Whitewater Rafter

As its title suggests, this useful guide offers about as exhaustive a course in river running as you can expect to get on dry land. Author Jeff Bennett outlines a simple approach that will take you from the showroom of your local paddling outfitter to the rapids of your favorite river. You'll learn about rafting history, equipment, safety, and rescue, and explore the dynamic forces at play in the rivers themselves. From underwater currents, surface hydraulics, and rapids classifications to water and wave patterns known as haystacks and pillows, The Complete Whitewater Rafter examines all facets of river running. Bennett also covers the planning procedures for full-scale river expeditions and the advanced maneuvers essential for Class V rivers. --Lance Judd

Writing Down the River : Into the Heart of the Grand Canyon
by Kathleen Jo Ryan(Introduction), et al
Photographer Kathleen Jo Ryan first witnessed the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Grand Canyon in 1987. A year later she rafted the Colorado River into the canyon, emerging from this transforming experience with the idea for a book: "Going down the river into the heart of the canyon is adventuring into a place of spirit. I hold a warm, overwhelming feeling of gratitude, respect, and humility for having been allowed to float and play through this majestic canyon." In Writing Down the River Ryan shares her gratitude by inviting women writers to venture down the Colorado and contribute their "personal journeys." Gretel Ehrlich provides context--historical, geographic, and biographical--in the foreword, and 15 other writers join the celebration with their individual voices.

Canyon Solitude : A Woman's Solo River Journey Through the Grand Canyon
by Patricia C. McCairen

One moment, she's the cocky, athletic river guide Babe; the next, she's an earthier, more spiritual woman who answers to the name of Patch. Hours later, she seems more vulnerable, less convinced of her strength and joy in the solitude she so zealously courts. Canyon Solitude records these shifts and beautifully limns a journey that tests McCairen's mettle and shows that determination, grit, and the will to spurn conventional rewards offer their own deep satisfactions