Wet and Wild

Hank: Beth Groundwater--one of the hardest working authors is the biz!--made me laugh with this topic. I'm nearing the end of a manuscript (crossing fingers) and looking for that one final twist--and I kept thinking--"I'm up the creek without a paddle."

And then Beth (whose new series stars a cool and fearless whitewater ranger who always has a paddle) suggested she write about this amazing Whitewater festival.

Ah, worlds collide.

by Beth Groundwater

 The First in Boating on the Arkansas (FIBArk) Whitewater Festival has a long history, with the 63rd one planned for Wednesday-Sunday, June 15-19, this year in Salida, Colorado. Its slogan is “America’s Oldest and Boldest Whitewater Festival.” Thousands of people converge on this small mountain valley town from all over the world to compete in and watch the events. As a whitewater enthusiast, I’ve attended FIBArk a few times, and I'll never tire of it. I look forward to coming to this wild, wet party for many years to come. It’s a great excuse to visit picturesque Salida, Colorado in the summertime.

 

 

 

The first FIBArk in 1949 featured just one race, a 57-mile long downriver race from Salida to Canon City at the bottom of the treacherous Royal Gorge. Of 23 entrants in a variety of two- and one-man watercraft, only two finished the race. Since then, this classic downriver race has been shortened to 25.7 miles, leaving out the Royal Gorge.

 It is still the longest whitewater race in the United States. But, this isn’t the only race in the festival any longer.

 Now there are a variety of long-distance and sprint races for kayaks, canoes, rafts, and stand-up paddle boards. There are rodeo events where boaters display gymnastic prowess, flipping and twisting their boats in the rapids. And there are junior races for youngsters. Multiple award ceremonies and parties last long into the night. 

My favorite event, the Hooligan Race, isn’t really a race. Teams build creative rafts out of anything that can float, pick a theme and dress up in costumes. Then they run those rafts in heats through the whitewater park in downtown Salida past huge crowds lining the banks.

The beer flows, the spectators jeer and cheer, and teams spray water cannons and hoses at the crowd. It’s not so much a competition for which raft is the fastest, but for which team of the surviving boats puts on the most entertaining performance.

Mandy’s boyfriend Rob plays to the crowd and to Mandy’s heart while riding in his Hooligan Race entry in Deadly Currents. You can see some of the creative rafts in past races in the photos below, including a giant turtle,

 

 

 

 

 

and a Katrina house.

 

 

 

 

 A fair is associated with the festival, including carnival rides for the kids, music performances, and booths selling a variety of food, crafts, and whitewater gear and boats.

 

   Also, a parade winds through town on one day of the festival, and other side competitions have cropped up, such as mountain bike races, a Frisbee golf tournament, 5K & 10K runs, a talent show and karaoke competition, skateboard and climbing wall competitions, and even a crazy river dog contest.

There’s never a dull moment!

    Deadly Currents, the first book in my new RM Outdoor Adventures mystery series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner, takes place in Salida, Colorado during the annual FIBArk whitewater festival. And like the actual river rangers who work for the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA), Mandy both patrols the river and volunteers at various events during the festival. All the activity keeps her busy while she tries to figure out who killed local developer Tom King.

Have you ever gone whitewater rafting or kayaking? What did you think of it? Does your city/town put on a summer festival? What is its theme and what do you most like about it?

 

Remember, everyone who comments will be entered into a contest for a free copy of Deadly Currents. If you’d like to see what the other stops are on my virtual book tour, go to: http://bethgroundwater.com/2011_Virtual_Book_Tour.html

 and if you’d like to order an autographed copy of Deadly Currents, go to the website for Black Cat Books http://manitoubooks.com/ and click on "Contact Us”. Either call the phone number or fill out the form with your contact information.

Beth Groundwater writes the Claire Hanover gift basket designer mystery series (A Real Basket Case, a 2007 Best First Novel Agatha Award finalist, and To Hell in a Handbasket, 2009) and the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Adventures mystery series starring whitewater river ranger Mandy Tanner.

The first, Deadly Currents, will be released March 8th.

Beth lives in Colorado and enjoys its many outdoor activities, including skiing, hiking, and whitewater rafting. She loves talking to book clubs, too, and not just for the gossip and wine! Please visit her website at bethgroundwater.com and her blog at bethgroundwater.blogspot.com.

Comments

[Carol Wong]

No, I haven't ever gone white water rafting or kayaking. I might like to try kayaking though.

In Allen, Texas, every summer there is a civil war event. You shoot a musket, see people dressed in civil war uniforms and ask them questions about the war. Both sides are represented.

I love history so this is a great event, especially for children to
learn more.

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

[Betty Gordon]

Beth, beautiful pictures that made one feel like they were there. My husband took a course in white water rafting a few years ago and what a hoot! My only experience is seeing boats go over waterfalls in the moview. Oh, well -- it looks like fun.

Betty Gordon

[Beth Groundwater]

Carol,
When I lived in Virginia, I went to a few Civil War--and Revolutionary War--reinactments. It's fun to see the costumes and antique weapons.

Betty,
You don't have to go over a waterfall to go whitewater rafting! There are different classes of rapids, from tame class I ripples to life-threatening Class VI expert-only waterfalls. Many people have a wonderful time on a Class I-II "float trip." I hope you'll give it a try!

I'll be monitoring and responding to comments all day, folks, so keep them coming!

[MB Partlow]

When I think river, I think inner tubes and lazy days.

With this book, which came first: the idea for the murder or the idea for the character?

MB

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

Hey ALl! Beth, I went whitewater rafting on the Chatooga, which is the same river that was in Deliverance. It was fantastic. Scary! But great--and highly highly recommended.

Love the photos..and all best with your book!

[Bonnie Ramthun]

Beautiful photos. I long for summer just looking at them! Now I'm looking forward even more to reading DEADLY CURRENTS.

I went rafting on my honeymoon down the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This was a luxury guided flyfishing trip and was better than a 5 star hotel! I'll never forget drifting by the Hall of the River Kings while the sun glittered on the water. So, yes, rafting has a special place in my heart! :-)

[Judy Turner]

Looks like a great event, terrific photos from a very pretty spot.

[Beth Groundwater]

Hi MB,
The idea for the sleuth character came first. Once I developed a theme for the series and knew my main character a little, the idea for an interesting way for my victim to die kicked off the story in Deadly Currents, as it does in all my mysteries.

And yes, I like drifting down a river in an inner tube, too. Last time I did that was on the Guadalupe River in the Hill Country of Texas. Great fun!

[Beth Groundwater]

Hi Hank,
Yes the Chatooga is a great ride! I went on it back in the 80s when my husband and I spent a week at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, canoeing nearby rivers for a week. What a great vacation that was!

Bonnie,
Your trip was actually on the Gunnison River Gorge, I'm sure, which is near the Black Canyon. The Black Canyon is too dangerous and inaccessible for rafting, and is considered Class V-VI. Only very experienced kayakers run it occasionally, and some of them have died in the process.

Judy,
I hope you get a chance to visit the upper Arkansas River valley soon. It is indeed a beautiful area.

[Sheila Deeth]

Great photos. I've read about your character but seeing the pictures makes her more real. Reading the book will have the same effect...

I tried kayaking on the sea in England. I was terrified. So was our youngest son, so I chickened out and took him to an ice cream shop. Oddly enough, I used to canoe in college. Not sure what changed.

[Bonnie Ramthun]

Hi Beth!

Well, I was a blushing new bride and might have remembered it wrong, so I checked about the Black Canyon. Turns out we're both right. There are two sections of the Black Canyon: The Gunnison Gorge and Black Canyon National Park, which contains the steepest and most dramatic parts of the river. That's the part you're thinking of, Beth. Thank goodness there's gentler portions for non-whitewater types like me, in the Gorge section.

Here's a great website. I bookmarked it to save up for our twentieth anniversary:
http://www.emeraldwateranglers.com/gunnison.html

[Margi]

Beth,
Amazing photos! It looks like so much fun. What a wonderful festival. Thanks for sharing the information with all of your fans.
Margi

[Candace Carter]

Great idea for a sleuth, Beth! I enjoy recreational kayaking but have never been brave enough to try anything above Class II. Still, it's easy to imagine Mandy Tanner's world while she tracks a murderer. Can't wait to read it!

[Beth Groundwater]

Great story, Sheila! I think the ice cream shop was an excellent second choice. I've tried ocean kayaking a couple of times, but it was in protected coves or bays. I don't think I'd want to do it out in the open sea!

Bonnie,
Thanks for the link! I've got Gunnison Gorge on my list of places I want to raft sometimes.

Margi and Candace,
Thanks for your comments, too!

Candace, when you're riding down low in a kayak, the big waves of higher-class rapids can be even more intimidating! I tried whitewater river kayaking a few times, but I never mastered the roll and didn't go above class III rapids in one.

[Candace Carter]

Beth, not mastering the roll is what keeps me out of anything higher than Class II rapids in a kayak, too. I did try white water rafting once. Those waves would be very scary in a kayak!

[Mary Saums]

Love the make-your-own raft event. That looks like fun.

You're a lot more adventurous than I am, Beth! I don't think there's a creek slow enough or shallow enough to get me in it. :) I am a land animal. No swirly scary water vortex of probable death for me, thank you. :)

But now reading about someone else doing it is different. Best of luck with the new series and thanks for being here with us!

[Sandie H]

While I grew up in New Jersey with its own lazy day rivers and creeks, I would have to claim a summer trip to Lake Placid in upstate New York and to Stowe, Vermont brought me closer to any kind of river rafting. I also enjoyed sitting on the huge boulders lining the river flowing at the intersection of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania (if my memory is correct) and watching inner tubes float by. I currently live near water, but I don't think the Gulf of Mexico moves very quickly at any time of year! Guess I'll enjoy my vicarious adventures through your books.

[Penny Tuttle]

I lived in Jackson Hole, WY for several years and often rafted the Snake River - there were some lovely, peaceful sections to float as well as others that were considerably more "exciting". Great pictures!!

[Beth Groundwater]

Thanks, Mary, Sandie, and Candace, for your comments!

Mary, there's some land-based activities that would give me the heebie-jeebies, like rock climbing. And air-based ones like sky-diving or bungee-jumping. I guess we all choose the medium we are most comfortable in. :)

Sandie,
Is there good snorkeling near where you live? That's a favorite activity of mine, but I certainly don't get to do it in Colorado! I have to travel to Mexico or the Caribbean islands to indulge in that activity.

Penny,
Jackson Hole is on my list of places I'd like to return to. It's certainly a beautiful area with lots of opportunities for outdoor recreation.

I hope you'll all join me at Patricia Stoltey's blog (http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com/) tomorrow to find out what whitewater river rangers do!

[Fpdorchak.wordpress.com]

Hey, Beth! Ay-yuh, ah, brings back memories--sure have. On the Poudre and I think it's the Arkansas, down by Royal Gorge. On the Arkansas, there was some interesting moments, one of which had my wife being tossed out of the raft and me "popping" her back in (she was fine and did everything you were supposed to once "waterborne"), but on the Poudre, well...let's just say that I should have gotten the hint when we were putting in and everyone on the opposite side of the river wore HELMETS. The long and the short of it was it was totally adrenaline fueled (and not in a good way) and ended up with ALL of us out of the raft and only our "guide" left in the raft at the end. I found out afterward that said "guide" had never been down this river before. From the knees down I was nothing but grapefruit-sized black and blue welts--and never felt them cause of how much time I spent in freezing water. Rafting is a blast, but MAKE SURE your guide knows the river and what they're doing, or you may not be so "lucky." Best of success on your blog tour, Beth and have fun!

[Beth Groundwater]

Thanks, Frank, for sharing your adventure with us. Yes, it's very important to have a trained rafting guide on a whitewater river, and to wear a helmet and PFD (personal floatation device). That's why I choose licensed commercial outfitters who are recommended by friends when I go rafting.

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

Thanks so much for being here, Beth! Your life sounds very exciting...

xoxo

[Beth Groundwater]

And thanks so much for having me, Hank. I had so much fun talking to folks here.

[shirley nienkark]

Great blog! Makes me want to head to Colorado.