🌊 39 Years of Whitewater Adventures, 1971-2009 💦

Written in February 2024

🌊 Preamble

Whitewater kayaking is the most exciting sport that I have ever experienced, including skydiving. 

Every time I start down a large rapids, it is the same feeling as leaping out of the plane on my one and only skydive 51 years ago back in 1973, but with less control over the elements.

Click on my photo on the right to read

all about my skydiving adventures.

Rolling a capsized solo hardshell kayak back up is the most complex and difficult maneuver that I have ever done. And rolling up in a raging rapids requires much more intrepidness than on a flat pond – especially when all you want with every stitch of your being is to gasp a breath of air!!!

Above, Stan is upside down in Troublemaker Rapids on the American River in California in 2002,

🌊 Prologue

Stan and I are paddling our tippy kayaks down a calm stretch of a river.  Ahead we hear the roar of rapids and the flat horizon line is filled with water spraying high into the air as the river drops over a rocky ledge into a long series of chaotic rapids.

As I go over the lip, I try to lean so that my kayak is edging properly into the waves and holes of the rapids train, while avoiding the keeper holes.  I kiss the large rocks* protruding from the river, smoothly slipping around each one we encounter.

*  Kissing a rock means getting close to and kayaking past a rock which the water is being driven against – this move is counter-intuitive, because you have to lean into the rock, not away from it.

We maneuver from eddy to eddy, driving through the high ridge of water at each eddy line – then we peel out of the eddy and start down the next stretch of rapids.   

No matter how good a kayaker I am, at some point I tip over.  This is the time for a combat roll.*

*  A kayak roll, often referred to as an Eskimo roll, is the act of righting a capsized kayak by use of body motion and/or a paddle. A combat roll is when you roll yourself back up after going over in a rapids.

What does that mean?  The first thing you do when you are upside down in rapidly flowing water is to tuck your body forward toward the bow to help protect yourself from hitting any rocks. As you tuck, you position your paddle with both hands on one side of the boat facing the sky.  Next, you need to wait until you and your kayak come up to speed with the current.  Then, your whole body has to remain calm as you perform the roll maneuver by sweeping your arms forward across the bow while snapping your hips to right yourself, remembering to keep your head down the entire time – when all you want is to grab a breath of fresh air!

There are many ways to fail. If you tense up, you will get up part way and tip over again.  If you start too early before you and your kayak have come up to the same speed as the current that's carrying you, you fail.  If you lift your head up too soon to take a breath, you fail.

If you fail, you can try to roll a second or even a third time – or as long as you have any air left in your lungs. If all of your efforts fail and you give up on the roll, you have to do the dreaded bailout.

To bail out of your kayak, you pull the grab loop of your skirt to release it from the cockpit combing.  You exit your kayak (upside down, of course), and swim up to the surface to gulp your first breath of air.  Then you grab your boat and paddle (if you can find them, and find them you must), and you swim while towing them through the rapids to the nearest shore.

There, you must lug your 200-pound, water-filled kayak up the rocky bank and empty it.  By this point you are totally exhausted.  Finally, you must wedge yourself back into the cockpit, reattach your skirt, and reenter the rapids – if you still have the strength and energy left to do so.

That is a big incentive to learn and succeed in the roll maneuver! Following is the story of my first successful combat roll.

The following sections offer a brief recap of our whitewater adventures. I have already written missives about several of them, and you can click on a link to each one to read the full story. More missives will be written about others in the future. Below is the outline of this missive.

🌊 Introduction

From 1971 to 2009, Stan and I enjoy 39 years of whitewater adventures on the eight rivers in California, Arizona and Wyoming shown on the map below.

Our whitewater experiences range from rafts (both large and small) to kayaks (inflatable, one- and two-person kayaks and solo hardshell kayaks).*

*  Hardshell kayaks are the traditional types of kayak. They are made from wood, plastic, fiberglass or other composite materials, with a rigid frame. This is unlike an inflatable kayak, which is blown up (inflated) and features synthetic rubber or PVC and plastic polymers.

During the last 15 of our 39 years of whitewater adventures, from 1995 to 2009, we tackle whitewater rivers in solo hardshell kayaks.

🌊 Whitewater Rafting Adventures, 1971-1980

Over a 10-year period from 1971 to 1980, Stan and I go on four whitewater rafting adventures: two trips on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and a trip each on the Stanislaus and Tuolumne Rivers in California.

💦 Colorado River Through the Grand Canyon in AZ, 1971

My first whitewater experience is a rafting trip on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona in August 1971, I am 30 and recently single after my first marriage.

I am working at The Aerospace Corporation in El Segundo, California. I join a group of ski clubs from the Space & Defense Industry who do river rafting in the summers.

I drive to the river with my good friend Barbara B, who is the secretary of my former boss from Hughes Aircraft Company, and her husband Larry. We hike down from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the put-in spot on the Colorado River.

We spend a wonderful eight days rafting on the rapids through the canyons, hiking, and sleeping on the ground at campsites along the river each night.

August 1971: My First Whitewater Adventure – A Rafting Trip through the Grand Canyon

Left:  I am with Larry in the center rear of our raft.

Upper right:  One of our three rafts is going through a rapids.

Lower right:  Barbara B (on the right) and I are at Hoover Dam en route to the put-in.

💦 Colorado River Through the Grand Canyon in AZ, 1972

I enjoy the rafting trip in 1971 so much that I repeat it a year later in August 1972, for an even longer duration of 10 days. I drive to the put-in with Jerry, my one-armed boat partner.

This trip is where I meet my future husband Stan – I am 31 and Stan is 35. Stan's 10-year-old son Dave is also on the trip.

1972:  Whitewater Rafting through the Grand Canyon

Left: Stan & Dave (age 10) on their raft,

Right: I am on shore with the boyfriend of a girl named Sue that I meet on this trip.

Stan and I are both working at The Aerospace Corporation – I have been there for seven years and Stan for 10 years – but we never met before this trip. It will be more than three years before we start dating in late 1975.

💦 Stanislaus River in CA, 1979

In August 1979, we take Stan's son Dave (age 17) and my son Mike (age 15) whitewater rafting on the Stanislaus River in Northern California.

  August 1979:  Whitewater Rafting on the Stanislaus River

Upper left: Mike & I on the rear of a truck transporting us to the river,

Upper right:   Dave & Stan at the riverside in the morning after sleeping on the ground,

Bottom: Mike, Stan and I are in the rear of the raft in front of our guide while shooting a rapids.

💦 Tuolumne River in CA, 1980

In June 1980, we take Stan’s daughter Tiffany (age 14) and my sister Liz whitewater rafting on the Tuolumne River in Northern California.

June 1980:  Whitewater Rafting on the Tuolumne River

Upper left: I am with Stan & Tiffany on shore.

Upper right:  I am on the left on a raft at riverside with Tiffany, our river guide & Liz.

Bottom: I am second from the left on our raft with our guide, Liz and Tiffany at the start of a hairy rapids – Stan portaged around it because there wasn’t room for all of us on the raft for safety reasons.

🌊 Flatwater Adventures in Inflatables, 1993-2024

After 12 years of dating while living in our separate homes in the beach cities of Los Angeles, Stan and I purchase a house together in Rolling Hills in 1987.

Five years later in 1992, 20 years after meeting on a raft and after 17 years of dating, we both take early retirement – when I am 51, and Stan is 55. We are also married that year in our home.

We have four dogs at this time and a desire to travel with them. We soon purchase a 26' motorhome and a two-person inflatable kayak to paddle on flat water wherever we journey. We add an inflatable motorized boat, as well as a Jeep that we tow behind the RV. The Jeep also carries our boats and bikes.

1993:  Our RV, Jeep, Inflatable Kayak and Inflatable Motorized Boat

Thirty one years later in 2024, we are on our third motorhome (36' long), and we still have the same Jeep and inflatable kayak. Our many stories of our years of travel with our RV and inflatables are waiting to be written.

🌊 Early Whitewater Kayaking Adventures on the Upper Kern River in CA, 1995

After two years of paddling on flat water in our two-person inflatable, we become bored and want to try it on some rapids. I feel that we should first have some instruction, so in August 1995, I sign us up for two days of whitewater kayaking lessons on the North Fork of the Upper Kern River – a 4½-hour drive north of our home.

The Kern River is well known for its danger, and its nickname is The Killer Kern. As we drive up to Kernville via Bakersfield, we pass two signs at the mouth of Kern Canyon where the rapids of the Lower Kern River end.

In 1997, the foreboding signs in English and Spanish warn visitors: "Danger. Stay Out. Stay Alive," and indicate the number of lives claimed by the Kern River since 1968 as 191. As of May 23, 2023, the number of deaths listed is 325.

It is an ominous beginning to our first whitewater kayaking adventure.

We arrive in Kernville on Monday, August 7, three days before our instruction begins. and find an RV spot in a campground near the river. I am afraid to try out our two-person inflatable on the small riffles below our campsite, so Stan paddles it by himself.

The next day, we get brave enough to attempt the larger rapids together in the inflatable. We tackle the two-mile stretch on the North Fork of the Upper Kern River above our campground called Lickety Split.

The largest two rapids in Lickety Split are rated Class III (see the table on the right). Their names are Big Daddy and Ewings Rapids. The latter is the most challenging and ends right by our campsite – if one doesn’t make it through upright, he or she can swim to shore and be home.

We almost capsize in the third large hole at the bottom of Ewings Rapids, but we make it through thanks to Stan. We feel confident enough to repeat the same run a second time.

On Wednesday, we take our inflatable motorized boat to nearby Lake Isabella for the day.

On Thursday, we check in at Sierra South Mountain Sports for our two days of kayaking lessons. I think that we will be given lessons in our two-person inflatable, but instead we are each put into solo hardshell kayaks.

Our first day of instruction takes place on still water at Lake Isabella. We start out by learning how to escape when turned upside down. After receiving instruction on various paddling strokes, we are taught how to be rescued by another kayaker when capsized so we don't have to eject. We are also instructed on how to self-rescue by doing the Eskimo roll* – neither of us is successful.

*  A kayak roll, often referred to as an Eskimo roll, is the act of righting a capsized kayak by use of body motion and/or a paddle.

On Friday, the second day of instruction, we spend the morning on a flat section of the Kern River below the rapids along the park. We are taught a variety of paddling strokes including S-turns, eddy turns, peel-outs and ferrys (crossing a river through rapids while paddling upstream).

We spend the afternoon being taught how to shoot the various rapids on the Lickety Split run. I eat it in Ewings Rapids and have to be pulled to shore while hanging on to the back of an instructor's boat. Stan makes it all the way through.

Early Whitewater Kayaking Adventures on the Upper Kern River

Top right: I am awarded this certificate upon the completion of my first whitewater kayaking class in August 1995.

Center: Stan and I are going through the first of three holes at the bottom of Ewings Rapids in our two-person inflatable kayak in 1996. Note how Stan is hanging on with both hands while I am doing all of the work 😛.

Top left: I am shooting Ewings Rapids in my new hardshell kayak in 1996.

Bottom right: Stan is taking Ewings Rapids in his hardshell kayak in 2002.

Bottom left: Map showing the Grand Canyon where Stan & I met on a raft, as well as the Kern River and the California Salmon & Klamath Rivers where we experienced most of our whitewater kayaking adventures.

On Saturday, we meet a couple who are in their kayaks in the river by our campground. They tell us about their wonderful experience at a remote whitewater kayaking school called Otter Bar in far northern California. We are convinced that we should go there next summer.

Two weeks later in late August 1995, we return to Kernville where we purchase our own solo hardshell kayaks and gear at the Labor Day sale. We successfully paddle them down the Lickety Split route on our own.

This summer is the beginning of 15 years of whitewater kayaking adventures in solo hardshells from 1995-2009.

🌊 5 Years of Intense Whitewater Kayaking at Otter Bar in CA, 1996-2000 🦦

Each summer during the next five of those 15 years (1996-2000), we undertake seven days of intense whitewater kayaking lessons at the Otter Bar Kayak School located on the California Salmon River in far Northern California (shown at the top left of the map above). Our classes each week include an overnight kayaking trip with raft support on the nearby Klamath River.

July 1996:  Stan and I are about to tackle the rapids

on the California Salmon River near Otter Bar in Northern California.

You can read about all of our whitewater adventures at Otter Bar in my separate missive by clicking on our photo above.

I have many stories of our adventures at Otter Bar. I relate one in the Preamble at the beginning of this missive about my first successful combat roll.

My most exhilarating whitewater kayaking experience of all time also occurs at Otter Bar where I shoot high in the air up a rock wall.

🌊 More Whitewater Kayaking Adventures on the Upper & Lower Kern Rivers in CA, 1996-2009

After our initial two trips to the Upper Kern River in 1995, we spend a week or two during each summer from 1996-2009 kayaking stretches of the Upper and Lower Kern Rivers. The details of many of these stories will be written in future missives.

The only time I sustain an injury in 39 years of whitewater adventures occurs the first time we tackle the Lower Kern River in 1999. I flip over in a swift, narrow chute and attempt to do a combat roll* to get myself upright.

*  A kayak roll, often referred to as an Eskimo roll) is the act of righting a capsized kayak by use of body motion and/or a paddle. A combat roll is a roll performed after one flips over in a rapids.

By this time, I am fairly accomplished in performing the kayak roll, but I have never attempted it under these conditions – namely, in a narrow chute. While upside down and sweeping my paddle and body through the roll maneuver, I slam my head into the rocky side of the channel.

I end up breaking my glasses, getting a large black eye, and having to pull my skirt and swim through the rapids to shore. Fortunately, I am wearing a helmet which saves me from more serious injuries to my head.

July 1999: Stan and I (with my black eye) at our RV campsite in Kernville on the Upper Kern River

Six years later in 2005, we want to try kayaking the Lower Kern again, but I am afraid to do it in my hardshell kayak. Stan buys me a solo yellow inflatable kayak, rated for Class V* rapids, that he names Barbara's Last Run.

* Class V rapids – Extremely difficult, long, and very violent rapids with highly congested routes. Rescue conditions are difficult, and there is a significant hazard to life.

Note: The most difficult rapids that Stan and I have ever taken in any of our kayaks have been hard Class III or easy Class IV.

In September 2005, I am trying out my new yellow inflatable kayak on the Upper Kern River.

You can read more about my kayaking misadventure in my missive titled

🌵🛶 Barbara’s Last Run: 1999, 2005 & 2021 🚴‍♀️🏊 by clicking on the photo above.

🌊 Kayaking the Snake River in WY, 2000

In 2000, Stan and a college fraternity brother Ron successfully negotiate a section of the Snake River in Wyoming, rated Class III. I can't join them in the rapids because of a recent pulmonary embolism, so I film them from a cliff above the river.

September 2000:  On the right, Ron and Stan are taking a lunch break at the edge of the Snake River

Below are three superimposed photos of Stan kayaking through rapids on the Snake River.

🌊 Kayaking the American River in CA, 2002

In June 2002, we tackle the Troublemaker Rapids section of the American River with our good friends Gary & Ann, with whom we have shared many whitewater experiences as well as sea kayaking, kayak camping and skiing.

We park our RVs in a campground right beside Troublemaker Rapids – thus we have lots of opportunity to fully appreciate its challenge.

Troublemaker Rapids is very impressive, with the water crashing into the rocky wall (out of view in the lower center) before making a sharp 90º turn a quarter of the way through.

The four of us drive our kayaks upstream a couple of miles to start kayaking the sequence of rapids culminating in Troublemaker Rapids. I have problems in the first rapids and soon flip over. I am very nervous about taking Troublemaker, and after I flip over a second time, I bow out and decide to drive back to our campsite and film the others coming through. Ann goes with me, leaving Stan and Gary to continue down together.

I am standing on top of the rocky wall at the 90º river bend, taking photos of Stan as he comes through the large rapids at the top of Troublemaker. Stan heads straight at me and comes shooting up the rocks right in front of me – I think that he will wipe me out!!  He flips over before hitting me and takes the rest of the rapids upside down before being rescued by two kayakers at the rapids' end.

June 2002:  Stan Taking Troublemaker Rapids

Upper left:  Stan starting down Troublemaker with Gary behind him.

Upper right:  Stan heads straight up the rock wall toward where I am filming – I'm afraid that he will strike me!!

Lower left: Stan capsizes after going up the wall and takes the rest of Troublemaker upside down.

Lower right:  Stan is in the water at the end of Troublemaker beside his overturned kayak, being rescued by two other kayakers.

Stan and Gary kayak Troublemaker successfully at least once during the remainder of our four-day stay.

🌊 Family Whitewater Adventures on the Upper Kern River in CA, 2001-2009

We have three children and four granddaughters between us – our fifth granddaughter Juliet won't be born until the end of 2009, after our whitewater adventures have ended. Over the ten year span from 2001 to 2009, various kids and my sister along with their spouses/children/friends come to the Kern River on four different occasions to have fun with us on whitewater. Often they bring their dogs, and even once a pet raccoon!

💦 2001 - Whitewater Kayaking Instruction For Our Three Kids

In July 2001 after we have six years of whitewater kayaking experience under our belts, our three kids (Dave, Mike & Tiffany) and Tiffany's husband Jason join us on the Upper Kern River for their first whitewater kayaking experience. We enroll them for two days of lessons in the same kayaking school where we first started in 1995, and we follow behind their class on Lake Isabella and through the rapids on the Upper Kern.

July 2001 - Whitewater Instruction for Our Three Kids on the Kern River

Top left: I am with my son Mike outside Sierra South Mountain Sports in Kernville where he is signing up for whitewater kayaking instruction.

Top right: Stan and his son Dave and daughter Tiffany in their kayaks on the Kern River.

Bottom left: Stan and his daughter Tiffany, holding a large watermelon, in our RV in our campground on the Kern River.

Bottom center: Tiffany, Mike and Tiffany's husband Jason are standing behind Dave in his kayak on the shore of Lake Isabella at the start of their two days of whitewater kayaking instruction.

Bottom right: Mike is holding his kayak on the shore of Lake Isabella.

💦 2006 - Whitewater Fun With Several Family Members

Five years later in July 2006, several members of our family (including kids Mike and Tiffany, my sister Liz and her husband John, and our four granddaughters) meet us on the Upper Kern for several days of river activities.

Stan's son Dave can't make it, but Dave's twin daughters and their mother Karrie join us. Tiffany will not give birth to our fifth granddaughter Juliet for another three years.

July 2006 - Whitewater Fun for Several Family Members on the Kern River

Top left: Stan, holding his granddaughter Jessica (age 3), with daughter Tiffany in our motorhome.

Top, 2nd from left: Barbara's son Mike with his wife Gretchen & daughter Charlotte (age 1), outside our RV.

Top, 2nd from right: Barbara holding her granddaughter Charlotte.

Top right: On the right, Barbara 's sister Liz is with her husband John in our campground.

Bottom left: Stan is giving granddaughter Jessica a ride on our moped. We use the moped to retrieve our Jeep, which we leave upriver after off-loading our kayaks before shooting the rapids back to the campground.

Bottom, 2nd from left: Son Mike, daughter Tiffany and John are standing on top of the big rock in the river before leaping into the rapids.

Bottom, 2nd from right:  Stan with his twin granddaughters Sammy & Maddie (ages 10) and their mother Karrie.

Bottom right: Granddaughters Maddie & Sammy in the rear of a raft on the Upper Kern River.

💦 2008 - Whitewater Experiences With Two Kids & Three Grandkids

In June 22-28, 2008, Stan's daughter Tiffany and her daughter Jessica (age 5), Stan's son Dave and his 12-year-0ld twin daughters Sammy and Maddie, and their dogs spend several days with us on the Upper Kern River.

July 2008 - Whitewater Experiences With 2 Kids & 3 Grandkids on the Kern River

Top left: Stan, on the right, and his son Dave in our RV campground on the Kern River.

Top center: Sammy, Dave, Stan and Maddie next to our Jeep loaded with kayaks.

Top right: Sammy, Maddie, Dave and Jessica (holding one of the dogs).

Center: Sammy and Dave in my yellow inflatable kayak, Stan in his red hardshell kayak, and Barbara, Maddie and Jessica in double grey inflatable kayak.

Bottom left: Jessica with her small dog.

Bottom center:  Dave and his daughter Sammy are in my yellow inflatable kayak in the rear, while Barbara and Maddie are in our double grey inflatable kayak in front.

Bottom right: Stan with the two dogs by our RV.

July 2008 - More Whitewater Experiences With 2 Kids & 3 Grandkids on the Kern River

Top left: Tiffany, Jessica, Maddie and Sammy with the large dog on the large rock in the river.

Top center: Stan and Tiffany having fun in the river.

Top right: Jessica and Maddie with the small dog in an inner tube on the river.

Bottom left: Lunch around the picnic table. Clockwise from the left are Maddie, Sammy, Dave, Barbara, Tiffany, Jessica and the two dogs.

Bottom center: Tiffany, Dave, Maddie and Sammy are roasting marshmallows.

Bottom right: Maddie and Dave are going through Ewings Rapids next to our campground in inner tubes.

💦 2009 - Last Family Whitewater Get-Together – With a Raccoon!

Our last family get-together on the Kern River is three years later in July 2009 with Tiffany, her husband Jason, their daughter Jessica (age 6) & their pet racoon, and Mike & his daughter Charlotte (age 4). Tiffany also brought her large dog and another couple.

I am unable to kayak this year because I am recuperating from two total knee replacements in late 2008.

July 2009 - Last Family Whitewater Get-Together on the Kern River

Top left: Tiffany on the riverbank with their pet racoon.

Top, 2nd from left: Mike and daughter Charlotte (age 4) are about to go tubing.

Top, 2nd from right: Stan in his red kayak and friends watching Tiffany help Jessica (age 6) climb up a large rock in the middle of the river.

Top right: Tiffany is paddling the large inflatable through a rapids with her dog in front and a friend hanging on in the rear.

Bottom left: Barbara is about to launch an inner tube holding son Mike and his daughter Charlotte.

Bottom, 2nd from left: Jason, Tiffany and Jessica in the large inflatable on the Kern.

Bottom, 2nd from right: Jessica is holding her pet racoon on her shoulder beside her dog.

Bottom right: Stan in his red kayak on the right is leading other family members through Ewings Rapids on the Kern River.

🌊 The Grand Finale, 2009

I have to stop whitewater kayaking after the summer of 2008 when I start having body parts replaced or fused because of my worsening osteoarthritis (2 knees, 2 hips & 3 spine surgeries from 2008-2016).

Our family whitewater adventure in July 2009 is the last time we kayak on the Kern River – or any other whitewater river.

We continue to kayak on the flat waterways in the desert at the Motorcoach Country Club (MCC) in Indio, CA, to this day in our whitewater and sea kayaks. There we have our own dock and an 18' electric boat. We launch our kayaks from our lawn and enjoy paddling the two miles of waterways that meander through the complex containing two small lakes, waterfalls and a nine-hole golf course.

Kayaking On our Waterways at the Motorcoach Country Club in Indio, CA

Top left: I am launching my whitewater kayak from our lawn.

Top right: I am paddling my whitewater kayak on our flat waterways.

Bottom left: Stan is paddling his whitewater kayak on our flat waterways in front of our lot.

Bottom right:  Stan is paddling my inflatable whitewater kayak.

🌊 Epilogue – A Song Called Whitewater Woman

After writing this missive describing our 39 years of whitewater adventures, I want to share a song I recently discovered titled Whitewater Woman. It appears on a CD issued in 1993 called Music River by Brant N. Miller. I had not heard of this singer/songwriter nor his album until I was searching the Internet for music to go with this whitewater missive.

The lyrics to the song "Whitewater Woman" refer to rivers and rapids in Tennessee, but they pertain equally well to those Stan and I have experienced in the Western U.S.

As you read the lyrics and listen to the song, just pretend that Stan is singing it to me 😜 and substitute the names of the eight rivers that we have paddled during our 39 years of whitewater adventures – the Colorado, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Kern, California Salmon, Klamath, Snake and American Rivers.

Now enjoy listening to Brant singing this song about myself by clicking on the title of my song to the right ....... Whitewater Woman.

I hope you enjoyed my missive and my song!

🌊 The End 💦