Latest News

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:info@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Ozone Paddling Club
Date: 04/15/2002 02:41am


Stu, I have something for our listeners. We now have an Ozone Paddling Club
for alumni and friends. This club is being started to help our water friendly folks find others who share the interest of paddling along the Little Miami and other tribs in the area (we are hitting Todds Fork today). Many times have I wanted to go a paddling but had noone to join me in the fun. After talking with some camp people about this problem I found out that I was not alone. So, instead of whinning about it, we did something. Ozone Paddling Club cost nothing and is open to those with canoes, kayaks and sit-on-tops. Or, those people that know people that have these boats that they can borrow. We are still in the planning stages but our goal is to help educate and bring together all interested parties together for some fun times. We will be setting up a web page but in the meantime folks can send their question to me at dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com or call Dave Moran at camp. One other bit of news, John Baker (Leadership early to mid 90's) is having his second annual VW BUs weekend at Morgan's Riverside Campgrounds on May 17-19. There will be a river trip (OPC will be there) on sat and a Bluegrass concert by Man Made Moon in the evening. This is sure to be a great time and the varity of VWbuses and campers is amazing. Contact Baker at www.geocities.com/buses_n_boats. or manmademoon.com and link to show dates. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Ozone Paddling Club Update
Date: 04/22/2002 05:05am


Great news, since our announcement of the Ozone Paddling Club (OPC) our
membership has almost tripled. Mike Lair and his oldest Aaron (spelling?)
checked out the river south to Muddy Creek in Kings Mill. Last I saw was
muddy feet, big smiles and a father that wished he had brought his binocs.
The rest of us stayed more upstream. Greeting to Moredock and Dillon,
neither have boats but they know friends that do (that's right , me). The
next scheduled trip is May 18th and there is a rumor that there is a beer
tasting going on in Lebanon in the afternoon (thanks Drake). So we are
paddling up a thirst. Please join us for the ride and if you are old enough
maybe a taster or two. As always, if you are looking for a partner to
paddle with on any weekend (and sometimes during the week) contact us at
camp (ext 27) or reply to dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com, Peace Trow

[then head on up to Gilly's in Dayton at 9:00 pm May 18th for the Kim Richey concert with Doug Greenfield! - Stuart]

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Ozone boat sale
Date: 05/04/2002 01:15pm


Greetings from the paddling club. Want to say thanks for all the emails
from old and new friends. Two of our members told us about the Red River in
KY. It rained on them for the entire trip but they said it was worth it.
The Red needs to be paddled at high water for a good trip without the
scrapping. Lots of beautiful things to see and not alot of traffic. We
also have info on Elkhorn Creek (it only one mile short of being classified
as a river) down in Georgetown KY. This creek at high water has class 2
rapids and passes by the Jim Beam plant (watch out for the dam). Really
neat and the take out is marked by a picture of Donald Duck spray painted
on the road crossing the creek. Not easy to miss. We have had a request of
info on water out in the Washington state area. My sources have dried up so
we need help. If you know anything or anyone who could help please contact
us. Keep your fingers crossed Blythe. Plans are still looking good for the
18th of May. Will post our departure time in the next couple of days.
Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: boat time for the 18th
Date: 05/08/2002 03:42am


[For those new to the list, this is additional info from Dave Trowbridge on the OPC - Ozone Paddling Club...]

Hello out there in email land. Talked to Baker today and it looks like 11
am is the time to meet at Ft. A right next to Morgan's. Baker is expecting
anywhere from 60 to 100 people for the VW Bus and Camper Weekend so the
campgrounds should be a sight to see. Not all of these people will be
paddling but he has worked out an arrangement with Morgan's so if you need
to rent a boat you may want to go in at the same time as the VWBC folks.
The rest of us will need to work out the shuttle so if you can get there a
few minutes early please do. Drake has reserved a few spots for the tasting
so if you are interested (and of age) in joining us you can contact her at
marthel@go-concepts.com. We haven't heard the cost for that so there will
be another up-date. Jim Viles has threaten to be there so hide the children
and bring extra clothes (all will be explained on the river). A late
greetings to Mary K, she was one of the first to respond and the first to
get lost in my stack-o-email addresses, sorry. Anyone knowing the where
abouts of Jesse Mains please let him know about the trip or have him contact
me. OPC wishes everyone a good time at Kim's concert and a safe drive home.
See you on the river. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: OPC news
Date: 05/15/2002 12:58pm


[For those new to the list, OPC is the Ozone Paddling Club, and Trow is ...
well ... Trow - an old dog first hired by Mike Sherman in 1985 who has been
with Kern over the years doing a variety of things - Camp Challenge, Trips,
Leadership Adventures, and now on the Alumni and Volunteer Development
Committee. - Stuart]

Greetings to all. The big weekend is finally here and if you can't find
something to do... well I don't know what to tell you. The Little Miami is
up, way up and as much as I tried, I couldn't find anyone to jump on this
evening. Guess we are all saving our strength for the weekend. We are
meeting at Ft A. next to Morgan's a little before 11 and if you are planning
on renting a boat you may want to call Morgan's (1 800 WE CANOE) and make
sure that they are open. I heard last weekend the water was too high for
them to rent out boats. For the rest of us, if you are planning on going
please contact Moran (932-3756 x27) or me so we can have an idea of who all
is going. Right now we are about 10 - 15 strong. I hear that the Kim Richey
concert is filling up very nicely and a few OPC folks will be in attendance
(they will be the soggy ones).
On May 29, that's a Wednesday, we will be giving a clinic on rolling kayaks
in the camp pool. It's open to all who want to learn, or just watch. These
things can be very entertaining and it's always nice to see someone get
there first roll. If you can roll and want to help out, please feel free to
drop by. We should be getting started around 7ish.
That's all for now. Everyone have a great and safe weekend. Peace Trow

From: stuart@friendsofkern.org
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Weekend Wrapup
Date: 05/20/2002 02:43pm


Hello everyone -

First, happy birthday to Mark Schaefer and Erin Crosby(!)

Well, it was quite the weekend. Here's a report from Trow on the big river trip:

- - - -

A big hello to all. Our trip on sat went great. The water was up about 3-4 feet and moving at a strong pace. Our group included (in no special order), Moran, Jim Viles, Mark Griffen, Shelly Snyder (in from WY), Brian Stewart (Camp Piomingo alumni), Karri Trowbridge and yours truly. Everyone stayed dry except for Brian who couldn't stop himself from feeling just how cold the water was. Shelly and Karri got to expand their kayaking skills (thanks Jennifer for the loan of the skirt and boat, they fit beautifully), while Jim, Mark and Moran enjoyed some fine cigars. The trip took about three hours with stops along the way to trade boats and see the WV buses (around 27 of them) and have a friendly chat with Baker. Everyone was well prepared
for the cold water and we all look forward to the next time. The beer
tasting was great and out of the 10 samples, I'd have to say I liked them all. Thanks to all that made the trip and thanks to all that sent us well wishes. Keep you eyes open for the next trip. Hope everyone at the concert had a cool time. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: first OPC kayak rolling clinic followup
Date: 05/30/2002 02:36pm


Hello to everyone reading. The first OPC kayak rolling clinic went
beautifully, thanks to some of our newest members. Blake (who is a guide
from WV now relocated to the area) and Russ (Ldrshp Dir at Kern) stepped up
to the plate and hit homeruns. Thank you guys for all your help and skill.
The weather was trying to stop us but it never made to Kern so a rollin we
did. We had 10 people show up and most tried out the boats. Lots of good
effort and laughs were found at the pool. Some of the rolls weren't pretty
but what matters most is AIR, sweet, sweet air. Everyone agreed that we
need to do it again so be watching for our next date. I would say that this
was a big sucess. I would also say that there are a handful of folks that
are sleeping like babies tonight. Sweet dreams, Trow

[I can post the next date for the "Ozone Paddling Club" kayak rolling clinic
(or any other event for that matter) on the Friends of Kern web site if you'd
like! - Stuart]

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: OPC/Camp news
Date: 06/05/2002 05:11am


Greetings from Ozone. New additions have been added to the Club. Steve bought Toot's old boat and pulled his first roll this past week. Sweet. Brian bought a nice sit-on-top for a steal and Isabella (our youngest member) was given a land canoe. By the way, Steve and Jennifer just joined us on email but have been on almost all the trips. That's right, friendly locals. Hey Nikki, Happy Birthday . Putting a call out to Russ and Moran, send us a date for the next rolling clinic. Planning a trip to Laughtery Creek in IN, maybe a trip to the Yough. Both are easy weekenders. Think
about it. Peace Trow.

Over the past few years Kern has lost some very cool trees. The huge beech tree at Panther Beach fell into the river. Half of it was out of the water and someone still tied a rope to one of her branches for a swing. The catalpa tree in the pasture on 350. The old twisty looking, extremely cool tree blew over during a series for storms. It was hollow, I did not know that. A couple of big giants in the Deep Woods came down and just recently
the High Challenge Course lost it's biggest pine (on the back side). The camp looks great (thanks Chuck) and feels even better. A bit of sad news, Foxy died of old age. Swifty was heart broken. Peace ... Trow.

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: OPC roll clinic this Thurs.
Date: 06/12/2002 03:53am


[OPC = Ozone Paddling Club]

- - - -

Hey we are having another roll clinic at camp this Thursday night at 7 pm. Sorry for the short notice, all are welcome and bring a friend. And now here's a note from a fellow OPC paddler, King Neato Lord of the Sit-On-Top.

Greetings to all my loyal, and not so loyal, subjects. This evening found Steve H. and I running Ceasers Creek from the dam down to the park, just before the river. What an excellent trip, very fun with lots of rapids, and a ton of wildlife, not counting the wildlife in the boats. I also have had occasion to run Laughery Creek in S.E. Indiana, this weekend made the 3rd & 4th trip down. Its near Rising Sun and Aurora. I have 3 friends whom live along a 10 mile stretch right on the creek, so there are options as to how long a trip you can do. The entire route takes approx 2.5 hrs if you paddle consistently. There are lots of fun rapids all along the
trip esp on the upper half. Laughery is also known for its fishing, if your so inclined. My friend Bob has 42 acres at the put in spot and said he would gladly let a group of us come for a weekend camp out or just to drop in. It tends to be a bit shallow during dry spells so might be a fine fall run.
Until we cross paths or our paths become crossed, or just get cross eyed, keep your paddles wet and your butts dry.

King Neato, Lord of the Sit-On-Top. hereafter known simply as KNL-SOT;
Bryan

From: stuart@friendsofkern.org
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: From Dave (OPC News)
Date: 06/16/2002 03:30am


From: dtrowbridge <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
To: friends of kern <friends@friendsofkern.org>
Subject: Ozone Paddling Club
Date: Fri, 14 Jun 2002 19:22:21 -0400

Greetings to all from the OPC. It was ladies night in the pool. Jennifer (with a broke ankle), Karri, Nikki and Karen all did great jobs Thursday night in the majestic water of the pool. Amy got started late but did the wet escape like a pro and will be rolling in no time. Isabella took her first dip in the pool but not sure she was planning it. She (along with Karri and myself) sends A BIG THANK YOU to Safety Steve and Dr. Nikki for being there
at the right time and the right place. Trip did real well for a first timer and I believe pull a roll but what was really amazing was watching him wrestle a kayak to let Karen get a breath of fresh air. It was like seeing the Crocidile Hunter live in action. The OPC has decided that if you can't roll just take Trip with you and you will have no worries. King Neato and his trusted sidekick George were there with the question of can a sit-on-top be rolled? The answer is...yes, with a mighty hip snap and a little help from the bottom of the pool. Over all it was a fun night with lots of happening and surprises. Thanks to all that joined us and thanks to Moran, Russ and all the Kern folks for making it possible. There will be another clinic coming soon so watch your screen for the time and date. Til next time. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Ozone Paddling Clinic News/3rd roll
Date: 06/28/2002 01:29pm


Greetings from Ozone, tonight we held our 3rd roll clinic at camp. At first wasn't sure if the weather was going to cooperate but the lightening stayed away and in the pool we went. It was a small gathering with a couple of new faces. Susan (the Asst Leadership Dir) met me with the key in hand and the pool was open for business. She has her wet escape down and quite possibly the largest lung capacity of the entire group. She can stay underwater FOREVER. Holly was our other new face and got a chance to try out a "real" kayak for the first time. Always nice to see new faces and meet new people. Steve and I attempted hand rolls which look alot like floundering but with style. We are not beaten, just water logged. King Neato (Lord of the S-O-T) and his trusty sidekick George were there. King has mastered the
half roll* so watch out Moran your title may be up for grabs. Once again we wish to thank those at camp that make this possible. Take care and we will see you on the river (when the level gets higher). Peace Trow

*half roll - this is when you flip your boat over so you are upside down in the water. Very hard to breath, but a great way to cool off.

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Saturday roll clinic, July 20th
Date: 07/11/2002 04:51am


Greetings from Ozone, king of the run on sentence (my wife says it drives her crazy). Well thanks to Singerman the pool guy and Moran we can have a Saturday afternoon roll clinic on the 20th of July. Are these guys neat or what? Not sure about the exact time but hey you know the day and the place (or do you?). One of our newest members has never been to camp and has no idea where it is located so I will put the directions at the end of this
note. Got a few more things to tell ya'll then it's off to bed. First,
Moran is having a Monday night paddle on the 29th of July. He has some family coming in and they are planning a little evening paddle from Mather's Mill to Ft. A. It will be a family type atmosphere so anyone interested can contact Moran at camp (513-932-3756 ex 27). We have about 4 or 5 canoes to loan so get your name on the list if you need a boat. Second, Dano (our
Tennesse friend) has offered to help anyone who may be interested in paddling the southern water. He has a contact in the biz so if you need more info contact him at shaggymonkey@yahoo.com. Thanks Dano. Lastly, Russ
(Leadership Dir) has made the first donation of a kayak skirt to the OPC equipment box (located in the back of my truck). This skirt fits the older boats with "keyhole" style openings. Anyone who knows where we can find an old Perception boat please contact me or camp. Big thanks to Russ! That's it. Peace Trow

Directions I-71N to exit 32. Turn right at top of ramp and go about 50 yards and turn left onto 350 (Clark gas station). Follow 350 for about 2.2 miles and you will see the camp enterance on the right after a hard right turn in the road. Follow the paved road to the visitor parking lot and walk over to the pool

- - - - - - - - - -

[this was a message from Trow a coupla days ago. Sorry for the delay, there, big guy - Stuart]

Greetings from Ozone, haven't had much to write about over the past month or so due to lowness of the river and the increased amount of traffic found on the waterway. Tonight I actually saw someone walk across the river without getting their ankles wet. What a drag! But then I thought to myself of the members of the OPC and realized that within our little group we have a varity of paddlers that get along quite well for all of our differences. Let me explain. The first group we will call the "Anytime, Anywhere" crew. These are the truly hardcore river rats. Four seasons of fun and the clothes and gear to get them there. There are about 5 or 6 that fit into this catagory (2 of us have to arrange for sitters but you would be amazed at our resourcefullness). One of the "AA" crew fits into a sub-catagory called the "River must be at least 12 ft wide so my head can fit" (no name please). Our next group would be the "If I get some time off I'm there". The number of this group changes day by day. Always hungry for the water but can't seem to find the time. Our next group is the " Its got to be at least 75 and sunny and I need to pick up some ice on the way to the river". A fun group that can grow with a phone call and a promise of cold brew at the end of the run. The "Mystery Group" is made up of the people that write us and tells good things (keep doing that, we like it) but haven't made it to the river yet. And last but not least is the "If the water temp is in the 70's and the sun is shining but not to bright and the wind is blowing down stream and the wife has the kids and you have an extra boat that's not to squirrely and I can find my lifejacket and the shuttles is ready, all I have to do is get in the car and its the third Saturday of the month that doesn't end in 'y' I'm there" or as I like to call him, Baker. If you feel that you fit into any of these groups of the OPC, please feel free to join us. All are welcome and lots of people come back for seconds. Keep your eyes open for the next roll clinic. I going to try and have it on a Saturday real soon. See you on the river. Peace Trow

From: stuart@friendsofkern.org
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Odds 'n' Ends (5 messages)
Date: 07/15/2002 07:28pm

Originally From: dtrowbridge <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
Subject: Sat 20th roll clinic
Date: 07/15/2002 00:46am

The rolling will begin around 10am on Sat and finish around 2. We are
hoping that camp will be able to rent a couple of boats for the kern
challenge program so we can use them during the clinic. They (camp) are hoping they have a little extra cash for the boats but if not we will work with what we have. All are welcome, whether you have been to camp or not. Call Moran at camp if you have a chance so we can have an idea of numbers. Don't worry if you don't call, we'll still be glad to see you. Peace Trow

From: stuart@friendsofkern.org
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: New Additions, Alumni Pavillion, Roll Clinic
Date: 07/22/2002 05:43pm
Address Book: Add Sender to Address Book  |  Go to Address Book

Subject: Sat. Roll Clinic report
Date: 07/21/2002 11:33pm

Greetings from the Ozone, what a beautiful day we had at the pool. The sun was shinning, the water was clear and refreshing and the skin was burning on all the parents that slathered the kids with SPF 45 but forgot to put it on themselves. Well the rolls were everywhere in the pool. Jennifer now has a strong and weak side roll and a smile that says "I did that". Moran got wet for the first time and amazed us with his unique style of rolling. His first attempt was textbook perfect, absolutly beautiful. After that the creativity started. Still not sure how the "backhanded roll" was going to work out but you got to give the guy credit for making it up and trying. Karri worked very hard at perfecting her roll and had trouble until she
switched to a single blade paddle. The rest is history and I can proudly say " half the stick, twice the chick. Fenwick was in the water a lot helping out the crowd of kids that came along for the ride. Later in the day he crawled into a boat and proved that much like riding a bike, it all comes back to you. Jenny and Bonz worked in the pool for a while and were having problems with her the skirt (I think). I heard today that she is a proud owner of a new one (that actually fits). No more bailing for you. King Neato got off the sit-on-top and into a boat. With a little work and some borrowed nose grip he pulled his first of many sucessful rolls. Mark showed his skill at rolling with a little extra weight attached to the boat
(thanks to Bonz). As Bonz wrapped himself around the front of the boat, Mark proceded to roll. I think the were both surprised at the out come. (Safety) Steve and I worked on our hand roll (not a hen roll Donna) which means no paddle just your hands and hopefully a lung full of air. Does 3/4 of the way count? There's always next time. Overall about 30+ people showed up and I hope I didn't miss anyone who pull a roll. As I looked at the group I noticed that we had 4 camps represented and a handful of friends. That's what this club is all about. People just having fun. Until next time, turn your brain off and roll. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com
To:friends@friendsofkern.org
Cc:
Subject: Fall cookout
Date: 08/08/2002 06:25am


Greetings from Ozone, been on the road during the past week and got to paddle some serious BIG water. Actually was on a family vacation that took us to the beach on the Atlantic. Road some tasty waves and even surfed once. We paddlers have something in common with those beach bums... we both love to surf a cool wave. Why they stand when sitting is so much easier I
will never know, and you can't roll a surf board (that's right, I tried). While I was away the Club hit the water due to some rain coming in and giving the river a bit of current. King Neato was seen numerous times on the Little and over the weekend he and Fathead were going to check out the Elkhorn in Georgetown KY. Haven't heard from them but maybe Fathead will fill us in later.

Moran and I along with the Drake are thinking about putting together a Fall Cookout for OPC and Kern Alumni. The place will be Ozone (that we know) the date is still in the works but I think it will be sometime in Oct. The set up is for people to bring what they want to eat and drink. This way everyone has something they like and we don't have to worry about leftovers or running out of food. Basically, we will get the site ready, announce the date and time and let the rest happen naturally. OPC will be doing some kind of trip during the day (maybe two) and I would be willing to guess if you bring an instrument, people would be willing to join in with music or song. As I always say, "If you can't sing good, sing loud". Keep your eyes open for more info as we get our act together.

Last but not least I'm going to try and get one more roll clinic in before the pool closes for the season. Nothing yet but I do want everyone to know that all are welcome. The age range at the last clinic was 2 - 40+ (right Paul?). Don't be shy, just turn off your brain and roll. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
Subject: Fall Campout Cookout
Date: 08/13/2002 10:04pm

Greetings from Ozone

First the dates. Sept 20-22 will be the 1st OPC/Kern Alumni Campout Cookout. Mark your calanders now, no excuses, tell someone who may not know about it. Details are on the way.

Now for the news. The OPC has gone international with the addition of Simon O'Brien from Scotland. Chances of meeting this highlander in the flesh (and knowing Simon that could mean only one thing) are small but then anything is possible. For now we will keep him up to date to the "goings on" around here.

Traveled down the river last Sunday with King Neato, Lynn, Amy, Jennifer and (Safety) Steve aka Silk or Silky. We dropped in at Ceaser's and pulled out at Mather's Mill. The water was slow, low and muddy but the company was good and that's what really matters. Went down to the Hole in The Ozone and watched (Safety) Steve aka Silk or Silky and Jennifer roll their boats in the river. Jennifer is strong on both sides and (Safety) Steve aka Silk or Silky never really got wet. Isabella (Bob) got to surf the hole for her first time with a helping hand from (Safety) Steve aka Silk or Silky.

On Sept 21 in the morning we will be paddling. We will meet at Ozone around 10 and head up river. Depending on the level will determine the length of the trip. Drop me a line and let me know if you are interested. Be good to everybody. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
Subject: Final Roll Clinic for the summer
Date: 08/26/2002 11:19pm

Hello Everyone, got some late breaking news from Ozone. Camp is letting us slide into the pool one last time before the swim season ends. This Saturday (the 31st) we will be in the pool at camp starting around 10 am. Family Camp is going on but thanks to Jen (a BIG THANKS), we are able to finish off the summer with a splash. Everyone is invited and welcome. See you at the pool. Peace Trow

From: marthel@go-concepts.com
Subject: Ozone Paddling Club/ Kern Alumni Camp Out
Date: 08/31/2002 02:43am

I hope you have all marked your calendars for the First Ozone Paddling Club/ Kern Alumni Camp Out, being held September 21st, at Camp Ozone. We are being graced with a full moon on the 21st, and also the Autumn Equinox, so come help us usher in fall. There is plenty of room to camp, so bring your family,your tent(s), enjoy a Kern camp fire, tell stories and sing a few songs. We want this to be a family event so children are welcome, however pets are not. As my dad always says, "2 are dogs, three is a pack!" The only rules are that it is BYOE (bring your own everything) and have some fun, oh ya and no dogs. The paddling club will be hitting the river at 10 a.m. on Saturday, feel free to come early and watch the activities. If you want to get in the river, contact Trow so there will be enough boats. Be there by 9:30 ifins ya wantz to hit the water. It should be enjoyable watching them flounder about in the river.

As for the facilities, we hear that there might be some kind of bathroom (port-a-potty), so you wont have to be a bear/bare in the woods. Parking is available across from the old tavern and will be well marked. If you have any questions feel free to contact me or Trow since it seems that we might have some of the answers. Anyone wanting to make a full weekend people will be camping on Friday as well, and I hear a bit of a rumor that there will be some fun and games that evening as well. If ya want to find out what is happening on Friday, show up.

That's all for now, Hope to see you there.

Laura Drake, marthel@go-concepts.com
Trow, dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com

From: dtrowbridge <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
To:friends of kern <friends@friendsofkern.org>
Subject: latest adventure
Date: 09/30/2002 00:40am

Greetings from a tired but happy Ozone. I had asked for the day off from
work to join Karri at a horse show. The date was wrong by a day and all
through the night it rained and rained and rained. For some outdoor type
people this can be a damper. For boaters, its a dream come true. Day off,
swollen rivers and a friend a phone call away. This all started Thursday
night when I found out the mistake. A quick call to King Neato to inform
him of the situation and a plan started to come together. We tested to
waters on Thursday night. A simple three mile trip on the Little M was wet
and fairly uneventful. The rain had not had any effect on the level at
all. Still, its always nice to be on the river. Friday morning came and
after a big ole cup of expesso I checked out Todd's Fork to see if anything
had changed. Yes, yes it had. The water was up, way up and moving fast.
King Neato had bought a new boat and wanted to try it on some fast water.
This would be the maiden voyage. On Todd's we found lots of rolling waves
and trees! Its amazing to see the power of water and what it finds on the
way to the river. On the run we went under two railroad bridges which had
three foot standing waves for us to play in and blast through. After seeing
this we decided to call more people to join in the fun. We were limited to
those with boats due to the fact that we had no extras with us at the time.
After some voice mails and answering machines we get a call back for Safety
Steve. He thought it would be possible to be home early to hook up with us
for our next run. A call to Baker gave us the info needed to run SECOND
CREEK. A sweet little run that only comes around when the weather is right.
The three of us headed for the put in and were all glad to see WHITEWATER
IN OHIO. It happens. The trip started out with a quick enterance and a
fast move to get around a strainer then BAM a 4 foot waterfall. I ate it in
the hole, flip over then rolled back over to see Steve getting ready to make
the run. Seeing my mistake, Steve wisely chose a different line and
executed it beautifully. King had to be more cautious due to the fact that
his boat had no spray skirt and could fill up with water very easily. With
tight turns, strainers and logs strecthing over the creek we rode hard and
fast. It had been some time since I had last run SC and I forgt how pretty
it was. Really cool rock walls line the creek and the trees over hang the
banks giving it a tunnel effect in some of the areas. Numerous little falls
made to trip well worth it and the last mile or so put us back on Todd's to
enjoy more rolling waves (and trees). After the trip I had to leave my
soggy friends and become a responsibile parent but that's not the end of the
story, just my part. Peace Trow

From: dtrowbridge <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
To:friends of kern <friends@friendsofkern.org>
Subject: FW: latest adventure continues
Date: 10/02/2002 00:02am

As Paul Harvey puts it.....And now you know the rest of the story.....

Got a call on my cell phone on the way home from work Friday night from my
darling and cute husband "Safety Steve". "Honey" he said "I'll meet you at
home we are runnin' second creek tonight!" Although I was looking forward to

eating sushi at Ando's that night I knew that second creek was a run that
you
had to take it while you can get it (I definately wanted to hit it). Steve
and I had scouted out second and first creek earlier in the summer and
notice
a couple of cool drop offs that would be a total blast if you caught them
after a good hard rain. Now was the time.
When I got home Steve, King Neato and I loaded up and headed up stream to
drop in. I started to get a little nervous as I heard the tales from the
previous creek adventure that had come streaming out of King Neato's mouth.
I
told him to shut up and stop trying to sike me out! King Neato claimed that
this run was worse than Todds at flood stages (yeah right). When we got to
the put in the first thing I saw was a 3-4 foot drop off with a harry exit
into a tight little shoot between a creek wall and a strainer. Whew! Having
just returned from North Carolina and surfed tropical storm "Gustov" (6-8 ft

thrashing waves) I felt like this was the next best thing! "Lets do it!" I
said.
We went in a little bit above the first drop and then over the drop and
through the shoot we went.....what a blast!!!!! King Neato was behind us and

we were able to turn around a watch him go gracefully over the drop.....then

he had to dump- no skirt you see. Then he scouted out the next drop. The
King
didn't feel that his boat was able to make the journey because he claimed
his
nose was too pointy> Steve and I went over the second drop and waited for
the
King. We all made it but after a short distance we only heard the ranting
and
raving of King Neato....he had to bale again and by this point the creek had

dropped 5-6 inches and his nose was scraping badly...hee hee hee. (I'm sorry

Brian it was kinda funny). King Neato had decided at that moment that he
could go no further... although Steve and I were disappointed that he could
not continue...we headed down stream to finish the run.
The creek had drop water volume since they had run it earlier and Steve and
I
were draggin pretty bad in spots. Besides that it was sooo much fun!
Fortunately, I had my helmet on because I had to duck quickly under a log
and
I don't think I ducked enough because I hit it with the top of my head
pretty
good. (Didn't knock any sense into me, which I am relieved of that). Once we

hit Todds it was getting dark and we had to paddle quickly to make it to our

take out before we couldn't see anything. The waves we kickin' and at times
like a roller coaster :) We met King Neato at the trucks and headed home.
We ended the evening by celebrating our adventures with the our Japanese
friends in Lebanon- where we ate too much sushi and drank too much sake.
Thank you mother earth and
Thank you Mrs.
Ando!

Till next time.


- Jetra ;)

From: "Dave Trowbridge" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
Subject: Fw: new members
Date: 10/13/2002 08:29pm


----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Trowbridge
To: viles ; Scott Dillon ; Safety Steve Jen Ra ; russ ; nikki ; moredock ; moran ; mike ; lynn b ; Karri Trowbridge ; fenwick ; fathead ; donna mark ; drake
Sent: Sunday, October 13, 2002 8:28 PM
Subject: new members


Greetings from the Zone, we have a new name for you follow in our little adventures. Uncle Frosty. UF is a local boy who just happens to be married to The Drake. Frosty was bit by the paddling bug during our campout/cookout and has been joining us on the water ever since. With a big smile and a keen sense of direction for the banks, he makes every trip seem just a little longer. His interest in the trees that overhang the river is astounding. I have yet to see a person who can get you so close to the branches that you can touch them (or duck from them). All kidding aside, Frosty is a positive addition to our melting pot of individuals and we see lots of entertaining situations ahead. Welcome aboard. Peace Trow

From: "Dave Trowbridge" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
To:"friends" <friends@friendsofkern.org>
Subject: Fw: Paddle like Hell
Date: 10/23/2002 09:59pm



Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 9:57 PM
Subject: Paddle like Hell


It's Ozone, you do know that this is the friday we paddle at Midnight. I have heard about 10 to 15 people say they were up for it. Contact me so we can coordinate a meeting place. I'm thinking at the Old Tavern around 11:30, but don't put that in stone yet. Let's find out who all is going for sure and who needs a boat.
In other news, Moran has hooked up with a guy... who will print up some hats...now we need a logo. So it's THE OFFICIAL OZONE PADDLING CLUB LOGO SEARCH. Got an idea, send it to Moran at camp. Mail it, fax it, scan it just get it in. Don't know the cost and Moran can fill us in on the details. Details makes the world go round. We want them ready for the Pre Thanksgiving dinner at camp (the sunday before Thanksgiving). We hope to have a good turn out. Good food and friends make the world go round, and details. Think it will be cool to get a group photo for the web page.
Peace Trow

From: "Dave Trowbridge" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com>
To:"friends" <friends@friendsofkern.org>
Subject: Fw: Midnight on the river
Date: 10/27/2002 09:41pm

So it was a little after midnight when we started the trip. After all the rain had stopped we ventured to the put in. There was 9 souls looking into the sheer emptiness of the night. The clouds were still thick and letting only slight hints of moonlight break through. The water had risen and was moving at a pace better then we had seen for some weeks. Our group consisted of the usual crowd, Moran, Safety Steve, Jet Ra, King Neato, Uncle Frosty and myself. In addition were Dano and his friend Kyle. These guys came up from Tenn. to join us for the trip and the party. Dano showed off his amazing canoe steering talents with big circles, sharp turns and the ability to cut off other boats at light speed. Kyle masterfully paddled his C-1 (like a kayak only you are on your knees and the paddle is a single blade) through the darkness and the cool air. As we traveled down river we enjoyed the shadows and sounds of fall. One of the shadows turnout to be a huge tree limb that Frosty warned me about from the floor of the canoe as it raced towards my face. With quick thinking or just plain panic I ducked in time to feel the ghostly fingers of the branch run across my back sending a chill down to my wet feet. Laughing with our fortune, we decided to stay more in the center of the river and out of reach of the tree monsters. There is something about the river at night with a cold easy breeze pushing you along the way. You can step back in time and see what it may have been like for the people that lived here so long ago. You can hear the echoes of all the voices that have pasted before you. In the daytime you can enjoy the colors and see all the activity of the local wildlife. At night you are the local wildlife. As the season changes to winter we will still be going on our floats. Join us sometime, you will be back for more. Peace Trow

From: Rusty To: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com Sent: Monday, November 18, 2002 6:20 AM Subject: Paddling with the OPC I was instructed that I had to write about my first really cold drink of river water. I try really hard to listen and follow good advise I get from experenced people and paddlers. I was trying to think of something to write and for some odd reason David Letterman kept popping in my head with his top 10 list. So my top 10 things I have learned so far about paddling 10. Always try out the boat before you buy it. 9. Never paddle alone. 8. Always try new boats out in warm water. 7. Watch out for the nick names because sometime you live up to them I was a little Frosty when I came out of the water. 6. Always keep your eyes open for items that someone may have lost in earlier weeks. 5. Paddle hard 4. Stay away from trows boat. 3. If you think for any reason you may be gonig to get wet be first. 2. When a deer is crossing in front be very very quiet. And the #1 thing I have learned You always (no matter how much exsperance you have) have the chance of taking a drink at almost any time it never ends.

From: Dave Trowbridge To: viles ; uncle frosty ; Scott Dillon ; Safety Steve Jet Ra ; russ ; nikki ; moredock ; moran ; mike ; lynn b ; Karri Trowbridge ; fenwick ; fathead ; drake ; donna mark ; bonz ; joey Sent: Sunday, December 08, 2002 11:33 PM Subject: There goes the boats Greetings from an embarrassed Ozone, On our way to the river today, yours truly did a short cut on the strapping of the boats and lets just say...Don't do that! SafeT, King Neato and myself were all looking forward to a nice day on the river. The truck had been dropped off at the take out and we were on our way up Ft. A hill. As we rounded to hairpin turn, a sound emerged. Out of the corner of my eye I saw boats floating in mid air. Then a statement as calm as a cool summer breeze came from inside the truck. "There goes the boats". Then the crashing sound. Good for all that nobody was coming down the hill at the time. We scrambled for the boats and placed them back on top of the truck. Strapped them down while directing a few rubbernecks safely around the scene. Once clear of the hill we double checked the rig and headed for the river. I backed the truck onto the ramp to unload only to feel the truck starting to slide towards the river while I was holding down the brake. This was not going the way I had hoped. A quick lock into 4 wheel drive and the truck moved onto solid ground. On inspection of the boats, no real damage could be found (except for my ego, but I'm healing just fine). We got the boats ready for launch on the top of the snow covered ramp and Safe T slid into his boat and sleigh rode it to the river. Very fun and had to be tried by the rest of us. The canoe slid like an old pro and when the King gave it a shot he created a wave that washed over the top of his boat and landed in his lap. "How refreshing" exclaimed the King, or something to that effect. It may have been spoken in a different language, not real sure. If bad things happen in 3's then we were safe for the rest of the trip. With the snow on the banks and crystal clear water, it turned out to be a nice trip. Well I learned my lesson and you can bet that the boats are staying in the water and out of the air. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sun, December 29, 2002 8:11 pm Subject: King Neato's Paddle thru the cold and wet! ---------- From: Laura Drake <marthel@go-concepts.com> To: Trow <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> Subject: Paddle thru the cold and wet! Date: Sun, Dec 29, 2002, 8:09 PM Dave, thought I'd take advantage of the Drake's hospitality and send a note out. It's been a while since my last paddleing note so thought I'd whip one out. First, Thursday, Dec.19, the day it rained HARD, ALL DAY LONG, (yes there are some of us that would paddle through hell, if there was enough water) I ventured up to Kern to meet Aimee Morrison,new OPC member & Kern staff, and Dave Moran, her boss and a tough one at that. While standing around in the Pouring Rain, the English & Irish staffers, Fergie & Dave decided to join our saturated ranks. ( reading this may lead people to believe that we may not be in complete control of our mental faculties) As I went to drop George offf at Trows, the rest of the crew of the Minnow got ready & headed down to Ft Ancient. I called Saftey Steve and as luck would have it, he was home, and raring to get wet. So after loading up the boats on 3 vehicles and leaving Aimees SUV at Ft. A. to take out we were finally off. Mathers to Ft. A is usually a quick trip especially when the rivers up, but in a steady down pour each minute seems like 10, add to that a wet dog, Thistle, Morans dog rode who with Aimee & I in a canoe and really never seemed to get used to Not being with his dad, after about a mile of restlessness and severe concerns of us remaining dry, Dave said Thistle could follow us on the bank. Well as we manuevered out of the swift & into an eddy Thistle shifted and for a second there I thought I would take my first winter dip of the year, but fate smiled on us and steadied our craft. Later when going under the 71 bridge, Dave & Fergie purposely paddled through the drain runoff from above. While not mentioning any of the toxins or diseases which fester in such runoff, I figured they would be well rinsed by the time we took out as the Monsoon had not yet let up. As we paddled under the Ft. A bridge, I noticed Aimee patting herself down, then look back at me with angst in her eyes, ask, "do you have my keys"? She had left them in my truck, at the put in. Well after a damp walk back to camp to retrieve a van, we went back to pick up the pieces and thank Old Man River (which had risen a foot in an hour) for another Excellent day of paddleing.

From: "Trow" To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sun, December 29, 2002 8:11 pm Subject: FW: Sunday, it really aint that cold! ---------- From: Laura Drake To: Trow Subject: Sunday, it really aint that cold! Date: Sun, Dec 29, 2002, 8:31 PM Dave, here's # 2. Sun, Dec 29 5 folks, 4 boats, including 2 old OPC'ers who hadn't been in the cold yet and are now convinced of cold water paddleing attributes. Lynn B. & Amy Rice paddled Lynns new tandem Dagger on its maiden voyage and loved it. Frosty paddled his almost new Streak Trow was in a canoe & me, king Neato in my Dagger. The trip from Ceasers to Mathers was basically uneventful which is a good thing. The day was beatiful with the sun fighting to stay out and the temp around 48. Frosty & I seemed to constantly be playing catch-up as we staved off the effects of our hangovers, a result of a hard night at the Connor\ Drake estate, while Lynn & Amy seemed to be made of steel and set the pace (usually by stopping to wait for us). Lynn has left her tandem with Trow so if any novices or otherwise would like to step out with an "old pro" just give him a jingle. So heres to adding 2 more to the Cold Water club. Yehaww!!! Catch you on the water, King Neato

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sun, January 5, 2003 3:57 pm Subject: FW: The long and winding creek The futher adventures of the Ozone Paddling Club... Waters up! Temperature is down. Now that is a reason to go boating. Safe T and myself decided to go on a little float the other day. We contacted a few but didn't get any bites. We puy in at the end of our streetwhich just so happens to dead end at Todd's Fork (Safe T and Uncle Frosty's faaavorite creek). Todd's was low but the current seemed to be moving at a good pace. About a mile down stream Safe T offered a ride to a Canadain goose and that crazy northern bird took him up on it. This was no leisure trip, we were on a mission. Safe T had lost his paddle on our last(mis)adventure so this was, in some ways a rescue mission. We arrived at the site of the tip over and searched the banks and strainers for the missing paddle but found nothing. We continued down river with our eyes peeled for clues for the where abouts of our lost friend. We passed our usual take out and headed down a section of the river I had not been on for many years. The scenery was beautiful and we discovered areas of the creek that showed great promise of small rapids at higher water. We continued on... The creek split going around big islands in the stream and at times we scrapped bottom but nothing to hang us up. The creek bent and turned over the next couple of miles. We continued on... At one point we must have passed by a gun club or a meeting of rednecks with guns. If they were hunters, they didn't aim to well by the sounds of all the shots or the were making fresh ground whatever while it was still in the skin. No worries for us due to the distance of the echo on the river. We passed by silently without anyone knowing we has floated by. We continued on...After 5 railroad bridges and 3 or 4 road bridges we both thought that Second creek should be coming up. The river was not looking familiar at all but we knew that eventually we would have to pass something that would spark our memory. We continued on...Finally we passed what we were sure was Second creek and then the concrete slabs appeared on the right hand shoreline and we knew that we were only 5 miles or so for the take out. The sun was starting to get low on the horizone and the goose was getting cold. Then all of a sudden, right in front of us was.... a matress. Why anyone would want to sleep in this icy water was beyond us. A passing thought of King Neato came into my head but then I remembered that he already had a bed and this one seemed a little water logged. We continued on...The site of the thriving metropolis of Morrow came into veiw and the thought of stopping to have a beer and call the wives for a pick was seriously considered but we continued on. As the evening sky became a little darker I realized that I still had my sunglasses on and after I removed them we gained an extra hour daylight. Smart thinking by the Trow. As we joined up with the Little Miami the current became fasted and the paddling was alot easier. The final mile or 2 went by in no time. At the take out my body decided that it was cold and it wanted heat and food. I always listen to the bod. Once back home we found the wives talking in the kitchen and asking us where the hell had we been. Jet Ra said "Damn Trow you look rough" and "Doesn't SafeT look sexy in his wetsuit, I wish he wear it around the house more often". Well, a little coffee to warm us and a DVD player in hand we bid good night to Safe T and Jet Ra. Something tell me that Safe T adventure was to continue on. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sat, January 11, 2003 12:57 am Subject: FW: January 3rd on the Little Miami - 27 degrees ---------- From: LynnABusch@aol.com To: dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com Subject: January 3rd on the Little Miami - 27 degrees Date: Fri, Jan 10, 2003, 2:13 PM January 3rd on the Little Miami - 27 degrees Lynn here..... After being inducted into the OPC "cold water paddling club" the last week in December by Uncle Frosty, King Neato, and Trow...Amy and I were hooked! We knew that the tandem (christened "The Viking" on it's maiden Dec. voyage by Trow, due to it's excellent tracking abilities) had to come out again. We quickly planned another chilly journey for after the New Year with our faithful paddling partner King Neato for Jan. 3. When the day came, it turned out to be a chilly and snowy day at that...but being the hearty paddlers we are (....ok....stupid.....) we agreed to go ahead with our paddle anyway. After meeting at Dave & Karrie's....picking up the tandem and other gear for the chilly trip, we were on our way (WARNING: for those of you who haven't yet paddled with Amy or myself....we like to bring a lot of "stuff" along....and we're ALWAYS late!!.....:-).....only to get to the put in....get in our boats...and realize that we had left the tandem skirt back at Trow & Karrie's.....no biggie....shit happens...right?? soooooo back we went to Trow's house, picked up the skirt...and on to Fort Ancient we went (do you ever wonder how much actual water time we get compared to how long it takes us to talk about what to bring....where to go....how far to go....who's going to go....etc??--me neither!). By now our boats were all covered with a nice little layer of snow....and we were good to go. I looked out at the river, which was running faster and higher than I had ever seen it before....looked at where the Ft. Ancient sign WOULD be if it hadn't been completely covered with river water, and had a moment of doubt, saying..."we must be completely insane! what the hell are we doing out here today??".....but King Neato and Amy weren't letting me off that easily...they assured me we would be fine (King Neato with his rescue bag close by just in case)....so trusting in my faithful paddling partners....into the water we went. The water was crazy for most of our beautiful snow covered trip down to the campgrounds in Morrow. The first big waves at the put in were kind enough to clean off that pretty little layer of snow my kayak had accumulated...and the other big waves along the way were kind enough to make sure it stayed that way. We were the only fools on the river that day....and what a pretty day it was....all to ourselves.....everything covered in a thin layer of snow....a sight to behold. For those of you who haven't seen the river on a cold winter's day...it's a must! I'm attaching a picture that I took that day from my kayak, looking out at the river so you can feel like you were there with us too! The river let us enjoy her that day...taking no prisoners....and leaving us ready for our next winter's journey....but that's another story..... Until next time..... Happy paddling to all....and to all a good run!!

From: <SFord31113@aol.com> To: <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 5:28 PM Subject: Baptized by the Ozone > It was a chilly mornin' when Trow, Uncle Frosty, Fathead and King Neato got together to accompany and assist me on my maiden voyage with the OPC. Little did I know that the river had its own opinion of how the day would turn out. > > We were running late (as usual) with no one to blame but ourselves (Fathead's fault!) when we pulled into "2 dawgs hideout" (aka Trow's) and found everyone waiting. We soon got to the river and jumped on. All was well with the boys showing off various skills and everyone laughing and having fun. After a couple of stops for some "fresh air" and belly warming shots we ventured on paddling, floating and laughing our way down the river. King Neato was giving advice on paddling and staying dry and he mentioned that we should "avoid the confluence". I must admit at this point that we were so busy teasing King Neato that we steered ourselves RIGHT INTO the confluence and that's when the river struck!! She took our canoe and spilled us into the cold and icy water....teaching us a must needed lesson!! I have parts of such delicate constitution that had never been exposed to the elements like that and Fathead.....well, Fathead said he "looked and felt like a woman" if you know what I mean. Needless to say, we were quickly rescued by Trow and the gang and sent quickly to hit the showers and warm up. It was an unbelievably fun experience and one that would not be traded for the world! So, it seems that we can all learn valuable lessons from King Neato....the first...don't throw it away if it can be used for something....the second....avoid the confluence!! > > peace. > she who shall remain nameless

From: Dave Trowbridge To: viles ; uncle frosty ; Scott Dillon ; Safety Steve Jet Ra ; russ ; nikki ; moredock ; moran ; mike ; lynn b ; Karri Trowbridge ; fenwick ; fathead ; drake ; donna mark ; bonz ; joey Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 9:14 PM Subject: 1st annual Groundhog day, North fork of the Elkhorn paddle Sunday, 9:30 in the AM & Fathead decides I had slept long enough, so he calls. what are you up to man?, he says. I'll give you one guess, I reply. So, many hours later & I'm loaded up with the Zydeco & green sit- on- top & headed to Lexington. We decided to get on the North Fork of Elkhorn creek due to its proximity and I decided Scott should use the s.o.t. since he has more natural insulation, and Gore- Tex. For those of you not familiar with sit-on- tops, most of them are self bailing and therefore you immediately get wet where you sit, upon entering the water. Some of you might question the sanity of paddling a s.o.t. in Febuary, but FH is a man's man & I knew he could handle it, also it was over 50 f in central KY sunday & besides neither of us had done this stretch so what better time to initiate ourselves. The stretch we did started at Georgetown and winded west for about 800 miles (actually it says 6 miles in the book) to Ky 227 near Frankfort. The day was warm but the water wasn't so about 1/2 way Scott started whining about a cold butt, what a woos, the Ice on the creek was melting so it couldn't have been that cold. Otherwise we could have used another 6" of water, it was very low so we did a bit of scraping and the going was rather slow, but the scenery was excellent, and we saw a huge Woodpecker, a hawk, blue heron, ducks and signs of beaver, but no Groundhogs. it was dark by the time we pulled out and none to soon for 1 of us. Altogeher, an Awesome day, but aren't they all. till next time, King Neato

From: Dave Trowbridge To: viles ; uncle frosty ; Scott Dillon ; Safety Steve Jet Ra ; russ ; nikki ; moredock ; moran ; mike ; lynn b ; Karri Trowbridge ; fenwick ; fathead ; drake ; donna mark ; bonz ; joey Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 9:44 PM Subject: What's in a name Its nice to read other paddlers views on what goes on, on the river. She who goes nameless actual gave me an idea for a good river name when she explained the coolness of the river. As the lovely and talented woman that she is, I thought about what would sum up everything that she is. When asked what parts of her were the most effected she said her feet and...Her. So, after a long drive home with not to much traffic, it can to me. She who is nameless will forever be known as "Her, the Delicate One". As I watched Her and Fathead tip over in slow motion I noticed that she never lost her smile. As her head came up out of the freezing water the smile was still there, frozen in place. Welcome O Delicate One, we are glad that you graced us with your company and charm and look forward to more trips (more then likely in the warmer weather). Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sun, February 23, 2003 12:17 pm Subject: FW: Winter mix and the river Greetings from the Ozone, With all the snow on the ground, there has been little opportunity for the club to get wet. With the rain came a fast melt which effected the river just enough to make it brown and moving. With a few phone calls and we were able to put together a small group that had cabin fever so bad that paddling in the rain did not sound like a bad idea. Arriving at the take out to set up the schuddle we came across a local with his truck very close to the river. Seeing that this guy was experienced with the cold weather (his two wheel drive truck stuck on the slope and his fancy cowboy boots on gave us that clue) we offered our services. No good, King Neato and yours truly gave it a shot but it only render me stuck and Safe T gave me a pull to freedom. Tow truck arrives and the cowboy is saved. Using what we learned we park on top of the hill and procede up river. The water was moving and the current wasn't to strong. Lots of water was flowing into the river from all the farm lands. Big chunks of ice floated by and underneath our boats as we enjoyed the snow covered banks. This spring should be good for paddling and we are getting things ready for the 2nd Annual Spring Water Run. Stay warm, stay dry and if the fever takes over give us a call. We have the cure for cabin madness. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Thu, March 6, 2003 8:56 pm Subject: FW: Early Morning Paddle Greetings from Ozone, Well we did it. The alarm went off and I lept out of bed (definition of lept: to groan and wonder why you made plans to get out of bed on a cold rainy morning to get into a canoe and paddle as the sun is rising which you will never see because of all the clouds in the sky and trying to figure out how to make coffee, load another boat onto the truck and still manage to squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep). Once moving I realized that my eyes had not fully opened (which would have been worth writing about since the last time that happened was in 198?) and time was running out. While the coffee brewed I shoved my kayak into the back of the pathfinder giving me a few extra seconds to doze in a standing position. Thermos full, boat in truck, pants on, things are looking better. No rain was falling until I reached the end of the driveway and then the heavens opened up. Rain rain rain until Fort Ancient, then it slowed. Moran was there. As we looked at each other, you could tell that we both questioned the sanity of each other and with the drizzle spraying in our faces we headed for the put in. Moran seems to be always in a calm state and with my driving that is a feat in itself. After some mocking of Naked Jim (who chose to stay in bed) we crawled into the canoe and with a nice swift current started our morning trip. The water was moving in strange ways and a few places had taken on new personalities. At one point the river looked as if it was flowing straight down creating a line of squirrely water and then there was the whirl pool that I know lead to a whole new demention of time and space. Moran and I know this due to our memories of Saturday morning adventures of The Land of the Lost. I could feel the Sleestacks eye balling us as we passed over. Once safely out of the range of the dreaded pool we continued on down river. Mr Blue (the Great Blue Hering) showed up towards the end and I have to admit that it was a nice trip but now we had to go to work. What the hell were we thinking. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sun, March 16, 2003 2:37 pm Subject: FW: It started out small Greetings from the Ozone, Man what a beautiful weekend and of course we took full advantage of the weather. Yes, it doesn't have to be freezing for the OPC to have fun on the water. After having to work on Saturday, I knew that I couldn't let the early evening go by without a little time on the river. King Neato, SafeT and myself had talked about a quick trip after 4 pm and during the day interest had grown along with the number of people. Donna had worked with me and said that Griff would more then likely go along. Some of the international staff at camp had heard us talking and the next thing I knew, I had a group of pitiful looking eyes starring at me with the hopes of an invite (which of course happened). Our little band of 3 turned into a party of 10 (with the addition of Uncle Frosty and Jet-Ra). As I approached the house, I noticed a large group waiting for the camp folks. With the boats loaded up, we headed for the Covered Bridge. The level was about 4 feet up ( it had dropped about 2 feet over night) and the cuurent was moving at a decent pace. Becky had told me on the way to the river that she had spent some time in France paddling but hadn't been on water since. At the put in I talked with some bikers about the weather and local interest points while we unloaded and proceded to the river. With 3 canoes and 4 solo boats we ruled the river (without the thundering rumble). The trip lasted about an hour and 15 minutes with no tip overs or swims. Jet-Ra discovered the luxury of a seat back for a canoe thanks to Griff and may be spoiled for life. I had the pleasure of paddling Jenny's playboat and am now rethinking my next boat purchase. Another relaxing trip for the books with a brand new season starting in a few weeks. With the May trip coming up soon, we may have to have a roll clinic if we can find a pool. Until next time, Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Wed, April 30, 2003 11:54 pm Subject: FW: Bugs and friends Greetings from the Ozone, It's been sometime since I last wrote. There have been trips on the river here and there but for the most part the water has been low so I have opted to play in the currents down at the "Hole" and a little in the bend before the take out at Mather's Mill. Tonight however, and it was night, due to the growing lack of sunlight we had as we started down river. It had been sometime since we had gotten on the river so late. The water moved very slow and lots of the strainers were riding high above the surface. Many times we ate bugs as we floated through invisible swarms. When the bugs hit you in the face it feels like dry rain. (The swarms reminded me of a canoe trip I took back in the 80's. I slepted on the blanks of the Ohio River and the beach was infested with sand fleas. Worst night of non sleep I have ever had) The water, in many areas, was like glass and the boats cut through it with ease. Some how the conversation turned to aliens and what we would do if they started messing with us. We decided we would cut them. It felt good to relax and think about nothing important or pressing. A cleansing of the soul, with a bug up your nose. See you on the river. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Tue, May 6, 2003 9:50 pm Subject: FW: Little creeks = BIG fun The heavens finally opened up on us here in the Ohio/ Miami valley on Sunday and didn't quit till monday morn, so about 9am monday Saftey Steve called to say he was letting the crews go home early due to inclimate conditions. With the amount of rain we had Steve had checked on 2nd creek & said it was rocking. For those of you not familiar with 2nd or 1st creeks, they're crazy little streams that only run when we've had upwards of an inch of rain in 24 hours. There are waterfalls, chutes and more rocks than the Bedrock Quarry, (you know the one Fred works in). Needless to say its a wild ride all the way into Todds Fork. After finishing 2nd creek on the way back to pick up my truck, the road crosses 1st creek at a 5 foot waterfall, while Steve was trying to talk me into shooting the falls a couple of crazy Austrailians happened by and asked if they could join the fun, I was more than happy to let Steve and Matt test it first. While they were making their way to the falls, Cameron informed me that Matt is one of the best kayakers in their region back in Aussie land. This was to become evident rather quickly. Steve went first and dissapeared completley at the bottom of the falls, but recovered nicely with his helmet hanging on the back of his head. Then Matt went and landed flat without getting his shirt wet. After watching this I decided to give it a shot. Awesome, its one of those things you just have to do. Steve got ahold of Dave Trow in the meantime, the Aussies had to split after an exchange of numbers and a planned rendesvous tuesday afternoon. Trow showed up with Karri, Jet-ra and the baby Bob. Jet- ra & Trow joined us in the water & we shot the falls a few more times then decided to make the 10 minute run down 1st creek to Todds Fork at Morrow, this run somehow seemed rockier than 2nd creek. The 2 creeks together contain roughly 1/3 of the worlds rock supply, so there is no shortage, and the bottoms of the boats are a testament to that. What fun can be had with the help of a little (lot) rain. I say let it rain. till the next exciting adventure, As Always, king Neato.

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Tue, May 6, 2003 11:55 pm Subject: FW: Boat Upgrades and Canoe surfing Greetings from Ozone, Sunday morning brought a call to Uncle Frosty with the news of a drain plug for his boat. (Saturday, SafeT, myself and Bob had traveled down to a place on the west side not to far from the highway Call D&D Outfitters. The guy is real nice and his prices are good. Carries Perception kayaks and a couple lines of canoes.) As we are installing the drain plug my phone beeps and Sid is on the line with questions about the river and news that she and a band of friends from International Row are planning a little trip. With quick thinking the decision to guide these wondering boaters down river was made and their guide's name was Frosty...Uncle Frosty. Sid said that she would have everything ready at 1 pm. Sid does not lie. We show up at 1:06 and they are waiting for us. They did need help hooking up the boat trailer but it was loaded and ready. Off we went. They put in at Cover Bridge and headed for Ozone. I headed home to watch Bob but upon arrival I found out that plans had changed and I could take a little trip for myself. After stopping by SafeT and Jet-Ra and loading up the boats we proceded to Mathers for a short trip and hopefully catch a shuttle back with the others. As we entered the river UF, Sid and the rest of the gang came floating by. Except for one canoe with Fergie and Map. They flipped over but were alright and feeling refreshed. We traveled down the river to Ozone and played in the "Hole". Some nice surfing was going on and Sid and Queen Laugh-Teva surfed a canoe like pros. Lots of fun, needed more food but still good times with friends. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Tue, May 13, 2003 10:24 pm Subject: FW: Thursday's Cowan creek run. ---------- From: Mr Todd Statt <grimelowe@yahoo.com> To: opc@go-concepts.com Subject: Thursday's Cowan creek run. Date: Mon, May 12, 2003, 10:19 PM I got a message from King Neato on Wednesday night saying he was going to meet up with some Australians to run Cowan's or First Creek on Thursday at 5:30. I figured I could make it, so I drove to the meeting place in Morrow(one of a few places on earth where my cell phone does not work), where I began a process of sitting, and waiting, then driving up the hill to get a message on my cell phone. After the third time of checking my latest message and driving through town slowly, (and the fifth time the police drove by checking this suspicious guy out) I finally met up with the Australians - Matt and Cameron two young adventurers with more testicular fortitude than my station in life allows me to possess (Read = these guys are crazy). We talked for a few minutes, while waiting for Bryan to arrive. Nice guys these Australians... After meeting up with Bryan, we got on our way to Cowan lake. We ditched the downstream vehicles just outside of Clarksville and continued on. We scouted the potential put in from the dam release, but found no water flowing from it. Now the spillway had about 8" flowing over the top. When looking for the path down to below the spillway, we couldn't find it. So one of the Australians suggests putting on the lake and riding down the spill way... I thought he was kidding. So we get onto the lake about 7:15pm with a few people fishing around the dam and spillway. As we paddle to the spillway, I saw that all the folks fishing had there eyes on us. Maybe they were a bit incredulous that four folks would be crazy enough to paddle over the spillway - boy, did we show them. After Matt and Cameron, Bryan and I followed. As I was venturing down this concrete water slide, I was trying to remember, what the end of the spillway looked like. For the life of me, I couldn't remember. As we got closer and the sound of thundering water became louder, the memory of the ten foot drop became clearer in my mind. When I saw Matt frantically exiting his kayak, and the image of a 15 to 20' drop creeped it's way into my head, I figured I might like to follow suit and exit my kayak rapidly. Matt scouted the drop and considered it as I looked for a way around, and before any semblance of sanity could grab ahold of Matt, he went over the edge. Remarkably, he made it through unscathed. Now as I consider the drop seeing how successful Matt was, all I could hear was the voice of my wife saying how stupid I was - at my funeral. Needless to say, I opted for the longer safer route to beneath the drop. After Cameron and Bryan followed me I didn't feel so bad. >From there the creek was a blast. A few strainers and blow-downs, plenty of rocks to hit, and I even practiced the first half of my roll. I've pretty much mastered the going over into the water part, now I just need some instruction on getting back upright. All-in-all, the trip was a fun short exciting jaunt with no one getting hurt and a scenic view most of the way. We were able to pull off the river a bit after sunset. I was even able to get home to see the end of CSI! Happy paddling. -Grimey

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Wed, May 14, 2003 7:22 pm Subject: FW: And the rains came down. Greetings from a sore Ozone, During the past rainy season I took full advantage of the fast muddy water at every opportunity. Afterwork last week I was traveling with Bob when the phone beeps and its SafeT on the horn telling me that the falls on First Creek were running at 4 1/2 feet. Go get Jet-Ra and get down here. Well you don't have to tell me twice. We loaded up Jet-Ra's boat and it was off to the homestead for my boat and helmet and our (mine and Bob's) lifejackets. SafeT and King Neato were on the horn wondering what was taking so long. As we finished loading my boat, the Lovely Karri pulls in and decides to go along. The falls were running and it was good. Under the falls the water bubbled and the pool's hydrolic wasn't strong. We dropped over the falls 4 or 5 times then ran the creek down to Todd's Fork. First was dropping fast and the ride down was bumpy. I got caught sideways on a rock and flipped over. I lost my paddle and in desparation and a small touch on the bottom I flipped myself over and was able to hand paddle (something I had been working on(now do you understand?, Jet-Ra) over to retrieve my gear. A few more bumps and a wave from the Shuttle Bunnies and we were on Todd's. This water was up and really muddy. We played in the currents and rode it to the old railroad bridge just before you reach the Little Miami. With Karri at the wheel and Bob riding shotgun, we rode off in the sunset knowing that our next adventure was coming right behind the storm. It had rained most of the moring so I called SafeT and inquired if he would be up for a trip after work. The desire was there and so was the water level. With careful planning and excellent communication, we met up ready to go and SafeT suggested Cowan Creek. I myself, had never ran this creek so I looked forward to the challenge...WELCOME TO THE ENCHANTED FOREST, this place is cool. Hiking through what looks and feels like bamboo was interesting. The Spillway was flowing nice but we put in on the dam release side. The water there was slow with pools of flat water. In the trees high above the Great Blues had built a group of nest. Two of them were watching us carefully and then 3 more joined in when the first two took flight. It made me feel like I needed to keep an eye out for dinosaur. The mist hung over the water as we joined up with the Spillway but not for long. The creek is pretty much a constent drop at this point. The water was moving and there were waves that averaged 1 to 2 ft and lots of strainers. Some of the trees formed gates to shoot your boat through. The first couple I did just fine but then I met the vine. I caught it wrong and I flipped my boat. Tried to roll three times but could not get it. I pull out and dragged my boat over to a rock beach. SafeT told me then that there was a branch on the back of the boat that was stopping my roll. The water drained out and I was back in. The rest of the trip was fast and fun. The water was shallow on the creek. Once on Todd's it got muddy and deep. This was one of the best runs this season and we have had some great runs. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sun, May 18, 2003 2:54 am Subject: FW: Open House and Angel Falls Greetings to all, First, let me invite everyone to camp's open house going on today, this afternoon. Come out and visit the place. I know that some of the readers have never been to camp so here is the perfect opportunity. The OPC is linked to Camp Kern through alumni and friends and is named for the original campgrounds down by the river. For all you alumni out there. Pack up there family and go for a Sunday drive. There is always something to see at camp. There is a softball game, we play against Joy and Campbell Gard. Bring a mit it starts at 5pm. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Mon, June 2, 2003 12:32 am Subject: FW: Angel Falls Sorry I didn't tell everyone about our Big South Fork trip yet. So here we go... Last Friday I checked the weather up in the Ohiopyle region only to find out that they had been recieving the rains like we had. The Yough was closed due to the water level being 7 feet over flood stage. My brother and I decided to move the trip to later in the summer. I got on the horn to SafeT and he relayed the message to Jet-Ra. She came up with an alternative plan. Her boss owns a cabin down in the Big South Fork and said we could use it for free. How can you turn down that offer. King Neato had invited the Aussie boys to join us and they didn't care which way the trip took them as long as it headed to the water. These two are good boaters and real nice guys. We met at SafeT and Jet-Ra's, loaded the boats and gears. Grabbed the dogs and headed south to the city to meet up with KN. Once there, the route was set and we headed for Tenn. 8pmish we left for a 4 1/2 hour drive. King Neato explained that his chariot could only do 65 mph so we had to be careful not to lose him. The decision was made for him to lead. We passed him before the 71/75 split. With the pedal to the metal he caught up. We stopped in Richmond to pick up some liquid supplies (one of the last chances due to "dry counties") and we kept heading south. Traffic wasn't bad and the conversation was good. The Aussie boys traveled with me and since we had never met it gave us lots to talk about. We arrived at the cabin around 2 am and man was it ever nice. A beautiful log cabin with a warp around porch, half screened in with a 6 person hot tub. We all crashed around 3 looking forward to an adventure in the morning. I woke before 9 to the sounds of rain and strolled through the cabin while the rest of the crew slept. I checked the tempature of the tub and it was 100. Nothing like a dip in the tub to get the blood moving. I sunk down in the middle of that bubbling hot water and let the cool rain run down my head. This was going to be a good day. I crawled out of the tub 20 minutes later and waited for the crew to wake. King Neato didnot enjoy his hide a bed but improved his mood with a good breakfest. The river was running good so we headed for the put in and the crew headed for a a spot call Angel Falls. The falls were running high and we had heard that it was a class 4 rapid. By the looks of it, it was going to be a challenge. The aussie boys went first and showed us the path. SafeT, Jet-Ra and Neato all did fine but yours truly needed two atempts to pull it off without a swim. The river flatten out after another small group rapids and we float through an area of house sized rocks along the bank. Time for a new kinda ride. With help from the group we took turns sliding down the rocks dropping about 8 - 10 feet into the river. Great way to pratice for waterfalls. The rest of the trip was flat water. A storm traveled down the river and caught up with us bringing more rain to an already soggy landscape. At the take out we decide to go back to the cabin all together. With the help of throwbags and everyone's input we strapped all 6 boats to the top of the jeep and proceded to the hot tub. Another trip under our belt. I traveled home that night but the rest stayed for a chance to check out a different section with more rapids, but that story will be told by another. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Tue, June 3, 2003 12:27 am Subject: FW: Please, please ...call me Spanky Greetings from the Ozone, Well I made it back from my trip out west to Idaho. Big thanks to Joey for making it all happen. At first we thought avbout calling him IdaJoe or the Dude (do to his coolness in this big water). Then after a tour of his gear collection and the stories of all the deals he has come across. It was clear that he would be known as the paddler formally called IdaJoe now he will be refered to as $5 due to the usual amount of cash he spends on his paddling gear. One word to decribe the water in the west...BIG. The rating system is a little different with the use of + and - after the class number. We paddled on the Main section of the Payette with a cfs of 9000. This is 3000 higher then the book classified. The river was still in the classIII's be thw waves were 8 to 12 ft high and the water was pushing. CFS= cubic feet per second and a basketball is about 1 cubic foot, so image standing on the bank and looking directly across the river and watching 9000 basketballs going by in 1 second or feeling 9000 basketballs hit you in the chest when one of those monster waves nails you. It was GREAT. Lots of funny water and my first rapid I made it thought the big wave then flipped over. My first atempted at the roll was unsucessful and before I could try again I was sucked out of the boat. The force of the water was incredible. $5 came to the rescue and helped me to the bank to reload and continue down river. We made the next couple and the $5 turned backwards and dropped into this monster surf hole with some play boaters cheering him on. I got out of the way while $5 dropped in. He hit it fir a few seconds then lost it in the aftermath. I was glad to repay the favor and we continued down river. The last rapid on this run was in sight but I did not realize the hole was big enough for a bus and just paddled like hell and to my amazement made it through. First run down and cold beers on the bank. This would have been enough for me but there was more to come. Stay tuned. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Wed, October 15, 2003 4:32 pm Subject: OPC alive and well Greetings to the FOK. I know it has been sometime since you last heard from us. We have added new members and have taken our first step towards becoming a true club. We got a logo and put it on some hats. We talked about this during last year's pre-thanks dinner so as you can see we really move on our projects. We have some left (ordered a few extra just in case) so if you are interested reply to me (Trow) and I'll get it to you. They cost $10, what a deal. The adventures continue and 4 of the new OCE staff at camp have joined in the fun. They are early morning paddlers or moonlight paddlers, which ever works best for their schedule. During one of the trips a kayak jumped out of the back of the truck and was dragged for a short distance. The boat is fine and a lesson in strapping down was learned. They all have mastered their half roll and look forward to learning the second part. 2 of the ladies are still using the sit-on-tops and are learning the importance of fleece and neoprene. Oh to young and... On Friday the 24th we wil have our Paddle Like Hell around 11 or 12 midnight. Contact us at camp or via email if you want more info. We can get some canoes for those boatless folks. Big thanks to FOK for keeping us in touch with everyone. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> Date: Sun, October 19, 2003 12:51 am Subject: FW: The sun was in our eyes Greetings from a tired Ozone, Have to tell you about my last day off. It started fine with mailing out 2 hats, one east coast the other, west coast. Picked up an old piece of furniture and spent most of the day with Bob and Karri. Late afternoon I called SafeT to see if he wants to jump on the river for a short trip. Sounds good. Make arangements for Bob with a pick up time of 630. SafeT and I are on Todd's Fork before 5.l There is an easy current and lots of sunlight. Something rare for us, since it always seems to be dark when we travel on Todd's. The river had some nice little tight spots that caused wave trains that were perfect to surf. I was playing around, figuring out my boat and Steve was pointing out all the wildlife. I started thinking we were getting close to the take out and a few minutes later I saw a house. I start watching for the spot but it never shows up. We float for awhile then I ask SafeT if he thinks the trip is running long. Next thing we see is the old stone train tressel which means that we are on our way to Middlesboro Road take out. 3 or 4 miles past our take out and the truck. This is going to cost us some time. (Bob was being picked at 630 because my friend who was watching her was getting ready for her husband's birthday party. Looks like I will be late). We pick up the pace and make it to the takeo out. Standing on the side of the road with boats I decide to stick out my thumb. All cars traveling in our direction cease to exist. The back of my pants are wet (kind of a blatter problem look) so I figure that may stop anyone from picking me up. Steve figures we carry the boats so someone with a truck is bound to stop. We checked the nearest place but nobody was home so we walk. Those boats get heavy going up hill. Traffic picks up but no stoppers. Between the carrying and the dragging we get to the top. This is when I decide that this was a bad trip to wear my mocosins. We cross 22/3 and head down the road when a guy and his dry cleaning stop and give us a lift to my in-laws. We borrow the spare truck and head out to get Bob. I was an hour late. Not bad considering, and Bob got to have some cake...so did I. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" <dtrowbridge@go-concepts.com> To: friends <friends@friendsofkern.org> Date: Sat, November 1, 2003 11:26 am Subject: FW: Paddle like hell... the story Tho it will be difficult to beat SafeT rendition I would like to add that we were 6 canoes, 4 kayaks and 2 sit on tops strong. With the boat trailer hooked to the back of a hippy truck we met at Ft. A and loaded up all the boats. For a moonless night it was fairly light out and the cold weather that was expected never really showed up. Our trip was to be three miles long. People came from out of town to join the festivities. I joined Griff in a canoe and for some reason we moved down river at a fast pace. Neither one of us put much effort into paddling but the boat seemed to be on speed. SafeT was invisible as always and floated silently down river. Naked Jim wore clothes, so introductions had to be made to those that didn't recognize him. The sit on top ladies were dressed for the weather and seem to take pride in their preparedness. The kayakers moved in and out of the pack and none of them wore skirts because they decided that if they flip they couldn't roll back over anyway. Becca aka Rachel claimed that she sat in water for most of the trip and that if felt surprisingly refreshing. At one point as Griff and I floated backwards waiting for the crew, we watched as one by one they seemed to appear out of thin air. It was something like a super natural event. Out of the darkness came a laugh. Not just a laugh but one that seemed to last for some time. In fact it lasted about 5 minutes. Found out later it was Sid. She laugh so hard that she threw up and then laughed some more. That's a paddler. As the trip came to a close, we talked about how it was nice to spend some time on the river with friends and no worries. Sometimes its good to get away with 17 people...in the middle of the night. Happy Halloween Trow

From: "Trow" To: friends Date: Wed, December 3, 2003 10:08 pm Subject: FW: light it up Greetings from a long silent Ozone, There have been many trips on the river over the past few weeks. SafeT and I ran Ceaser's Creek twice two weeks ago and enjoyed two fast rides with lots of wave trains. One trip we saw two black dogs standing on a little island. They just looked at us like we were from Mars. Looked to us like they were chasing a deer and found themselves stopped by a rising river. The water was actually starting to drop so their wait wasn't going to be all night if they were lucky. The camp staff got together on the day before Thanksgiving and enjoyed a nice early morning float. We opted for canoes and kept everyone dry and warm. Next trip happen after the big meal on the day of the bird. SafeT, King Neato and myself took a fast trip on the Little. I mean fast, the shuttle took longer then the paddle. The river was moving alot quicker then we figured. So we went back to SafeT for a beer afterwards. Speaking of beer, we are planning another Beer Tasting in January. The date has not been set but we do know that we can make it an OPC party if we get at least 16. Max is 42. Please drop me a line if you are interested. A splended time will be had by all. On December 13 Camp Kern is hosting a Holiday Fest. It's from 3 till 8. $3 per person. Activities for the kids, a huge bonfire and we are lighting up Pete's Tower with about a billion lights. It will be cool. Bring friends and family. If you need info, you know who to call. That's right, Moran (932-3756 x27). One day he will figure out that he needs to start writing these things. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" To: friends Date: Mon, December 15, 2003 6:38 pm Subject: FW: Details details Greetings from the Coldzone, Paddled yesterday with King Neato, SafeT, Naked Jim and English Mike. We dropped in a Oregonia and paddled to Mather's. A nice cool 3 mile tour. Jim and I took a canoe while the rest opted for the flat water yaks. The river is at it's most beautiful after a snowing. The water was clear and the current was moving but not out of control. NJ was trying out a paddle he bought at Easy Eds for $20. Nice piece of wood, light in the hands. I was sporting the "Fester" (an over sized shirt that hangs to the knees, made out of polar fleece) ( M made it for me, I got the idea after watching the Addams Family). Everyone stayed dry until the last rippley water before the take out. But it was only wave splash. Very cold wave splash! For those of you that are planning on attending the 2econd Beer Tasting, here are some details. Cost will be $15ish per person, Village Cellar's in Lebaon, start time was around 5:30 last time so plan about the same. They are taking us on a TOUR FOR THE TOUNGE. Yes, I'm sure some of you are confused and excited all at the same time. We will "tour" through the different styles of beer so you will be a better educated drinker. No more will you buy something without an idea of what the hell it may tast like. Remeber, knowledge is power. We are having food provided like last time. I don't know what we will have. I told them to take care of us. So far I have heard from 6-8 people so it is time to offically be counted. Our max is 42. Last time we had to turn a few away almost (Fire code). You know the drill, hit reply or call Moran (513-932-3756 x27). In fact do both. The poor guy just said to me the other day how nobody ever calls him about these things. Yeah do both, so we can keep a count, and call Moran to wish the OPC happy holidays. Peace Trow

From: "Trow" To: friends Date: Sat, January 31, 2004 11:26 pm Subject: FW: Class V trip Greetings from the Frozen Zone, Yup, we got on the river Sunday. 14 degrees with a wind chill in the -. Karri will have no problem sending me away some day. Insane insane insane, but what a beautiful ride. The paddle took on many different aspecks. The water had what was to be ice forming all around us. In the water, what appeared to be cotton candy, the froth of a margareta, the stuffing in guilts, clouds, or the insides of a diaper after your dog pulls it out of the garbage and rips it open in the living room, is floating just under the surface. Moran said that the Eskimos had 15 different words for (or discribing) ice. Its like paddling with The Learning Channel. We stopped and cleaned up Snake Island a little. The debris is 4 feet high. Plenty of firewood for summer camp. Pulled out a big sign and SafeT got a 45 lbs beaver. That was a trip. The shuttle was wild due to the weather ( about 2 inches of snow had fallen while we paddled). Knew that from all of it in the canoe and all over us. We had to look like snowmen to the bypasser. (Back to the shuttle) Moran, Neato and I loaded up the Yukon and headed for Mathers. Ft. Ancient hill had been treated and wasnt bad but did have lots of snow on it. The was a truck in the ditch across from Easy Ed's. 350 was covered,as was Waynesville Rd. But Wilmington Rd didn't really have any tracks in it and of course we met a car coming up the hill giving it all he got. He stayed on his side and we put faith in the four wheel drive and anti-lock brakes. Apparently all our clean living paid off. Moran made it out of the lot with no problem and was off to the big town. Neato warmed up the Pizza Planet truck and after a scouting trip up the hill. climbed the slope with only a couple of small fishtails. After that it was home to stay warm, listen to the wind blow and relax with the family. Peace Trow The 2econd BeerTasting was a huge success. Lots of tasty beer and good friends. The party afterwards lasted longer and no one was hurting the next day. Would love to read any stories. There is another coming soon and a wine tasting is in the plans. Stay tuned. Peace Trow

From "Trow" Subject FW: 2 headed trip Date Tue, March 9, 2004 12:27 am To "friends" Greetings from the Ozone, Our lasted adventure was on Sunday. The water was moving at a nice pace. Nothing big or splashy. At the begining, I surfed the current while Uncle Frost and the King loaded up their boats for the trip. SafeT was in first, just cooling on the bank, checking out the scenery. I was creekin' (boat) it and found the quick response a relief compared to the canoe. You see, there was a head wind, and you know how I feel about head winds. We cruzed down from the Covered Bridge and planned on taking out in Oregonia. The water was clear in most spots and the details of rock and branches were sharp and crisp. SafeT had spotted a buck a week ago that had died in the river. 6 piont to be exact. When SafeT and Neato stopped to retrieve it , Uncle Frosty and I pulled onto a small island just down river. I got out to stretch my legs (in my new cold weather boatin pants that Karri got for me at Kolh for $9 marked down from blah ( this explanation could go on for awhile so we will end it here) blah blah) and as I walked up river I came across the skull of a 4 point buck, that had been knawed on by some varmit. Still very cool. When SafeT arrived he carried the 6 point on top of his boat, but with some request for fresher air he gently towed it home under the water. The trip ended with a drop off at the door and a dinner of homemade veggie soup with family and friends. Test result of the sweater found clinging to a tree stump. The incredibly muddy, river soaked sweater. After a rise and soak in the oxiclean, then a wash with the oxiclean. I am proud to say ...it's clean. Looks good, smells good. It's a cream color with a brown and gray winter pattern from the Limited size M. Bill Mays didn't lie. Don't forget to pledge $ for my 15 mile trip for the kids. Send me 20 bucks and feel good about helping a kid go to camp. You know how to reach me. Last, a final note. They found John Lord's body about 2 weeks ago. He was the paddler who got pinned in Tower Falls on the Russell Fork a month or so ago. His friends never gave up the search. True friendship. Peace Trow

From "Trow" Subject FW: For the Kids Date Sun, March 28, 2004 2:18 pm To "friends" Greetings, from a truly tired Ozone, Yesterday was the paddle for kids. It went something like this... My plan was to leave the homebase at 10am. The number of paddlers was uncertain because I hadn't heard from everyone but the estimate was 6. Maron was out due to "family schedule". (But would not go unseen at the river). Never heard from Griff, strange. Safet and Jet-Ra were in. King Neato? Uncle Frosty's wife aka Drake, signed him up and collected some generous pledges (Big Thanks to Drake). Hippy Kyle warned us of a sighting. Me, I was in it, rain or shine. With the rain lasting most the night, you would think it may effect the river somewhat. Nope, in fact the water was clear for alot of the trip. As I got ready for the trip the phone rang. Jet-Ra and Safet were up and would be ready in 10 minutes, it was 9:45. Uncle Frosty rolls in a few minutes later (He is always early by a few minutes). We loaded up the boats and figured out the shuttle. Phone rings, Safet is out, Jet-Ra is still in. We all meet up and head for the take out. Drop UF's truck at Hall's Creek and take off for the Covered Bridge. This drive seemed to take forever. We followed the river most of the way and it was low, but moving. Half of the trip was going to be down river from our usual route, so I was looking forward to that. At the put in we found treasure ga-lore. Neato would have been in heaven (I came away with 2 storage boxes). Jet-Ra and I took the canoe and Frosty was in his Streak. Left the bank at 11:45. The water was moving okay and it was very clear. The weather was nice, there were turtles everywhere, sunnin' themselves. You could count 5 on a branch, some were no bigger then a half dollar. Painted Turtles maybe. Frosty saw a "Big Ass Owl". Not sure which family of owl that is. I saw it flying off, it was big. Jet-Ra took pictures during the trip. Saw a Ground Hog checking us out from his front door. Wild ducks and Canada Goose the whole way. Only one Blue Heron and it wasn't our usual guy. Couple of cows, and lots of cyclist. Some were using the laid back bikes. In Oregonia we met up with Louis and Autum working out in their canoe. They joined us for the three miles to Mathers. Talked a little about the wine/beer tastings for later in the year. Paddled down to Snake Island to find Moran sitting on the bank at Ozone. Stopped, stretched and hung out with Dave for a few minutes, we were more then half way done. We had run into some headwinds (hate'em), and patches of flat still water. It's like paddling in mud sometimes. Then the river would drop and we'd get a current rolling and do a spin. By the time we got to Morrow we were feeling the miles. The river gets wider and slower. The debris from the earlier floodwater was heavier, and piles stacked way past the banks. Todd's Fork joins the river here and by the looks of it, added more then it's fair share. We reached Hall's Creek around 3:30. Not bad timing for the distance. From start to finish we encounted: 1 - guy in a canoe tipping over trying to get his little girl's bobber she lost in the river, 11dee billion - Painted Turtles, 1 - Big Ass Owl, 3 - friends, 1 - hind quart of a deer, 1 - child's arm, 1 - mid section of a deer (these last 3 items were plastic, but caught your eye funny), just to name a handfull. We were all tired and in need of refreshment. I made a quick stop at the Cellars and stocked up for the evening. Drake, Frosty, Jet-Ra and Safet were able to spend a little more time. I don't know about the other 2, but I slept like a log. Many thanks to all who helped raised $$$ to send kids to camp. I will post the total when all the pledges are in. Big Thanks to Jet-Ra, Safet, Drake and Frosty for gathering pledges and to everyone that helped, it is most appreciated. PeaceTrow

From "Trow" Subject FW: worth the flip Date Tue, April 27, 2004 11:51 pm To "friends" Greetings from a long absent Ozone, Wow, what a lot of rain. Over the past week or so the Little Miami and the surronding creeks had be active. I, myself have been the same but not so much in a boat. There was the trip with 140 kids in rafts, and a few 3 milers with SafeT and Neato. But that's all I can think of. My 3-D (it's a play boat) is no longer mine. It is the proud property of a Canadian Chick. She can be seen this summer at the roll clinics. The Queens of the Sit-On-Top are getting ready for the season. Got to get The King to bring his up. Last Sunday the rain came down and the sky was cloudy. Touched base with SafeT and planned to hit Ceasar's during a 1250 cfs release (remember a basketball=1 cfs explanation). The ladies were all in the napping state, so I loaded up the Air and headed to SafeT. He was ready and was packed up in no time. Did ride in Jet-Ra's uncle's Ranger 4X4 utility cart. This thing can not get stuck. Off to Ceasar's. At the take out we see Lewis and John + friends getting out. We tell them about Todd's and show them the shuttle on a map and wish them luck. We go the long way to the put-in (we now know the short cut) and hit the water. It's cold coming from the bottom of the lake, somewhere in the 50's degees range. the kind of cold that feels like an elephant is standing on your chest while your balls are hinding behind your navel. The current was moving good and we saw 2 more boaters getting ready for the same trip. We surfed the current and rode a couple of wave trains when SafeT saw a knife on a branch. It was connected by the clip and was right in the middle of a drop where the current is strong. We both started paddling for it when SafeT yells "dibbs". He gets to the branch but the current pushes him out. I paddle up the eddy and drop in on top, grab the branch, unclip the knife,( dropping my paddle) hold on to the knife, grab for my paddle, flip in the current, feel the pressure on my chest that only water...let out from the bottom of the lake can feel like, pull out of the boat, (still holding on to the knife) crawl on top of the boat, only to watch it fill full and sink below the surface riding the current, get a pull by SafeT to the side and proceed to empty the Air. I handed SafeT the knife since he had yelled dibbs but he said that I had earned it. After that I checked out the blade and it's a Gerber, not a Flea Market special so it was worth the dip. As we got to the take out the sky had cleared up and the day contined to get prettier. Peace Trow

Subject: FW: Communication is a good thing From: "Trow" Date: Sun, May 30, 2004 9:36 am To: "friends" Greetings from the O, First I have some news, we are going to have some kind of webpage someday. Is that vague enough for everyone. Tracy is going to design something for us. More details as they arrive. Got a story for you...Within the last ten days, Safe T and I took a night paddle and ended up crusin down the river solo in a rain storm kinda. Here is what happened. We put in a Mather's Mill and I remember hearing King Neato and Safe T talking about always putting in above the waves. So I grab my boat and head up river, through the parking lot, through the tent grounds where the boy scouts or cerib of justice, hitler youth, lambs of god party have set up base camp, navigate my way to the rock beach and head into the current. Thinking SafeT is already in the river. I paddle past the regular put in and see nothing but the storm coming in. So I paddle trying to catch up but then I start to think wait...what if I'm a head of him... so I relax... this goes on for a while but not to long and I start to paddle for the take out. When I get there the truck is missing and I start to think that this is all a bad dream. So I sit on my boat in the parking lot, in the rain. The temperature was good and the rain actually was quite cleansing. I then remebered that I met the guy who lives at the Livery. So I start to walk up and that's when Safe T and Jet-Ra showed up in the truck with a wild tale of their own. Today we hit Ceasar's. Well worth the trip. There was a wedding about to start when we got there. A Hippy Wedding. Guitar players and people in tye dye. They all took a gander at us as we dropped into the current. The water was moving quick and it was only going to take us about 20 minutes if we just rode along. But we couldn't do that. There were great wave trains and 2 1/2 to 3 foot haystacks rolling down the river. The current had created some beautiful surf holes that needed our attention. One of the holes was a spitter. Everytime you were about to drop in, it would spit you back out. We tried all different direction, little sucess. No flip overs or treasures found this time but we thought pretty hard about a second run. Then SafeT started talking about some Fat Squirrel Beer he had at the house and well, so much for a second run. This weekend seems to be providing us with lots of boating opportunties and I for one feel the need to test out the new shuttle vehicle (a Trans Sport Montana loaded with a rack) at least a couple of times. With creeks acting like rollercoasters and no real lines to wait for the ride. I highly recommend a little adventure in your lives. Call a friend, load up the boats and get wet with a friend or two. You can thank me later. Peace Trow

From: Trow Subject: FW: Frosty Flip and wild life Date: Fri, June 4, 2004 12:05 am To: friends Greetings From the O, With the water up and kicking like it has been for the last several days, trips and folks to go on trips have been easy to find. Uncle Frosty finally came out of hibernation to join us on a trip down Ceasar's over the weekend. They were"letting out" (this is a boater term for when they open up the dam to drop the level of the lake) so we figured on hitting the wave trains and the Spitter Hole. King Neato, Safet, Jet-Ra, yours truly and the Frosty One met up with Ralph. Ralph had not brought his boat but was checking out the river when we showed up (I have never paddled with Ralph but I hear that he has the skill). As we traveled down stream, the mist would show up around the drops and you could hear the water picking up speed but not really see it until you up on it. The water being really cold and the air starting to warm up cause the mist to have a gausy haze that made it easy to see water droplets hanging in it. We all were doing fine, riding the trains and getting splashed, listening to Neato tell Frosty what to do. After one of the parts where the current pushed you towards a strainer, Safet and I were waiting for the rest when we hear Neato yelling. We pull over into the flooded bank and hop out of our boats. For some reason I had chosen a stand of Stinging Nedles to park my boat so getting my throwbag was even more fun. We got up river hearing that everyone was okay but we had a stuck boat in the trees. With moves of a jungle cat, Safet made his way to the and I used my skills at throwing the rope into a branch. We were successful at freeing the boat and Frosty had open the summer season offically with a baptismal. We all headed for the takeout to meet Ralph and the group (minus me) headed back for another run. That will have to be told by them in their own words. Over the last few days I have seen and small hawk grab a mouse out the grass maybe 25 feet away from me. 2 turkey or pheasent (not really sure) bob on past me while I was strolling in the woods. And tonight while driving, I caught up to a turkey running in the other lane until it took off in flight. This bird was running down the middle of the lane for a good distance. Must be something in the air. Peace Trow

From: Trow Subject: FW: 4 owls and a wedding Date: Sun, September 26, 2004 9:48 pm To: friends Greetings from the Ozone, What a long strange summer it has been. For most of you it was hopefully fun and exciting. For me... let's just say it hasn't been dull. Earlier this month we had the first Adventure Wedding brought to you by the OPC. Back in August I became ordained by the Universal Life Church. I have had this idea for some time but never acted upon it. After hearing people say they want to get hitched outside or on top of a cliff or on the river but have a hard time finding someone to do the ceremony I thought hey... now they have me. Safet and Jet-Ra were the first to take advantage. On top of Pete's Tower on a beatiful summer evening they renewed their promise to each other. It was really nice and with the trees, sun setting and the river in the background, striking. I don't think you could ask for a better setting for them. Bob, Slick and myself were in attendance along with a hay wagon load of school kids being pulled by Smelly Kyle on the way down the gravel road. The ladies all had some form of pink on (this was done without any pre planning). The first of many Adventure Weddings, call for more details. We did get on the river some days after that or should I say evenings. A late night paddle had Safet and I floating along on a pretty uneventful trip when we came up on a owl close to the bank talking to some friends up on the ridge. Their conversation went on for some time and at one point it sounded as if there may have been a disagreement. Safet said it was probibly the fact that we were underneath or to close at one piont and the interesting calls were warnings to us. Something like a scream in a stairstep fashion. The water wasn't moving fast but we floated out of range and the conversation returned to normal. Very cool to be a silent visitor. Season is coming up for fall water. Give us a call and join us on the river soon. Peace Trow

From: Trow Subject: A Break in the Action Date: Wed, April 13, 2005 10:51 pm To: friends Greetings from a broken Ozone Long has the airways been silent about our adventures. The OPC has not fallen off the face of the Earth nor have we disbanded. Like many of us we are alive and well and living in our respective areas. With the rains over the last couple of week the river did what they do best and we you friendly river rats do what we do best...have adventures. Our last trip found Safet and yours truly heading to Cowan Creek via the Spillway. Oh the water, the crazy crazy water. The falls were running with power and glory and we knew that just looking at it was not enough. We proceeded to the puy in and got ready. Safet asked if I had brought my helmet (as always) and I assured him it was in the van. While we perpared I dug through dirty work clothes, paddling gear and assorted toys only to come up empty handed. As I slid my boat into the cold water of the lake, Safet asked again about the helmet. "No worries" , I shouted back "I'll be careful". Knowing better I proceeded down the spillway after Safet as he smoothly glided down over the edge in his silky way. Following not far behind him, humming my theme song, I dropped over the edge into the crashing boil below. The boat doing what it is designed to do lundged out of the falls heading out of the back tow and like the fool that I can be I stopped paddling to soon. This was a bad move. The boat was pulled back into the boil and I was caught in what is best decribed as a washing machine. The boat flipped and I was caught under the falls with force of that crazy water pushing me down to the bottom and holding the boat there. I could feel the falls pounding on the bottom of the boat which was the top at the time. Feeling the need the breath, I pulled my skirt and headed for the surface. Air, that wonderful lung filling substance. Rocks, those really hard masses that hurt when you slam into them. Boil, that uncontrolable amount of water that seems to be everywhere and takes you where it wants. Out of the corner of my eye I see my boat free itself from the hydrolic. I look the other way to see Safet shouting at me to get my feet out in front because there is a second waterfall coming up (this one was only 5-7 feet high). Now I can't really explain the position that my body was in but my left leg was out in front and my right was behind me so as I brought my right underneth me I bounced on a rock with my right ankle under my butt causing it to...well..break. I felt it happen but I was thinking of the next falls coming up so over I went and down the wave train for about 100 yards or so. I washed over to an eddy where 3 teens had been watching the whole time. As I got to the shore I crawled to the edge and lifted my leg out of the water only to see it wobble in a way that just did not look ...right. So I turned and sat on a rock and put my leg back into the cold water. One of the teens came up after I shouted for them to grab the boat as it was passing by. I ask if they had cell phones which they all had. I asked them to call 911 but they informed me that they really didn't have a signal and that there phones all sucked but their friends phones worked better yadda yadda. Cutting off the editorial from tomorrow's leaders I ask if one of them could go to the resturant and call for help (Spillway Lodge was in the background on top of the hill). At that point I looked over to see Safet up river on the other side working his way towards me. He had lost his boat but seemed to be alright and as he approached I filled him in on situation. Being the coach that he is he jokingly asked if I could walk it off. Now after years of sleeping through first aid classes for camp and other jobs I remembered to keep my leg in the cold water (kept it nice and numb and the swelling down) kept my gear on so I would stay warm and hummed my theme song because there was nothing else to do while waiting for help to arrive. Small world, the perimedic was Larry who is Amy's (at JOY) husband and upon introduction said "I know you, Trow". He took great care of me and as they pulled me up the hill by ropes in the STOKES basket I could only think of what a great team building exercise this would be. At the ER I was known as the Kayak Dude and the doc was real cool and gave some of the best happy juice in town. Well 6 pins and a plate later I am riding the couch with my leg in the air and pain killers in the system. They say it will be about 2 months before I can even think about kayaking again and all I can say is...man I am glad I have a canoe. See you on the river. Peace Trow

From: Trow Subject: Cast off, what a big surprise Date: Wed, May 11, 2005 11:03 pm To: friends Greetings from an ichy Ozone, Today was wonderful. By 9:30 am I was cast free. The feeling of freedom to rake my nails up and down my leg was...that same feeling guys get when we drive fast over hills on country roads. Yeah, that's it. Anyway, I thought back over the last 4 weeks and realized that it really wasn't bad at all. Played with the girls, rolling around in the yard. Watched alot of movies and caught up in some of my reading. Finished a test for work (made $50) and cleaned the house. Spent time on the porch sitting under my boat, brushing Pearl (Wonderdog) picking the ocassional tick off. Lots of friends stopped by to say Hello (I am still missing a bottle of pain pills if anybody has come across anything......). Did some odd jobs for some cash. Funny how the bills keep coming even when you're not working. During the last 10 days or so I have been putting a little weight on my leg. Nothing painful but it did tire me out and I would get a little sore. During the last week my leg would swell up and at one spot I could really feel some pressure, but no real pain. Well two nights my leg had that pressure feeling so as I was trying to get the cast in a comfortable position, I flexed my toes and heard a POP. Oh Man, what the hell did I just do. I instantly start to squeeze my cast at the ankle. For what purpose, I have no idea. I couldn't tell if anything felt different so I left it alone. So, all yesterday I thinking "I'm in trouble, they are going to say I screwed up. This morning I wake up before the alarm. Get ready, head out. At the Doc's office early, waiting for the call. Nurse takes me to the room and she proceeds to cut off the cast. We pull the fiberglass part away and unwrap what was left of the Gore liner. As the nurse uncovered my ankle she exclaimed in a somewhat paniced voice "Oh, MY God". She stepped back and pointed at four ticks the size of your thumb. I should say three were the size of your thumb because one had popped. Freaked out but not moving I ask her "what is it, what is it"? At that moment 2 other nurses who had heard the shouting came rushing into the room only to increase the noise and draw more people. Now the circus begins, and yes, there were clowns. Things eventually settled down and the ticks were removed and put in a jar. Welcome to my life, the adventure never ends. Peace Trow