Over time certain ideas change in popularity when it comes to whitewater kayaking and the gear we bring on the water. When I began to kayak whitewater I was told as a beginner that the BIG 5, Helmet, PFD, Paddle, Kayak, and a Skirt were all that I needed. As a beginner I was told to stick to shore if there was a kayaker who had just experienced a boat separation, a.k.a. a swimmer. I was told that I needed training to be useful, and not a hindrance. I was told to take a swift water rescue class, and then after that class I needed to get a throw rope and a river knife.

March, the one month in the year that can come in like a lion or out like a lamb. This season it came in like a lamb and out like a lion for training at  New Mexico Kayak Instruction. We kicked off the month with our Level 1, Introduction to Kayaking-Whitewater and Recreation, and our Level 2, The Kayak Roll.  This was quickly followed up by Kelly and Corey attending a professional skills development class in Saluda, North Carolina.

Hey gang welcome back! New Mexico Kayak Instruction is excited to share some information about our upcoming classes, which include 6 FREE hours of classroom lecture!

This past Wednesday, we participated at the Beyond Limits Wheelchair Sports Camp for the second year in a row, sponsored by the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation and run by our friends Scott Hubbard and Mary Beth Schubauer. Pool time is limited during the summer, and after nearly 5 years of lobbying for pool time for kayaking at this wheelchair camp, last year, we were given only 45 minutes introduce our program to these non-traditional paddlers.  We ran 30+ kids through kayaks a few minutes at a time and their response was very positive.   It was obvious from the very beginning - a kayak can go places wheelchairs cannot go, where there are no speed bumps, curbs or need for ramps.

Who says you can't kayak in New Mexico?  And who says it's only something you do in the summer?  One of the most beautiful experiences I've had kayaking in New Mexico was in the middle of winter at Abiquiu Lake.  The partially frozen lake reflected a grey/silver sky and a light dusting of fresh, white snow covered the red rocks and evergreen trees.  Since that time, it's been a goal of mine to prepare NMKI students for winter paddling, not just in New Mexico, but Alaska, Montana or wherever their travels may take them.  And the annual Mid-Winter Eagle Count at Abiquiu Lake provided the perfect opportunity to practice skills we've learned throughout the year!

The following information was taken from the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District's web-page on April 25th.  It is no surprise that the MRGCD provides a dysfunctional broken link to the online form for public comments to a time-sensitive issue.  The roads adjacent to the canals, laterals and levees are one of the primary means of accessing the Rio Grande Bosque, and some areas in question are in the City of Albuquerque's Open Space.  Other areas include Algadones, Corrales North Beach and the NW corner of Alameda and the river.  If adopted, kayaking, biking, dog walking and many other recreational activities accessed along the MRGCD roads will become a crime.

Yesterday was my first experience working with the New Mexico Film industry, aside from a few independent projects, but it's something I've wanted to do for quite a while.  With more than 70 kayaks in our program, New Mexico Kayak Instruction, Inc. (NMKI) makes it easy for Directors, Producers and Location Managers to find the perfect style of kayak, and color, for the perfect scene.

Proceeds from this and future film projects go to fund our non-profit, Kayak New Mexico (501(c)3 status pending), where we provide free or reduced-cost instruction, events and activities for kids and veterans with disabilities, at-risk teens and support environmental education and conservation efforts.

In the last few weeks, Mayor Berry has shed some light on his vision for Albuquerque 25 years from now.  In the Sunday, April 24th edition of the Albuquerque Journal mentioned some ideas for improvement, which includes ~ "$30 million for Rio Grande Enhancements." The vision, while still conceptual, suggest a number of kayaking activities. 

Mayor Berry and other from City Hall recently visited Oklahoma City, which in December 2009 approved a $65 million downtown revitalization project, and included a $25 million whitewater park. OKC's whitewater park is a major appeal to the tourism and travel to the area, and through rafting and international competitions, is a major driver of the local economy. Mayor Berry is especially interested in exposing more people to the river and water recreation projects, where people can get their feet wet, and experience the river in new, fun ways.

It's been 20-something years since I've been to Big Bend National Park, and that was long before I started kayaking.  Big Bend National Park is only about 11 hours from Albuquerque, but once you're in Panther Junciton (the heart of the park) you're only an hour or two, at most, from any river access point, making it very easy to hit several sections, back-to-back.

Many New Mexicans have experienced the park through dozens of hiking trails as well as improved and backcountry camping areas.   Climbing and mountain biking are also allowed in the park but are "unofficially discouraged" because there is little written information, the conditions are harsh, and often well away from water sources.  All of this makes kayaking on the Rio Grande River one of the best, and least known ways to experience Big Bend National Park.

I was asked to select a cast of 12 people who've never kayaked before, and teach them the skills they'd need to do a class III multi-day expedition whitewater kayak trip.  The plan is to take them thru the Gila Wilderness during the week of Mar. 12 - 18. However the snowpack is light there now, so we're looking at other options; either Big Bend or possibly the Rio Chama.

Each year the New Mexico Adventure Racing Club host a series of adventure racing clinics, from basic map & compass navigation, to rappelling, kayaking and mountain biking. On March 28th, 12 racers from NMARC met me at Cochiti for a cold wet day of customized kayak training specifically for adventure racing.

For those who are new to Adventure Racing, it's kinda like a triathelon, but instead of swimming, biking and running - it's hiking, mountain biking and kayaking - with a twist.  Instead of relying strictly on strenght, fitness and endurance, almost all legs of an AR involve navigation; that is - using a map & compass to find some hidden point in the terrain. Like Easter Egg hunting, with a map!