AMC Maine Chapter Paddling Committee Annual Report – 2003
Written by: Dave Lanman, Co-chair
Delivered by: Bob Sheckley, Co-chair

Another pleasant season passed on the water for the paddling faithful.  We scheduled twenty-one events.  Eight events were cancelled or had venues changed due to the usual fickleness of spring. This year, the ice was on the rivers longer than usual while run-off was occurring underneath, so when the ice was finally out, water, for the most part, was low. There were also spells of bad weather.

Most events were held jointly with MOAC and/or PPCS which made for a higher turn out.  About one hundred sixty people participated including folks from other clubs. 

Class 2-3 events ranged from the St. George on a cold, blustery day with snow from a late dusting blowing about, to the Sandy where two folks attempted to paddle the unusually high water at the drop at Phillips and paid the price with a spill. As unpleasant as it was for the swimmers, it allowed the rest of us to hone the rescue skills.

Dave Lanman and Carolyn Welch led many of the trips this season, but we also want to acknowledge and thank Ken Gordon, Ken Hutchins, Moe Galarneau, Rich Sousa, Dave Wallace, Lori White and Bob Radowicz for leading or co-leading joint trips.

A high point was the Tandem Canoe Instructional, for AMC only, held in Errol NH in July. There were fifteen participants, about half of them instructors. Turn out included four relative novices, including one from the Boston AMC Chapter, and some others with more experience who wanted to improve their skills. We spent the first day with brief lectures on boat rigging, safety and paddle strokes, followed by practice on flat water and Class 1 rapids. The second day, we demonstrated rescue techniques and then went to Pontook for several Class 2 runs. All enjoyed and learned from the weekend. Special thanks to Ken Hutchins, Sue Schaller, Kim Gass, Rich Sousa, Jim Tierney, Carolyn Welch, Pam Rosen and Dave Lanman for doing the instructing. 

This season saw the return of some of us, and the first time for one of us, to the bigger and longer whitewater of the Dead River.  Carolyn Welch spent another season doing a lot of Dead river runs in her shredder with the PPCS.  Dave Lanman joined the ranks for the first time on a shredder run with Carolyn and a canoe run with a fellow from the New Hampshire AMC. Jim Tierney impressed us with his solo skills doing the rapids of the Dead in his Tripper. He and Carolyn braved a high 5,500cfs release on the Dead in the shredder. When asked how he might have done in his Tripper at that level, Jim remarked that there were times he would have been in “serious trouble”. Or maybe his word wasn’t “trouble.” 

Bob Sheckley got his canoe wet for the first time in a while. He and Cyndy appeared to paddle and help out at the annual joint AMC/MOAC Errol event in August; a well attended (30 people) event highlighted not only by a variety of water activities, including tubing at Errol rips, but by the famous pot luck dinner on Saturday night. 

Other rivers were explored. Dave Lanman did a trip sponsored by the PPCS on the Bonaventure River in the Gaspe and recommends it highly. Carolyn Welch is a three-time veteran of the Bonaventure, and she and Dave are looking to possibly lead a trip of their own in the not-too-distant future. 

Carolyn Welch’s e-mail broadcast continues to be a very effective tool in getting more folks on the river by reminding paddlers of upcoming events and letting them know about changes.  Carolyn continues to do work above and beyond for paddling folks. Thanks, Carolyn!! 

We have many good times on the rivers. We hope next season to see more new faces, including those new to whitewater. We enjoy introducing new folks to Class 1 and 2 whitewater, and, if they like it as much as we do, helping them move up to more exciting levels. 

See you on a river… 

DL