The rivers are full out and the recent rain has brought the levels up. A taste of spring the other weekend is bringing serious spring fever! Let's go rafting!

The End of Tyranny

"Quietly you say to me the time has come for you to be alive again...summer's coming and I'd like a review" -Trey Anastasio, Alive Again

well my friends, if you've kept current with my posts, you will know that since September the slavery known as modern living has retaken it's hold on me. Tapped in the concrete jungle I've spent the last seven months back at college working towards a piece of paper that costs way too much money in the first place.
But it's April In Maine now( as with the rest of the world), and the rivers are freeing up, the snow is melting and the Mud is taking claim over the once frozen ground. Far, far away in the distance there is a rumbling taking hold of the back of my brain that can only be one thing: the sound of raging, churning whitewater.
To me, still a wet behind the ears second year guide, this can mean only one thing: it's almost time to start living again. There's a certain illusion of freedom that comes with being a guide, an illusion that provides a much healthier, saner way of living than one can find in the city and suburbs. An illusion one can only find deep in the woods or in a small town surrounded by wild lands.
The tyranny of winter is ending, and the freedom which I so crave is so close I can feel it surround me when I close my eyes.
See you on the River soon enough.

Raft Sledding

What do we raft guides do for fun in the winter? We take the rafts out of storage and slide down steep frozen water covered hills (a.k.a. snow rafting). This fast sport can be problematic -- uncontrollable speed with heavy PVC rafts, heels digging into the firm ice to stop heavy raft from careening into the trees send shock waves up the ankles & knees, and finally, abandoning raft by leaping off the side before it crashes into the trees and persnicity burdocks produces ice burns on cheeks and hands. Result: heavy raft stuck at bottom of hill in trees, riders strewn everywhere and hysterically laughing (but ice burned) guides high-fiving this new adventure.

A good day on the river...a day of Two's

They say a bad day on the river beats a good day anywhere else. But Good days on the river, of which I've had a few, are the days a guide always remember and talk about.
Today was one of those days. one crew of 3 had already been a paddlin' with us a ferw days ago and were anxious and pumped to be going again. The other family really made the day for me though. a family of six, they showed up late for check in, which of course was forgiven.
Everyone paddled hard and together which is always a plus.
so to my "day of two's" subtitle...

My second swimmer today
Twin sisters ( that's a two;) )
the second time I've missed magic
dumped katie in the water ( twice)
missed two easy surfs
hit two of the three sisters
sold two videos.

at any rate today was one of my best days out here yet, and tommorrow being my last day for a few weeks, I'm anxiously awaiting May of '07 and next summer when these crazy Joisey (new jersey) folks come back for some more liquid fun!

SWIMMERS!!

It has to happen to every guide I'm told. The other day it happend to me, my first swimmers...at magic falls. After a crushing hit and getting a bit backsurfed we came out of the hole with two less people. one was immeadiately retrieved and the other, well the other went for a bit of an extended swim, all the way back to the boat which i was triying for all i was worth to move away from hell hole. I yelled to her to swim to me, which she did, and with chutzpah! little did I know that miss Amy is a competitive swimmer in Auburn, Maine...and one of the best in the state at that.
We pulled her to the safety of the boat unscathed, at which point she let out a victorious yell...and at which point I followed suit letting out in yell in relief that she was not hurt.
It just goes to show you not to underestimate the mighty Kennebec or the will of the River Gods.

Intermission...

It seems only yesterday I was a wet behind the ears guide trainee. Now it's August and I find myself wondering where the last two months went.
What a time I am having and will hopefully continue to have working here at Pro. Sadly however, summer is almost over and I will have to return to the "concrete jungle." back to the constricted fenced yards and reassuming my role as a "Slave to the Traffic Light."
There's a part of me that can't wait to get back there and share all of my experiences with friends and family and another part that longs to remain here in the north woods rafting my days away.
People always ask as alaina and kathy metioned what i do the other 9 months of the year, I like to think of it as an intermission between acts of a play, eagerly awaitinig the next scene to find out what's gonna happen next. so I go on an intermission break back to college.
I find myself wondering what I will do without the river, how will i sleep at night without it's soothing flow to lull me to dreamland? Will the I even be able to reajust to civilization? I'm sure I'll make it, inevitably...but till then i will be couting down till next may when I'm back full time on the river to awken to a day of fun, laughter and adrenaline surges.
It's been a great first season and i hope next year is even better however, there is nothing more dangerous than a second year guide ;) so remember that if you find yourself in my boat.

Never Let the Weather Get You Down

Yet another great overnight on the Kennebec River August 1st and 2nd. After a beautiful day of duckie-ing down the East Outlet the Borecki and Holmes party were just about ready to go to bed when the lightning began.

It's not every night in Maine that you get to see constant lightning for hours. Typically lightning comes in extensive intervals and doesn't last all that long. Sitting out at the dock and watching the lightning was an abxolutely amazing experience and we're glad those two parties could join us and our viewing.

After we all had decided to reitire, the rain starting puring down. With lightning crashing outside of our tents and the rain pitter-pattering on the rain flies it was a great night to be camping out on the island. That next morning the sun shone like never before and it turned out to be a beautiful day on the river.

Had the rain gotten our guests down the experienece could have been miserable. Thank you Borecki and Holmes parties for making the experience enjoyable and not letting the weather get you down.

-alaina and neil