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ACA 2014 I NS T RUC TOR PR OFI LE
NATE OSTIS MCCALL, IDAHO
Began whitewater kayaking in 1987 American Canoe Association Instructor Trainer National Outdoor Leadership School Instructor Trainer
Wilderness Medicine Institute Instructor Trainer University of Utah Remote Rescue Instructor Rescue 3 International Instructor Founder Wilderness Rescue International Firefighter Wilderness EMT
In
2006, Nate Ostis and a handful of his closest paddling buddies embarked on a 170-mile
self-support kayak journey down the Yalong River, deep in the remote regions of western China. It was a first descent and even though the trip was heavily researched for the better part of eight years, the group of whitewater paddlers still had only a vague idea as to what they would encounter. The journey began New Year’s Day in China with
Buddhist monks present to bless the expedition and write inscriptions upon the boats. As the miles passed and days went on, Nate realized that he had failed to anticipate what the true highlight of the trip would ultimately be: the people. Though the group was discovering exciting, world-class whitewater, the jewel of their quest turned out to be the amazing people they encountered along the way. The villages along the river were only accessible
by horse packing trails, and many of the villagers had never seen white people before. The kayakers would drop through large rapids and pull up to the shore below to find a villager or two, mouth agape, staring wide-eyed at a collection of tall, hairy Americans in bright boats and kayaking gear. Within minutes, the entire village of 100 people would come to greet the travelers. Using only primitive sign language, the two groups made bonds, and the paddlers were invited into the locals’ homes. Rice and cabbage were boiled. Sometimes chickens were slain. The paddlers would stay up into the night laughing with the villagers, even without a single understood word. Nate and his friends would sleep on the villagers’ dirt floors and relish in the tranquility of human kindness. The group negotiated hundreds of class IV and V rapids along the Yalong River, but they found their excitement peaking anytime they encountered a new village. The trip, and the locals that helped the travelers feel so loved and accepted,
taught the American paddlers a new meaning of hospitality and openness. “The villagers were always eager to laugh, hungry to smile and quick to
sing a song. They live simply and beautifully,” said Nate. “They touched our lives profoundly and will live on in our memories forever.”
Sugar Island and Ausable River KAYAK FISHING Dates: July 26–August 2 Location: Sugar Island, Canada Cost: $1,650 (7 nights / 6 days)
Host: Emerald Water Anglers Pro Staffer Tee Clarkson
EXCURSIONS For more information go to
www.americancanoe.org/excursions
Greece
SEA KAYAKING AND MULTI-ADVENTURE TRIP
Dates: June 14–21 • June 28–July 5 • Sept 27–Oct 4 Location: Island of Poros, Greece
Cost: $1,399 for June/July and $1,199 for Sept/Oct
Hosts: ACA Instructor Trainer Educator Barbara Cutter, and Adventure Tourism Services
Danish South Sea SEA KAYAKING AND SAILING
Dates: July 12–19 Location: Denmark Cost: $870 / $1,176
Hosts: Gerhard Grimm, ACA Instructor Trainer Educator
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