A family friendly river run

The Payette River Flatwater Trail is an easy river float through the lower end of Long Valley, combined with a mountain bike ride on a gravel road as a shuttle.

It offers a gentle (no rapids) 12-mile float that takes three to six hours to paddle from the Idaho 55 bridge on the southside of Cascade to the Cabarton boat ramp off Cabarton Road.

This section is ideal for families in kayaks, canoes and stand up paddle boards.

Sometimes the wind blows upstream, so adjust your time schedule to allow for a slower trip.

Expect to see lots of birds, including a great blue heron rookery, ducks, eagles, ospreys and other birds. There is also an elk-viewing area on the river.

Read more HERE.

A year in review: 2010 was great 2011 will be even better!

A new season is starting in the Seaway Valley and World Kayak is right there making sure that paddlers will have events to participate in. 2010 was a great year for us and we saw a lot of new paddlers step up to our friendly competitive arena

A new season is starting in the Seaway Valley and World Kayak is right there making sure that paddlers will have events to participate in.

2010 was a great year for us and we saw a lot of new paddlers step up to our friendly competitive arena. 2011 will be even better!

3 freestyle events and 3 survivors (Boater-cross format) are what you will see in Valleyfield Quebec at the Riviere St-Charles this year. You will be able to compete , challenge your friend and yourself. For those who wish to step it up a bit more WK is implementing a ranking system (more to come on that program soon).

In the mean time enjoy the short video by Zachary Zwanenburg. The video and the images speak for themselves:

Click here to view the embedded video.

See you on the river,

Robert Zwanenburg
www.cornwallwhitewater.com

March 27 Throwdown at Bangs Falls NS

Judge Liz is quite impressed It was the first event of the year and it was  chilly for the 30+ people that came top paddle! The snow is horizontal in some of the pictures below!  I was just trying to get everyone fired up with my dragon’s breath but almost ended up spraying the judge! Somehow ended up winning this time but there was some stiff competion and I probably won’t have the cold on my side for next time… We also held paddling lessons so there were some firsts in a kayak, first times on the river and Mike even got his fist loop! Thanks to Victor and Glenna for setting everyone up in style at the barn. Your warmth and the stove in the barn made this early spring event a lot sweeter!

Judge Liz is quite impressed

It was the first event of the year and it was  chilly for the 30+ people that came top paddle! The snow is horizontal in some of the pictures below!  I was just trying to get everyone fired up with my dragon’s breath but almost ended up spraying the judge! Somehow ended up winning this time but there was some stiff competion and I probably won’t have the cold on my side for next time…

We also held paddling lessons so there were some firsts in a kayak, first times on the river and Mike even got his fist loop!

Thanks to Victor and Glenna for setting everyone up in style at the barn. Your warmth and the stove in the barn made this early spring event a lot sweeter!

2010 Nolichucky Hometown Throwdown Event #4

The final event in the 2010 Tri-Cities Hometown Throwdown series was huge fun, thanks to the blessing of rain we got the night before the event!  We had 25 competitors join in for some friendly spirited freestyle competition.  We had big crowd of spectators who watched and cheered on the competitors from the Riverpark Campground bank.  The event was held at Big Rock on the Lower Nolichucky River.  The river level was around 575 CFS which made for a sticky play level at the Big Rock feature.  The weather for the day was warm & sunny skies!  After the freestyle competition ended, we had a huge BBQ picnic with the APE’s!  The APE’s hosted some fun river trips on the Nolichucky River earlier in the day.

See more here:
2010 Nolichucky Hometown Throwdown Event #4

15th Annual Green River Narrows Race Results

Congrats to all Racers in the list below!  It takes a lot of guts just to show up and attempt to ride the lighting during this wild day on the river… Place Name Bib # Boat Class Time 1 Mike Dawson 29 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:26 2 Isaac Levinson 1 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:32 3 Chris Gragtmans 2 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:35 4 Fergus Coffey 3 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:38 4 John Grace 8 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:38 6 Eric Hurd 4 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:41 7 Geoff Calhoun 15 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:42 7 Dane Jackson 30 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:42 9 Dustin Marquart 7 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:44 9 Daniel Stewart 26 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:44 11 Tommy Hilleke 9 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:45 12 Bo Wallace 24 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:51 12 Clay Wright 28 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:51 12 Nik Haase 41 Prijon Tornado Long K1 04:51 15 Pablo McCandless 5 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:52 15 Isaac Levinson 1 Liquidlogic Remix 69 Short K1 04:52 17 Keegan Grady 62 Liquidlogic Remix 100 Long K1 04:53 17 Mike Dawson 29 Bliss-Stick Mystic Short K1 04:53 19 Michael Montagne 49 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:54 20 Drew Duval 13 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:55 20 Jules Campbell 16 Wave Sport Momentum Long K1 04:55 22 Jason Hale 10 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 04:57 22 Tad Dennis 83 Liquidlogic Remix 100 Long C1 04:57 24 Nicholas Troutman 35 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 04:58 25 Adriene Levknecht 18 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1W 04:59 26 Drew Austell 12 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:00 27 Jeff West 23 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:01 27 Jakub Němec 36 Wave Sport Momentum Long K1 05:01 29 Charles King 56 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:02 30 Tim Bell 42 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 05:03 30 Chris Gallaway 71 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:03 30 Jason Beakes 6 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:03 33 Billy Murphy 20 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:04 33 Caleb Coaplen 34 Prijon Tornado Long K1 05:04 35 Clay Wright 28 Jackson Villain Short K1 05:05 35 Dane Jackson 30 Jackson Villain S Short K1 05:05 35 Keegan Grady 62 Liquidlogic Remix 79 Short K1 05:05 35 Seppi Strohmeier 124 Wave Sport Diesel 80 Short K1 05:05 39 Jonathan Absher 96 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:06 40 Mark Robertson 65 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:07 41 Scott McCluskey 14 Dagger Cascade Long C1 05:08 41 Gareth Tate 27 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:08 43 Bryan Kirk 19 Wave Sport Momentum Long K1 05:09 43 Eric Chance 61 Prijon Tornado Long K1 05:09 43 Drew Austell 12 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:09 46 Brian Knight 25 Prijon Tornado Long K1 05:10 46 Paul Stamilio 31 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:10 48 Keith Sprinkle 39 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1HP 05:11 48 Kyle Hull 92 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 05:11 48 Chris Gragtmans 2 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:11 51 Ross Herr 139 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 05:12 51 Bill Clipper 53 Dagger Green Boat Long K1HP 05:12 53 Derek DelBuono 55 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:13 53 Mark Taylor 59 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:13 55 Will Pruett 58 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1 05:14 55 Saunders Southecorvo 66 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:14 57 Adam Bixby 37 Perception Pirouette Long K1 05:15 57 Dustin Marquart 7 Pyranha Everest Short K1 05:15 59 Nicholas Troutman 35 Jackson Villain Short K1 05:17 60 Ben Blake 67 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:18 61 Adriene Levknecht 18 Liquidlogic Remix 59 Short K1W 05:19 61 Michael Patterson 74 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:19 63 Sean Thompson 60 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:20 63 Daniel Stewart 26 Liquidlogic Remix 79 Short K1 05:20 65 Clayton Gaar 61 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:21 65 Jeff Clewell 76 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:21 65 Jakub Němec 36 Wave Sport Habitat 80 Short K1 05:21 65 Kirk Eddlemon 97 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:21 65 Chris McCoy 102 Pyranha Karnali L Short K1 05:21 65 Charles King 56 Bliss-Stick Mystic Short K1 05:21 71 Jay Ditty 43 Dagger Response Long C1 05:23 72 Charlie Simmons 51 Wave Sport Momentum Long K1 05:24 72 Scott McCluskey 14 Pyranha Karnali L Short C1 05:24 74 Zack Dean 50 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:25 74 Chan Jones 95 Pyranha Burn M Short K1 05:25 76 Graham Seiler 132 Pyranha Everest Short K1 05:27 77 Mac McGee 63 Perception Pirouette S Long K1 05:29 78 Mefford Williams 40 Liquidlogic Remix 100 Long K1 05:30 79 Bradley McMillan 64 Dagger Green Boat Long C1 05:31 80 Jeff Paine 105 Liquidlogic Jefe Grande Short K1 05:32 80 Joel Kowalski 54 Jackson Villain Short K1 05:32 82 Benn Fraker 32 Dagger Green Boat Long C1 05:35 83 Laura Farrell 44 Dagger Green Boat Long K1W 05:36 84 Van Nall 78 Perception Corsica Long K1 05:37 84 Trent Thibodeaux 100 Bliss-Stick Mystic Short K1 05:37 86 Taft Sibley 69 Liquidlogic Remix 100 Long K1 05:38 86 Tad Dennis 83 Pyranha Karnali L Short C1 05:38 86 Gareth Tate 27 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:38 89 Scott Magley 79 Dagger Green Boat Long K1HP 05:39 90 Cruise Quenelle 52 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:40 91 Joe Scarborough 111 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:41 92 Derek DelBuono 55 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:43 93 Charley Bartlett 85 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:45 94 Elijah Smith 98 DragoRossi Critical Mass Short K1 05:46 94 Stephen Forster 57 Pyranha Burn M Short K1 05:46 96 Michael Montagne 49 Pyranha Burn M Short K1 05:47 96 Andy Hobson 106 Jackson Villain Short K1 05:47 98 Jon Crain 68 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:48 99 Mariann Saether 46 Liquidlogic Remix 69 Short K1W 05:49 99 Stephen Forster 57 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:49 99 Nick Murphy 75 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:49 99 Sam Wells 103 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:49 99 Yonton Mehler 112 Liquidlogic Remix 69 Short K1 05:49 99 Colin Hunt 118 Liquidlogic Remix 79 Short K1 05:49 105 Scott Magley 79 Pyranha Burn M Short K1HP 05:50 106 Jordan Finke 113 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:52 107 Chris Wing 86 Wave Sport Momentum Long K1 05:53 108 Clay Lucas 120 Pyranha Burn L Short K1 05:54 108 Brian Ward 122 Liquidlogic Remix 79 Short K1 05:54 110 David Herman 38 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 05:55 110 Robert Bone 121 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 05:55 112 Katrina Van Wijk 48 Dagger Green Boat Long K1W 05:57 113 Curtis England 115 Savage Designs Skreem Short K1 05:58 114 Zack Dean 50 Dagger Green Boat Long K1HP 05:59 114 Chris Young 134 Necky Blunt Short K1 05:59 116 Greg Garrard 90 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1HP 06:03 117 Dave Hepp 45 Liquidlogic Remix 100 Long C1 06:06 118 Rob Ellis 130 Riot Magnum Short K1 06:10 118 Matt Anger 101 Pyranha Burn L Short K1 06:10 120 Nelson Jones 93 Dagger Animas Long K1 06:11 120 Michael Thurmond 126 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 06:11 122 Chris Baer 104 Wave Sport Habitat 80 Short K1 06:14 122 Chris Pesce 119 Jackson Villain Short K1 06:14 124 Ty McNeely 73 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 06:16 125 David Carey 88 Eskimo Cerro Long K1 06:17 126 Ryan Bell 33 Liquidlogic Remix 59 Short K1 06:18 127 Jay Mahan 116 Liquidlogic Jefe Short K1 06:22 128 Chris Erdahl 142 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 06:23 129 Adam Hackenberg 145 Liquidlogic Remix 69 Short K1 06:25 130 Mariann Saether 46 Liquidlogic Stinger Long K1W 06:27 130 Chris Vella 109 Pyranha Burn L Short K1 06:27 132 Terran Viehe 123 Liquidlogic Remix 69 Short K1 06:29 133 Justin Kleberg 131 Jackson Villain S Short K1 06:30 134 Sam Causey 81 Dagger Crossfire Long K1 06:33 135 Tyler Houck 128 Bliss-Stick Mystic Short K1 06:38 136 Josh Wall 70 Dagger Green Boat Long K1HP 06:42 137 Jeff Joyce 125 Jackson Rocker Short K1 06:44 138 Bryan Lusk 143 Liquidlogic Jefe Short K1 06:45 139 Zach Fraysier 117 Jackson Villain Short K1 06:46 140 Taylor Brandt 129 Liquidlogic Remix 79 Short K1 06:51 140 Burke Addison 144 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 06:51 142 Kevin Kuuskvere 107 Fluid Solo L Short K1 06:56 143 Josh Parker 108 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 06:58 144 Charles Armentrout 133 Jackson Villain Short K1 07:05 145 Jiri Vala 140 Jackson Villain Short K1 07:25 146 Blake McCurdy 84 Perception Corsica S Long K1 07:33 147 John Stephen 114 Pyranha Micro 240 Short K1 07:34 148 Katie Worley 47 Dagger Green Boat Long K1W 07:45 149 Christine Boush 72 Dagger Green Boat Long K1W 12:09 150 Tim Gill 136 Prijon Pure XL Short K1HP 12:42 151 Jason Beakes 6 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 12:48 152 Corey Volt 11 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 13:25 153 Andy Perkel 135 Jackson Villain Short K1HP 15:37 154 Jon Dale 91 Dagger Green Boat Long K1 20:07 155 Jason Burton 141 Dagger Nomad 8.5 Short K1 21:59 156 Curt Lamberth 80 Dagger Freefall Long K1 DNF 156 Jeffrey Larimer 82 Dagger Cascade Long C1 DNF 156 Alex Ohman 146 Pyranha Burn M Short K1 DNF 156 David Ledford 148 Pyranha Burn L Short K1 DNF Total Runs: 159 Click here for complete race results by Class Event Photo Album Links: Cheryl Killman’s 2010 Green River Narrows Race photo album#1 Cheryl Killman’s 2010 Green River Narrows Race photo album#2 Big Thanks to Cheryl for these great shots of the race action! Event Video Coverage: Thanks to Pilot Collective Media and Rapid Media TV for these videos: Gorilla Carnage Click here to view the embedded video. Live Interviews & Coverage Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here for complete race results by Class

Event Photo Album Links:

Cheryl Killman’s 2010 Green River Narrows Race photo album#1

Cheryl Killman’s 2010 Green River Narrows Race photo album#2

Big Thanks to Cheryl for these great shots of the race action!

Event Video Coverage:

Thanks to Pilot Collective Media and Rapid Media TV for these videos:

Gorilla Carnage

Click here to view the embedded video.

Live Interviews & Coverage

Click here to view the embedded video.

2010 Green Race T-shirts are still available for sale at http://amongstit.tv/?p=357

No Dam on the Slave

This article can be found on the Slave River Journal website .  This is fantastic news! By SHAWN BELL, SRJ Reporter – Fri, Oct 15, 2010 The Slave River hydro project is dead. That was the official word from a stark meeting room at the Smith’s Landing First Nation band office where Chief Cheyeanne Paulette, elder Francois Paulette, ATCO vice president of hydro development Doug Tenney and TransCanada representative Gavin Embury met to announce that the two sides have not reached an agreement on the Slave hydro project and never will.

The Slave River hydro project is dead.
That was the official word from a stark meeting room at the Smith’s Landing First Nation band office where Chief Cheyeanne Paulette, elder Francois Paulette, ATCO vice president of hydro development Doug Tenney and TransCanada representative Gavin Embury met to announce that the two sides have not reached an agreement on the Slave hydro project and never will.

“The Slave River has sustained our people since time immemorial,” Cheyeanne Paulette said. “We have a vision for the river that ensures it will continue to be a home for our people for all time, and we know many other Northerners share our vision.”

For Paulette, the 29-year-old chief first elected in June 2010, the decision to say no to the dam marks a bold start to his tenure at the head of Smith’s Landing.

The fact that he was joined at the table by his uncle, former chief Francois Paulette, one of the most influential Dene chiefs and a man who has long opposed the idea of a dam on the Slave River says much about the young chief’s influences and beliefs.

Chief Paulette was steadfast after the announcement, reiterating that there are no options for hydro-electricity projects on the Slave River.

“There was an overall direction from members that ultimately they did not want to see any hydro project on the Slave River,” Paulette said. “There was no sense in entering into feasibility studies if there was not going to be a project.”

Tenney expressed his company’s disappointment at Smith’s Landing’s decision, but said ATCO and TransCanada will respect the decision and leave the Slave River alone.

“Any economic configuration of hydro-electric generation would likely flood a portion of Smith’s Landing First Nation reserve land,” Tenney read from a prepared statement. “Smith’s Landing First Nation has determined that their vision for the Slave River is not compatible with large scale hydro development. ATCO and TransCanada understand and respect the legal and constitutional rights of Smith’s Landing First Nation and accept the decision made by Smith’s Landing First Nation.”

The Slave River hydro project has been in the works since the late 1970s. In the early 1980s the project boiled to a head, splitting the people of Fort Smith in their support or opposition to the dam.

The project at that time was eventually stopped by economic considerations, as the cost of building a transmission line from the 60th parallel to Fort Saskatchewan to connect to the provincial grid proved too expensive.

In 2006 the idea gained traction again, as ATCO and TransCanada teamed up to examine the possibility of creating what they called a “green energy corridor” of hydro-electric projects on the Athabasca, Slave and Mackenzie Rivers all the way to the Arctic Ocean with a plan to build a transmission line system to the south.

Feasibility studies for the Slave River Hydro Project were supposed to get underway in the fall of 2008, but were later pulled due to the lack of agreement with SLFN.

Since then the proponents have been back and forth to Fort Smith, meeting with local leaders to try and hammer out an agreement on feasibility studies.

Those efforts will now cease, as Tenney assured The Journal there are no alternatives for hydro power on the Slave River that would be both economical and not affect Smith’s Landing First Nation reserve land.

Both sides maintained that there was a mutual respect despite the lack of agreement.
“We’ve spent a number of years negotiating, so we’re disappointed in that sense,” Tenney said. “But we’ve talked all the time about needing a true partnership.

Ultimately you need relationships to build partnerships, and we believe we formed those relationships with Smith’s Landing and others in Fort Smith, despite not going ahead with the project.”

Seaway Valley ends the year with a Boatercross Survivor

Saturday October 2nd 2010. Riviere St-Charles, Valleyfield, Quebec

Saturday October 2nd 2010.
Riviere St-Charles, Valleyfield, Quebec.

2010 has been an awesome year in the Seaway Valley. This year we decided to end the World Kayak series with something a bit. A Boatercross!
The weather did not do much for us but despite the cool temps  8 paddlers turned up to try the first ever boatercross in Valleyfield.
The site gets it’s water from 2 huge pipes them run under the road at the top of the river. This is a great place to Launch paddlers (2 at a time) down through the course.
The question on everyone’s mind was who will get the better start position and how was I going to decide who raced who. GThe Answe for both: Rock Paper Scissors So adult like

The first run was awesome.  There are 3 great places for entertainment. The drop at the start brings the boaters close together. Manic offers a bit of a challenge and we ran everyone through our local keeper hole where we were blessed with a few good shows of “oh no… I am stuck…”. Not big carnage but just enough to keep it interesting for the newer kids

Click here to view the embedded video.

Each race brought up closer and closer sorting out the paddlers into an A and a B class.In the end the results were as follows:

A Class:
1st place went to Sean Hakvoort
2nd went to Zachary Hakvoort
3rd place weent to Sebastien
4th went to Cheryl McGregor

B Class

1st place was Zachary Zwanenburg
2nd place went to Sylvie Lebel
3rd place went to Aime-Jean Lavigne
4th place went to Emily Zwanenburg

The truth is, everyone won! Sylvie gained loads of confidence during the start process. Emily ran the tubes for the first time and came back to do it again . Sebastien (despite getting a boat in the face at the bottom of the start chute) came back and stepped up his game. This kid has a lot of potential and I am hoping to see him train and compete for more serious events next summer.

The Hakvoort brothers…. What can I say about my 2 favorite young giants? They are awesome. No fear, loads of enthusiasm and did I mention they are big boys? Holding them back in the start gate kept this old guys arms under stress for a long time
Aime-Jean and Zachary Z. put on a great show getting in each others way and keeping the other at arms reach till the end. Well done. Cheryl is always fun to paddle with and puts on a great effort and showing at every event I get to host. Nice This time she also gave us the best trashings in every hole she could find:) And we are always proud of her.

So, what do we do now? Plan for pool competitions and fun.

Thank you all for being part of another great summer WK Seaway Valley Season

Cheers

Robert Zwanenburg
www.cornwallwhitewater.com