled himself up on the bank, exhausted. His friend, a new father, was found dead two weeks later.

Lessons learned? Always wear a properly fitting life jacket. Boating regulations say you must have one in your boat for each person, but the jacket won't save you if you're not wearing it. Don't mess with dams, period. Check with the DNR or local authorities to find out where dams are located on the river you want to paddle. Carefully portage around a dam and then re-enter far enough below the dam to escape the re-circulating current.

Story 3: Paddling with friends one summer day, we were passing an island when I heard someone call out, "Help us!" A woman was sitting at the edge of the shore, holding a man's head above water. He was unconscious. Both were wearing swimsuits. Two major lightning storms had just passed over and they were soaked and cold. Apparently, the man fell unconscious and she could not get him into their canoe. Alcohol was involved. Their friends had headed downriver without looking back. We called 911 and explained where we were in relation to the last bridge and access. We covered the man with a space blanket to warm him. It took rescuers 20 minutes to get there.

Lessons Learned? Know what river you're on. If possible, stay alert to where you are in relation to roads, bridges and accesses. There are water trail maps available from DNR for a number of Iowa rivers. In addition to a cell phone, keep a space blanket in your dry bag. Take plenty of water and other non-alcoholic beverages; if you must drink beer, drink the same amount of water. Choose your friends wisely. Oh, and take your trash out with you.

Be smart and stay safe.

I once again got to paddle with "Skunk River Paddlers" friends. Six of us met at the Grove Cafe in downtown Ames for breakfast. With full bellies we headed to the take-out, Anderson access, on the south Skunk river.  

We were met at Anderson by six more paddlers. We shuffled boats and gear to minimize cars that would go to the put-in, which was a bridge on highway R61 north of Story City. Before we left Rick Dietz talked about what to expect on the river, asked if everyone had a dry change of clothes, paddle, life jacket, and car keys. One paddler had left their life jacket at home. Fortunately someone else had a spare.  

The access was undeveloped so getting on the water required some dexterity. Some got into their boats from the bank or stepped into shallow water first. There was a seal launch or two and some took advantage of the mouth of a small creek. The water was fast and a nice level due to recent rains. The nearby interstate was hardly noticeable because the river runs in a valley lined with trees and there were lots of "tweets and twitters" from all the birds that were present. There were little birds and big birds. The ones I recognized were Canada Geese, Mallards, Crows, Buzzards, Hawks and Great Blue Herons. There was a GBH rookery between Story City and the take out. When I passed I saw six fly up and one stayed on its nest. Later Rick told me he had counted 12 nests.  

Great Blue Heron Rookery on South Skunk River

We stopped at Story City Park for a break and lunch. After scouting the rapids some discussion ensued. Several paddlers decided to run the rapids, while others played it more cautious. The thought was the high water levels would provide a cushion above the steel pilings and a clear line through the rocks. The remainder of the float provided some fun riffles  and ledges. All and all it was a great early spring outing with old and new friends.  

Story City Rapids

• Iowa River Water Trail (72 miles) - Saturday, May 7th
  Latest report from Johnson and Louisa Counties is that water levels are high and there is some flooding. A make-up date for the event would be August 6th. Please go to www.iowariverwatertrail.com for update on Monday, May 2nd.

• Turkey River Water Trail - Date TBD but will be during Project AWARE
• Lake Red Rock-Hickory Ridge - Saturday, July 23rd
• Middle River (Madison County) - Saturday, October 1st

• Lake Rathbun Water Trail and "Paddlers Pines" Campsite
This 16.5 mile water trail will include wilderness sections and a paddle- in/out only primitive campsite, hidden under tall virgin pine trees and loaded with wildlife. Advanced skills will be required as large waves and swells can develop on this inland Iowa sea and sea kayaks should be used. Although it's a man made lake, don't be fooled: Like Red Rock, the lake is slowly becoming it's own slice of tranquil wilderness, with eagles nesting along the lakes outer edges and fingers and reports of loon, osprey and coyote sightings from camp.


• Lizard Creek (Webster County)
• Grand River (Decatur)
• Blackhawk Creek (Blackhawk and Grundy)
• Upper Iowa River

Lake Rathbun Water Trail

            The question was asked the other day at an Iowa Rivers Revival forum about river problems and solutions.  (Central Iowa Paddlers were well-represented at the forum, by the way.)

            What is your home river?  I didn't have an instant answer.

            I live in the Beaverdale neighborhood of Des Moines, and we have a wooded ravine in back that flows northeast ultimately into the Des Moines River - so maybe that's my home river.

            But, more often than not, I paddle the Middle Raccoon when I can get out for the day - so maybe that's my home river.   It's a frequent get-away and a cherished stream for me (especially just below Panora, where Lake Panorama drops most of the silt and leaves a pretty-clear Middle . . . . at least until it joins the chocolate South Raccoon.)

            But, what about the Cedar River above Cedar Falls?  That's where I grew up and as a kid discovered the freedom and fun and magic of gettin' out on the river countless times, especially with friends.That's where this love affair with rivers started, after all, and led me to visit rivers all over Iowa and the U.S. and Canada.

            I guess it just depends how you look at it.  I have several home rivers.

            Here's one more way I have come to see it:   Our home rivers are the ones we have the most responsibility to protect and preserve.  That's one reason I'm a member of CIP, whose mission is to "encourage care of our aquatic resources" as well as promote recreation and paddle sport safety.

            CIP promotes river stewardship.  I think of Robin Fortney's tips for keeping our waterways in good shape (e.g., take out your trash and others', leave wildlife alone, etc.)  The tips first appeared a dozen years ago in the CIP newsletter, and still are shared by CIP periodically as timeless advice.   It's not just lip-service.  I've seen Central Iowa Paddlers heeding that advice on our floats, leaving our streams better than we find them.

            When it comes to stewardship, all Iowa rivers are our home rivers.  I especially admire the work so many of you do to lend a hand with river clean-up - River Run Garbage Grab here in central Iowa, AWARE and other efforts statewide. 

            Our home rivers in Iowa need our VOICES, too, just as they need our hands.  They can't speak for themselves about the need to prevent pollution, expand public lands, protect living things, and maintain high quality waters and riparian corridors in every way and every corner of Iowa.  We need to speak up for rivers - we need to be advocates.   

I want to mention another asset to help us speak up for rivers:  Iowa Rivers Revival, a statewide advocacy group that works to engage ordinary Iowans and public officials in action to protect and improve our rivers and streams.  "IRR" closely follows public policy issues at the Capitol, and alerts Iowans when their voices are needed to speak up for rivers.  I'm on the IRR board, and many CIP folks already are plugged in to IRR.  If you aren't connected yet, please go to www.iowarivers.org to sign up for e-mail alerts and other good information.

Ultimately, my home rivers are the ones where I paddle most with family and friends, and kindred spirits like you.  Here's to CIP for pulling us together.  I look forward to seeing you on our home rivers, especially here in Central Iowa.

I may get a bit of ribbing for writing an article about tips on leading trips since I haven't led very many, and the few I've led were only for a small number of people.  Part of my reluctance in leading trips, and perhaps others will relate, is because of the amount of responsibility and work involved.  But I hope this article will remove some of the mystery and help others, who perhaps feel like me, decide to step up and do more leading.

Tip #1:  Know the waterway and appropriate flows where you will be leading your trip.

Four years ago, I took a non-paddling friend with me in a canoe for an afternoon paddle on a section of the Middle Raccoon River that was new to me.  A 5-mile trip unexpectedly turned into an 11-mile trip.  We left one vehicle at the landing above the Redfield Dam and drove off in canoe-topped car to the put-in, but we somehow got mixed up and drove to the access 11 miles upstream instead the one 5 miles upstream.  We were oblivious to our error, and to make matters worse, the water level was low and we found ourselves frequently scraping bottom.  We realized after about 8 miles of paddling that we messed up somewhere.  We barely made it to the take-out before nightfall.  

Ideally, you should paddle the trip ahead of time to know there are no

serious log-jams or obstacles, and to determine how long your trip actually takes in minutes and miles. However, this may not be practical, especially if the waterway is far away and gas prices remain high.  It would be a good idea, however, to have a friend who might live close to the waterway do some scouting for you.  But I would not recommend leading a trip on a waterway you've never ever paddled.

Besides knowing the route you are paddling, it's important to think through and plan for the shuttle between the launch and landing prior to the trip.  Shuttles easily boggle the mind so having planned it out as much as you can prior will save you lots of anguish.

Knowing and understanding the water levels of a particular stretch of river is crucial.   At the low end your participants might end up walking more than paddling and at the high end you may be putting them into situations that they aren't capable of handling where swift water requires good boat control to avoid hazards.  It's important to learn about the USGS Iowa stream flow gauges.  Check water levels from this system in advance, and more often as you get closer to your trip date.  You should have a good understanding of what the appropriate water levels are before leading your trip.  Recommendations for minimum stream flow as well as suggested skill levels for some waterways are posted on the CIP website at http://www.paddleiowa.org/Waterways.html.

Equally if not more important is knowing where Iowa's deadly low-head dams exist.  Two very useful tools can be found online.  The first is the Iowa DNR's map of Known Dams on Iowa's Rivers.  Another useful tool that provides more detailed information is Iowa Whitewater Coalition's interactive map of low-head dams, which includes pictures and documented evidence of fatalities at each site.

Tip #2:  Clearly communicate important information in your trip announcements to reduce confusion and establish expectations for participants.

I remember an early trip in which my wife and I participated.  My wife found herself broadside in her kayak against a river-wide log jam on a swollen Wapsipinicon River in the spring.  We were beginners and she had paddled ahead of the group and didn't yet have the skills to quickly maneuver to the bank upon rounding the bend and seeing the logjam.  Others helped her get to the bank, but she then had to pull her kayak up an 8 foot embankment and drag it about 400 feet before re-entering.  Luckily, my wife is a good sport and she suffered no injuries.  Responsibility goes both ways, however.  Trip leaders certainly have a duty to communicate important information like potential hazards and skill level required, but participants should come prepared and know their abilities and paddle accordingly. 

 Some things to consider in your trip announcements:

1. Distance to be paddled and anticipated time the trip will take.  Is it a half-day, full-day, or multi-day trip?  Should participants bring a lunch?
2. Difficulty of the segment and recommended skill level.  Would you recommend this trip for beginners, intermediates, or only experts?
3. Known hazards, such as, dams, strainers, sweepers, rapids, cold water, hot temperatures, wind or waves, difficult launches or landings.
4. Proper gear and equipment, such as, rain gear, life jacket, dry bag with clothing, sunglasses, sun block, hat, drinking water, lunch, bug spray, wet suit, proper night lighting, etc.  On some waterways and in some conditions, certain boats might not be appropriate, i.e.,  a wide flat-bottomed canoe on a very large lake on a windy day.
5. Contact information, including cell phone number.

It's true, even if you're a novice, you should know that if it's a hot, muggy day you ought to bring sun block, sunglasses, and plenty of water, and probably wear a hat.  But when you're new and you're trying to remember all the other stuff you need to bring (and we were all new at one time) it's easy to forget the simple stuff.  I still do.

Tip #3:  Clearly communicate logistics, safety information,  and assign a lead and sweep boater if necessary on the day of the trip.

I've known of several trips where a participant either got lost, left early without telling someone, or paddled beyond the take-out.  This is a big deal!  Losing someone is NOT a good thing.  Managing the group on the day of the trip is extremely important. 

While you have their attention, take just a few minutes to discuss simple points of safety:

• Encourage EVERYONE to wear life jackets (state law requires it for children under 13).
• Discuss the general hazards that exist on Iowa's waterways: strainers, logjams, dams, etc.
•  If using a waiver, briefly go over the different parts of the waiver, especially the assumption of risks section and allow adequate time for them to read and sign.

If your group is small and easily managed there probably isn't a need to identify a lead or sweep boat.  However, if your group is large you should assign a lead and sweep boat and instruct participants to stay between the lead and sweep boats.   

Your lead and sweep boaters should be experienced.  The lead boat should be the first to arrive at the landing and make sure participants don't paddle past it.  Your sweep boat should make sure no one gets behind them.  If you have inexperienced participants it would be a good idea to have the more experienced boaters keep a watchful eye.  Whether using a lead or sweep boat, you should have an accurate count of the total number of participants before and after launching and landing.  If you aren't using a lead and sweep, everyone should know what the landing looks like so they know where to exit the river. 

In summary, leading a trip really boils down to three very important things: knowledge, communication, and group management.  Know the waterway you're leading the trip on, clearly communicate important information, and manage the group on the day of the trip.   

If you're wanting to lead a trip, but not quite ready, ask a leader of an upcoming trip if you can co-lead a trip with them.  I know I'd be very happy to accept help in this respect, and we'll both learn together.

For Sale:  Impex Mystic Kayak.   A nice touring kayak for a smaller paddler.  14 feet long, 21.5 wide, fiberglass, 46 pounds.  White with lime green trim. Good condition.  New Price is $2,495.00.  Asking $1300.

For Sale:  Perception Sonoma Airlite Kayak:    A nice lightweight recreation kayak.   Nice for photography or exercise.  10 feet long, nice seat with back.  Red with a white hull.  35 pounds.  Good condition.  New Price is $998.00.  Asking $550.00.

For Sale:  Wind Swift Touring Paddle:  Straight shaft.  I think it's 220 cm. Translucent Dark Blue.  Nice paddle, but too long for me.  New Price $279.  Asking $100.00.  

If interested in any of the above, contact Diane Lowry at Dogs4bird1@mchsi.com