Opinion: Whitewater rivers and philosophy of paddling

Kathy Baker revealed in the April 24 issue of The Portager (“Meditations on Peace, Flow and Patience”) that “to find inner peace one needs to become like a river.” That thought led her to explore the teachings of the Mighty Mississippi. It inspired me to ponder my decades-long relationship with a different kind of waterway: whitewater rivers of the Appalachians. Paddling such rivers is exciting and carries an element of danger, but few pursuits are so fulfilling.

One expedition years ago on western Pennsylvania’s Slippery Rock Creek was particularly memorable. After days of rain, “The Slip” had reached four times its usual June level. Eight of us ran the challenging “Upper” and “Gorge” sections; we then were joined by several others on the somewhat tamer “Lower.”