| by Ben Long  (ARA) - We were
a small flotilla of canoes and sea kayaks drifting down the Green River in Canyonlands
National Park. Every day on the river we went deeper into wilderness. Every day we went
deeper into ourselves.
Each bend of the river presented a new landscape: A falcon
rising from a box canyon; a sheer sandstone wall a thousand feet high; an ancient shelter
left by some extinct tribe.
We wanted to somehow quantify these scenes, to compare
them. So we invented the Wow Factor.
If we spied a new slickrock canyon and half of us said,
"Wow," the scene earned a Wow Factor 5. If a certain quality of light caught
almost everyone's eye, it received a Wow Factor 7. The ultimate scene left us all
slack-jaw and amazed: Wow Factor 10.
National Parks, it seems to me, are the Land of Wow.
Most national parks aren't designed around rivers. They are
built around geologic features such as Yellowstone's geysers or Yosemite's granite, or
historic sites like Gettysburg or Little Bighorn battlefields. Still, our finest
rivers-those with the highest Wow Factors-flow through our national parks.
Every summer, millions of us launch our own personal
adventures, heading for these select parks. RIVER Magazine has compiled a list of some of
the best National Parks for river lovers. And if you go without a canoe or kayak atop your
car, or without packing your flyrod ... well, don't blame us for the "wows" you
miss. Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier Park is more accurately Glaciated National Park.
The spectacular peaks and lush mountain cirques were sculpted by ice long ago. The actual
glaciers you see are just remnants of their former selves and, alas, are melting fast.
But as they melt, glacial flour mixes with frigid runoff,
tinting local rivers a striking, aquamarine. It looks like a photographer's trick with
colored filters. That hue is what adds character to the Middle Fork of the Flathead, the
river which forms the southern boundary to Glacier Park.
The Middle Fork is an official Wild-and-Scenic River,
blessed with Class III rapids and favored by day-tripping rafters and kayakers. The river
is flanked on one side by U.S. Highway 2, which provides easy access. Beyond, the forested
mountains of the Great Bear Wilderness provide a rugged backdrop. The scenery attracted
Meryl Streep and her film crew when Hollywood shot portions of "The River Wild"
here. Watch for mountain goats which lick minerals from an escarpment above the river.
Fishing in the Middle Fork is regulated by the state of
Montana. Until recently, the stream was reliable for native cutthroat and bull trout.
Recent declines have prompted new restrictions, including mandatory catch-and-release for
cuts.
The tumbling McDonald Creek, with water so clear it looks
distilled, drains the park's interior. And on Glacier's eastside flow three shorter
rivers: the Belly River, the Two Medicine, and the St. Mary. These are too small for
floating, but they are sparkling companions for hiking and great places to see elk, bears,
and other creatures.
Wow Factor? Water from Glacier Park flows into three of the
world's four ocean drainages: The Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic. One may climb atop Triple
Divide Peak and stand above three drainages at once. Wow.
Superintendent, Glacier National Park, West Glacier, MT,
59936. Phone: (406) 888-7800.
Grand Canyon National Park
Some five million visitors gaze into this chasm every year.
But only a tiny fraction of them-perhaps 100,000 souls-actually visit the Colorado River
itself. The Colorado flows through 227 miles of Grand Canyon National Park. Most visitors
peer off the south rim, see the tiny trickle a mile below, and then rush to the Imax
Theater in Tusayan to see the river on the big screen.
For those who prefer reality, there are three ways to visit
the "inner gorge": by foot, mule, or raft.
Walking is arguably the best way to appreciate the depth
and timelessness of the Grand. It's also the most physically demanding. There are people
who have hiked down and back in a single day, but rangers strongly discourage it. The hike
demands a 5,000-foot elevation change each way, often in blazing heat with no water. Good
sense dictates hikers take at least two days. Look at it this way: It took a few hundred
million years to build this canyon, so why rush?
Riding a mule is demanding in a different way, but still an
adventure. The mule trains are a canyon tradition, dating to the days Teddy Roosevelt rode
a particularly stout mule to the bottom. Phantom Ranch, on the river's edge, is a main
destination for an overnight stay, via Bright Angel Trail from South Rim.
Each year, 20,000 people raft the Grand Canyon. About
two-thirds of those are clients in commercial groups and one third are private boaters.
For many, the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River is the ultimate rafting experience.
The trip can take weeks and includes mighty whitewater.
However, demand for permits far exceeds supply, particularly if you don't hire an
outfitter. If you start applying for a permit right now, count on waiting 10 years or more
before you're rewarded. With the Grand Canyon's global reputation, don't expect the wait
to get any shorter. A commercial trip eliminates the wait, but can cost $300 per person
per day.
Wow factor? Watching a meteor shower zip from rim to rim on
a moonless night while listening to the roar of a downstream rapid.
Contact: Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, Box
129, Grand Canyon, AZ, 86023. Phone (520) 638-7888.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Pack your boat, plus your bikes. The slickrock of
Canyonlands National Park is a Mecca for mountain bikes. But two great rivers converge
here as well: the Colorado and the Green. The Confluence Overlook trail is a classic
Canyonlands hike. From that promontory, visitors gaze down at the merging Green and
Colorado. The two rivers have distinctly different colors-like a river of tea flowing into
a river of milky coffee. From the overlook, one can see the distinct line as the waters
merge and the two rivers share one channel. But the overlook offers only a small glimpse
of the rivers themselves.
The Green River offers a route into the Maze District. This
sandstone labyrinth is an Ed Abbey paradise: one of the loneliest, loveliest and most
rugged places in the lower Forty Eight. One popular float is from Mineral Bottom, on the
Green, to the confluence of the Colorado. Mineral Bottom is at the end of a crumbling
cliffside road left over from the uranium boom (which is an adventure in its own right.)
Allow at least five days on the river for time to explore the side-canyons through red
slickrock. The flat water is suited to sea kayak or canoe, although the headwind can be
brutal.
Commercial jetboats run the Colorado from Moab to the
confluence and will shuttle your gear back to Moab. Also, the Colorado around Moab offers
mild-mannered day floats with a chance to see desert bighorn sheep.
If you can't bear to leave your mountain bike behind,
four-wheel-drive roads lead to both the Colorado and Green rivers and are gear-straining,
all-day rides through the full-range of desert stratifications. Wow Factor? Hear the
sweet, flute-song of the canyon wren greeting the warmth of another sunrise.
Contact: Superintendent, 2282 S. West Resource Blvd., Moab,
UT, 84532-3298. Phone: (435) 259-7164.
Banff and Jasper national parks, Alberta, Canada
The Canadian Rockies national parks are known for just
that: the Rocky Mountains. Here, the earth's crust has smashed and twisted into jagged
vistas, with icefields and glaciers still grinding away at this enormous sculpture.
The rivers born of these peaks-the Bow, the Athabasca, the
Maligne and the Saskatchewan-match the mountains. One of the finest days of my life was a
clear winter morning, cross-country skiing on the frozen Saskatchewan River. I cut a fresh
set of wolf tracks, following them where the animal led me all day long.
The Bow flows from Banff National Park, through the Bow
River Valley, and across the plains to Calgary. The Bow River Valley is a major wildlife
corridor for large animals moving up and down the Rockies. The Bow offers canoeing and
trout fishing near the Banff townsite.
The Athabasca River flows north from Jasper, a braided
stream of cobble bars and flooded willow flats. Moose and beaver, and occasionally black
and grizzly bear, can be found there. The Athabasca has a decidedly "northern"
feel to it. Guide services based in Jasper townsite offer scenic boat trips down the
Athabasca, as well as whitewater on the nearby Sunwapta, Fraser, Canoe, Whirlpool, and
Kakwa rivers.
Runoff usually peaks in June or early July and water flows
generally remain plentiful through August. Every summer, colorful harlequin ducks return
to Jasper's Maligne River to breed and raise young before spending their winters on the
coast of British Columbia. These birds are shy and are best watched from a distance
through binoculars or a spotting scope.
Jasper and Banff have the disadvantage of a major highway
running through their center. This highway runs right along the major river valleys and
can be jam-packed with tourists during the summer months, but an alternative is to visit
during the off-season. Cross-country skiing is good through March and a series of youth
hostels offers inexpensive shelter. Wildlife watching reaches its apex in September and
October, after the crowds taper off. River running, however, is not generally a
shoulder-season activity.
Wow Factor? Floating past the baleful glare of a grizzly
bear on shore, or even floating down a river knowing that a grizzly bear is out there,
somewhere. Contact: Banff National Park, PO Box 900, Banff, Alberta, Canada, T0L 0C0.
Phone: (403) 762-1550. Jasper National Park, PO Box 10, Jasper, Alberta, Canada, T0E 1EO.
Phone: (403) 852-6176.
Everglades National Park, Florida
I always thought the Everglades was a swamp. Turns out it's
a river. A wide, shallow river. To be specific, the Kissimmee River.
I have a friend from Florida who now lives in Montana.
Whenever we're on a river and see a likely sandbar, she says: "That looks like a
perfect place for an alligator." Only in Montana, we don't have alligators. She
misses them. The Everglades has both alligators and crocodiles. In fact, it's about the
only place in the world with both. It also happens to be a great place to explore with a
canoe.
At 1.5 million acres, Everglades National Park is the
largest sub-tropical wilderness in the lower 48 states. The park service maintains a
network of paddling trails, including the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway. (The name's a bit
deceiving, since motorboats are allowed.) The trails include backcountry campsites,
including floating platforms called "chickees," which are patterned after a
design by the indigenous Miccosukee Indians. Other camps are on ancient earthen mounds
built by prehistoric tribes.
The native peoples of the Everglades built entire islands
by hand, including Sandfly Island. Sandfly was later taken over by whites as a tomato
plantation. Now, under the hand of the National Park Service, the island has reverted to a
"natural" condition.
The Kissimmee River is fifty miles wide and only a few feet
at its deepest point. The waters of the coastal Everglades are affected by the tides,
requiring skill at reading tide tables and nautical charts. But the rewards of exploring
mangrove estuaries and sawgrass flats are nothing short of astounding.
The Everglades are home to some 350 species of birds. And
uncounted billions of mosquitoes. Those are both the main reasons winter is a prime time
to visit.
Wow factor? Being astonished when that log on the other
side of the channel suddenly moves... and materializes into an alligator.
Contact: Superintendent, Everglades National Park, 40001
State Road 9336, Homestead, FL, 33034-6733. Phone: (305) 242-7700.
No wonder the rest of the world thought America's national
parks were such a good idea. But National Parks are victims of their own popularity.
Crowds of people have resulted in long lists of rules to protect the parks' wonders for
future generations. The Land of 'Wow!' is also the Land of 'No!' Rules vary from park to
park and it's the visitor's responsibility to know and follow them.
Thanks to some recent legislation in the United States and
Canada, both the US National Park Service and Parks Canada have gone on a fee-spree. The
bad news is that services like backcountry camping permits that were free a few years ago
may now cost money. The good news is that the money goes toward projects that better serve
visitors and the park.
But who can complain? Our National Parks are still the best
adventure value in the world. Where else can you experience wonders like this? No where
but the Land of Wow!
Ben Long is a regular contributor to RIVER Magazine, a
national magazine dedicated to moving water and the activities surrounding it. For more
information on Paddling the Land of Wow and a list of more National Parks that feature
outstanding rivers, look for the June 1999 issue of RIVER at  Barnes & Noble, and specialty outdoor shops in
your area, or contact RIVER at 877-582-5440.
Courtesy of Article Resource Association, www.aracopy.com,
e-mail: info@aracopy.com
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