Caribou Kamloops, B.C.
At UCC in the central–B.C. cowboy town of Kamloops, you can get a full university degree or earn a diploma like the Adventure Guide Diploma, a grail for those who want to make a life of climbing and paddling. After two years you can be certified as an advanced kayak instructor, swiftwater rescue instructor, raft guide, assistant sea kayak guide and wilderness first aider. Tuition is the lowest any- where and there’s a small-town, community college feel. With the Coast and the Rockies both four hours away, UCC is centrally located for all western Canadian white- water. Park‘n play: The Frog on the Thompson River (1 hr 20 mins). River trips: Adams (class II–III, 45
The Frog
U of Calgary Calgary, Alberta The irony that the water is up when school’s out, be it a bless-
ing or a curse, is particularly true at UofC. Diehards in Cowtown find ways to paddle year-round—going out when the Chinook blows in the dark months—but those clean, green, glacier-fed Rocky Mountain rivers are summertime playgrounds. That said, there are rivers aplenty within 1.5 hours of campus. Students are most likely to paddle on the dam-controlled Kananaskis River, a popular easy-access spot with year-round flow, slalom facilities and ample parking. UofC’s phys ed department has one of the country’s premier outdoor degree programs. All students get free on-campus pool sessions twice a week although you can’t bring your own boat and have to settle for the old river runners provided.
Park‘n play: Kananaskis River (II–III, 1.5 hrs). Local river trips: Bow River, Sheep, Highwood, Kananaskis (all less than 1.5 hrs). Weekend trips: Red Deer, North Saskatchewan, Pipestone (1.5–2 hrs), Kicking Horse (3 hrs). Season: May–September Programs: Outdoor Pursuits (Bachelor of Kinesiology) Male to female ratio: 45 to 55 Student pub: The Den Price of a pitcher: $8.25 Club: None On-campus pool sessions: Tuesdays 9:15–10:45 pm, Sundays 6:45–8:15 (free, non-students $7.50) Selling points: Kananaskis Whitewater Festival each May, Rockies skiing, no sales tax. As featured in: Canadian Rockies Whitewater guidebooks by Stuart Smith Maclean’s national reputation rank: 13 out of 47 Verdict: Best summer water levels.
mins), Clearwater (III–IV with class V drop above put-in, 1.5 hrs). Several class III–V creeks within 3 hrs in any direction. Season: Feb/Mar–Nov Programs: Adventure Guide Diploma Bird course: Food Preparation Male to female ratio: 45:55 Student pub: Hero’s Price of a pitcher: $12.00 Club: None On-campus pool sessions: 9:00- 10:30 pm Mon, Wed and Fri Selling points: Selkirks backcountry skiing. Jennifer Lopez and Robert Redford will be shooting a movie in Kamloops this summer. Mechanical bull-riding at Cactus Jack’s. Nursing program (lots of nurses on campus). The word: “Kamloops is a good central spot to live if you are a paddler”—David Tiedje Verdict: Best place to study paddling.
Kananaskis Festival
U of A Edmonton, Alberta UofA is one of Canada’s top research institutions,
perfect for over-achievers who don’t want to be distracted Cool Sky
by warm weather in winter. Edmonton isn’t blessed with any whitewater under two hours away, but the opportuni- ties grow exponentially as you drive westward to the Rockies. UofA joins Western as a school that makes up for a lack of whitewater with a large, well-organized club and lots of pool time. The UofA Paddling Society (UAPS) was formed in 1975 and has become probably the largest university paddling club in the country with 200 mem- bers. UAPS runs pool sessions and classes, summer river trips, polo, boat rentals and surfing trips to West Edmonton Mall’s wave pool. Park‘n play: The Brierley Rapids, North Sask. River (II+ run with some play, 220 km). River trips: Foothills rivers (3–5 hrs): Red Deer, Blackstone, Brazeau. Rocky Mountain
rivers (4–5 hrs): Big Horn, Cline, Mistaya, Pipestone. Jasper rivers (4 hrs): Sunwapta, Whirlpool, Athabasca, Maligne, Miette, Astoria. Male to female ratio: 44 to 56 Student pub: The Power Plant Price of a pitcher: $11.00 Club: UAPS On-campus pool sessions: 11.5 hrs/week (classes, open ses- sions and polo) Selling points: Ice climbing, skiing, kayak sledding, climbing wall, monthly socials. The word: “Just when paddlers are becoming good they graduate and move, hence we suffer from periodic short- ages of expert paddlers.”—Mario Bertovic, UAPS President Maclean’s national reputation rank: 5 out of 47 Verdict: Largest paddling club, best mall park’n play.
Lakehead U Thunder Bay, Ontario On Lake Superior in the working port of Thunder Bay, Lakehead
is surrounded by hundreds of kilometres of fresh water and boreal forest. You don’t have to drive far to hit wild rivers cascading over Canadian Shield granite onto Superior’s North Shore. LU is perfectly situated for specialty programs like Outdoor Recreation, perhaps Canada’s best all-around outdoor degree program. Lakehead has long been a scrappy underdog at or near the bottom of the Maclean’s rank- ing. Now Maclean’s has introduced a “Value Added”” category that ranks the school number one on student improvement from entrance to graduation. Either the exams are easy or there’s something about all that fresh water and clean northern air that makes you smarter. Park‘n play: Crooked Rapids on the Kaministiqua (II, 30 mins). Local rivers: McIntyre River (on campus, has great whitewater
for about 5 days in spring), Current River (river run, 10 mins), Cascades (multiple waterfalls, 15 mins), The Gorge (35 mins), Pigeon River’s Middle Falls (12–14-foot drop, 1 hr). Weekend trips: Black Sturgeon (90 mins), White River (5 hrs). Programs: Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism Male to female ratio: 46:54 Student pub: The Outpost Price of a pitcher: $9.00 Club: Lakehead University Club of Kayakers (LUCK) ($15) On-campus pool sessions: Sundays 8:00–9:30, boats provided Selling points: Ice climbing, nordic skiing, Finnish culture, Hoito Restaurant for cheap eats. Notable paddlers: Bill Ostrom (gear manufacturer), Tyler Curtis, Tyler Lawlor (of Level 6), James Roddick, Scott MacGregor (Rapid publish- er). Maclean’s national reputation rank: Didn’t make the top 25. Verdict: Best alumni (we’re biased).
Cascades 2003 Early Summer 39
paddling photos from top: Justin Thompson, Ryan Creary, Ruth Gordon. Carobou College: Mike Farrow.
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