Sport Studies, Recreation & Athletics 332
River Guide Leadership
Fall 2008
Tuesdays, 4-5:50pm, Room G2 (Reid) and 3 mandatory field trips (camping and paddling on rivers).
Instructor: Salmon “Sam”Norgaard-Stroich,
Assistant Director of WhitmanCollege Outdoor Program
Office: G-22 (next to OP Rental Shop and Post Office)
386.7343 cell527.5791 office
Introduction
The River Guide Leadership (RGL) course was developed to teach strong fundamental raft guide skills. Although this course does not “certify” any student to be a raft guide, students will be exposed to all the elements of leading safe trips in the whitewater environment. This course is the first step in becoming a Raft Guide (such as for the Outdoor Program), and is designed to give students ability to work in the rafting industry, and to safely pursue whitewater rafting in their personal lives. There is no substitute for experience, and having a large number of days on river trips. This course will not provide extensive experiences on rivers, but rather expose students to most, if not all, of the aspects of running river trips safely.
Prerequisites:
There are no prerequisites for this course other than being able to swim, having a good attitude and being comfortable around whitewater. However, this course will be demanding at times, both physically and mentally. We will be supplementing classroom sessions with field sessions on rivers, lakes, and the pool. Youwill be required to swim in the river in whitewater, as well as experiencing nature in any weather that is presented.
Optional Text:
“The Complete Whitewater Rafter,” by Jeff Bennett (available in the campus bookstore)
Topics to be covered:
Equipment
Clothing and Gear
Whitewater Safety
Whitewater Rescue
Hydrology and the River
Rapid Classification, Mechanics, and Safe Passage
Paddle Strokes and Technique
Past, Present and Future of the Sport
Classic whitewater rivers of the west
Group management and leadership styles
Gear:
All of your whitewater equipment is included in your course fee, however you will be responsible for checking it out from the OP Rental Shop:
Equipment Needed for Class Trips:
Farmer John/Jane wetsuitFleece Top
Paddling JacketNeoprene Booties
Neoprene GlovesHead Warmer/scull cap
HelmetPFD (Life Jacket)
Hydroskin
In addition, you’ll need a swimsuit and towel for pool sessions. For river trips you will be required to provide your own personal camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, pad), but all cooking gear will be provided.
Please note that Food is not included in your course fee. Meals while camping will be a shared expense.
Grading and Attendance:
River Guide Leadership is graded on a grade basis. In order to pass the course, you must attend all river trips (see dates below). There will also be graded assignments, written and practical midterm and final exams.
Breakdown:
Attendance:10%
Weekly quiz10%
Midterm exam (written)10%
Midterm exam (practical)10%
Final Project: River Guide10%
Final exam (practical):30%
Final exam (written):20%
Fees:
The fee for this class is $375. This fee will be taken directly out of your student account. The fee will cover transportation, permits, and free Outdoor Program rental equipment for classes and trip. This does not include food, nor does it include free rental for other trips not associated with this class! However, you may receive a discount for signing up for additional OP trips – discuss this directly with the instructor.
Videos and Books available in the OP:
The Complete Whitewater Rafter
Washington Sate Whitewater – guidebook
Whitewater Rivers of Washington – guidebook
Soggy Sneakers – OR guidebook
Several river guides/maps of local whitewater runs
Class Schedule:
September 2; course orientation, getting to know our group, equipment intro, history of rafting; Reading: Chap 3-4
September 9; Hydrology – how rivers work (for you, and against you!) Reading: Chapter 5, 7
September 12-13 (Friday & Saturday) Deschutes River Field trip
Meet at the OP at 12:15pm on Friday. Get gear from the OP earlier in the week (you are responsible for your gear).
Bring your lunch with you, to eat in the van on the way to the river.
September 16; Hydrology continued; intro to River Rescue; Chapter 9
September 23; (Ben. Lake, Meet @ Classroom – G2)
Introduction to Rowing – practice on flatwater
September 26-28; Hells CanyonRiver Trip
Optional trip – intro to gear boats, rowing and expedition rafting
September 30; Rescue continued: Incident Command model
October 7; Prep for Lower Main Salmon (4-day break)
Gear boats, river expeditions (field trip to Raft House)
Reading: Chapter 6
October 10-14; Lower Main Salmon (4-day break Raft trip)
“Row your own!”
October 21; Midterm Exam – practical and written
October 28; Leadership styles and group management
November 4;Make-up Day
November 11; River Guide Presentations
November 18; Course wrap-up, summary, and Final Exam review session November 25; Thanksgiving Break – No class this week
December 2; Final Exam – Written and Practical
December 9;Class Party! (pics, video, and food!)
Final Project: WhitewaterRiver Guide
Each student will be required to complete a river guide of a river of their choice. Students are encouraged to focus on rivers close to Whitman College, as one benefit of this project is to produce a “bank” of information for future OP and student run trips. It is not necessary to have been to the river (one of the goals of this assignment is to learn how to research a river trip before hand). Each guide should include (but not limited to):
1. Map of river, including where it is, how to get there, major access points, rapids of note, and other relevant info
2. Written description of the run
3.Flow information (from the internet, and written sources)
4. Bibliography clearly identifying where the information came from
5. Description of natural and cultural history of the area
6. A binder (3-ring or similar) to hold the River Guide
7.A short proposal for a group trip to this river (including type of group, how long, what equipment will be necessary)
Students will present their guide to the rest of the class (Powerpoint presentations are suitable, but other more engaging presentations are appropriate as well).