A Rivers Voice
A Letter to the Editor
By G.W. Martin
A rivers voice. Is there any such thing?
I have been a guide on the Kennebec River going on four years now. I have gained a lot of good friends and good memories throughout the past few years. Like most guides I have had days on the river when everything could not have gone any smoother. I also have had plenty in which around every bend was another monkey wrench in the plans. We trust the kitchen crew to produce a quality lunch. We trust the bus driver to get us to the dam and home and, the river manager for fairly distributing guided days. From FPL releasing water, to the put-in crew counting the throwbags, a guided day has plenty of room for misfortune. Usually by July all the little bugs have worked themselves out and the outcome of our day is pretty much assured to be wonderful. All accept one minor wildcard. THE RIVER!
I was introduced to the river Gods my first day of training by my trainers. I was first told about how the Gods take your sunglasses the only day you don’t wear Croakies. And how the river, without fail, will rip out of the boat the person most afraid of whitewater rafting. The consequences of carrying your raft to the river backwards are still untold. From lucky hemp necklaces, unwashed shorts and duck taped Teva’s; I also grew to be a believer. Some guides may not openly talk about or share their superstitions, but they are there no matter how hidden.
Over the last four years I have found the Kennebec in most cases to be quite merciful to me. (As I finished that last sentence I knocked on my wooden desk). From hours of guiding, private trips, bodyboarding and relaxing, I have developed my own little relationship with the river. I can only imagine the quality relationships that the founders of whitewater rafting in Maine had with the Kennebec River. Since then a set of values have been passed along to guides throughout the years to the benefit of all and the river. River etiquette was one of the most important topics in my training. My trainers were friends of the river and in turn put me on the right path to respect it, take care of it and enjoy it.
While working as a guide I was amazed at how much effort was put into keeping our river healthy and beautiful. If ever a piece of trash was found on the side of the river, or floating along side my raft, I was sure to put the extra effort in extracting it.
I was on a private raft trip a few Saturdays ago and stopped into the lunch site used by Moxie Outdoor Adventures. As I looked around I saw a few large pieces of driftwood lying across some exposed roots, which was obviously being used as a bench. I also saw a round structure made of river rocks in which a fire had been recently put out. I could tell because of the black mud at the bottom of the pit. I was pleased not to see one cigarette butt or granola bar wrapper corner anywhere. The site was spotless. Over in the woods line I noticed a green tarp covering up some dry wood. Leaning on a tree beside it was a couple of metal cooking grates. And on the other side of me, an old nearly invisible tucked away picnic table. Standing there knowing that eighty people had just eaten lunch on this site, not more that an hour ago, it was obvious that the caretakers of this site are friends of the river. Many companies eat their lunches on the river and take that extra time and patience to not only cater to their guests but also cater to their friend, "The Wildcard", The River.
Also on this same trip I noticed some new additions to the shores of the mighty Kennebec. I was quite saddened to see that a load of cinderblocks had been brought downstream and erected into small fortresses on a couple of beaches. Beaches that not too long ago were perfect examples of how the Kennebec River has been enjoyed by all for years. These now conquered beaches not only have cinderblock fireplaces but also are littered with chain-sawed benches, steel tables and kitchen cabinets. These structures are a clear sign that the river is losing its voice. Laziness is no excuse for littering. As one of many river people with a relationship to the Kennebec, I will at this point speak to those who have not heard:
"CLEAN UP YOUR GARBAGE ON THE SIDE OF OUR RIVER!!!"
Boater- G.W. Martin
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