(ALTIPANO, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 98)
<br />W e have traveled just 60 miles from Laguna Colorado to a
<br />refugio overlooking sapphire Laguna Verde yet this lake
<br />couldn't look more different.The water is a milky blue - green,
<br />thanks to the arsenic suspended in it From the ridge above it
<br />looks passive and calm. In the morning we paddle toward the
<br />base of Lianabur, the nearly 20,000 -foot volcano we intend to
<br />climb the next day. It has been nearly 45 days since we last
<br />needed spray skirts. Who knew wed need them hereon what
<br />appeared co be a perfectly calm morning? Who knew that at
<br />14.200 feet, in one of the most barren spots in the world, a cold
<br />wind arrives quickly and builds to near - hurricane strength each
<br />day, almost on the dot at I I a.m.?
<br />We discover for ourselves only when we are in the middle
<br />of the lake, sans skirts, with cold water splashing into our cockpits.
<br />With the wind gusting to 25 mph, we are suddenly in the most
<br />dangerous place we'd been in six weeks: The middle of a Cold-
<br />water lake, far from shore, with a stiff wind blowing. One badly
<br />placed brace and we'd be in the water. Nearfy frostbitten when we
<br />finally get to shore, all we can do is lie down on the ground, using
<br />the boats as windblocks to stave off hypotherrnia.We try again the
<br />next day, learning from our nonchalance.An early start, hoods up,
<br />spray skirts pulled tight We cruise directly into the waves, a fine
<br />salt mist in the air, toward the foot of Ucancabur.
<br />From the middle of the lake, Rodrigo Jordan, an old friend
<br />and one of Chile's best -known climbers who has summited
<br />Everest and K2. notes how valuable a resource the Altiplano
<br />could be to the four countries sharing it if they could work
<br />together. But the region is renowned for border conflicts going
<br />back centuries. "If they could all just agree to get along, there
<br />are many ways to get rich from this land," he says. "But I'm not
<br />anticipating that happening in my lifetime."
<br />(CASTING, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54)
<br />basic flies designed for the type of fish you're hunting. (Deceivers and clousers, which
<br />imitate baitfish, will get reactions from salt-water fish.) You'll also need to choose a
<br />leader appropriate for the type of fish you're after.The thin leaders used for river trout
<br />will never be seen again if a salt water prowler strikes your fly. Most leaders are
<br />monofilament but if you chase fish with teeth you'll need wire leaders.
<br />Once you have all your toys together, place them on your kayak You'll want at
<br />least one holder to keep your rod close. External rod holders are best because fly
<br />rods don't fit well into flush- mounted holders. Attach a leash to your rod, to keep
<br />that big red from towing it to Bermuda. Place all your flies and extra tackle in floating
<br />carriers (don't ask me how I know this). Keep everything you might need within arm's
<br />reach.When stalking a protruding tail, don't splash and bang about And take a small
<br />anchor or rope to keep your kayak from floating away while you're wading.
<br />After a trip or two, you'll fine -tune your kayak and gear so that further expeditions
<br />run more smoothly. Just be sure to allays secure on -deck items. Nothing ruins a day
<br />of fishing faster than a couple of hundred dollars going overboard. But once you
<br />experience the synergy of kayaks and fly fishing, your biggest worry will likely be one I
<br />can't help you with— finding more time to do it
<br />(WATER PARKS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 85)
<br />Lowheads and Flood Control
<br />In an unlikely turn of events, one of paddling's deadliest hazards is quickly becoming
<br />one of its greatest allies. Low -head dams have been the bane of whitewater boaters
<br />since the origin of the sport These low, innocuous - looking dams often attract
<br />inexperienced river users into their deadly hydraulics—with often fatal results. Until
<br />recently whitewater boaters have portagedor avoided —these features altogether.
<br />All that is changing now ---dam owners and fish biologists are learning that in
<br />addition to creating a liability, these dams are stopping fish migrations and limiting in-
<br />stream habitat.The importance of some of these species has brought federal funding
<br />to the table to modify dams so that fish can easily swim upstream and people can
<br />safely navigate downstream. Enter another powerful avenue for funding and design:
<br />the Fish Passage Whitewater Park
<br />100 PADDLER
<br />One such project is already nearing completion in Pueblo, Colo.
<br />Where a dam once stood 12 feet high in the Arkansas River adjacent to
<br />the historic section of downtown, the river has been re- graded to a more
<br />natural slope for fish habitat and designer Gary Lacy has added eight
<br />natural boulder holes for whitewater playing.The course will be celebrated
<br />at a Grand Opening May 5.A similar project is pending at the Price Stubb
<br />diversion dam on the Colorado River near Grand Junction, Colo., which
<br />could create the state's first year -round whitewater Park,
<br />A Similar Situation recently unfolded in Fort Worth, Texas. When the
<br />town announced plans to repair four downtown dams on the Trinity River,
<br />local boaters convinced planners to make whitewater features part of the
<br />project "The city is ecstatic with its popularity;' says attorney Tom Ranells.
<br />'The whitewater features have transformed the park' Whitewater
<br />Proponents are now working to build on that success, but the city faces
<br />two familiar problems_a limited supply of money and water. "We'r
<br />looking at diverting and pumping water through a 10 -feature course;'
<br />Ranells says. "But we'll need some creative funding to support it"
<br />Whitewater parks can also serve duty in flood control. Denver's
<br />Confluence Park, built for $1.2 million in two phases, one in 1974 and another
<br />in '94, includes sidewalks, planters, flood - control and whitewater features. it
<br />was also the first major municipal whitewater course in the United States,
<br />built as flood - control for an amusement park Town planners saw th fl
<br />control Project as a way to revitalize the river corridor while showing that a
<br />greenway anchored by a whitewater park can help urban renewal.
<br />(BURN -OUT, CONTINUES FROM PAGE 73)
<br />Minnesota
<br />ly, Minn., claims to be the canoe capitol of the world, and for good reason;
<br />The town of just over three thousand hardy souls supports 22 outfitters,
<br />I I guide services, a canoe manufacturer and a major national retailer catering
<br />to canoe travel. From mid -May th
<br />Duluth packs and bug spray. ro ugh September, the place is awash in
<br />This little town is on the doorstep of one of North America's most
<br />magnificent paddling preserves, comprising more than a million acres in the
<br />Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and its Canadian sister, Quetico
<br />Provincial Park The BWCA contains more than 1,000 lakes entwined with
<br />1,500 miles of canoe trails, while the adjoining Quetico shelters another
<br />500 lakes within 2,600 square miles of forest
<br />Canoe bums flock here by the hundreds to escape from workaday life;
<br />others have made the Boundary Waters their life's work The pioneering
<br />environmentalist Sigurd Olsen chose Ely as his base for studying nature's
<br />interplay, and renowned biologist Dr. David Mech made Ely the
<br />headquarters of the International Wolf Center.
<br />The vast majority of this territory is off limits to motorized travel-your
<br />ticket to backwoods bliss is your tolerance for (or enjoyment o
<br />diminished creature comforts and multiple portages. Still, you can live better
<br />out of canoe than a backpack (as will the local creatures --so be sure to
<br />hang your food). ELY
<br />Don't worry if your bank
<br />account is as burnt out as you are — Low for' Gi. it a
<br />the Boundary Waters and Quetico C.a: t4 Daakte Noose for desserts
<br />are blue - collar wilderness. A W the Elir Sank Haase he red
<br />borrowed canoe, iron skill Will et, spool of Orhdn: Tile I:han %rsr facers Saloon
<br />ten -pound test and well -worn flannel
<br />shirt will carry you a long way.To that Ream. Ide lhie Heron led and
<br />end, you're more likely to find stores T-101:1 ' CaiiiP dlwetik tm a^1' of the
<br />hawking locally made head -nets and tYata ISN bla,
<br />sled dog harnesses (no paddling in
<br />January), than sun-drenched pottery $WVhW Tip
<br />shops intermingled with wine and !is" c y whet, say
<br />coffee boutiques. That's how Ely likes Paw _ 3 " b ib H rhym wish 'mirage."
<br />it V --Rick Hill ♦ 06 nBe, any e1lktite4bdes desoipare
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