Larry Bliven wrote: > > Are you planning a trip and searching for a local waterways guide? > > i found a guide that covers the entire US, but it's for bikers: > Trail Guide for bikes. > http://216.122.13.47/trails/Default.asp > Its easy to use and the info comes from local bikers. > > it sure would be nice to have such a resource for paddling... > can we set up a waterways guide? As you probably know, there is the North American Watertrail Conference that is an umbrella organization for most if not all the watertrails in the US and Canada. It started up around 1992 or so and has met every two years, the last time being last year at Harper's Ferry in your neck of the woods. I am not certain how well it is set up to pass on information about watertrails and water guides to them. Several watertrails have terrific print guides, among these is the Maine Island Trail and the Hudson River Watertrail. The one I am most familiar with is the latter. I paddled the entire 160 mile length of it with Ian Giddy, the author of the 110 page paddler's guide to the Hudson. As we paddled in a double Klepper (we went up by the train that runs along the eastern bank of the river all the way to Albany; the folder worked great for making a one-way paddling trip without a need to double back for a car), I poured out all I knew to him about the river. And that puny contribution combined with lots of his own research and his quite brilliant approach to layout and information, led to what I think is a stellar guide. The guide contains a mile by mile description and maps of the river along with places to pick up water, buy groceries or a Big Mac, possible rest stops, B&Bs, put-ins, as well as potential hazards; all with lots of history, geology, fauna, flora info thrown in. It is available free as part of a membership in the Hudson River Watertrail Assoc (HRWA). The annual membership fee is just $25 and also gets you an excellent quarterly newsletter and an annual table of the ebb and flood currents (something important to have as the Hudson has as much as a 2 knot flood current some 120 miles north of New York City!). If anyone is interested, even for just armchair viewing and to support this watertrail effort (promote the health of the river, assure lots of put-in access for canoes and kayaks, and create camping sites at paddling-distance intervals), why not join this association? Send a check for the amount to HRWA, West 79th Street Boat Basin, Box 46, New York, NY 10024. I am not going to issue a disclaimer on this but rather a _pro_claimer. I am on HRWA's board and am HRWA's Metro Area Regional Director, meaning that I watch out for getting access points and other trail related matters in the section of river from New York Harbor up to the Tappen Zee Bridge more or less. I have conterparts for other sections of the river up to Albany and the Troy Dam. So there is lots of hands-on info we can give you in addition to the print watertrail guide. My general point is that the national organization should be a good place to start for finding other watertrails and possible guides to them. I am not certain where the chair to the organization now resides as it was moving around over this winter, I believe. If you need to know, contact our HRWA prez, Scott Keller, at hrgreenway_at_aol.com and he should be able to point you in the right direction. happy watertrail paddling, ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sat Apr 24 1999 - 05:02:18 PDT
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